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Post by Dr. James Hook on Apr 10, 2012 20:15:13 GMT -5
The timing on this is vague by player request. Definitely after Month 6, Week 2, Day 2. Parris Island boot camp. Semi-Private.
The Marines don't have their own medics, because they enjoy getting Navy medics killed instead. Given James's somewhat unique background, he is often asked to tender his opinion with regards to metahuman recruits. Metahuman screening is a compulsory part of the physical now. After all, if a recruit combusts when exposed to skin contact with the colour orange, that is something the Marines need to know. The last genuine metahuman case that James reviewed was a recruit who could generate flies, not a lot of them, just two to three at a time, only one if it was a very large fly. She didn't have any particular control over them. James concluded that the ability was harmless enough and that the recruit otherwise met requirements, and she went on to be a fine Marine.
The case file he is now reviewing is of a potential recruit who catastrophically fails in almost every category possible. The screwy expression on James's face seems to indicate that he did not even think it was possible to fail so spectacularly, and he tends to expect the worst of others by nature.
There is just one reason why James is still reviewing the file at all. He sets the tablet down on his desk and looks up at his door. He does so hope that Mr. Maddox D. Wayne is not late. James wants to pick his brain, literally.
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Apr 10, 2012 20:26:58 GMT -5
Maddox is not late! He tends to be perfectly punctual, because he's afraid that people will think less of him if he's either too late, and he needs the time leading up to his scheduled appointments to get over his anxiety of attending them. He's not sure what Dr. Hook wants to talk to him about, and the unknown makes him nervous.
Still, despite his nervousness, he manages to steel himself to knock hesitantly on Dr. Hook's door, worrying at his lower lip with his teeth.
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Post by Breakaway on Apr 12, 2012 12:22:05 GMT -5
Brock Wayne was not disqualified from training. Though sometime around Phase Two of basic training, he begins to suspect he is not in quite as good shape physically as he thought he was. He is as tired as he has ever been. The constant running around and physical exercise without much sleep is making him ache in places he didn't know he had, probably because he didn't actually have them until very recently.
On the other hand, he's consistently got the best marksmanship scores in his unit.
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Apr 12, 2012 15:47:43 GMT -5
When Mr. Wayne knocks, the door slides open, because hinges are for mere mortals who aren't really amnesiac space robots.
Jame's look is severe, but he makes a small gesture with one hand and directs, "Sit down, Mr. Wayne. We have much to discuss. If you're as smart as your file says you are, you have probably guessed why."
James won't hold his breath.
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Apr 13, 2012 9:49:37 GMT -5
Mayday finds sliding doors oddly comforting. It reminds him of home, and he takes a moment to admire the engineering of this particular door before catching himself with a squeak and hurrying over to the chair. He pauses again to hover over the chair, eyeing with intense suspicion before steeling himself and sitting gingerly on the very edge of the seat. At least he has pants and underwear as a barrier between himself and whatever may be on the chair.
"Um," he says, then guesses, "My physical didn't go well? It was the asthma, wasn't it? Or the history of pneumonia. Or um. Weak... bones..." Clearing his throat in embarrassment, Mayday rubs a knuckle against his lips, resisting the urge to chew on it. Maddox drops his hand in annoyance at the notion that he'd still chew his knuckles, and twiddles his fingers nervously instead.
Maddox is feeling both pretty awful and pretty awesome about everything. Okay, so he failed miserably... but he tried. He really did! That's something right? And if he can try joining the Marines, surely he can try joining something more suited to his abilities.
...He hopes Brock isn't too disappointed that he didn't make it.
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Post by Breakaway on Apr 15, 2012 11:13:05 GMT -5
Brock is indeed a bit disappointed that his brother didn't make the cut, but he doesn't have a lot of time to mope in his hectic training schedule. The drill sergeants keep telling him he ought to apply for sniper school, but he'd really rather be a pilot. The reasoning being he can legally own a high-powered rifle and scope as a civilian, but not an F-35. He does not share his reasoning, because it sounds a bit creepy when said out loud.
Close combat training and the obstacle course are much tougher for him than marksmanship was. He keeps expecting to have a gun on his wrist that he can jam into someone's abdomen and fire. And his heart just isn't in the obstacle course. He ought to be able to fly over it.
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Apr 15, 2012 16:28:28 GMT -5
The door is slagging amazing. James used to work construction as a teenager. Now that he is a unique asset, all sorts of strange behaviour are tolerated from him, including making the doors awesome.
"Not as smart as they said you were, but then, they never are," James observes, "I'm not here to tell you that you failed your physical, which you obviously already know. That would be a waste of my time. You're a metahuman, Mr. Wayne. Did you know that?"
He adds, after a beat, "I'm not asking to turn you in or anything. I personally could not care less if you're registered or not. I'm asking because I want to know what context you have for the situation."
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Apr 15, 2012 16:46:40 GMT -5
Mayday misses his own ship's amazing doors. They made the most satisfying 'swoosh' as they opened. He envies Hook's awesome door.
"Uh," Maddox says, embarrassed. "I never said I was smart-" The rest of Dr. Hook's sentence finally registers. "-Buh. Wuh?"
Maddox knows that he is an alien robot - though sometimes he almost forgets, disturbingly enough - but he never in his life suspected that he was a metahuman, for all his adolescent fantasies of suddenly awakening to his powers and becoming super cool and self-sufficient and not sickly and weak at all! That sure never happened.
After staring blankly at Hook for a moment, he asks, "Is my power to be super-humanly pathetic?" He slaps a hand over his mouth as soon as that slips out, looking even more embarrassed.
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Post by Breakaway on Apr 16, 2012 19:25:14 GMT -5
Flight school is much harder than Breakaway anticipated. It turns out flying a plane is much harder than being one. There are so many buttons!
He climbs out of the flight simulator, looking disheartened. Of course the instructor is there to meet him. "You stalled again, Wayne. You know how many millions of dollars of machinery that would cost if you did it in the field?"
"Sir, I know this aircraft can pull this maneuver! You just have to-" make nanoscale adjustments to the flight surfaces, vector the thrust in ways that are frankly obscene, and inject energon into the fuel mix.
"Have to what, Wayne?"
"Uh, nevermind, sir. Sorry sir."
"Right. We'll set it up and try it again."
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Apr 16, 2012 20:07:49 GMT -5
No, Mr. Wayne's file said he was smart. James scowls at him and corrects, "No. You have an unusual brain structure that indicates you would excel at interfacing with machines, perhaps as a cyborg. I must tell you that there are a great deal of organisations that could use someone with your genetic gifts. They will offer you a large amount of money and other... benefits. If that is what you want out of life, I wish you well."
James pauses for a moment to let the implications settle into Mr. Wayne's little brain. Then he adds, "However, if you wish to serve your country like your brother, I could use you for a research project."
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Apr 16, 2012 20:40:00 GMT -5
Maddox cringes at Dr. Hook's scowl, but his expression quickly turns to 'dumbfounded' as the man speaks. "My... brain? Machines? Cyborg?"
He... he actually has useful genetic gifts? He can actually do useful things as a human?? For a moment Mayday is overwhelmed by the hopeful dream of being hooked up to the Event Horizon once more, squishy human body or not.
The mention of serving 'his country' and his 'brother' grounds him back in reality. He knows nothing about the human brain or nervous system. He highly doubts he could engineer himself an appropriate human-ship interface. But... maybe someone else? "Er. What... sort of research project?"
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Apr 19, 2012 20:22:53 GMT -5
OOC: Skipping Brock due to timeout.
The way Mr. Wayne cringes reminds Hook of one of his younger brothers, but he does not think his brother was ever so abjectly pathetic.
"This kind," James says, and he holds up his hand. His hand, which appears to be flesh, comes apart and reveals a host of surgical tools. "The kind where I remove large portions of your body and replace them with machinery in the name of engineering a super-soldier."
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Apr 20, 2012 10:22:23 GMT -5
Maddox gapes in awe at Dr. Hook's mechanical hand, his own fingers twitching with the urge to touch it. "Oooh..."
At the mention of removing parts of his body he pales considerably. "Ghrk!"
By the end of the sentence, Maddox just looks torn and confused, biting at the knuckle of his thumb in indecision. "Nnnh..."
It's more of a war of selves, really. Maddox is afraid of surgery with his fragile flesh and the risk of disease and horrible death and- Mayday doesn't share that fear, though. As a robot his body parts have always been more removable and replaceable than an organic's. Maddox isn't sure he wants to become part machine. He worries about losing part of what makes him him. He doesn't quite share Mayday's affinity with machines, despite his interest in engineering. Being around them always made his brain itch. Mayday, however, would like nothing more than to replace his gradually dying flesh with good old lasting metal and mechanics.
But what of being a super-soldier? Soldiers fight, and fighting is dangerous and terrifying! But it also means being strong and capable, more able to defend yourself against danger. Not always having to rely on others to protect you. Taking responsibility and not running away. Frightening!
He tried joining the Marines, though! He tried his best! So he washed out terribly at being a Marine. Maybe now he can go a step beyond that.
Softly, Mayday says, "...Okay."
He hopes Breakaway will be proud of him.
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Apr 20, 2012 10:34:47 GMT -5
James sees that twitch, and he holds out his hand for Mr. Wayne to examine, if he would like. The Mayday that is in Maddox may find some of the technology familiar.
At the acquiescence, James looks... not pleased, but marginally less grumpy than his default. He nods briskly and explains, "I'll go over more of the details with you and make sure you've understood. A great deal of this research will benefit civilians, as well, down the road. Then one of my assistants will go over everything again with you. Then another recruiter. Then a lawyer."
In other words, Mr. Wayne is going to understand exactly what he's getting into and what rights he is signing over.
OOC: Skip to his first surgery?
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Post by Mayday/Maddox Wayne on Apr 22, 2012 9:50:33 GMT -5
After navigating the mazes of red tape to make sure that Maddox does, in fact, want to donate his time and person to science, it's finally time for Mayday's first surgery.
He's certainly nervous, and being in the human version of a medical bay makes him feel a little nauseous - but he's not panicking! Maybe he's actually a little thankful for those shifts command forced on him - but the scent of disinfectant is comforting, and he had to fast before the operation anyway, so it's not like there's anything for him to bring up if he gets sick.
Despite all the nervousness, he's determined to go through with this! It'd be pretty awkward to back out now anyway.
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