Planting Seeds

Log Title: Planting Seeds Characters: Ar-gent Silverfinger, Natalia, Sci-Nide, Eye-Gore Location: Pripyat, Ukraine Date: August 10, 2018 TP: Evil Junkion TP Summary: Ar-gent and Natalia chat while Sci-Nide works on some farm equipment. As logged by  Ar-gent Silverfinger Log session starting at 19:30:03 on Friday, 10 August 2018.

Ar-Gent Silverfinger is outside of Spaceball-1 again, lazily smoking an enercig and watching Sci-Nide and Eye-Gore at work. He keeps his optics open for guests or trouble.

Decontamination apparently requires a large amount of farm equipment. Eye-Gore shuffles about, setting things up and connecting an irrigation framework to a tank.

Natalia is watching the Junkions work and trying to stay out of the way. She makes mental notes of the equipment and how they are using it.

Sci-Nide is wandering amongst the equipment tapping, adjusting, and putting various substances into them. He is also busy 'instructing' other Evil Inc. Junkions what needs to happen next.

Natalia asks Sci-Nide, "What is going to happen to all the contamination?"

Ar-Gent Silverfinger comments to nobody. "I shall be quite glad when this is done. There are only so many showers one can usefully take in an afternoon."

Sci-Nide turns to look down at the human female. "We are going to dispose of it."

Natalia nods and says, "The Americans have a place called 'Three-Mile Island' that is also contaminated. There are also storage facilities with nuclear waste that could use permanent disposal."

Ar-Gent Silverfinger grins with all his teeth. "Well, there are business opportunities everywhere."

Sci-Nide nods, "This is true, but they have limits on what technology can be deployed. Something about 'unforseen effects' and 'unacceptable loss of property' if something does not behave within predicted parameters."

Natalia nods, smiles evilly, and says, "If this works well, they'll be begging you to help them. You'll be able to charge whatever you want."

Ar-Gent Silverfinger hmms. "Oh, this is a charitable mission. Good will and all that."

Sci-Nide says, "Science and technology!"

Natalia raises an eyebrow and says, "Fascinating. Are you going to share your method then?"

Ar-Gent Silverfinger rolls his uncovered optic over to look at Sci-Nide, pulling on his enercig. "That's really up to the scientist, I suppose."

Sci-Nide looks over at Ar-Gent. "It wouldn't do them any good. Their simple minds could not possibly comprehend the underlying priniples and formulae needed to implement even the smallest bit of it."

Natalia says, "We don't even have faster than light travel, so I can only imagine how much over our heads this is."

Ar-Gent Silverfinger nods. "Practically everything Sci-Nide does is incomprehensible," he says cheerfully. "Which does tend to make it look dull from the outside, I'm afraid."

Sci-Nide says, "You only say that because it's true."

Natalia asks, "How long do you think it will take? I realize that you can't rush genius, but Moscow is curious."

Sci-Nide looks up into the sky, "I remember those nights, planning technologies that didn't exist yet, outsider science, futurist dreaming, half-magical. The things I could do outside the university setting, now that I didn't have to wait for the pompous fools at the college! I was building another science, my science, wild science, robots and lasers and disembodied brains. A science that buzzed and glowed; it wanted to do things. It could get up and walk, fly, fight, sprout garish glowing creations in the remotest parts of the world, domes and towers and architectural fever dreams. And it was angry. It was mad science."

Ar-Gent Silverfinger just shrugs at Natalia. "If you are bored, I do have an errand to run in Moscow sooner or later."

Natalia asks, "What do you need? My superiors said to make myself as useful as possible."

Ar-Gent Silverfinger chuckles. "A side project. I have to present some credentials for a very exclusive auction."

Sci-Nide continues his monologue to no one in particular. "We hold life to be sacred, but we also know the foundation of life consists in a stream of codes not so different from the successive frames of a watchvid. Why then cannot we cut one code short here, and start another there? Is life so fragile that it can withstand no tampering? Does the sacred brook no improvement?"

Natalia looks at Sci-Nide and says, "That is quite the vision." To Ar-Gent she says, "I should be able to do that. What is the auction for?"

Ar-Gent Silverfinger smirks. "While you are more than welcome to come along, I do wish to be present myself. I'd like to get a look at the merchandise if I can. An amethyst of Deep Siberian quality is worth appreciating in person."

Sci-Nide looks back down at the combine in front of him and gets to work adjusting things. As Eye-Gore wanders close to his master Sci-Nide pants the hump on the smaller mech's back. "Go get me the spare samophlange."

Eye-Gore nods, "Yes Mashter," and starts making his way to the shuttle.

Natalia's eyes get wide and she says, "It is indeed. That is going to attract a lot of interested bidders, and those with less honorable intentions. It will be quite the sight."

Sci-Nide has lost interest in the conversation and is instead focusing on whatever it is his plan calls for on the farm machinery at hand.

Ar-Gent Silverfinger nods. "It is sure to be interesting! I hope to be able to purchase it at auction, but of course plan to be alert for thieves."

Natalia says, "Is it needed for this project, or something else. Of course, something that beautiful is worth owning just for its magnificence."

Ar-Gent Silverfinger shakes his head. "Not for this. The gem is rumored to be cursed, and that has piqued our interest."

Sci-Nide activates the machine cloest to him which roars to life and executes whatever program has been installed onboard, digging furrows into the ground.

Natalia's face grows dark and she spits, "Curses? I don't believe in such things. It's like believing in ghosts." As the machine roars to life, she startles.

Ar-Gent Silverfinger chuckles. "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy." He crushes out the stub of his enercig. "Ghosts exist. And they can kill."

Natalia says with disgust, "That jerk of an ex-boyfriend of mine thought he saw a ghost until he realized ghosts don't cast shadows. While I am glad I came, I was ordered to because they viewed me as expendable for losing control of my facilities like I did. I hope he is being punished for his lapse in reason, and knowing his superiors, I am sure it is horrible. he deserves every minute of it and more!"

Ar-Gent Silverfinger ahs. "I've never met a human ghost. But I have seen some terrible things made from dark energies." He nods to Sci-Nide. "Mere grist for the mill with the right equipment."

Natalia says, "I believe you. There is more than what I can see and understand but what gets me is that he got me. There were clues that idiot should have picked up on since he has way more combat experience than I. To be honest, I'm more of a behind the scenes soldier."

The machinery drives deeper into the forest. Sci-Nide gives a self-satified nods as he steps over to another large farm implement.

About that time Eye-Gore returns with what one can only assume is the spare 'Samophlange' which Sci-Nide takes and begins to install it on the new machinery.

Ar-Gent Silverfinger beams. "A large organization takes all kinds. Fortunately, meat shields are a dime a dozen."

Natalia nods and says simply, "Yes, they are."

Log session ending at 22:50:27 on Friday, 10 August 2018.