2014.08.06 - Project Daybreak: SHIELD's Up

The lobby of the building where Project Daybreak is based is experiencing an unusual level of chaos. Construction crews are constantly on their way in and out, laden with building supplies for the ongoing repairs to the fabrication lab. The mess isn't helped when a detachment of uniformed SHIELD security shows up. The receptionist, a young man named Simon who is sporting some bandaged cuts on his face, looks up hopelessly as the platoon enters. "Um. Let me get you all issued security passes," he says. He also pages upstairs -- his boss is going to want to know that his guests have arrived.

It's less that a minute before Roberto da Costa bounds off the elevator, looking as haggard as the rest of his staff and considerably worse for wear. He's got bruises and burns on his face and hands, and either his suit is particularly tight or some injuries are making moving around painful. "Hello, I'm Roberto da Costa," he says, seeking out a point of contact among the SHIELD agents. "I'm in charge of the lab. Did Hill send you all? I -- who should I be talking to?"

Agent Barton steps forward, "That would be me." he gives Roberto a smile, "Sorry I told the oss we could make do with less but well she was not in a less is more kind of mood." he then extends a hand to Roberto. "So what did happen here?" He asks as he glances around.

Young 157 is still helping with the project, despite the chaos. He seems pretty much entirely unaffected by it, and has kept up his usual error-checking and assistance wherever required, ignoring the construction work entirely except for what's necessary to stay out of the way. There's a couple differences, though. Today, he's known as Billy Smith, and his appearance has altered--he's an African-American boy with short black hair, rather than Caucasian with very lengthy blonde hair. That was his condition for being available if Roberto needed him to help with the SHIELD meeting...nobody at SHIELD sees his real face or knows his...allegedly...real name. For the moment, he's still in the lab proper, working on checking over the computer file structures.

Relieved to find a familiar face he can address directly, Roberto shakes the offered hand firmly. To Clint's question, he practically moans: "Robots." In superhero circles, it's like saying 'ninjas' or 'rising gas prices' -- a constant pain in the butt that always seems to pop up at the most inconvenient moment, usually to a resounding chorus of 'not this again!' "We've got a facility downstairs for building prototypes. Someone got a virus into it and started cranking attack robots out of our own assembly line." He points to his battered face. "Getting them back under control was... a task. And by the time we were done, we realized someone was downloading all of our research data to a remote server." He starts leading Clint up to the elevator. "Do you want to see the robot bits first, or the hacked servers?"

Clint Barton shakes his head, "Robots." he then makes some hand motions and the secruity part of the detail starts to deploy to make sure the area is secure. he then "Robot bits." he then waves to the tech crew who come forward to do their jobs, "Sounds like that was some pretty dangerous info they got their hands on."

"Yeah..." Roberto admits slowly. "The whole point was trying to make mutant research a good thing, you know? Real discoveries that would help people, instead of another damned 'living weapon' project." He shakes his head, pushing the elevator button for the fabrication lab and swiping his ID card to get security clearance. "But that stuff keeps coming up for a reason. With the thoroughness of the testing they're doing, they could weaponize our research if they wanted to. And I think the robots were a hint that they kinda want to." The doors slide open on total chaos.

There used to be some really expensive equipment in here, but it's mostly been smashed. Burns, slices, and marks of explosions are all over the walls, floor, and ceiling. Workmen swarm around, repairing what they can. A young black kid is sorting fragments of plastic and metal into two piles: Daybreak equipment, and the attack drones the Daybreak equipment was hacked to create. The latter pile is notably dominated by the color yellow.

Clint Barton notes the predominance of yellow and asks, "Any idea about who did htis? the colorations gives me one idea." he then looks over at hte fragments, "Allright boys now you get to arn your pay." he tells hte tech team that gets to work, "Eve hear of a group called AIM?"

The kid in the oversized labcoat keeps up the work of sorting equipment as Roberto and the SHIELD personnel arrive, but does glance over. His face is expressionless--no sign of any curiosity or any other emotion, but they do hold his attention for a little while. For the moment, though, he goes back to his work...until he tries to lift a more moderately-sized chunk of something non-yellow. He gets it off the ground about half an inch, then it clangs back down and he overbalances and falls over, barely catching himself. He looks over at Roberto and the others, as they're the only ones not presently lifting something heavy or otherwise engaged. "Assistance required," he says in monotone.

"AIM? Not really." Roberto tilts his head to the side. His experience with terrorist groups is mostly limited to mutant supremacists and anti-mutant bigots, so Clint is going to have to fill him in. "Yew -- uh, Billy! Careful with that," he calls to the young intern. The end result sounds like 'You! Billy!', fortunately. "You don't want to hurt yourself," he says as he takes over. The object is heavy, even for him, and he briefly considers going Sunspot before deciding against it. No need to further freak out the SHIELD agents. "Which pile?" he grunts.

Clint Barton walks over near the intern and continues talking ot roberto, "Well they are a grooups of scientists trying to take over the world." he sighs, "Dont't think they have tried anything involving mutation before but they are equal opurrtunity scumbags so it could be them, they do like yellow."

"Project Daybreak," the boy called "Billy" says after a brief inspection. He steps back to allow Roberto a clear path to the proper pile, and looks over at the SHIELD agents again, then back up at Roberto. "Should Billy continue with present assignment, or does Roberto require assistance with visitors?" He stares over at Clint, watching him quietly.

Roberto stomps over to the indicated area and gratefully sets down the piece of machinery. "Well, we got some information from the encrypted connection they used to download our files," he says, dusting his hands off. "I think we'll be able to use your monitoring systems to track their location with it." He sounds a little more optimistic than he did a moment ago. If this attack was carried out by a group SHIELD has tangled with in the past, it might be easier to convince them to help shut the data thieves down. "Yeah, Billy. Do you have the data we managed to pull off the trace? These agents are going to need it, I think."

Clint Barton nods to Bero and Billy, 'Yeah if we can find them we can bring down the hammer." he smiles knowing he will likely be part of that hammer. He gives Billy a nod, 'Nice to meet you Billy, I'm Clint."

"Understood," Billy says to Clint. A long pause. "It is nice to meet Clint as well," he finally adds. Kind of an odd kid, but then, he's probably some sort of genius if he's allowed to assist here so young. Probably just eccentric. A look over at Roberto, and the boy nods. "Affirmative. Billy will report." He looks over at Clint again. "When unauthorized connection was discovered, staff of Project Daybreak managed to recover encryption key. This key may be used to locate source of unauthorized connection. Key follows." And he actually starts reciting it, verbally. At a pretty quick pace. The boy has a wonderful memory, it would appear...and evidently thinks that everyone else can just memorize a super-long alphanumeric gibberish string at the drop of a hat, too.

"Billy. Billy!" Roberto interrupts, forcing a smile for Agent Barton. "Maybe type it out for them instead?" He raises his eyebrows at the kid in possibly the most obvious conspiratorial facial expression known to mankind, then quickly tries to move the conversation along. "I know that I'm not SHIELD's number one favorite person right now," he says to Clint, wincing at the memory of his phone call with Maria Hill, "but if it can be arranged, I would like to be part of that operation. I want a chance to redeem myself and get back at the people who attacked me, if I can."

Clint Barton gets lost in the numbers and letter and hten he nods, Yes hard copy woudl be easier." he then looks to Berto and nods, "I will pull the strings I have but I can't make any garuntees."

As Roberto interrupts him, Billy stops mid-recitation, actually looking almost like he's frozen entirely for a couple seconds. "Understood," he finally says, and retrieves a nearby tablet he's been using as part of the cataloging operation. He takes a seat on the floor, and begins typing away on the onscreen keyboard. A few moments later, a printer nearby can be heard to start up, and the boy stands again, walks over to it--very slowly--and returns--very slowly--with a piece of paper, which he offers to Clint. On that paper is the entirity of the lengthy alphanumeric encryption key.

Jo was busy doing paperwork involving his recent trip to China and was not paying attention to the time until he had a call reminding him he had an appointment at Project Daybreak. Finishing the paperwork as Ultra Speed he was still later leaving the Helicarrier than he should have been.

Jo arrived at the front gate seconds after leaving the Helicarrier and pressed the intercom button to request admittance.

One more SHIELD agent isn't going to have trouble getting access, and Jo will be directed to the heavily damaged Daybreak fabrication facility. There, Roberto da Costa, Clint Barton, and a savant-like black teenager named Billy are surrounded by workmen attempting repairs and SHIELD agents investigating the wreckage of a catastrophic robot attack. "I appreciate it," Roberto says to Clint as Jo steps off the elevator. "All I'm asking is to be considered for the retaliatory strike. I'm a mutant and combat capable, I can assure you."

Clint Barton nods, "Well the first step is to find them." he hands the string of letters and numbers to a tach nad sys, "Make this your tp priority." he says, "Well I do not doubt that and I am sure Agent Guthrie will vouch for you as well."

The paper delivered, "Billy" returns to his work, snapping pictures of some of the robot parts now that he's got the various bits and pieces sorted into piles. He's building some detailed documentation of the tech used in the attack and any analysis he can manage. "Billy will also assist as necessary if required," he adds, looking back for a moment at Roberto and Clint. "Billy is not a combatant. However, Billy is very good at observation and analysis. Billy is willing to assist in preparation, organization, or support if needed."

"He'd better," Roberto answers Clint, cracking a smile for the first time in the conversation. "Have you ever seen Sam in a fight?" He gestures at the pile of wrecked Daybreak equipment. "It wasn't just the robots that did that," he says with a sardonic tilt to his lips. "I think he owes me."

He glances over at 'Billy' and nods. "Obrigado, Billy. Are you making any progress with that analysis?" he asks the kid. "If you can reconstruct an image or a schematic of one of the drones, Agent Barton might be able to recognize the design."

Clint Barton nods, "I have." he tells Roberto, "Well there is always collateral damage." with the arival of Jo he looks at hte Legionaire and says, "Agent Nah, can your vision pick up anything out of hte ordinaty with the components.' he gustures towards the mostly yellow pile.

Jo starts looking saround for parts that are evidently from the drones mentioned. If there was a fight, probably at least one of them was destroyed. If he can find enough parts, he might be able to put some ofthem back together.

"Affirmative," Billy says. "Billy is preparing schematics based upon most probable reconstruction of parts. Schematics are not yet complete as Billy has only just finished sorting parts." Machine parts are heavy, and he's very scrawny. He taps his tablet a few times, and holds it up to the SHIELD agents. "Here are theoretical schematics. Billy will make corrections and provide final schematics once analysis is complete." His supposed guesses are pretty accurate, though. He has a keen eye and a pretty darn good understanding of technology...especially since he's seen a lot of the inner workings of these things thanks to those inner workings being scattered all over the place.

Roberto nods as he looks over the reconstructed schematic. "I may not be an engineer, but that certainly looks right," he says. One hand goes involuntarily to his shoulder, and his eye twitches with a slight wince. "Mean little filhos da puta, too."

Using the schematics, his own knowledge of future technology, and ultra speed, Jo quickly reassembles one of the drones, escept for the damages portions. He then moves on to a second, seeking ones damaged in different ways. He is, however, avoiding reassembling a complete drone...just in casse it would reactivate if he did so.

Clint Barton knows just enough Portogese to unstand Roberto's comment and smiles, "Well I recognize these particular filhos, it is aim alright." he shakes his hea,d "Wel lat least we knwo who we are dealing with now."

As the drones are reassembled at high speed, 157 watches quietly, providing schematics as necessary but mostly just observing such as he can. When they're done, he gives a nod to confirm they look right. He looks to Roberto. "Billy will go to finish assembly of data and schematics. Contact Billy if necessary for further assistance. Please." He looks to Clint and Jo Nah once more, and then hands the tablet to Roberto and walks to the elevator again, headed back to the general lab area where there are some more formal workstations.

"AIM, huh?" Berto says, watching all of them work, impressed. "I suppose I should be flattered that they think my little lab is going to offer them the key to world domination." He examines the reconstructed bots closely, nodding. "I guess I don't feel as bad about being suckered if it was by a group that goes toe to toe with SHIELD. Do you already know their whereabouts, or will the trace still be useful?"

Jo seeks to recall what he has learned about AIM since he joined SHIELD. Ther are a group of high tech terrorists who often seek to gain new and unusual technology for exploitation. Much of what they have is pretty advanced, comparedto common 20th century technology.

Clint Barton nods to Berto, "Yeah they are old hands at this sort of thing." He hten says, "Well they have hidden bases all over so we will still got with the trace sicne we have the info." he hten says, "I shouldn't take meore then a day or three for the big brains to give us what we need."

The edges of Roberto's mouth lift in a predatory smile. "Good." Then the resolve seems to drain out of him a bit as he considers the other purpose for the visit. "So, I have to ask... do you think Hill is going to try to shut us down? She seemed to be considering it when she called."

Jo starts studying the drones from a different perspective. He can see things on an atomic level with his Ultra Vision, possibly he can find some trace element or other identifying clue that will help tell where these came from in a more specific away.

Clint Barton shrugs at that, "I doubt it but you can never tell" he then says, "Besides not like you are the first installation that Aim has hit. In fact that it was a professional known group might count in your favor."

"That's good to hear, at least. She seemed pretty angry. Something about 'endangering the lives of everyone on the planet with a security system more full of holes than Congress,'" Roberto paraphrases. "Which is a totally unfair characterization!" He glances over at Jo, trying to figure out what more he hopes to learn from the reconstructed drone. Actually, subatomic trace suggests that the bots were built right in this room, which will seem like an odd fact until he gets context for it.

Jo frowns. He says to Roberto, "As best I can tell, this object was manufatured here." Wa it soe kind of von Neuman or virus program sabotaging a manufacturing device?

Clint Barton nods ot Jo, "A computer virus took control of the fabrication lab.' He states. "Though always good to get confirmation. I was courious if there was any other telltales."

"Von what now?" Roberto asks, perplexed. "Oh, yes. This lab is -- or, um, //was// supposed to be used to build prototypes to speed up our research. By the time we noticed the machines were building these things, there seemed to be hundreds of them." He sighs. "Pretty clever, actually. Makes it a lot harder to trace the source." He points to a little armature extending from one side of a reconstructed drone. "One thing that worries me is that their weapon systems are totally modular. If they do manage to turn our research into weaponry, they'll be able to fit these things with the new tech immediately."

Clint Barton says, "Well the best thing we can do now if get the trace donw so we don't give them the chance to do that." he looks around, "What this hte only spot hit by the drones?""

Jo says, "I assume, therefore, the trace you are talking about is a trace on the origin of the computer virus?" He thinks Clint's question is good, unless they were created here, what they were seeking must be here...possibly both. He does a quick check with Ultra Vision to see if any drones remain active elsewhere in the lab.

Roberto nods. "We managed to contain them here, yes," he answers. "But that may have been intentional -- it kept our focus away from the data servers until they had downloaded most of our valuable findings." For Jo's benefit, he continues, "That's what we're tracing. Or asking SHIELD to trace, I guess. The download was bounced all over the planet, but my geniuses tell me your geniuses ought to be able to trace it using the encryption key we recovered and SHIELD's monitoring systems." There aren't any active systems in the room. The bots have been destroyed, and even Roberto's own equipment is shut down for the renovation. "Do you guys want a look at the data servers, or will your techs see to that?"

Clint Barton says, "Well I don't need to the techs can handlethat." he looks ot Jo, "Do you want to have a look?""

"I can take a look, but I am pretty sure the programming languages I know are different than the ones in use here," Jo replies. Considering e learned computer programming 1000 years in the future, that is a safe bet.

"Yeah, I figure, let the specialists see to their specialties," Roberto says, probably unaware of Jo's experience with computers. "That's kind of the whole basis of this operation. I pay for everything, and then get out of the experts' way." He casts one more glance at the pile of wrecked Daybreak equipment. "So far, the 'everything' I'm paying for has turned out to be a little more 'everything' than I expected." He shakes his head and refocuses. "Well, then. Is there anything else you need from me, gentlemen?"

Clint Barton shakes his head, "Nothing on my end." he msmiles, "I am sure there will be more questions down the line but we will be in touch."

Something occurs to Jo, "I am thinking, what you are working on...it is something unique in the current world I assume. Can you explain to me? I may be able to find a way to trace it if someone duplicates it."

"'Current' world?" Roberto cocks his head to one side, but then shrugs and continues, "Certo. Most of the stolen data was on my powers -- their genetic causes, the biochemistry that makes them work, that sort of thing. You've seen me in action, I believe, but I'll be happy to demonstrate if that will be useful for you."

Clint Barton looks overto Jo, 'Cgood thinking." he lets Jo answer the question aas he moves back just incase there is a deminstration coming.

Jo considers, "It may help, I seem to recall you have a rather unique arua when your powers are in use. Possibly detectors on orbiral satellites could be programmed to note occurences of a matching spectrography."

Nodding as he removes his blazer, Roberto rolls up his shirt sleeves -- revealing a few more injuries from the fight against the robots -- and flexes his arms to either side of his body. With a crackling transition, he becomes a pure black silhouette, wreathed on all sides by a spotted golden auroroa of solar energy. Some of the workmen turn to gape, but the Daybreak employees simply glance over, already aware of their boss's abilities. The scattered SHIELD techs are presumably jaded to this sort of thing by now. Careful not to let his temperature get to the point where it might damage his clothing, Roberto nods to Jo. "Spectrograph away."

Jo looks around for the device he needs and, when he finds it, asks to borrow it. He takes a spectrograph and records the energy emissions. He gives this to one of the lab boys and suggests the information that was stolen may allow AIM to duplicate this specific energy signature and that orbital surveillance for a matching spectrographic sample may help locate the base.

Roberto waits for Jo to finish recording, and then allows his high-energy form to dissipate. Although normally he gets a rush from the transformation, today even that's not enough to break through his seriousness. He simply picks his jacket up and drapes it over one arm. "Alright -- I hope that helps," he says. "Thanks again for the assistance, but if you'll excuse me, I should probably go check to make sure everything is going well in the server room." He nods to each of the SHIELD agents and heads for the elevator.