She Lives! [open]

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Most of the ship was asleep. He could hear them, tucked away and snoring loudly in their individual compartments, disturbingly comfortable in their meaty prisons. But this was no time to be hypocritical.

Just a few minutes earlier, Dustin had narrowly escaped Yoshimi’s room after falling asleep there, successful only because he happened to wake up while she was out. Perhaps she got bored of watching him. Perhaps she finally decided to call Shitface Kirk on him while he was recovering to take him to the brig—or worse, she could’ve contacted the Major. The Major was a downright scary woman, one that Dustin planned on avoiding even if he was forced to work for her.

Whatever the reason (and whatever the consequences), he was feeling a lot better now that he’d had food and rest and a new goal to accomplish. Said goal was something that he’d noticed when he first visited the Armory to get his primary tools; the genetic identification system not only picked out his personal items, but it also found a certain vehicle down in the hangar that was of extreme interest to its owner. Though Dustin had no intention of going down there until he found Codi, he was starting to…think differently, now that the initial shock had passed. This can be explained later.

He first made a stop at the Weapons and Possessions Locker, rooting around some of the unclaimed items further back. The large, silver thermos that Dustin happened upon surely wouldn’t be missed. With his prize, he then headed up to the Mess Hall, where he received his usual water shot and a tray full of slop. Dustin scooped the pile into his thermos, pocketed the utensil he was given, and crumbled up his crunchy plate into the mixture.

And then he left for the hangar.

A while later (after a brief stop in the City), Dustin was wandering around the huge space and fiddling with his phone. Without proper tools he wouldn’t be able to completely repair it, but for now he’d managed to reprogram and edit the genetic signature grid, which at least allowed for him to detect people that he’d already contacted intimately enough to receive some DNA from. This program was actually something of a prototype; it sounded good when Dustin first thought of it, but upon activation he realized that people spread their DNA around everywhere, either through shed hair or skin flecks or other such biological shavings; therefore it was hardly useful for distinguishing a single person from, say, their hairbrush.

This new program instead concentrated on densities of DNA samples instead of individual flecks, and with a slightly modified interface allowed for a completely different view of objects. It still wouldn’t work in the Pod Caverns because of whatever Stacy had set up in there, but it would work well enough in the hangar for finding the special item in general.

It came up clear as day on the scanner—Dustin’s sweat and blood might as well be essential parts to this machine, after all—and, shortly thereafter, he’d found it.

It was a wireframe skeleton, roughly the size of a large apartment but much more sleekly designed, patched with a rough layer of specialized insulation and plating in areas; everywhere else was coated in a thick sheet of wires. Compartments here and there bulged with tools and materials, thankfully spared from being taken away with the rest of his possessions. Even Dustin’s makeshift work surface remained untouched, surrounded on all sides by clamped wires and a hastily placed welding set.

He was taken aback, unable to do much else but stare for right now. Observers might notice that his dark green eyes are eerily glinting in ways that they probably shouldn’t be.

Comments

[foursleeves.livejournal.com]

Something black and viscous dangles from the ceiling just above Dustin's shoulder. If it's possible for a face that consists of two white patches for eyes to look gormless, this one certainly does.

"Watcha doooin'?"

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Sneaking up on Dustin is not a good idea. The upside-down fellow will learn this quickly, because even a happy Dustin is not a paranoia-free Dustin.

A millisecond delay passed as he went over his options. The first response was to pull out his gun, but that was no longer in his possession (thank goodness). Second response was to stab him in whatever exposed area was available, but there was nothing sharp in his immediate vicinity.

Third option was to punch him in the face. Dustin went with that one.

[foursleeves.livejournal.com]

Reason #782 why spider-sense and the reflexes to match are a downright godsend. He's already on the floor by the time Dustin's fist passes the point where Peter's face had previously been, and if his attacker happened to step into that punch then he's going to go bowling over the squatting figure underneath him.

"I'd shake but you've gotta open your palm first, dude," he quips, "S'okay, nobody else is watching you commit such a terrible faux-pas. It'll be our little secret."

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Then it was a good thing that Dustin hadn’t stepped into his punch—though it didn’t stop him from getting a nasty surprise out of this man’s reflexes. The scrawny fellow backpedaled into his machine, fists raised and ready for his opponent to retaliate.

A look of confusion crossed Dustin’s face when he noticed that this man was less interested in attacking him than cracking jokes. Wonderful—a practical joker. As if Dustin needed another one of those…

“What the hell are you doing here?” he frowned, blatantly ignoring the idea of a formal introduction.

[foursleeves.livejournal.com]

"Well, lessee, it all began about twenty five years ago," he replies, "Mister and Missus Spider-Man, they decided, as most couples do when they get to a certain stage in the relationship, to have what we call a 'baby'. Now, this involves conducting a very complicated process often referred to as 'sexual reproduction'..."

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Okay, so Dustin could already tell that this was kinda hopeless. He rolled his eyes heavily and took on a more casual (if not irritated) stance, reaching for his soldering iron.

“I’m not two, idiot,” he sniffed, turning his back on this hindrance so that he could begin working on the mess of clamped wires overhead, “Now go be a pest to the other toddlers—I’m busy.”

[stickyboots]

He shrugs, "Hey, I'm not the one throwing punches at guys for asking fairly standard questions."

Peter clambers up onto the wireframe and surveys Dustin's handiwork, rifling through the various compartments and idly picking out tools.

"So, what are we building?"

[slainrobots.livejournal.com]

It is times like these when seventeen years of martial arts comes in handy.

Having returned to her room several minutes after Dustin vacated, Yoshimi's forehead had creased in a frown, and she had dropped her digi-book on her bed, eyeing the rumpled sheets on the formerly unused mattress before stalking out of the room. Somehow she doubted both his intentions and wiseness in leaving - twelve hours of sleep or no, the kid had been dead on his feet. He couldn't possibly have recovered that quickly.

She found him quickly, hopping out of sight as he emerged from the City, and with silents footsteps, she has been following him since.

What a surprise he will get when she finally chooses to make herself known. Which she hasn't done as of yet.

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Dustin was hard at work by the time Yoshimi came close enough for him to notice. It took him a little while to figure out where to start; the worktable seemed like as reasonable a place as any, but he was worried about some of the less stable plating underneath, which was temporarily sealed and may have come lose in the damp environment of Stacy’s entrails.

The scruffy man fashioned an improvised creeper out of some spare parts and an old dolly, and soon enough he’d disappeared completely beneath his contraption with a monkey wrench and a vat full of epoxy resin. It was about then, as he was concealed and in a better position, Dustin saw Yoshimi crouched behind a nearby cruiser, spying on him like usual. Tsk, tsk—some people never learn.

He waited for her to get curious and venture closer. When she did, Dustin popped out from underneath his contraption to greet her in the usual way:

“You really are stalking me, aren’t you?”

[slainrobots.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey! He finally noticed!

With minimal blushing (hey, it's embarrassing to get caught doing exactly what you've already been accused of doing once), she smirks.

"Just a bit," she says almost cutely, holding her fingers a centimeter apart to show how little a "bit" she is talking about, then peers at his odd contraption, hands on hips.

"You know, I would say something about you probably not being in good enough condition for wandering the ship at odd hours of the night, but this thing-" she taps the hull of the... ship? "-is cool enough to make up for it. And anyway, it's not my body you're abusing." She pads around the contraption, eyes appreciative of the complexity.

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Dustin raised an eyebrow, carefully scooting back underneath his invention. What exactly had he done to make Yoshimi so…less critical of him all of the sudden? Was it something that he did while he was half-asleep that he couldn’t remember? He did vaguely recall something about her wanting to get in his pants, but…

He finally couldn’t take it anymore. Dustin appeared from the depths with a befuddled expression—because he was honestly confused.

“Was that a compliment I heard hidden underneath all that condescending sarcasm?”

[slainrobots.livejournal.com]

She swallows, fighting the urge to run away as he addresses her with a tone bordering on conversational. She's become all too used to people being either aggressive or totally passive when talking to her, so... confusion isn't something she quite knows how to address.

Glancing at him with wide eyes, she paces in the opposite direction after a moment, her back to him as she runs small hands over the contraption.

"Did you build this?" Why yes, that is evasion! Yoshimi, honey, your ineptitude is showing.

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Any other situation would’ve seen Dustin exploit the hell out of that less than tactful evasion, but right now he was honestly too preoccupied to care. That, and he’d just been asked about his work.

This was going to be a long, one-sided conversation.

“I did!” Dustin grinned, head splitting at the seams with pride, “Impressive, isn't she? Took me two years to make the blueprints, then another eight years to make the frame and set up most of the wiring.”

Dustin found his welding tools and pushed himself back underneath the machine.

“If I continue at the same rate that I have been, then she should be fully operational within a few months.”

[ladyofthesands.livejournal.com]

"What does it do?" Arha had stopped on her was to her daily visit to the X-Wings to blink curiously at the skinny man with hair that looked as if it was some sort of bushy creature growing on his head. "It is a machine, yes?"

Her bright blue-within-blue eyes fixed on the man, the stare as intense as it always was when she was seeking an answer.

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Dustin frowned, turning around abruptly to face this woman who had so blatantly wandered into his working area. He blinked several times as his hormones suddenly spiked.

“Indeed it is,” the scruffy fellow smoothly regained his composure as his face split into a smug grin, “As for what it does…Well, I hope to have it flying in a few months, if I have the time. I’m a busy man ya know.”

Ambiguity led to adorable guessing games in Dustin’s experience, so he left it at that.

“My question is, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”

[ladyofthesands.livejournal.com]

"You will fly in it?" Arha's eyebrows inched higher. "That is a brave thing to do, certainly you must find time to complete such a thing." Her expression was back to a warm smile. "And you may call me Arha, if you wish. As always, I am pleased to meet someone new." As was the general custom for humans (not of Arrakis), she offered her hand for shaking.

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Dustin fluffed his collar, ego bursting at the seams. ”Yes, you are a genius…”

“That’s why I’m down here,” he patted the metal frame affectionately, “Most of the major work’s already done with—the wiring took me a few years, but I only have a few more sections to go.”

Eight years, to be exact. And that was only after he finished the blueprints, got the materials, built the prototype, tested the prototype, made the frame…

“I most certainly wish to call you that—it’s a beautiful name,” Dustin lathered on the charm with a flattering smile, gently taking Arha’s hand in his own despite his callused fingers, “My name is Dustin. This child beside me is the Dart.”

He stooped down, as if bowing, and snuck a kiss on the back of Arha’s palm (that is, if she didn’t catch the motion first and give him a hard kick for his troubles.)

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

Arha might not catch it, but Obi-Wan certainly did. Jealously was not the Jedi way. Instead call it...vigilance.

"Ahem," Obi-Wan interrupted from his position nearer the door, "Not to interrupt..."

[ladyofthesands.livejournal.com]

Arha looked pointedly amused and arched her eyebrows, carefully removing her hand from Dustin's. When she did speak, her voice was dry.

"Nice to meet you Dustin," she said. That same dryness disappeared completely the moment her eyes found Obi-Wan. The smile that crossed her face was brilliant as she turned. "Obi-Wan, meet Dustin. He was telling me of his...flying machine."

Now there's a face I needed to see, she murmured at Obi-Wan, her mental tone rich and warm. Impeccable timing, as always. That came with a bubble of amusement.

1/2

[deep_sky_diving]

Tess has been exploring the hangar; the zero-G maneuvering system in her suit has served rather handy in the areas without any artificial gravity, letting zip about easily. In some places—like where Dustin's found his project—she has to walk, but that doesn't bother her any. In fact, it's the walking... and the clicking of her currently high heels against the floor... that probably give her presence away before she's even completely in sight.

The suit she's wearing... it's tightly form-fitting, and seems almost like some strange offspring of a diving suit and a spacesuit, with a blue-green slightly iridescent 'skin' and smoothly-placed paneled compartments here and there, with a slim 'backpack' unit on the back. And there are, indeed, high heels, seamless and fitting enough to seem like the suit was built that way. Given the girl's rather endowed figure already, the extra padding from the suit's thickness and the heels make things... wow.

2/2

[deep_sky_diving]

As she gets closer, the helmet clicks and slides open, splitting to either side, and finally revealing the first glimpse of any skin—her face is covered with a transparent skintight membrane under that, easy to miss at a first glance, though it gives her a slightly plasticine quality and also covers her eyes and nose and mouth.

She grins questioning, looking over the... whatever that big framed thing is.

Re: 2/2

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Indeed he had heard her coming, as obnoxiously loud as her heels were, and Dustin was not happy to have visitors. He was in the middle of installing coolant pipes on the underside of his machine, which required his full attention so that the pipes were perfectly even, lest supercooled liquid helium leak out through the cracks; distractions were the last thing he wanted right now.

Dustin continued working, lying flat on his creeper, hidden underneath several layers of insulation and basic flooring. Perhaps if he ignored her then she would lose interest and keep walking? Yes, let’s go with that…

She stopped close by. Dustin sighed loudly, deciding that he didn’t have much of a choice.

“There something you want?” he grumbled, still concealed beneath his invention.

[deep_sky_diving]

That voice... oh! Tess bends down, suit brushing against the floor so she can try and get a look under the whole assembly. Depending on how much clearance there is she might have to squish and wiggle a bit, though.

"I was tryin' t'figure out what it is," she says cheerfully. Her rather uneducated-sounding US-Southern accent is thick enough to drown a small animal in.

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Saying that there was enough room for Dustin to fit is…not saying much. The area beneath the machine was dark and cramped, though the man on his creeper seemed to have plenty of room to maneuver, brandishing a cordless soldering iron, a vat of epoxy resin, and a sturdy fume mask. Opaque tube segments were piled up on either side, effectively concealing the man from this person’s prying eyes.

She might’ve seen him shudder in response to her voice—oh god, that voice. Uggh. Nothing beneficial could come out of an accent like that, not to Dustin.

He didn’t even bother gracing her with a proper answer, let alone any sort of manners. “Figure it out yourself. Now go away, I’m busy.”

[deep_sky_diving]

"Well, it's too big t'be a breadbox," she comments vacuously, trying to squeeze in under the thing a little more. Oof. There's a certain limit to her flexibility and compressibility she's fast approaching. Rather than keep going and get herself stuck, she wiggles back out again and circles around, looking for another way under the thing. Curiously, this time her heels are gone—not just quieter, but gone completely from the noise of her walking. "It don't got the hydraulics t'be a flight simulator. I know!" she says brightly. "Is it a... really large go-kart?"