ArchivedLogs:Harder Better Faster Stronger

Harder Better Faster Stronger
Dramatis Personae Kisha, Peter	2013-06-12 '
Location <XS> Workshop
A large barn-like building situated at the far end of the gardens from the mansion proper, this makerspace functions as a classroom for many of the more hands-on classes. An expanse of workshop space, it is subdivided into smaller segments for the different types of activities: Woodshop, Welding shop, Machine shop, Electronics, Bike shop, Screen Printing and Photography, Fabric Arts, and the Rapid Prototyping Lab with a trio of 3D printers. The space comes complete with a large host of tools available for use, although many of the more dangerous require prior clearance from administration to use -- students with appropriate clearance to use them can gain access to locked equipment with their student IDs. From sanders to MIG/TIG welders to soldering stations to industrial sewing machines to its own darkroom, though, this space is well equipped for teaching students how to /make/. Peter is /working/. Diligently. He has been almost /sleeping/ in the workshop; every day, he returns to work on his project -- projects? -- which involve. Well, a lot of /fabrics/, a lot of unusual experiments, and a lot of prototypes he keeps uploading to the 3D printer. It also involves -- disassembled web cameras, at the moment. One of them snatched from his own computer, and several more ferreted out via favors from the student population -- just old webcams no one was using (who uses webcams anymore /anyway/? Everybody's got 'em in their phones, now!). He's picked them apart and is in the process of -- reassembling them? Doing something with pieces of plastic and a large, red nomex hood. There's other stuff, too; a disassembled gas mask, a plastic red oval-shaped canister -- some sort of rubber mouth-piece designed to fit over the mouth, nose, and chin... Sleep is for the weak! Some nights Kisha has been staying in the workshop right up until curfew, before heading back to her room for further work on 'The great project'. Of course sometimes you just have to take a little break for stupid things like food. Which is why she is only just returning to the workshop where a large sheet has been pegged up to cover her work space. Accompanied by a sign which says 'Touch my stuff and die'. Charming ain't she? Peter has /eyed/ that sheet on occasion, but has resisted the urge to go and touch all of Kisha's stuff. Just, touch it, very gently. Touch touch touch all the stuff. But oh, he's been /tempted/ to, believe you me. When she returns, Peter's head pokes up from where he's working, and -- since they're the only two people /here/, now -- "what the heck /are/ you working on /anyway/?" Kisha glances at Peter, then /frowns/. "You look...." she considers her choice of words for a long moment, then settles on "Still quite annoying. Only stranger." She nods to herself, then pulls on the sheet and sets about putting away not one but three hidden spy cameras. "Brain computer interface to start with. It'll take the longest to get used to. But that is only phase one... now that I am no longer distracted by teaching myself Entomology I am getting to work on /real science/." "I l--? Oh, /oh/," Peter says, as if -- right. A hand moves to touch his cheek. "YeahIgotchitin," he mutters, a faint ebb of violet threatening to intrude into his cheeks. Immediately after: "Brain computer interfa--you mean, like moving a mouse with your /brain/? Man, can you even do that sort of stuff? I hear it's all sorts of cray cray," Peter states. For the /RECORD/. He soon follows it up, though, rather meekly: "I'm working on putting a computer in my mask." "Mask?" Kisha repeats with dry amusement. "Aren't you supposed to be poorly lying to me about anything connected with that? There have been plenty of scientific studies using non-invasive BCI's. You can even buy cat ears which move based on your mood.... They are creepy but use the same style of technology." "Man I gave up a /long/ time ago on trying to hide this," Peter mumbles, glancing back at the mask/hood. "I'm just gonna, I dunno. Roll with it, now. Huh. I wonder -- if it'd work well with my brain y'know Doctor McCoy tells me I've got a /weird/ brain like I learn things /really/ fast and maybe it's why I'm kind of spazzy." All in one breath. "I wonder if I could put an interface like that into this thing I mean I was /gonna/ use a wrist-mounted control thing on the webshooter? Like a little, um, control. But it was gonna be a pain to connect it to the mask like I'd have to have a /cord/ running all the way up to the mask I guess I could use a wireless makeup but that'd cost more and what if there was interference--" Peter's charging up steam. If Kisha doesn't interrupt him, he's not gonna stop. Kisha listens for a bit, then when it becomes obvious Peter will /not stop/ she very deliberately yawns. "I suspect you may not have the focus for that. Also what exactly do you need a headputer for anyway? Surely recent events have put you off the whole personal involvement in violence thing?" The yawning doesn't get Peter to stop, but the comment does -- Peter /peeeeeers/ at Kisha at the mention of not having the focus for it, but -- does not respond! Instead, he just replies to the second bit: "S'project. Something to do. So I don't go mad with worry." Then, a little more meekly: "I wanna turn it into -- a recorder. Record everything I see. Maybe even send it out, live. Um. Some other stuff, too. Gas-mask works but. I want to install -- maybe a HUD in the corner." "Sounds like you are actually considering a line of research which is parallel to mine," Kisha decides thoughtfully. "I'm not going to try strap a computer to my head, but a Glass style screen and wearable computer do feature on my to do list. Then I can use them as the interface for a a microdrone of some kind. Oh, I think the general student body consensus is also that I should somehow tag tracking chips into you. Or everything you own. I'm not however sure if this is entirely ethical, so to prevent ethical dilemas please refrain from being kidnapped again. Also inform you room mate he should do likewise." "Are glass projection screens possible I mean I was worried it'd be too delicate I know they do some stuff with LCDs but," Peter pauses, as if remembering to /breathe/, before adding: "I'd want a tracker. In the suit. Probably. Um. I'm not going to get kidnapped again," Peter adds, eyebrows scrunching together a /little/ bit at Kisha's phrasing. He soon adds: "At least not without a fight. Man can you /get/ one of those Google Glass things? I hear they use a setup that vibrates ear-bones to make noise I wanted to put something like that in these maybe but man those things are, I have no idea where I'd /get/ that sort of gear..." Kisha winces. "That's what I mean by /Glass/ capital G as in a name, not an actual glass screen. I was going to use my power to try come up with something similar, they have been using devices like that in college research labs since before either of us were born. It's only now that the battery technology has improved enough for them to be commercially viable." "Oh, /oh/," Peter adds, pausing a moment -- thinking -- eyebrows rumpling together. He looks back at the pile of -- webcamera parts he has in front of him. "...I heard of like, HUD glasses and all that stuff. I didn't know you were going to -- that could be really cool, maybe. I wanted to go to Stark Tower, see some of his holographic stuff, maybe. Um. Sometime. But," Peter gestures, at his FACE. As if there's a PROBLEM with it. "With all the, y'know. Chaos and stuff in the city, and... the chitin. Figured it'd be a bad move." :/ face. But then! "Maybe /you/ could go? Or, um. Maybe we could -- Sebastian wants to go too. We'd need a chaperone, though..." It would be wrong to say Kisha bounces with glee at the very notion of Stark Tower, but she does move with rather more spring in her steps than usual. "I had been planning on going a few times already, but we went into lockdown and it rather ruined my schemes," she admits. "The trouble with that nature of school chaperone trip is that Doctor McCoy would likely be accompanying us.... And please don't take this the wrong way... But in that scenario I would likely be outted as a mutant to anyone who saw us.... Which would not be preferable." "I think three obvious mutants with a mutant teacher would be -- I mean, I know they're trying to, um. Keep a lot of this under wraps," Peter admits, a little hesitantly. "...so, maybe not -- Doctor McCoy. And, uh -- actually if you'd -- why would they know you're a mutant? I mean, what do you mean? You don't /look/ mutanty -- er, I mean. I don't mean that -- in a bad way?" Peter adds, nervously. Kisha sighs. It's a special kind of drawn out sigh she only seems to use when talking to Peter. Siiiiiigh. "Yourself, Bastian and....? Who is the third obvious mutant in addition to Doctor McCoy? If you see three mutants walking around with a non-obvious mutant in the current atmosphere people will tend to assume the normal looking person is also unusual too." She pauses and scowls. "That comment would no doubt earn me the disgust of most of the student body. Despite the fact it is an entirely logical and a sensile precaution based upon the increasingly dangerous state of the city." "Oh, /oh/, I see what you mean, I thought -- you meant, like, you had something like glowy eyes or something when you looked at technology or -- we just wouldn't ask a mutant-looking teacher to chaperone," Peter adds, with a nervous little smile. "I mean, I'm sure Dr. McCoy would understand -- um, we'd take somebody who -- it'd just be, Sebastian and me who would look -- mutanty. Heck people will probably just think we're related or something." EYEROLL. But, well. Just a /little/ one. "I mean, I wouldn't go with Doctor McCoy /anyway/, because mutant teacher plus mutant kid, it's -- uh, pretty obvious we're from mutant /school/." "Why would anyone assume teacher?" Kisha decides eventually, frowning. "After all it's not term time and you'd just have to avoid calling him 'Sir' and asking about classes. But anyway some kind of Stark Towers visit must occur regardless of who attends. I know I'll be going even if it's just by myself or with a chaperone who doesn't understand a word of the tour... Which might actually be preferable." "I just figured you have to sign in for the tours. I mean, I guess the chaperone could /lie/ and say they were, like. A dad or something. But that'd probably come off as suspicious and what if someone recognized them?" Finagle, finagle. Peter continues finagling with his CAMERAS. "Mostly I wanna go to see those holograph things he has but, man. Yeah. It would be pretty awesome to go. Do you want to work together on the glass HUD?" Peter suddenly asks, as he continues working on the cameras. "I could, um. Maybe -- I know how to do some of this stuff. I know where to get some materials, too." Kisha tilts her head. "Names which don't match does not guarantee teacher-student," she points out. "Could be neighbor or friend of the family. I suppose I would not lose anything from sharing research with you... Ideally materials wise I would /like/ lots of sapphire. But I appreciate this is impractical and involves transfering a very niche cellphone technology to a device which it was not designed for. Also and most vitally.... I lack sapphires." Peter /peeeeers/ at Kisha. Eyebrows crumpled. But, does not comment on the first bit. On the bit about sapphires, Peter only adds -- mayhaps reluctantly!: "I don't have any sapphires." As if Kisha needed to be informed of this fact. He soon adds after that, though: "I've got /webcams/ though ohmygosh." He holds some of them up. Just in case, she, uh. Didn't notice. "You have webcams... Yes," Kisha agrees, pointing to the the three miniature cameras on her workspace. "They're rather easy to come by. Digital cameras come in everything these days! Cellphones especially, I have dozens of broken cellphones with working cameras. Oh I also shared the recent webshooter innovations with Bastian, incase you were not aware." "Oh man where do you get broken cell phones I've been /looking/ for broken cell phones--" Peter starts, before suddenly stopping, and quietly adding: "I mean. cool." Then, BACK TO TINKERING. "Yeah he showed me we're working on some stuff together with the, uh. Webshooters. We can all work together. On, uh. Some cool stuff." TINKER, TINKER.