xp_logs | Lost Generations: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics (Nathan and Moira, Monday morning) (Reply)

Moira finds Nathan cursing at statistics and confirms for him that yes, there is something very odd about the questionable mutant birth-rate numbers in Southeast Asia. Much to his delight, she promises to make some calls.

The additional information hadn't helped.

Grumbling under his breath, Nathan closed one report and opened the next on the stack, skimming through it rapidly. "What the hell?" he demanded after a moment, half-petulantly. "Damned... half-complete... piss-poor job at accumulating statistics, I swear..." Angelo had done what he could, of course, but when the source material was that sketchy there wasn't much to do. Nathan's jaw clenched as he wrestled with the sudden blaze of frustration. "Son of a bitch..."

Reaching over his shoulder, Moira plucked the folder straight from his hands. "Wha' are ye mutterin' about?" she asked, leaning against his back as she flipped through the information. "An' wha' on earth is this all about?"

Nathan nearly jumped out of his skin. How had she managed to sneak up on him? he wondered wildly. Had he been concentrating that hard? "Um, a file?" he said a bit weakly. "It's perplexing me. The numbers are wrong. The mutant birthrate in Southeast Asia is all out of whack."

Smirking a bit, it wasn't often that she snuck up on him, she tilted her head a bit. "Hrm. 'ow out o' whack are we talkin' about 'ere? A few 'ere an' there or massive differences in comparison ta wha' they should be there an' around th' world?"

"A twenty percent difference from the rest of Asia." Nathan blinked, then looked up at her more intently. Why had he not come to her about this before now? he wondered, mystified at himself. Of course. "Is that statistically significant, or am I get excited over nothing?"

"Twenty percent?" Moira straightened, staring down at him. "Bloody 'ell, Nathan, tha's like...wit' th' population rate o' Asia bein' as it is, twenty percent is a mighty large chunk. One or two percent, tha's possible. Twenty percent...let me see th' other charts?"

"I'm not a math major?" he said a bit meekly and handed them over. "And I don't know precisely what the mutant birth rate should be. Aren't there environmental factors at work, that could account for regional differences?" His lack of a science background was so biting him in the ass.

Nodding, she opened them up and then spread them out on his desk, gently bumping him out of the way. "Aye. Different areas 'ave different birt' rates, obviously. Asia's birthrate is incredibly 'igh, obviously. Mutants are still "unknown" but evolution grows more an' more wit' each generation. Therefore, Asia should 'ave a verra high number o' mutant birt's an' th numbers..'ell, there aren't right at all."

"I didn't think they were," Nathan murmured, somewhat triumphantly. So his instincts were good after all. "And do you see that?" He pointed to his stick-pinned map. "There are three major medical NGOs that work in those areas, specifically in the rural areas. And the key is, the twenty percent difference is only when you look at the rural areas. The urban areas are closer to say, China's mutant birthrate."

"Tha's nay right," Moira muttered, dropping the files so she could get a closer look at the map. "Hrmph. I'm nay sure wha's goin' on but I'd suggest ye check it out. Somethin' is nay right." Making noises to herself, she traced the lines between the pins. This was going to bug her.

"I knew it," Nathan said under his breath. "I just knew it, as soon as I saw the numbers... it was like this itch in the back of my head." And the last time he'd felt that, it had led him to Gideon.

Okay, that was not a happy train of thought.

"I can place some calls," she said in a distracted manner. "Get in touch wit' these folks, see if I can find somethin' for ye, if ye want."

He brightened abruptly. "Are you kidding? If I want? Moira, that would be amazing." He leaned over and kissed her. "You are so much more likely to get answers than me, just because of who you are."

Snickering slightly, Moira leaned against him again. "Well, let me see wha' magic I can work, aye? I might be able ta get Curt ta make some calls as well." Tapping her fingers against her chin, she thought some more. "I think I can work a miracle or two, aye."