Comments | buick_riviera: Now That Daddy Took the T-Bird Away

buick_riviera

Now That Daddy Took the T-Bird Away - [open]

Jan 13, 2010 07:30

Time and space stretched before her, telescoping and expanding in the moments people came to visit, whether just to wash or marvel or, like Bill and Len, to speak to her. Time did not operate the same for her as for humans; she was used to waiting. Still, that didn't mean she did not feel those stretches of time, sometimes acutely. She certainly ( Read more... )

unplanned obsolescence

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canadianbill January 13 2010, 16:00:41 UTC

It was time, they had decided, to demonstrate to De once and for all that they weren't going mad.

It had been some time since they had first mentioned the Buick's sentience to him, but at that point, De had been rather ill, and had swiftly gotten very much worse. Now, they thought, he might be able to meet the Buick without being discomfited. Or at least, with as little unease as could possibly be expected.

And so the three of them made their way down to engineering, Bill and Len on either side, in a gesture of support.

buick_riviera January 13 2010, 16:02:43 UTC

She saw them--or whatever her equivalent was--right away. And something inside her leapt eagerly, happy as always for the visit.

And Mr. De Kelley. They'd brought him. She felt touched, and lamented the fact she could call out or wave or otherwise acknowledge their presence. Dangerous desires, for a bit of machinery used to being manipulated by others.

de_forest January 13 2010, 16:06:30 UTC

"It doesn't look any different," said De, looking at the car curiously. "I'm still not sure I believe you." He looked at the two of them. "Either of you."

canadianbill January 13 2010, 16:18:09 UTC

Bill laughed. "You wait till you get in her, bucko. See if she talks to you. Just see."

He indicated the car. "Go on, she's unlocked. Go prove me wrong."

de_forest January 13 2010, 16:22:18 UTC

De eyed the car door hesitantly. "There's not going to be any blinding flashes of white light and and suddenly ending up somewhere really odd, is there? Because that's what happened last time I got into this car." He shook his head, opening the car door. "Not that anything could be much odder than being here, I suppose."

buick_riviera January 13 2010, 16:27:09 UTC

She had sensed, from previous experience, that being spoken to by a car was a somewhat overwhelming experience. She could not understand it until she thought about how she had felt when they had heard her. So she did not want to startle DeForest Kelley, who drove gently and whom she'd forgiven for hitting her. But she couldn't entirely squash the surge of delight at his presence, his slight weight.

I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. YOU CAN HEAR ME, DEFOREST KELLEY?

de_forest January 13 2010, 16:35:41 UTC

De leapt back out of the car as if he'd been given an electric shock. "Shi..." he breathed, before collecting himself, turning on Bill and Len with wide eyes. "It spoke. In my head. I heard it. It spoke."

len_not_spock January 13 2010, 16:37:49 UTC

Leonard couldn't help a small smile.

"Well, we said so, didn't we?"

He motioned towards the Buick. "Come on, get in and scoot over so we can hear her as well. She doesn't bite, promise."

de_forest January 13 2010, 16:45:32 UTC

With a final wary look at the two of them, De took a deep breath, and climbed back into the car, shuffling over to make room for Bill and Len as well. "It's definitely a she, then?" he asked, hesitantly, nervously glancing around the interior.

buick_riviera January 13 2010, 16:47:16 UTC

The Buick felt suddenly, sinkingly, awful. She had tried to be gentle, but she got so excited. So lonely... She'd made DeForest Kelley unhappy, and she hadn't meant to.

But they coaxed him back in, and she (figuratively) held her breath. She didn't want him to leave again.

canadianbill January 13 2010, 16:50:01 UTC

Bill patted the dash idly, as if it were the flank of a horse. "Hey," he said, clearly addressing the car. He knew there was no need to speak aloud, but he was demonstrating. "How are you doing?"

buick_riviera January 13 2010, 16:53:19 UTC

The Buick didn't exactly have volume. But she tried to be "quiet" when she spoke again. Restrained.

FINE. BETTER NOW. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, BILL AND LEN. AND GOOD OF YOU TO BRING DEFOREST KELLEY. I'M SORRY IF I SCARED YOU.

de_forest January 13 2010, 16:56:19 UTC

"Do I have to speak out loud? It...she can hear us?" he asked Bill and Len. Turning his attention back to the dashboard, De coughed nervously. "I...hello. It's alright. It was just...a bit surprising. To hear you. In my head."

buick_riviera January 13 2010, 16:58:36 UTC

IT WAS SURPRISING TO BE HEARD, THE FIRST TIME. I DON'T MEAN TO SPEAK IN YOUR HEAD.

There was a slight pause.

I DON'T HAVE A MOUTH.

len_not_spock January 13 2010, 17:06:57 UTC

"You do not, indeed," Leonard remarked wryly. De's question about her sex had made him wonder...

"I've been meaning to ask, do you... mind that I refer to you as female?"

buick_riviera January 13 2010, 17:14:53 UTC

She had thought about this.

NO. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT MAKES ME FEMALE LIKE A HUMAN IS FEMALE BUT YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE. AND IT SEEMS AFFECTIONATE.

She had no real concept of gender, but she did know that she wanted an identity.

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