[video]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Sam's collected a handful of cards---some fancy, some simple---and she shuffles through them, one eyebrow up. Still shuffling, she looks to her drone to address it, and the whole of Haven.]

I've gotta say, this something of a mind-screw. I've been here... Seventy-six days. Damn.

[She's taken aback, at least a little, by the tally, but shrugs after swearing and soldiers on.]

That's not the thing that throws me. The thing that throws me is having had Valentine's seventy-six days ago! Keeping my calendar, we'd be two days out of April.

Comments

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Pff! But wait.]

Is that even a possible thing? If it is, that's far too Faustian. I mean, man; 'I live inside my skin: I know more beautiful, more ample, more sturdy and more picturesque skins: but it would seem to me unnatural to exchange them for mine.'

So that's out.

But, as you are old enough to be on armchair terms with god, I've got a question.

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

[He shrugs so far unaware of Cylas's fate.] Dunno, but you could always find out.

Yeah? And what's that?

[10_20_15_5_50]

[She makes a non-committal noise, but moves on.]

In all your eons, have you heard anything about the gateways---ground bridges, whatever you want to call them---having accidents where something's gone horribly wrong? And if so, how often?

[Although they are incredibly useful, she's still not quite comfortable with the things.]

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

Accidents? Not really. They can explode, but I’ve only head of that happening a handful of times, and that mostly back when they were first invented.

[He looks thoughtful.] And apparently these ones are designed after the ones we’ve got back home, so they should hold up about the same. Why? You worried it’s gonna vaporize you or somethin’?

[10_20_15_5_50]

Well, no... but that's because I was wondering about the odds of something about as unpleasant but much messier happening. When I first saw one, my first thought was 'there are so many ways this could end badly.'

[She spreads her hands, linefacing a little.]

First and foremost in my mind was some... nasty biomass merger, a la Cronenberg or Carpenter.

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

[It actually takes him a moment to realize he knows those names...and then he makes a face] Eewwww!

No! Nothing like that would happen. Hasn't happened with bots, ever, or humans.

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Sam has a whole new appreciation for pop culture, as it's allowed her to make her point perfectly---as indicated by that 'eewwww!']

And up until now there's my not knowing but that it could happen, maybe. You see why I was worried by the 'but what if,' thinking '...Brundlefly?' early on!

[She grimaces briefly, before turning her attention back to today's important information.]

So it's really, really nice to hear nothing like that's happened, especially from someone who's been around forever and would've borne witness.

/keywords

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

Ugh! You humans have a freaky idea of science. Even, I know that’s now how science works.

Yeah, ground bridges are safe. Even for humans.

Back atcha

[10_20_15_5_50]

How science works isn't the issue. [But she's back to joking, now that her fears have been assauged.] The issue is what happens when science doesn't work.

Thank you. It figured, but I still feel better for hearing there hasn't been a horrorshow.Only explosions.

['Ages ago' makes it alright, strange as it is to say.]

XD C'mon! Let me at least have 5 seconds of true tagvana!

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

[He snorts, but it's clear she's back to teasing, so he's got a smile back on his face.]

Just explosions, not that one of those wouldn't leave you as a horrorshow, but they're unlikely.

Mmm NAH (these guys are too cute)

[10_20_15_5_50]

Given that the gateways are big enough to accommodate guys like you, one exploding wouldn't leave me much of anything, man. But speaking of horrorshows... The Fly? The Thing? They're known to you?

Pbbt! But yes, they are too cute.

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

[He shrugs, looking away a little self-consciously.]

My partner liked going to drive-in’s on Earth, usually the horror movies.

[He never quite saw what Knock Out found so fascinating about human horror films, but he always joined his partner when invited to.]

Bless that voice test

[10_20_15_5_50]

That's awesome.

[She means it. One more person who gets her pop culture cracks isn't just one more person who might find them funny, but someone she can talk to to feel not quite so far from home... wherever that someone is from.]

What about you? Got a favourite genre?

XD

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

[There's a little smile at her approval...]

[AND HE'S SO NOT ANSWERING THAT.]

Eh. [He shrugs.] Anything's fine, I guess. Drive ins were more Knock Out's thing.

[10_20_15_5_50]

...If I ever get the opportunity to show Jadewing a good horror movie---and I hope to, since it sounds like he's seen a lot of bad ones---you wanna watch with?

[She's hopeful, even if Breakdown isn't as much for movies as the other mech. 'Anything's fine' bodes well, and his knowing directors' names, even if it's possible he isn't remembering out of interest.]

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

[He looks...distant for a moment. Knock Out would love seeing a good horror movie...and Knock Out isn’t here.]

Yeah...I’d come. Just let me know when.

[10_20_15_5_50]

Great. [She grins, clearly pleased.] As soon as I happen across a horror movie good enough to prove some panning's worthwhile, I'll give you a shout.

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

[He gives her a lopsided grin.]

I'll be waiting to hear from you then.

[10_20_15_5_50]

I'll try not to keep you waiting too long a time, then.

Granted, given that this is you I'm talking to, I expect I've got ten, twenty years' grace.

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

[He waves a hand.] Yeah, that'd be like an afternoon.

[SO teasing her now.]

[10_20_15_5_50]

I'm a patient person but that's patently ridiculous.

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

[Snickers] You only say that because you live such a ridiculously short time.

[10_20_15_5_50]

Maybe in part? But mostly it's I'm not that patient. And speaking of afternoons, wait a second. What's the runtime on, say, a standard Cybertronian show?

[a_little_red_in_the_face]

[He shrugs.] Would work out to what you’d call two hours.

[10_20_15_5_50]

That's shorter than I had dared hope, since you guys have got all the time in the world and, presumably do not suffer numb bums if you sit too long.