NETWORK - Help Wanted/Offered

[outofthepast]

Who: Nick Valentine
Username: valentine
Warnings: Discussion of robot parts and the repair thereof, robot existentialism + objectification

Hey folks, it's Valentine here. Now that I've had a taste of nitty gritty fieldwork, I think it'd be prudent of me to take a few precautions. I'm looking for a good mechanic. And I'd prefer not to involve ADI at this point, so please don't suggest I just consult with the Technology department. Let's keep this one on one for now.

The parts are proprietary and you won't have seen them before, so I need a quick learner. Advanced experience is a plus, but I've done just fine with regular Joes and Jills up to this point. The absolute most important qualification, though, is that you let me buy you a drink and have a chat with you first. Amateur transhumanism philosophers need not apply, thanks.

I'm willing to either pay or trade what you think is fair. Favors, errands. Maybe I can teach you something.

You know what, let's make that a general offer. Even if you're not a mechanic, I'm happy to teach what skills I can to anybody interested. Want to learn to shoot a gun? Use a computer? Make a theory corkboard? Swing dance? Hit me up and let's make it a date.

Really, I can't stress enough how much extra time I've got on my hands.

Comments

[outofthepast]

Well, good to know you're familiar with the tools of the trade. [Though if push comes to shove, he'd prefer something a little better than rubber bands and wonderglue...

He remains cheerfully listening as Tony rambles about nanorobots and diamonds and what not, truly a "smile and nod" moment. And he does appreciate the crack about being correct anyway, which is at once heartening and an obvious bit of egoism he can't help but jab at.]

Certainly don't lack for confidence, do ya? [He tucks the cigarette into the corner of his lip as they approach the exterior gate of HQ. About time for his so-called "disguise" to kick in.]

I've never really had the full story about what I am and how I work. Given the time gaps involved, I probably never will. But I appreciate any amount of clarification I can get, and I'm hoping you can help me with that.

[fightinginfinity]

[ Jab away, Sir Nicholas; Tony's overconfidence is mostly a front, so there's nothing that stands to be wounded. Not really. The parts that aren't a front are just like he says, objective fact, which is something that pisses a lot of people off. Thankfully Nick seems the type to take everything in stride. ]

Easy. [ And here's the part that always hides just under Tony's bluster: how absolutely passionate he is about robotics and technology in general. Don't mind him, he's just gonna geek out a tiny bit. ] Code, it's like a language. A history. I can read your story just by looking at the metal bits, sure, but there's a lot more to be found in the library upstairs, so to speak. In your ones and zeroes. Even without accessing your stored memory. It's like...rings in a tree trunk, right? Like that.

[ And then Tony stops himself, just shy of getting too geeky. Force of habit. ] But gosh, listen to me, whispering sweet nothings while the night is still so young. You haven't even bought me my drink yet. I don't put out until I've been properly wined and dined, y'know.

[outofthepast]

[Yeah... about the coding...]

I don't intend to need any prodding around upstairs, just to make that clear. Let's just say that coding is... especially delicate and leave it at that. [Thanks, Institute, for that whole prototype thing. Though the sad thing is, on some level that gratitude has to be sincere.]

Don't worry, pal. I'd never take you back home without showing you a good time first.

[As they step beyond the borders of HQ, it happens in a blink. Nick's mechanical true form vanishes like an afterimage and there stands, in the same clothes and smoking the same cigarette, a fully human man.

God, it never ceases to be weird.]

Don't suppose you know anything about how this [a gesture to his current appearance] happens, huh? I guess that's more supernatural than mechanical...

[fightinginfinity]

[ Tony tries not to look as disappointed as he feels, tries not to continue to extol his expertise and abilities, and tries to pay attention to their surroundings so they don't totally overshoot the bar. Lots of trying going on over here.

But it all becomes completely, wildly unnecessary when one second Nick is the synthezoid of Tony's childhood dreams and the next he's just...a dude. Like a whole dude. Flesh and blood and cigarette breath. In his shock upon receiving this sudden revelation Tony totally and completely abandons that 'paying attention to their surroundings' thing, and very nearly runs face-first into the wall of the overpass they're currently walking under. ]

Shit--!

[ Thankfully Tony rights himself before he can eat concrete, and then he quickly whips his head back toward Nick, his expression of shock now laced with indignation. ] Okay, a warning? Would have been nice? Like, 'hey Tony, just so you know, I can spontaneously shift from synthetic to carbon-based in the span of a microsecond'-- and no, I have no idea how that happens, because it's scientifically impossible.

[outofthepast]

[Nick jumps too, at the sudden surprise. His palms go up in the universal "whoa buddy" signal and he looks apologetic.]

Sorry, sorry- I thought you knew about this? [Not sure why he thought that... he's not met Tony face to face yet, and especially not face to this face. Maybe Tony just sounded so sure of everything that he assumed he also knew about the human face upgrade Nick never asked for.]

Anyway, this isn't mine. I mean, it's an ADI upgrade, I can't normally just... [A gesture towards his face.] Don't want me freaking people out with my existence away from HQ, apparently.

Don't even think the carbon's real, for that matter. I don't feel any different under this thing.

[fightinginfinity]

Fascinating.

[ Tony's tone may be rather dry at the moment, but he's not lying. He's just...tired. Tired of the inexplicable supernatural shit. It was bad enough back home what with all the cataclysmic goings-on, but at least some of it (aliens and multidimensional theory, for instance) could be rationalized with science.

Here in Gloucester? Not so much. ]

Neat party trick, at any rate. And no, I didn't know about it. I may be insanely overqualified for the job, but I'm little more than ADI's code monkey. Not privy to any of the executive decisions, on a person-to-person basis or otherwise. Flattered you think I oughta be, though.

[ Ugh. Can they go back to play-flirting or talking about robot shit? Much better topics of conversation. ]