Dillon isn't precisely nodding along; the technological enthusiasm reminds him of Tessic, and he has to put some effort into not smiling.
"I'm glad you've considered safety features," Dillon says mildly. "If, say, there was a flood and you woke up evil, how easy would it be for him to disable?"
"Ah. That is serious." Certainly not something Ford wants to happen.
"I suppose I'd better revise the design. Right now, it could be removed with the flip of a switch, causing a catastrophic chain reaction that would disintegrate all matter in a three-lightyear radius!" Very bad.
Ford honestly straight up didn't consider this a potential problem.
"Yeah, secure that a little more heavily, please," Dillon says, just a bit dry.
"A supertaser I basically get. More responsible than all the people running around with just guns, honestly." Even if his history of electrocution in custody makes him want to twitch when he thinks about it too much.
"But can I ask what you think you're really gonna need a monofilament knife for?"
"Emergencies," Ford says simply. It's the same answer he gave Missy.
Written in the line of his mouth, the set of his shoulders, the scars on his hands, is a record of the kinds of emergencies Ford's talking about. There have been plenty of times he could have used a Sub-Atomic Particle Splitter. Ford never default-assumes he won't need one. His family isn't here to have his back, so deep down, Ford believes that when the chips are down, he'll be on his own.
Bill told him not long ago that it was easy to exploit how easy he was to win over. He said that no one was going to stick around for thirty years. The Barge and the people on it are temporary, one of many episodes in Ford's multidimensional adventures. Except maybe Shiro, who is a Pines, and wants to come back to Gravity Falls.
There are all kinds of things he could need a monofilament knife for. Not all of them are "if the taser gloves don't work."
"Alright." Dillon says, after watching some the wake of this terse answer play out in Ford's Face.
"Three things. One, figure out better safeties. You never know when you're going to be replaced around here, by who or by what, or how you might be compromised or fall under influence. Two, I would - strongly urge you not to cut the substance of the barge itself under any circumstances. It's a living creature that does its best to shield and sustain us."
Hurting it seems vastly unlikely to improve any given dire situation.
"Three - he's been getting in your head lately." Dillon doesn't elaborate, giving Ford a chance to respond to any of that.
The first one -- Ford doesn't need to say fair enough for it to come across. He really hasn't considered the possibility that he himself might be compromised and use the knife for unnecessary destruction. So, yes, he'll rework the design. No arguments.
No arguments against not cutting the Barge. Surprise, yes, at the idea that the ship is alive, but not as much as there could be. It's not an "oh, my god, it's alive!" It's just an "Oh."
Three, though, makes Ford frown. He knows who his mind jumps to, and shutters immediately close behind his eyes. It takes a second to open them again. "So, you know about that. Listen, I can't keep him out when I'm recovering in the infirmary. It doesn't have an access filter and it isn't warded against him. ...I should probably look into that," Ford adds as an afterthought. Not a bad idea, honestly, given how often he's wound up there. He's taking this entirely literally and assuming Dillon means how Bill never stays out of his dreams when Ford is death tolling outside his cabin, because of course it isn't figurative, why would it be?
"Oh - well, I was talking about, you know, emotionally, but there's a private suite in the back with power nullification like zero has, I'll put a note on your chart to always put you in that one, if you aren't able to request it for yourself."
Because wow, that doesn't sound like it's ever gonna help.
Ford clears his throat, curling a fist in front of his mouth. "That would be appreciated," he says gruffly. "Dealing with a death toll is much easier when I can sleep in peace."
Heyyy who has two thumbs plus ten more fingers and isn't bringing the idea that Bill's getting to him emotionally back up? This guy.
Ford waves a hand carelessly. "This room is fine," he says. As long as the door's shut and no one's going to overhear, he doesn't care where they talk.
Ford's felt very heavy very often lately, and the breath he lets out as he considers what to tell is not an exception. What does he say?
"I can't leave now," he says. "Everyone I've talked to has told me to ignore Bill and focus on my own graduation, but don't you see? As long as he's out there, in the hands of an Admiral who is running from his own incompetence, I can't go back! What am I supposed to do, pretend I don't know that he's still out there, ready to destroy another universe?"
He doesn't trust the Admiral. He and Bill have plans to get away and find another one. They would have done exactly that in the Bargeyard if the Admiral hadn't brought them back on board by force. Ford feels personally responsible for Bill, whether it ends in death or graduation. He is putting off his own revival until it does.
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Re: all sorts of death cws here
"I'm glad you've considered safety features," Dillon says mildly. "If, say, there was a flood and you woke up evil, how easy would it be for him to disable?"
no subject
"...is that likely?"
no subject
Dillon says it matter-of-factly, not emptied of emotion but neatly contained. He has learned that he can live with whatever he has to live with.
"And that was with the delay of circumventing power limits, and only moderately motivated."
no subject
"I suppose I'd better revise the design. Right now, it could be removed with the flip of a switch, causing a catastrophic chain reaction that would disintegrate all matter in a three-lightyear radius!" Very bad.
Ford honestly straight up didn't consider this a potential problem.
no subject
"A supertaser I basically get. More responsible than all the people running around with just guns, honestly." Even if his history of electrocution in custody makes him want to twitch when he thinks about it too much.
"But can I ask what you think you're really gonna need a monofilament knife for?"
no subject
Written in the line of his mouth, the set of his shoulders, the scars on his hands, is a record of the kinds of emergencies Ford's talking about. There have been plenty of times he could have used a Sub-Atomic Particle Splitter. Ford never default-assumes he won't need one. His family isn't here to have his back, so deep down, Ford believes that when the chips are down, he'll be on his own.
Bill told him not long ago that it was easy to exploit how easy he was to win over. He said that no one was going to stick around for thirty years. The Barge and the people on it are temporary, one of many episodes in Ford's multidimensional adventures. Except maybe Shiro, who is a Pines, and wants to come back to Gravity Falls.
There are all kinds of things he could need a monofilament knife for. Not all of them are "if the taser gloves don't work."
no subject
"Three things. One, figure out better safeties. You never know when you're going to be replaced around here, by who or by what, or how you might be compromised or fall under influence. Two, I would - strongly urge you not to cut the substance of the barge itself under any circumstances. It's a living creature that does its best to shield and sustain us."
Hurting it seems vastly unlikely to improve any given dire situation.
"Three - he's been getting in your head lately." Dillon doesn't elaborate, giving Ford a chance to respond to any of that.
no subject
No arguments against not cutting the Barge. Surprise, yes, at the idea that the ship is alive, but not as much as there could be. It's not an "oh, my god, it's alive!" It's just an "Oh."
Three, though, makes Ford frown. He knows who his mind jumps to, and shutters immediately close behind his eyes. It takes a second to open them again. "So, you know about that. Listen, I can't keep him out when I'm recovering in the infirmary. It doesn't have an access filter and it isn't warded against him. ...I should probably look into that," Ford adds as an afterthought. Not a bad idea, honestly, given how often he's wound up there. He's taking this entirely literally and assuming Dillon means how Bill never stays out of his dreams when Ford is death tolling outside his cabin, because of course it isn't figurative, why would it be?
no subject
Because wow, that doesn't sound like it's ever gonna help.
no subject
Heyyy who has two thumbs plus ten more fingers and isn't bringing the idea that Bill's getting to him emotionally back up? This guy.
no subject
"Although - you wanna go somewhere else? This is a lot less an office thing."
It's not security, it's just...concern.
no subject
Ford's felt very heavy very often lately, and the breath he lets out as he considers what to tell is not an exception. What does he say?
"I can't leave now," he says. "Everyone I've talked to has told me to ignore Bill and focus on my own graduation, but don't you see? As long as he's out there, in the hands of an Admiral who is running from his own incompetence, I can't go back! What am I supposed to do, pretend I don't know that he's still out there, ready to destroy another universe?"
He doesn't trust the Admiral. He and Bill have plans to get away and find another one. They would have done exactly that in the Bargeyard if the Admiral hadn't brought them back on board by force. Ford feels personally responsible for Bill, whether it ends in death or graduation. He is putting off his own revival until it does.