I also think your heart's in the right place, which is why I'm talking to you first. Let me know when and where. I usually have afternoon shifts at the infirmary, but it's empty lately and there's an office we can use if you prefer.
[WHOA BOY, the alarm bells of a guilty conscience sure are going off. There are a lot of things Ford doesn't want Dillon to see -- the decision to leave the Barge, the half a dozen deaths, the...the thing that happened down in the tunnel that he's furiously ignoring, his truly embarrassing crush on Iris, his sympathy with Steve.
Aaaaaa.
Why is it that all his conversations have been so difficult lately?]
By "talking to me first," I assume you mean this will go much worse for me if I DON'T have this conversation.
[He hasn't forgotten how much raw power Dillon has.]
"Thanks for coming over," Dillon says, taking Ford back into a little office off the main infirmary. He sounds like he means it, and in fact, he does. There are a few academic books and a few schedules, but it's more spartan than otherwise. Rather than trying to look non-ridiculous in Dr. Banner'sDr. Cambridge's Dr. Magnus's chair, Dillon just leans against the edge of the desk. There are two other chairs, mismatched, shoved in here for their last meeting; Ford is welcome to either.
"So. Tell me about the weapons you're - making? Have made?"
No, he doesn't sit. Ford wants every inch of his completely average height here; Dillon might be willing to hear him out, but that doesn't change the defensiveness Ford feels.
--but he feels intense relief at the line of questioning Dillon takes. Whew, he was afraid you were going to ask him something difficult.
"A bit of both. You saw the one I made for Bill. The other is a sub-atomic particle splitter. I haven't gotten it operational yet, but I'm close, I just know it."
"The why is simple. On the Barge, there are no limits on the powers of unpaired inmates, and sometimes, they just go around killing people for the heck of it! I might be able to throw a pretty good punch, but I'm only human, and the Admiral doesn't exactly divide us into weight classes. Yes, death isn't permanent, but that doesn't mean I'm in a hurry to do it again."
The first time had been terrible enough. He'd been half-man, half-wolf, shot with a silver round that burned its way through his bloodstream. That and hearing about Callisto's murder spree had pushed Ford into designing the knife.
(Of course, that hasn't stopped him from getting killed again. He'd gone into the fight because he knew he could keep Bill distracted, and he believed Bill enjoyed playing with him enough that Bill would prolong the game, avoiding outright death. The other Bill had known death wasn't permanent. Ford hadn't -- until Bill depressurized the atmosphere around him and boiled him alive, and Ford had popped right back into shape like a rubber band. What had followed after that is something Ford isn't thinking of as torture, but kind of unquestionably was. He was eaten alive by ants. Crushed to death. Trisected. Acid-burned to a greasepile. He's been having nightmares about some of these, and has been dealing with it by sleeping even less than usual. But he's totally fine.)
"I made the shock gloves capable of delivering variable charges: they instantly test the conductivity of whatever matter they connect with and modulate the power accordingly, and in most cases should be nonlethal. But I can't account for everything. There might be times where I can't incapacitate someone with electricity. When causing a death toll is the only way to avoid one myself, or stop someone from doing real harm to someone else. I'm not looking for trouble, Dillon. I'm just being prepared."
He really isn't intending to use the knife, not unless he feels he truly has to. ....or if he has to cut something very dense. Come to think of it, with the casing Ford has in mind, the Particle Splitter would make a pretty stylish letter opener.
"As for the how, that's also straightforward. The power cell uses an Unobtainium crystal to generate a two-dimensional surface which is capable of severing matter on a subatomic level. Of course, I've put a safety catch in place so that no particles actually get split. That would be disastrous!" Disastrous is an understatement. Ford has never split a particle himself, but he's heard of dimensions where it's happened. It tends to set off very unpleasant chain reactions. Even if it weren't a particle that got split, Dillon knows perfectly well what happens when one splits an atom. "There's a low-energy electromagnetic field around the blade. It should be enough to push all of the individual atoms out of the way, leaving a razor-edge that can cut through literally anything but won't cause any unfortunate explosions."
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.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2018-05-22 01:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-05-23 08:32 pm (UTC)I also think your heart's in the right place, which is why I'm talking to you first. Let me know when and where. I usually have afternoon shifts at the infirmary, but it's empty lately and there's an office we can use if you prefer.
no subject
Date: 2018-05-23 08:40 pm (UTC)There are a lot of things Ford doesn't want Dillon to see -- the decision to leave the Barge, the half a dozen deaths, the...the thing that happened down in the tunnel that he's furiously ignoring, his truly embarrassing crush on Iris, his sympathy with Steve.
Aaaaaa.
Why is it that all his conversations have been so difficult lately?]
By "talking to me first," I assume you mean this will go much worse for me if I DON'T have this conversation.
[He hasn't forgotten how much raw power Dillon has.]
no subject
Date: 2018-05-23 08:48 pm (UTC)But if we don't have a conversation, then I'm going to have to make my next decisions without the benefit of hearing your point of view.
--> action?
Date: 2018-05-23 08:59 pm (UTC)I'm on my way.
works for me
Date: 2018-05-23 09:14 pm (UTC)Dr. Banner'sDr. Cambridge'sDr. Magnus's chair, Dillon just leans against the edge of the desk. There are two other chairs, mismatched, shoved in here for their last meeting; Ford is welcome to either."So. Tell me about the weapons you're - making? Have made?"
no subject
Date: 2018-05-24 03:51 am (UTC)--but he feels intense relief at the line of questioning Dillon takes. Whew, he was afraid you were going to ask him something difficult.
"A bit of both. You saw the one I made for Bill. The other is a sub-atomic particle splitter. I haven't gotten it operational yet, but I'm close, I just know it."
no subject
Date: 2018-05-24 06:59 pm (UTC)all sorts of death cws here
Date: 2018-05-24 08:35 pm (UTC)The first time had been terrible enough. He'd been half-man, half-wolf, shot with a silver round that burned its way through his bloodstream. That and hearing about Callisto's murder spree had pushed Ford into designing the knife.
(Of course, that hasn't stopped him from getting killed again. He'd gone into the fight because he knew he could keep Bill distracted, and he believed Bill enjoyed playing with him enough that Bill would prolong the game, avoiding outright death. The other Bill had known death wasn't permanent. Ford hadn't -- until Bill depressurized the atmosphere around him and boiled him alive, and Ford had popped right back into shape like a rubber band. What had followed after that is something Ford isn't thinking of as torture, but kind of unquestionably was. He was eaten alive by ants. Crushed to death. Trisected. Acid-burned to a greasepile. He's been having nightmares about some of these, and has been dealing with it by sleeping even less than usual. But he's totally fine.)
"I made the shock gloves capable of delivering variable charges: they instantly test the conductivity of whatever matter they connect with and modulate the power accordingly, and in most cases should be nonlethal. But I can't account for everything. There might be times where I can't incapacitate someone with electricity. When causing a death toll is the only way to avoid one myself, or stop someone from doing real harm to someone else. I'm not looking for trouble, Dillon. I'm just being prepared."
He really isn't intending to use the knife, not unless he feels he truly has to. ....or if he has to cut something very dense. Come to think of it, with the casing Ford has in mind, the Particle Splitter would make a pretty stylish letter opener.
"As for the how, that's also straightforward. The power cell uses an Unobtainium crystal to generate a two-dimensional surface which is capable of severing matter on a subatomic level. Of course, I've put a safety catch in place so that no particles actually get split. That would be disastrous!" Disastrous is an understatement. Ford has never split a particle himself, but he's heard of dimensions where it's happened. It tends to set off very unpleasant chain reactions. Even if it weren't a particle that got split, Dillon knows perfectly well what happens when one splits an atom. "There's a low-energy electromagnetic field around the blade. It should be enough to push all of the individual atoms out of the way, leaving a razor-edge that can cut through literally anything but won't cause any unfortunate explosions."
Re: all sorts of death cws here
Date: 2018-05-29 01:53 am (UTC)"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
Date: 2018-05-29 02:31 pm (UTC)"...is that likely?"
no subject
Date: 2018-06-09 03:58 am (UTC)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
Date: 2018-06-11 05:42 pm (UTC)"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
Date: 2018-06-11 05:53 pm (UTC)"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
Date: 2018-06-13 08:32 pm (UTC)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
Date: 2018-06-24 10:00 am (UTC)"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
Date: 2018-06-28 06:24 pm (UTC)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
Date: 2018-06-29 06:44 pm (UTC)Because wow, that doesn't sound like it's ever gonna help.
no subject
Date: 2018-06-29 07:05 pm (UTC)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
Date: 2018-06-29 07:17 pm (UTC)"Although - you wanna go somewhere else? This is a lot less an office thing."
It's not security, it's just...concern.
no subject
Date: 2018-06-29 08:37 pm (UTC)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.