People Like Us [Open]
One of the cold facts of life is that it was temporary. Medical science was an amazing thing. Where once the smallest scratch or sprain would fester and become fatally infected, now even failing organs could be replaced. Everything was artificial, fake, and what kept people alive was no longer a flow of goodwill and the trickle-down hand of god,
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Dustin had made a mental note to avoid the Major immediately after he met her. The woman was bad news, he could tell-and not just because she punched him in the face and took his backpack. He had that again, by the way. Useful thing.
Not like he was going to use it, not after what happened the first time. No, this time it seemed like the tables had turned; and lucky for the Major (and possibly Dustin as well), the scruffy genius was slightly less irritable than he used to be.
He approached in clear view, lacking his characteristic overcoat, but even a small fellow like himself was hard to miss when he wanted to make himself noticed. The baggy, red-rimmed t-shirt he wore also showed off his prosthetic left forearm, completely functional now, and possibly the most graceful machine in Dustin’s personal inventory. If anything, it might help in negotiations.
“You look busy.”
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"I am," she replied flatly, with an intense detachment that implied she would sooner crush his neck than be having this conversation. She was still on-edge from....what had happened in her Nightmare, even now. It would be easy to say the wrong thing.
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He came to a stop just out of her reach, though his neck was craned sharply forward to get a better look at the exposed wires, so perhaps Motoko could get a better grip on his windpipe if he proved too bothersome.
“Now I’m sure that this technology is completely beyond me,” Dustin said with a sarcastic raise of his brow, “But if I were to judge this spectacular-looking spectacle of bioengineering, I would say that this limb is well past its regular maintenance check and might as well be replaced, the wires are so badly frayed (water damage no doubt, better circulation through that outer plating might help clear up things elsewhere by the way); although, I suppose a few helpings of oil- ( ... )
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"There are no natural nerves remaining, the skin is stock Poseidon," she replied, humoring him. Those weren't wires, of course, they were artificial muscle, but the point still stood- this was all a result of prolonged use without access to regular, high-level maintenance.
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The first image that came to mind, naturally, was that of his own prosthetic, and therefore he made the mistake of assuming that her artificial limbs would also contain at least some form of nerve function. It was only after she corrected him that Dustin realized what they really were; replacement muscular cables were actually part of the original blueprint that he’d made prior to his need for said prosthetic, and in a way his design was quite similar to what Motoko had installed. He’d abandoned the concept for nerve connections, however, mostly because making the cords took too much time, but also because of weight constraints on his already very frail form and the possible strain such powerful fibers would exert on his crippled shoulder. Besides, implanting muscles without nerves would require Dustin to create ( ... )
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Of course, the Major felt no such way about her own nervous system- then again she was missing nearly all of it. The severed arm from her previous 'injury' would do nicely- the damage had been above the elbow, at any rate.
"And you do realize I'll have to kill you if you get clever," she finished, saying it quite casually. That Dustin would die for even trying to implant some kind of hard-wired hack into her systems went without question. Motoko had seen too many agents brought low by just such dallying.
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Anywho. “A prototype won’t be necessary,” Dustin folded his arms, as the accusation that he required practice seemed to hit a soft spot in his overinflated ego, “Just a sample. Even a few damaged scraps will do.”
He looked in a little closer, absently unclipping his red backpack and placing it on a nearby console. Apparently he assumed that the Major would agree to let him investigate.
“Besides, Major-I know better than to be on your bad side. For the sake of my own skin, you can trust me not to do anything reckless. Mmkay?”
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Regardless, at least she was giving him permission. “Whatever you say,” Dustin sighed with the slightest hint of an ironic pout, “I’m pretty sure I know what parts need repair-photographic memory, comes in handy a lot sometimes-so I’ll have the new cables and sensors done…oh, in a week? Depends on how badly you need them.”
He paused, almost grinning, almost. Who knew Dustin could be playful? “Also depends on how you’re going to pay me.”
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