milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Zed is sitting in one of the booths, and the table in front of him is covered with printouts. "Blueprints" doesn't quite seem appropriate. Better to call them "blackprints."

Zed is both studying and not studying them. Not studying them because, really, he knows the layout of MiB Headquarters by heart. But it's been a while since he had to retake the facility from an enemy force, and he's never had to do it against something as insidious as Black Oil.

So he's studying them. Planning tactics. And drinking whiskey. But mostly planning.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Both eyebrows vanish behind his bangs. "What makes you think I could do any of what I just said?"

He can, of course. But he wants to know.

"I don't. Not yet."

"But you're asking the right questions. So you get a question back: Do you know how to handle military- and law-enforcement-grade tech?"

"I know how to handle my military and law enforcement tech." Duo reaches into a pocket and pulls out his Preventers ID.

"Not sure how well it'd translate."

Zed looks over the ID for a moment. "Preventers. Preventers. Sounds familiar."

He eyes Duo with a look of, "Help me out here?"

...what would be noteworthy enough for weirdo government agencies to have a footnote about his world?

Oh. Right.

"Date's AC 199. We've got four colonial clusters orbiting Earth, and currently running a terraforming project on Mars. We just finished up two sphere-wide wars, and Preventers are the extinguishers for the wildfires that spring up."

Now the history's out of the way...

"Ever hear of a Gundam?"

Zed blinks. Then barks a laugh of triumph.

"You're telling me you're a Gundam pilot?"

"Used to be." It's a little clipped. He misses his big pile of gears.

"Used to be, huh?" Zed asks, with an odd gleam in his eye.

"Miss it? Or is that all behind you now?"

It's pretty obvious this guy is getting at something.

"So long as you promise you're not an advance scout for a war crimes tribunal, yeah, I miss it. Mine in particular, but I don't get to pilot as much as I'd like, anymore."

"Stick with me, and I just might be able to do something about that. If we can get you here, that is."

Zed is pointing at a very large room on the top-most level, clearly marked, "Landing Bay."

"And I already have some ideas about how we can make that happen."

"The name's Zed, by the way." He puts out a hand.

He shakes the hand. "Duo Maxwell. You've got Gundams?"

ALL ELSE IS IMMATERIAL.

"No, wish we did."

"But we've got something up there we haven't been able to operate. And I'll bet my left nut if we get it into the hands of a Gundam pilot, you'll be bringing the hammer down in no time."

Oh, flattery is low, Zed. And right at one of Duo's only vanities, his piloting skills.

Or should we say 'skillz'?

"So, who's going on this mission of yours? Besides this Oracle."

Not that he's going. Yet.

"Stantz and Venkman. They were with K during one of our first encounters with the Oil, and their proton packs and that lightsaber are proven effective against it."

"Suzi Darley is our bellwether; should be able to zlin the Oil before it senses us. Guardian Bob and the Bunny will hold the line at the Front Door, making sure nothing gets to the bar."

"I hear this guy, Krycek, has it in for the Oil, so I should be able to get him on board--we'll need his experience. And I have Stephanie Brown and Goldilocks to take the fight up to the HQ's rafters and raise general hell all around."

"Plus anyone else I can find around this asylum."

"Huh. I know Ray and Steph. They're both team players. I know Ray's a pro, and Steph's supposed to be good at what she does."

Duo eyes Zed.

"How much longer you gonna be around for?" He needs to think about this a little. His adrenaline junkie side is screaming 'CAN WE GO BLOW THINGS UP NOW?!' He's trying to be slightly more restrained. Growing up sucks.

"I'm guessing it will take me about a week to finish working out contingency plans and vetting the rest of the volunteers."

"Not to mention access our last recorded inventory to see what condition that item I'm talking about was in the last time we checked."

"How does that sound?"

"I'd need a few days notice. Can't ditch fixing one Earth for another, yanno? And I'm good, but I can't fix mobile suits with no schematics, and no parts, no time, in the middle of enemy territory. If it was just two of those, sure..."

He's already making calculations.

"From what I remember, the item is intact. The problem is we don't know how to turn it on without the damn thing's AI running amok on us. That's where you would come in. Standard inventory procedure would have included deep scans and any schematics we could construct. Say the word, and I'll have those in your hands within 48 hours."

"...what kind of AI?"

If Zed even starts to say the word 'Zero' Duo will be six miles away before he can finish it.

"Fairly basic. Handles systems status and has just enough of an auto pilot to present a threat. No higher functions that we can detect. But the schematics might tell you more than they told us."

"Hunh. I'll have a look. I'll give you my final word after I work it over. Deal?"

"Deal."

Zed heads to the bar a celebratory drink. His potential for mayhem against the Oil may have just gone up one hell of a step.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only