[ Ah. Over the past few months, Hiro had finally begun to get used to the concept that people might appreciate him, that he might actually have a wide circle of friends - but the gesture was still almost overwhelming. People appreciating his talent? Actually liking him because of it? A more cynical kid might have disliked being appreciated only for his powers, but Hiro had never had real friends outside of his brother for the vast majority of his life. He was horribly dried up from it, so that even the smallest gesture of affection got soaked up greedily.
He had to swallow, thickly, before going back to his work. He could feel the security cameras watching of course, courtesy of his powers, but between the mass of tech serving as background noise and the whirl of his own thoughts, he hardly cared. He was here at a fancy tech place, using his powers for good, and being appreciated for it. ]
Thanks. Uh - thanks.
[ That was all he managed to get out, though that wondering tone said volumes more. Right, his actual work. He turned back to his 3-D laboratory of floating parts and began sorting through them. This piece needed repairs. This one could be cleaned and put back. This one desperately needed replacement or an upgrade but he didn't have supplies to do it now - something to be marked and provided to Raina to do herself. As he worked, more and more tools came floating out of his backpack, like it was some kind of magical Mary Poppins carpetbag for dremels and soldering irons and wrenches. Before long, it became obvious that he had way more coming out of his backpack than could possibly have fit in there in the first place. Some other piece of tech most likely.
And the work itself ... of course that was top notch. If anyone had asked Hiro about his powers, he would have said he only had his technokinesis. But that wasn't the truth at all. This context made it obvious: his real superpower was his brain, with the tech manipulation only a dim second in comparison. Possibly the only actual superpower in existence in his world.
... He could easily spend hours like this, just working. ]
[ Being a part of this facility enabled Raina to do the things she loved doing -- studying human nature, particularly when it was a powered nature. The security cameras were documenting what Hiro was doing, but Raina did peek in on them from time to time just to see it unfold. It seemed like chaos to the untrained eye, but it was far more than that. Hiro had this all down to a science -- a musical number that had parts interchanging and weaving together, but never crashing or coming in at the wrong time.
A few of the other workers peered over her shoulder -- and it became clear that they were impressed as well. Even more eyes started watching the display. All of these workers weren't imPorts, so they didn't quite understand what they were witnessing, too used to seeing the cells and not the action.
Raina smiled, turning around toward them. ]
I told you to trust me. [ She looked back at the video. ] I knew he would be something amazing. I suggest you get ready to cut Hiro a nice check for his hard work.
[ That was one way to keep Hiro coming back. Though, these machines were fascinating all on their own; he was learning a whole lot from them just by taking them apart and putting them back together. If his brother were here scanning them too, they would really get an edge to drag back to their projects...
But would have to wait, for now. After a while, the tide of Hiro's work changed; instead of pulling things out of the machines, he put them back in. Tools retreated into his backpack as he reassembled panels, made machines look like machines again and not just piles of component. And then he got to his feet, standing on his tiptoes to slide the last sensor in manually. He shook himself and stretched. What time was it? How long had he been working? His coffee was long cold, and those gummi bears reminded him that he was ferociously hungry. A dull headache was pounding in the back of his head too, courtesy of overstraining his powers. He'd done a lot just now.
Stuffing gummi bears into his mouth, he wobbled back towards the door to the room. Paused. Then glanced up at the cameras. ]
[ Raina had to smile when Hiro addressed them via the camera. Well, at least he knew he was being watched. She pressed the little button to the intercom and answered: ]
Thank you, Hiro. We'll be in, in a moment.
[ Five long hours. And no one wanted to leave. Hiro's work had drawn quite an audience, and when Raina returned to the room where he was -- a few men followed behind her, eager to test out the machines. She went to Hiro's side and grinned. ]
Now that was impressive. You must do a lot of great things with your ability.
[ The workers were already abuzz by how fast the machinery turned on and scanned some of their samples -- by how much clearer the picture was on the screen, by how it no longer made that funky noise or stalled out. Everyone had nothing but excellent things to say about what Hiro had done, and Raina remained silent so Hiro could soak in his own pride from the compliments. ]
[ Having technokinesis wasn't a guarantee for knowing where all the machines were in any given room - the GPS hidden in his hoodie is a testament to that - but it's hard to miss cameras when his brain was already completely in tune with his surroundings. (In fact, that GPS is itching like mad and he can't figure out why.)
He grinned a little in return, sheepish and flushed. The shower of praise sure wasn't going to bring down the color in his face any time soon. He needed a meal and a nap, but boy did it feel good to have a whole room of engineers complimenting his work. Yet another reason to come back. He nodded and flushed under their compliment. But ... eventually, he found himself stepping away from the well-wishers and towards Raina. A crowd was still a crowd, and after a long work session, his social anxiety just wasn't ready for a lot of people around him. Even well-wishers. ]
Well - you know. It's what I do, I guess. I've been building things since before I could talk. Here I mostly cross things over with each other. Find new combinations.
[ As if that weren't special on its own. The Hamada brothers have absorbed and reused basically every piece of tech they've seen so far, with few exceptions. ]
[ Raina reached into her purse to pull out a yellow slip of paper -- a check for $750. It was the most she could negotiate the staff to pay, and judging by the results of what Hiro did, he deserved way more than that. ]
If it was up to me, I would have given you more for your work, Hiro. Without you, we would only be operating at half the capacity.
[ And her smile grows wide after Hiro expresses his interest in their research. ]
On both ends. I have no intention of keeping the things I learn a secret. We are all imPorts. We deserve to know and understand what it is that separates us from what we once were and what the regular citizens of this world actually are.
I greatly value your opinions, Hiro -- so I wonder, is there anything you have wondered personally? Anything that cellular research could possibly answer for you?
[ Any answers he's wanted? Other than all of them? The nanites are a fascinating subject in general, but there's one thing that stands out... ]
You think we could control 'em? I mean, change someone's powers or something? I like my set, but I know some people who really hate theirs. And man, if you could shift them in the middle of a fight...
That is an excellent question. Just the type of thoughtfulness I would expect from you.
I will certainly look into it. And perhaps I could even call you in if we can isolate the cause of our powers to certain nanites or aspects from the nanites. From my understanding, they weren't determined to be the cause of our powers per se, but I believe they definitely aid in them. And you being who you are with your ability would be the best versed at controlling technology so minuscule and microscopic. Have you ever tried manipulating them yourself? The ones inside your body, that is?
What if we have you training this specifically? And what I mean is, we can provide you with machines to manipulate with your abilities -- perhaps even larger scales of the nanites as soon as we get a good look at them. Over time, the models would get smaller and smaller until you're left with a true nanite sample to see if you can access this on a microscopic level.
If you learn to move and change one, then you should conceivably learn how to feel out for multiple nanites, correct? It could be an avenue worth exploring...
[ And she means that. Anything for her little star of the day. Raina reaches out to fondly pat him atop the head before gently resting her hand on his shoulder to offer support as she steers them out the door. ]
It must take a lot out of you to use your power like that for such a long period of time.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
microbrobotics) wrote2025-01-08 05:19 pm
no subject
He had to swallow, thickly, before going back to his work. He could feel the security cameras watching of course, courtesy of his powers, but between the mass of tech serving as background noise and the whirl of his own thoughts, he hardly cared. He was here at a fancy tech place, using his powers for good, and being appreciated for it. ]
Thanks. Uh - thanks.
[ That was all he managed to get out, though that wondering tone said volumes more. Right, his actual work. He turned back to his 3-D laboratory of floating parts and began sorting through them. This piece needed repairs. This one could be cleaned and put back. This one desperately needed replacement or an upgrade but he didn't have supplies to do it now - something to be marked and provided to Raina to do herself. As he worked, more and more tools came floating out of his backpack, like it was some kind of magical Mary Poppins carpetbag for dremels and soldering irons and wrenches. Before long, it became obvious that he had way more coming out of his backpack than could possibly have fit in there in the first place. Some other piece of tech most likely.
And the work itself ... of course that was top notch. If anyone had asked Hiro about his powers, he would have said he only had his technokinesis. But that wasn't the truth at all. This context made it obvious: his real superpower was his brain, with the tech manipulation only a dim second in comparison. Possibly the only actual superpower in existence in his world.
... He could easily spend hours like this, just working. ]
no subject
A few of the other workers peered over her shoulder -- and it became clear that they were impressed as well. Even more eyes started watching the display. All of these workers weren't imPorts, so they didn't quite understand what they were witnessing, too used to seeing the cells and not the action.
Raina smiled, turning around toward them. ]
I told you to trust me. [ She looked back at the video. ] I knew he would be something amazing. I suggest you get ready to cut Hiro a nice check for his hard work.
no subject
But would have to wait, for now. After a while, the tide of Hiro's work changed; instead of pulling things out of the machines, he put them back in. Tools retreated into his backpack as he reassembled panels, made machines look like machines again and not just piles of component. And then he got to his feet, standing on his tiptoes to slide the last sensor in manually. He shook himself and stretched. What time was it? How long had he been working? His coffee was long cold, and those gummi bears reminded him that he was ferociously hungry. A dull headache was pounding in the back of his head too, courtesy of overstraining his powers. He'd done a lot just now.
Stuffing gummi bears into his mouth, he wobbled back towards the door to the room. Paused. Then glanced up at the cameras. ]
All done. Should run much smoother now.
no subject
Thank you, Hiro. We'll be in, in a moment.
[ Five long hours. And no one wanted to leave. Hiro's work had drawn quite an audience, and when Raina returned to the room where he was -- a few men followed behind her, eager to test out the machines. She went to Hiro's side and grinned. ]
Now that was impressive. You must do a lot of great things with your ability.
[ The workers were already abuzz by how fast the machinery turned on and scanned some of their samples -- by how much clearer the picture was on the screen, by how it no longer made that funky noise or stalled out. Everyone had nothing but excellent things to say about what Hiro had done, and Raina remained silent so Hiro could soak in his own pride from the compliments. ]
no subject
He grinned a little in return, sheepish and flushed. The shower of praise sure wasn't going to bring down the color in his face any time soon. He needed a meal and a nap, but boy did it feel good to have a whole room of engineers complimenting his work. Yet another reason to come back. He nodded and flushed under their compliment. But ... eventually, he found himself stepping away from the well-wishers and towards Raina. A crowd was still a crowd, and after a long work session, his social anxiety just wasn't ready for a lot of people around him. Even well-wishers. ]
Well - you know. It's what I do, I guess. I've been building things since before I could talk. Here I mostly cross things over with each other. Find new combinations.
[ As if that weren't special on its own. The Hamada brothers have absorbed and reused basically every piece of tech they've seen so far, with few exceptions. ]
no subject
[ Raina reached into her purse to pull out a yellow slip of paper -- a check for $750. It was the most she could negotiate the staff to pay, and judging by the results of what Hiro did, he deserved way more than that. ]
If it was up to me, I would have given you more for your work, Hiro. Without you, we would only be operating at half the capacity.
no subject
Thanks. I mean, this is plenty, just ... You gotta tell me how well they work, okay? And I'm real curious about your research too.
no subject
[ And her smile grows wide after Hiro expresses his interest in their research. ]
On both ends. I have no intention of keeping the things I learn a secret. We are all imPorts. We deserve to know and understand what it is that separates us from what we once were and what the regular citizens of this world actually are.
I greatly value your opinions, Hiro -- so I wonder, is there anything you have wondered personally? Anything that cellular research could possibly answer for you?
no subject
You think we could control 'em? I mean, change someone's powers or something? I like my set, but I know some people who really hate theirs. And man, if you could shift them in the middle of a fight...
no subject
I will certainly look into it. And perhaps I could even call you in if we can isolate the cause of our powers to certain nanites or aspects from the nanites. From my understanding, they weren't determined to be the cause of our powers per se, but I believe they definitely aid in them. And you being who you are with your ability would be the best versed at controlling technology so minuscule and microscopic. Have you ever tried manipulating them yourself? The ones inside your body, that is?
no subject
I - uh - kind of. No luck so far, though. They're just too small. It's like trying to pick a grain of rice with fireplace tongs.
-- But I think I could, with practice. I mean, my range has already gotten way better just by doing stuff with it every day.
no subject
What if we have you training this specifically? And what I mean is, we can provide you with machines to manipulate with your abilities -- perhaps even larger scales of the nanites as soon as we get a good look at them. Over time, the models would get smaller and smaller until you're left with a true nanite sample to see if you can access this on a microscopic level.
If you learn to move and change one, then you should conceivably learn how to feel out for multiple nanites, correct? It could be an avenue worth exploring...
no subject
... Yeah. I'd definitely be interested. Makes sense to me.
no subject
Wonderful. You have been nothing but extraordinary, Hiro. I really appreciate all that you've done so far and all that you will do.
You look tired, though. You should probably go home and rest. Do you need me to drive you?
no subject
Uh - if you don't mind? Sorry.
no subject
[ And she means that. Anything for her little star of the day. Raina reaches out to fondly pat him atop the head before gently resting her hand on his shoulder to offer support as she steers them out the door. ]
It must take a lot out of you to use your power like that for such a long period of time.