SK: Anchorage Stint 1.0

Anchorage Stint 1.0
==Arrival==
Nov 16 
At the very least, person I feel safe with and can talk to you're here I'm so happy!Wash:
Front Gate, Anchorage Shatterdome
"Pietr!" Chuck throws her arms around him, goes rigid, and flies back. "I am so sorry I have no idea--"
Pietr gives her a hug.
Chuck hugs back.
And takes the opportunity to steal his bag.
"I really hope you brought extra sweaters. This place is freezing /all /the /time. It's stupid unbelievably cold. And stupid Rangers poking their noses into everything ...." She grabs his hand and drags him toward the 'dome.
"This is yours. I'm right next door if you need anything. Boss wants to see you at oh-eight-hundred." She holds up eight fingers.
::Eight.::
::Eight.:: She mimics his gesture. "Eight?"
Pietr nods. Holds out his hand.
"What?"
He mimes unlocking the door.
"Oh. Right. Key." She hands it over.
Pietr nods. Unlocks the door. Closes it. Opens it. Grabs his bag. Disappears again.
Chuck sighs.
==Longitudinal Studies==
Lightcap totally would Drift Kirra and Pietr together repeatedly, Perhaps as a longitudinal study of some sort. They're highly Compatible and it doesn't seem to stress them too badly ... Kirra couldn't handle the full Ranger sim (where you're piloting a jaeger in everything but name alone), but any less neurologically-taxing games could be do-able. 
===Games===
Kirra could handle less neurologically-taxing games; those appropriate for that kind of testing could be Starship captains, Mario party--You have to hop to hit the die, walk around the board in real time--etc... Badminton against Luna and [mashup of other racket sport players names] the AIs?
Oh lord. Wii Sports-type games vs. the AIs.
Wii Sports-type games against *Brawler* *raises eyebrows in a 'hmm?' fashion*
Wii Golf.
Brawler screws with weather controls?
Suddenly, there’s a 90kmph crosswind.
And the 290m par three becomes a 700m par three.
And then the hole starts crawling around the green.
Pietr is mystified and laughing.
Chuck threatens to reprogram the system.
Pietr takes a swing, there's a loud crack and a burst of light, his HUD fizzes: 'Sorry, you were struck by lightning and had a heart attack. Better luck next time!'
Lightcap quietly notes not to let Brawler watch Caddyshack again. 
What? The green isn’t suddenly overrun by gophers? 
Gack, I forgot about the mod he whipped up?? 
There are oh Henry bars a-floating in the water traps. 
===Taste the Rainbow!===
(Originally uploaded 17:15, August 30, 2015‎ as "Taste the Rainbow!"; formerly "Rainbow")
Chuck tugs Pietr's attention to the virtual sky. 
The rainbow, big, bold, and beautiful, cuts across the blue from horizon to horizon. 
Wow! 
=WHASSUP GUYS= 
"Rainbow," calls Chuck. "It's really pretty." 
Something lands on Pietr's head. He frowns and pats his hair. 
Plunk. 
Plunk. 
"What the hell?" 
Plunk plunk plunk
Chuck rubs her hair and comes away with a couple small, round candies. 
Plunk plunk plunk plunk
Pietr shrugs. 
Plunk plunk plunk plunk plunk
"This is kinda getting annoying. Hey, Doctor?" 
Beaded curtains in red, purple, yellow, and the odd green pour from the (cloudless) sky. 
"Little candies, 'bout the size of a fingernail? Sunset-y colours and green?" 
=OH FUCK 
THOSE ARE SKITTLES 
YOURE TASTING THE RAINBOW 
AND FEELING IT. I WILL ADD THEM TO THE BUDGET= 
"Better than chocolate bars in the water trap, ay?"
===Staypuft===
"Uh, Doc, I get that Kaiju are massive, but the white, marshmallow, and sailor-themed..."
=YOU JEST
YOU HAVENT SEEN GHOSTBUSTERS=
"No?"
=DAMNIT CHUCK
IM A DOCTOR NOT A POP CULTURE INSTRUCTOR=
==Static==
The edges of Pietr's vision grey. 
He blinks--
It clears. 
He shakes his head, glances at Chuck--
Who's staring blankly at nothing. 
==Transcription==
The HUD runs on questionably accurate automatic speech-to-text conversion software.
===Software===
Wash tries copying the switchboard's speech recognition AI: too slow 
Regular TV close-captioning software: Not enough specialized vocabulary. 
A reverse Siri:
=IM SORRY DID YOU MEAN 
DUST TILL THE HIGH YOU= 
Brawler, Striker, and other Soldiers each try their hand at being the little computer: get into squabbles as to who does it best, overload Pietr with far too much data and short out the poor converter. They back off after that. 
===AIs=== 
Brawler, Striker, and other Soldiers each try their hand at being the little computer: get into squabbles as to who does it best, overload Pietr with far too much data and short out the poor converter. They back off after that. 
Oh god. AIs being hilarious. but can you imagine Romeo in full surfer mode? Poor Pietr! 
He doesn't know much about the AIs, so he’d see his HUD speaking incomprehensibly and then … arguing with itself … ? So he’d ask Chuckles, who’d have no clue. Then they’d both go after Wash (Chuckles wondering if she’s jealous and trying to get Pietr killed) who'd have a minimal clue. Then she’d ask Lightcap, who’d turn a funny color and send a quick email to ‘sweetie’. 
Chuckles, being Chuckles, actually accuses her out loud of being jealous and trying to get Pietr killed. Wash throws herself at Chuckles, Chuckles thinks 'heh, I'm finally taller (even if he's been that way for a while) and I out weigh you I WILL WIN AND PROTECT PIETR' and it's like, 'no, you turd, she fights like a girl. You've just made it easier for her to win'. Lightcap uses the distraction to compose herself and the email.
Caitlin types away, Pietr drinks coffee and mentally critiques the fight strategies, and the fight ends with an embarrassed Chuckles kissing the cold, metal deck plating. 
===Eh, Ey, and Ay===
=HAHA DIDNT SEE THAT ONE COMING 
EH LIGHTCAP YOUR SOFTWAREZ CA
NADIAN
IM SURE IT 
CANADIAN DAMNIT DOC IM AN
AUZZIE NOT A DAMN SUGAR MAPLE 
I THINK THATS ACTUALLY FROM A 
BRITISH MOVIE HEY YOU SAID YOU 
HADNT SCENE STARTREK 
BUT I HAVE SEEN GOOGLE AND IT 
HAS ALL THE REFERENCES= =
===Picking up sounds===
::There's a LOCCENT officer sleeping with two other officers. The second guy found out and was really, really annoyed because he'd been hitting on the third guy for weeks.:: 
::This was in the caf?:: 
::HUD picked it up.:: 
Oh, the gossip Pietr must ‘overhear.’ Can you imagine someone giving Pietr a pocket recorder and sending him into the caf to collect gossip? No one worries about saying stuff around the deaf guy, right? XD 
Keep Pietr (and his pockets) away from Tendo. There shall not be a secret safe in the Shatterdome should that unholy combination come to pass. 
Gotham has already introduced Pietr to Tendo. Uh oh. 
I'm also kinda picturing the triplets using him to spy on the Kaidanovskys if they all cross paths. 
Uh oh. CHECK HIS POCKETS!! 
I wonder if Tendo or a triplet would plant a recorder on him, then pickpocket it back later ... 
 
From the PacRim wiki: "In Chinese culture, 三隻手 ("three hand") can also refer to a thief." XD And I forgot to mention, during one bout of the prank war, the triplets do just as you say to eavesdrop on the Kaidanovskys' retaliation. I'm not sure if it works yet. 
Niiiiice about 'thief'. 
I feel it's a connotation that'll be quite apt when those six meet. 
==Two Million==
(After "Bows")
December 2019
Anchorage, AK, United States
"What th' hell happened?!"
Raise eyebrows.
"Yer hair!"
::Trying out colors.:: Shrug.
"Ye walked back like that?!"
::What's the problem?::
"Ye've got, like, two million bows in yer hair!"
::Which one looks best?::
==Mother Hens==
"Can you call off yer Ranger buddies? They're drivin' me 'round the bend."
Pietr raises an eyebrow.
"The Beckets. They keep tryin' t'mother me."
::Maybe you need it.::
"Don't /you start!"
Pietr gestures 'calm down.' ::It's what Beckets do. Mother strangers.::
"Well, I don't appreciate it."
::I'll talk to them.:: He grins. ::Just don't slip on any ice around them or even I might not be able to save you.::
"What's that supposed t'mean?"
He waves on the way out of the lab.
::No, really, leave her alone. She's got a problem with Rangers.::
::What sort of problem?::
::She doesn't like them.::
"Noticed that," Yancy snorts.
::See, she was top of her class, but no Compatible cadets about.::
"So she gets stuck working for Lightcap?"
::More or less.::
::She have a weird number?::
Pietr shrugs. ::Don't think so. I'm close, at least.::
"Aren't you close to everyone?"
::Talking about the little number.:: He points to himself. ::Forty-four. She's a forty-eight.::
::Most pilots cluster up in the seventies, eighties, and twenties.::
"So the two of ya are oddballs."
Pietr shrugs. ::Just give her some space, alright? She can take care of herself.::
::We'll try, but it's hard not to want to mother her.::
::Yeah.:: Pietr shrugs. ::I'll let you know if there's anything you can do, alright?::
"I think we can live with that."
::Thanks.::
==Induced==
Chuck translates for Pietr
::What am I to you?::
"What do you mean?"
::I saw. 'Induced Drift Compatibility.'::
==Triton==
===Triton===
Triton: halfway through, there's less than an inch of space between Pietr and Chuck. Her hands are frozen in mid word, and he can see the muscles becoming edgier and edgier.
The blinking red dot of the Kaiju closes on /Triton Tasmania's green icon.
Pietr chews his lip and leans against the wall of Anchorage LOCCENT, hands twitching behind his back.
Beside him, Chuck taps her fingers against the cold glass, sending little tremors into Pietr's shoulders.
All of the bodies in the room tense as one.
Nothing on the display changes, except the position of the red icon.
Everyone sags.
The red and green icons converge.
Everyone tenses, leans forward, lips moving.
Choi kisses his rosary.
/Triton's green vanishes.
Marshal Pentecost strikes the console with his fist.
All of the Rangers—Beckets, Gages, Lightcap, D'onofrio—lower their eyes.
Pietr's stomach meets his boots.
Chuck presses against his side.
The red changes course and flies southwest.
Toward a second green icon.
/Striker Eureka, deployed for the first time.
The Becket brothers push toward Pietr, blocking his view of the main display.
He shoves Raleigh aside to maintain his line of sight.
Raleigh bounces off his brother and they exchange concerned looks.
The red and green icons converge again.
They wobble around the display for several minutes before someone thinks to turn on a video news feed.
/Striker swings wildly at the Category 3 and the thing slams a clawed fist into the Conn-pod, staggering the Jaeger.
Pietr grits his teeth.
Chuck grabs his hand.
/Striker rights herself and seizes the Kaiju by the back of the neck and wrenches the beast around so they stand face-to-face. The Jaeger's right hand tightens on the Kaiju as the left deploys its StingBlade. A swift movement and blue blood gushes from a gaping wound across the Kaiju's throat, a wound which stretches from one hinge of its jaw to the other.
The creature lurches toward /Striker, who nimbly dodges out of its path. It flops, clearly dead, into the shallow water.
Chuck squeezes Pietr's hand.
He glances to her.
"We shoulda been there."
He nods.
===Nest===
Chuck's shivering, so Pietr pulls off his jumper and stuffs her into it.
She grumbles, squirms (mostly to keep up appearances). Sags against Pietr.
"That really jest happened."
He nods.
"/Triton's gone."
Nods. Wraps an arm around her.
"They're dead."
Nods. Squeezes her.
==Say When==
In Anchorage. Missing Anniek's first Christmas. Worries about his safety because of the Triton thing.
::Chuck and Herc are fine, only a few scratches.
::It was a freak thing. We don't fight that deep. Ever.::
::You have excuses for everything! I don't want to bury you!::
::You won't!::
::You're a pilot, like them! What will save you?!::
::I'm /not a pilot anymore! I may /never be again!::
::You will be! You know you will! Because more pilots will die! Because you're too stupid to leave!::
Pietr flinches.
::Pilots are going to keep dying around you! And then they're going to ask you and you're going to go out there and some monster will kill you, too! Because you don't know when to stop fighting! You never have!::
:: ... I'm sorry. I try my hardest, but ... I really am stupid. I made a mistake leaving home and ... and you and the little one have to pay for it. I'm sorry, Griet. I'm so sorry. I'll understand if ... ::
The connection snaps closed.
Pietr blinks at the blank screen.
He folds himself into bed and wills himself to nightmare-filled sleep.
==Bad Place==
Pietr strikes at the dark shape in his room.
The shape smacks his arm away.
Overhead lights blink on.
Pietr squints. He raises an eyebrow.
"Ye missed breakfast."
::How'd you get in?::
"Boss's master key."
::I'm late.::
"Yea."
Pietr rubs his face. ::Let me wash up.::
Chuck shrugs and takes a seat at Pietr's worktable.
He comes back toweling his hair and fumbling for a clean sweater.
"You look terrible."
::Didn't sleep well.::
"Coulda guessed that."
Pietr sticks out his tongue.
"Not sure I want ye in my head today if yer behavin' like that."
::Not sure I want you in here, either.::
Chuck blinks. "You? Trying get out of an appointment?"
Pietr shrugs and taps his temple. ::Ugly place today.::
Chuck chews her lip.
-No-
"Why not?"
-Don't want Chuck hurt-
"Hurt Chuck? How?"
He points to his head. -Bad place-
"What happened?"
Pietr shakes his head.
Caitlin rests a hand on Pietr's. "You can--"
He yanks his hand free-- "Hey!" --and glares. -Don't-
"Why not?"
Pietr places his hand over Caitlin's mouth. He nods and releases her.
"Oh. Sorry." She drops her eyes. "You really can tell me what happened."
Pietr sighs. -Bad fight-
"With Griet?"
He nods.
"On your anniversary?" Her voice rises.
He nods.
"Yeeeaaah, we don't want Chuck in there. Let's take the day off."
Pietr nods and hauls himself to his feet.
"What'd she say to ye?"
Pietr shakes his head.
"I know ye didn't start it."
Pietr shakes his head harder. -I did- He runs a hand through his hair. -Left her-
"/You left her?! On your anniversary?!"
Pietr flails for calm. -NO- He takes a deep breath. -Joined PPDC. Left home. Left her-
"Oh. That's a little better."
Pietr blinks at her.
"It's just a fight, ay? Ye can kiss 'n make up. When ye ... "
Pietr taps his foot and frowns.
==A Favor==
Pietr pulls the oversized envelope from his pigeonhole.
Hansen, The Shed, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
He tears into it. A decal and a short note slide out.
/Striker Eureka's new logo: a snarling Max, missile clamped in his jaws.
Pietr snickers at the lack of resemblance to the dog he knows.
The note: Thought your Drivesuit could use a little dressing up. Happy Christmas.
Pietr smiles and admires the sticker. He grins wider as he sets it aside to dig in his footlocker. Popping back with a photograph, he heads for the Drivesuit room.
He slips into the empty chamber and retrieves the chestplate. Kneeling on the floor before the armor, he places the photograph on the inside surface, then applies the /Striker decal over it. He dusts off his hands and returns the equipment to its rightful place.
If he ever deploys, Anniek and Griet, protected by /Striker, will be pressed against his chest, directly over his heart.
==Lovesick==
Dec 31 
And when he leaves...
nononono don't go I miss you please stay what am I doing I'm thinking like one of those lovesick-
Front gate, Anchorage Shatterdome
Yancy sighs. "And so Bunny departs." He turns toward the Shatterdome, sees Chuck, and frowns. "Chuck? You okay?" He pulls off his glove and touches her forehead. "You're kinda warm ... feeling alright?"
Chuck snarls--"Don't /touch me."--and jerks away. She yanks up her hood and storms inside.
"What was that?" asks Raleigh.
"Chuck being Chuck," Yancy shrugs. "Grumpy no matter which variety."
Category:Caddyshack (reference)
Category:Hyperbole and a Half (reference)
Category:Star Trek (reference)
Category:Pietr's HUD's questionable accuracy
Category:Lightcap is a DriftScientist
Category:Dearling are Drift soulmates
Category:Heavy Metal Kids make mischief
Category:Ficlet
Category:Pietr
Category:Pietr (ficlet)
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Category:Anchorage Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Chuck D
Category:Chuck D (ficlet)
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