microbrobotics | [MoM] IC CONTACT POST

[ She laughed lightly. ]

Well, I would say I'm surprised. You deserve the utmost respect.

[ She cast a glance toward some of the lab workers who were staring at the display -- obviously wondering if she was crazy for enlisting a kid. But they turned away when she made eye contact and went back to their business. Appeased, Raina looked back to Hiro. ]

I really appreciate you coming this way during your free time.

[ She led him to where most of the tech was -- slightly older, mostly used, and definitely secondhand from some larger research facility. ]

You can clearly see the problem in this, can't you?

[ She pressed a palm against one of the machines. ]

[ Their looks weren't lost on Hiro, but he just shoved them to the back of his mind. He'd had worse. ]

Yeah, well. Deserving it and getting isn't the same thing.

[ That wasn't important right now, though. What was important ... ah, those machines. He cringed just looking at them. Even making allowances for this world's tech being behind his own, he couldn't see how they expected to get anything done with these things. He was so very glad to be working at StarkTech and not here. His eyes half-lidded in concentration as he reached out to feel around with his technokinesis. While he didn't have the instant blueprinting ability that his brother did, there was still a lot he could learn just feeling what moved inside a machine like this. ]

No kidding ... Is this really all they gave you? I've got better stuff in my garage.

[ Mostly because he had a very illegal stolen generator and the Hamadas' copy of it sitting in there. ]

Edited 2015-04-13 02:26 (UTC)

[ Her expression became drawn in helpless despair. ]

Yes, this is it.

[ She watched him and the machines -- the way he was drawn to them, the way he felt them. Technokinesis, Hiro called it during their conversation. Just how did it work? Raina stepped a little closer, bending a little so she was at his height, trying to see what he could see. ]

Is there anything you can do for them?

'course there's something I can do for them...

[ The more relevant question was how much? He was leery of incorporating too much of what he'd learned from the generators into tech for someone he barely knew. But they were doing this kind of thing anyway, so what was the harm in giving them some pointers? Good research couldn't hurt anything, right?

He took a step back from the machine, that half-dazed look of concentration still on his face. After a quick check to make sure this machine wasn't running anything important, he pulled at the thing, letting it slide apart into its component pieces as it moved. The result was like an exploded blueprint drawing: everything hovering in place, still neatly organized, but instantaneously taken apart. It also came with a thick cloud of dust and grime. Boy, when Raina said these things were old, she wasn't kidding. ]

Lemme start with this one.

[ Raina watched this, absolutely fascinated. She watched his hands and watched the machine come apart. She watched the look on his face and took in everything about Hiro in the moment -- a young kid who understood technology at its core. She was right in her assumption. A true prodigy.

Her eyes never left him as she spoke up. ]

We can give you a monetary compensation for all your help today. If you name a price, I'll be sure to get you all that you ask for and more.

[ Enough to have his intelligence count as a full superpower, in fact. He'd been building robots before he could speak full sentences. Now that the machine was open to him, he made himself a makeshift "workshop" area in the middle of it all. He floated a piece into the cleared spot and pulled a couple of small tools from his backpack. Including a tiny, adorable white robot that hovered close with a light to illuminate his work. Clearly something he'd built himself.

... He paused after a moment of this. He'd been momentarily lost in the hum of all the machine parts floating around him. ]

Oh, uh - yeah. I won't turn that down. We can work something out.

[ He hadn't planned on asking for money, but if she was offering then he might as well take it. ]

[ Hiro was like a mad genius at work. It was truly delightful to behold. All floating parts and understanding. Raina couldn't help the awe she felt getting to see him do this. But she didn't want to seem as though she was hovering. Her eyes drifted to the little illuminating robot and her lips quirked in a small smile. Innovative. ]

Should I leave you alone with the machines? I could go get you something from the vending machine and then wait outside until you're done?

[ Hiro didn't mind an audience, really, especially when it was just one person. But he also doubted he'd be any kind of decent conversationalist when he's elbow deep in a machine. ]

Yeah, probably a good idea. [ He paused. ] I mean, you can watch if you want, but I'm gonna be concentrating on what I'm doing.

[ Raina smiled in understanding. He didn't offend her and she simply waved off his offer. ]

I would only be a distraction. Do you want me to get you something to eat or drink?

[ He thought for a moment. ]

Coffee. And some gummi bears.

[ Aw. Such a kid. Living off sugar and caffeine. ]

Of course.

[ And then she headed off to retrieve said items, bringing him sugar and creamer for his coffee since she didn't know how much or little he liked in it. After she set the items down nearby -- in a spot that wasn't invaded by his genius level madness -- Raina reached out to briefly clasp his shoulder, giving it an appreciative and encouraging squeeze. ]

I can't wait to see the end result. I'll be just outside if you need me.

[ And with that, Raina sashayed out the door to leave Hiro to his work process. It's not as though she wouldn't be able to see it. There were, of course, security cameras in the room recording his every move. ]

[ 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. ]

All done. Should run much smoother now.

[ 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. ]

Edited 2015-04-20 01:28 (UTC)

Well even so, what you have is an amazing gift.

[ 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.

[ Still. For five hours of work, $750 is a real nice sum. He takes it, rubbing at his bleary eyes a little. ]

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.

I will keep you updated, of course.

[ 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?

[ Every time she complimented him, he colored a bit more. Definitely weak to praise. ]

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.

[ Raina taps her chin in thought. ]

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...

[ That - was exactly what he had sort of tried before, too. He'd just had better things to do. ]

... Yeah. I'd definitely be interested. Makes sense to me.

[ She grins. ]

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?

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