Xaviers!

Ashlie is in the workshop, running through multiple theoretical calculations of data regarding the Titan fragment. Density, potential energy output, likely thresholds of stability.

On the workbench next to it are the disassembled fragments of Conduit's gun and the inhibitor collars she utilized, as well as a couple small fragments of the crystal computer.


((open))

Tosh had been busy. He had recalibrated his scanner and begun loading it with many different spark signatures from volunteering students and faculty. With that nearly done, he had begun the theoretical calculations and preliminary design work for the shard cannon. He was looking tired, more than he already had, but there was still a lot to do.

"So I'm almost as ready as I can be without a pinhole breach to scan," he said with a yawn as he came in.

"Excellent work, Tosh." she says and though she doesn't look it, she probably got as little sleep as him.

"I should be ready for a preliminary test, I just need to assemble the array. As I suspected, supplying energy to the fragment directly has too high a chance to destabilize it, but running a current through the inhibitor brackets around it should elicit a safe reaction from the shift in the dimensional field manifold. I don't have the time to reverse engineer Conduit's hackneyed superconductor fluid but increasing the amount of crystal powder should have a similar effect." she explains as she starts assembling a sort of jacket around the base of the Titan Fragment.

"I had a similar idea for the anti-predator weapon. Shouldn't be too hard to use the shard for both purposes."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Get some measurements, so we can fine-tune it for our various purposes. I imagine it'll be our prow, both for entering, navigating and ramming. Hopefully." she says as she snaps the housing around the fragment's base shut.

She slowly twists two of the brackets counter to each other until until the spike begins emitting a faint iridescent glow.

"Sounds more like a drill than a nautical weapon," he commented as he got out some precision measuring tools.

"Technically, drills have been theorized as old nautical weapons on the first concepts of submarines. But I imagine this is more of a last resort measure than our main armaments. Besides, weapons that are just repurposed tools might make for less immediately hostile reactions from Exospace. But for now..." she says, carefully swiping the glowing shard across her workbench. Some of the tools on it change, materiel shimmering through different types of plastic and metals, non-sensical shaped tools with odd prongs and tines, screwdrivers turn into hand-drills, a soldering tool sparks and grows the nozzle of a tiny blowtorch.

"Low intensity release exhibiting similarly transpositional effects as mutant power." she notes before turning it off again. The changed tools immediately revert to their original state. "Albeit temporary. Interesting."

Tosh gave an impressed whistle. "Now that was cool. Do you think it'd work the other way to produce temporary advanced tech?"

"I don't see why not, though they might only work due to exo-dimensional mechanics and not as something that could be reverse-engineered."

"Still, it could be useful in a pinch. Not sure I'd be comfortable with taking a shortcut based on science we aren't meant to understand just yet anyway."

"A stance the Citadel would certainly appreciate. But the important thing here is that we can produce an effect, as temporary as it might be, which means we can run tests on our eventual vessel's ability to hold up to Exo-Energy."

"How's Will's submarine coming along anyway? His versatility is amazing but this is well beyond anything I've seen him do."

"I haven't heard from him yet, but he sequestered himself away in the Danger Room for now. I imagine the bulk of our work will come once we have a vessel to modify."

"Maybe we'll actually get time to sleep before then," he yawned. At least his other selves were cutting him some slack in the face of such an important undertaking.

"Get some rest if you need it. Better we do this right than fast."

"Yeah Bro... We need it."

As his other voices agreed, Tosh sighed, "Yeah, you're right. I think I'll go lie down in a minute."

"Oh. I scanned Leo. The results were... interesting."

"Oh? Due to the genetic alterations, I assume?"

"He has two Spark signatures. His natural one comes through stronger, as one would expect, and the second weaker one has all the characteristics of mine. There's some strange dimensional variance going on but that could just have something to do with the fact that it manifests differently than in me. I'd have to get readings from another Evo victim to verify that."

"That... makes a strange amount of sense. He used your genetic material after all. It'd be an impressive feat if it wasn't so monstrous. Excuse the pun."

"Oh, grandpa is a complete genius. It really is a shame that he doesn't use that talent for something constructive."

"Sometimes people would rather turn others into monsters than cure cancer." she nods.

"I hate that he's still out there. And now he's like Leo. He might be easier to find like that, but he's also that much more dangerous."

"If he tries anything again, we'll be there to stop him." Ashlie reassures him.

He smiled just a little. "I know. I just hope he doesn't destroy any lives before then. Though without me he's out of his serum."

"I'll do what I can to help you find him. But one problem at a time."

"Agreed. Evil Cosmic Maybe-Sam trumps insane geneticist slash eco-terrorist on the threat chart. Kinda funny they both send monsters to do their bidding though."

"Or are even mutants predisposed to see things we don't understand as monsters as well?"

"Well I mean, of course mutants are. We're still all human in the thinky bits. Well, exceptions are possible I suppose."

"Discrimination is learned, not innate to human brains or their technological analogues. I'm just being conscious of my own language when referring to Dr. Evo's victims. I might use it as a colloquial shortcut to describe their situation, but it's no less harmful. But you're right, they do both employ not necessarily willing subjects, though I do not think the Titans need rescuing, their existence is an aberration even according to their own logic."

"Shit! Nonono!" he exclaimed, looking appalled, "I meant his nonhuman victims... but I guess it's bad there too. They were regular animals once."

"I guess I got too used to using the word in a tongue-in-cheek way to refer to my others."

"I know your heart is in the right place, Tosh."

"Thanks. But you were right to call me on it. I'd feel horrible if I had made that comment in front of Leo. He avoids me as it is."

"Can't exactly blame him either."

"Understandable. It hasn't been that long."

"Him not actively blaming me is probably the best I can hope for," he said, sighing, "But it isn't about me."

"Anyway. Let's get these measurements taken so I can get that nap."