okay I think we're all collectively ready to talk about how Carl got on the project now. personally I'm quite fond of the idea that Stratt requisitioned the entire american secret service to help her run PHM, because this would be funny and also mean Carl shows up with an existing network of relationships, but also what if he volunteered? or what if he and Stratt knew each other personally somehow and she requested him? UN hotel coffee bar during a conference? FBI agent she befriended? what kind of career and community did he leave behind to join up?
now logically I think he could have a lot of different backgrounds, but most of what we see him doing on screen is personnel and building security, or asset management, depending on how deliberate you think his supervision of Grace was to start with -- regardless tho, it definitely *becomes* that once Grace gets on the project more seriously, because Grace doesn't know he's the third science officer, but the people doing his security need to, in order to implement Stratt's rules
Which means at some point, not only do Stratt and Carl have a very juicy fic material conversation about Grace, but also he becomes the kind of person she can trust to keep this kind of secret. Not just as a professional credential, but someone that Stratt personally trusts, so, when and why does that happen? I think it makes the most sense if this is something that went down in their relationship before Grace was even in the picture - after all, she chooses Carl as one of the guys to accompany her to meet him, and then chooses him to leave behind as her eyes and ears. (also this kinda implies he was HER security first, which is part of why I think secret service is strongly implied, unless they know each other)
