20th Fix

[technohippie]

After talking with Sanguinius, and realizing that his one-year Mayfield anniversary is around the corner, Quinn's had enough sitting on his ass doing nothing, watching his friends get hurt or droned for good.

But what can he do? His technological talents were no good here, a sort of reverse obsolescence. He wasn't physically strong - anything but. Stick-thin, 9 years as a smoker, and has barely ever exercised in his life. That, and he abhorred violence, and was a coward to top it off. What could he do?

It was time to change all that! He had to become a better person. Time to shape up, Quinn Hatch!


For the next few days Quinn will be up to the following things:

[1) Quitting smoking, going cold turkey. It's not the best way to do it, especially when you have a 2-packs-a-day habit. At home and at school, he'll be noticeably, uncharacteristically irritable. That ever-present cigarette not being in his mouth might be a clue to the observant.]

Okay, today in class, everyone's just gonna sit quietly and... read. Or somethin'. Whatever ya want, so long as it's quiet. Sound good?

[2) Jogging through the neighborhood. No, it's not a joke. Well okay, maybe it is, because it's pathetic. He's trying really hard, but he gets about two blocks before he's leaning against a lamp post, wheezing and sweating.]

This is... bullshit, man. People seriously... do this... every damn day? For miles?

[3) The garage doors of 339 Brady Lane are open as always, the space Quinn has converted into his hang out and shop. The giant TV is currently playing a movie. It's Cloverfield to anyone who knows it; to anyone else it's a shaky camera movie involving monsters and a lot of screaming, stupid people. Quinn only has it on for background noise, though. He's got parts strewn all over the table, as he's dismantled dozens of appliances and machinery. He's currently standing in front of his laptop, doing inventory on what he has. Feel free to stop in.]

[4)Speaking of laptops, in the mail Quinn gets his next regain - his first ever computer, given to him when he was only 8 years old, right after his technomancy powers came to be. Baffled as to why Mayfield would send him this, of all things, he gets a good laugh at it. You might come across him in the garage, playing around with it, smiling the whole while.]

Comments

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

[Oh! A visitor!

...A hot visitor. God bless you, Mayfield.]

Ah, hey there! Still workin' on that part to be honest with ya. [He sighs.] Tryin' to work with the tech they got here is a challenge to me.

[flowers-suck.livejournal.com]

[She nods, but is still interested in his project. She walks over to the device he's standing in front of and inspects it. It's like those television things in the house, but seems to have a command center.]

We didn't have these television things where I'm from. What does this do?

[She runs her fingers over the keyboard, but is careful not to push anything. For all she knows it could self-destruct if she hits the right button.]

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

This is a computer, actually. Does all kindsa things, really. It can act like a TV but does all kindsa stuff on top of it. This one I mostly used for music purposes back home, so it's mostly filled with that over anything else.

[flowers-suck.livejournal.com]

No computers either. It stores music?

[She stares at the size of it. No record would fit in that thing.]

What else can these things do?

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Stores tons of stuff. Music, movies, books... but ultimately any kind of data. Where I'm from, computer do pretty much everything. Everything from running power plants and flyin' airplanes, to playing games and making phone calls.

[flowers-suck.livejournal.com]

[She doesn't know what half of what he said was, but she nods anyway.]

So it is like a command center. So much in such a tiny little thing, that is impressive.

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Yep. They get smaller all the time, too. [He reaches over, turns on the iPad and hands it to her.] Here. This one's got a touch screen. Just tap the buttons.

[flowers-suck.livejournal.com]

[She stares at it for a moment, then turns it over in her hands marveling at how light it is.]

How does everything get in this?

[She doesn't know what she tapped on, but suddenly there is loud music. If it could be called music, that is. She's never heard anything like it before. She frowns and holds it out to him.]

How do I make it stop?

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

[Quinn laughs and grins, and he leans over to tap the screen and silence it.]

I guess it's hard to explain when ya ain't from my time. At the most basic level, it's all just electric signals, I guess.

[flowers-suck.livejournal.com]

[Electric signals, she kind of understands that.]

If you have things like this, I can only imagine how far weapon development has gotten.

[It's both a scary and comforting thought.]

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Oh man, ya probably don't even wanna know. What year ya from? Oh, ya know, I don't even know if I got your name. I'm Quinn Hatch. [Handshake?]

[flowers-suck.livejournal.com]

[She probably doesn't want to. For all she knows, them being in Mayfield is the result of some futuristic weapon.]

1917, but judging by the books the drone child always studies, I am not from this world.

[It's strange to think that, let along say it.]

I'm Major General Olivier Armstrong.

[She is not opposed to a handshake.]

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

That's pretty common around here, actually.

"Major General", huh? No wonder ya were askin' about weapons.

[flowers-suck.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it is. I don't see talking ponies and transformers being from this place.

Yeah, Major General. Hopefully more than that when I return home.

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Gotta give Mayfield credit, it sure is colorful.

Then hopefully you'll get outta here soon enough.

[flowers-suck.livejournal.com]

Colorful is a good way to put it.

Hopefully we all get out of here soon. I wouldn't wish my enemies here, well not most of them, that is.