ataraxion | oo5. video.

[ Charles has dimmed the lights in this corner of the science department, working by lamp light; he has his comms device angled against something so he doesn't have to hold it in address. He's seated at a work station, with a mug of some form of beverage just in view.

It's been a while since he's done this. ]

Hello. This is Professor Charles Xavier, of Xenogen.

[ A little different, from the last time he was here. Beardier. Those that know him more recently can mark the haircut. There is scattered grey amongst the dark. He speaks plainly, like a man who has long since accepted that everything he has to say about this place is ridiculous, so let's just get on with it, shall we. ]

Since the power outage and mural phenomena, there's been some changes on level three of the science department. Inexplicable ones. Equipment we've not seen before has appeared, along with shifts in space and work stations to accommodate new ones appearing out've

[ fucking ]

nowhere.

If anyone has experience with high tech lab equipment, I'd like some assistance in identification.

From what I can tell so far, I suspect we're looking at appliances that have much to do with genetics research, or-- [ he hesitates, as if unsure he wants to commit to deduction, but oh well ] --nanotechnology.

On that note, for experts in the latter thing, or anyone who holds some familiarity with it at all, I'd very much appreciate a conversation, if you're amenable. I'd like to get a better grasp on the topic.

[ One hand goes to take up his tea (it's probably tea), and the other goes to switch off the feed, with one parting word; ]

Cheers.

[ ooc ; for anyone taking him up on high level science talks, i fully anticipate some handwavium as needed, so come at me. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Dabbled. But it seems like Charles can accept this wording in a world where such tech is common place as opposed to, as in his, so incredibly obscure they don't even have the word nanotechnology yet. ]

Very well, Captain. I'll be in the labs for another two hours or so, if now suits -- otherwise, tomorrow morning, bright and early.

[ This is said a little wry. Mornings and afternoons and evenings strike Charles as very optional when you're in space. ]

Well, then you're just in luck. I just got off shift, and if you've got the time to spare...

[You've got yourself a date, Professor ;) ]

((ooc: do you want to action this, perhaps? :DDD bc i would love to!))

[ ooc ; yes! let's. ]

My office door is open.

[ And maybe subsequently some small amount of desk tidying, shirt straightening, coffee putting on-ing, which is a small fraction of effort that Charles doesn't ordinarily bother with. So it goes.

Level three is predominantly where Xenogen has made its home, sprawling oppressive as well as its members filing away into their own preferred work stations and corners and offices. Xavier won't be hard to find, with enough of a wander -- he's currently using long tweezers to go over a work station, where shards of glass catch the light and glint. These are plucked up and put into a plastic container, where most of it has already been swept within. Various broken things, such as beakers, pipettes, miscellaneous vials.

The white coat marks him as belonging. The rest of him -- jeans, a patterned shirt, a slightly shaggy cut to his hair, are not so streamlined. ]

[Jack is coming off shift from Engineering and he makes little to no effort to clean up himself. Which means that he's dressed in his Tranquility-issued jumpsuit, unzipped to the waist with a white tshirt underneath, smeared here and there in grease and oil, and he still manages to make it look good. Hands shoved in his pockets, he nonchalantly meanders his way around the Xenogegen labs to find Xavier. It isn't too hard. There aren't too many people working there, and they've spoken to each other by video over the network now.]

This is quite the office. [He comments, sidling up to him, referencing Xavier's last comment like it hasn't been however long it has been since they had hung up their conversation.]

[ At the sound of foot steps, Charles doesn't look up from what he's doing, or even at the sound of approach and consequent greeting, on account of being almost done. With the last sliver of glass dropped amongst its other shards, he looks up, a crooked smile at comment, while he goes to close the container.

He plucks a pen from his pocket and scribbles something on the top. ]

I lay claim to the east corner, strictly speaking, [ he says, as he writes. The current cycle, the day of said cycle, brief description of contents. If Jack were inclined to look, it reads: MOE item no. 11: Glass pieces (broken); lab equip. ] But thank you. You should've seen the last place.

[Jack chuckles a little, with the quirk of a wry, cocky grin on his face.] We’ll have to compare notes, sometime. [The Torchwood Hub had been a thing of beauty, after all, and it had been his. It’s hard not to feel proud of a place like that, dark and musty as it was. He tries not to think about the fact that it’s gone, now.

Also, because this is Jack Harkness we’re talking about, “we’ll have to compare notes” inevitably ends up sounding a bit sexual. Maybe it’s on purpose, maybe not. He’ll never tell.]

[ And Charles really can't tell if he's just hearing it slightly dirty or if it really is coming across that way. Something something wiles. Later, he'll figure it out.

For now, he pushes the box of broken glass at Jack -- not dismissively, but in silent return of banter. Carry this, while you're at it. ]

We started transferring all the occurring items to one area. Security thinks we should minimise exposure, in case of, er. Variables.

[ Charles thinks 'be careful, the new thing might be evil' is a safe bet in general, but putting it all in one place is a practical effort for organisation regardless. He taps tweezers against the work station he was picking glass off. ] Except for fixed features, larger items -- we've new freezers. Which is wonderful, I needed somewhere to chill the space vodka. Follow me.

[ He starts off, presumably towards where equipment is being ferreted away. ]

Edited 2014-11-22 12:56 (UTC)

Freezers, huh? [In a xenogen lab? Jack's not going to question it too much, because there are scientific reasons for them of course, but it's definitely curious to have equipment - especially that large - just showing up.]

[Without needing much encouragement, Jack starts off in the direction that the other man starts leading him, taking in the scenery around him, noting what's different and what's the same from the last time he'd come in here.] I remember when this place first opened up. [He notes, idly.]

[ A door glides silently open without prompt from Charles as he leads the way, where equipment has been stored along countertops, along shelving, labelled in much the same way he's labelled the container of glass he shoved into Jack's hands. There are places to put it down.

The look back at him is more considered, this time, coming to lean an elbow against what can be identified as a hybridisation oven, marked as discovery number three. ]

What was it like?

[Jack sets the glass down, making note of the equipment Charles is leaning against with steely blue eyes.] Infested. [He says grimly, turning to the other man.]

There was an epidemic. A Stasis Sickness. Not like the one we had recently – at least, not directly. But it was killing people. Smiley, or someone, had put together a map of a maze, that led to this place, past black holes and all kinds of crazy stuff. And the Science Department was what was sitting at the end of it. “X” marks the spot. We had to crawl the whole way up through the level, but we got to the top – this floor, in fact – and there was the cure. Sitting pretty and packaged in nice, neat crates right over there. [He motions to the back of the department floor.] Like someone had designed the whole thing to go down that way. Of course, we had to fight off the manticores to get there...

[He comes back to himself after the explanation, tossing a casual smile in the other man’s direction.] You’ve probably heard all of that already, though, working in this place day in and day out. [Or maybe he hasn’t. There aren’t that many old-timers around anymore, after all.]

Edited (reply from email o999) 2014-11-24 19:03 (UTC)

[ Renewed smile is mirrored back with a slighter version of his own, Charles tipping his head to the side at that last point. ]

Less than you'd think. I remember when I first came here-- well.

[ He pushes his weight off his lean, drifting a few steps closer. ] I was like a lot of new people -- demanding answers, pitching questions into a void. I didn't really understand why it wasn't netting all the information I'd hoped for. Sort of imagined there was an arrogance to it. Really, I'm starting to see that people come and go with such frequency-- it gets tiring, doesn't it.

[ A shrug. ]

But quite right, I'd heard some things. Heard more things when I first restarted Xenogen at all, actually, mostly in the form of 'don't do that'.

Edited 2014-11-29 08:37 (UTC)

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