trans_9 | A scientist's best friends [open]

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A scientist's best friends [open]

Otacon had a problem. Well, a problem slightly more pressing than the sentient ship, aliens, multiverse, and--

...actually, it was a relatively small problem.

The engineer was going to need two things if he was staying here for an extended period of time: the more important of the two was his labcoat and by extension the assorted junk in the pockets of said labcoat. (The other was a bottle of brown hair dye, but that could wait).

He remembered confiscating a pack of cigarettes from the Snake in his timeline, and now the one he met here was looking for some. Of course, Otacon wouldn't give them up without a fight. Not to mention he could use the several different screwdrivers in the pockets of his coat as well.

And that brought him to the problem at hand...he was quite lost. Otacon hadn't yet realized, however, that due to either a streak of dumb luck or some twisted form of instinct he was exactly where he needed to be.

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Snake appeared to be eyeing the cigarettes. He doubts he'll get any anytime soon. Not without jumping through a few hoops. But hey! They are there.

He cleared his throat, "Good. Now what?"

"...No idea. Are you out of cigarettes yet?"

The tone was one Snake should have known, the 'working my way up to a lecture' voice.

Snake considered lying to him, but Otacon is smart. He would figure it out. "..Two left," he holds up the box and shows him. He also hopes to make it out without a lecture.

"...You really shouldn't smoke, y'know."

Unusually, he seemed to leave it at that, smiling and turning away to examine the apparently living walls more closely.

"Yeah, I know," not to say he isn't trying. He's just not very good at it.

He watched Otacon look over the wall, "Any ideas yet?" Because to Snake, Otacon will always have all the answers, even to crazy things.

Otacon thought for a moment or two--how the heck was he supposed to know what to do? Sure, he had the answers to all the crazy things, but this was crazy even by the standards of someone that went for a doctorate solely to build giant robots.

"..." The engineer's silence spoke volumes about his uncertainty. This was like nothing they had ever faced before, and that was saying something. How did one plan for a fight against aliens on an organic spacecraft?

That's not a good sign. He sighed and looked at the walls again himself, "Still working on it?" He ventures... since he can't imagine Otacon not figuring it out.

Snake shifted a little, "Find your way to the sleeping halls yet?"

"...Yeah, I'm working on it." Otacon replied, though his tone seemed to add and I don't know if I'll ever think of something.

"And considering I got lost a few times on the way here, I haven't gotten there yet."

'A few times' to Otacon was 'seven' to anyone else.

Snake nodded, yes, Otacon. He thinks you can solve all the problems of the world and universe.

"Don't usually sleep there, but I know how to get to it," he jerks a thumb behind himself, "I usually go down into the city to sleep. Little less unsettling down there."

"Given where we are, I think I'd rather stick with you. I'd rather be with someone who knows what the hell's going on here."

He paused thoughtfully for a moment or two.

"Not to mention I bet you're pretty glad to see me after a month." Even the idea of a month--hell, even a week without Snake was unsettling.

"I don't know much more than you do. Only know where things are," really, all he's been doing is figuring out where everything is.

He might've flashed a small smile. Not that he'd openly admit how glad he might actually be. "Hn, maybe a little..." he played with one of his unlit cigarettes, "Truth is, I'd never wish this place on you." Which is true, very very true. But he's still glad to have him here anyway.

"...If it's that bad, you'll need my help." Otacon didn't mind his situation if it could be used to Snake's advantage; others before himself, as usual.

"I think I can deal with it."

And Snake is just thinking about Otacon's safety, so I guess it works out. He nodded in agreement.

"Things might be getting a bit dicey for the next couple weeks. Not sure what it's about. Half the crew wants to kill this thing called a... Yeerk. Think this is gonna be trouble. Might be a fight."

"I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle." Otacon adjusted his glasses with a smile. "We've been through worse and gotten through alright."

"Heh, while that's true. It can't hurt to find a spot for you to hole up before the shit hits the fan," you just got here Otacon, no way is Snake gonna let you get dead.

"Yeah, you're right." Otacon said with a smile, adjusting his glasses. "So there's a city here? How big is this place?"

"Not sure. Pretty big. At least four levels," he shruged and glanced out into the hallway, "Some people call it a 'City Ship.'"

"Huh...sounds interesting. I'd love to see what kind of programs it works off of." the engineer said mostly to himself.

"Beats me," Snake answered just... because he can.

"Might want to hide out in the sensoriums, they seem like the safest place so far." He paused a moment, then cleared his throat, "You can program it to look like whatever you want."

Forcing back the sudden urge to ask for details, Otacon focused instead on the idea that he'd be hiding for however long they'd be stuck here.

"I can handle myself, Snake. This isn't Shadow Moses, y'know." He would have brought up the Big Shell, but...well, this Snake hadn't gone through it yet.

"...A lot's happened since then. Since the tanker mission, even." Otacon wasn't half as afraid as he had once been, and a small but noticeable flame of determination burned in his eyes.

Snake got this almost startled look, the sound of his defenses behind dropped all at once, "Didn't say you couldn't. Just... In case you wanted a safer place to go. I'd rather not see hurt after just arriving."

Defenses go back up and Snake frowned. He said he was from the tanker mission, but he didn't let on exactly when. He went from drowning to naked on an alien ship, "You.. pulled me out of the Hudson, didn't you?"

A cold chill ran through Otacon's spine at the recollection, the paralyzing fear that Snake was dead and he'd never tell him th--

Stop it, Hal. This isn't the time or the place for that.

"...Of course." he said in a tone that came out much quieter than intended. "You would have done the same for me."

Snake just looked thoughtful for a time, he nodded in reply, "I would have."

Then a smirk crossed his face. He reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, "Just don't going drowning so I have to, okay?"

Although the engineer was smiling, he paled considerably at Snake's words--from his perspective, Emma's death and all that included had only been a short time ago. Even the vaguest reminder of it still bothered him considerably.

"I...I'll be careful."

Snake visibly relaxed, "Good. I need you to help figure out how to get us out of here."

He chooses to ignore the fact they are destined for different timelines if they ever were able to leave here. Otacon seems the same to him.

"R...right." the engineer muttered, averting his gaze quickly. This wasn't the time to start thinking about his past failures or the nightmares they caused, though he was still ashen pale.

"But...we're on a spaceship. I can't exactly do everything, David--how can I even begin to think of something, anyway?"

Snake got an odd look on his face, probably do to the use of his real name, "Didn't mean you were gonna do it on your own. There are other smart guys here... I figured, between all of you..." he waved a hand vaguely after that.

Sorry, Otacon. Snake is still pretty much convinced you can do anything.

Otacon looked just a little worried as he adjusted his glasses.

"Even then, I don't...well, I can't exactly imagine an escape being possible."

Was he nervous? Maybe a little--but it would have been a hundred times worse if he had been on his own.

Snake gave him a look, "Otacon."

He crossed his arms before speaking further, "It's a little early for a defeatist attitude."

"...Yeah, you're right. Sorry." But from a logical standpoint...it seemed hard, maybe even impossible. They were floating through god knows where in space; the simple idea that there was a 'multiverse' at all made getting back to their respective worlds sound improbable at the least.

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A scientist's best friends [open]

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