voice;

[hanzer]

[There's very little preamble before the network gets an earful of the distinctive, raspy tones of a certain ex-cop. Guy sounds like he smokes his cigarettes and eats them too. He also doesn't sound exactly comfortable to be speaking on the network, but anyone who's met him in person in the past few days knows that that forced impassivity is kind of his thing.]

I'm looking for someone who can work with cybernetics. Some know-how with computers or engineering would probably help, but I figure some of that comes with the territory. [A pause, and then:] Discretion preferred.

[The way he says it, one kind of gets the sense that he'd gladly find a way to make even the most indiscreet person suddenly learn the meaning of patient confidentiality– but it's just as easy to believe that that's just the way he talks.

There's another longer pause and then, at length, he adds:] I'd also be interested in speaking to anyone who can talk about the crewman we've got in the hold.

[Spooky, scary, skeleton-like – you've probably heard of Ploiatos. Adam certainly has, and (being the security-minded guy he is) he'd love to know what having a literal skeleton in the closet entails.

And since Adam Jensen's never exactly been known for ending conversations gracefully, that's where he chooses to cut the message off.

Certainly, no one can say he isn't to-the-point.]

Comments

[deconstruct]

[ A 'see you' is shot back, before Andyr drops the weights he'd been working with, heading to the door to the training room, not exactly looking excellent in gym gear and sweat, but waiting around nonetheless.

It's easier for him to spot Jensen, he thinks, that try to explain what to look for with him, so he just keeps an eye out for someone with sunglasses and a lot of cybernetics.

When he does eventually show, Andyr's giving him a shout from the doorframe he's leaning on. ] Jensen. On guard detail?

[hanzer]

[Of the crew members he's met and seen around, he'd kind of pegged a lot of them as the type to practically live in the training room; he finds it to be surprisingly empty, now that he's here. But it's a big ship, he supposes, and for how busy the Ingress has been over the past months, it's apparently still not enough to make this place feel as populated as he expects it to feel.

The shout's not needed to grab Adam's attention, but it grabs it all the same and he approaches. True to his word, he's the one in the shades – and since he's sans-uniform, both cyberarms are on full display, in black metal and matte polymer mesh. They're sleek, athletic-looking, but closer inspection might reveal the pits and scratches marring their normally smooth polycarbonate shells.

A nod, in both greeting and confirmation.] Prince, right? Didn't mean to interrupt your workout.

[He gives the guy a once-over – the darkened lenses do a good job of hiding his eyes, but Adam's gaze has a way of being felt all the same. Guy's... Younger than he'd expected. Solid, though. Enough to make him think that the talk earlier wasn't just for show.]

[hanzer]

[Drily:] Figures I'd miss the vacation planet.

[Not a whole lot about Adam screams "beach funtimes" – but he's got to admit, even a single brain-off, worry-free day has its appeal. Feels like it's been years since he's had one of those.]

Shame – somehow I doubt there's a second one on the new course they've charted.

[liberaltus]

All of that skin, all of the drinks, the luminescent fish! That's where all of the wine came from.

[If Dorian tilts his head and squints hard enough he can definitely see Adam on the beach with a drink in his hand, better than the stuff Adam had on his arrival.]

I'm starting to miss it now. It would be nice if there was something in the near future that wasn't deadly or stressful. At this rate we'll all be half mad before we reach our destination.

video;

[whoami]

To be fair, I am not liking how hard I've had to work just to find the scraps of data I have. The "captains" as in the ones that came before should have been way more transparent if they did expect the crew's help.

[ Sam is not impressed by any of it, and while you might stick with voice, Sam makes use of the mods he's added to the MID system and does video. He looks to be lounging on his bed, though. Sure it's an open channel, but it's not like Sam's talking about anything important. ]

And if it turns out to be of any use, consider this an offer. Anyway, I don't think the new "captain" will be that much better. 'Greet the new boss same as the old boss' you know?

[ventifact]

Thirty minutes works for me.

action forever!!

[arcreact]

[ When Adam arrives in engineering, it won't take him long to find his guy, still elbow-deep in some machine or other and looking like he's had motor oil violently flung at him at some point during the day and never bothered to do more than smudge it off with a sleeve. The welding goggles really just complete the look... whatever the look is.

Fortunately, he vaguely remembers the agreed upon time, so he isn't too surprised when a guy looking like this waltzes into the department (though he does pause to scrutinize for a moment, a touch incredulously). He even turns off the loud power tool he'd been using when Adam walked in. Manners. ]

'Sup, Neo. Right on time.

[ ... Manners sorta. ]

[coolskeletonnyehntyfive]

OH, HIS "DEAL" IS THAT HIS SOUL IS CORRUPTED! I DON'T THINK EVEN MONSTER MAGIC CAN HEAL IT. I'VE TRIED TALKING TO HIM AND HANGING OUT WITH HIM, BUT HE'S NOT VERY APPRECIATIVE OF GOOD COMPANY.

[hanzer]

Can't really refuse a claim like that, can I? [Humor: noted. Confidence: appreciated.

In fact, it kind of seems like there'd been a lot of claims he hadn't been able to refuse – again, he'd got a lot more response than expected. Last time he'd had this much attention, he'd still been an in-patient.

The irony's audible in his voice when he adds:] Looking at my schedule, I can probably pencil you in for sometime in the next couple of hours. You might be getting the abridged version of that story, though.

[hanzer]

Law of averages, and all that.

[But he doesn't sound super-convinced. Him – he can wait for the cosmos to balance out the past couple of years of his life if he wants, but he can't shake this suspicion that he'd be waiting for a good long while.

Speaking of the wine, though:] Still got to find a way to pay you back for that, by the way. I'm not really holding out for there being a booze planet I can pick something up from.

[hanzer]

Everybody's got secrets. The new captain or the old ones. [Echoing what he'd said to someone earlier. It may be a truism, but he hadn't realized how relevant it'd been until very recently.

That's right, though– Flynn's a MID tech. There's a pause, and then:] Actually, there's something specific that you might be able to help me with. Something involving the MID.

[whoami]

[ Sam doesn't seem all that interested, honestly. You aren't the first to have asked for his help with the MID's after all. ]

Yeah? Well that depends what you're wanting.

[liberaltus]

[Dorian cannot blame Adam for not being optimistic about their chances of another luxurious vacation planet. More than the mage, whose life has been overwhelmed with comfort and riches, Adam had the look of a man who could really use it. Maybe they will find a break in all of this shit, but Dorian was a realist, he was also sympathetic enough not to get Adam's hopes up. Some letdowns could be devastating.]

If you have a remedy for frozen feet then that would be repayment enough for me.

[He's doubtful, but what could it hurt? ]

[armsmode]

I believe my cybernetics were the most damaged from the caducan incident, and I have already been repaired.

-> action(?)

[hanzer]

(( will gladly move to a log or w/e you'd prefer. 8) ))


Over at engineering, then.

[They won't be alone, but he does have a "keep away" look about him that should keep them mostly unbothered. Does she even need tools, equipment, for this? Anything specifically from the science department? It's all a little arcane to him.

But he'll be waiting outside engineering by the appointed hour, arms folded, looking pretty unmistakably like a guy who'd asked for assistance with cybernetics. Without the Moira standard-issue on, the only other gear he has leaves him with both machine arms exposed to the shoulders – what little light there is in the hallways reflecting off their sleek, black surfaces.]

[hanzer]

[Adam levels the guy with a look (which has the uncanny ability to be felt even through his eye shields.) He doesn't seem surprised, or... Much of anything at all, really. About as impassive in person as he'd sounded over the network.]

Funny. That's not the one I usually hear.

[Because come on, a half-machine former cop from Detroit? The jokes practically write themselves (have written themselves several times, in fact.) Either way, he can't say it's a promising start, but at least he knows that Stark's not necessarily a guy who goes for the low-hanging fruit.

His attention's drawn from the man to the mess of machine and its exposed innards beside him – whatever that is he's working on. Adam may be far from a troglodyte when it comes to mechanics, but he certainly feels a little like one the longer he studies the thing. No matter how hard he stares, he can't make heads nor tails of what it's supposed to be for.

Eventually he gives up, folding his arms and turning his attention back on Stark. He jerks his head, indicating the machinery.] Hope I'm not interrupting anything important.

[hanzer]

You're Papyrus, then.

[Good detective work, Adam, reading the ID off the MID. But even if he hadn't, he'd certainly heard enough about the guy who tried to talk things out with the skeleton monster and nearly ended up dead for his trouble. Not a big leap in logic to assume that this is that same guy.]

What do you mean his soul is corrupted? [And then, quickly:] Explain it like you're talking to someone that's just found out a couple of hours ago that magic is real.

[Because that's exactly the sort of someone that Papyrus is speaking to. All things considered, he's taking the revelation pretty well.]

-> voice; private

[hanzer]

[Taking a cue from Spock, this sort of talk moves him to encrypt his following messages. Really not the sort of guy to go around and blab about his body over public channels. "Discretion preferred," indeed.]

Already got an implant that does a lot of what the MID does with telecomms. Thing is, it's integrated with some other implants of mine in a way that the MID isn't – cochlear, mastoid, ocular, et cetera.

I don't want to lose their functions just because I can't connect to this network, so think you can figure out a way to mod the MID so it can interface with what I've already got?

video -> text; private

[whoami]

[ Sam nods, and the video abruptly winks out. Likewise taking a page from Spock's book, Sam does send a public key across ]

You realize that may not be possible, right? It may be that your implants are just too different. Cybernetics is out of my league.

[hanzer]

["Setting your curtains on fire again" is kind of sounding like the simplest remedy for that, but he takes a moment to consider it anyway.]

About half of my pair of thermals is pretty useless to me. [Robot limbs, and all.] Might be able to make some seriously heavy-duty socks out of them.

They might not look completely ridiculous either. ["Completely" being the operative word here.]

[liberaltus]

[Wouldn't be the best idea, but Dorian is coming maddeningly close to building a nice little camp fire in his room.]

Your arms and legs don't feel the cold? [Well, while the subject is on the table, Dorian is curious and that is a distraction.]

[hanzer]

Only as much as they need to. Any less than that could be dangerous. [Gotta know ASAP if your hand's melting off, or something.

Wryly:] The ship's a little uncomfortable– but the temperature probably isn't what'll hurt me.

[Though Dorian and his cocoon could've fooled him. Anyway, that's true – until that fire actually happens and/or spreads, at least.]

[liberaltus]

So feeling sensations, that isn't a problem then? Only not feeling as much as you need to, I'm not sure I understand, but that's a good thing, isn't it? [Dorian is a sensationalist after all, the only thing he knows about prosthetics is that they have no sensation, no ability to feel.]

I can't think of anything other than the temperature being unbearable. I suppose I'll take you up on those thermals. [He likes his cocoon, thanks, and his robes, his robes are lovely too, but if that fire spread someone is going to have to pull him out of it.]

[hanzer]

No, it's– [A pause. How to articulate this? It's not like he's ever tried.] ...Pressure's there. I can tell the difference between shaking a hand and breaking it.

[Not that it's stopped him from worrying about it. A thoughtful intake of breath, and an exhale.]

Everything else feels a little like I'm touching it through a thin layer of gauze. Sensation's close, but... Not the same. [Typical Adam Jensen eloquence. The faint frustration in his voice is indication that it's not for lack of trying, though.]

They say your brain can adjust, and eventually it'll trick you into thinking it feels just like the real thing. [A dismissive sound; the verbal equivalent of a shrug.] Still waiting on that. But then again, it's only been half a year.

[liberaltus]

I...[Dorian has to think for a moment, as curious as he is about so many things, specifically things related to technology, he's also aware that some of his questions are...personal?] My apologies, I'm picking up Cole's bad habits.

[He should probably clarify that.] Ah, Cole is a spirit, he has this ability that enables him to dip into a person's mind and lock on to their pain and other personal matters. I suppose he wants to...help or understand. I gave him permission to dip into my mind, because he was as curious about me as I was about him. A bit like inviting someone into your home only to have them run off with the silverware.

[Obviously Dorian's toeing the line here.] It sounds frustrating, these cybernetics? [Dorian can imagine that experiencing the sense of touch through what felt like a thin layer of anything had to be maddening. Even if the mind acclimates.] If you don't want to discuss it, I'd understand that.