The Major is so done with your shit. (origami_cranes) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-08-25 00:10:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, canaan, mayuri kurotsuchi, motoko kusanagi |
Who: Mayuri, Canaan and Motoko
When: 08/22
What: Planning tests
Where: SDRI
Status: Complete
Rating: PG-13
Motoko made her way to Canaan’s flat, letting herself in with the key she’d ‘accidentally’ kept after the whole body swapping snafu. “It’s me. You better be ready to go, Canaan.”
She hoped her friend wasn’t too nervous. “The car is running.” Motoko folded her arms.
Canaan had been in the middle of a project. Namely, labeling all of her things and color-coordinating them with clear labels before it was too late.
She'd already arranged all of her clothing by color. Today she was wearing her favorite red shirt and a pair of jeans. She put her labeling gun down and grabbed her bag with a quick nod, "Let's go."
Nodding, Motoko touched Canaan’s elbow, then turned and walked down towards the car. She hopped in and picked up her phone to call Mayuri to let him know they were on their way.
Mayuri hated being in the office. There was absolutely nothing to scientifically manipulate. All of his latest cultures were breeding in their petri dishes and he liked to keep careful watch and write out meticulous notes regarding each stage of their progression. Right before he injected it into the test animals and compiled further data...or it killed them. Whichever. Either way, it was progress in Mayuri's big book of FOR!SCIENCE!
When the phone rang, he saw that it was his cousin and took the call immediately. "Yes?"
Because saying hello might sound too friendly and he was waiting to look at this fascinating creature with the confused sensory pathways in her brain.
“It’s Motoko,” Motoko said, as she cut off a douche in a red corvette. “We’re on our way now, it will be about ten minutes.” She swerved around another car. “Make that five, traffic is light.” She glanced at Canaan and grinned.
Mayuri could tell that his cousin was driving like a speed demon from the background noise.
"Try not to damage the subject. You are repairable and would survive a crash. She might not." Of course, if she was missing a limb, that was easy enough to repair. "Emphasis on might. Have the woman at the front desk, who is expecting you, walk you to this office. I'll be waiting."
“We’ll see you soon. And she has a name. It’s Canaan. Use it.” Motoko hung up and dumped her phone in a pocket, twisting the wheel to barely make it through a light. Two minutes later she was parking in front of Mayuri’s office.
"I hope you weren't speeding on my account," Canaan had been nervous for most of the drive. The only indication of that was the fact that her hands, which were gripping her knees casually, were white-knuckled, "If you were worried I'd change my mind and escape the car... well, I could still escape right here."
Her eyes had been flickering a dull red on and off as Motoko drove, though they never seemed to stay that way for long. They were normal when Motoko parked.
“It’s not a trap, or a cage,” she assured her friend, getting out of the car and smoothing back her hair. She scanned the area, and nodded. Mayuri’s security was really good and there were probably a dozen things even she couldn’t pick up without more time.
“Come on. The quicker we do this, the quick it will be over.” She started for the doors.
"Yes."
Canaan grabbed her bag and headed into the office building. She didn't like this, but she hated her current condition more. The idea that her dreams were influencing her real life this badly was disturbing, too, but that seemed to be happening everywhere. She didn't think she could escape where she'd eventually end up, but maybe this guy could help.
She held the door for Canaan, and then let it close behind them. If her stomach could still flip in knots, it would be doing that right this second.
To Mayuri - who isn't normal by anyone's definition - everyone was a damn test subject. They even get a number they're referred to in the filing system. That is what they are reduced to, because it's all about scientific interest. Get used to it or GTFO!
Even so, a very flamboyant Mayuri was waiting in an otherwise mundane office, which Motoko and Canaan were promptly shown to. So as soon as the door opened, he was revealed in all of his face painted and white-robed glory, golden eyes keen with interest. There was no test equipment in sight - only a stereo system and some color crayons (?!), and plenty of windows were there to jump out of. Hell, even one of them was wide open. If someone could survive a fall from the third story, they were welcome to it, or they could piggyback on Motoko's back, since she could make that leap, no problem.
"You must be the subject, Canaan," Mayuri said, shooing away the receptionist with the wave of a hand. At least he left the word TEST out of the TEST SUBJECT part. That's a major effort for Mayuri, who was enamored with that, be they furry or human. "It is a pleasure to meet you and I'm keenly interested in hearing about your fascinating synapses."
Motoko put a reassuring hand on Canaan’s arm.
"... my fascinating synapses..." Canaan repeated, blinking her eyes a few times. The man's appearance was... well, it was different. Somewhat intimidating, actually. But she wasn't that big of a coward, even though her eyes had done a quick scan of the room for escape routes.
The wide open window was noted, but there wasn't enough to cling to on the outside of the building to survive the leap unscathed, so that was right out.
"Yes. In my dreams, the effect is very different than what I'm experiencing right now. I'm beginning to believe that there might be some kind of chemical experimentation involved."
"How intriguing," Mayuri said, softly, almost like he was singing while he fixedly stared at her. "You can relax. There will be no intrusive tests involved. Tell me, did you have dreams where you believe you were experimented on, or is that only a hunch? And to what extent has the magnitude of your synesthesia intruded or hindered your daily life? Is it sound or word-based, or are there other ways in which it has manifested?"
Motoko didn’t say anything, just stood close enough for Canaan to know she was there and far enough to give her a semblance of control over her own situation. She clasped her hands behind her back.
"I haven't been experimented on in the dreams so far, no," Canaan shook her head, then tried to process through Mayuri's other questions, "It is a hunch. My village was destroyed by warfare - regular ordinance and biological weaponry was used. I am the only survivor of that. I have been in contact with many carriers of a similar strain of this weaponry since, and have never needed an anti-virus."
She glanced over at Motoko, then back to Mayuri, "It is making my daily life very inconvenient, but still comes and goes. I see words or numbers as rivers of color sometimes. Other times I see things with my ears, or colors become tastes, or scents become trails of color, but I also experience ... other people's emotions turn them various colors. I do not think that is a normal form of synesthesia. My own research turned up only the forms you've mentioned."
It was more than Canaan had ever told Motoko, but the only evidence of this was a minute change in her expression, from concerned, to a little annoyed. But it did help clarify some things, and when Canaan finished, she added, “That about sums up what I was experiencing when I was in her body. I’ve been having difficulty describing it.”
Mayuri rolled his eyes with disdain at the way Motoko was hovering so protectively, because he had no interest in cutting into this specimen. Feelings of affection made people weak and left them open to misfortune, since any number of people could take advantage of that sort of entanglement. If he had any pity in him, he would have an ounce for his cousin. But he doesn't, because his mind was firmly locked on science and fascinating neural patterns. The second that eye rolling was finished - and his eyes moved in their sockets like clockwork, in two different directions - he was focused right back in on Canaan again.
"There are over sixty different reported forms of synesthesia," Mayuri said, after listening to her response, "including spatial based forms, and those having to do with emotions being attributed to numbers or letters with personalities. You say it was experienced when you were in her body, but was it not also in your own body, before that moment of transition?"
This was a fascinating turn of events. He rested a fingertip against his chin, his gaze aimed upward, like he was in deep contemplation. If so, there might be a way to get the information he needed, without ever ripping into the girl.
His gaze was locked onto Motoko and his lips pulled back in a wide grin, revealing gold-plated teeth.
“I experienced it when I was in her body, yes,” she replied, looking at Mayuri as though she were talking about the weather. “But not in my own. It was very disorienting, at first. She taught me how to focus on something to block out the colors.”
"So, to be perfectly clear," Mayuri was saying, as he tented his fingers together, "You were in Motoko-chan's body when you first experienced this happening? And are you experiencing it now, in your own body, post-transfer? This is most fascinating, as developments go."
She shook her head. “I haven’t experienced it since we returned to normal. It seems to be specific to Canaan’s body. I believe my cyber-brain recorded the memories I returned with, however.”
"Fantastic news. Let's access your brain and I can download the pertinent data." Mayuri was speaking in a delighted coo, but inside he was magnificently science squeeing at the opportunity. "There is no cure for this, other than perhaps attempting some non-invasive biofeedback, which may or may not make matters worse. It is worth an attempt, if it is becoming more a hindrance than a gift. It does afford you a unique view of the world that no one else, with the exception of Motoko, can understand or comprehend."
"I think I would be fine if it were operating the way it does in the dreams. I've become used to that, through the dreams, but right now it doesn't. That becomes a problem. It is especially a problem when my cover job involves putting together jewelry and painting. Color is extremely important to my work, there."
Canaan clasped her hands together behind her back, "It may become like that later. Until then, I am willing to try... anything non-invasive."
“I’m willing to let you download the data you need from my memories,” Motoko said, without hesitation.
"Cover job? You are an intriguing creature, indeed." Mayuri gestured toward a nearby laptop that had little pixelated chibi-version of Mayuri's face, spinning and bouncing like kabuki clown bubbles in some sort of a demented screensaver. "Any and all data can help, and perhaps in the meantime, we can attempt to fool your synapsis into compliance, even if it’s only temporary. There's even non-invasive biofeedback systems in place for post-traumatic stress disorders and all sorts of other maladies or conditions, to train responses to certain stimuli. With that data, I can theoretically compile something into a device that may help, given time. There would be no immediate results. Motoko, if you would hook yourself up to that? I will also need the precise dates of your transference, so I can copy the necessary memory files."
Mmmm. Science.
"Cover job, yes. My main source of employment is assassination," Canaan admitted, without any shame. It was like she was talking about the weather, really. This Mayuri guy might be a scary scientist (okay, there was no might in that equation, he really was a scary scientist), but she felt he could be trusted with that knowledge.
"We were transferred the same time as everyone else. The morning of the fourth of this month. It wore off on the eleventh."
Motoko carefully moved the more intimate memories from that time period into a secure file in a different part of her brain, before she pulled a cable out of the back of her neck and plugged it into Mayuri's systems.
"Eleven AM the fourth, to Two AM on the eleventh," she clarified. “Exactly.”
"Ahhh, I see. If you should ever need a body disposed of, then I will certainly take it off your hands and there won't be a trace of them left, afterward." Mayuri was a scary scientist, indeed. All the corpses are belong 2 him!!1! As for the peripheral sexy times data, he wasn't interested. That was things he would have thrown away, because it didn't contain manga tentacle rape or bloodplay. By the way his eyes were wide and glassy, he looked like the data scrolling by was far more fascinating than porn. "Ahh, yes. There is the information we need. How interesting. I will have to look into this even further, to unravel the precise patterns and wavelengths. But this more than suffices. Should you have any problems, Canaan, or if things intensify before a device can be completed? I hope you will let me know. We will keep things non-invasive, and no measures I take should interfere with your work."
Even if he would have loved to do brain surgery on her, he could always find someone else to do that to. No use having a tiff with the only family member he could tolerate.
“What about a way to turn it off and on as needed?” Motoko asked, unhooking the cable again. She was so used to this sort of thing in her dreams that she was unphased.
Canaan glanced at Motoko, then nodded her head, "Later on, when it progresses. If it does. I know that there's a mode that I go into where everything combines. I use it as an incredibly advanced IFF system. I can turn that part of it on and off at will, but the default state seems to be a combination of registering emotions and scents as colors on various wavelengths. I would like to be able to switch it all off when I am not using it. Eventually. I understand that would involve something more invasive."
"It might require that. There could be a system of tiny electrical impulses controlled by a remote device, that could be wired into your brain, which allows for it to be turned on and off, at will. That is only a theory," he pointed out to them, pointing a finger at Motoko. "Her mind is able to turn on and off functions that are unnecessary at will. Your condition will not be that simplistic. However, there may indeed be some yet unknown usefulness in your abilities, given your profession, and your dreams might uncover further abilities. After all, the mortal body has a magnificent ability to adapt, and this area's dreams seem to open up a wide array of possibilities where powers are concerned. Nevertheless, the ultimate choice on if the measures we take are invasive or not, is entirely up to you."
It sounded really handy, and Motoko idly wondered if she could adapt her own vision to something like that. Infrared or movement sensors. Night vision. She’d have to look into that. She didn’t fully understand the full capabilities of her body. She let the other two talk as she mulled over what they were saying.
"That does seem to be how it happens. I know my dreams aren't finished yet. A way to control this might appear on its own, or it become extremely useful later on, when I know more. There doesn't seem to be a way to do that now, so anything you can do to help is appreciated. I assume you need to analyze this data before we can proceed?"
Canaan wasn't even sure her words were registering, since the scientist seemed extremely enthralled by the data he was looking at.
Luckily, said scientist could multitask, as well as download everything he's learning into his backup brains, in case he should undergo some sort of head trauma or full-body liquefaction, and need to access the information again.
"Ahhh, yes. I will need to sift through this, run simulations, and then build a prototype. Luckily, I have several employees at my disposal, and I never give them an entire task to do on their own. Only bits and pieces of a puzzle...because I think they're imbeciles and I can't trust them to do an entire job from start to finish. Even on a biofeedback simulator."
He turned and smiled back at the pair, his head suddenly tilting to one side like his neck didn't contain a spine, but gears and springs. In all likelihood, he had probably modified himself enough that there were.
"It may take a week, but no longer than two weeks,” he finished saying. “Is that acceptable?"
"That is acceptable. What do you want in return?" Canaan asked, folding her arms in front of her. There had to be something, nothing was ever free.
"The opportunity, should things need a more permanent solution, to do the surgery and make adjustments," a gleeful Mayuri replied, making it sound like it would be the equivalent of Christmas morning for him. "Only with your consent. I can see my cousin is overprotective of you, already, and I have no time for petty family squabbles."
Because there was surveillance bacteria he was working on, so he could infect certain individuals with it. Neither of the individuals who were in front of him at this very moment, were on that list. But, hey? At least he's not poisoning anyone for fun, and to see if various antidotes would work more effectively. Yet. He's currently sticking with gassing and injecting and putting questionable shades of lipstick on animals, thank you very much.
The Major looked over at Canaan.”It’s up to you. I trusted him enough with my brain and my soul… Do you want this enough?”
Canaan frowned. She wasn't sure if she wanted her brain to become a computer, but she couldn't deny the fact that Motoko was still herself. That transfer had happened, whether she believed it or not.
"...I would want to know more about the process we'd go through for the permanent solution, but I can't think of anyone else I would go to for that but you. So I can agree to that." She nodded at Mayuri.
Mayuri grinned and nodded to them both, as this seemed to be equitable enough for everyone, involved. And it also involved surgery, which he loved doing. Because slicey dicey for science was good. Very, very good.
"You would be given the full details, at that juncture. I will say that a more permanent solution would require much more thought and consideration. As much as the medical community does know about the mind and body, the brain and all of it's many functions aren't yet catalogued. We would have to locate the precise synapses and pathways, before we were able to proceed. Biofeedback is the first step of many possible steps we can take. I will begin work, immediately."
“Thank you, Mayuri. I owe you for this.” Motoko would touch him, but neither of them were generally touchy people. Just didn’t run in the family.
Canaan settled on a brief, very japanese-style bow, "Thank you, Mayuri."
"I think the opportunity is enough." Mayuri bowed his head in response. "I will contact Motoko-chan and let her know when the device is ready for you. Good day."