trans_9 | Pattern Detection [Open]

Entry tags:

Pattern Detection [Open]

Who: Billy and whoever wants to find him late at night!
Where: Anywhere, just name a location in your tag.
Summary: Billy thinks he sees a pattern in the recent repoddings. Worried about his future and all the recent revelations, he prepares for the worst.
Warnings: None

Using patterns to predict future events wasn't foolproof, especially when the existence of a pattern was unclear or debatable, but Billy wasn't taking any chances. The most critical thing, as they'd all discussed, was to write down and copy information just in case. He'd been neglecting that duty, and with the recent events, the 'just in case' he was supposed to prepare for suddenly looked more likely. Billy hoped he was wrong about this, but now was not the time to take a risk. There were too many important things that needed saving.

It was late into the night, at an hour when most of his friends should be asleep, and Billy showed no sign of going to bed any time soon. He was coding his files on the latest Engineering projects onto multiple datapads and making hand copies of the same blueprints wherever possible. Once done, he hid the most important files in the lab, in his room at home, in the media library, on the observation deck, in his old car in the City, and in a few nondescript buildings here and there.

He roamed the halls, poking at his datapad to maintain the illusion that it was business as usual. The main thought echoing in his head was Not yet, please not yet.

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Proper sleep schedules are not a thing that Veronica is very familiar with, at least since spending time traveling with The Courier - they had a good head for things, but they also had a tendency to push themselves to the limit in terms of when to sleep - so trying to break that habit after getting used to it wasn't something that was going well for the scribe.

Instead, she used this time to both snoop around this big crazy ship, and at times, attempt to make progress on getting involved more - recent events were leading her to be more prudent about that, and to be less enthralled by all the neat stuff here.

This leads her to a research area, though it seems pretty quiet for the most part. "Anybody home?"

Kaya also could not sleep. She had too many things on her mind, not the least of which was what was going to happen with the W.I.T.C.H bus. Of course she had been maintaining it since Matt left, but with almost no one in it at this point, what could she do? It was sometimes heartbreaking to go there, but go there she did, and was coming back from there when she spotted Billy tinkering about now.

"Billy? What are you doing?" There was something different in his face, like he might be struggling with some of the things she was thinking about.

More research? Good. Billy pulled himself away from the underbelly of the nearest deck, standing to meet the intruder.

"Hey," he greeted awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm here. I was just installing some reminders so the department stays on track. I don't think I've seen you here before, though."

Billy would recognize that voice anywhere. He was relieved. There would be a chance to say his piece before anything could happen to him. Once he'd finished stuffing things in the glove compartment, he stepped out to meet her.

"I'm glad you're here, Kaya. I definitely wanted to talk to you as soon as possible." He pulled a rag out of his pocket to wipe the window of his beloved car, then continued. "I've been putting my plans and notes in as many places as I can. They might disappear if I don't."

As busy as the dragon had been, sleep was something that was pushed off to later times. Such as it was she was taking the opportunity of the quiet hours to take a trip to Engineering to procure a few bits and pieces for both her portal system and the reinforcement process of the new safe houses.

When she saw a familiar figure walking down the halls toward her, she gave a dip of her head in greetings. She could tell something was off though, "Billy, pulling a late night again?" she greeted and asked seemingly casually, watching him carefully though.

Kaya frowned. She definitely didn't like the way this seemed to be going. She could feel that there was something going on with him that he wasn't talking about, and she was likely not going to like what he was going to say. That aside, it was not going to let her fears get the best of her.

"All right. What's going on?"

"Celena," Billy greeted her with a wave. The more people he could spread their information to, the better. He rolled up his sleeves and strode up to her.

"I've been working all night, trying to make sure that our information is in order. With everything that's been going on, I think something might happen to it," he added, lowering his voice. He looked left and right, worried. Was someone listening?

Here it was. Kaya was going to pry the truth out of him. Billy sighed, walking around to a nearby bench and gesturing for them to sit. He hunched over, but not before looking around for danger.

"Have you noticed all the repoddings lately?"

Well really, he should expect that from Kaya right about now. Yes, Billy was married now, but if he ever had a problem, she would always be there to lend an ear. Even if this particular subject happened to hit home pretty badly.

"Yes, you could say I noticed."

"You've lost people too, haven't you," Billy asked. How insensitive of him. He scooted closer, offering his hand in case it was wanted.

Nothing was coming yet, thankfully.

Celena dipped her head as he spoke, "Of course, it is best to have information so that it can be best accessed by the department when needed, wouldn't want to accidentally loose information after all," she replied before nodding in the direction she was walking.

"Perhaps we should walk a moment, I could lend you a hand as it were in the matter?" She turned to walk with him as if nothing were out of the ordinary, once they were a little further down the hall she stated quietly, "You are troubled,"

"Thank you," Billy nodded, grateful for the chance. He'd use this to slip information to as many people as possible.

"It's that obvious, isn't it," he almost laughed, coming closer to avoid prying eyes. "You remember what everyone was saying, about the risk of information being taken from us?"

"You're welcome," Celena dipped her head in turn.

She looked back to him with the slightest hint of amusement before shaking her head, "I'm rather observant is all," she replied before inclining her head in acknowledgement, "Indeed, I remember as much," she replied quietly in turn.

"Well that's what I'm worried about," Billy whispered back, looking down to check his datapads one more time. Hopefully they'll be found, making the info even harder to delete.

"We're doing important work at the moment, and my memory could be erased. Even worse...well, have you noticed a mass repodding recently?"

"It seems to happen often enough, you'd think I'd be used to it by now," Kaya said sadly. "I knew Aang was gone, but I didn't expect Mai and Sokka too. I barely got to speak to them. And Negi...well, I think I told you about him."

The GAang being repodded had been horrible, but losing Negi had been something she had to hold onto the past few weeks. He called her big sister, and she thought of him as a little brother. Heck, he'd even slept in her bed, he was still so much a kid even though he had to be as strong as an adult.

She took his hand, quietly morose. "I'm sorry. It's still hard, even being here this long. And all the talk and what we've seen. It hasn't helped."

Celena pondered thoughtfully for a moment as she let her gaze on the datapads, "Indeed, with much of the work being conducted, loss of information or key personnel could be a significant blow,"

"I had noticed a rise in as much, and the positions from which some of them held," she nodded gently, "I may be able to be of assistance in the storage of information...indeed, specific memories as well if needed,"

Billy squeezed her hand tightly. They'd both lost a lot, it was true. "You did. But I know the pain doesn't go away quickly, not for a close friend like that."

He hummed to himself, mulling over a way to tell her what he was thinking. She'd pry it out of him soon enough anyway, wouldn't she?

"About that...there's been a massive shakeup recently. Have you noticed that a lot of our leaders and department heads are gone?"

So she understood. Billy was glad for that, at least talking wouldn't be so necessary.

"I want to share the most important plans with everyone, if possible---even a few trusted people outside the department if we're all taken. But what type of memory storage are you talking about?"

Edited 2012-03-08 04:10 (UTC)

Kaya shook her head. "I almost wish sometimes this place had hardened me enough where I COULD, but I'm not like that. I couldn't be even if I tried. Even Sheeana knew that about me."

Kaya raised an eyebrow. "No, I've been out of it. Who's gone?"

"I know. And I love you because you care so much."

Billy exhaled. It was daunting to think about it again---he'd been running the names and faces in his head again and again since he'd started to see a running theme. It didn't bode well at all.

"Captain Kennedy. Luthor of Neuropathy. Sam of Medical. Dr. Sera of Science. In other words, the captain and half of the department heads have been taken almost overnight. And I'm worried that it's not a coincidence."

It was for reasons not unlike the matters at hand that she had created the knowledge crystals, for storing information when there was a threat of her own memories or the memories of others being tampered with.

"Of course, that way at least someone will still have the plans should something occur," she nodded at that, it was good thinking to spread around the knowledge, "In addition to more traditional forms of information, my knowledge crystals are capable of storing memories as well, in as much or as little detail as the user wishes," she replied by way of explanation, gesturing to the crystal device about her neck.

Kaya squeezed his hand, glad to hear that from him. If anything was a rock for her in the past few weeks, it was Billy and Nokosi. She was just grateful that he had never been podded himself: she could only imagine how he felt when she'd been gone that time.

But she paled when he recited the names. She'd seen Luis at times, and obviously Sam more since he was the chief of medical. But Leon and Luthor had been here as long as her. Hearing this was a kick to the stomach.

"This is insane! Those were the people who helped run the ship! And NOW, when we know Danny is being tortured and we found out what the Daligig have done?! This can't possible be a coincidence!"

And wow, was THAT an unsettling thought.

Billy had seen objects with a similar concept before! He nodded, glad to have them.

"How many do we have and what's their storage capacity? We'd need to work together to prioritize what gets stored."

"It could be," Billy tried to argue from the other side, but even this sounded half-hearted. "Others were repodded around the same time with no connection to Command, but it's been unsettling. I've had issues come up and the person i would've reported to is gone."

He shuddered, still imagining the possibilities."What if it's a total reset of the command structure? That's what I've been preparing for, " he added, gesturing to the piles of paperwork.

"A rest of the..." But now she could see where his mind was going. It was the fear EVERYONE should have had the moment the Daligig information came to light. It was the grudge that even now Kaya had to keep in her heart: that all those people, Aang included, suffered at the hands of these people and they were in charge of them. She held a grudge, all right: it was something her first teacher had maintained in her, only she was able to perfect it.

Because really, no one had to know.

"So what are you doing now? Recording all you've seen?"

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Pattern Detection [Open]

The Lab

Old car in the city

Re: The Lab

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Just outside engineering

Re: Old car in the city

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