[Day 3 - Late Evening] Brainscans and Budgets (Elizabeth's)

[Elizabeth Mills]

Elizabeth had been in the room with Nadia as she worked through the Network to have the logistics of the construction materials moved to different parts of the city, outside of the Blood Vendetta's reach. It was certainly the most proper way to go about this problem but not exactly her usual methods, especially when it came to lesser people who thought they could take from the powerful. The days before Nadia was brought into her service, Elizabeth might have seen to the impromptu demolition of one of their headquarters or a good door-to-door sweeping. However, she didn't have to be dirty if she didn't need to be and she had someone like Nadia to take on that headache.

"Very good, Nadia," she would say with a congratulatory pat on her shoulder.

[Nadia Avaline]

Nadia's usual suit jacket was rested along the back of the chair, just the white dress shirt now as she got as comfortable as possible before stepping into extended jaunts into the network. While the cybernetics of her eyes were able to flash back to reality with ease, not going bleary from the transition, she still took a little time to herself to ease the switch in. A small smile was offered to Elizabeth along with a nod of her head but otherwise she took it easy and remained silent for the moment. Slow calming controlled breaths helped her regulate herself enough to truly settle with her head rested back.

At least, of course, until she or her attention was needed. At which point Nadia would rise up a bit from the seat and correct the incline of it so that she could sit more conversationally and professionally.

[Elizabeth Mills]

Elizabeth would make her way to the padded leather seat beside her, sitting down and crossing her legs. It had been a rather tiring day at the expo and unfortunately, very little work was done there, it was mostly public appearances and social networking. The real work would happen behind closed doors. In public, it was only promises and lies. It was late and even someone who was used to being busy as her could use a break and some early sleep. "Now that's out of the way...about this project, Perez's project. I admit that I only skimmed through it. You've done there with Leo Knight, correct? What are your general opinions about it?"

[Nadia Avaline]

"Yes, Leo Knight accompanied me to maintain my security," she replies readily, shifting in her seat more appropriately to face Elizabeth. Sat up her eyes light up in the dim light, the silver glow of the iris. Reassessing the notations she made from the previous night for half a minute.

"It is an interesting project. Curious levels of security, but this isn't my field of understanding. I have concerns about how well it might function when exposed to the Net, and what invasive elements might be able to do within such an environment."

[Elizabeth Mills]

While Elizabeth did find it a bit adorable that Nadia was concerned about the project's Network security, as the Avaline line created purpose in life, it perhaps didn't exactly quite address what she had personally found concerning. "Interesting is one word for it. I don't know if something can exactly truly hit the Network in public, especially with its demand at the moment. Frankly, it does seem like a rather expensive pet project from what I've seen in the reports. Virtual reality and augmented services do exist already, en masse. This just seems like taking something meant for mere amusement a little too seriously."

She looked expectantly at Nadia, wondering if she was going to say anything to make her consider changing her mind on the matter.

[Nadia Avaline]

There was a furrow of her brow at the end. With the last thing Elizabeth had said Nadia drifted to consideration for a moment. However, "They had extensive security on the project. I had not thought much of it at the time but perhaps this was strange? They were not Weyland personnel as far as I was aware. However, their entire system was disconnected from the net. Not strange considering Avaline models are often purchased for the same type of security but if there was nothing novel being explored here, then it would not be worth the expense. That would also be strange," she says, pausing for a moment.

"That the personnel lived down there, this is strange as well, yes?" she asks, looking directly to Elizabeth, her tone and expression conveying her sincerity.

[Elizabeth Mills]

"Yes, it is rather strange that he kept some personnel living down there full-time, especially it seems that it is the main staff that is exclusively doing that." She said as she cross her fingers together on her lap after smoothing down her skirt. "The location was repurposed as a safehouse long ago before even the project had begun, often those who got enough trouble that even the corporation can't really protect them in broad daylight. Still, I see little reason to funnel so much security for one specific location, including the ever-growing hardware costs that it requires. It almost costs more to keep it a secret than anything else. It seems that there were some things that Perez managed to keep close to his chest even before his death."

[Nadia Avaline]

Nadia nods, sitting she was contained within herself. Not knowing quite what else to say, or do she allowed Elizabeth to come to whatever conclusions she may. As the air was cooler she hadn't managed up into a sweat before, and she'd paced herself as well. Though she didn't need it any longer the cool room was rather comfortable, having always preferred the cold as she did.

[Elizabeth Mills]

Elizabeth supposed she already made her opinions about this as she tapped her finger idly on her hand. "Right, then. So, I think I'll be ultimately pulling the plug on the whole project, put all of those funds into a better and more tangible project, likely liquidate all of the things we can and try to recuperate some of the massive sunk cost. The hardware probably can be repurposed to a server but likely will need to be trashed for all of its sensitive information. We can fire the research staff. It's just unfortunate that we can't get all of that time back...but that was Perez's time and not mind at least. I need you to go back and take another look, just to be clear that I'm not losing something that I'm not seeing."

[Nadia Avaline]

Half-lidded eyes glance down to the floor in front of her. Some strange sensation she couldn't quite understand fully at the mention of that. Before she could process it her attention was brought back by the request made of her. Returning the full of her focus, she nods.

"I can do that," her voice as detached as usual. "They mentioned they would be able to show me more on a later visit. I can see what that has in store," a pause, considering what was in front of her. Memories of Elizabeth speaking on calls replayed, "Maybe if I mention the stakes they will supply me with the answer themselves?"

[Elizabeth Mills]

Elizabeth found herself smiling at the suggestion, especially when it seemed that Nadia had taken that cue from somewhere. "Yes, you should. I suppose it might be cute to have them continue their operation without knowing that's in store for them and they have been diligent with working almost on their own. However, this isn't business as usual and I'd like to have my answers that not. Please know that this is important and vital to their livelihoods."

[Nadia Avaline]

"I will inform them," she says, that same detachment though a little strained. That noticeable furrow of her brow, a small frown, the expression she often wore before admitting her uncertainty about something. Nadia, after all, wasn't made for this purpose and doubted how well she would manage. However, as she'd learned in her time with Elizabeth she perhaps wasn't expected to do well in these tasks but to merely do the best she could. It didn't aid the unease all too much.

"Should I collect Leo Knight for this again?" she asks, her focus coming back on Elizabeth.

[Elizabeth Mills]

While Elizabeth might have sensed some unease in the clone, she wasn't going to go down to the safehouse to view and manage proceedings while there was both an expo and the committee business going on. She supposed that she could hand this responsibility to one of her many other underlings at her beck and call but considering that Nadia had already done her share of the investigation and her expertise.

She tilted her head momentarily at the request before nodding. "I believe that there were a few members of Argus Security on staff? It should be plenty secure there but we can put him on the payroll for a bit, so to speak. Now that you've mentioned him, I haven't had the chance to get any opinion or feelings he had on the facility."

[Nadia Avaline]

"He did not speak much when we left, or at all," she remarks, looking down to the floor before her again. Fingers curling against the cloth of her pant legs, brushing the pad of her index against the cloth there.

[Elizabeth Mills]

"No, I suppose I would have found it a bit strange myself if he did have something to say on the matter, judging by his profile." She gave a dismissive shake of her head on the matter.

"Thank you, Nadia," she said simply, indicating that she was done with her for now.

[Nadia Avaline]

Nadia would nod. Taking only the extra time to collect herself she'd move around to set the air conditioning back to a more natural level and then depart to leave Elizabeth to her space.

[Elizabeth Mills]

/scene!