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31_days2014-05-27 09:40 pm
bane-6.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2014-05-27 09:40 pm
[May 27] [Pacific Rim] Standoff
Title: Standoff
Day/Theme: 27. goya (the as-if, transporting suspension of belief one feels from good storytelling)
Series: Pacific Rim
Character/Pairing: Hermann/Newt, Herc Hansen, other pilots
Rating: part 27 of 31
Mako and Raleigh had gone out in the Mokushi Danger to patrol the town and to be seen. The PPDC attache had scurried off with her phone again and no one had any doubt that she was spilling everything to everybody. No one was particularly concerned, but they had all picked up the pace to get the next phase underway before they could be delayed. Everyone had the feeling that it was too late to turn back. They were all charging ahead.
Hansen was now raptly listening to Newt and Hermann's Drift stories. He was trying to compare his to theirs, but there weren't that many similarities.
"The AI must have made the difference," Newt said. "You didn't have the whole hivemind crashing down on you, or a ringside seat to the Anteverse."
"No," Hansen agreed. "It started out like a Drift, but it was red and hot and liquid…"
"You said it was like blood when you first synched," Hermann checked his own transcript. One of his sentries monitors beeped and he hurried over to check it.
"Definitely a living animal and not a machine," Hansen said. "But I thought it would be blue. Their guts and fluids have never been red."
"They haven't been mammals before either," Newt said. "When you get your critter back, see if you can make it let me get close enough to examine it."
"I don't know if that would be safe," Hansen said. "I got it to turn on the others, but I was dragged along once it got going. If there had been humans there, I might've turned on them too."
"You may have the chance to find out," Hermann said from across the room. His tone made Newt hurry over.
"The Danger back?" Hansen asked, getting up.
"No," Hermann said. Newt sucked in a breath so hard it squeaked. "But your new Drift partner is."
On the screen, at the perimeter of the Dome, lurked the last three Yaujta Class Kaiju. The one that still had the remains of a mobile PONS device clinging to the protrusions on its head was pacing uncertainly. The other two hung back, clearly uneasy, but either unable or unwilling to leave their packmate. They faded in and out of sight, activating their chameleon abilities. Hansen's did not. It stayed clearly visible.
"Omigod! Omigod, it came!" Newt was almost hopping up and down. "I can't believe this! You're seeing this too, right? I mean Otachi came after me, sure, but I don't think it was of her own free will, I think- what?"
Hansen was already heading for the door. Hermann swore under his breath and lunged for the controls to send some of the sentries out with him. Even though the Kaiju were close enough to monitor, they were still about half a mile from the Dome. Hopefully, Hansen would put on a coat before he went out. It didn't take long for security to flank him with truck-mounted guns, but he waved them back. The Kaiju bared their saberteeth and snarled.
"This is so stupid," Newt moaned. He was pacing in circles. "What if it just eats him? I mean, will the guns be able to stop it if it goes for him? I mean, I would totally do the same thing. No question of that. But what if it just wants to lure him out and you know, it keeps eye contact with him and then the other two hit him while he's mesmerized? What if-?"
"Just watch!" Hermann said. Hansen had stopped out of immediate striking range. The two trucks and their guns stopped a bit behind him and the sentries went into a defensive positions around him. The other two Kaiju faded to nervous blurs, sinking low to the ground and backing away. The main one stood its ground even though its bioluminescent lights were flashing and it bristled uneasily. It took a step toward Hansen, then stopped. It backed up three steps and paced in a quick circle. Hansen didn't move.
It took another step toward him and then stopped again. It yowled angrily, baring all its teeth again and then sat down with a thump. Its tails lashed and it glared. Its head was lowered enough that it could glare at Hansen with all six eyes, even the one high on its skull. There was a long stand off and then Hansen finally took a step towards it. The sentries shifted too, and so did the guns on the trucks. The Kaiju was growling and drooling. The fangs were dripping. Maybe it was working up some venom. Maybe slobbering was a stress reaction. Maybe it thought this was a terrible idea, too.
Hermann thought Newt might combust as Hansen carefully stretched a hand out to it. Flashbacks of the crowded shelter and the searching tongue broke a cold sweat out on both of them. Newt was chanting 'stupid,stupid, stupid' under his breath and chewing on his own fist. It was terrible to be equally insane with envy and completely convinced that no good would come of this. Luckily Hermann was used to both those emotions and was holding up a little better. The Kaiju slunk forward another step and then roared straight into Hansen's face, blue lights flashing and spraying him with spit. The gunners fired and both shots ricocheted of the creature's head.
It screeched and turned toward the nearest one. Hansen grabbed it around the neck. It had to the be most ridiculous impulse to have ever pranced through a human's brain. I think I'll jump off this cliff. I think I'll eat that brightly colored frog. I think I'll try to have sex with that. I think I'll grab this monster by the neck. If Newt had had a clear view of the screen from the floor, he would probably have just collapsed, but he had to keep watching as Hansen suddenly became a muzzle and a human shield. The Kaiju sat down again. A less objective person would've thought it looked sulky. Well, if it was Compatible with Hansen, it probably would have to be a brat. But it wasn't attacking him. It was letting him touch it.
"Oh my God," Newt said again. Hermann let out the breath he'd be holding.
"You might get a pet Kaiju one day after all," he said. Newt just made a breathless noise. "The PPDC is going to have kittens."
"Oh yeah." Newt's panic was shed almost at once and replaced by maniacal glee. "But ours are going to be cooler."
Day/Theme: 27. goya (the as-if, transporting suspension of belief one feels from good storytelling)
Series: Pacific Rim
Character/Pairing: Hermann/Newt, Herc Hansen, other pilots
Rating: part 27 of 31
Mako and Raleigh had gone out in the Mokushi Danger to patrol the town and to be seen. The PPDC attache had scurried off with her phone again and no one had any doubt that she was spilling everything to everybody. No one was particularly concerned, but they had all picked up the pace to get the next phase underway before they could be delayed. Everyone had the feeling that it was too late to turn back. They were all charging ahead.
Hansen was now raptly listening to Newt and Hermann's Drift stories. He was trying to compare his to theirs, but there weren't that many similarities.
"The AI must have made the difference," Newt said. "You didn't have the whole hivemind crashing down on you, or a ringside seat to the Anteverse."
"No," Hansen agreed. "It started out like a Drift, but it was red and hot and liquid…"
"You said it was like blood when you first synched," Hermann checked his own transcript. One of his sentries monitors beeped and he hurried over to check it.
"Definitely a living animal and not a machine," Hansen said. "But I thought it would be blue. Their guts and fluids have never been red."
"They haven't been mammals before either," Newt said. "When you get your critter back, see if you can make it let me get close enough to examine it."
"I don't know if that would be safe," Hansen said. "I got it to turn on the others, but I was dragged along once it got going. If there had been humans there, I might've turned on them too."
"You may have the chance to find out," Hermann said from across the room. His tone made Newt hurry over.
"The Danger back?" Hansen asked, getting up.
"No," Hermann said. Newt sucked in a breath so hard it squeaked. "But your new Drift partner is."
On the screen, at the perimeter of the Dome, lurked the last three Yaujta Class Kaiju. The one that still had the remains of a mobile PONS device clinging to the protrusions on its head was pacing uncertainly. The other two hung back, clearly uneasy, but either unable or unwilling to leave their packmate. They faded in and out of sight, activating their chameleon abilities. Hansen's did not. It stayed clearly visible.
"Omigod! Omigod, it came!" Newt was almost hopping up and down. "I can't believe this! You're seeing this too, right? I mean Otachi came after me, sure, but I don't think it was of her own free will, I think- what?"
Hansen was already heading for the door. Hermann swore under his breath and lunged for the controls to send some of the sentries out with him. Even though the Kaiju were close enough to monitor, they were still about half a mile from the Dome. Hopefully, Hansen would put on a coat before he went out. It didn't take long for security to flank him with truck-mounted guns, but he waved them back. The Kaiju bared their saberteeth and snarled.
"This is so stupid," Newt moaned. He was pacing in circles. "What if it just eats him? I mean, will the guns be able to stop it if it goes for him? I mean, I would totally do the same thing. No question of that. But what if it just wants to lure him out and you know, it keeps eye contact with him and then the other two hit him while he's mesmerized? What if-?"
"Just watch!" Hermann said. Hansen had stopped out of immediate striking range. The two trucks and their guns stopped a bit behind him and the sentries went into a defensive positions around him. The other two Kaiju faded to nervous blurs, sinking low to the ground and backing away. The main one stood its ground even though its bioluminescent lights were flashing and it bristled uneasily. It took a step toward Hansen, then stopped. It backed up three steps and paced in a quick circle. Hansen didn't move.
It took another step toward him and then stopped again. It yowled angrily, baring all its teeth again and then sat down with a thump. Its tails lashed and it glared. Its head was lowered enough that it could glare at Hansen with all six eyes, even the one high on its skull. There was a long stand off and then Hansen finally took a step towards it. The sentries shifted too, and so did the guns on the trucks. The Kaiju was growling and drooling. The fangs were dripping. Maybe it was working up some venom. Maybe slobbering was a stress reaction. Maybe it thought this was a terrible idea, too.
Hermann thought Newt might combust as Hansen carefully stretched a hand out to it. Flashbacks of the crowded shelter and the searching tongue broke a cold sweat out on both of them. Newt was chanting 'stupid,stupid, stupid' under his breath and chewing on his own fist. It was terrible to be equally insane with envy and completely convinced that no good would come of this. Luckily Hermann was used to both those emotions and was holding up a little better. The Kaiju slunk forward another step and then roared straight into Hansen's face, blue lights flashing and spraying him with spit. The gunners fired and both shots ricocheted of the creature's head.
It screeched and turned toward the nearest one. Hansen grabbed it around the neck. It had to the be most ridiculous impulse to have ever pranced through a human's brain. I think I'll jump off this cliff. I think I'll eat that brightly colored frog. I think I'll try to have sex with that. I think I'll grab this monster by the neck. If Newt had had a clear view of the screen from the floor, he would probably have just collapsed, but he had to keep watching as Hansen suddenly became a muzzle and a human shield. The Kaiju sat down again. A less objective person would've thought it looked sulky. Well, if it was Compatible with Hansen, it probably would have to be a brat. But it wasn't attacking him. It was letting him touch it.
"Oh my God," Newt said again. Hermann let out the breath he'd be holding.
"You might get a pet Kaiju one day after all," he said. Newt just made a breathless noise. "The PPDC is going to have kittens."
"Oh yeah." Newt's panic was shed almost at once and replaced by maniacal glee. "But ours are going to be cooler."