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

[jedimacguyver.livejournal.com]

Oh rapture, someone looking for a fight. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at Dustin and evaluated with the gentlest probing touch of the Force his state of mind. And, if that wasn't subtle enough, there was always the neon-red 'Kriff You' sign painted across Dustin's expression.

I don't think your new friend would agree, Obi-Wan returned mentally, in good humor, and diplomatically offered said 'friend' a bland sort of welcoming smile, "You own design? I cannot claim any sort of engineering specialty, but it's certainly a unique craft."

[ladyofthesands.livejournal.com]

Arha's eyebrow twitched slightly as she caught sight of the look on Dustin's face. No, no he most certainly does not agree, at all, she said. Apparently, he'd rather get into a knock-down-drag-out brawl. That? I so very much do not understand. It was impossible to mistake that particular glare for anything else even if she hadn't been sensitive as both Jed-Eye and Bene Gesserit.

"I know very little of such things myself, though I am beginning to understand a little as i learn the X-Wing," Arha said smoothly, letting none of her amusement slip though as she gestured to the line of snubfighters. "It is quite complex."

[quark-assassin.livejournal.com]

Dustin continued to frown, although the flattery was nice. It was nice to finally meet someone who wasn’t as outwardly stubborn as he was.

…He was about to say something, perhaps another snide comment, when he received a gentle poke at the edge of his subconscious, as if there was some invisible finger prodding at his brain. It reminded him disturbingly of Clay trying to get his attention; and, as per instinct for that occasion, Dustin let down his mental defenses in retribution.

Should either of them still be ‘investigating’ his brain via the Force, they would receive an almost overwhelming flood of furious and discombobulated thought, impossible to follow and headache-inducing to anyone not prepared for such a front. Amazingly enough, this crushing torrent of ideas did not prevent Dustin from continuing to talk normally, let alone continue to stay conscious of surrounding stimuli.

“The first of its kind,” he sniffed, unimpressed.