experiment 001

[fotofoto]

Who: Honey Lemon and You!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Caprine
When: Not too long after shuffle

Oooo, look at this communicator!

[ Hello, fleet! Have an enthusiastic blonde latina grinning and waving at you ]

Hi! Wow, this is so great, isn't this just fascinating? And these augments, they put information into your brain, does that mean they cracked the code of how to create specific impulses and connections between your neurons? It's amazing, I wish I could take it out and poke at it.

I wonder if it's electrically or chemically based.

[ ponder ]

Oh! Right, I completely forgot, hiiii! I'm new around here, and I just got so distracted by all this new information in my head and this new place we're in! I really should go home if I can, I know, but think of the learning opportunities!

Comments

[detectivewonder]

An electrical system would be simpler - easier to stimulate the brain's own production of chemicals than to keep a reservoir of its own hormones and enzymes. Pretty easy to keep charged off our own bioelectrics, too, unless it receives wirelessly transmitted energy in some form. If it were siphoning off us to refill a chemical stock of neurotransmitters, there ought to be perceptible variations in our moods when it happens.

[fotofoto]

That's a good point! Although considering the spaceships and the fact that we're even here, the technology could be almost anything. They could have a way to synthesize chemicals from taking in small amounts of blood and fluids from the circulatory system for all we know! Or extra-dimensional pockets of chemicals to introduce into our brains, which I wouldn't put it past them to have developed if they can pull people from other dimensions.

Electrical systems stimulating the brain's own production seems the most likely, but there's still so many possibilities!

[detectivewonder]

I'm still going to go with Occam's Razor on this. If for no other reason, because anyone with this kind of technology is going to be very familiar with Murphy's Law.

Hi. Tim Drake, Captain of the First Breath.

[fotofoto]

Definitely, but I like thinking about what else could exist. And then what I could do if I could get my hands on technology that could do that.

[ She's not a mad scientist, she SWEARS. ]

Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? I'm Aiko Rodríguez, I'm on the... Caprine? Yes, the Caprine. It's nice to meet you!

[detectivewonder]

Likewise. I'm glad to see someone else around here who's into science. We'll have to ferry you over for some brainstorming sessions with Hange and Hiro and his brother.

[fotofoto]

[ DING DING DING, that got her attention, and not about the science or the ferrying or anything, but-- ]

Hiro? That's funny, I know someone named Hiro back home at my school.

[detectivewonder]

They do seem to like pulling in acquaintances from the same worlds. Hiro Hamada?

[Realizing belatedly that if she does know Hiro, mentioning his brother was... indiscreet.]

[fotofoto]

[ That gets her to light up, because Hiro! ]

Adorable little 14-year-old who never brushes his hair? That's him! Oh wow, this is so excit--

[ And then what Tim said really hits her, and it feels like all the air leaves her lungs. She doesn't look upset, just... stunned, and a little bit hopeful ]

Tadashi. Tadashi's... here? That's-- oh wow. Okay. Oh wow.

[detectivewonder]

Yeah. He's here. And yeah, I know what that means. He's fine.

[fotofoto]

[ Okay that part I said on plurk about how she wasn't going to cry? I lied a little.

She presses a hand to her mouth and manages to keep it to tearing up ]

That's... that is wonderful news. I'm liking this place more and more.

[ she lets out a watery giggle and takes her glasses off so she can wipe her eyes ]

So Hiro's doing well, though? Keeping busy, not getting into too much trouble?

[detectivewonder]

He's... keeping busy.

[fotofoto]

And getting into trouble.

[ She sounds like a fond big sister, honestly ]

Well, as long as he's in one piece. And Tadashi's here, so... that's good.

[detectivewonder]

Not too much trouble. Just enough to boost the ratings. And not on his own. He's... a good friend.

[fotofoto]

Good. I don't think he always had an easy time making friends, especially not ones his own age. [ Or, well, closer to his own age than a bunch of college students ]

But I guess that makes you my friend, too! In which case you can call me Honey Lemon, because nobody back home calls me Aiko anymore except my papá. I just thought it would be silly to introduce myself to people with a nickname I got at school, but if Hiro and Tadashi are here...

[detectivewonder]

Honey Lemon.

So, do you... work with Hiro?

[fotofoto]

Well, we work in the same lab, if that's what you--

[ OH. No, that's not what he means. ]

Oooooh, right! Yes. I "work" with Hiro.

[ totally innocent face ]

[detectivewonder]

I'm in the same career field.