selfequipped | MASK OR MENACE IC CONTACT

Why are you asking?

An anonymous source dropped some info that might rock the boat w/regards to the Porter. I've learned my lesson, I want to get my sources straight.

Can I know what this anonymous source had to say? I'll give you what you need to know, but I might be able to verify it before you go through the hassle.

And you can trust my word, Freddie. Which is more than I can say for you.

It's my story, so I'm not telling you the whole story. Needless to say, it involves the Porter and radiation.

[She stares at the text for a long time.]

So, here's an interesting scenario.

Just the other day, I provided someone with a great deal of information regarding the Porter and radiation.

What if I'm your inadvertent source?

Was the person you talked to named Anne by any chance?

[ iiiits a small world, aaaafter all. ]

Anne? No, Lizzie.

... I haven't seen an Anne around, though. Is she new?

She messaged me anonymously. It was only when I bugged her that she gave me the name "Anne." It's possible that Anne's a pseudonym or something.

So I guess the question of the hour is this: is Lizzie actually Anne or did Lizzie tell this to somebody else aka Anne?

Well, I'll let you in on this. Lizzie asked me for information, and then still proceeded to ask my best friend for the same information that she already received. Pestered him, actually.

Whoever Lizzie or Anne is, they must know about your reputation. That's why they gave you the tip.

But we also have to assume they wanted you to go running with it the same way you did before.

I learned my lesson thanks to that file release debacle. That's why I wanted to check with you to ask about the prior Porter people, to see if they had any strange readings from THEIR Porter before it went kaput or whatever it did.

(I'm still going to publish some of this, btw.)

I'm still trying to decide if I should give you the name. It's one you can easily dig up if you put the minimal amount of effort into it.

But I think your better source might be Captain Ananke. Especially since you can wave it in her face that this information can get out.

What better way to try to confirm your source?

I was here back for that paintball game from hell. Your source is one of four people and I'm pretty sure I know which one. [ because let's be real, two of them left and it only takes a brief scouring of the network to know that Kate's better friends with Billy than Flame Princess. ]

I suppose it would be gratifying to essentially go "neener neener neener" to Ananke.

My sources are Billy and a woman who left some time ago. I don't think that information matters, and I've already showed Billy our conversation.

I do think going to Ananke is good, but I'll give you two of the previous imPort names who are tech savvy enough (or just flat-out knowledgeable enough) if you give me the exact tip you received.

That way, you have back up.

[Back up, but no Tony Stark. Sorry, Freddie.]

And I quote: "Something's gone wrong with the Porter. Lately, it's been showing low energy readings, and what energy it is giving off has only been decreasing lately. This started last month. Apparently, it normally emits energy that's sort of like grammar radiation, but now it's not giving off anything like that. The same thing happened back in 2010, when everyone was sent home. It may mean that the Porter is about to shut down completely."

Her words, not mine. The term 'grammar radiation' makes me think that "Anne" got this information from someone telling her this instead of a text conversation. Now give me those names.

Did our anonymous friend come across this information through any sourced channels? From what I understand, the government explains a lot of things away through radiation. I wouldn't spout that off for sure. Even some people's godly talents are explained by this mysterious "radiation." You see what I'm getting at?

It does seem like she overheard it, hence why I'm curious about the channels.

The names are Ruka and Kanaya Maryam.

I'm not telling you her channels. Needless to say, they sound feasible.

and brb, giving Ananke a call.

[ one phone conversation later ]

she neither confirmed nor denied it, but got noticeably hostile after I mentioned that the decrease in radiation was linked to when the porter shut down.

I'm sending this to print. This stuff is gold.

Freddie, you need a linked source. I'm not a journalist, and even I know that.

Tattlecrime is a TABLOID. How many times has the Enquirer said that so and so was having wild sex parties without any proof of it? Besides, Ananke's refusal to deny my claim speaks wonders.

It speaks volumes, but have you even looked into my names? Have you contacted them? Plus, the "radiation" doesn't make sense combined with the information. They voluntarily shut down the Porter before. So why would the radiation become smaller in its amount?

You know what you could do? You could be the journalist responsible for blowing the lid off the government's BS. That could be you.

But you can't do it without a named source. Without named SOURCES.

No one will believe you. Especially right now. Too much dirty crap is in the air, and you saying "I heard something from an anonymous source" is going to sound like you made it up. And then the conversation with Captain Ananke, that can be misinterpreted or reinterpreted too, I bet.

Think about it.

Anne's anonymous and I'm shooting Kanaya and Ruka texts now. I know I'm not going to get any named sources because why the hell would someone in the government confess or deny it to me, of all people?

Sure the details of the file leak were wrong, but it at least spurred the government into action (as well as blowing up the traffic). The most I can hope to do is make a big enough stink that the government has to address it somehow.

Okay, but look at it the way I would reinterpret your conversation with Ananke:

"Wow, Miss Lounds. Why would she want to have a conversation with you or even entertain your questions after all the trouble you've solved?"

You have a bigger story. I recommend you try to find it. This won't fly right now.

But if the dots to connect don't show themselves, I'm running with what I have, bigger story be damned. After all, Lunatic can't keep killing people forever. I'll need new material eventually.

I have psychometry. You give me a hint of what Anne's source happened to be, and I might be able to verify it.

I need to know this, too, and I admit I don't want it tabloided up before we get it.

It's going to get tabloided up no matter what. I'm me. And I'm not going to tell you the full extent of what I know until AFTER I've put it out by myself first.

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