All teams: Report on Hope Summers

[xp_dust]

I have had the chance to speak with our current guest in the Medlab. 

Her name is Hope Summers and she is about sixteen years old. She was abandoned by her father in Salem and has been searching for him most of her day, till she came here in her desperation to use Cerebro and find him. She is still very upset. 

Everything points to Hope being from an alternate dimension. She asked about a special gun for dimensional travel. She has been raised in her home dimension by her father, Nathan Summers, son of Scott Summers and Jean Grey-Summers, whom she calls grandma and grandpa. Her father goes by the code name Cable and is an agent of the Askani, a group of people who apparently protect dimensions from 'really bad things'. A psi with telekinetic and telepathic abilities, Hope described him as tall and big with white hair and she has asked us if we can help her find him. 

We have located her backpack with personal belongs outside as well and she only carried a vial of hair on her person. It's purpose is uncertain for now. 

She was open en informative when we spoke. I suggest we offer her shelter while we help her look for her father. 

Comments

[xp_hawkeye]

Yesterday we did register an anomaly through our portal equipment. It was relatively small and of little consequence, so we didn't flag it as anything to worry about. Going back over the data, though, I can see that the anomaly registered initially at one strength, then after approximately thirty seconds, it increased in strength by 100% before disappearing entirely.

I'm not sure what that could mean, but I've written parameters to red flag anything with that particular level of power if it registers again as well as another to note that type of energy increase.

Once she's more settled, I'd like to speak with her about the dimensional travel gun she asked about.

Also, in the interest of being thorough, is it possible to double check somehow to make sure she's not going to cause any kind of paradox? You know, same person occupying the same time/space twice over? Not quite time travel, but similar enough to be worrying? I can't honestly think of a way to do that other than DNA testing, though... that would be more invasive than I'd like right now and also if her grandparents are alternate universe versions of Scott and Jean, it's unlikely she exists in our reality, since... Scott and Jean aren't together, etc?

[xp_legion]

I'm

Okay. There's a lot here.

Alternate dimension, some of the same people, but older. This sounds familiar.

We're sure it's dimensional travel? Not through an astral pocket?

[xp_hawkeye]

The equipment doesn't pick up astral shenanigans. That said, if someone can get me an approximate time of arrival, I'll be able to confirm if the anomalies registered by the monitoring equipment is actually the dimensional transition I believe it to be.

[xp_legion]

Okay. I just wanted to be sure we aren't looking at another Rachel situation.

If I have to deal with Essex less than a week out from recovering from actual brain damage I'm going to set something on fire. Probably myself. There's already enough property damage.

[xp_hawkeye]

Self immolation has a pretty long history of being used to protest things, but probably you shouldn't do that. It'd really put a damper on Christmas.

[xp_cypher]

Askani?

Oh fuck my LIFE.

[xp_tarot]

If it is beneficial, I am getting Some Things from readings on the situation, and anything directly related to Dr Essex usually involves either nothing or nonsense.*

I can confirm she has, in the parlance, 'daddy issues', and I am having similar results for the Askanii as I used to for our Nathan.

I will look further into this, but right now I am suffering from a case of what I might call Jubilee-brain I am starving and my cards keep also giving me 'go to the cupboard and make pasta'

* Actual nonsense, not 'Marie-Ange is talking precognition nonsense', I assure you they are different. There are no baseball cards in the readings this time.

[xp_legion]

... So... Does that mean we're looking at an alternate version of Rachel? Or a sister or half-sister?

Actually, never mind. My brain can't handle multiversal genealogy right now.

It doesn't matter anyway. She's here, and it sounds like she needs our help.

[xp_tarot]

I wish I knew. I am getting consistent but strange readings.

I am entirely confident she is no threat, but I do not have much to compare to for dimensional travelers. I have done what comparison I could to the results I also get from April Parker, but April's strange readings are for reasons she has explained in her background...

The good news is that 'consistent but strange' does mean that very likely even if Dr Essex is somehow involved, she is not one of his agents. I get very very different 'strange' readings for Malice and for his strike team.

[xp_dust]

I have to admit that the thought of it being a similar situation to Rachel also crossed my mind. Especially when she started mentioning Cable and Askani.

[xp_dust]

Essex... I have a thought or two, but that I almost don't want to speculate on. Has anyone been able to get an fully accurate read on her powers so far. From what I understand she both used TK and something with fire.

[xp_hawkeye]

Wait, so there is a Nathan Summers running around our universe somewhere? That changes things.

[xp_hawkeye]

Okay, so I'm gonna say the thing everyone should say when it comes to contemplating That Asshole doing a bizarre breeding experiment thing to make the Perfect Girlfriend for his son:

Ew.

Now that I've got that out of my system, motherfucker, I hate that that's an actual option that's feasible enough I have to give it real consideration. MA did say Miss Summers isn't a threat to us, though, and probably she's not involved with That Asshole as one of his agents.

[xp_hawkeye]

If I give you the good vodak and don't put any dissolvable candy in it, can you bring me up to speed on the Askani?

[xp_dust]

She doesn't even have to know whatever insane plans he might have.

[xp_hawkeye]

I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Are you suggesting she's an unwitting pawn or something more like a sleeper agent? I'd be more inclined to trust the precog, but mansion security is important. Can you lay out your thought process there? You've had more direct contact with her than I have.

[xp_longshot]

Please pardon me, but a vial of hair? A staff and jacket from another dimension?

I could try to read it.

[xp_dominion]

Only reason Rachel was able to do what she did was with Xorn's direct intervention. And she burned half of her powers out doing it.

[xp_erverse]

You sure that's wise right now?

[xp_cypher]

Clinto, I am not sure there's enough vodak in this universe, bro. Lemme see what I've got from pre-frankenberry.

[xp_longshot]

Q, I love that you are looking out for me. I can still read the past just fine, and I've consulted with Haller.

I want to help.

[xp_dominion]

Essex has never worked like that. It makes far more sense that this is some kind of experiment gone weird than him diverting from all established norms to put a person inside this spectacularly obvious.

[xp_darcy]

If it was an Essex problem I think Malice and her boytoy would've been involved, and those are bullet-shaped problems not fire ones.

[xp_daytripper]

There was a Nathan Summers in the pre-M-Day universe. He was killed when Muir was nuked, but before that he was a teacher and an X-Man for a long time.

We haven't seen a frankenberry version yet, no.

[xp_hawkeye]

I see. That unchanges things.

[xp_hawkeye]

How about we just drink, then? I got some pretty awful news just now and could use someone to just chill with.

[xp_hawkeye]

I don't disagree, but I also don't have the experience with the man that you do. So I defer to your judgement.

[xp_dominion]

Essex' profile is surprisingly straight forward for a man as skilled in manipulation as he is. If he was looking for a plant, he'd most likely target someone who didn't survive our transition to this universe that he still had the genetic materials for, eliminate this world's version, and set up for us to discover and bring them in.

But it is also important to remember that Essex doesn't see the mansion as an enemy. Our clashes with him have always been tangential to whatever his specific goal is. So while he's happy to manipulate us, opportunistically steal resources like Collins, or use us as needed to help some aspect of his goals, unlike the Brotherhood or others, us all dead and the mansion in smoking ruins has never been one of his goals. That's not to say he wouldn't do it to achieve other ends, but it would be a radical departure from his past behaviours to target us that way.

[xp_cypher]

Drinking sounds good. Maybe I'll give you your Christmas gift a bit early.