We need some new Security... [Closed Social]

[Kazura Uzaki]

OOC: This is a closed social between Kazura and his Chief of Security, Yoko. Yoko is being paged to his office to discuss various weaknesses in the security of the headquarters and what can be done about it.

Taien... Vannan... Katrina... Zackary... Kazura sat in his office chair, leaned back all the way looking at his ceiling. He had just finished up some paperwork on his desk and was going over his recent Spiritual jobs to make sure that the items were properly placed into production for commercial sale. He went through a lot of his various creations, smiling with pride, but in each circumstance, he had to stop and think about what they had in common. Many of them involved an outside source whom he analyzed to get information, and nearly all of them involved a random spiritual person showing up in his office.

Through the walls, through the windows, through the ceiling... All in all, not good. He was becoming famous, as was his organization, and he knew that he harbored "criminals" and some persons of ill repute. Rogue Shinigami were bound to be targeted by Regular Shinigami sometime, especially if they became prominent in the area and the Gotei 13 knew where they could be found. And right now, UE Headquarters was very vulnerable. Kazura had a Chief of Security, Yoko, and while she autonomously worked on cameras and other security measures, the fullbringer was sure that some of his new research and technology could make their security better.

A text went out to Yoko's work phone. "Chief of Security to the Main Office, please. Possible security weaknesses need to be discussed."

[Deleted]

Most of the grunt work around Uzaki Enterprises went to staff that didn’t even know the spiritual side of the company existed. Still, there were some areas that only the Chief of Security had access to, and she was responsible for all the annoying little things therein. Installing or monitoring cameras wasn’t high on her list of things to do, but she also couldn’t give just anyone access to camera feeds on top secret areas. Against the everyday rabble, her measures were fairly effective. Beyond that, against spiritual foes, her measures were sorely inadequate. That’s why she was there. The first line of defense against spiritual threats was Yoko herself. That didn’t work so well when she wasn’t there though.

As the Fullbringer pondered that, she got a text from Kazura. "Chief of Security to the Main Office, please. Possible security weaknesses need to be discussed." Fuck. When did Kazura get mind-reading tech? Figuring that she was about to be chewed out, Yoko steeled herself. She had been in the midst of a workout in the gym, so her adrenaline was already pumping a bit, despite the lack of any weights heavy enough for her to be challenged. Maybe that was why she was paranoid about getting paged. Oh well. It was what it was, and at least she was in uniform today. Best not to keep Kazura waiting though. She took the stairs up to Kazura’s office, not wanting to wait for the elevator.

Once she arrived at the top floor, she headed straight into Kazura’s office. Sure, she knocked as she entered, but Yoko wasn’t the type to waste time when her boss paged her. [smear:0000ff]”You wanted to see me Kazura?”[/smear:00ffff:1] Her mind was racing, trying to prepare counters to whatever shortcomings her boss was going to raise. She knew Kazura was smarter than she was. He was a billionaire genius playboy after all. Still, Yoko was the expect on security between the two of them. Whatever he wanted done, she’d find a way to do it. He had given her a purpose in life, and she was going to find a way to live up to his expectations somehow.

[Kazura Uzaki]

Yoko arrived quickly, much to Kazura's pleasure. The man could see that she had just been working out, so it was nice to know that she would drop what she was doing when he asked for her. The man looked extremely relaxed, not threatening or upset at all as he casually started the conversation between the two of them. "Ah, yes, Yoko, thanks for being so quick. Take a seat, I've got a few things I want to talk about." Whether or not she chose to sit down, the fullbringer would continue. "The problem that I'm seeing is that Shinigami have the ability to just walk through our walls. Right into our secure labs, our data centers, whatever they want access to. Also, with various equipment, any spiritual being can walk right through the front doors invisibly, making their way into my office without being seen. I've got a few ideas for how to fix it, but I'm not sure if they are even practical. Have you any Security plans in the works against outside Threats? I know that we haven't had a huge issue in the past, but I want to be prepared."

[Deleted]

The Chief of Security listened as her boss spoke, and she was relieved almost instantly. His tone, posture, and words themselves all showed he wasn’t angry with her. That was a great deal off her mind. Without feeling any pressure, her brain was able to work far more effectively. His concerns were, as she had anticipated, focused towards spiritual intruders. Starting off, Yoko reviewed what they already had in place. [smear:0000ff]”Well, we already have a few measures in place. First and foremost is myself. I know I can’t be here constantly, but I’m actively dealing with threats of both a spiritual and non-spiritual origin on a nearly daily basis. We also have the UEDN, which can alert us to the presence of hollows nearby before they can even launch their attack.

That being said, there are several things I wish we had, but they don’t exist yet, and I’m not an inventor. I know that sekki sekki is a thing because we sell bullets made of it. Would it be possible to refine it down to a malleable sheet, like gold leaf? Or could it be mixed into paint? While we're at it, do you think you could dissolve it into a gas and make a system to fill a room with it? If we could find a way to coat the entire building in that stuff, no one would be able to pop through the walls at will. That still leaves the windows, but I really think, despite how nice they look, we ought to remove windows from secure areas. Labs, your office, the data center, and any other place where sensitive data or personnel exist shouldn’t be visible from outside. Even ignoring the potential for spiritual beings to get around a sekki sekki based wall through those windows, it’s too easy to spy on what’s going on, or put a bullet through glass.

Another thing that would be good would be a motion detector that can be tripped by spiritual beings. A thin stream of harmless reiatsu, like the laser grids leading up to bank vaults in the movies, would be perfect. We could fill sensitive areas with those, and the normal employees wouldn’t even be able to see them. They could hide in plain sight, looking like nothing more than texture on the wall if they can be made small enough. The technology itself shouldn’t be that hard to create. I’d imagine just shoving a reiatsu battery into an existing motion detector would probably do the trick.

Last but not least, I’m working on training. We’ve got a lot new recruits on the spiritual side of things lately, and a lot of them are really green. Kitai and Marcus seem strong enough from the reports I’ve read, but they both have their own issues. Marcus needs to grow a pair, and Kitai needs a damn shock collar to keep him in line. Everyone else, bar you and me, is weak enough that any serious threat will wipe the floor with them. Any chance I get, I’m trying to work with them to get them stronger and more professional, but that’s an uphill battle. Off the top of my head, that pretty much covers it, but I know I’m probably forgetting a few things.”[/smear:00ffff:1]

[Kazura Uzaki]

There was a good reason why Kazura had chosen Yoko to be his Chief of security. She was loyal, intelligent, and definitely a good fit for the position. She could see the gaps in their defenses already, and prepared options on the fly to fix them. However, the CEO's face became quite solemn at the end of what she was talking about. "Those are great options, and ones that I've definitely considered. But there are some things you should know. First off, about those Reiatsu sensors. The batteries just can't last long enough to be useful. For them to constantly be on, it would need a steady supply of reiatsu, beyond what any of us can produce. It would need a generator of sorts to be able to power reiatsu tech in this building, and that's just not something that we have access to at this point in time. The bigger issue at hand is the Sekki Sekki, though..."

Kazura reached into his desk and brought out a small sandwich sized back. The bottom of the bag had a small amount of powder in it, not even enough to fill up a cupped hand. "This is the Sekki Sekki Drug from which we get our Sekki Sekki. It's pure ground up stone, which allows us to compress it into what we need without refining or processing it, but the catch is that this small bag costs 10,000 Ryo. And what's worse, something that I've yet to tell the company, is we're running out. We are using up the materials I get from the Black Market so fast that the Source can't keep up. It's like a product being on Back Order. We're down to what's left in storage, and when that's gone... we're done until the Source can get more... if he/she can. Our current supplies are enough to keep up current demand for the product, which is fairly low, and work on something for a needing employee. I don't have enough to supply any outside buyers with any tech made from it anymore, which is unfortunate because that has been an amazing source of revenue so far.

As for the training that you've been doing, that's awesome. I expect to see reports on your efforts when you're done with them. I want to know what my people are doing and how they are growing. Especially so I can know how best to help them. I'm a busy man, Yoko, and with the Spiritual Department of this company growing from just you and me to 13 strong and continuing to grow, I'll need every able body I can to work on making sure this 'clock' runs smoothly."

[Deleted]

[smear:0000ff]”You’ll have all the reports on your desk as soon as my schedule permits. You’re not the only busy one around here Kazura.”[/smear:00ffff:1] Thought it wasn’t much, Yoko had thrown a flirty tone towards her boss with that response. She wasn’t the young kid who idolized him anymore, but Kazura was still someone she greatly admired, and would probably hook up with if the situation was a bit different. Nonetheless, she recognized the need for better communication between the two of them. Lately, they barely saw each other. Each was so busy with their own work that they sometimes would hear nothing more than a text message from the other for weeks and weeks at a time.

[smear:0000ff]”Since you covered the sensors first, I’ll hit that topic first as well. I know you’re smart enough to figure out tech based on seeing it in action, even if it’s powered by a person’s release. It’s been awhile since you’ve seen what I was capable of Kazura. If you can figure out how I can do this… the battery problem will be solved.”[/smear:00ffff:1] The Chief of Security took a deep breath, and stepped into the center of the room where there was more open space. She didn’t want to accidentally break any of her boss’s stuff after all. As she exhaled, her reiatsu surged massively, almost a third of it vanishing into the air around her. The golden particles filled the air, and she spoke the words that gave her the strength to keep Uzaki Enterprises safe.

[smear:0000ff]”I am Gundam. Guardian.[/smear:00ffff:1]

Kazura had seen her old level one Fullbring, Exia. Her level one had come a long way since then, but that wasn’t what she wanted to show off. No, this level of release was just to burn some excess reiatsu. [smear:0000ff]”That’s level one nowadays. There’s another level.”[/smear:00ffff:1] She gave a pause for dramatic effect before continuing on. She was spending a bit of her energy just to try and impress Kazura after all. [smear:0000ff]”Aegis.”[/smear:00ffff:1] Her level one faded away, revealing the sleek white form of her level two Fullbring. It was a thing of beauty, but she was mostly there to show off a single one of its properties. To burn a touch more reiatsu, Yoko activated Cog, but she knew Kazura was strong enough for it to have no effect.

All of this had burned 800 reiatsu total, in only a matter of seconds. That was almost half of her reserves, and it had worn her out a bit. [smear:0000ff]”You’re paying attention to my reiatsu right?”[/smear:00ffff:1] As she spoke, she walked over towards one of the windows. Bright rays of sunshine shown down on her, and her reserves of reiatsu rose back up to full almost instantly. [smear:0000ff]”This is one of my level two’s properties: GN Drive. It’s like a solar panel, but for reiatsu. If you can replicate this effect, we won’t have to worry about running out of reiatsu for a long time. It’s even efficient enough to work to a degree at night. With my level two Fullbring active, I'll pass out from exhaustion before I run out of reiatsu.”[/smear:00ffff:1]

Once more she paused. This time, she just needed a bit of breath. Burning that much reiatsu at once wasn’t fun at all. She also took that opportunity to gauge Kazura’s reaction. It was the first time she’d shown him this level of release, and she was curious how he’d react to it. Would he give her praise? Was this level of improvement just expected of her? The normally overconfident Fullbringer was looking for some degree of affirmation from her boss. Yes, her relationship with Kazura was professional, but she still placed a good deal of her faith in him. He was the man who had started off without any powers, and yet he was the one who was leading the charge to try and keep the world safe. He was a real life hero, and impressing him would have Yoko in a good mood for a week. Before continuing on to the Sekki Sekki, she waited for his response to her suggestion of replicating GN Drive.

[smear:0000ff]"You think you can copy that effect?[/smear:00ffff:1]

[Kazura Uzaki]

As Yoko demonstrated her Fullbring, Kazura was struck to the core. He had an awful realization. He felt like he had neglected his employee. He had no idea about her abilities or her growth, which struck a chord with him. "I'll need to do some more research, of course, but I had not thought about trying to turn natural energy into reiatsu rather than into electricity. It'll take some experimentation, but I think I can do it. What bothers me, though, is that I didn't know about your powers. It has been far too long since we trained together and we haven't been on the field together since Vegas... We should fix that soon, Yoko."

[Deleted]

There were very few people in the world that could make Yoko blush. Kazura, having praised her, was one of those people. Thank God she was in her released Fullbring and he couldn’t see that! [smear:0000ff]”Glad I was able to provide some inspiration. And yes, yes we should fix that. Maybe a good spar will give you some more ideas, but let’s stay on topic for right now. You’re not the type of man to mention a problem without a solution in mind yourself, and you know that I don’t know much about your suppliers. What’s your idea for fixing the Sekki Sekki situation?”[/smear:00ffff:1] Honestly, Yoko didn’t have any good plans on that one. She didn’t know much about where Kazura got that stuff, let alone how it worked. All she knew was that it did work, and that he probably had a plan to get more.

[Kazura Uzaki]

Ah yes, the problem that he had. He could often count on Yoko to get him back on track. Science tended to... distract him from everything else. "Oh, yes. Well, I've been working on some connections in the Soul Society, where the Sekki Sekki stone comes from. I think that we can get a team inside to get to where the raw material is found. We may have to go through Shinigami or Black Market Smugglers, but if we can secure access to some of the raw source, or simply remove the Back Order on the product by increasing the production, then our supply issue goes away. I personally am in favor of trying to eliminate the middle man and get our product straight from the source, but with it not a material that exists here on Earth, we have to make do with what we can."

[Deleted]

Bingo. The Chief figured Kazura had a plan already, and she was at least half right. He had a broad vision. She knew he was a bit of a dreamer. Yoko was a detail-oriented person, to the point that she sometimes missed the big picture entirely. It was a good balance. [smear:0000ff]”Alright, so we’ve got a mission in mind, but we need some details. I assume you’re sending me on this one, but I’ve got a feeling you’ve got better things to do than run around Soul Society and offering business deals to miners. Who else do you have in mind for this one, how are you getting us into the land of the dead… without killing us I might add, and how do we find the source?”[/smear:00ffff:1] Honestly, she wasn’t sure Kazura had answers to all that, but a girl could hope couldn’t she?

[Kazura Uzaki]

Kazura nodded. He liked how detail oriented Yoko was. Her attitude and willingness to cooperate made sure that work got done. He could always count on her to carry out a mission to completion, accomplishing all necessary tasks along the way. "Yes, I need you on this one, as well as your team. Show me what you are capable of in a leadership situation. Unfortunately, while I have an easy way of getting you in and out, what I don't have is a surefire way of finding this Stone. Katrina, a Shinigami Noble, is able to get our team in and out through their Gates, seeing as her family controls them. Also, I don't really want to just work on hiring Soul Miners. If we could get my Storage Scroll into the mine, we could work on simply gathering up resources and pushing them over into my Secret Warehouse Cave that requires that scroll to access. As for finding the source... I'm sure that I can leave that up to you and your capable team. The material rejects and destroys all reiatsu, so I would assume that it would create a Sensory Dead Zone that would show up on a specialized radar. I could try and create a Radar for you that is searches such a broad range that a Dead Zone would clearly be visible."

[Deleted]

The Chief had some thinking to do. She’d never actually really led a team. Barring Marcus, Kitai, and Iwamichi, most of the company was still pretty weak. She wasn’t confident that she could control Kitai yet, and Marcus wasn’t the right sort for this mission most likely. She was really hoping that Kazura had a team in mind, but she’d figure something out eventually. Whatever team she made had to be combat ready. Shinigami probably wouldn’t take kindly to finding humans in their world, and whoever went there needed to be able to defend themselves. If they ran into any serious trouble, there was no guarantee that Yoko could defend everyone at once.

[smear:0000ff]”Well, that’s enough to get me started at least. I’ll get a team together, and start planning. It’ll probably be a couple days before I get everything prepared. Not everyone here has survival training, and it could take us more than one day to get the job done. I’ll have to make sure everyone is prepared adequately before we leave. As for finding the source, I still haven’t figured out the whole sensing energy thing. Aegis helps with it a bit, but it’s not the same as having the capability naturally. Then again, dunno if your nose is sharp enough, but I can smell that dust through the bag. Distinctly reminiscent of sandalwood and lavender. It shouldn’t be too hard to track down.

That being said, I want to suggest something somewhat unrelated. I know you’re a genius and all, but have you thought about bringing in a little help on your projects? We’ve got quite a few powerful minds running around here. Ed, over in IT has done some stuff for me that I didn’t think was possible. The sticky cam is his work, just for example. If we take him, and maybe a few others, and bring them in to help, it would take a lot of the burden off you. I think Ed specifically is a good candidate. I’ve talked to him off the clock a few times. We play a few games online together, and I think he’s the type who would just think the spiritual stuff is the coolest thing ever. He could be a good asset if you let him help, even without any powers.”[/smear:00ffff:1]

[Kazura Uzaki]

A contemplative look came over Kazura's face. With a shrug, he answered his Chief. "Sure, why not? I founded this Spiritual Department without any powers of my own, so if you think he could be an asset, go ahead and transfer him over. Who knows, he may even develop a fullbring like I did after working with us enough. As for your preparation, take all the time you need. We're good on supplies for a little while at least."

[Deleted]

[smear:0000ff]”Sounds like a plan. I’ll have the transfer paperwork on your desk by the end of the day.[/smear:00ffff:1] Yoko was glad that her suggestion for transferring Ed over had been received well. However, she realized she’d forgotten to ask Kazura about one important thing. She knew he always had an answer in mind whenever he asked a question, but she hadn’t asked what ideas he had about improving security. [smear:0000ff]”Oh, and I should’ve asked earlier. What crazy plan to you have in mind for improving security around here? I try not to sell myself short, but I don’t think we tend to think in the same way when it comes to security.”[/smear:00ffff:1]