Daycycle 13 [ DEC 26-31 ]

[computerized]

DAYCYCLE 13

[ DEC 26 - 31 ]

[OOC: This Daycycle will run for six ooc days instead of the usual 5 ooc days from Dec 26-31. ]

MORNING

Troubleshooter Team: Alec Hardison & Jason Wilcox

Mission:  There is an INDIGO corridor in R&D that we want you to inspect.  We’ll give you 5000cr each at the end of your mission just for walking from one end to the other.  Here are vouchers to let you walk through it legally.  Make sure you wear these telemetry suits when you go through it.  

All other Troubleshooters:  You are to report to your Service Firm positions for the day, until called on for Troubleshooter duty.

Intel:  The Humanists staged an attack last night and left many citizens temporarily blinded by pepper spray.  There is a 1000cr reward for any participants being handed over for punishment.

A special was attacked yesterday by an anti-Specials group.  Steve Rogers has asked to address all Troubleshooters in regards to this incident.

AFTERNOON

The afternoon is mostly uneventful.  Save for a Vulture pilot who crashes his copter into the Armed Forces mess hall at approximately 1423.  What is initially thought of as a treasonous act is quickly determined to be a Happitime overdose and is hushed up by the highers ups.

EVENING

The evening is launched with a very special and mandatory showing of the Teela O’Malley show.  The show begins by describing the state that humanity was in when The Computer took control.  People were a slave to their whims.  Alpha Complex is held up as a paragon of innovation and cooperation among people and technology.  In fact, many REDs watching the show may not recognize the Utopian society being depicted as anything close to the society they find themselves in.  It ends with a touching montage of citizens swearing their allegiance and thanks to The Computer that brings the legendary host to tears.  

Sleep aid gas is expelled at 2100.

Comments

[avemachina]

"Rah-rah. Go team."

The voice comes from Steve's left as he passes the slight brunette. Samantha Groves (if the Computer had its way) had watched with more interest than she'd intended. It was a nice speech, all things considered.

She's perched casually on the chair, but to someone like Steve it's probably obvious she's making every effort to look comfortable -- too languid to be natural. After dealing with the rough treatment the morning after her arrival, she'd had no problem reverting to her old ways of self-reliance and mistrust. Or so she likes to tell herself.

"You give a lot of speeches where you come from, Quarterback?"

[a_man_out_of_time]

"Would it surprise you to hear that I do?"

Steve stopped when he was addressed, an amused smile passes over his face. Not quite the response he expected, but he'll take it. Talking to a group of people — or what normal people like to think of as speeches — came naturally to him when he had something to say.

"I haven't seen you before. Did you ..." He choses his words carefully, so as to not draw too much attention to their conversation, not that it was entirely possible to do. "... wake up recently?" Plenty of people seemed like they were torn about whether or not to approach Steve, so they didn't linger too close, but they also didn't stay too far away either.

[avemachina]

Her eyebrows lifted even as Root shook her head in response. Her surprise (and vague amusement) was prompted by his continued air of optimism -- that he'd tried to protect whatever semblance of privacy he perceived either of them having. It chipped away at her display of forced comfort, enough to make her stand up and move to his side.

"In this instance, you could accurately say I was kinda born yesterday." Arms crossed over her chest, Root took her time looking over Steve now, as if she hadn't gotten an eyeful as he spoke before them all just moments ago. She was close enough that he could probably see the fading redness where her cheek had met table the morning before. "You're military, right? I mean-- your 'glitchy' memories?"

Root's voice lowered a bit, though she couldn't resist the finger-quotes around the word glitchy. Fake privacy hopefully maintained...?

[a_man_out_of_time]

He smiles and nods. "What gave it away?"

Seeing the military in him was easy as pie if you knew how to look — the way he always stood with his back straight or how his arms were never positioned casually. If these jumpsuits included hats, one could almost imagine Steve tucking it under his arm.

"I was a Captain when America was fighting the war." Er, wait, he's supposed to be more specific than that. "World War II."

[avemachina]

New intrigue sparked, it's plain on her face that Root is committed to this conversation now. That wasn't exactly the answer she'd been expecting. A lot of unexpected things kept happening -- without the Machine in her ear, damn near everything was a surprise in this place.

"Well then, Captain." She gives a mock-salute -- sarcastic enough hopefully to make it seem like she doesn't even take that seriously. "I guess it's a good thing there's war brewing under us. Otherwise whatever would you do with your time?"

Not only is Steve in a position of power above the rest of them, he's at the forefront of the Specials entirely now. Whether that means he truly is on their side or knows how to move the pieces so that he can continue to rise upward? Only time (and pointed questions) will tell.

[a_man_out_of_time]

When she calls him Captain, Steve's lips curl into a lop-sided smile. But when Root continues on, (potentially) teasing about how war may be benefiting him, Steve returns to a more serious expression.

"War is never a good thing ma'am. Even when they're worth fighting."

It won't be difficult for Root to figure out Steve Rogers. But once she does, what will be difficult is believing that someone with his unbending morals can still exist.

[avemachina]

She's not often shocked, but Root's eyebrows shoot up in tandem with the corners of her mouth. This is just too good to be true. He's got to be playing the system because nobody actually talks like that.

"Right. Of course." Her lips purse as she follow his somber tone with just a sliver of mocking on the side. Since she cannot fathom this conversation as real, Root figures she'll push a little further. "I guess we're the lucky ones to have someone like you. Someone who'll stand up in a crowd and take a spitball or two for the team."

[a_man_out_of_time]

When Root mentions the word 'lucky,' the Cap gives her an uncertain look — like he doesn't agree, but doesn't know what to say in response either. Like he can't quite figure her out.

But a soft smile is already returning to his face.

"Trust me m'am, I've taken worse then a few spitballs." Someone is trying to move past them so Steve makes way and then steps back to where he was before. "Have you ever ... lived through a war?"

[avemachina]

Is it possible for someone to ask a loaded question and not even realize it? Root smirks, tilts her head to the side for a nod that says you betcha.

"Not with enlisted soldiers, but-- yeah. You could say that." She fidgets, cool demeanor dropping for a moment in an effort to push away the fact that there's no tone in her ear to tell her what to do. No objective to trust. "It might not have been good, but it was necessary. I wonder if that's going to the be case here very soon."

[a_man_out_of_time]

"I wonder the same," he answers, studying her and making sure to remember what she's just said. War is never easy, on anyone. "But I'd like to stop a terrorist group from growing, if possible. Most of the people here might not like us, but they don't agree with kidnapping and beatings either."

Little did Steve know, in a few days time, anti-Specials supporters and anti-anti-Specials supporters would duking it out in the mess hall. Even if it was more verbal than physical.

But given Root's interest, he had a different question for her as well. "Ma'am if I may ask, what was your occupation before ... yesterday?"

[avemachina]

"I worked with computer systems." A broad answer that includes hacking into those systems to get, well, pretty much whatever she wanted. Including work.

It helps her confidence come back a little, though. She smirks and meets Steve's eyes again, new conversation in mind.

"Why? Need some pointers?"

[a_man_out_of_time]

"With computers?" Root would be able to see laugh before it comes out of him. "I'm afraid the answer is yes. I seem to always need pointers when it comes to computers."

World War II. Soldier. He hasn't told her his full story, but the time period makes sense. Computers were just starting out — and usually only limited access.

"So far I've been relying on a man in my unit. Though-" The Cap looks around, just to check that his unit isn't within earshot. He's a little embarrassed. "-I'd like to not wear out my welcome, if possible."

Yeah. The guy with the big speech? Technology is not his thing.

[avemachina]

"Understandable." Root's played at advisor before, at least. It's not like she's got much in the way of a network (other than the built-in connections among the Specials). Helping the most decorated Special could be beneficial in the long run.

"Is there anything specific you're having trouble with?"

[a_man_out_of_time]

There's a rueful smile and lowered voice as he says his next sentence: "Right now, only with the one Computer worth thinking about."

But they can't have that traitorous talk in the Commissary.

"Though, I'm grateful ma'am, that you're willing to lend your help. When I do come across the next technology I don't understand, who exactly should I be looking for?" All this time talking, and he still doesn't know her name.

[avemachina]

She nods knowingly, and yes OK there's a tinge of mocking to it; but Root can't exactly blame the boy scout for being infallibly earnest. The Computer is certainly a major concern, though Root's perspective on that differs from most.

"Call me Root." Which is noticeably different from what the Computer wants to call her, but if Steve uses the secure network, he'll find her under this name.

"And I'm sure you can find me among the other REDs. You know your way around the slums, right?" Her smile intact, the tongue-in-cheek joke hopefully lands. Of course, anyone who talks with Root experiences her lilting voice: speaking innocent words but managing to make her tone anything but. Many have found disappointment upon realizing that the tone was an empty promise, a lure in the water.

For Steve, however, it's a social query: RETURN reaction FROM boy scout WHERE INPUT = light flirtation.

your sql <3333 I actually LOL'd

[a_man_out_of_time]

Her name was unique, to say the least. The Cap's first thought was that it must be a code name — like Hawkeye, or Black Widow.

But when Root calls RED housing slums, and in that special tone of voice, a small, wary grin forms on Steve's face. He might not understand that she's flirting (because Steve is as dense as a someone could possibly be in that area), but he can tell that she's teasing. So he adjusts his own tone as well, as his smile gets wider.

"You mean the floors I lived in three days ago? Yes ma'am, I think I know my way around."