ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴍʀ ᴅᴇɢᴀʀ (
stationmaster) wrote2022-07-21 08:08 pm
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CHARACTERS: degar, viveca
LOCATION: the north wing (old team living quarters)
DATE: post-fox and the hare mission
CONTENT: viveca gets an upgrade
WARNINGS: cavities!!!!
[ some time after itachi leaves and the call-line slows to a halt for the night, degar sets to work. he starts all of the preparations with next to no expectation that they'll accomplish more than maybe a chat about the body tonight, but viveca seems renewed in her interest (ready, even) for something that looks a little more like who she really is: the person beyond that screen, with legs and hair and proper fingers. he has no idea how advanced this android is supposed to be, doesn't really know any more about the tech on her world beyond what she's told him, but he knows how important it is for her to feel just that much more like herself when they're so far away from e-23b. (again.)
with viv's help, and maybe after a little bit of reassurance that he knows what he's doing, he's not the same clueless idiot that stepped onto this station all those missions ago, they download her programming from the large screen-with-arms and upload it to the new android body.
and then nothing happens.
nothing happens for so long, while a small blinking light at the base of viv's neck goes from red to blue, and time stretches on and on until degar goes from pacing the room to strumming his lute, to snacking on something he must have picked up from the mess hall some time earlier, leaving crumbs all over the rough fabric of one of their old crewmates' blankets.
and then suddenly the blue light blinks green and he can hear a shifting over where viveca's body lies. ]
You know, I was this close to reciting one of my new songs just to force you awake.
[ he puts his instrument down immediately and all but dashes back to viveca's side. ]
How are you feeling?
LOCATION: the north wing (old team living quarters)
DATE: post-fox and the hare mission
CONTENT: viveca gets an upgrade
WARNINGS: cavities!!!!
[ some time after itachi leaves and the call-line slows to a halt for the night, degar sets to work. he starts all of the preparations with next to no expectation that they'll accomplish more than maybe a chat about the body tonight, but viveca seems renewed in her interest (ready, even) for something that looks a little more like who she really is: the person beyond that screen, with legs and hair and proper fingers. he has no idea how advanced this android is supposed to be, doesn't really know any more about the tech on her world beyond what she's told him, but he knows how important it is for her to feel just that much more like herself when they're so far away from e-23b. (again.)
with viv's help, and maybe after a little bit of reassurance that he knows what he's doing, he's not the same clueless idiot that stepped onto this station all those missions ago, they download her programming from the large screen-with-arms and upload it to the new android body.
and then nothing happens.
nothing happens for so long, while a small blinking light at the base of viv's neck goes from red to blue, and time stretches on and on until degar goes from pacing the room to strumming his lute, to snacking on something he must have picked up from the mess hall some time earlier, leaving crumbs all over the rough fabric of one of their old crewmates' blankets.
and then suddenly the blue light blinks green and he can hear a shifting over where viveca's body lies. ]
You know, I was this close to reciting one of my new songs just to force you awake.
[ he puts his instrument down immediately and all but dashes back to viveca's side. ]
How are you feeling?
no subject
but it had never been a priority, her time was always better spent doing something else, and the benefits of her having a body for the entire team? minimal. it was selfish, and so she never pursued it beyond an errant thought.
but her mother had wanted her to have this. the team had gone to so much trouble just to make sure the android wasn't in the wrong hands. now... it would be selfish to decline it.
the preparations take time, and so does the process itself — the android itself is programmed to receive a consciousness, but the challenge is getting the station to cooperate. but in the end, they do it. and after what feels like eons, viveca wakes up in an actual body. ]
That — [ she coughs, getting used to the artificial vocal chords ] — that wouldn't have been a bad way to wake up.
[ she moves slowly, experimentally, trying to push herself up to a half-sitting position. ]
It's... weird? I know that it's not my real body, but... [ but it feels eerily similar. ]
no subject
[ he's mostly kidding, and he's mostly filling in the quiet with his usual flair of humour.
truthfully, he's trying not to stare at viveca while she starts to learn her way through her body, and he's trying not to look for all of the ways the android body might go wrong. itachi did assure him that they'd already checked for it for safety, and degar had run his own diagnostics here too. the body was in full working condition, clean of any foreign ware, and was about as empty a vessel as any could be.
so maybe it's just natural worry then. viv's his closest friend, his closest everything, so obviously he's gonna be a little skittish. (it's still deeply uncool though.) ]
Can you ... feel through it?
[ he holds his hand out, palm facing up so she could try if she wanted to. ]
And the other senses? What are those like?
no subject
it's comforting — the way he talks to fill in the spaces between her thoughts, just like he always used to. it's something that's not changed in all this time.
with a blooming smile, she takes his hand. ]
Of course I can. Back home, androids are like humans, except — well, not alive or made of flesh and blood. But androids can feel just like humans can. I can smell everything, too... what I can't do is eat. I'd taste everything, I think, but the food itself would mess up my system.
no subject
That is so cool.
[ he says this with that renewed sense of awe, fingers slowly folding over hers. he swears he can feel warmth in them but that's probably just him, and a healthy dose of imagination. but man, it's nice to be able to do this with anyone at all, but especially her.
even after all this time, all this exposure to this tech can still be so fascinating. ]
Okay, so I'll hold off on the celebratory oysters and kimchi. Gotcha.
[ he grins. ]
It was probably gonna be a really bad combo anyway.
no subject
[ she starts, exclaims, like she can't quite believe the horror of it; but then she stops, laughs. quiets.
slowly, she moves her other hand so it rests on his, blanketing his hand. ]
Degar... thanks. For all of it. I don't think I had time to say it, back then. [ with everything that had happened, and the station suddenly their responsibility... they hadn't had the time. and since then, they both had done their best to not talk about it all — it had hurt too much. he hid himself to his magic, his jokes and songs, while she'd done her best to forget she'd ever been a human at all.
but maybe they've both done enough hiding.
she sighs, looking down. ]
I hate that you've done so much... and no one's ever going to know.
no subject
but his grin widens, an automatic reaction that feels more heartfelt than it has in a while. it sobers the moment viv puts her hand over his and he feels the weight of it, but his mouth softens to a small smile. ]
Hey. [ he nudges at their joined hands. ] I should be thanking you. I never would've gotten even halfway to where we are now if it weren't for you.
[ and he means that, which is selfish in a way, he knows, but he's stopped guilt-tripping himself over it. (sometimes.) besides, it's totally true. ]
But — it's okay. I think of it like a birthday wish. You know, on Earth they have this really funny superstition when you blow out the candles on a cake. [ which is already a weird tradition in itself because how big must the cake be to fit those candles? ] But while you're doing it you're supposed to wish for something, like a dream or something you want to happen, but you can't tell anyone or the wish doesn't come true.
I really want this to come true.
no subject
and he knows just how far she'd been willing to go, to make sure he wasn't left to do this alone.
his comparison is — unique, as ever for him, but also makes a terrible amount of sense. she sighs. ]
How is it you know of all these Earth traditions, while the girl who's actually from an Earth doesn't?
[ not that birthday cakes and wishes were a thing in e-23b. she gives him a half-smile. ] ... but I know what you mean. It's better this way, isn't it?
[ it isn't like there's a chance of a repeat of what happened. sharing everything that happened would just worry the team needlessly. ]
no subject
[ sometimes he does that. takes ideas from other planets they've been on, remembers the things he'd seen, or the way he'd felt, and then puts it into one of his songs. he's got a lot of half-finished material, a lot of verses started but never finished.
he's got a lot about what happened to him and viv, but none of it will ever see the light of day. ]
Yeah. It's for the best. As long as you know, that's all that matters to me.
[ he isn't doing this for any other reason than because it needed to be done and he was the only one left.
him and viv. ]
And I hate to bring this up so soon but ... you've got a lot of fans out there, waiting to hear from you.
no subject
that he's making songs again is a relief.
as long as you know, he says, and she smiles at him, finally letting go of his hand as she stands up, slowly. relearning something she should have ingrained in her. ]
I'll talk to them, [ comes the response, though she looks somewhere at the wall. ] Eventually. I... As soon as I don't feel like a stranger in what should be my body. I'll go see them, then.
no subject
[ he folds his hands together now, leaning forward on the tops of his thighs as he remains seated. he watches viveca experiment with the movements of her new limbs and can't help but smile wide. it's been so long since he's seen her like this in any form at all. ]
In the meantime, you can always hide out here. It's still as cozy as it ever was ... maybe a little dustier too, but that's only because I'm never letting Nannybot in here again. Not after it tried to get rid of ... well, everything.
[ all the things the little droid deemed 'trash', when it was everything degar considered invaluable. too precious to even be moved. photos, keepsakes, the exact creases left in blankets and bedspreads and in pillows.
this room is where time stopped but he wouldn't have it any other way. ]
no subject
I've missed hiding out here. [ she takes a moment to look at it all, the little mementos they still have left of everyone. she has missed this; the feeling of standing here, a tangible part of the team once more. the knowledge she can stand by degar's side when there is need. i've missed hiding out here with you, she doesn't say, because she doesn't need to.
she looks back at him, raises her brow. ]
I may not need to eat, but you do. I'll make you something. Will you come with me?
[ she's lain in bed for long enough. ]
no subject
they had some good times, calm and quiet ones in the midst of the chaos that was being a part of the crew.
his eyebrows raise when she makes her offer though, a grin splits his face. ]
You're really gonna make me something? [ please, as though he'd linger around here, with an offer like that. ] Lead the way.
no subject
[ it doesn't require an answer; he knows she doesn't. it's a personal vow she keeps to as much as she can, and doesn't break unless it's crucial. she's only lied to him once throughout the time they've known each other —
with a nod, she turns around, starts to walk out of the room. though she stops, as they make it to the door, turns towards him again, looks up at him; there's a strange comfort in once more having the same difference between them, her head tilted upwards to meet his eyes.
it's within one blink and the next that she takes a step closer to throw her arms around his neck, hug him as tight as she can, and then step away again swiftly. ]
I read about a one-pan meatball pasta recipe, it should be fairly quick. It sounded good — I think it was invented by a famous chef or something...
[ her tone is conversational as she walks through the door, not looking back at him even once. ]
no subject
oh.
it almost breaks his heart, the way she moves in to squeeze him tight and then move back just about as quickly, too soon to even fully comprehend just how much he's missed it. missed her. missed everything about their old life, before this one. something sinks in his chest and he swallows it down.
but he feels the corners of his mouth lift upwards before the rest of his body catches up, before his brain can settle into their old rhythm again and he can pretend like that hug was no big deal. ]
Uh—huh, yeah? [ he'd paused in the room for a moment too long, and now he has to move to catch up to her. ] It wasn't that guy Boyardee, right? I hear he's kind of a hack.
no subject
her answer comes, just as casual, ] No, Jamie something, I think —
[ and then what he said seems to catch up with her, and she stops, turns to him; once more, there's laughter in her tone as she exclaims, ]
No! How — how do you come up with these things? I can't believe you don't remember half the stories or abilities of our crew here, but then you've read about a brand of canned pasta... [ but instead of it being a reproach, her eyes are strangely bright as she looks at him, stifling her giggles pressing her fingers against her mouth.
(she remembers it, still — half a year into being in the team, serious and focused as she had been, then; she'd had little cause to laugh or joke, even before all that, back home. even her smiles had been rare. and then degar, with just one off-hand remark, had made her burst into full, embarrassing giggles.
she'd never been more astonished than realising she'd forgotten how to laugh.) ]
no subject
especially when they're the kind of fact that can make viveca laugh. ]
In my defense, it was a really memorable brand of canned pasta. Mostly because it seemed so slimy and disgusting, like having tomato-soaked slugs for supper.
Not at all what you're gonna make, I'm sure.