X.0916 [ Voice | Video ]

[trephaestos]

[ Intermittent audio. Continuous recording. Discontinuous transmission. Sporadic (unintentional biological, debatable intent psioelectrimechanical) privacy lock failure. Forges rebel against being used as dictaphones, doc.

Here's that strangely sonorous nasal { Voice } ]Trial four. Laser setting oh-point-six. Progressing inward to a more volatile

Comments

[Voice]

[trephaestos]

[Well, Lelouch might have gotten to know Daniel well enough by now to realize that the incredibly rude tone of annoyance is actually directed not at Lelouch, but at the forge itself:]

Meant as a private diagnostic.

[Voice]

[trephaestos]

Yes. Thanks.

[Though possibly the fact that someone has responded is what is making it impossible for him to go back and fix the lock. Like a foot in the door. Unable to confirm that-will have to test filters unresponded-can't really chew him out for it.]

How's your own work coming.

Video.

[onequarter]

Unchanged from what?

Video.

[trephaestos]

I know you. I remember. You welcomed me.

[He does not get out of the lab much; this is the first they've talked since then, months ago.]

Unchanged from then. Change zero. Paradigm shift.

I never got your name.

Video.

[onequarter]

Yes, I remember. Clare.

Why do you expect change?

Video.

[trephaestos]

It is itself a change. A recent [dramatic] change. Only time will tell if it's stable or in flux. So… monitoring.

[Repeats-]

Clare.

[-because it seems remarkably straightforward and simple. Welcome for that. More clarity always required]

[seekevolution]

Daniel? What is it you're testing?

[video]

[trephaestos]

[unsettlingly unreadable smile]

Mist-tainted rewrite of DNA sequence. Same as you.

[Turns the forge so viewscreen briefly pans an array of samples, high-tech and low. Of the lowest, over a burner, a plain metallic kettle, still underlit, still emitting steam. In sudden anger, Trepkos throws out his hand and slaps his palm, full contact, fingers spread, onto its side. The horrible sizzling sound one would expect from burning flesh. But when he takes his hand away and pushes his open palm at the forgescreen-nothing. Not even reddened.

Voice almost robotic,]

Retake trial one. Third party observations.

[video]

[seekevolution]

Hē mērē bhagavāna!

[Mohinder sets his jaw slightly and then lays the Forge on the desk. A flurry of purple across the screen signals that Mohinder is putting on his shirt over his gray tank top.]

Wait, Daniel, I'm coming over.

[video]

[trephaestos]

[A flurry of considerations take half a second to cross Daniel's face. Then he shrugs. Addressing not anyone on the other side of it, but the forge itself:]

Fifth and a quarter hours, consulted Dr. Suresh for second opinion.

video

[bedsidemanners]

If it hasn't changed in nineteen trials I doubt if it needs much more repeating.

video

[trephaestos]

Forty.

A hypothesis is only valid for as long as it stands up to retesting, to relentless attack, with the assumption that eventually it may not. We search to disprove, not to prove. Proving is impossible. However. Not all theories are created equal.

video

[bedsidemanners]

Spoken like a true scientist.

But does it really bother you that badly?

video

[trephaestos]

It's so far inexplicable.

[Meaning yes.]

[video]

[wotchesyou]

[ Hello Daniel. Do you remember her? She burned you once. Hi. It's been a while. ]

What are you doing?

[ Words, he's speaking them but she does not understand what they mean. ]

[video]

[trephaestos]

[Hi Tonks. He remembers. Doesn't seem to hold it against you.]

Testing your premise.It seems getting second opinions.

[He's not helping really.]

[video]

[wotchesyou]

What premise is that exactly?

[ She remembers burning him. She remembers him stating that the reason he could stand had been because of her but she doesn't remember anything about a premise.

Derp. ]

[video]

[trephaestos]

[Somehow lacking the likely irony or patronizing or scorn. Just,]

I can't burn.