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

[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.

[In person - forever]

[seekevolution]

[Mohinder arrives out of breath and bright eyed. He's the sort to test serums on himself as well, foolish man that he is. He has no idea that he had been destined to do something vaguely similar to what Daniel's doing down when he arrives at his door.]

Daniel! It's Mohinder, I'm coming in now.

[He doesn't wait for an answer, he just tries the door to see if it will open for him.]

[and ever!]

[trephaestos]

[The door opens at once.

On the far side of the lab, Trepkos is at his workstation, perched on a stool, scribbling something longhand on graph paper. In his other hand is his forge. As he writes with his left hand, he types commands with his right, replaying video footage of the day's experiments; as if reviewing a test subject that isn't himself. He doesn't greet Mohinder, or attempt to obscure the recordings from him.]

[seekevolution]

[Mohinder's careful not to startle the other man, but he is curious. He scoots around the table to peer down at the other man's work. He's got so many notes and--]

Well, that's impressive. Ambidextrous? Could I see your previous notes?

[trephaestos]

[not breaking tempo-not even obvious he heard Mohinder, much less is responding-Trepkos keeps typing into the Forge. But he had heard, and did respond, 'cause Mohinder's forge reacts with a shared channel notification. Video footage and notations.

Trepkos's voice is less completely distant with a touch of humor]

Check your mail.