Day 298 (Open)

[freedom_engineer]

Who: Colin Starfury, and anyone else who wants in.
Open: You bet'cha
When: Day 298, all day
Where: In various places around the Bastion
What: Keeping the moving parts moving
Format: Starting with prose, but good for whatever.
Warnings: Colin. Also, Colin's still fairly surly. Also, PUNS.

Ever since the time travel revelations a few weeks back, Colin has pretty much devoted himself entirely to his work. With Yukio's disappearance, that devotion has expanded into areas where Colin would normally not tread. When he's not been working on practical problems and projects, he's been studying. To say that he hasn't made much of an effort to seek out social interaction is something of an understatement.

Today is no exception. After the morning chores Colin immediately retreats to his workshop where he sets to work on repairing the mechanical Pyth that had been so badly damaged before. It's looking much better now, perhaps almost ready to be reactivated. He's going to need a large shard for that, though...

Shortly before lunch, Colin leaves the workshop and heads to the monument. The holographic information terminal is his destination, and he's going to spend a half an hour or so working on it. It hasn't seen as much use as he'd hoped it would, but he supposes that's not terribly surprising. Most people probably don't even know what it is, and he can't change that without making it intrusive, thus defeating the purpose of making it approachable in the first place.

When he's done with that, and after grabbing some lunch, Colin will return to his workshop to finish one of the jobs he's been eager to finish for quite some time. The flying craft that they'd brought back from the observatory just needs a few final touch-ups, and then it will be ready to go. He's tested this thing thoroughly, made improvements where he'd seen fit, and replaced any number of outdated technological concepts with things that will work better and more efficiently. It doesn't even look Caelondian any more. Which is probably for the best, given that it's going to be the fastest way to get to the Ura settlement from here on out, to say nothing of any other destination on the Skyway.

If anyone feels like bothering him at any point in the day, he's certainly not going to turn down the company.

Comments

[countingthunder]

River continues talking, mostly to herself, as she drags her hand along the hull. Her fingers seem to be looking for purchase.

"It might take some time, that's all. He's not very smart, but got love. No reason in the 'verse why he wouldn't."

[freedom_engineer]

"Fortunately, time is one of those things we can't easily run out of," he says. "So yeah, you're not wrong there."

Whether or not this 'Simon' is actually alive is a question for someone else to guess. Colin doesn't think anything of either survival or death. As of this moment, he's Schrodinger's Simon.

The ship has plenty of places to get a good grip, between wings, exhaust ports, and a boarding ladder hooked onto the cockpit.

[countingthunder]

Still, she grabs on and lets go again until she gets to the ladder and then she stops.

"She's been here before, but only an act, still just an act. Think about fading away from their lives as if they're going to go on living without her. No proof without the observation."

[freedom_engineer]

"Even then," he says. "Observations can be spoofed, and realities are limitless."

He crouches down to inspect something that caught his eye on the ship. "Take nothing for certain until you've got it in your hands," he says as he works at fixing it.

[countingthunder]

"Hands can lie," River points out. "Tell you it's real and solid. Doesn't make it true."

[freedom_engineer]

"Anything can lie," Colin says right back. "Being able to recognize the truth is up to you. Even numbers and laws can lie in the right circumstances."

[countingthunder]

River doesn't respond to that. Instead she states, "There's a screw loose in the cockpit hatch."

[freedom_engineer]

"I've often been told more than one," Colin says, smiling. He moves to inspect the cockpit, and he glances at her. "Thank you for your assistance. I'm always glad to have a second, or even third, set of eyes checking stuff out."

Even if he's gathered that she's not all there, that doesn't change the fact that she thinks. It's just that she thinks different from other people.

[countingthunder]

"Well, the cockpit is empty."

Simple observation? Could be, but probably not.

[freedom_engineer]

"The cockpit's never empty," Colin says, smiling. "Sometimes, it's just not what you expect to see there."

[countingthunder]

"It's empty," she maintains loftily even as she's climbing up the ladder into the ship's cockpit.

[freedom_engineer]

When River reaches the cockpit, she'll find a setup quite unlike any typical aircraft. Colin's customized this ship to his liking, and the only recognizable displays are speed and altitude gauges. Otherwise, there are several blank screens which, presumably, will show the information that Colin wants.

"Lacking a pilot?" Colin asks, watching her now, the portion of work he was doing momentarily paused. "Or simply a commentary on my brain?"

He smiles a little wider. There's a synthetic intelligence at rest in the console. Most people don't think of them as anything more than tools, but Colin's not most people. While it may not be truly alive, he definitely doesn't think it's so undeserving of attention as to be called nothing.

(OOC: God damn word vomiting Colin...)

[countingthunder]

Well, it's a good thing she's taking a crack at his intelligence then, and not insulting the ship. Not that she's going to clarify that. The ship knows, and that's what's important.

"She needs a name," she says as she settles in.

[freedom_engineer]

"She does," Colin says, running his hand alone the fuselage. "I've had a couple run through my head, but nothing sounds right for her yet. I normally don't decide until she's ready for her first flight."

"Most of my ship names are fire themed," he adds, resuming working on something that caught his attention. "I've yet to find one that fits this one just right."

[countingthunder]

River nods in understanding. It would be difficult to know a thing's name before it's had the chance to become what it is.

"A little late for Fjalar," she adds.