The One Who Knocks [Sol]

Solomon had taken to spending much of his free time down in the colder regions of the base, when he wasn't spending his free time with his father of course, though Ian had been preoccupied with his own personal relations as of late. He was glad, not only did it mean his father was happy, it also gave him ample time to spend with Whiskey, he'd set up his own work station and living quarters down here, as most of his work was done with him anyway, it was as much for convenience as it was for personal reasons.

He glanced up from his casual reading with a curious expression when he heard Whiskey's voice over the speakers, he'd been in the break room with a bite to eat and a book when he heard it, calling back to the boy he knew could hear him, "Dangerous?" He quirked a brow and sighed, what was he supposed to do with a dangerous person? He closed the book and got to his feet, finding one of the terminals where he could get a visual on the man outside, "Uh...Whiskey he looks like a door-to-door salesman?" He chuckled softly, "he isn't even armed." Still, there was certainly something odd going on, he'd never heard him sound this distressed.

"He might just be a Jehovah's Witness or something...I'll go out and shoo him off." He chuckled softly as he headed for the door the man was at, clearly not afraid in the least of who he might be.

When he got to the door, he opened it up and looked the man over, "What do you want?" He cocked his head to the side and quirked a brow.

Door to door salesman, Reginold would be insulted, he was wearing his more normal out of the lab clothing. It was just he couldn't help looking a bit like a preacher. The doctor tilted his head as he looked upon the man who answered the door. "I said I am looking for someone, if you would allow me to explain, I'd be more than happy to do so;" he offered, in a well to do, cool tone. "If I might come inside?" He had such a gaze on him, it was very intense and expectant. It demanded to be obeyed.

Whiskey shook his head speaking on Solomon's com. "He definitely can't come inside, he's dangerous. I promise you that, I uh...I think I read of some talon involvement of someone who looks just like him," he said hastily, suspiciously aggrieved about it. "Please just send him away."

The man cleared his throat. "Perhaps I should introduce myself, I am Dr. Reginold Shepard; I am not here on business."

Solomon eyed the man when he got a good look at him, he didn't look dangerous, but Whiskey also wasn't one to become this distressed over intruders, so he crossed his arms over his chest and met those intense eyes with a level and unwavering sort of stare, "no. I don't think I'll be letting you in, sir." If this man thought he could command obedience with a stare, he had clearly not met someone like Solomon, "I don't know how you found this place, sir." The word was spoken with a mockery of respect, "but you will have to turn around and leave." He was a little suspect of Whiskey's story about this guy, but if he didn't want him in, there had to be a reason.

He looked the man over with a scrutinizing eye when he finally introduced himself, smirking, "Mmhm. So if you're not here on business. Why are you here?" His eyes never wavered from the man as he spoke, certainly not one to be intimidated.

Reginold didn't have time for this but his terrible need to be polite kept getting the better of him as he cleared his throat. "Please, you must let me at least take a glance around," he said as he kept his own gaze steady, rather not used to people who didn't balk when he stared into them. Almost refreshing, so many people squirmed under his eyes. "It's...I just cannot be certain if someone else might be listening to us." He supposed he'd just have to say it,caution be damned. He sighed.

"It's my son, I need to find him, recently I found an android in his place...someone has taken him I believe, not that I know why someone would do that," he replied. "I assume it's for some favors from me, our firm has many scientific labs under it's supervision, we work on incredibly classified projects." He adjusted his glasses.

"I used an AI to track down this location, it wasn't easy, I do not believe you'd be someone working for some shady operation like that...but if you are I have no intention of causing issue with you, I simply want my son back. It's been years, and I didn't notice, I don't believe you know how that feels?"

Whiskey sighed. "...I...let...let him in...But don't bring him to me...just....keep him in the lobby or something..."

Someone else is always listening, was what Solomon wanted to say to that, one of the reasons he felt safe here with eyes and ears all over. He kept this to himself however and just listened to him instead. A missing son? It didn't take him long to piece together what...Or who...This man was here for, "blimey..." He cleared his own throat and straightened up when the man adjusted his glasses, "I don't know why anyone would take your son, sir." He stared up at him with a level gaze.

"Ha! Impressive..." He murmured this, shaking his head. He didn't quite appreciate the saccharine tone the man was taking, and cracked his neck to both sides, "I am sure I don't. And I assure you there's nothing shady going on here." He rose a brow, "so your AI lead you here, why do you assume it is us that took him? You clearly know nothing of the operation being conducted here." He smirked and fixed the man with a raised brow before waiting for him to follow, "Come in. If you must. But only to prove to you that we do not have your son." He hissed softly into the coms, whispering so only Whiskey could hear, "keep him there and do what?" He wasn't good with people on the best of days. What was he supposed to do!?

Blimey...that was a new one. He cleared his throat. Right well it seemed he was being allowed his cursory examination. His eyes panned over the rows of archaic machinery all monitoring frankly outdated coal generators. He was half surprised they didn't use boilers. All the materials were old, steel and the like, so many far higher quality alloys were available. He cleared his throat. "I don't know either, he was turning out to be quite gifted with computers, but I hardly believe that would make him some kind of target. I worry this is somehow my fault. The droid was using a lot of materials I personally developed with my teams. Silicon skin, high tensile carbon fiber, I was too busy for some time to notice the issue." Well he did like to talk...explained where Whiskey got his long- winded habit from.

"...I will be honest, it was not that impressive, the AIs are designed to run simulations, the signal seemed partially organic; I essentially just ran the simulation and location services on the basis of bird and plant migrations. I'll tell you I had very strange looks for much of the week it took to parse the data. Then it was another week triangulating the area, and finally a month getting even a moment off to fly to Indiana. I'm starting to feel this was all just a wild goose chase...why would an operation with access to such advanced technology set up in a place like this?"

He cleared his throat. "There must be a basement, may I see it?" He'd sussed that out quick.

Whiskey wasn't sure....the more he listened the more he felt like garbage. "...I uhm...well...I just..." He stuttered. "I don't know he just can't see me not /like this/ I'm sending a droid up he can just take that home...or something?? Just...I don't know stall him while I figure out a plan B" All the brain power in the world and he was struggling to find a way to get rid of his own father. How horrible could a person be?

Solomon went more off the defensive as he listened to the man speak, he really didn't sound all that terrible a person, obviously he wasn't in Whiskey's shoes but would this man really act in ill regard to what had happened to his son? Sol tilted his head to the side, content to let him say what he needed to. He was long winded, but it saved Sol having to speak, "I imagine..." He looked around and chuckled, "I admit most of us are away for the moment, the fighting sort, but that is all I can say."

When he asked about a basement, Solomon didn't miss a beat, "I do not have the authority to give you such permissions, sir." He shrugged and looked to the side, "but uh...One moment." He turned away from the man and around the corner, keeping an eye on him as he spoke into the coms.

"Whiskey...You need to let him in..." He sighed, "I know you don't want to hear this...But...He came here looking for you." He chewed at his lip, "it's not my place to say...But what do you think will happen when he realizes that you've sent him home with another bot? He'll be even more suspicious of us." He glanced back at the man, "he already thinks we've got you held hostage..." It wasn't ideal, but in the long run he felt it would end worse if the man went home only to find another decoy in his son's bed.

Whiskey sighed, floating on his back and listening to Solomon, god damnit he was right. He hated it. He'd managed to avoid being found out this long, when the bot went offline and he couldn't Self-destruct it he realized he'd been found out. How horrible was it to leave a bot and never give your father any idea of what happened to you? No wonder he thought he was kidnapped. "I..." he started and sighed. "Fine, elevator is online...I just...gimme a few seconds to prepare. My father isn't emotional but I don't think anyone is prepared enough for me..." He replied. "Not like I am now..."

Reginold nodded. "I can tell it's very quiet in here, like our labs on the weekends, or holidays. Not that I ever got much time off," he replied as he watched the man disappear behind a corner to apparently communicate with someone. He supposed trying to get some kind of authorization for the elevator or advice on how to get rid of him quietly. Certainly could be either.

The elevator gave a helpful ding and opened up. "Going down." Said the helpful female voice.

Solomon could tell Whiskey was thinking hard on the situation, he knew it wasn't easy, to be seen like that, he sighed softly and his tone took on a more soft, emotional tone, "Whiskey...It doesn't matter what he says. You're my Fishkid. I'll always care for you. Just as you are." At that he turned back to the man and waved him to follow, "yes, it is usually much more active, people milling about, most of them have left on missions." That's all he would say about that as he gestured him onto the open elevator.

"Listen." He glanced up at him with that unwavering stare, "I want you to know that we did nothing to him." He felt a tad defensive over Whiskey, and nothing had even happened yet, "he is brilliant. He is amazing at what he does. We wouldn't be here if not for him." He glanced around, he knew Whiskey could hear him, or he hoped he could, "he's more of a hero than he lets himself believe. I just want you to know that." He glanced at him with a look that dared him to deny such a thing. Sure his father didn't know yet, but he still felt prematurely defensive.

Whiskey sighed. Right, well that was oddly nice to hear. He'd had a lot of emotion over his transformation, not all of it good. A lot of it involved fear. He supposed he pushed it down, ignored it and forgot about it as much as he could. He'd always wanted to be able to face things like his father did, stood in front of them face calm, mind at ease. It wasn't easy. He was scared of what he'd think of him. "Thank you...I appreciate that, Sol;" he replied while he prepared himself for this. He'd hoped he'd fool his father long enough that he'd find some kind of flesh alternative to the droids.

Reginold raised his brow, adjusting his lenses as he listened to Solomon, he stepped into the elevator and hummed. "So he is here...but the way you make it sound it's of his own choice. Why then was there a droid left in his place? I can't imagine why he'd do something like that, we didn't have much in way of secrets. Not at home anyway," the man probed. "Hero...just what is it that you do here? Obviously it's moe than just an outdated powerplant?"

Solomon couldn't help a small smile at Whiskey's thanks, hoping that he at least helped a little bit. He knew this kind of situation could be terrifying, even if not in the same way, he'd felt a similar fear when he'd confided in his own father about his feelings for Whiskey, so he felt like he knew the proper words to say in response to the questions Reginold was asking, "It was his own choice." He waved a hand, "granted I came on to the efforts a tad later, but as far as I understand, he was brought here willingly to help." He glanced up at him for a moment then sighed.

"Because sometimes children become afraid of what their parents might say or do when confronted with something they don't fully understand." He knew, he knew what that fear felt like, and there had been times where he would have liked to escape rather than actually confront Ian, "so they keep secrets. For their own protection, and yours." He nodded, then sighed and looked up at him with a deadly serious expression, "okay. I'll tell you. But what I say isn't to leave this elevator."

He gestured around him, "there are sinister things happening in the world, as I am sure you are aware. We're here to attempt to stop that." He met his gaze steadily, "the world thought it didn't need Overwatch, but it needs us now more than ever." This man seemed smart, smart enough to know not to spread this around, he'd already found the place, so he might as well be partially filled in.

Reginold was feeling rather confused at the whole affair, solomon was not putting his fears to rest rather fostering new ones. It all sounded so dire, his son choosing to be there, the rather questionable missions these other people were on. He perked a brow...Overwatch? That was a name he hadn't heard in a long time. The elevator arrived and he was treated to a far more up to date base than the above power plant.

He took his glasses off and quickly wiped them down with a cloth before really taking a look around, his mind processing what he saw. This was certainly Overwatch tech. "Now that you mention it, this would explain why this has been flashing;" he opened his coat and reached into an inner pocket. "When I was younger I used to assist with the tech they used, a lot of the materials I helped develop for the teams special needs. Like a jumpsuit for this rather odd fellow who conducted electricity." He showed the pin that seemed to glow with urgency, the recall message still broadcasting. "I figured it was just an error, and would eventually stop. I see that is not the case. Not that I'd care for this sort of work, I'm a scientist not a soldier."

Whiskey made sure all doors to more private areas were closed off creating a nice path right to his sanctuary. He had the glass fogged. "Okay uhm...you can bring him in here, better not to hide I suppose. please put your hand on the glass though...for my sake?" he murmured into Sol's ear.

Solomon saw the recognition in his eyes when he mentioned Overwatch, and was rewarded with the reveal of the flashing pin, chuckling softly, "I thought the same...I am no soldier." He looked thoughtful, "merely another brain to pick through for information." And a hacker on the side, but he would keep that knowledge to himself for the time being. He was interested to hear that he'd assisted Overwatch for a spell, "it's no error, and if you got the recall message...Well you have ample right to be here." He met his gaze as he said this, "but if you try and harm him, I wont hesitate to defend him. Father or no." There was a promise in those words.

He waved for the man to follow him as he led him down the path, nodding to Whiskey on the comm as they entered the room where he was housed, motioning for Reginold to stop short of the tank with a glance as he came to the tank and placed his hand against the glass, gently leaning his weight to the cold surface to lean there in a reassuring gesture.