Your Science is Inefficient

[Cam Beckett]

Cam had monopolized the common area in the dorms.

Spread across the floor, tables, and couches, were a bunch of meticulously arranged and spread-out parts, from what appeared to be... a dozen toasters? A coffee machine? Quite a few shells discarded in the corner of the room.

Cam had a screwdriver in his hand as he gutted yet another appliance, adding to his collection of springs, levers, cogs and whathaveyou.

((open))

[Diego Zapata]

"If you've murdered the X-Box, I'll cut you," Diego joked as he walked up.

[Cam Beckett]

"Please. That old piece of junk was going to fall apart anyway."

[Diego Zapata]

"You're kidding, right? It's, like, school property and stuff man."

[Cam Beckett]

Cam waved his hand dismissively. "If the school didn't want things disassembled, they should have bought sturdier things."

[Diego Zapata]

"So... you're trying to get expelled? More power to you... I guess?" he asked confusedly.

[Cam Beckett]

"Oh, they wouldn't dare cross me. I'm certain of that, at least."

[Diego Zapata]

"Careful with the supervillain threats there buddy. That's a good way to get punched around here," he said amiably, not taking Cam seriously.

[Cam Beckett]

"Well, might does make right for the feeble minded. I try to pay them no mind," he said, continuing to tinker.

[Diego Zapata]

"It's more right makes might... which is sometimes used for punching people doing bad things," he argued.

[Cam Beckett]

"If right made might, then supervillains wouldn't exist. They'd all be flopping around without arm muscles. Your point is invalid!"

[Diego Zapata]

"Would you at least allow that force can be necessary and even right when used to protect the innocent?"

[Cam Beckett]

"I wasn't aware it was up to me to allow things! From here on, I will use my power judiciously and wisely."

[Diego Zapata]

"Anyone ever tell you that you're weird? Not that there's anything wrong with weird. Normal is boring."

[Byrna Cooper]

"Now this is my kind of common room!"

A new blond student entered, wearing a colorful long dress and poncho.

[Cam Beckett]

"Anyone ever tell you that you're weird? Not that there's anything wrong with weird. Normal is boring."

"About every five minutes since I got here.

And watch where you're stepping!" Cam shouted at the new girl. "Those coils are in precise order."

[Diego Zapata]

"Now this is my kind of common room!"

A new blond student entered, wearing a colorful long dress and poncho.

"You like electronic charnel houses?" he joked.

"No, wait... aaand the better joke got away."

[Byrna Cooper]

"These coils here?" She asked, picking one up, and absently connecting a battery and resistor assembly.

She smiled at Diego.

"Totally my kind of charnel!"

[Cam Beckett]

"Gah! Don't touch those! They need to be sorted according to spectromic density if they're going to be part of the central core!"

[Byrna Cooper]

"Central cores and spectromic density. You sure do know how to sweet talk."

She grinned, placing the coils and parts back in their place.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way of whatever you are creating! I'm just happy to meet someone else who tinkers."

[Cam Beckett]

"Lady, I don't 'tinker'. I solve problems. I bend the universe into obeying my very whim, twisting the fabric of reality itself until it's rolling over, begging for mercy."

[Byrna Cooper]

"Groovy! Do you take requests?" She asked, beaming.

[Cam Beckett]

"Of course. Do you have something that needs addressing?"

[Byrna Cooper]

"I've got a few projects I've been having issues with, stranger. Maybe you could take a look at them?"

[Cam Beckett]

"Ugh, tech support. Have you tried turning them off and turning them back on again?"

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear frowned, a rare occurrence.

"No need to be insulting."

[Cam Beckett]

"It's a fairly standard question, and I take from your response that the answer is 'no'."

[Byrna Cooper]

"My things of concern don't exactly have on/off switches." She said, a little curt.

[Cam Beckett]

"Well, there you go then. Build an on switch, turn it on, and you're good to go. Glad I could help."

[Byrna Cooper]

"Glad I could be helped! I'll leave you two alone, sorry to interfere in whatever you two are building."

Bear turned to leave, picking up one of the coils again.

"Spectromic density of 0.34, right?" She said, before snapping it in two.

"My mistake. 0.36."

[Cam Beckett]

Cam shrieked. "What on EARTH are you doing? Why would you do that? What possessed you!" he cried, rushing over and swiping the broken parts from Bear's hands.

[Byrna Cooper]

"Oh I'm soo sorry! I didn't mean to, but I'm just a dumb girl in need of patronizing tech support. It's all I'm good for."

[Cam Beckett]

"Get out! Get out!" he shouted, hopping up and down. "How dare you! How DARE you? You...you philistine! Cinderblock! You...you wench!

Here I am, trying to do actual good in this universe, and I have to put up with someone like you coming in and breaking my equipment? How heartless can you get?"

[Diego Zapata]

Diego put on his best helpful cop face and cleared his throat.

"Yeah... I'm gonna need you both to stop and chill a minute. You're both kinda being uncool right now."

[Byrna Cooper]

"Whatever. I've got things to do."

She turned to leave, before turning back and giving Diego a hug.

"Nice to meet you!"

She smiled, leaving.

[Cam Beckett]

"She just doomed someone to never knowing their past. I should...I should..." Cam fumed. "Rargh!" he finally shouted, kicking a toaster shell as hard as he could and sending the mess sprawling through the room.

He stormed out in the other direction.

[Diego Zapata]

Diego just stood there looking vaguely confused. "What... just happened?"