[MoM] IC CONTACT POST

[microbrobotics]

"Hey, you've reached Hiro Hamada. Text me like a normal person and not a weirdo."

Comments

[gabriel_gray]

That's where the genius comes in, I suppose? Even exploded, I don't think I'd know what all the parts could do.

[ Yes he could. ]

[microbrobotics]

Exactly. I mean, there's some trial and error? I learn a lot about something new if I take it apart. But if I don't know anything I just kind of wreck it.

... What about you? I mean - uh, I know your power's dangerous, but ... I don't know anything about it, I guess.

[gabriel_gray]

I'm... Well, I'm a pyrokinetic. It's not as rare as yours, I know. It came on when I was a teenager--actually, I burned down the school gym. Not that anyone knew that it was me.

[microbrobotics]

[ Oh. There's a sharp, terrified little intake of breath there. When he speaks again, he doesn't quite succeed at keeping the wobble out of his throat. Not because he's recognized Sylar - not at all. He's just terrified of that particular powerset. ]

That's - bad. Yeah. Really bad. Did anyone get hurt?

[gabriel_gray]

[ Interesting little noise. Gabriel is careful; wary. ]

If it had been in the middle of a game, maybe, but there were just a few of us in there at the time, and the cheerleaders were practicing their stunts. I got a bit hot behind the collar, and next thing I knew there was smoke, and the sprinklers were going off.

[microbrobotics]

Yeah. Fire spreads awful fast. I'm glad everybody got out.

[gabriel_gray]

Me too. But that's exactly the thing. It's emotionally driven, and even now I still haven't necessarily gotten control of it. Someone might get hurt some time. It could happen.

[microbrobotics]

... Well, you're in luck there. I'm already working on a band for someone who wants his pyrokinesis blocked. So making something for you shouldn't be too hard.

[gabriel_gray]

Good. I mean--thank you. I really do appreciate it, you have no idea. It's been a constant weight on my shoulders.

[microbrobotics]

I get it. Trust me.

[ He's seen how little his brother has been sleeping lately. ]

I might even be able to change it for you. To something you can use.

[gabriel_gray]

Do you think so? That would seriously be amazing.

[microbrobotics]

It's possible. I mean nanites are just tech, so it's just being able to manipulate them. Heck, I can almost get at them just using my powers.

[ Almost, but not quite. That's a hard limit on size and complexity - not that Hiro knows it yet. ]

[gabriel_gray]

Almost. What's stopping you, do you think?

[microbrobotics]

Practice? And - well, I have more trouble when it's something I haven't built myself. But if I built a receiver that small that can interact with them... Maybe then.

[gabriel_gray]

I see. No, I get it. But it sounds...dangerous, messing with those things.

[microbrobotics]

Probably. Yeah.

[ But when has that stopped Hiro? Never. He sounds more determined and fascinated than put off by the prospect of doing real harm. ]

I mean, the nanites are what give us our powers in the first place? And they speed up our healing. So in theory, if you can directly control 'em, you could do anything with your body. Wouldn't that be worth trying?

[gabriel_gray]

Not if you could do that yourself.

[ It sounds too matter or fact. It's a slither of Sylar. He'd rather not depend on nanomachines to alter himself, and he doesn't have to. ]

But I mean, if they heal us they might do the opposite too. They might be holding back diseases or temporal disruption or--anything, really. Maybe we need them, and the healing is just a side effect.

[microbrobotics]

[ Huh. There's a pause as Hiro considers that - he hadn't really thought along those lines just yet. ]

Maybe. But that's what experimenting is for. To find out that kind of thing.

[gabriel_gray]

Sure. I'm not much of a scientist, honestly, so I wouldn't know.

[microbrobotics]

What do you do then? You sound like you're an adult.

[gabriel_gray]

I am. I inherited my father's watch shop. Repairing time pieces is really all I know how to do.

[microbrobotics]

... People still get watches repaired? People still wear watches?

[gabriel_gray]

Well I'm not as busy as we used to be, but all I had to do is hold out. A lot of the other repair shops have closed up in Brooklyn, but people still need their timepieces repaired.

It's not that impressive, I know. It's not like being a neurosurgeon, or something.

[microbrobotics]

Well -

[ He's a polite enough kid to not just blurt out what he really thinks, at least. Buuuut he's not quite polite enough to keep it out of his tone. It's kinds of "you poor bastard." ]

I guess if it's Brooklyn you might get enough customers to do okay... Or maybe if you got customers online too.

[gabriel_gray]

We haven't really expanded in that direction. But there's a lot of local antiques traders who use me, and watches have been a must have accessory of the rich for a long time. It puts food on the table, anyway, and I enjoy the work.