Make Sacramento Great Again

[Victoria Stamford]

"I'll instruct him to do so," Victoria said with a nod at Kenneth's order, but said nothing to the servant personally so I might not have been immediately clear how she communicated the order.

"...and I understand I just thought I would mention it for the sake of thoroughness. I think we have done what we can within reason at the moment." She listened to him and then turned to Katya when she spoke.

The other woman's assessment was a rather accurate one. She understood the situation well for the most part and what was expected of the position at lest. Victoria nodded in agreement at the other woman's words.

"I agree with Miss Harding. The role was mostly the same when I was Seneschal. You run things so he doesn't have to. He dislikes messy situations and being inconvenienced, so those to things will weigh heavily against you if they occur. He wants things to run smoothly. Ensuring trouble stays away from Elysium is good too. I'll be establishing a working safe house as Reeve with security in mind where troublesome elements can be taken and questioned or handled without bring trouble home with us, so to speak." She looked to Kenneth again and considered something before continuing in an apologetic tone. "I am not saying you would have a problem, but it bears mentioning that it would be ill-advised to openly violate any of his majesty's laws. Just saying." Victoria finished with a shrug saying she was sorry for having to mention it.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

The worm’s blank look said that he didn’t understand the term. He BDSM existed. With some effort he could probably tell you what it stood for and an overly simplistic (and likely inaccurate) description. However, the intricacies of the subculture were unknown to him. Though it was something on his list of things to learn since the Domain had a club that Kindred frequented. However, given the discomfort he’d felt just passing through the main area, he had not been in a hurry to research.

Luckily, Katya explained further before he had to ask what she meant. He listened attentively. Though his eyes did seem to skitter and dart every now and then in a way that was reminiscent of a cornered rat.

There was no talk of reporting or even receiving regular instruction. A fact the worm found terrifying.

“I see,” he said. Was that a hint of resignation or simply the curse making him seem pathetic?

"Moving on then to the compromise of security. Aside from Brady, I heard Konrad talking about finding a tracer on his car from a group called Task Force Valkyrie. They are apparently very well equipped. As such, aside from supernatural threats to privacy we have to consider high end Kine devices as well. Parabolic microphones, wire taps, computer hacking, and so on." It was daunting.

"Until our enemies are eliminated, keeping our plans against them secret is top priority. Reeve Stamford, given you are head of Domain security, I deffer to you on how much security you believe is necessary."

[Victoria Stamford]

Victoria pinched the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb in a gesture of someone mildly annoyed. She didn't show emotion very much to others when it could be avoided. The ventrue had no idea that she was inheriting such a mess or she might have reconsidered it.

"What a cluster fuck..." she sighed and then recovered after a brief moment, continuing confidently. "Ok, we are going to have to make some changes and I am going to want to think on this. I know right off the bat I am hiring at least two maybe three deputies. From the sound of things I will need them ASAP. This Miss Brady and her crew will be a problem until it is resolved. I'll be on hand to verify any new faces. We will have to keep an eye out for anyone acting unusual if they are going to try and use powers of the blood to pretend to be someone else. I would like to set up a screening station at Elysium, metal detectors or x-ray screeners would be ideal additions, but I fear that may be a little intrusive. One doesn't want to inconvenience His Grace after all. Time delayed video feed to spot obfuscate and match up number of arrivals with who we can visually confirm on the video feed and in person."

She sat for a moment considering several things. She didn't have a whole lot of information at this point and she would need to find a security specialist to discuss counter technological spying from covert agencies. Someone familiar with computers too.

"I will have to look into our counter technological options and get back to you. I will recruit a security specialist to suit our needs if I can and look into getting devices that can detect trackers and bugs. They have to give off a signal after all to be of use. We may look into a Faraday Cage for secure rooms or even install one in all of Elysium in the walls. We can have controlled access points and any sensitive information on computers can be on self contained networks with no wifi or internet access so they would be local access only no remote hacking possible. I'll be installing a cage in my remote office at least. I think the best option for cell phones so they can't be tracked would be to go with those prepaid plan phones that don't have any contact information or a contract. Can't trace that unless they get the number some how I guess. Then you can just pick up another disposable one. As for vehicles if we can keep them in a secure garage, guarded, and sweep them each time they come into the building that should cut down trackers. We would have to keep an eye out for tails. Those should be a start for securing things. I'll want to think about anything further and consult with someone."

[Kenneth Gilroy]

Kenneth nodded. Glad to see some of his assumptions had not been incorrect. Victoria seemed intelligent and informed. Her list of precautions was steep but probably workable with the resources at their disposal. It was a little disappointing that she didn’t have more suggestions to prevent supernatural infiltration aside from Obfuscation (did she fear his family’s gifts that much or were they the only ones she knew counters to?). Then again, the powers of the Blood were so varied and versatile it was nearly impossible to know, much less have contingencies for, all of them.

“We’ll discuss deputies after we’ve gone over all the threats in more detail.” Oh yes, the cluster was even more fucked than she knew.

“We could institute a call and response system for identity verification among domain officials,” he suggested when she mentioned watching for strange behavior. It wouldn’t be completely trusted, given the persuasive powers of Daeva, acute information gathering of the Mehket, terrifying interrogation of the Nosferatu, or the commands of the Ventrue. Practically every clan had a supernatural way of extracting information.

“An x-ray screener may be too much but I think a metal could be installed without too much worry of being too intrusive for his Grace’s guests. And in today’s present atmosphere I don’t think it would be seen as anything other than an oddity by the Kine.” Especially given recent attacks on clubs.

“If need be, I could possibly construct a rudimentary RF detector. Though it is outside my area of study, so a specialist would still probably be best.” That was easy to believe, given the aura of uselessness the Haunt gave off.

"Another precaution, given the threat that the data from the Raging Wire presents, it may be wise to start sleeping in biohazard gear or sealed environments." Nodding to the next item on the list. "I know you've been in Sacramento longer. Do you know any details about a toxin being deployed against the Domain?" If not, he'd have to go and o some research in the Annals. Hopefully Greenberg had found some reference.

[Victoria Stamford]

Victoria listened to the suggestions and nodded in thought. She really wanted time to write up something in detail.

"I will assess security and provide a report regarding any further recommended developments if you so desire," Victoria said with a nod.

Then when he asked about the Lost Nights Toxin that brought back a flood of memories that she had set at the back of her mind. Names, places and events from what seemed like a different era.

Is it really just six years ago? She thought to herself in disbelief.

She was about to respond when Katya mentioned the resolution of the potential Elysium breach with Erika and her crew. One name caused her pause though, Wilhelm.

So that's what he's been doing with himself, playing traitor to the domain, She thought to herself.

"Wunderbar," Victoria said with a sigh. "So if we resolve this issue with the hunters and the brood we will have to deal with our friends again when they decide to come back? With better preparation? Also with no way to know that they did not just copy the information onto another source before graciously handing it over to us? Well I guess it can not be helped. It does resolve this issue for now so we can focus on other threats."

"Anyway, Lost Nights..." Victoria said changing gears. "I was Royal Harpy at the time that the assault went down. Before this for months Horizon Pharmaceuticals were abducting kindred some were high profile and powerful targets, and they conducted copious amounts of research on our condition. They ended up using alchemy and the research they gathered to make the toxin and other things. Like alchemical creatures, abominable creations using us as inspiration? Parts? I do not know. We organized a massive offensive to attack their stronghold and kill their personal and destroy the data. Priscus Wilhelm Von-Schusten, and Royal Hound Ishani Naetesh were planning that event. They had a defector from horizon, Saul Paulson who was the childe of Hound Naetesh. He provided key intel and got blueprints to the building. The kindred participating split into three groups each with a different objective. They breached the complex from the sewers using shaped charges." Victoria paused for a moment to let them catch up.

"The first team was Argent, Paladin Madison Wells, and Primogen Jayant Nagaraj. They were to take out the R&D labs on the first floor and the armory I believe. During the course of events team one secured the armory and triggered an explosion that took about about a score of guards and all their munitions in the armory. Paladin Wells suffered final death in a struggle the followed and Argent frenzied when they triggered some sort of massive light pulse to induce frenzy as a fail-safe. Primogen Nagaraj escaped."

"The second team went for the security room and data storage. Hound Naetesh, Her Grace Twist, Wilhelm...I mean Priscus Von-Schusten, Samonosuke O-Yama Hatori who was a resident kindred who escaped the complex, Mr Saul Paulson, Dirge, and Peter Vedderman were in that team. They took the security room and stopped the information upload to their corporate headquarters. The light pulse caused O-Yama to frenzy and flee, and dirge is blind so I do not think it effected her. Mr. Paulson took large amounts of fire damage in the fight. They killed the manager who was trying to upload data, stopped it, and wiped information by using hacking, super magnets, and weapons to destroy computers. Hound Naetesh stayed behind to ensure this was done while the rest evacuated."

"Team three was Lady Knight Regina Pia, Lord Reeve Arnold Culler, Akim, Deputy Markos Connelly. They were to shut down the R&D labs on the bottom level and destroy data killing everyone. This team hacked through a code sealed security door and found a large prison with steel doors lining the walls and sliding view port windows. They found a captured kindred named Dog, a gangrel, and freed him. Here after the initial combat Lady Pia, and Akim frenzied to fire and fled. The Reeve ordered Deputy Connelly to go after then, and the Reeve Culler succumbed to fear frenzy himself. This left Dog alone and Seneschal Heathcliff Stayley appeared at this point from obscate, he was following to help, and Dog and him continued. They were attacked by a two headed alchemical abomination with sparking wires and tubes coming from it and Dog was able to defeat it using claws. The Seneschal defeated the researcher or alchemist. This or something else triggered a fail-safe and all the remaining caged kindred were injected with the toxin and suffered final death. The seneschal stayed behind to ensure that the data was wiped."

"They were very formidable opponents. They had stockpiles of automatic weapons, incendiary devices like grenades, an explosive that created a large flame, I believe some flame throwers, and several elite guards in the deeper parts had a baton that ignited a flame on the end that they used in combat. They were highly trained security specialists and worked well as teams like with tight military organizations."

"A far as the toxin, it has cropped up and people keep trying to use it or the research from this place. We can not seem to get it all wiped out. There was a former resident Doctor Lazarus, a haunt, a doctor from the dark ages of the modern psychology movement. Shock therapy, lobotomies, the works, he lived at an Asylum Amber Hills I believe. He treated the place like his own private horror house with the inmates. Her Grace, Myself, and a few others went to take him out when he went rogue to duplicate the toxin."

Victoria looked to both of Katya and Kenneth to see if they had any questions.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

“A special word or specific way of responding used as a screener was what I had in mind. At its simplest, it would be an unchanging exchange of words. For example, I would ask for verification; say ‘May’; and you might respond with ‘Flowers’. It can be much more complex though. Like if I said a number; then using the first letter of your first name you move that many down the alphabetic sequence; and using that letter you say something related to air. So, I’d say 3, you’d say,” he thought for a moment “‘north wind’.” He could elaborate more but he could tell he was starting to drone.

Explaination complete he listened as Katya gave the good news. Though how good was it that what he thought of as the main threat to the Domain had left town because of the other threats still present.

“I have to agree with Reeve Stamford, them leaving is no guarantee they won’t be back or that they still don’t have the data on the toxin. Preparations should still be made as if it both they and it are still a threat.”

Then Victoria spoke and the longer she did, the more stunned silence Gilroy gave her. It was more than he could have hoped for. It was more than he wanted to know. The names, the details, and the sheer amount of effort it must have taken to organize that many Kindred successfully. The deaths, the descriptions of the enemy’s capabilities, the fact that Alchemy was apparently not some philosopher’s pipe dream! It was a lot to process and even after she had finished the worm stared blankly for a few seconds, trying to think about everything she had just told him.

“If the data and research keep coming back,” the curse of growing up in the ‘information age’ “Then the toxin needs to be researched to see if it can be neutralized.”

Even after having just been told that another Kindred had been killed for trying to experiment with the toxin, it still seemed like the best course of action.

“Is that something you’d be willing to help me with?” he asked Stamford. Given what she’d just said, he didn’t want to move forward without her permission. After all, as Reeve she could easily kill him herself if she found him doing the research without her, even if he had no intention of releasing the toxin. Plus, having a second doctor would help a great deal.