It's All About the Benjamins

by **Will Stanton** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 8:59 pm

Code: Select all: >>Especially Bruce. I know -- I was there, remember? I remember it. I remember...I remember [i]all[/i] of it. It's always...always a little odd trying to piece together fragmented memory like that, but...but I remember what happened. Thank you. Thank [i]all[/i] of you.

by **Toshiro Narumi** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 9:26 pm

Code: Select all: That's what friends are for. When your friends are superheroes at least.

Code: Select all: You had us worried.

by **Will Stanton** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 9:35 pm

Code: Select all: >>...I figured I might. It had to be done. >>I'm sorry.

by **Natalie Denisov** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:01 pm

Code: Select all: It's all taken care of now. Take your time and set yourself right.

by **Will Stanton** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:10 pm

Code: Select all: >>I'm trying, but I seem to have...reached an odd functional impasse. Not to alarm anyone. >>Not...quite able to get out of this form at the moment. Shifting doesn't seem accessible.

In the background, a number of error messages popped up as Will tried to shift out -- notifications that the relevant processes were already in use, mostly, and that the current user did not have the proper permissions to override.

Code: Select all: >>Very odd.

by **Natalie Denisov** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:22 pm

Natalie frowns, "You're getting permission errors. Why are you getting permission errors for your own body?"

She digs into the permissions, looking to see what users would have permissions to override.

by **Narrator** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:29 pm

The permissions were set by something called "Setec Astronomy" -- a small program, running in the background almost notably, was scanning for....something. Something that Natalie had never seen a computer scanning for before -- certainly nothing electronic. It was waiting for some kind of input or signal, and while it wasn't getting it, it was holding up the shifting apparatus.

For that matter, there were a number of those small programs running, imperceptibly, in the background, but the rest weren't doing anything. The closest thing Natalie had seen to them before were a virus or a worm. Melpomene.exe, Legion.exe...they were quiet and sitting back, not functioning at the moment. They did not seem particularly relevant, other than Setec.

by **Natalie Denisov** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:45 pm

Code: Select all: Setec Astronomy mean anything to you, Will?

by **Will Stanton** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:47 pm

Code: Select all: >>Setec? Yeah, actually. Part of the "Alfred MacGuffin Institute for Interdisciplinary Research". Fancy way of saying military tech; we had some of their experts down in the arctic base. >>More than that is classified, and I --probably-- shouldn't say too much.

by **Natalie Denisov** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:49 pm

Code: Select all: Well, it looks like something associated with Setec is what's keeping you from shifting. It's waiting for some sort of signal or marker.

by **Cam Beckett** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:58 pm

"Yeah, about that," Cam chimed in.

"It's looking for brainwaves here -- see how the signal goes boop, boop, boop, like so? That's biological rhythms. It's electronic telepathy, or your closest substitute.

Mind, I have no idea how this box of 80's junk is managing to detect these things, and I still vote we take it apart and see how that works, but that's what it's doing.

I think it's looking for a conceptual trigger. It's not going to release the shifting mechanism until it's fulfilled -- I think it picked up Tosh's need for a computer console, and it's blocking any attempt to change that until something else is met."

by **Will Stanton** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:59 pm

Code: Select all: >>Setec doesn't do computer stuff. They handle interstellar material and exochemistry.

by **Natalie Denisov** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 12:20 am

Code: Select all: So it's looking for brain activity but explicitly preventing shifting into a form that might have brain activity... no offense.

by **Will Stanton** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 12:23 am

Code: Select all: >>None taken! I'm comfortable with my powers. >>It feels like it's looking for [i]external[/i] activity. Not internal. I can feel it now that you've pointed it out -- it feels like how I'm talking to the printer or the central database; not like how I'm functioning internally.

by **Toshiro Narumi** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 12:52 am

"But the military didn't put those chemicals in him. Finn did. Someone at that Institute must work for him. Which means we're dealing with Plan B."

by **Will Stanton** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 12:55 am

Code: Select all: >>Finn? >>Oh, Roland. Yes, he's...truly much less pleasant here than I'm familiar with. It wouldn't surprise me; he's ex-military. A LOT of militaries. Probably has connections out the wazzoo. >>Plan B?

by **Toshiro Narumi** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 12:59 am

"In case we managed to rescue you. He must be hoping that inhibiting you prevents you from triggering his supposed apocalypse."

by **Will Stanton** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:01 am

Code: Select all: >>"Supposed" is a bit of an understatement, but "apocalypse" is a bit of an overstatement. >>It would make sense he had a backup plan though. He's had a long time to plan for this.

by **Toshiro Narumi** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:07 am

"What do you mean 'understatement'? You're seriously telling me that if you, him, and Minamida are ever in the same room there'll be a dimensional incursion?"

by **Will Stanton** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:12 am

Code: Select all: >>It's...complicated. And I'm not sure it applies here. AND I'm not sure if ASHLIE is who he thinks she is. >>The way it was explained to me, the Three Tools are a gift that can be used to usher Ireland into a glorious age, when they are ready. We are...part of a greater whole. The representatives of something greater than ourselves. >>I can tell you that no dimensional incursions ever happened where --I-- came from. But for all I know, your gods are different. Your prophecies may be different. Who am I to say? >>Oh, that's right, the fucking Cooking Pot of the Morrigan, that's who.

If computers could be sarcastic...

by **Toshiro Narumi** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:27 am

"He says the Three Tools are the key to the Fae subjugating mankind. I like your version better. Though I can't say I believe either. Or any prophecy or even fate for that matter... but now isn't the time for a theology debate."

by **Will Stanton** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:30 am

Code: Select all: >>It's OK, Tosh; we believe in ~you~. >>Winky-face-emoticon. >>...What, I don't have emoticon support? Gyp!

by **Cam Beckett** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:42 am

"Divinity is an illusion the feeble-minded use to try to put order into a naturally chaotic universe. Pay it no mind," Cam said to Tosh.

by **Toshiro Narumi** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:47 am

"I'd much rather hear theories on how to get him shifting again."

by **Cam Beckett** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:00 am

"Well, shifting doesn't seem the problem. He's been all kinds of gloves and now a janky computer console. Clearly, the shifting is working alright.

If our early theory is correct, then he can't shift back because...well, you're using him at the moment. He shifted back to clay when Nailah took the gloves off."

by **Toshiro Narumi** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:39 am

"The problem is he can't currently shift at will, as he should be able to. We need to isolate and identify this external influence and figure out how to eliminate the effect of not receiving it or create a workaround."

He began trying to locate a process constantly checking for a connection it wasn't making.

by **Narrator** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:44 am

That was the Setec Astronomy file. Every few seconds, it was sending out a signal, testing something...and not finding it.

It seemed to be sending the signal in Tosh's general direction.

by **Toshiro Narumi** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:55 am

"The hell?" he asked. He rolled the chair a little to the right and checked again.

by **Narrator** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:56 am

It was following him. With creepy, electronic signals, aimed at his brraiiiiin.

Was it possible Will was a...ZOMBIE COMPUTER?

No. No it was not.

by **Natalie Denisov** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:13 am

"Maybe it's looking for a specific individual?"

by **Cam Beckett** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:23 am

"Well, it WAS Tosh who called for the console to begin with... maybe it's waiting for him to finish using it?"

by **Natalie Denisov** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:53 pm

"But if he says he's done and Will reverts, will that undo our work?" Then something occurs to her, "Will, you said Setec handles interstellar materials and what was it? Exochemistry? So we're dealing with some chemical compound that doesn't originate here?"

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 4:18 pm

"The Alfred MacGuffin Institute for Interdisciplinary Research is part of the group that discovered Will in the Antarctic." Ashlie says as she enters the room. In retrospect it's probably safe to assume she has eyes and ears on the workshop at all times, though it's still kind of rude. "While I don't know what the connection between them and Finn is, the nature of that group is something that warrants discussing, once Will has fully recuperated."

"I'm glad to see you've made it." she adds to Will as she reaches the console. "You have a very unique network signature."

by **Will Stanton** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 6:13 pm

Code: Select all: >>Technically, ~I'm~ a chemical compound that doesn't originate here. But yes; they're some of the ones the government calls when, say, the Shiar get involved. >>What the Headmistress means is that I'm mucking about with her finely ordered network. >>It's good to see you too, headmistress.

by **Cam Beckett** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 6:28 pm

Natalie Denisov wrote:"But if he says he's done and Will reverts, will that undo our work?" Then something occurs to her, "Will, you said Setec handles interstellar materials and what was it? Exochemistry? So we're dealing with some chemical compound that doesn't originate here?"

"If it undoes our work, we could always do it again. What, you got a hot date?"

by **Natalie Denisov** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 6:39 pm

"Well, no," Natalie says, blushing and looking sheepish.

by **Cam Beckett** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 6:43 pm

"Besides, if it DOES backfire, there are plenty of things we could improve upon in the second go-round. Learning, learning, learning."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 6:44 pm

"Please do try to get permission before you start upgrading people. Some might even say yes."

by **Will Stanton** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 6:49 pm

Code: Select all: >>Buy me dinner first before you get your grubby hands all up in my hardware.

by **Natalie Denisov** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 7:11 pm

Code: Select all: But you can't eat the dinner. Would you take a gift card?

It was a bad joke, but a joke all the same. "Okay," Natalie says, getting up to one of the whiteboards in the room, "So the most important thing we have to look into is this Setec Astronomy and whatever this exo-chemical is." She writes 'Setec Astronomy' and 'exochemical' on the board. "I can try to see if I can use some of my powers to route around the offending program. That might tie Will to my powers until we can figure out the other angle, but at least he wouldn't be stuck as a computer..." She quickly glances at the Headmistress, "No offense."

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