2013.08.13 - The StarkTech Presentation

The Stark Expo is a hub of activity. The Expo is only been on a day, so it's rather overwhelming to even start to take it in. It's an explosion of colour, of innovation and well, as this is Tony's show - a fair bit of showing off, especially in the Stark Industries pavillion. 
There are demos going on all the time. Currently, there's a demo in the Stark Biotech pavillion that's about to start. This is a first-look at something that promises to be innovative and exciting. The booth is slick and metallic, clean except for an etched logo. The digital screen above the booth tells people that a brand new product will debut for the first time in five minutes. No further details are forthcoming.
Part of the reason Hammer is here is to scope out the competition. See what everyone else is sinking their money into. So after an impromptu 'lunch' break with a friend, Justin makes his way over to the Stark pavilion. This was one of the demos on his list of 'must see', since he's dying to figure out what the cocky and rather suspicious Stark Cousin has been working on. He's a recognizable figure in the crowd as he makes his way toward the front of the gathering, his trademark vested suit and thick-framed glasses making him stand out. Left hand in his pants pocket, right holding a can of cherry soda left from his lunch break, he waits patiently for the demonstration to commence.
If you get down into technicalities, Timothy Drake isn't running the Wayne Enterprises booth at the Expo. He's an intern, and he's only seventeen. There is, actually, a regional PR manager supposedly in charge.
Everyone knows who's really running the show, though. Bruce Wayne's current pet project, which is frankly more true that Tim likes to admit, but it plays well into the public persona, so he's rolling with it. That's generally what you have to do, with Bruce. Roll with the punches.
Still, though, it means he can shove work onto that PR person at times without anyone being able to say anything. Tim's done a lot of the heavy lifting, and if he wants to wander around, visit some of the gourmet food trucks, and see the sights, he'll do as he damned well please. What are they going to do, tattle on him? He's just polishing off some sort of Korean-Mexican fusion taco (never ask questions about food truck food, just enjoy) as he overhears someone mentioning what's about to start at the Stark Biotech pavillion. Well, time for some corporate espionage.
Or, you know, drooling over fancy tech. Probably more that, yeah.
Lunair is wealthy enough to not look out of place. She's in a formal, lolita-like dress (more frills and ruffles=more power, right? That's how it works for power, anyway). She's here for ... inspiration as it were. But the fact that there's a demo in a pavillion she hasn't visited is good enough for. The thing that seems to stand out about this young woman is how her stare seems distant, more akin to someone who has seen war than your usual wealthy teenager. Either way, she's going to check this out. She smiles politely at anyone she passes, but it seems off somehow.
Alone today, Jazmin is clearly making an effort to get out and see things, and perhaps be seen as well. She's back into jeans, a little neater than her usual snarky t-shirt, holding a take out coffee cup that can best be described as 'generous'. She looks entirely out of place, casual and relaxed as she strolls up to where the demo is scheduled to start, coming up alongside Justin. "Fancy meeting you here."
Given the Stark family flare for the dramatics, it's perhaps a bit of a shock to see that Howard Stark simply walks out from behind a divider to stand inside the booth. The countdown clark changes to show his title: Doctor Howard Stark, Stark Industries Research and Development. Sure, it looks pretty and swirls and looks metallic, but compared to Tony's show last night, it's massively understated. "Good day, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Howard Stark. I'm going to be giving you a demo of the very latest to come out of Stark Biotech. It's an innovation that will improve the lives of people all over the globe. I do ask that you move in close as there will be some audience participation elements to this presentation." He flashes a smile that's warm and inviting. "I promise, I won't zap you. Not without making you sign a release form." 
Somewhere, the press snaps a photo. There's a cluster of them who have joined the party, along with maybe two dozen others. 
Well, it seems to be Justin's day for running into female friends. He looks toward Jazmin and offers her a smile. It's a little less sharky than his usual. "Miss Cullen, Good seeing you as always. Checking out the tech, I see?" He eyes the young heroine's coffee cup for a second, then takes a drink from the soda he has. It doesn't have any caffeine in it, so it do much in the way of keeping his mind focused, but he's doing alright so far. Between the curiosity he has and the busy day, his ADD-like tendencies are mostly under control. When Stark starts speaking, he looks back toward the booth. At least Cousin Stark is more refined, if a bit bland. Since he's already pretty close to the front of the crowd, there's no sense in him moving farther forward.
Great minds, apparently, because Tim stopped by one of the Starbucks trucks on his way over. Coffee is sometimes the only thing that keeps him going through Bruce's punishing schedule, and while the cup he's holding isn't a match to Alfred's espressos, it'll have to do. He finds a spot somewhere near the back of the crowd, unobtrusive.
Last night was cause for dressing up, because you can't stand next to Bruce Wayne in all his bespoke glory in jeans and a t-shirt. You just can't. So Tim's done the three-piece suit thing already, but now that he's just manning the booth, he's a bit dressed down. Vest and tie, shirt cuffs rolled up neatly to his elbows, dark wash jeans and nice (but not dress) shoes. Aiming for "well-dressed teen interested in tech" and succeeding, for the most part, though the only thing that sticks out is the Wayne Enterprises expo pass hanging from a lanyard sticking out of his pocket.
He glances over towards where most of the press has assembled as he takes another sip of coffee. Scalding, just like he likes it. Then his attention is on the stage.
Lunair seems to lack coffee for now, though it does smell nice in passing. She does have some water with her at least, and watches the others gathering nearby. She looks quietly curious, lifting an eyebrow as Howard speaks. She tilts her head, and stays neatly in the crowd. "Huh," There's a polite smile in passing at Tim, at least.
"Even in public, you are welcome to call me Jazmin." Jazmin notes to Justin with a flicker of a smile. "It feels only right when I keep calling you Honey. The tech of today is .. of interest to me, yes." She turns back to Stark as he starts to speak, coming just a little bit closer to better be able to see. And to see who else is watching and is around. Her attention looks back to Howard and she chuckles. "Audience participation?"
Howard's wearing a lab coat over a well-cut suit, his longish mop combed off his face, his cheeks clean-shaven. He seems a touch young, but maybe he's just a babyface. Stark doesn't hire slouches in the science department - even if they're family. And they certainly don't get prominent spots at the expo. 
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Marco. Come on up here, Marco," He applauds and a young man with dark hair and a rather lanky build gets up from the back and moves towards Howard. The two shake hands. Howard claps the young man on the shoulder. "Marco came to us a few months ago with a very serious problem. You see," and he pauses dramatically before he says, "He's a quadruple amputee." Which seems unbelievable. The young man standing beside Howard appears entirely whole. Marco's beaming ear-to-ear.
Justin offers a chuckle to Jazmin. "Touche'," he offers to her before returning his attention back to the stage. He watches the young Stark closely, as if trying to judge every action. He's still terribly suspicious of Cousin Stark, and is on the lookout for whatever clues he can to figure out what's so off about him. When Marco is called up, he watches the other young man. The announcement that he's an amputee gets a surprised look, and Hammer focuses up on the demo. So exactly how's this going to work?
A few eyebrows go up at that announcement, of course, and Tim's are definitely counted in that. Wayne Enterprises has their Biotech division represented within their own area, of course, and he's well-aware of their current projects, but this is-
Well, Tim will settle on "impressive".
Huh. Definitely something she hadn't expected. Lunair watches as Marco arrives and beams. Aw. She is quiet for now, then, curious. She actually seems to be expressing it on her face for once, too, instead of her quietly blank face. Though, she's incredible at statue imitation conventions and won first prize Pink Lawn Flamingo 2013. For now, she peers over.
"At which joints?" Jazmin asks, considering Marco a moment before looking to Howard to call out her question and then she smiles. "Although perhaps I should ask at this point, are you taking questions along the way, or have I already broken the unwritten conventions of the convention by asking?"
Hammer Industries doesn't have a biotech division per say, most of their biological research is limited to warfare versus medical applications. Augmenting a soldier to fight, or creating a biological weapon. That division, however, is rarely spoken of. Justin keeps quiet, eyes glancing over toward Jazmin when she pipes up with questions. He had been wondering the same, though he had assumed it would be revealed as the demonstration progressed.
"Marco, would you mind?" The monitor behind Howard and three larger screens higher above flick on to show a view of himself and the young man by his side. The camera goes in for a tighter angle on the young man's elbow. Marco presses a few times on his bicep and there's a faint clicking sound. The skin around the join goes purple and peels back, and then he detaches his entire forearm. There are a few electrodes attaching to the amputated arm to the artificial arm, but those tendrils slide away on their own. 
"Stark Industries has developed full integrated, self-powered robotic limbs that give people the full range of sensation and movement." He looks up when Jazmin asks her question. Rather than look irritated, he smiles. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but it's possible your questions will be answered throughout the course of the demonstration. If you still have questions after I've gone through the overview, I'd be more than happy to answer them." 
Howard seems completely calm - calmer than one would expect a young scientist who is presumably at the Expo as a presenter for the first time. "Marco is one of a handful of subjects who have been testing the prosthetics over the last several months. We've had tremendous success." 
Okay, this spot way back here? Not going to do. Somehow, Tim makes his way closer, nearer to the front of the crowd, without so much as jostling anyone or sticking any elbows into uncomfortable places.
Finally he gets close to the stage, and he leans forward to get a decent look at Marco's prosthetic limb. Tim is just itching to take it apart and put it back together again.
Unfortunately, this is probably not quite that much of a hands-on demo, so he just grips his coffee cup and watches.
Lunair watches the demo, hming softly. She moves aside, to let Tim pass (He shall pass). She takes a sip of her water, for now. It seems duly impressive.
"Excellent. I shall keep them for the end then." Jazmin nods to Howard, offering him a smile in return and settling quiet with the assitance of coffee drinking. She leans, just a little, towards being able to peer at the monitors a litlte more closely. A nod, thoughtful really and she glances to either side, taking in various reactions of those around her, noting Tim's arrival up closer to where she is, nodding to the fellow coffee drinker and another teen.
"As you can see, we've also developed adaptive bioskin that picks up on the pigmentation of the wearer, generates a texture like the kind used in 3D modeling, and applies it over the surface of the skin." Howard demonstrates this by helping Marco back on with his arm. The purple skin folds around Marco's elbow, and the skin integrates seamlessly. "Some minor surgery is required to place receivers at the nearest undamanged nerve endings if there are no functioning ones near the site of the amputation. We've also paired with our medical research division for some ground-breaking strides in nerve reconstruction. Thank you, Marco." He pats the young man on the shoulder. Marco gives Howard's hand a very strong shake, then leans in to spontaneously hug the scientist. 
Howard looks a bit uncomfortable, but he smiles and applauds as the young man moves back through the crowd. "Now, this is the audience participation portion of this demonstration." He steps back behind the counter. A platform rises up from the middle. Several devices are laid out. "Do I have a volunteer who would like to see how this works firsthand?" 
Justin tries hard not to look impressed by the demonstration so far. He truly is, but he's got to keep at least somewhat of a poker face on. This level of tech isn't a complete surprise from Stark, seeing as how Tony pioneered powered armor. Idly he wonders how similar that tech may be to the androids he recently dissected for Sinestro, and if the people responsible for the Adaptoids (as the were apparently being called) may have had access to similar resources as Stark. He takes a drink from the soda can he has. When there's a call for volunteers, he stays uncharacteristically quiet and still. As much as he would like to get his hands on some Stark tech, even if it's just a demo like this, he's not about to go up on stage during a demo.
Tim comes /this/ close to letting his hand shoot up into the air. It's a very near thing. And then he remembers where he is and /who/ he is, and passes off his sudden fidgetting by looking around at the assembled crowd casually.
Someone else can volunteer. He'll content himself with getting a good view of the tech, which, honestly, won't content him at all: he'll be trying to work it out in his head for a while.
Well. Someone did advise her to try to be more social. You know, without pulling a rocket launcher. And as herself. Lunair looks thoughtful a moment, though it's hard to discern much of a difference. Carefully, oh so carefully, as if she just might explode from lifting her hand too fast (hey, floor is lava is serious business), Lunair will lift her hand to give volunteering a shot. Why not? She's a virtual unknown.
Jazmin glances around, at the others at the call for volunteers. She nods, almost encouragingly, to Lunair as the girl volunteers and she holds her free hand up in a 'not me' gesture. She opens her mouth, likely to ask another question and closes it again, managing not to break her promise to hold questions to the end. 
That hand may not have been the first, but Lunair's is the first that Howard sees. He nods to her and motions for her to come up to the front. "Hi. Thank you for volunteering. What's your name?" He smiles again. The charming Stark smile runs in the family, it seems. He glances sidelong, having just now fully registered Justin's hovering presence. "Now, this is going to be a little strange, but I hope it will be enlightening." He opens a small metal box and pulls out what looks to be a pinky finger with blue tendrils trailing off it. "Can I see your hand, please?" 
Hammer once again throws a glance toward Jazmin. He can't help but give a bit of a grin, the girl is so very forward. She's a lot like Fern in that respect. His eyes then find the volunteer who's been called to the front. He takes note of her very frilly attire, rather odd, and continues to watch in silence. From what he can see, Justin can take a guess as to where this demo is going to go. If it follows the path he thinks it will, it will indeed be odd, and revolutionary. Already the weapons designer's brain is working on ways to turn the tech from a medical miracle into a device of war.
There's a bit more leaning forward from Tim to see what's in the box as Howard opens it. He's trying not to be overly obvious here, but this is pretty revolutionary. Even for Stark Industries.
"No way," he says, mostly to himself. If this is going where he thinks he's going- and probably where Justin Hammer thinks it's going, too- then, well. No way.
Hmm, well, okay. Lunair blinks. She moves forward as called, then, moving unusually quietly and easily. "Lunair," She offers. "It's a pleasure." For odd a duck as she is, Lunair's manners do seem to be on the side of good. She does ease up a little at the charming smile. She pauses. Strange, huh? She peers at him, then to the box. "Alright," She nods. She seems to trust the man and will carefully offer her right hand over.
Jazmin leans over to murmur something softly to Justin before turning back to watch the demonstration and watching the people watching the demonstration. She too leans a little, to see exactly what's going on, taking a lingering sip of her coffee as she does, coming up on tip toe as she does. There's no attempt, not even a little, to attempt to play it cool, or pretend she's not trying to see all the bits and pieces, in contrast to the gentlemen attempting to be all zen.
Jazmin Cullen whispers "Am I just paranoid, or does no one think to ask what they're volunteering for before they agree to have soemthing connected to their nerves?"
"Lunair. Well, I'm Howard. A pleasure. And thanks again." He takes her hand very gently, then holds up the prosthetic finger. "The tendrils can sense active nerve endings." He holds the thump up to Lunair's hand. The tendrils with small cups on the end attach gently to the joint by her little finger. "For a true replacement digit, minor surgery would be required." After a moment, he releases the finger, which remains attached as a sixth digit to Lunair's hand. 
"Now, you can still see the join here, and the skin pigmentation doesn't match hers." He reaches for some of that purple material, which he applies around the joint. Then he picks up a small scanner, hits a few buttons, and the purple changes to match her skin, as does the rest of the sixth finger. "There we are." When he releases Lunair's hand, it appears as though she's got six fingers on one hand. "Try to move it. It should respond." 
Justin automatically leans toward Jazmin when she speaks quietly to him. He smirks, nods, then replies in the same hushed tone. His eyes never leave the demonstration, though, not wanting to miss a beat of this. He finally pulls his left hand from his pants pocket to adjust his glasses, then lets his arm drop to his side. The demo goes exactly has he had thought it would, and he manages to keep his expression mostly neutral. Oh, the military applications for this technology would be /endless/.
You whisper "Why do you think I didn't volunteer?" to Jazmin Cullen.
At this point, that purple material is of more interest to Tim than anything else. He's already imagining how it could help in undercover ops. But it's still, as a whole- the implications for amputees all over the world- oh man, Tim really wants to get his hands on this tech. Uh, pun not intended there.
Lunair nods. She seems uncertain. "No problem," She does her very best to look comparatively normal and react without being excessively flattering. It's a bit odd to watch, really. She watches, quietly as the tendrils with small cups are attached gently to the joint by her little finger. She holds her hand still, so people can see without it wavering. She - seems to be /really/ good at staying still. There's a blink as the purple matches her skin now. Hmmm.
Fortunately, she does exactly as asked. First an experimental wiggle, the sort one does when making sure their hand's not asleep. Hm, okay, try curling her fingers a bit almost like holding a pencil.
Jazmin nods to Justin, his smirk receiving one in return from her before she turns back to watch Lunair and the experimental technology attached to her nervous system. She quirks her head, thoughtfully watching the little flex and twitch of the artificial digit. She settles to a more subdued smile crossing her face. Not quite the wide eyed eager that the boys are demonstrating.
The finger doesn't feel /entirely/ real to Lunair. The feeling is akin to a foot that's half-asleep that you attempt to move. Sensation, but dulled. "Here," says Howard. He reaches for her hand again, then picks up an ice cube off the tray. He touches it to the prosthetic finger. It does indeed translate cold. "Sensation is at approximately 52 percent without surgery. With surgery, sensation is 96.5 percent." He sets the cube down, then picks up a pin. "Now, this might prick a little..." He touches the pin to the end of the finger. Lunair will indeed feel it - enough to make her want to pull her hand back. 
 
e then grins out at the crowd. He looks fairly pleased with himself. "Now, I'd be happy to answer any questions. But first, let's have a round of applause for our volunteer, Miss Lunair." He leads the clapping for Lunair. 
Hammer nods lightly as the demonstration comes to a close. He can't really clap since he still has a soda can, now empty, in his hands. So he uses that as an excuse. "Interesting, to say the least," he says to Jazmin, feigning disinterest. In reality, he's quite fascinated, and has a few new ideas of his own to pass along to his engineers. Just what his poor R&D department needs...
Tim tucks his coffee cup into the crook of his elbow so he can join in the applause, all the while protecting his spot at the front of the crowd. There's some jostling going on, but he's not having any of it- if Tim can help it, he's going to be the first (or one of the first, as he looks towards Jazmin) to be asking questions.
Hmm. That's definitely different. Lunair has a comically quizzical expression on her face, not unlike a seagull peeking into a bag of doritos. Very quizzical. Though, she pauses. That's cold! She definitely seems to be experiencing the sensation of cold. Huh. She - starts to pull her hand back a bit, wincing and stops herself. Pin prick! Owchies! It takes her a second, but she smiles politely. "Thank you," She offers.
Jazmin can manage to applaud politely no matter that she's still holding a coffee cup, that isn't quite finished to judge by the sloshing. She laughs softly. "Your plan worked, Doctor Stark, to ensure I bit my tongue long enough to have been distracted away from most of my questions and let you dodge my inquisitiveness about fussy details that you probably have no interest in answering in public. Thank you, by the by, for the demonstration." She looks then to Justin, reaching a hand out to give him a nudge, gently teasing. "It /was/ interesting."
"Thanks for being such an excellent demonstrator," says Howard to Lunair with all apparent sincerity. He gently removes the prosthetic finger from Lunair's hand and stows it back in the box. He looks to Jazmin and grins. "Well, the Stark Expo is all about igniting the imagination and making people curious. As I said, I am more than willing to answer questions - with the caveat that some elements of the design are trade secrets. We wouldn't want this technology to be applied in a destructive way. It's meant to help people." He just happens to be looking roughly in Justin's direction when he says that. Coincidence. Really. 
Justin glances again toward Jazmin when she nudges him. He stays quiet, the only break in his poker face being the slight smirk. Yes it was interesting, but he has appearances to keep up. He looks back toward the demonstration as Howard makes his closing remarks and opens up for questions. Not being stupid, Hammer knows he's being addressed by the last statement. Again he smirks, a bit broader this time, but still says nothing. Was that a challenge?
Tim is an expert at eavesdropping, and he's doing just that as Howard looks towards Justin and makes that pointed remark. There is maybe a small, restrained snort from the Wayne Enterprises intern before he moves closer to the stage. "Mr. Stark, that was a fantastic demonstration," he says, because you always start with the compliments. Ingratiate yourself. "I was wondering- how far are you into trials? How many people have successfully accepted the prosthetics? What's the rejection rate like?"
The rapid-fire, journalist-like barrage of questions pause, and Tim offers an apologetic smile. Getting ahead of himself, here. "The Martha Wayne Foundation is involved with veterans services across Gotham. I would love to be able to get you in touch with them. I'm sure you know how important your work is."
Lunair smiles back to Howard, "I am glad. Thank you." She's polite, and duly grateful. Once the prosthetic finger is off, she will step down quietly, unless it's apparent she needs to stay there. Otherwise, she'll contently perform a vulcan crowd meld back into the crowd. Because that's how she rolls. But still, it was interesting and Howard seems like a charming fellow.
"See? This nice gentleman has the questions angle covered on my behalf quite nicely." Jazmin gestures at Tim as he starts in on the barrage of queries. She looks to Justin, a quiet smile before turning back to Tim, curious there before turning back to Howard. "I am curious as to how much beyond human average is tolerated, but I expect that falls into the trade secrets thing."
Howard gives Tim a kind and patient smile. "We've just been approved to start larger human trials. Marco was one of a dozen or so initial test subjects. So far, the only complications we've run across have been due to the nature of the initial amputation or birth defect. We're hoping that in the future, amputations will be performed with the use of these kinds of prosthetics in mind." He doesn't seem to mind the rapid-fire questions. In fact, he handles them gracefully - almost like he's used to it, despite the fact that he's a virtual unknown in the eyes of the press. "What we face now are the hurdles of government certification. When that paperwork has been completed, we will certainly be reaching out to veterans to see if these prosthetics can help them." Jazmin gets a grin that borders on sly. "Let's just say that there will be measures in place in the commercial models that will prevent people from augmenting the prosthetics beyond a reasonable human level." 
Justin shifts his weight in his usual fidgety manner. He pays attention to the questions, and quietly nod an approval to Jazmin's inquiry. Good thinking. He also tries to analyze Howard's mannerisms. The self-proclaimed lab rat is sure cool under fire, staying well spoken without stammer or hesitation. That's something that Hammer isn't even good at, and he's been dealing with the press for years. The kid's obviously wise beyond his years, and it's not adding up.
"And that's a big hurdle to jump, but I hope you're successful. I'll make sure the Foundation reaches out to you and your department soon. If you need any help with those hurdles, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to assist." Now that Tim has spoken his piece- and developed a vague sense of suspicion about how cool as a cucumber this guy is- he sinks back into the crowd to let someone else hog the genius inventor on stage for a while.
Besides, they're probably missing him at the booth by now.
Lunair is content to listen again, smiling a little. It seems like a nice thing. Especially when one lives life without a regeneration factor. She smiles politely, and looks thoughtful at the questions. The answers seem so neatly answered.
"I cannot imagine that government certification is any more fun /here/ than what I'm accustomed to." Jazmin gives a half laugh, of shared irritation and redtape. She tries to follow where Tim's scattered off to, perhaps to corner him later and then back to Justin a moment. "Are you always restless, Honey, or just sick of standing?" She looks back over to Howard and there's a grin. "Should I presume that the focus on exclusively human subjects is the default?"
"Yes, but that's because the biology and technological interactions involved is incredibly complex. We don't know nearly as much about alternate physiologies. When our knowledge reaches a sufficient point, we'll certainly look at adapting the technology," says Howard to Jazmin. He looks around at the crowd, then clasps his hands together. "Well, that's it for the presentation. If anyone has any further questions, they can be sent to me via the Stark media relations booth. I'll also be doing further demonstrations throughout the Expo. Thank you all for coming, and for your attention." He doesn't look much like Tony, but he does have the Stark thousand-watt smile. 
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