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Goddamn Teenagers (Worm, AU/time travel)

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Onboarding Vignettes, Part 5
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    • The Head of Image idly flipped through the very, very long list of candidate names. For all their protestations about unprepared kids, it really was much easier when they got first cut of the names. Worse, whoever the chaperone was clearly knew their guidelines so he couldn't dismiss their suggestions out of hand.

    As his phone rang, he absently grabbed the receiver. Surely a call would be a welcome reprieve?

    He immediately regretted not checking the caller ID. "Yes, Glenn," he said, scrambling. "I, uh, wasn't expecting to hear from you…"

    Break

    "Facilities," the bored woman answered. "A what now? Mice? There shouldn't be any mice? I'll—yes ma'am."

    Shortly Before

    The bee girl paused just short of the cafeteria. "Actually, I'm good for now."

    "You sure?" The escort carefully kept her eyes on the teen's face. Easier to ignore the bees that way.

    "I'm sure it's fine, it's just, uh, while I prefer bees, because, bees, I do also get feedback from other bugs too. Like fleas. Including the type you find on mice and rats…"

    Later

    "What the hell?" The laboratory technician look at the bagged pile of dead meat in confusion.

    "Supposed to be a rodent," the bored facilities engineer said. "New girl detected it with powers bullshit."

    "It's half eaten? God that's a lot of bugs." The technician poked the bag experimentally. "The decay signs suggest it died really recently, how is it half eaten?"
    Note: Oh god now all the bugs are running out of the body how did they even get in there oh god oh god I think I'm going to be sick.
     
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    • Ace Dreamer said:
    Maybe, but, the idea that UNIT has some control over The Doctor, or is in some way responsible for them, will make some other organisations happy. If nothing else, you can get UNIT to fill-in all the forms, afterwards. What are the odds you'll get The Doctor to do that???
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    It depends on which Doctor. The 3rd Doctor probably did fill in the forms, since UNIT was housing him at the time.

    EDIT:
    Another reason the 3rd Doctor probably filled out the forms... Doing so let him requisition materials.
     
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    dc2008 said:
    Oh god now all the bugs are running out of the body how did they even get in there oh god oh god I think I'm going to be sick.
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    Just think of them as... a highly mobile tool kit, with six or so legs. Maybe wings. And mandibles. And a willingness to swarm-attack things.

    OK. They're bugs. I'm a bug Master. And a bug-senses Thinker. But, with a little imagination they're so, so, useful...

    EDIT:

    Would you like them to form up in ranks? Form a bug-ly pyramid? Emulate a slow, low-resolution, monochrome display screen? With text scrolling across?

    I'm still working on swarm-sound synthesis. Swarm Voice is very much a work-in-progress. I can do simple music, that sounds as though it's being played on a kazoo. Alex Foley? Would you like a demo?

    Alex Foley:

    View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTKsHWoWGvA

    Zakoo Band (highly traditional instrument - Pathe, 1960):

    View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ariSnPOp4Rg
    Do you think the Wards should organise one of these???
     
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    PossiblyEnos said:
    "My only regret is that I can't have bumblebees the size of horses."
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    You could, but... People would ask questions. And, "I'm an apiarist, I breed bees", just isn't going to cut it. Amy looking guilty wouldn't help, either...

    There is one way you might get away with it... Go on a 'field trip' to another Earth, 'acquire' the giga-bumbles there. And, when asked, you can say "They're imported", and show the paperwork for them having come through a portal...

    I'm sure Dr. Weaver has talked about the power of being able to wave the 'right' paperwork...
     
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    Ace Dreamer said:
    You could, but... People would ask questions. And, "I'm an apiarist, I breed bees", just isn't going to cut it. Amy looking guilty wouldn't help, either...

    There is one way you might get away with it... Go on a 'field trip' to another Earth, 'acquire' the giga-bumbles there. And, when asked, you can say "They're imported", and show the paperwork for them having come through a portal...

    I'm sure Dr. Weaver has talked about the power of being able to wave the 'right' paperwork...
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    "Blasto was being naughty and they followed me home. Can I keep them?"
     
    PossiblyEnos said:
    "Blasto was being naughty and they followed me home. Can I keep them?"
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    Unfortunately, the answer is going to be 'No', and they'll be taken away for 'thorough analysis', for any 'gotchas' Blasto may have included. And... odds are that analysis will be... destructive. Sorry.

    Implying they are a stable native species from another Earth, from a there-native ecosystem, messy, but, probably better chance of being got away with. Particularly if video of them 'frolocking in the wild' (which likely involves really large pollen sources) can be submitted...

    ("So, Taylor, you want horse-sized bumblebees, and the ecological niche they might reasonably live in, as well?" Stretches and cracks knuckles. "You do know how to give a girl a good time!")
     
    dc2008 said:
    The lawyer looked up incredulously. "She wants what?"

    His assistant rolled her eyes. "Permission to engage in apicultural and other husbandry activities under the supervision of the Guild, the Kings Men, and other official groups sanctioned by friendly governments on some list the PRT keeps…."
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    … I'm just going to leave this snip here. {Whistles innocently}
     
    dc2008 said:
    … I'm just going to leave this snip here. {Whistles innocently}
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    I forget if Dragon has been... de-bugged in this story... If not, I'm sure Dr. Weaver has ideas about what a skilled programmer with very, very, serious amounts of multitasking could do... Bugs could make use of really tiny user interface systems, couldn't they?
    (Main problem with making computer kit for humans smaller? The user interfacing. Touch screens are a nasty compromise. Oh, and the size of the power supplies/storage, and cooling systems. But, mainly, the UI.)
     
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    PossiblyEnos said:
    You gonna hurt those innocent little darlings just for who their father was? That's a villain origin story right there.
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    I'm not going to hurt them, and I'd be very surprised if Blasto can grow anything Trigger-capable. Unfortunately, the PRT research we-are-terrified-of-bio-Tinkers dept., I've a feeling that them doing dissection rather than vivisection is considered... restrained.
     
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    Onboarding Vignettes, Part 6
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    • Glenn hung up the phone, and sighed. Shame the deputy had snapped like a twig, but at least the local head was less cocksure. Fucker seemed to think he was personally responsible for the drop in villainous activity, just because he was running the promo campaign.

    He dialed a number from memory.

    She picked up on the second ring. "Weaver."

    "It's Glenn. You made your point, what's the name you actually want? You wouldn't have done this if you didn't already have one you knew we would approve."

    Break

    "That's so cool!" The young Ward was practically vibrating with enthusiasm. "How do you make them do tricks?"

    His colleague looked up from the console, giving her team lead a withering look. "I told you today would be interesting."

    The team lead ignored the barb. Well, at least she'll be Weld's problem, not mine.

    Break

    The Director triple checked the scrambler before dialing. The last thing he wanted was to get blamed for a security breach.

    "Piggot," his colleague answered.

    "As a courtesy, I'm calling to let you know we have a Ward candidate from the Bay coming through, brought in by a Dr. Weaver—"

    "Stop," Piggot interrupted. "Dr. Weaver is involved?"

    "Yes? Do you know her?"

    "Nothing further on this line, thank you for the heads up."

    The Director slowly set down the receiver. Whatever that was, it didn't bode well.

    Break

    With a sigh, Emily sent a short note to Dr. Weaver, asking for an off-cycle meeting. Best figure out what this was sooner rather than later.
    Note: Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em…
     
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    • Onboarding Vignettes, Part 7
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    • "Our autopsy revealed anomalous growths in the dead creature that our Ward candidate identified. We were initially concerned that her power might have an unrecognized mutagenic aspect, but then realized it was one of Blasto's. We don't know where they came from, but so far we have identified several nests in the building."

    "Right." The Director paused to gather his thoughts, and reflect on how nice it had been in his previous posting to not have any biotinkers or masters about.

    His Deputy continued the questioning. "How did we miss them?"

    "They can safely eat, indeed relish, most common forms of rat poison."

    Of course they do.

    "Please make sure they aren't reproducing," the Director said carefully. "We don't need an invasive species of bio-tinkered rats displacing the local competition." He didn't want to have to explain to the Chief-Director how he'd barely been in Armstrong's city a month before getting it condemned.

    "Well," the scientist began, "strictly speaking they are not within the rodentia—"

    "I'll have a quiet word with Citrine," his Deputy interrupted, because having local villains on speed dial was a thing they did here, apparently.

    "Anything else we need to worry about?"

    "Rodent-like creatures aside," his Deputy said, eying the scientist carefully, "the Bay's newest Ward has finished initial in-processing."

    "I thought there was some issue with the name?"

    "Image had a chat with D.C. and got that cleared up…"
     
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    • Hey, Blasto? What're you going to do when Dr. Weaver and <as-yet-unnamed> Ward turn-up? I'll tell you what you're going to do.

    You're going to get recruited!
    :)

    (Also, you might find yourself living in Brockton Bay. Being supervised. They've got a team who will be, carefully, looking at all your existing work. And, any proposed future work. And, they've got an expert. The Veterinarian. :) )
     
    dc2008 said:
    Remember, Blasto has already been placed under adult supervision, after they found out about his Endbringer clone experiments.
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    I'd overlooked that. Sounds like his previous work is going to get a full audit, which is where those dodgy rodents probably came from. Taylor can very likely tell if he's got anything hidden about his labs - bugs can get practically anywhere.

    In theory Blasto could be very valuable, useful, and still have a fun, interesting, life. But. He needs to understand that he's responsible for what his grown beings do.
     
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    Ace Dreamer said:
    I'm overlooked that. Sounds like his previous work is going to get a full audit, which is where those dodgy rodents probably came from. Taylor can very likely tell if he's got anything hidden about his labs - bugs can get practically anywhere.

    In theory Blasto could be very valuable, useful, and still have a fun, interesting, life. But. He needs to understand that he's responsible for what his grown beings do.
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    "Wait, I have to be a PARENT?!"

    Cue existential horror. ^^
     
    Vyrexuviel said:
    "Wait, I have to be a PARENT?!"

    Cue existential horror. ^^
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    Yup. And, whether you manage to drag <prefix> Apple <suffix> (aka current name of 'Bad Apple') into this may depend on... just how funny she thinks it might be. :)

    Also? Might need to cut down on the MJ while Tinkering. Letting your shard drive things, while you sit back for the ride... might not always produce good (survivable, one way or another, for you) results.
     
    Onboarding Vignettes, Part 8
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    • "What'cha got?" Missy asked from across the room.

    Dennis looked up from the screen, where he had been enjoying a rare bit of quiet on duty. "New Ward," he replied warily. "We're meeting them today."

    "Is it a girl?" Missy said hopefully, suddenly in the chair beside him.

    "Jeez, Missy, don't do that."

    "It is a girl!" The keyboard was now in Missy's lap. Dennis liked it better before someone had encouraged the girl to get creative. "Though the costume kinda sucks," Missy added, diverting Dennis's train of thought.

    "I don't think it's a costume?" Dennis offered. "I think it's just a Protectorate jacket with a visor thing and a hat?"

    "Huh. What's her name?"

    "It's in the memo? You should have a copy in your box?"

    Missy scoffed. "That's all the way over there, you're here."

    And now she had the mouse.

    "Let's see… what's that mean?"

    "Well, I was going to look it up then you came over," Dennis sulked.

    "Hmmm, something about bees from the description, but more raising them or something? Maybe like Hellhound but bees? That would be cool!"

    Dennis rolled his eyes. "You skipped half of it, she makes honey with bees, stop with the energy drinks."

    "Youth Guard says they're food and you can't stop me," Missy said automatically, opening a search engine. "Huh."

    Dennis looked at the search results and blanched. "Holy potato no! Big honking box of bees? How did that get approved?"

    Missy rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Clockblocker, you're just jealous Apiary has a cooler name."
    Note: Brad, far away, knee deep in deeply fucky politics and state-sanctioned violence, sees the news after surviving a coup attempt: Fuck, I'm glad we got out when we did. Much safer here.

    Today's chapter brought to you by Snipers! Snipers solve 99% of problems, AO3 told me so means it must be true! snipers solve 99% of all problems - Chapter 1 - silentwalrus - Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types [Archive of Our Own]
     
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    • dc2008 said:
    "Though the costume kinda sucks, Missy added
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    Missing close double-quotes.

    ---

    Poor Dennis... Particularly when he finds-out that bees are the least of it...

    Missy can mix honey into her energy drinks! That'll make them more food-like!

    ((Snipers. Al+Ed of FMA 'handle' Tommy-boy, in Wizarding Britain, with zero skill in English. That's going to go well, isn't it? :) ))
     
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