[open] work it harder, make it better

[buildsomething]

who: Tony and open
what: Working in the Abandoned City and various other things
when: Late January through February
where: Around
warnings: None yet

i. power source

[Between gathering all the supplies he needs, getting them into the Abandoned City in one piece and then getting the things built, it takes a little while for Tony to get everything how he wants it. He's still a little cagey about the exact inner workings of the arc reactors, but considering the scope of the project, he doesn't turn down what help that's offered.

And then it's time to set them up, and it's definitely all hands on deck. He sends out messages to everyone who had mentioned an interest, rolls up his sleeves, and gets to work. The trick to it is getting the reactors set up so that they can be hooked into the plants proper, while also keeping them out of the way of any creepy-crawlies that decide to wander through. And speaking of, once he has the reactor mostly in place, he takes occasional breaks to circle the perimeter and make sure nothing's coming to visit. He might send others to do the same if they need a break or don't feel up to the heavy engineering.

But eventually everything is humming away as it should be, full power ahead. Tony being Tony, actually manages to produce a couple bottles of fairly nice alcohol and a whole bunch of cups as thanks for anyone who came along to help. Hey, he's not going to skimp on rewarding this kind of thing.

After that, it's just a matter of wandering by the power plants every so often to make sure everything is still running smoothly and the arc reactors are doing okay. And that nothing's tried to eat them. He'll be extremely displeased if that happens.]

ii. bug report

[Honestly, having something that Tony can go full-out against makes for pretty good stress relief. He hasn't gotten a chance to really take the armor for a spin in a while, and he's missed it. Not that he's exactly happy about the invasion, especially considering all the installations he's just spent a ton of time on, but he'll take his little bits of enjoyment where he can.

He mostly keeps to the air, taking pot shots to herd as many of the bugs as he can into a small, out of the way area, and then lands so that he can tear into them. He won't pull out the missiles, too much of a chance for them to go places he doesn't want, but his repulsors do a plenty good job of punching through the beetles' shells.

It's a good thing too, considering that being bright and shiny seems to do wonders for catching the bugs' attention. If he wasn't having so much fun, he might object to that.]

iii. hard reset

[So suddenly there are giant, slightly glitchy robots? Tony's not sure exactly when that happened, but they seem to be helpful, so hey. He won't get in one - he's got his own suit, thanks - but he does make himself available for repairs. At least enough to try to get a few more uses out of the things.

It does keep him running a little ragged, but it's for a good cause, and Tony's got the skills, so he won't complain too much. And, let's be honest, he's enough of a nerd to get some weird enjoyment about working on the things. He might do a little bit of muttering about how exactly people are managing to break the machines so hard, but it's not sharp enough to be anything pointed. Mostly just Tony talking to himself as he works like the slightly deranged engineer he is.

And he still startles a little when he finally notices that someone's come up next to him.]

Oh, hey. Is this one yours?

iv. in the cloud

[With everything going on, Tony's actually sleeping for once. He can't help it, getting anywhere near horizontal generally means he's unconscious before too long.

Which is how you might end up in a dream of his, and it may not be hard to tell. What you see is definitely the streets of New York, but it's like a slide someone's made notations on. There are formulas and equations scrawled over everything, mapping angles and lengths, stress limits and tensile strengths. They change every so often, like what's being measured is constantly varying.

And standing in the middle of all of it is Tony Stark, wearing a very nice, well fitting three piece suit and giving you a slightly confused look over the tops of a pair of tinted glasses.]

Did you need something?

[It doesn't sound aggressive or combative. It sounds like he genuinely wants to know.]

v. wildcard

[Something else? Hit me or come poke me at talkincodes to plan something specific.]

Comments

Power Source

[igotusout]

*Most of the collected group were there to build, work problems, make a power station work. And one girl was there to protect the group as they moved supplies. And then also protect them in case Tony's planned renovation of the power station exploded.*

*Because apparently that was a concern. So while she occasionally did a perimeter sweep, most of her attention was on whatever Tony was currently fixing. Acting as Mr. Stark's personal shadow. Even if he doesn't want it. So yes, she's still staring at the machinery even after he's 'done.'*

[buildsomething]

[It takes Tony a little while to notice he has a shadow, but to be fair he has a ton of shit going on at the moment. Most of his attention is very firmly on getting the reactor set up and in place with minimal chance of damaging anything, and there's only so much he can focus on at any given moment.

Of course, turning around to nearly run directly into someone tends to make that pretty clear. He blinks, about ready to apologize before it occurs that he's seen this particular girl around him. A lot. And that makes him pause.]

Can I help you?

[igotusout]

No. I'm here for... safety reasons.

*She has been following him through most of his work, had he really not noticed? That's... honestly troubling in its own way.*

[buildsomething]

[One of Tony's eyebrows goes straight up.]

I don't remember hiring a health and safety inspector.

[To be fair, he has been running himself pretty ragged, and he's done weirder stuff while sleep deprived, but still. That seems like a strange thing to do for this particular project.]

[ iii ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki was mostly eyeing the robots. The make, the metal used. He's hardly going to get into a giant robot and start fighting things. It's not his style. Besides, the kind of sharing it does is . . . uncomfortable. ]

No.

You need to switch the wires. They're not done correctly.

[buildsomething]

[He knows the voice before he's even finished turning, but the statement itself makes him whip his head around the rest of the way to give Loki a deeply offended look.]

Excuse me, which of us is the engineer here?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki pretends to think it over. ]

That sounds like a trick question.

[buildsomething]

[Okay, he realizes he's being fucked with here, but still. Tony can't help his eyes narrowing a little.]

That is the opposite of a trick question.

ii

[livingsymbol]

[It probably won't surprise Tony to find Steve out in the thick of things, but Steve actually pauses during an attempt to fight one of the bugs to watch the armor flying by. It is impressive the way Tony pilots, and as much as Steve doesn't personally like using machinery, he is always impressed how others seem to master it without effort.

And naturally the distraction ends up getting him pinned beneath the body of a very large, angry insect.]

Down. [Yes, he is threatening it.]

[buildsomething]

[Tony only spots Steve in turn for a second before he's disappeared beneath the bulk of one of these things, and that's all it takes for him to suddenly pull a wide loop backwards until he's got some distance, and then gun it with a flash of repulsors. At that speed, he slams directly into the beetle's side like a battering ram, sending both of them flying.

It takes some work, but Tony manages to land on his feet, one hand down to stabilize himself, even if he does end up skidding back a ways before he actually comes to a stop. The beetle isn't so lucky, flailing angrily on it's back. But when Tony's helmet comes up, it's not the beetle it's pointed towards.]

Cap, you good?

[livingsymbol]

[Steve, either because he's expecting it or because he's too distracted by what is right in front of him, doesn't seem all that surprised when a sudden impact thrusts the beetle away from him. He's on his feet, retrieving his lost shield that was knocked away when he was tackled, and preparing for another rush. The bug however ends up on its back and Steve lowers his guard, turning instead to the armor that he had been watching before, taking it in with a quiet sort of fascination. He's seen plenty before, but not this one. Not up close, at least.]

I'm fine. [As fine as a man can be after being bludgeoned by something with the force of a van behind it.] I just got distracted. Are you all right? That thing was pretty solid.

[And yet Tony seems to have caught himself. He doesn't appear to have hurt himself after slamming into the carapace, but Steve stops trying to chase bugs to be sure.]

I owe you one.

[buildsomething]

I'm good.

[Okay, he's a little rattled, but that's nothing new. At least these things don't fly.

And he can't help but peer at Steve for a moment, even as JARVIS murmurs a quiet alert in his ear. One hand comes up to fire a quick repulsor blast at another one of the beetles that seems to be having ideas about heading in their direction.]

I'm pretty sure that's not how it works.

[He just sounds amused at the idea, though. Whether it's at the idea of being owed anything for the help or Steve owing him specifically, even Tony's not sure. But he just nods at the shield in the man's hands.]

Want to go hit some more of them?

I

[illusionistic]

[ Aeacinos will get the text when it gets sent out. And he will show up in his other form to help out. If Tony needs something moved well he more or less has a giant 50 foot tall snake to do the heavy lifting for him. Aeacinos might not look like he's able to speak but that's certianly not the case. ]

You are Tony, correct? The one that needed somethings transported or lifted. Tell me where to put them and I will do so.

[ He's also there for protection but what the hell is going to attack a giant snake in the first place. ]

[buildsomething]

[Okay, Tony has come to expect a lot of things, between the insanity that is his life at home and the even greater amount of nonsense that's come with being on this moon. A seriously massive snake asking his name still manages to actually drive him wordless for a long moment. He might stare. He can probably be excused.]

I. Yes? [Smooth, Stark.] How...exactly were you planning on carrying things?

[Snakes do tend to be somewhat lacking in the hand department.]

[illusionistic]

[ He is excused because Aeacinos doesn't normally approach people in this form. He might make a gesture that is equivalent to a shrug. His tail lashes a little out behind him at the question. ]

Some attachments, like rope or something else wrapped around what you need carried, I may carry in my mouth that will suffice. Or if you do not mind me pushing them and using my tail to move things, that will also work.

[ He may not have hands but he can still maneuver things. ] My ice magic can be used as well, perhaps to move heavier objects.

[buildsomething]

Yeah let's...maybe not push things all the way into the Abandoned City.

[Wrapping everything up, though, he could do. Maybe. He squints vaguely at his new friend, then twists back to peer through the workroom door.]

So maybe if we bind up some of the metal pieces, that will at least be a start.

i.

[thisisamazing]

[Hiccup shows up early when he gets the message that it's time to get started. He makes sure he's immediately available, eager to help with this project and learn something new. He's fresh-faced an excited when he and Toothless land, and he swings himself out of the saddle, taking off his flight helmet and glancing around with a bright smile.]

Hey! We're ready to work! [Toothless is a little less excited. He's a dragon. It's excusable. He's busy sitting back on his haunches and scratching an itch.]

[buildsomething]

I can see that.

[Tony can't help a small smile, though honestly he does appreciate the enthusiasm. It's always nice when somebody else really wants to be there.]

And since you're our first caller, you get a special mission.

[thisisamazing]

[Toothless perks up slightly at the mention of a special mission, tilting his head to the side, ears standing up curiously. Hiccup stuffs his flight helmet into one of his saddlebags and beams at Tony.]

Sure, what do you need us to do?

iii

[winscenario]

[ Jim's not using any of the suits; he doesn't really need them, not with a shuttle at his disposal. He vastly prefers the Intrepid anyway, even if he does have to admit the mechs are pretty cool. Just not his thing.

Still, he can't help the curiosity, and he has looked and poked around, just to try and figure out how these machines work, even if he has no intention of getting into one. It's good distraction, too. Things have been busy enough around the guard as it is, granted, but there's no such thing as too busy when one's trying to avoid even finding himself alone back at his flat, with nothing but his own thoughts to keep him company.

It's not his intention to startle the guy, but he does approach a little more than he initially planned to, mostly because, as he gets closer, he realizes he knows the guy. ]

Oh, no. Sorry. Mine's a little... different. [ He gestures towards the shuttle. ] Tony Stark, right?

[buildsomething]

[Tony blinks once, but honestly he's plenty used to getting recognized by strangers. It's more uncommon here, sure, but considering everything it's not the weirdest thing that can happen to him.]

That's me.

[The agreement comes with an easy smile, though once Tony's eyes slide past him towards the shuttle, his expression shifts into something a lot more intent looking.]

She's yours?

[winscenario]

[ It's not as though Jim needed the confirmation, since he'd seen the guy plenty of times before to easily recognize him now. He knows it's not the same Tony he met, granted, but then the portal seems to take a particular liking to all alternate realities of him. ]

Yeah. Went out on a mission beyond the walls and brought her back with me. [ He offers a hand for a shake. ] James T. Kirk. We knew each other before. Different you, though.

i. power source

[technospeak]

[Honestly, this is the exact type of situation where Rodney flourishes. After all, his whole time spent in Atlantis had basically consisted of making a cobbled-together mish-mash of Ancient and modern human technology, trying to ensure that even those without the gene could work the controls via plugged in tablets and keyboards. Besides that, he'd had to learn an entire new system of tech at least twice over, first in Atlantis itself and then with the Wraith's weird and frankly disgusting bio-tech and even the Replicator technology.

All in all? Rodney's kind of an expert at cobbling together different types of tech and making them work together, whether it's hooking a ZPM up to a human-built device or using a plain old generator to power Ancient tech. He's in his element, holding a tablet in one hand, plugged into the panel and braced against his forearm while his blue eyes flick back and forth between the screen and the inner workings of an electrical and computer panel, occasionally lifting a cup of cold coffee and taking swigs from it like he can't even taste how gross it is.]

This is remarkable. I've seen a lot of energy devices, but these arc reactors have the highest energy output I've ever seen on something that wasn't harnessing it from subspace-time. This is...this is really outstanding science, and I don't say that very often.

[buildsomething]

[The subspace-time thing earns Rodney a second of a side-glance, but Tony just shrugs at the rest of it with a small pleased smile. It's always nice when someone's impressed by more than just the admittedly very shiny suit of battle armor.]

It's just a matter of getting the reaction right, and then it supports itself. I can get more power out of them by making it bigger, but it can end up getting unwieldy real fast.

[They don't have time to build a reactor it's own housing, even if Tony didn't suspect it would just start attracting all manner of creepy crawlies that he never had to worry about in California.

Besides, Tony has first hand experience with what happens when one of the big ones overloads. He's not exactly eager to do it again.]

I'm figuring if we can set the reactor up somewhere off the ground, we run less of a chance of something trying to nest in it or whatever.

[technospeak]

[Oh, the shiny suit of battle armor is impressive, clearly and obviously, but Rodney's always been drawn to things like this. The source of power that runs the thing is generally more impressive than the bells and whistles attached to it. He can't help the way he shakes his head a little as he looks down at the device, and Tony explains what makes it tick.]

It's always getting the reaction right that's the hard part.

[He says it with the air of someone who actually knows and can't judge, because he does. After all, he's the one who's accidentally blown up most of a solar system trying to make a better power source work.]

Hopefully. That's the trouble with leaving it out here. I need to really start focusing down on how to get this wall more secure so we can actually start inhabiting this part of the city...