Transceiver Inspection [9/20] Trans/Boom

[19:58] Ardith Illarian says, "C'mon. Into the lab."
[20:00] And into the lab they go. The more sinister one of the two, since each wing of the home evidently has one. This one must be more Ardith's than anyone else's, judging by the large, canvas covered cages in one corner of the room and the runic studies drawn in great detail on the black board.

She pulls up a stool and sets something onto the table.

It's nothing but an Agarthan transceiver, of Illaron's own making.

"Figure it ain't your kind of excitin'...But ya see, I got gifted this thing a while ago."
(Ardith Illarian)
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[20:02] You know, it's everything Famfrit expected from the mad scientist. It totally gave off that feeling! He'd look towards the cages and wonder what could possibly be under the canvas. His curiosity almost gets the better of him until he snaps back to reality,

"What is that?"

She'd be right, this wasn't Famfrits forte at all. But he'd try his hardest to support them.
(Famfrit Illarian)
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[20:05] And that support, where shared knowledge is lacking, means all the world to her. It's better that she doesn't work alone at times. Otherwise her mind wanders, her thoughts go unpleasant and...

That's not important. What is is the work at hand.

"This is a transceiver. You've heard of 'em, right?"

She turns on her stool to show it off to the interested magi.
(Ardith Illarian)
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[20:08] "Transceiver?"

He scans his memories and... perhaps a mention or two actually. He could divine the basic purpose but anything else would be unknown.

A hand rises to his chin and grips it, Famfrit was trying hard to look like he understood. He nods sagely at it, obviously not knowing a thing.

"A bit. Long-distance communication right?"
(Famfrit Illarian)
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[20:11] The Accursed stretches her lips into a smile.

"Exactly. Ya see...years ago Illaron made 'em a projection platform. It's what makes these things work. Any of these transceivers that're tied to that platform are able to communicate with one another. No matter how far away, so long as you're on continent, you can talk to others that're on the same pad.

"Gehenna's got one, in that back storeroom I asked for the key for. But thing is...

"They ain't know that I got this one. I've had it for years. Only Ely and Keitaro ever had one, for some fuckin' reason. This great tool that coulda' saved so many lives..."

Her smile wavers.

"...They kept it to themselves. And just themselves."
(Ardith Illarian)
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[20:15] One blink, two, and then three four and five. He's stunned to hear that!

"How'd you get one for yourself?"

While the mechanics of the transceivers were totally lost, he'd be definitely interested and attentive to the later half of what she had to say. Finding it hilarious that she was able to pull off something like that!

And of course, impressed.

"And so the entire thing was wasted. I'd take it."
(Famfrit Illarian)
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[20:19] "Illaron gave me it. Prolly to do what I'm doin' now," she explains, turning back to the table with the marvel of technology. She unfurls a set of metal tools from a leather roll. Picks and wrenches, screwdrivers and rubber coated mallets. All the work she needs for taking this thing apart carefully.

"It was. With Ely and Kay on the same network, just the two of 'em, wasn't a lot of point. Then Kay got himself fuckin' killed like an idiot and his got taken.

"I bet Ely still has his squirreled away somewhere."

Ardith takes a flat-edged tool and slides it into the seam of the transceiver's casing, working around its edge to pries the two halves apart.

"I got some notes to work off of, but studyin' this will help me to learn to make more...

"And turn this sucker into a fuckin' detonator later."
(Ardith Illarian)
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[20:24] He really didn't have much of a place here! She was working with these tools on this device. He understood literally none of it.

But he'd try to gleam a thing or two himself. Watching on as she begins disassembling the device. Trying to look at whatever guts she'd be pulling out.

"Something like that sounds... invaluable. But they're letting it go to waste?

Ah, I guess it's not the first time they've done that. Besides, it makes it all the easier to tinker around with it. No?"

That was something he learned from a young age, don't waste anything. So it was an utter shock to hear it. All of these resources... put away and never used. Pointless waste and clutter.
(Famfrit Illarian)
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[20:29] Even though he has nothing to contribute knowledge-wise, his presence is invaluable, more precious than diamonds. Someone to talk to, another presence, lest her mind wander...And not in a good way. One might not expect it, but his being there keeps her steady and focused.

She pries open the two halves of the device and lays them in front of her, comparing them to a hand-drawn diagram.

The circuits, wires, and innards, roughly line up with those on the paper. A few are out of place from how she'd separated, but more or less it's accurate.

"Of fuckin' course," she snarls. Not at him, no. At the idea that they had let such a thing go to waste. Not just her, but all the boons they'd been given. Oh, how it makes her blood boil...

"That's why we're gonna fix it, Ash. We're gonna give it a new purpose."
(Ardith Illarian)
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[20:37] It was a bit out of character for him to play second fiddle. He hated the idea of having to sit back and watch, and every time he tried to do it... it's bitten him in the ass. Yet Ardith somehow made it interesting, and for as long as she kept things interesting? The Wolf would be by her side. Aiding her in any way possible.

"In such a devious way too. That intellect of yours is being put to good use, my love."

He'd chuckle at it all. Soon they'd have such a potent agent of change! Soon the whole continent would be forced to react.

So much was happening lately, and all he had to do was lift a finger or two.
(Famfrit Illarian)
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[20:43] So much had been changing in just a year or so. She'd been free of so many burdens, and soon the final link in the chain would vanish.

Ardith would be herself again. Beholden to none save for those whom she wished to be beholden to, chiefly the magi that keeps her such good company. The one who'd helped her see the shackles there in the first place.

She'd become so used to them, Ardith had practically become blind to their presence. How foolish of her. But never again. This would seal it. A grand finale worthy of her breaking free.

"All with your help. I'll give ya a show that's worthy of ya...I swear."

Doing that and vengeance against those that wronged and slighted her? It's the best possible version of two birds, one stone she could come up with.

While she speaks she starts dismantling the guts of the transceiver proper, making notes aside to mark what had went where and combined with this or that.

Now all that remains is to put it back together to cement her knowledge.

"Even better...I got access to the Council Core AI soon. I'm sure it's got somethin' in there I can use for this. Lil' bit of poetic justice. The memories of all those demons in there.

"They ain't forgotten what the humans did when they came to this place."
(Ardith Illarian)
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[20:49] Hearing those words, "What the humans did when they came", it reverberates throughout his mind. No, the demons hadn't. No, Famfrit hadn't either. Looking on at the countryside, the forests, every part of Agartha and seeing nothing but war or some mass modernization sickened him. A deep pain that'd be felt everywhere. His mind would fume, his body would ache, and his heart would call out.

"Always felt closer to Demons, anyways."

Is all he could muster up before silencing himself once more, he needn't get in the way of her work or further distract. After all when this was all through he'd have everything he'd want.

Forcing the Magi back into the wilds, creating a larger more perfect Mountain experiment. Survival of the fittest, forced conflict, everything that he'd stand for might just be realized.

It gave him butterflies in his stomach.
(Famfrit Illarian)
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[20:55] Ardith is focused on her work, but his words don't escape her. She stops reassembling the transceiver long enough to offer him a smile over her shoulder, an expression of admiration, and a flick of her tail.

It is strangely comforting to hear him say almost the exact same words she had said herself before.

"...Makes two of us," she comments before turning back to her work.

A plate of metal went here. Orchilacum wires went there, hooked into sockets in points A and B. Where she falters she consults her diagrams, her notes given by Illaron. That, combined with expertise gained over years, helps all the little pieces fall into place. Literally and metaphorically.

"That should do it...Why ain't you get some rest, love. I figure this ain't exactly excitin'. We can talk later, eh?"
(Ardith Illarian)