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Post by Victoria Raines on Mar 2, 2012 20:29:46 GMT -5
M6W4D2-to start. The thread may cover up to a week of game time. Open
There is a lecture series on nanotechnology being given at Detroit's Wayne University over the course of the week. Several notable pioneers in the technology from around the world have been asked to contribute to the series, either as speakers or demonstrators. The lecture series will end in a recruiting fair for those interested in internships or continuing education programs offered by some of the key corporations. Of course, Kao-Nic is one of these, as is PrimaTech and Blackrock. The three rivals have been strategically staggered across the demonstration room so as to minimize the threat of explosive personalities clashing.
Of course, there are still representatives of all three- and other equally as impressive companies on campus all week. The College of Engineering is going to a very volatile place for a time.
When the first day's lecture breaks for lunch, Victoria Raines makes her way to one of the campus parks and takes a seat on a bench under a flowering tree. The tree and bench sit directly against a high brick wall. She draws her dark leather coat tighter around her against the wind- a spring wind but still slightly nipish- and slips a small bottle of iced green tea from her purse. She'll not eat or drink anything here that she did not bring hersefl, nor does she really need to. She can go longer than the average human without eating, a good thing given her current circumstances. Idly, she muses that the pantsuit she wears was certainly the better choice given the weather.
She powers up her tablet and appears to be browsing the net. Really, she is watching the flow of students, professors, and others. Victoria has always found the study of behavior fascinating. It makes it so much easier to control someone when you can anticipate their reactions.
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Post by Perceptor on Mar 2, 2012 21:04:19 GMT -5
Persephone has actually assigned her students the task of attending the conference for the week, both for their own education, and for hers. A great deal of the technology being presented is relatively archaic and simplistic by Cybertronian standards, however, it's quite educational for Persephone to compare how far these humans have come in relation to her own knowledge.
Besides, some of the work being presented is quite fascinating in and of itself.
She, too, heads to one of the outside parks to find a quiet place to consume her luncheon when the presentations break for exactly that; she's been experimenting with molecular gastronomy techniques, and is looking forward to seeing how well her concoction has withstood being stored and carried about before consumption. Primarily, she is most concerned with the protein shake, and if it has suffered an alteration of specific gravity which would force the textured spherules of enriched carbohydrates to precipitate out, or if the spherules have suffered any degredation and break-down.
And if it still tastes like a caramel mocha creme frappe'.
A strikingly familiar figure ahead catches her attention, startling her for a moment. She'd expected that she would see Shockwave - Victoria Raines - here, as her corporation figures heavily in the lectures, however, Persephone had not expected to encounter her here, and now. She is far too familiar with Victoria's image and data from the various briefings and information passed to all the Autobots to mistake this woman for anyone else, however. Schooling her features into pleasant interest, Persephone alters her course.
"Good day, Ms. Raines," she greets politely. "How do you find our campus, thus far?"
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Post by Victoria Raines on Mar 2, 2012 21:20:17 GMT -5
Victoria glides a finger over her tablet, sending it into screensaver mode. "I find it quite well, Ms. Cortice." Victoria smiles slightly and cocks her head to one side a bit. "That is correct, yes? I believe you are part of the bio-engineering group here?" she asks as she extends her hand to the other woman.
"A pleasure. Your department has produced some very promising young minds in the past years." Some of which work for KTech, now, of course.
"Being in my backyard, as it were, I have always felt it important to support Wayne." Indeed, she personally has donated much to Persephone's very department over the years. "Would you like to join me for luncheon? I would love to hear about your work."
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Post by Perceptor on Mar 2, 2012 21:33:56 GMT -5
There is no hesitation as Persephone firmly shakes Victoria's hand. "A most generous offer. Thank you," she replies as she settles to a seat beside Victoria.
"You are quite well informed, I see," she observes politely. Somehow, that doesn't surprise her; Shockwave always did seem to have an excellent memory. "And your support has benefited the scientific endeavors of this university quite a bit. Your investments are very much appreciated, Ms. Raines." She smiles, smoothing a hand down her own smart pants suit as she shifts to a comfortable position.
"I do find myself quite proud of the caliber of students that Wayne attracts. It is one of the reasons why I chose to teach here, and there is something quite satisfying about watching a young mind blossom into the light of knowledge. You have employed several of our graduates, have you not?"
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Post by Victoria Raines on Mar 2, 2012 21:51:47 GMT -5
Victoria's expression shifts but little as she listens to Persephone. The tilt of Victoria's head sharpens, one eyebrow drops slightly, and her lips purse. The voice, the affectations, they are... familiar. For a person with a memory such as Victoria's, placing the familiarity should be simple. That it is not means that she will simply search harder for it.
You have pricked the curiosity of Victoria, Ms. Cortice, and that can be a very dangerous thing.
She shifts so that she is facing more toward Persephone and to give the other woman some room. "Yes. Not so many as from other schools, at least as far as the hard engineering goes, but we have several from the biochem division." Victoria levels a thoughtful look on Persephone. "More of them began passing their internships the year after you were added to the staff, actually. What an interesting coincidence, yes?" she says with a smile, then takes a sip of her tea.
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Post by Perceptor on Mar 2, 2012 22:05:02 GMT -5
It's Persephone's turn to quirk up a brow. "Quite well informed, I see," she replies.
Of course, it could simply be that Victoria is specifically interested in her, and has made a particular study of Persephone's 'life'. That is not exactly a comforting thought, given that Persephone is very much aware of just who 'Ms. Raines' is. And what tends to happen to those who intrigue Shockwave.
Rather than responding to Victoria's observation, Persephone merely fishes out her own drink in its pale amber bottle, sparing it a quick look to see if the particles had precipitated out or not. She smiles to see that it appears exactly as it had when she'd removed it from the small fridge in her office.
"You have made quite the name for yourself, Ms. Raines. Not an easy feat for a woman in such a predominantly male field," she observes as she uncaps her drink.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Mar 2, 2012 22:51:27 GMT -5
A little paranoia is good for the soul, Persephone.
Evasion. How quaint. Victoria actually smiles fully, flashing perfect white teeth. "Do you always ignore compliments to your skills, Ms. Cortice?" she asks with a soft chuckle, "Bashfulness will get you nowhere in this world, my dear."
Another small sip of tea, "Those with the skill and determination to go after what they desire without pause or scruple will always climb to the top of their chosen mountains," she says with a shrug of one shoulder, "Though I daresay I've more ethical fibre within me than many of those collected here this weekend. I take care of my people."
"But I believe you know that, well-informed as you are."
The look she levels on Persephone now is not so much cold as it is hard, the look she perfected in board rooms and over business lunches, and in school rooms and offices before that. "I have always believed that to base the ease or lack thereof of one's advancement upon a relation to one's physical gender is to admit an unconscious belief that there is a separation, a lack, between what the different sexes can accomplish. I did not set upon my path as a woman in a male field. I set upon my path as an engineer determined to create a better tomorrow."
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Post by Perceptor on Mar 2, 2012 23:17:30 GMT -5
Victoria... chuckled. Persephone covers her surprise at that by savoring a sip of her rather successful experiment. Such a display of obvious amusement is very unexpected from the being calling herself Victoria Raines. Finally, Persephone shrugs.
"I can think of no appropriate response to such a compliment that is not also self-aggrandizing," she replies. "I enjoy my work for itself, and do not require the accolades of others; science is its own reward."
Persephone is... conflicted. She knows what KTec provides its employees, yes, however, Persephone also knows what Shockwave has done for millennia before, and a few decades of human care do not balance out eons of manipulation.
"Such care is quite rare in the modern business world, yes," she replies. "My benefits are not half so accommodating and generous. I imagine that such packages engender quite a fierce level of loyalty in your staff."
Ah, now this is the Victoria that Persephone had expected. She smiles a little knowing smile.
"It is easy enough to determine what one's own perceptions will be, however, determining the perceptions of the world at large, and of those against whom we must compete or cooperate with, is another thing, indeed. You may not believe in the validity of a perceived separation of gender ability, may call it an unconscious belief, even, Ms. Raines, however, not everyone is so forward thinking. One's abilities can take one only so far in a world where how one is viewed by those who would hire and fire, so to speak, weigh so heavily."
"In short, Ms. Raines, simply because you refuse to acknowledge the existence of any such boundary does not negate its actual existence. Not while the rest of the world not only perceives, but enforces such a boundary."
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Post by Victoria Raines on Mar 2, 2012 23:47:09 GMT -5
Not even Ultra Magnus can deny that during those same eons of manipulation, the people of Cybertron enjoyed an existence that was almost utopian- much as those who do Victoria's bidding do now. There has never been a question that Shockwave will provide the best possible living for his people. The question always come down to the methods and the reasons behind them.
"Yet my very success indicates that such perceived boundaries are so much nonsense. I can think of no time in the past decades when my gender has been a detriment to a negotiation." This is possibly because Victoria is a one Cold Scary Bitch. "When I was younger, perhaps, it was more a distraction, but that is all."
Not that Victoria Raines at forty-five is an unattractive woman. On the contrary she is still quite striking an wears her age well. But she is not so much as she once was. It frustrates her. Not from vanity, but that no amount of maintenance and upkeep can keep her parts in peak condition. Shockwave was always fastidious about such things.
"If more women were willing to ignore such perceived boundaries en masse, and press beyond them, we would not still have those who think our breeding apparatus makes us either inferior or unintelligent. Yet, we are still divided into factions, both sides fighting for dominance when we can best advance as a unified society."
Victoria slides her fingers over her tablet. "I do have an opening in your field, Persephone," she says, using the other woman's first name deliberately.
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Post by Perceptor on Mar 4, 2012 18:54:43 GMT -5
Persephone actually snorts an indelicate chuckle. "Not everyone is the undaunted Victoria Raines," she remarks wryly. "I daresay that had you been forced to compete against one with your unique qualifications, that you would not have found your rise to the top of your field quite so... meteoric."
Double entendre. Persephone can do it, too.
"And, again, we, as women, can ignore the constraints placed upon us externally all we wish, however, we do live in a society which requires interaction and cooperation with other individuals. Until all individuals are willing to see the fallacies for what they are, it is not so simple a matter as merely ignoring what others think or do or say. In certain fields, my female students must perform at a significantly elevated ability to their male counterparts to receive a portion of the credit and trust that those same males do. Not because of their own weaknesses or inabilities to ignore the metaphorical slings and arrows of others, but because of the perceptions of those who have the power to help or hinder their future. When the control over certain fields are dominated by biased individuals, simple false perceptions can and will affect even the most brilliant young scientists, purely by granting or denying access to continued opportunities, regardless of ability."
Persephone Cortice, chemist, physicist, biochemist, and gender studies sociologist?
"While it may be true that there are enlightened individuals in the various fields who see these imposed impediments as the fallacies that they are, and judge an individual based upon his or her merits and intelligence, regardless of gender, there are still far too many prosaic, and parochial minds who guide key fields. It takes time, and the continued work of all to dissolve these perceived boundaries, however, attempting to argue that the boundaries simply do not exist, is actually far more detrimental than helpful."
The rather obvious offer takes Persephone by surprise.
"I have a position, already," she replies slowly. "Beyond which, you commented, yourself, about the increase in acceptable students from my department since the point in time which I took up my position here. Would not enticing me away be akin to harvesting one's fruit tree for it's wood?"
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Post by Victoria Raines on Mar 4, 2012 20:43:03 GMT -5
"I said nothing about your leaving your current employment," Victoria says with a smirk, "It is a consultant's position. We are working on a collaboration with St. Jude's to transfer a child's consciousness into a bio-robotic body while a new body is grown from scratch, hopefully minus the flaws which made them a candidate for the procedure in the first place."
If Persephone follows the appropriate journals, she may already be aware of that collaboration.
"It is a very delicate process that I'm sure you see can benefit from superior minds in your specific field."
"You would be given the benefits package of a standard KTech employee with a salary appropriate to your skills, and the possibility of commissions. I imagine given your compassionate nature, you would find such research very rewarding."
Victoria makes some notes in her tablet, then pulls up a picture of an older teenage boy with all the earmarks of being a very ill patient and shows it to Persephone. "This is our first patient. He volunteered for the chance, and is eighteen, old enough to make the choice. The doctors currently doubt he will last the year, so he has , as he puts it, 'nothing to lose.' He suffers from a rare blood disorder."
She closes the window and takes a sip of her tea. "No need to answer now, of course. The offer will always be open."
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Mar 4, 2012 20:45:14 GMT -5
Dr. James Hook does not work in nanotechnology. He not an invited speaker. However, he happens to be in town because there is a cyborg heart surgery he is going to perform tomorrow as a part of the clinical testing on a civilian artificial heart he has been doing, and he would just as soon be rested before he performs that. Not that he, strictly speaking, needs to be rested before that, but being rested is nice.
The lecture series on nanotechnology sounded like less of a waste of his time than most things are, so James has decided to take a look at it for today. At the very least, none of it will strain his brain, he is sure. Engineering is easy for him, easier than medicine, and he doesn't know why, which bothers him, because he would know everything if he could.
Most of the lectures he has deigned to sit through have made him twitch. Why do these people not know about the simplest fundamentals of nanotechnology, like evil brain impulses? James is almost entirely certain that evil brain impulses are how those alien machines have achieved some of their so-called wonders.
Now James is looking for something to eat, because he does get hungry very, very easily. So the white-coated surgeon purchases some of the very most unhealthy foods on the cafeteria menu here and then adjourns to the campus park to consume his calorie-laden foods in peace.
Is that Victoria Raines? he wonders, squinting, while wolfing down some sub-par French fries. James has taken apart some of the products that her company makes. It is all garbage of course, but it seems to be garbage headed down a slightly less idiotic path than most.
OOC: Skippable unless addressed,
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Post by Perceptor on Mar 4, 2012 21:28:51 GMT -5
"I have some familiarity with the case from the publications in the scientific and medical journals," Persephone replies. Some familiarity? She's been following the case quite closely, attempting to plot a means by which she could plausibly contribute.
Victoria has dangled a choice bait, indeed.
"How can you be so certain that I can offer anything not already represented by the individuals working upon the procedure? Or that they will not resent my inclusion?"
The wheels are turning, though, because it's more than purely humanitarian reasons that has piqued Persephone's curiosity about the project (although, the humanitarian reasons currently outweigh the others concerns). If they perfect the means to transfer a human's consciousness into a robotic form...
Then they may have a means to return all of the Autobots to their forms, as well.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Mar 7, 2012 1:16:49 GMT -5
"We are still gathering talent," Victoria says, "And in this undertaking, there is no such thing as too many minds. Your presence would be welcome, I am sure."
Victoria's attention is taken by the sight of Dr. Hook. Excellent. She knew the doctor was in town, of course. She has, in fact, been angling on a seat on the viewing panel for the surgery. Not that she doesn't already have a contact who will report back to her on the surgery, of course. She just wanted to meet the good doctor herself.
Should she catch the doctor's eye, she will smile and nod acknowledgment. She does wish to speak with him, but is not yet ready to break with Persephone yet.
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Post by Perceptor on Mar 11, 2012 22:07:48 GMT -5
A very choice bait, indeed. A bait with only one real drawback - it's a project for Shockwave.
And yet, it's a project for Shockwave that will ultimately benefit not only this young man, not only other individual humans with significant disabilities incompatible with quality life, but also potentially benefit the Autobots seeking to return to their original forms. A project which Victoria must also certainly be striving towards. There is no reason that she would have remained in this human body one moment more than she would need to, after all.
Since the offer will be open, "always", really, Persephone should thank Victoria and explain that she will respond later, before taking some time to consider all the angles. However, there is no logical reason why the human scientist and professor Persephone should not want to be involved, especially since the position would not interfere with her current duties, and every logical - and emotional - reason why she should want to immediately agree to the placement.
Even requesting time to consider the offer could be seen as suspicious, which rather cinches Persephone's hesitation.
"Then I would be pleased to assist with the project in whatever manner I may," she replies decisively.
Victoria's glance elsewhere, that small nod, is noted, however, Persephone thinks nothing of it. She doesn't know Dr. Hook, and assumes that in such august company as those assembled for the week, that Victoria should see some familiar faces.
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