Staring at the clock as though wishing it would wind faster, the Mogul leans back in his chair in a pensive mood despite being anxious. Certainly he and Ebon had a good-natured air between them with plenty of banter, but other than the slave issue neither had truly discussed matters of import. Not extensively at any rate. Part of him wondered about making this move so late in the production. Twisting in place his attention leaves the clock to gaze out the second story window out over Clayton Avenue to the park on Rawson. Like clockwork, school let out and children were gathering to play what games they always did, breaking off into groups. Some tried to push others around, another group would come to the oppressed congregation' aid, for a time they would all separate again. But the pattern remained. "How striking it is...that the pattern never changes, just the aggression of the children...."

Exhaling deeply he pushed the intercom on his desk. "Malcolm, see Mister Ilnaren up when he arrives. Should be any time."

He entered the Mogul's building and approached the front desk just as a voice from the intercom asked the man there to see him up when he arrived. Dark eyes looked at the man--Malcolm, if he'd heard correctly--and Ebon smiled. "Mister Ilnaren... that would be me. It seems my timing is excellent."

Malcolm certainly appeared an odd sort, unless you live in Rhydin. Impossibly large eyes look upon Ebon as he offers a gentle smile and motions one of his six arms to the nearby elevators. "If you'll follow me sir." Pushing too his feet, Malcolm appears too toll and too skinny to be in good health. Like a humanoid, stick insect. Shambling along he pushes the up arrow on the elevator which dings and oppens its doors. "Please after you sir...? once more motions Ebon ahead of himself before going in.

Ebon nodded and entered the elevator, making sure not to crowd Malcolm. "Thank you." As they went up, he wondered what it was that Race had invited him to see. He'd taken a liking to the man early on during his time in the Council--largely for the way he blended irreverence and respect in any given meeting--but hadn't been sure what to make of him as a whole. Eregor had described the Mogul as a man with the will to do what's needed, though how he'd come by that opinion he didn't say, and Ebon hadn't asked. Most of all, he supposed as they reached the top, Race was a puzzle, and Ebon always liked figuring out puzzles.

The first thing most notice about the elevator is the general lack of motion felt when the gears and pulleys engage above in the shaft. Just a faint fwooosh before and after arrivals.Another little ding and the doors open revealing a large room, mostly dominated by windows all along one side offering a view of the northern sea; the image, almost calming. The center of the room features an oval table with a glass top, small wires run here and there through out the surface not unlike another table the Mogul shouldn't know anything about where DIANA first introduced herself to a group of unlikely heroes. Currently a blue image hovers above the table displaying a subterranean layout of an odd complex similar to a bee hive. At the head of the table, Race turns his gaze to the elevator, a smile on his lips as he comes to his feet out of respect for Ebon. "YOu know, your timing is almost as good as mine..."

Both of Ebon's eyebrows went up at that description. "Wild magic. That would certainly hinder many spellcasters... but often the worst criminals are also the most daring." Rising to his feet, he approached the holotable--or whatever it was--and began to circle around it. "How large would this complex be?"

"In scope? A self-contained city. The image here is two miles deep, submerged in water.? He responds evenly, appearing quite serious.

"Under water and ground? That would make it difficult to escape, even if they could get free from their cells." He looked over at Race. "You mentioned the cells that held Starsong and Renna were precursors to what is planned here. I know how sturdy those containers were; Kain couldn't break free of his without the utmost effort, and Renna... well, I was there for that, and I'm still not entirely sure what happened. He's improved upon those designs?"

"That's what I still need to meet with him about. The cells he uses currently are mobile and meant for short term. However the technologies to self create oxygen and keep itself sanitary is what I?m interested in. Ultimately, my thoughts are to keep the cells submerged. Inmate tampers with it, flood the cells. It comes loose from a grouping, cells flood. Something goes wrong with the security protocols, the cells flood. An all pervasive contingency that can be self-isolating, or mass scale." he nod at Ebon's words.

"Not to toot my own horn, but I"m rather proud of putting Renna in her cell, though I didn't capture Kain the second time, hoped the Scath sisters could handle him that first time. Underestimated his regeneration." Bit of a grimace from the Mogul at that admission. "However, keeping the cells in a constant rotation that only the Warden, or myself, Batten, and perhaps the Governor know the sequence too would be something to consider as well."

"I think the idea of tampering with one cell bringing a widespread response is worth considering. Criminals tend to work together if there's an advantage, but work against each other otherwise. Making it so an individual acting alone brings retaliation to more can keep them watching each other, if only out of enlightened self interest... and if they try to coordinate efforts for a group escape, well, I've often found that the larger the operation, the easier it is to shut down." Ebon turned his attention back onto the prison image. "Of course, that could be said about this, as well."

"I agree. If this facility becomes public knowledge, many will want there to be ways to protect the inmates from the guards being too harsh. However, as with any prison, the inmates will end up outnumbering the guards. Harsh, needs to be commonplace. The Warden next to incorruptible, as slim as that is." fingers drum along the desk. "We also need it to be able to house inmates based on their abilities. The cells work against the inmate. Ultimately, it needs to be Hell. The worse the inmate, the deeper they're kept. The temporary cells can be used for transport between levels, until they're seen to a permanent residency. No yard time or any of that. Prison isn't meant to be enjoyable. Twenty four hours a day in a locked box."

"In some instances, I could turn a blind eye to suicide, but we have to be better than that," nodding at the sentiment. "And true, the body adapts continuously. Nano technology is too unpredictable, especially because the machines themselves are near self-evolving."

"What happened with Renna is a testament to that." Ebon took a long drink from his water bottle. "In the end, we need to find a way to ensure that the only viable alternatives to incarceration are worse, or even fatal. Flooding the cells with water, as you suggested earlier... perhaps mud, or something similar. Clinging, dragging them down."

"The water was more because it can flow rapidly and be drained as easily once the inmate is subdued. Certainly open to other means. But what ideas do you have to the over all design?" motions him to the hologram again. "And I debated approaching the Scaths about being guards."

Ebon turns to regard the hologram, not looking up at Race as he replied. "That could be tricky. The Sisterhood is devoted to a goddess of justice, but they are, most of them, warriors by nature. Volatile. I'd be concerned about a riot, to be honest." Then he pointed at the design. "On the subject of guards, where would they live in all of this? In a central location, to be on-hand in the event of trouble? Or further removed, but able to get where they need to be quickly?" Now Ebon looked up at the Mogul, eyebrow raised. "For that matter, how would they get around? It would need to be some method that the inmates couldn't override easily, of course."

"I had considered parallel corridors." He lifted a hand and the path ways show up in white indicated that guards could run by barriers erected in the known halls to get behind fortifications. "And the Sisters were just a thought, I have seen how zealous they can be when letting someone live isn't worth the trouble."

"Have you considered one-way portals? Magical or possibly transmit pads? To get guards into trouble spots, but not allowing access out... which would make a strategic retreat difficult, but perhaps that would drive them to resolved the situation more quickly."

"Tests are still on going about what other far reaching effects the Gulch would have. The guards would live within the facility but be on rotations to where they are not there year round. Ex amount of time on and ex amount of time away from the facility for general remuneration and wellness." Getting up he came around the table, "The other issue is how far away it is. Prisoners would be most accessible in transit to the facility."

"You mean if someone from outside wanted to break them loose? That's a good point... although, if I were a criminal mastermind, I'd make plans to wait until I was inside, perhaps with a few henchmen, and then have my organization initiate a mass riot to keep the guards busy." Glancing up at Race, he shrugged. "It's what I'd do. Having so many criminals in close proximity does concern me... I believe the phrase I read somewhere is 'Sealed Evil In A Can'."

"Right, everyone expects the prison breaks to happen before the criminal gets there." leaning against the table he looks from Ebon to the image. "Such is another fear, however we'd have to cultivate them being at each other' throats. Don't let them feel comfortable working together. However, if we could isolate the facility completely, we could let the inmates more or less run loose. Let them destroy each other. Certainly they'd establish gangs and hierarchy, but if they are unaware of being monitored, it could be another alternative. The strong weed out the lessers, and we put the choke collar on the top tier."