InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I'm coming undone"

Sam Hanna (sam_hanna) wrote in omega_reality,
@ 2011-09-23 20:59:00

Entry tags:

*complete, 2011 09, character: john connor, character: sam hanna

RP: Sam, John
Who: Sam, John
Where: Sam's
When: September 23, 2011
Summary: Sam tells his 'other' partner

Sam had sent John an email, asking him to come over. With G going over to Morgan and knowing how long those discussions lasted, he figured he could used the time to do something constructive, like takling to John, which should take about ten minutes.

G waited around to let John in, before leaving, and then it was just them. Sam was never going to get used to being a ghost, but he imagined that it was even harder for the other people. Still it he could fix one thing, clothes would be at the top of his list. "Sorry about the attire, everything else seems not to stick on me," he said, trying to go for a lighter tone. "And as you can see, I got my power, or my power forced itself on me."

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johnbaum
2011-09-24 01:40 am UTC (link)

John did not blush.

Okay, so he did.

A little.

But, only briefly before his brain finished processing the fact that Sam was a bit...not all there, at the moment, to quote the Chesire Cat. "And me without my super glue," he replied, taking the cue from Sam's opening statement and keeping things light. Teasing. "Forced itself on you? That sounds ominous. Let me guess? Can't change back and that's why you've been out sick this week?"

And if he couldn't put clothes on, John couldn't blame him. John was going to hate to hear what came out of Brian's mouth when he found out, if he found out.

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sam_hanna
2011-09-24 01:58 am UTC (link)

Sam almost groaned, and only experience stopped him from doing so. The boy was blushing. The boy was dating Brian Kinney and now was blushing because he was in underwear, and not even some skimpy thing, but boxer briefs that covered everything and more.

"This is because I haven't been teaching that class. If I had, you would have had your glue, be prepared for everything, and glue comes in handy when you're on an op and you need to close a wound," he said, never missing the chance to teach something. "We learn how to stitch someone up, but sometimes, nothing works as well as glue."

Sam nodded. "Well, I'm transparent. It can't be any more ominous for someone like me, but yes, right now, I'm stuck on this. Comic book nerd suggested some woman, Kitty something who was stuck like this for two years, but who the hell knows. I was hoping that it would reverse itself, but it doesn't seem to, and I'm not going to stay in the house forever. I've told my children, Deeks and Savannah know, Morgan, and now you. I wanted you to know before I told everyone else. We'll make arrangements for you to have a partner out there. I don't want you alone, but I still expect you to do the work you'd with me."

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johnbaum
2011-09-24 04:39 am UTC (link)

There wasn't much John could say to that without giving away the number of times he'd watched Cameron glue and staple herself back together after a fight. So, John just nodded, maintaining the image of a too smart kid who had seen more than his share, but not everything. "I'll have to remember that. Got room in the messenger bag," he added, tipping his head in the direction of the bag at his feet.

"Kitty Pride, one of the X-Men. I read a few of them a while back to have a vague idea of what she did." John smiled a little at being included in the list of people Sam was telling personally. Oh, he knew Sam took the whole partners thing pretty seriously. But, it was still nice to be treated like at least that much of an equal instead of a kid. "We'll figure things out for work and training. No worries. Between you and Callen, I'm not worried about being on my own pretty much anywhere," he said with a chuckle. "So, any idea how long you're stuck? Anything I can do to help?"

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sam_hanna
2011-09-24 04:50 am UTC (link)

"You might want to remember antibiotics to go with that glue," he said, chuckling. SEALs could rough it out, but they also went in prepared for anything. "Of course not cutting yourself open still works best."

"Right, that one, walked through walls, or so Deeks says. It's pretty much the only thing I know. I never was much into comic books. I know the basics from movies, the major ones, but that's about it." It was never a subject he thought he might need, certainly not the intricacies of comic book powers.

Sam wasn't sure what they could work out, considering that he couldn't touch anything at the moment. "G will work something out in terms of assignments." he knew his partner enough to know that, and it still didn't make him feel better. John was his partner now and his responsibility. "And you still train like you're partnered with me. I know you aren't one to settle for the bare minimum, but still push yourself." He sighed "No clue. If or when I'll go back to normal. I have no idea what to do either, so if you have any suggestions, I'll listen."

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johnbaum
2011-09-24 05:15 pm UTC (link)

John laughed. "First rule my mom ever taught me was stay alive. She seemed to think avoiding getting cut up was a good way to keep that rule. I can also recognize natural antibiotics in just about any setting and whether they should be applied topically or ingested." he added with a grin, amazed at the number of things his mother had taught him that were supposed t keep him alive in a world of machines, but translated easily enough into a world of super powers and supposed normality.

"Yeah, Kitty. They called her power something else, but I don't remember it. Have to admit, comic books took a back seat to computer manuals and political tracts in my reading preferences. But, if I remember, basically she could change her body into a form that passed through physical objects. So, there's probably some crazy physics at work here, molecules shifting around and such. Even in what we think of as solid matter, there's really a ton of space between molecules. It's just other forces like magnetism and gravity keeping them confined together. Of course, the actual equations and such aren't covered in comic books. But, offhand, I'd say you're looking at something on the molecular level that's allowing your body to adapt in a way that shifts it's basic make-up around to allow objects to pass through it without damage to either one. What's happening right now could be like a chrysalis period almost where your body's fully adapting to the ability, growing into it, as it were...

"..Sorry," John smiled, a little sheepish. "Geekspeak seems to have runaway with my mouth again."

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sam_hanna
2011-09-24 05:28 pm UTC (link)

"Yes, I'd say that not getting stabbed or shot helps with staying alive, and I like my antibiotics in pill forms Amoxicillan does the job every time. Not that when a SEAL goes on a mission we don't have plenty of drugs with us." Talking about his missions made him miss a time where everything could be prepared so well, even if the plans didn't always work out that way. The point was that they could prepare.

When John started with the geekspeak, Sam stopped paying attention, but not completely. He never actually tuned off, because he knew that while the details weren't thing he would need, the concept could prove useful.

"Back up," he said. "Let's start with this last one. A chrysalis period? How would it work on a scientific level? Forget the comics." He was not going to start planning his life based on comic books for horny fanboys who couldn't get a date, even if that stereotype didn't seem to work with the people here. "Second, you mentioned that this shift occurs to enable objects from going through, which makes sense, but that would imply a motion, speed of some kind. What happens if my body and another solid body actually meet at zero speed?" He had tried to touch G and Sean, but he'd always stopped before, too afraid to go through them and losing that illusion of intimacy. "Third, is this how I seem to walk and lie on the bed without really touching anything? It's like I'm floating almost. Is this the interaction with the air molecules?" And maybe it was really time to stop thinking about comics and delve into the physics world.

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johnbaum
2011-09-25 03:53 am UTC (link)

John shrugged. "Mom and my uncle liked being prepared for anything, even not having the right drugs or equipment available." Of course, what he didn't say was that drugs were scarce in a world that could no longer manufacture them.

"Comics forgotten." He didn't read much of them anyway. "Okay, a lot of this is guesswork, plausible guesswork based on scientific principle, but guesswork. I wouldn't even call it theory at this point. But, it seems like each of our bodies has to adapt to the powers in some way, some more drastically than others. Take Savannah's, for example. There had to be something changing on a biochemical level for her to do what she does, but it wasn't visible until she used the power by instinct. Now, Spencer on the other hand, would be a drastic change with the whole going blind or whatever it is that's happened. Whatever it is, you could liken the period of time when our bodies are changing to accommodate these powers to a sort of chrysalis period, well, technically it's the pupa stage in insects. The chrysalis and cocoon are the protective coverings during that stage. But, it's an apt comparison, I think. While the insect's inside the chrysalis, it's body is changing completely, wings sprouting, limbs reshaping. If that theory tracks, that may be what's happening to you, this could be a sort of transition period because of the changes your body needs to make in order for the power to work."

John leaned forward, using his hand to semi-diagram as he spoke. "Reid or Dom would probably be able to explain the molecular motion better. We're starting to mix thermodynamics and quantum physics here. But, in the most basic explanation, the speed at which molecules move is closely tied to heat. The colder the substance, the slower the molecular motion. The hotter it is, the faster the motion. Theoretically, all molecular motion ceases at absolute zero degrees; however, without getting into the overly technical details, that zero point is physically unattainable. So, there's always some motion. Gravity and electromagnetism are always at work on the molecules as well. So, if we make the assumption your power affects your body on the molecular level, I'd say as long as the power is being used, somehow the molecules would shift in order to pass between the molecules that make up that other solid body.

"If you're not really touching the floor or the bed, then my guess would be some interaction with air molecules. Most likely there are neuropathways or something that connect to the involuntary functions so you don't pass between the molecules in the air, at least not in the same way, while you're in this state and aren't pulled through the floor. But, that's getting way outside my limit area of expertise."

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sam_hanna
2011-09-25 04:13 am UTC (link)

"Your mom and uncle sound like very smart people." That nagging feeling that he always got when he spoke with John got even louder, but Sam pushed it down. Whatever forced this young man to learn all of these things could not be pleasant, and it sounded like classified anyway.

"There were a lot of words, but the science was clear. Of course it was just a theory as John mentioned. "On the other hand, Spencer isn't going back, so this could be permanent as well. Not that I don't like your theory a lot more. Anything that gets me to be solid again is a very good thing." Of course theories boiled down to wait and see, because there was no way to test this.

Sam snorted. "I'm not asking either one at the moment." He had no intention of dealing with either one. Reid was more of a kid than John and Dom was dating his daughter. The man didn't need to see both of them in underwear, and he really tried hard not to think about Dom seeing Jenna in anything less than a dress. "Okay, so since there no zero point¬ it's why I can't seem to 'touch' anything, so to speak. My body would go through because of the motion, but there has to be a point that things are slow enough that I make contact, because if that weren't true, I'd be naked, and please don't blush. This is painful enough without you blushing." It was much easier to speak now that he had a plan, even if it was a crazy one. Then again, this wouldn't be the first time that they winged it and there wasn't even any danger.

He stood up. "Follow me," he said, walking to the bedroom. "You'll need to open the door, unless you can go through doors too." Sam didn't wait for John to open the door, but went through, making his way to the dresser. "Open this drawer and grab a shirt. We're going to experiment a little." He went to the bed and sat down. "Let's see what happens if you help me put the shirt on. Is there stillness enough?" He really hoped it was, but even if it wasn't, at least they had a starting point which wasn't a comic book.

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johnbaum
2011-09-25 09:44 pm UTC (link)

"About some things," John said fondly. "Mom couldn't tell a CPU from CHP even if her life depended on it."

Sam had a point and John nodded. "On the other hand, yeah, it could be. Won't lie to you about that. But, so far Spencer's condition is the extreme exception. Statistically, it's more likely to be temporary."

John had felt, more than once, like most of the people here didn't take him seriously because of his age. In some cases it was probably his own lifetime insecurity over being raised as the Savior of Mankind. In some cases, it hadn't been. But, Sam had never been one of them, as he was proving again now. Except for the blushing comment. John sighed. "Trying not to, trust me. Pointing it out? Doesn't help. But, yeah, there would be points at which the molecular motion coincides. At least in theory. How to manipulate it...?"

Curious, he followed Sam into a bedroom, chuckling at the attempt at humor. It was funny, in the back of his head he knew there were rules about 'snooping' in other people's things. But, it was so much instinct to case the room, check for exits, weapons, he was hardly aware he was doing it when Sam started giving further direction. Setting his messenger bag down on the floor -- he'd brought it along just in case -- next to a duffel by the side of the bed, he did as he was asked. Catching on to what Sam was thinking, he paused. "Enough to start, for a baseline." Raising the shirt, he moved closer to help Sam put it on...he hoped. "We'll go nice and easy."

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sam_hanna
2011-09-25 10:54 pm UTC (link)

"Just because you don't know some things, it doesn't make you less smart," he answered. "No one can know everything, but it's how you approach life."

Sam didn't need lies from John, and not after a few days. He had needed to hear it from G that one day, but he was too much of a realist not to acknowledge the possibility. "I guess time will tell us and you can make more statistics, which isn't a bad idea by the way, for future cases."

He chuckled. "Pointing it out does at least make it fun." He had spent enough time psyching Eric out not to enjoy it. "It's the one thing I understand among all that mambo jumbo." Of course, that wasn't entirely true. He was still following John and the concepts he was explaining. The calculations and formulas weren't something he needed.

Nodding, he looked at John. "Be careful, okay? We don't know how this work and if what touches me at zero speed turns transparent, we want to make sure that it doesn't happen to you. The shirt can wait." He straightened his arms toward John. "You'll have to do the work here. I'll try not to move."

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johnbaum
2011-09-26 03:28 am UTC (link)

"Oh, I know." But, it was easier to make jokes about his mother's technological ineptitude than explain how much he'd been trained by her and Derek. It was also easier to switch the subject back to work, odd as that work was, and that was what he did, grinning at the man assigned as his partner. "I have plenty of statistics and maps for a lot of things. Easier to build patterns while they're being created than try to do it from memory with old data."

John nearly choked, but recovered with a smirk. "Maybe it's a good thing you go through things right now," he teased. "You can't hit me for the comparison when I tell you Brian said something very similar about finding it amusing." Of course, Brian and Sam were not likely to be finding the same sort of amusement in his blushing, but the similarity in statements was too much to go unnoticed.

"I'll be careful," he promised, not enthusiastic about joining Sam in his transparency. He didn't think if he was only touching the shirt and not Sam he'd be affected, even if the shirt was. But, they didn't have a clue how these powers worked for the most part and this was all guesswork on his part. So, he was careful. "Here we go." Moving very slowly, he took one sleeve and held it open, moving to slide it over Sam's hand and wrist. Though it might stretch the material a bit far, he made sure his fingers wouldn't 'brush' Sam's hand in the process.

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sam_hanna
2011-09-26 03:55 am UTC (link)

"Right, and now you can make one about powers. If you like," he added. "It wasn't an assignment, but it would come handy if we get much bigger. I know that our numbers are hardly enough for real patterns and with all the secrets, you get even less data, but it could be something to look into it."

It was Sam's turn to choke. "It's not the comparison I'd hit you for. It's the implication that we can find the same type of blush amusing, and I don't have to ask to know that it's not the case." He looked up at John, and knew that his stares didn't have the same intensity now, but it didn't matter. John was his partner, and Sam's job was still to protect his back. "You know that no one gets what you see in Kinney, right? Neither do I, to be honest, but if it's what you want, you can count on my support, and when it's not, you can count on me to punch him if he's a dick. I'll find a way to do it too."

Sam tried to stay as still as possible, keeping his breathing regulated. He watched as John slowly moved the shirt, and for a moment, the shirt became transparent where it touched his skin, but as John pushed the shirt sleeves up, it changed back and went through his arm like he wasn't even there. As disappointing as this was, at least he had a starting. "So continuous lack of movement? That's not going to be easy." Not impossible, but not easy. "Maybe with a button-down or pants." He smiled, thinking of G's reaction to that. "I think I can take it from here, but thank you. This is going to help greatly." He stood up, eyes fixed on the young man. "Keep that brain of your working and don't let anyone dismiss you or your ideas. You might not be a genius like some of those geeks, but you have the instincts of a fighter and the two combined make you a great asset. At least until I get back to normal and teach you how to kick ass, SEAL style," he finished with a smirk.

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johnbaum
2011-09-26 05:58 am UTC (link)

John nodded. "I can put together whatever information I have. It's not difficult. I've been doing something similar with known locations where the rifts have opened, something Peter and I talked about a long time ago. Just in case, you know?"

There was something a bit smug about the look he shot Sam over the blush. But he grew serious enough as the older man went on and he met the stare unwaveringly. "I know. I also know it's because he doesn't let you see it the way he lets me. He's been there for me in ways he'd deny vociferously to protect that image he lets the rest of you see." John smiled softly. "It's what I want, Sam. It makes no sense, but what does here?"

For that moment when the shirt seemed to waver and become as transparent as Sam, John thought they were on to something. But, then the sleeve fell through Sam's arm and John pulled back. "It's one possibility. If you could make the shirt move at the same increased speed your own molecules might be moving at, that could also do it. It's a matter of matching up the speeds so molecules align...I think." He nodded. "You're welcome. If there's anything else I can do, just let me know." Reaching for his messenger bag, he stopped when Sam kept speaking. He nodded again, smiling. "Thanks, Sam. I will. And, I'll hold you to that instruction on kicking ass."

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sam_hanna
2011-09-26 11:58 am UTC (link)

"I'll speak with G and see if we can give you more information. If this hadn't happened, we would be working with people's powers this week, so we aren't rocking the boat too much," he said. "And speak to Kinney, because he will have to tell us what he can do. Maybe you can prepare him mentally."

Sam smiled. "I know. I can't say I like him, but I know you're smart enough not to be involved with someone who act in private like he acts in public. We all have our masks, but I trust your judgment in this, and that's why you have my support. You're still eighteen so I'm not completely butting out. I would want people to help my kids if they were alone. It's the least I can do."

He chuckled. "I'm sure that there are all sorts of calculation, but we'll just play around with G and Sean and see what happens." Sam nodded. "Don't mention it, kid, and go have fun. It's Friday night." With John gone, Sam needed to wait for G and then they would spend the night experimenting and not the fun kind.

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