[X] Percentage Based
[X] Phase Stealth Transmitter
[X] Docks South
Taylor knew she got her father now. She always knew that the Dockworker's Union was more than a job for Danny. It was something more of a lifelong passion, a way for him to make a difference. One that had been slowly being grounded to dust just like the rest of the city.
She was already planning a way to help the city. To be a hero and make a difference.
Not like whatever Sophia Hess was.
So why not start a bit closer to home?
"Besides the jobs being listed from the big companies, I could also use the network that I'm going to install to look for possible the smaller jobs - things that need home repair, mechanics and the like. " Taylor carefully didn't say that she was going to do that by sifting the browsing history of the residents of Brockton Bay. While her father was aware of her plan to be a metaphorical Big Brother for the city, it was still something that he wasn't completely comfortable with. "I could also---"
But, before Taylor could continue Danny held his hand up, "Not so fast, kiddo. While I'm sure that you could do all that. We need to establish a few things first, namely how to present this to the union."
"Well, I'm thinking of presenting myself as a consultant."
"A parahuman one?"
"Yeah. I was thinking it would be a good way to introduce myself."
"To make the process smooth I have to vouch for you personally though."
Taylor frowned, not liking the idea, it would link her Dad to her cape persona a bit too much. "Can it be anyone else?"
"Well, I could get someone to vouch for you --"
"No. We can't do that." Taylor interrupted. Her father knowing her secret identity is one thing. Getting another person, even if it is someone Danny trusted wasn't acceptable. As they say, it was easier to keep a secret if no one knows meaning the fewer who knew her cape persona the better.
A thoughtful silence fell in the air. Finally, Danny spoke. "Could you make a company? A lot of what you offer is something that exists in the first place, only I assume more efficient and better. If you give me better rates and performance, it wouldn't sound weird if I pitched switching your service for the union."
"If it wouldn't be so suspicious, I could do even do it for free," Taylor grinned as Danny's idea sparked something on her mind.
X.x.X.
First thing first, Taylor needed a network, while she could repurpose the internet for that purpose but it would be hard to hide the data traffic from the system administrators. And what Taylor needs is a bit of anonymity. For that, she turned her mind to her previous invention. One that was already serving her needs at Winslow High.
The transmitter was truly a marvelous idea, capable of sending wireless data from a given area. But, in Taylor's mind, it definitely could be more and she had an idea to do it.
Phasing was the basis of Shadow Stalker's power. It has good applications for offense and defense. But, it defintely also have great utility as well. While Sophia was trying to beat her down, Taylor got an inspiration on how Sophia used her power and the many ways she can use it for. For example, a transmitter that was permanently phased on a solid object would be almost impossible to find and easy to place. This would then allow Taylor to safely build a network that monitor everyone with none the wiser.
"This isn't working," On the newly repurposed basement, Taylor reclined on her seat. Her Dad had given her permission to turn the place into her personal tinkertech lab which she had taken with a gusto. Currently, the most eye-catching was Taylor's version of a desktop. The central processing unit was a mess of wiring and components cooled by a heavily modified refrigerator. Freed from the need of secrecy, the desktop has a processing power of 5 petaflops with the energy consumption that doesn't exceed what a typical household needs. Still, even with that amount of processing power at her fingertip, Taylor couldn't translate her idea to reality.
The calculation shows that permanently phasing the transmitter would degrade the material. There was also a huge power involved. It was frankly unfeasible. Taylor rubbed her head. She had tried it again and again but the numbers don't lie - permanently phasing was impossible with her current knowledge and material. Still, the tinker loathed to give up the idea. An untraceable and invisible network was just too useful for her.
Perhaps, I can work it backward? Scaling to the available power and making sure that the material wouldn't be impacted, Taylor reworked the calculations. After an hour, she got the formula down.
"One second?"Taylor frowned, even with all that effort, she only managed to get her phasing technology to work for a full second.
That said, she could at least work with this. It was not ideal but Taylor could apply it to many things with some alterations. With one second she could hide and prevent her transmitter from being discovered by phasing it on the hollow places on a given building. It would not be perfectly stealthy since someone could still find the transmitter with some specialized detectors. But, that would only happen if they realized she was using something like transmitters in the first place.
Which would hopefully be never.
X.x.X
On the next day, Taylor went around the whole dock south carrying a contraption disguised as a luggage bag. The said contraption has a radar capability to detect hollow spaces and a way to shoot the transmitter accurately on said space.
Taylor immediately went home and pressed live on her computer. The area map of Dock South was lit up, her ten transmitters glowing. A zigzagging pattern appeared on the screen showing a program monitoring the transmission strength and making the signal randomized every few hours. In this set-up, only one transmission would be connecting to the base, while every other transmission would be connected with another transmitter bouncing the data to one another. This meant unless someone was very lucky to have come upon the transmitter that was broadcasting directly to her house, they would only be able to trace the signal to the next transmitter in sequence.
The tinker also booby-trapped the transmitter to self-destruct when it received enough light or was moved from the environment. This would mean that if anyone ever found it, they shouldn't be able to study it.
A bit paranoid but she can't be too careful.
When all is said and done it is now time to announce yourself to the world or at least to the Brockton Bay Police Department at any rate.
Guys, its time to decide your cape name and tell the world that you're watching!
[ ] Write in
This is a freeform vote. Seriously. You can call yourself Oracle/Big Brother/Watchman or probably something with different flavor like Synthesis/Nexus. That said, with the way things are set-up, I am obliged to tell you that it is possible to make one or two cape personas. One for the Big Brother is watching thing and the other is for personal cape fights. It is also possible to have one cape persona as well for simplicity and well the no lying to your eventual relationships. Because that is kinda important as well.
GM note:
Hmmm.... when I actually allowed the two write-ins for the last update, I thought that I'll be getting a bandwagon. I did get a bandwagon only on a different vote that I'm expecting though lol. ^^ Considering the competiting votes, I interpreted the vote then as something like "full stealth" and thus put as many ways to make you unfindable as possible. Also, I couldn't find to put it in this update but your internet is also using the internet > many transmitters> computer instead of the normal connection. I felt that this should personally obscure your activities in case you did some hacking or went after classified information besides the normal software bullshit that you can employ.
