A Distinct Lack of Caffeine

== Revised text ==
Note: now a merge of the original "A Distinct Lack of Caffeine", "Ducky", and "Testing" with a new scene
Date/Timing: 7 January 2019
Setting: The Shed; Vaucluse, NSW, Australia
.
Jackson drags his somewhat-achy self from the outdoor running track through the Shatterdome—
Dark hair, tied back in a long braid.
His heart skips.
He swallows, takes a deep breath, doubles back.
Down the hall—
That is most definitely, unequivocally /her hair.
Jackson removes himself from view, takes a moment to fight down the static, makes double-time for Team Vulcan territory—
"Ranger," greets the Marshal.
Jackson stops dead—heeey, he's almost there!—coordinates himself into something of a bow.
"Good run?" asks Nguyen.
"Ye—" Jackson clears his throat. "Yes, thank you."
"Are you well?"
"Yep!" Forces his shoulders from around his ears. "Yes. I'm fine. Thank you. And you?"
Nguyen sips from his mug. "Mmm." Exhales. "First cup of coffee."
"Always the best, I hear." Jackson waves vaguely and in a manner as to displace as little air (i.e. boy stink) as possible. "I should get showing. Showering. Going. I need to shower so I'll get going."
"Mmm."
"Have a good day!" he squeaks, then bows and flees.
[Thomas] bobs his head absently, sips his coffee, continues to his office suite.
As expected, the door's ajar.
"Thank you for the coffee, Telly—"
Chantell stares blankly ahead, tablet and binder of 'What Vos Needs to Get Caught Up' covering her desk.
Vos slouches at her side, vacant-eyed.
"Telly."
She twitches.
"Telly, I think you and Officer Vos should get breakfast."
"Wha?"
"Breakfast. Go."
"Breakfast." Chantell blinks slowly. "I can do that." Pokes Vos.
He attends sluggishly.
"Food?"
Vos brightens, tugs Chantell to her feet, skips from the room.
[Thomas] takes another sip of coffee, strolls to his office feeling rather content, checks the schedule, the manifest, the comings and goings of staff—
Doctor Lightcap and her team are coming.
/Have come.
Her /team has arrived.
Ah.
[Thomas] sighs into his coffee—
"You want anything?" asks Chantell.
"I'm fine," [Dad croaks]. "Absolutely fine."
"Cool. Bye!" Pushes off for the door, jogs a bit. "Sorry!"
Pietr waves, 'it's cool', then flutters.
"Yes! Food!"
They take off.
Chantell pulls out her mobile, thumbs 'contacts', scrolls through thinking if anyone would be keen for breakfast—
sing/tell_nguyen: Andrea!
sing/tell_nguyen: Breakkie?
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Askdjf;
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Soeey
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Rub toyay
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Lug!
sing/tell_nguyen: Lunch sounds great, have a nice run!
ray_a_drop_of_sun: K habe yum
Andrea drops her arm, rolls onto her stomach—
Two knocks and the door bursts open.
She feels about for her glasses, gets them on, pokes her head from the bedding.
Jackson bangs around in her closet.
"'s going on?"
"Up," says Jackson, digging through jumpers.
"Wha?"
The bedding stirs.
""Ohmigod,"" croaks a small mountain of bedclothes that sounds like Lachlan. (Why some people need so many cushions Jackson has /no idea.) ""Unwashed sweaty guy stink.""
The bedding shudders.
"Ray, get up."
""Whyyyyy?"" whines the pile.
"'cause Jackson's in the closet."
""Thought he was the straight one.""
"Please just get dressed," begs Jackson.
Andrea digs her legs off her bed, rubs her face.
""But no clothes is so much better.""
Andrea smiles to herself.
Jackson considers a jumper.
"What time s'it?"
"Quarter to seven—"
"Shoot!" Shoves herself over, jabs the mound of covers. "Lachlan!"
He whines.
Jackson throws a jumper at Andrea—
"Jackson!" She claws it off her head.
"We need to go, like, /now, please."
Andrea glares daggers, pulls it on.
Jackson tosses her a pair of trousers, rifles around for socks and flings them over when he finds them, then bounces on his toes.
Andrea grudgingly gets dressed, leans back. "Have a good day," she smiles.
Lachlan makes happy sounds—
"Andrea!"
"Christ, Jones, I'm going!"
Jackson just drags her from her room, arranges her boots, hovers by the door.
"What's the hurry?" Andrea snaps.
"You'll—I'll—" Jackson huffs. "You'll see."
Andrea rolls her eyes—
"Ready?"
"For goodness sake—"
"Great!" Shoves her out the door—
Andrea grabs her skateboard.
—tugs her down the hall.
Andrea glowers, makes him tow her along behind him.
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Wtf is up with jack
sing/tell_nguyen: Something's up with sir mopes-a-lot?
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Dragging me out of bed by my toes >:C
sing/tell_nguyen: What a jerk!
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Asdl;fjk
Chantell huffs a laugh, checks on the coffee line—
Three more people!!!!!
Pietr rocks on his heels, eyes fixed on the percolator.
His mobile vibrates.
AGNIS: Your presence is requested in the DriftSci sim.
Pietr sighs.
p_a_vos: B there soon
AGNIS: Please report to the DriftSci sim immediately.
p_a_vos: Coffee
AGNIS: When I say 'immediately', I mean 'your inability to teleport requires you to leave five minutes ago which is when you should've arrived'.
Pietr totally doesn't sob.
Chantell pats his shoulder. "I think you should go."
Pietr totally does sob, drags himself from the line, plods from the room.
Chantell sighs sympathetically.
sing/tell_nguyen: Must be contagious
sing/tell_nguyen: Agnis just kicked pietr out of the coffee line 'cause the sim wanted him
ray_a_drop_of_sun: First jack and now agnis?
ray_a_drop_of_sun: What is with this rushing
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Ack i hate mornings
sing/tell_nguyen: At least you dont need coffee
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Omg no
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Pietr didnt get his coffee?
sing/tell_nguyen: TnT
ray_a_drop_of_sun: I will bring him a cup!
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Try to, anyway
Andrea says, "Chantell wants me to bring Pietr coffee."
"Yea, sure, whatever."
ray_a_drop_of_sun: We seem to be caf-bounm,./
Andrea puts her foot down.
Jackson lurches to a stop.
Andrea thanks the inventor of grip boots, snaps, "Corners, Jones." Yanks her arm free. "You're supposed to go slow—"
"Now is not the time—"
"You nearly smashed my head open with that last corner!"
"Okay, fine, I'm sorry, I'll—" Shuffles his feet. "I'll try to go slower around corners."
"Thank you."
"We're basically there, anyway."
"Basically where?"
"Doesn't matter. Can you just—?" Gestures at her foot.
Andrea gives him a dirty look
Jackson pushes her at a more sedate pace around a few more corners, but he still speeds up, so when he stops short at the kitchen doors and drags her through—
"Seriously?!" Andrea fights one foot out of the air and to balance on the other.
Jackson leaves her inside the door—and in the way of, like, everyone working, and starts throwing together a tea service.
Andrea rolls her eyes, apologizes her way over to a carafe of coffee and a mug, and tucks herself into a corner—
Jackson fills a pot and adds it to the tray, shoves the lot into her hands, steers her out the door and towards a main hallway; he tries gliding at one point—
Andrea knocks his foot with her heel.
—continues jogging.
Her phone buzzes.
"Answer, please," says Andrea.
""Ranger Hill,"" greets AGNIS. ""Officer Vos is seventy meters ahead. Shall I alert him—""
"Please! Jackson—"
""Officer Vos has been alerted to the presence of caffeine,"" reports AGNIS.
"You're the best! Jackson—"
Pietr materializes from the crowd, smiling gratefully.
—pushes them right on by.
Andrea shouts over her shoulder—Pietr can't hear and Jackson's stupid sweater's in the way, says instead, "AGNIS, dictate?"
""Would you like me to inform Officer Vos of your apologies on behalf of your, and I quote, 'stupid, idiotic, sweatered-lump of a copilot'?""
"That would be wonderful, thank you."
A handful of turns later—Jackson's holding on to her this time so she doesn't end up a tea-soaked splatter against the wall—he slows to a stop in front of a sim room, hops in front of her, straightens her sweater around the tea service, fixes her hair from all angles, then shoves her through the door.
Lightcap beams, "Tea!"
Andrea plasters on a smile.
"Thank you, Officer ...?"
"Ranger Hill," says Andrea.
Lightcap's eyes sparkle. "You're /that Ranger Hill?"
"The one and only!"
"It's lovely to meet you!"
"We've met, actually," smiles Andrea.
Lightcap cringes. "Then clearly you came at just the right time." Helps herself to the tray—
An intern melts out of ... /somewhere. "Problem."
Lightcap apparently forgets about Andrea. "Problem?" Takes the tablet.
Andrea rolls backwards through the door—
"Ray!" squeaks Jackson. "I've been looking—for you!—all over!"
Lightcap curses a blue streak and a far door slams.
"Jamie says we need to be where. Now-ish." Scurries behind Andrea, plasters on a grin, sets them off double-time for 'away'—
"Pietr!" squeaks Andrea.
Pietr reaches out—
Jackson keeps striding.
—nearly breaks down into a caffeine-deprived puddle.
""Shall I again inform Officer Vos of your apologies?"" asks AGNIS.
"That would be wonderful," Andrea growls. "Will you also ensure the hot water tank suffers a critical failure when my self-centered idiot of a copilot tries to shower next?"
""I will do my best, Ranger Hill.""
Jackson pushes them into a tertiary hallway.
"Thank you—!!!"
Jackson spins her around. "Who was there?"
"Who ...?"
"In the lab. Who did you see?"
"Lightcap? She didn't recognize me, if that's what you're asking—"
"Anyone else?"
"In the lab?"
"Where else, Hill?"
"Oh, I don't know, in the hallway? Like Pietr? Who we passed by twice with coffee that he really needs?"
Jackson contains his frustration.
Andrea's temper builds.
"I need you to tell me if there was anyone else—a colleague, an intern—"
"An intern!"
"What were they like?"
"Kinda ... not there? Like, not space cadet-y, but trying to—"
The tea service isn't great for gesturing.
"—avoid being noticed? Maybe? Like not hiding behind stuff but they were keeping their head down, kinda thing."
Jackson takes a shuddery breath.
"What's going on?"
"That was ...." He swallows. "That was Chuck—Rap—Cadet Darling."
Andrea shakes her head—"You're not being fun—"
"That's Chuck."
Andrea's eyes sting. "No ...?"
Jackson nods.
"But she ...."
Jackson swallows again. "Yea." Hand on her back, heads towards the hall.
"I'm sorry."
"Not my problem."
Oh, for the love of—Andrea takes a deep breath, indicates the tea service. "Guess we're not gonna need this."
Jackson shrugs. "I'll put it back. Someone else can use it."
Andrea forces her smile back on. "Good idea!" Grins. "Lookit you, thinking ahead—"
Someone jumps out of their way.
"Christ, Chuckles!" snaps Jackson. "What the fuck?"
Chuck crosses his arms. "What the fuck are /you doing here?"
"Looking for my copilot, Chuckles," he sneers. "Why else?" Shakes his head, pushes his shrimp of a Driftmate around the corner.
"Fuck you, Klingon!" Chuck shouts, then turns on his heel and storms onwards—"Pietr!" Taps his shoulder.
Pietr plods—blinks at—yawns.
"You okay?"
Pietr queries.
"You okay?"
- Coffee -
"Only had one cup?"
Pietr sobs.
"No coffee?"
Nods sadly, then raises an eyebrow.
"'m going with you."
- U don't need to -
"Don't care."
Pietr frowns.
- Should b studying -
Walks toward the door.
Chuck plants himself in front of it, arms crossed. "I don't care! I'm coming with you!" 
Pietr sighs, waves, 'after you'. 
Chuck smugs, throws open the door to the sim.
Pietr rolls his eyes, shoos Chuck—
Who freezes and turns an odd colour.
—smiles at the new face kneeling at the center of a tangle of cables.
"Ducky," they greet.
"Chuck?" The blue terror pouts. "What're /you doin' here?"
"I work for Doctor Lightcap now."
"Huh." He shuffles his feet. "Didn't see that coming."
Chuck stands. "What's that supposed to mean, Ducky?"
"I told you /not to call me that."
Vos raps his knuckles on Chuck's borrowed desk, holds his mobile where she can read the screen—
- Kno each other? -
—then shows it to Ducky.
Who turns the funniest shade of pink.
Chuck smirks, makes sure Vos has a really good view of her face. "Kinda get to know a person when he's everywhere you go, like, oh, I don't know, the mess, the gym, the hangar, your bunk ...."
Ducky goes progressively pinker.
"Almost as if he were following you, ay, /Ducky?"
He's slinking to a corner.
Chuck looks to Vos. "He didn't follow you to the washroom, did he?"
Vos doubles over and has to hold himself off the floor with hand.
Chuck bites her lip and glares really hard.
Vos straightens a little, waves his mobile.
- Im sorrrry -
He gets the rest of the way upright.
"You won't find it so funny when he shows up in your shower."
- He didnt -
"Good to know he's learned something." 
Vos laughs into his elbow.
Ducky sulks.
"So how'd he find you?"
- Stomps into gym -
- Fight to draw -
- U. Me. Kwoon. Now. -
"The little fucker," breathes Chuck. "He stole my line." She leaps to her feet. "Ducky! Lil'drongo, you fucking stole my line!"
"/Stole?" he snarls. "How is it /your line? It's a buncha words!"
"I'd been practicing—" Chuck freezes.
"You'd been /practicing?"
"Of course I was practicing," Chuck sneers. "It's not every day you're being stalked by a potential Drift partner." She sniffs and strides by. "Now I have work to do. Good day." She stops at the door and glares over her shoulder. "And I swear to god, if you follow me, I will—"
"You'll what? Drop me off the roof? Bit big for that now, aren't I?"
Chuckold makes a frustrated noise and slams the door.
Chuck grinds his teeth, fists clenched at his side.
Pietr pokes the side of his head.
- Wht was that abt? -
"Uh, Chuckold was gonna be my—"
Footsteps and Chuck spins.
Lightcap, buried in her tablet. "Chuck, I need those new quantum cables we brought, do you remember where I put—"
"No clue where those are, sorry."
"Don't be silly, you're the one who packed what on Earth happened to your voice?" She looks up.
Chuck waves.
"Oh."
"She left."
"But I need her for this!"
Chuck points at the door.
"Chuck! Get back here!" She returns moments later, dragging her by the sleeve.
Chuckold pouts over to a desk, spins her back to them.
Lightcap adjusts her glasses, smiles at Pietr. "Officer Vos?"
Pietr nods, bows.
Lightcap bows back. "You'll understand me if I talk facing you?"
He nods again.
"Cool! I'm Caitlin Lightcap and it looks like you've already met my wonderful assistant, Chuck Darling."
Chuckold waves over her shoulder.
Pietr waves back.
Chuck rolls his eyes, elbows him.
Pietr sticks out his tongue.
"Okay, okay, guys. Be serious a minute."
Pietr blinks innocently and smiles at Lightcap.
She melts.
Chuck huffs.
"We'll be running a battery of tests on you, Officer—"
Pietr shakes his head, shows Lightcap his mobile.
"—Okay, 'Pietr' it is!"
He beams.
"So. Right! We've got a bunch of tests for you so we can get you your new ID number. Nothing too hard, but it'll take most of the morning to finish them."
Pietr deflates.
"They're not too bad. I mean, Chuck survived them."
"Oi!"
Chuckold winces.
"Take a seat in the big chair, Pietr, and Chuck'll get you hooked up."
"I've got no—"
"She means me, Ducky," grumps Chuckold, heaving herself to her feet.
Chuck pulls over a desk chair, opens his book of crosswords.
Pietr settles himself in, taps Chuck's arm.
- Coffee? -
"Yea, I'll get us both some."
"Get you some what?" asks Chuckold, squashing Pietr's hair with a squid cap.
"Coffee."
"No!" yelps Lightcap. "Caffeine messes up the scans!"
Pietr frowns.
- Headache might 2 -
"Not badly enough to matter." Chuckold adjusts the straps.
Pietr huffs.
- Wake me -
"No sleeping, either."
Pietr sighs.
Go, Team DriftSci! arc: (Hypothetical) | Pons Made of Garbage | A Distinct Lack of Caffeine | Highest | Grooming | Plushie | Interface | Safe | Sync | Cake | Aye, Aye, AGNIS | Exclusion | Jockeying | Sleepytime | Go, Team DriftSci! | Go! | Up | Rubber and Glue | (Go Over) 
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