| Legal Referral – Moral Advice |
| Summary: | Johnathan Plank returns to Nelson and Murdock to inquire on dimensional immigration and receives a referral to the Fantastic 4 Lawyer. |
| Date: | (2008-08-28) |
| Related: | http://marvelreborn.wikidot.com/log:2016-08-23-can-t-read-pete-poker-face |
| NPCs: | None |
| Scene Runner: | NA |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
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* Law offices of Nelson and Murdock – Late Evening *
Later in the evening and the light is still burning in the law offices of Nelson and Murdock. The day's trade had been rather slow considering that only a handful of clients had passed through their doors. Yet it was no less busy for Matt Murdock. The phone had been worked, and a few favors had been called in to make sure his present client was satisfied with his putting the word out in the pursuit of finding a friend of theirs and securing them legal representation. But despite a day's whole effort, it seems almost as if the stack of work that had been piling up hadn't had a dent put into it at all.
So as the sun was setting outside the old soapy window, it cast a long shadow upon the lawyer as he continued to lightly brush fingertips over each piece of paper, trying to get the gist of the various cases in progress and then leaving verbal notes to Foggy on a hand-held recorder.
"In the case of Ms. Hempstead, I recommend we talk to her manager and see if he'll be a character witness, which might give a better angle on things."
A few more touches of his fingertips to the pages and he frowns to himself, "Though maybe I should conduct the interview. I think he might be holding something back…"
And with that he keeps on pressing through the workload.
John knows his way to the law offices this time. The area is starting to become familiar and he is much calmer than his first visit with the Law-Speaker Murdock. His cheap polo and jeans are the same but they have been washed in last day or so. This time has a large rugged backpack, fairly new, with a small key lock dangled from the zippers. The sound of tightly packed books and pencils jangle from the inside. He walks down the hall to the offices of Nelson and Murdock with his patter-patter-pause routine. At the door he taps a few times before opening it to stand in the receiving room. He seems to forget to announce himself.
For a moment a furrow touches Murdock's brow as he rests a few fingers upon the face of his watch. But then he gives a small 'hm' to himself before he turns his head to the side and calls out, "Please, do come in." He sets aside his paper, brushing a hand over the lapels of his coat and divesting it of some of the day's dust before he gains his feet, one hand reaching for the folded up cane upon his desktop.
Once John does so he offers a smile and says, "You're in luck that I'm working late. What can I do for you?"
John enters the room with the lawyer, "Mr. Murdock, Sir, It's Johnathan Plank." He walks forward and partially extends his hand, waiting for the touching ritual to begin. "First I wanted so say thank you for whatever you said to Father Mulhaney. He has been most kind. Second I wanted to inquire about my case. You had asked me to come by around this time last week." His head is still making slight micro movements and glancing at the floor and ceilings as he talks. He doesn't quite look at the lawyer, but keeps him in his peripheral vision at all times.
A firm handshake is given back, "Indeed. Though I should tell you that currently there isn't much to be done for you in a legal recourse unless you've been able to locate yourself or your information and wish to take control of your estate. Anything beyond that with the current situation could perhaps be premature."
There's a pause as the man replaces his hands around the grip of his cane, resting it before him as he considers the man before him, listening to the pace of his heart, the steadiness of his breathing. "Did you perchance meet with Mr. Wisdom and gain some insight into your predicament?"
The backpack is shouldered off onto the floor next to the door. John walks over to the same chair he was asked to sit in the last time her was here. He slides into almost the exact same position that he finally picked out during the first meeting. "Yes, Mr. Wisdom." There is a hard edge to his voice, "I do not think Mr. Wisdom believed me. I gave him something that might help prove I am who I say I am, but… I don't think he even works for this law system. He didn't sound like any of you…" John scratches his forehead for a moment, "I would be careful with Mr. Wisdom. I am not sure for certain but I think he is dangerous."
"You mean his accent?" Matt asks with a tilt of his head given, but then he gives a nod. "He is just an individual who is aware of the issues with… various individuals coming from different worlds I suppose you could say." He still seems not entirely at ease with that considering that where he's from only barely had realized that aliens existed, other dimensions, realities, no. Though he's living it now.
"Another route to go would be to consider this place as a place to start anew, to gain a life with the help of Father Mulhaney and, with time, take your place in society."
John nods his head and take a breath of relief, as if he was glad to finally hear his Law-Speaker say that, "Mr. Murdock. That's why I'm here. I need legal papers in order to do that. Without papers I am not a citizen, a resident. I am not a legal person." He motions to his backpack, "Mr. Wisdom suggested I go to your acida- I mean library. And I've been looking into that. I want to put files into the court to request immigration codes. There are three things we can do with that: Temporary Protected Status, Refugee, or I could come in as a skilled worker. I was a researching engineer and technician for Stark Computing. If I don't get immigration paperwork, I heard that there are people in "Lower" state of New York that sells papers… But that seems off." Then as an afterthought, "What's a Dimensional Ex-Pat?"
"Well it would be difficult to immigrate unless your point of origin is recommended by the government. It is possible, however, if you were unaware of your background entirely…" He scratches a fingertip as he ponders, "Could gain a social security number that way or citizenship but that would also take a fair amount of time."
Shaking his head somewhat, Matt looks towards John. "If you have any idea what 'you' were doing in this dimension, I suggest then that you pursue it and try to attain ownership of your alternate you's estate."
There's a pause then he smiles faintly, "A Dimensional Ex-Pat is an immigrant from another dimension. Which you are, I believe. But you have to make some decisions, and if you wish to pursue one I can try to help you."
Now John is starting to sound flustered again. The law speaker missed his point. "Mr. Murdock," He said very calmly, "I don't have another me. I was born in Borrowton Texas. It was a large city, a part of the Tripple city with Fort Worth and Dallas. 1.2 million people. The southern part of the Texas Triangle. It's not there. I requested transcripts from my school: Texas Tech. They said I never attended there. Your Google doesn't return anything that resembles me. And, I can't make heads or tails of the Book of Faces."
"I don't think I exist here. I don't think many of the people who were left exist here. We did not even have the same president. If I go to the courts without a Law-Speaker” John closes his eyes and pauses briefly, “I've seen some words on your Patriot Act. This legal system scares me. It's not as balanced as ours was. It's in a different language from what you even speak. It's hard to read."
A nod is given, "Then you'll have to go the path of establishing yourself. We can go the route of getting your immigration started, but that will take time. It may be possible to get you a temporary work visa that'll allow you to get a job and begin earning and hopefully getting yourself situated."
Matt steps to the side and rests his hip upon the edge of the desk while he considers John. "You'd need to speak with a representative, get the details of your trans-dimensional transversal, and perhaps establish the details of your home. It's feasible there may have been some contact with it in the past. However, I should tell you, that I am far from an expert of this part of the legal field. If you like I can put you into contact with the man who represented the Fantastic Four, he has apparently a strong knowledge of trans-dimensional legalities."
John's voice perks up. The Law-Speaker wasn't himself able to help him but was pointing him where he needed to go. "Yes, I would like that very much!" He pauses and his heart beat jumps up a few notches and his stress level increased dramatically, as if he just had a disturbing revelation. "You mentioned before that this has happened to "one or two" before this. And just now you were insistent that I had an alternative self here in this frequency." He pauses, stands up and starts pacing in front of the window. "May I ask you a few questions beyond my case. It's not just for me I'm trying to figure this out for."
"I can do my best to answer you, though you should realize it may be speaking out of my area of expertise." Matt says as he turns to the side and reaches across the desk. His hand lightly touches over a few pieces of paper, a few folders, until he finds a small rolodex that he draws towards him. "But one moment, here…" A small pad of paper is slid towards John. "The man's name you should contact is Jason Spiegel. He has his own practice uptown. His number is 555-XXX-XXXX." There's a pause once he waits for John to take down the information, but once that's done he turns back.
"Alright, ask of me what you would." His smile returns.
"The reason I am trying desperately to get back to work is a number Mr. Murdock. 3,417. It is the number Jarvis put on the morning report displays for us with a corny little caption, ‘We Are Making It!’ Three thousand four hundred and seventeen. That's what was left of humanity in my frequency two months ago when I ended up here. We were trying to innovate a way to keep the collapse from finishing us off. I don't know what happened… But if I can rebuild, perhaps I can contact Mr. Stark and Jarvis and work on getting the rest here."
John turns and looks at Mr. Murdoc. His thumb slips down to his wrist and he starts rubbing. "What happens to the other person if they are replaced? I couldn't find most of my co-workers on the google. But I know my frequencies Tony Stark is very similar to Your Tony Stark." He quickly rakes his fingers through his hair before returning to rubbing his wrist.
"Would bringing those people through here kill - or be like murder, for those who already exist here? Because they tried so hard to survive. So may sacrifices, so much talent. The best and last of humanity on a half mile structure. They deserve a chance. But would people try to stop me if they replaced those here?"
"You're asking me about something that I have no idea as to the possible physical, let alone the spiritual, repercussions." Matt turns his head slightly to the side. "If you knew Tony Stark in your dimension, perhaps contacting him would be a good idea. If he's a touchstone for your other life, perhaps he might have some knowledge or a lead for you to follow up that could point you in the direction to finding out if you existed here and what occurred."
He gestures to the side then with a hand, "The concept of a multiverse, however, operates on the idea that whatever can happen will happen, and that there are an infinite number of multiverses where things can be as different as the entire laws of physics are different, or as little is different in that one man chose to have breakfast at 9:30 as opposed to at 9:31."
He gives a small shrug, "Again, however, I am perhaps not the best individual to discuss with on such matters."
John gives a sigh at the non-committal answer, "I only asked because you are a Law-Speaker. You understand this society's moral structure. What is right and what is wrong. This world has vigilantes that society tolerates because they are for the greater good. But, If I want to save my humanity, but it costs a tiny fraction of your society - How would your society view it? Would I be justified in pursuing it openly?" He shakes his head.
The scrawny man walks over to his backpack and unlocks the lock, "Thank you for your time Mr. Murdock. Do you want more of those tickets? Or can I pay you the same in cash this time?" John has realized he has hit a brick wall. And like last time, as soon as he stopped making progress he was ready to move on.
A hand is held up to stay the man, "The ends do not justify the means, John." He says as he addresses the man levelly, and for the first time using his given name. Yet he lets that hang there for a moment or two, perhaps allowing just that glimpse of his moral code to slip into view. Just as he dismisses it by adding, "Pay me when you have time. I know you're good for it." And with that he lifts a hand in a small wave, even as he reaches for that manila folder he had been considering.
John simply takes a white envelope out of a binder and flips it onto Matt's desk for it to land almost square with the corner. He didn't look. "I have time now." He zips, closes, and locks his bag in one fluid motion. It's shouldered and he steps out of the office. Patter-Patter-Pause…