Day 177 | Open

[freedom_engineer]

Who: Colin Starfury, anybody curious about what he's up to
What: He's testing a couple of inventions at the training ground
When: Day 177
Where: The Training Hall
Format: Action, Prose, Whatever you like
Open: Open
Warnings: Rated C, for Colin

After doing his morning chores and getting breakfast, Colin retreats to his workshop as he usually does. But today he's not staying there. In no time at all, he's dragging a cart loaded down with equipment out of the vehicle bay. The most conspicuous piece of gear is unquestionably the large turret that he's got strapped down in the cart.

He pulls the cart to the training hall with ease, and once he's there, he starts taking the time to set the turret up at the shooting range. It's going to take a bit of time for that, the piece was clearly not meant to be transported so quickly. Once that's done, it isn't hard to imagine that there's going to be a fair amount of shooting.

If anyone's curious what the Bastion's tactless engineer's up to, you've got plenty of opportunities to ask before the shooting starts.

Comments

[freedom_engineer]

"Ah, then there's nothing to worry about!" Colin replies.

He's a little disappointed that he won't get to look at a new toy, but that's only a passing fancy. "I can certainly see the appeal of it. So long as you're not uncomfortable with it," he adds.

[notachickenhawk]

Colin no. He's seen enough mad science done with bits of electrical wire and trash from Ax.

<My home life wasn't anything to envy and that's as far as I'm going with that. So just focusing on survival is fine with me. I miss books, though. Birds don't get library cards.>

[freedom_engineer]

The sad thing is, this isn't mad science. Colin's done mad science before, and this is a far cry from it.

"I get'cha, and I won't pry further," Colin says, nodding. "I don't have my library right now, but I'm hoping to get something set up in a couple of weeks, maybe two months tops. When I get it together, I'll let you know."

[notachickenhawk]

<Thanks. Most of the time I just read over the shoulders of people in the park, but you can't finish a book like that.> He could read in human morph, but he squints so much that it's not really worth it.

[freedom_engineer]

"How's your vision, anyway? Would you need special print for it?" he asks. "I assume you read in Terran English?"

Colin was making a simple assumption based on the language in his head, he knew it could very well be wrong.

[notachickenhawk]

<I can see a mouse in the grass from half a mile away. And I'm... guessing yes? Thought-speak works across languages, but if science fiction novels have steered me right, Terran English sounds like it should be it.>

[freedom_engineer]

"Good, good. And your close range vision, for reading? I assume that's okay as well if you're reading over people's shoulders?" Colin asks.

"English is one of the primary languages I've dealt with for the past few years. I've got a nice, big library of British and American literature in my computer."

[notachickenhawk]

<Well they don't exactly know that I'm reading it. I'm usually in a tree behind them. My close range is okay but talons and beaks kind of tear up pages.>

... He's not going to even ask how so many books fit on one computer, okay.

[freedom_engineer]

"Pages are something of a waste where I'm from," Colin says. "We use touch screens and holograms. Once I can get a pad made, I can start handing out books to people who want them. Assuming they can read the right languages, anyway."

That's probably a safe course of thought, really.

[notachickenhawk]

<Would that even work with a beak, or would I have to morph something with fingers?>

[freedom_engineer]

"Either one should work," Colin says, smirking. "The pads I'm familiar with are military equipment, so they have to be able to take some abuse."

[notachickenhawk]

<Good. I don't usually carry clothes with me and no one wants to see my human morph naked.>

He'd never been attractive, and with his morph caught in the awkward teenage years... yeah no.

[freedom_engineer]

Colin starts to say something, then he pauses, shakes his head, and chuckles quietly. "Feathers do make a good coat on their own," he finally says.

[notachickenhawk]

He sees that, and tilts his head a bit. <Yeah. And I've got someone back home who - who I care about. So I don't need anyone getting any ideas or... something.>

She can't be dead. He... he's not sure what he would do without her. There has to be some other reason for all of this.

[freedom_engineer]

"You hold onto that," Colin says, grinning warmly. "That memory will get you through a lot of difficult times."

Hope is important. Family, friends, these things are important. Until Tobias finds the ash statue of the person he remembers, that hope will be there.

[notachickenhawk]

<Yeah. Sometimes it's hard to remember how to be human. The instincts of the animal you turn into are still there. So my friends help me not lose myself.>

[freedom_engineer]

"Hopefully the loud noises won't startle you too much when the test-firing starts," Colin observes, glancing at the turret. "I can't imagine it's going to be quiet, or that birds particularly enjoy the sound of gunfire."

[notachickenhawk]

<Not a fan, no. I could morph something with less sensitive hearing, I guess.> Andalite, maybe?

[freedom_engineer]

"Fortunately, the shooting won't be starting for a while yet," Colin tells him. "You've got plenty of time to relax and spread your wings. I just don't know how loud it's going to be yet, this turret's been slightly customized to improve efficiency. I don't yet know what that's going to do to the volume."

[notachickenhawk]

<Are monsters usually a problem around here? I haven't seen a whole lot around, even when I head out onto the - Skyway, right?>

DURF, how did I miss this?

[freedom_engineer]

"Oh, the monsters don't typically come here, though we've got a few youngsters domesticated," he says. "Tama the Anklegator, a squirt, Zia's got a pecker hatchling as well. Thing is... we're the only place for miles where there's a guaranteed source of food. I'm shocked that we don't have more animals in the area. I think it's just Paarthurnax's presence that keeps them away."

idk

[notachickenhawk]

<Probably. He's a giant predator, so most of them probably think this is his territory. I know I wouldn't want to mess with him.>

GREAT DISHONOR

[freedom_engineer]

"Exactly," Colin says. "And it's only a matter of time before something gets hungry enough that it decides to chance sneaking into the big guy's territory to get something from the farm. That reminds me, I really need to set up a sonic deterrence field out there."

Colin frowns slightly, his expression changing as he does some math in his head.

DISHONOR ON YOUR COW

[notachickenhawk]

<So I should stay away from that part, then? I'd rather not have my ears bleed.>

Sure, his hearing isn't as good as his sight, but it's still pretty sensitive.

THIS. IS. NOT. MY. COW!!!

[freedom_engineer]

"I wouldn't worry about that just yet," Colin says, grinning both quickly and widely. "I haven't set up anything yet, and I put all my creations through rigorous testing to ensure their safety. It wouldn't do for it to hurt someone it wasn't supposed to."