dappered | (no subject)

(no subject)

[ Cortana doesn't sleep. Ever. Which is maybe why she had spent a good majority of her time watching John sleep instead, from her chip on the table next to him. She didn't need sleep, ever, got along just fine without it, and she had never been really sure if that was one of the quirks or the downsides of being inhuman.

At least she doesn't miss much.

Still, this isn't something that should have happened. Whatever it is, whatever it was, Cortana doesn't understand how she could be in one place one second, staring out the hangar of the Forward Unto Dawn, and then -- here, the next. There's no lapse of what she would call consciousness, no falter in her program, she's just there, and then she's not, and for once, Cortana doesn't understand at all.

The sun is stretched high above her, high above the chip from which she's currently standing on, fingers outstretched as if waiting for something. It takes her a moment to look down, to look around, and then finally, to figure out where it is she's at.

Her commands are a little shaky, her various programs slightly off-balance from whatever apparent instantenous journey she had just made, but it doesn't take her long to determine she's not far at all from Valhalla.

Which is. Great. Just what she needed. ]

Chief? . . . John?

[ And, of course, she's met with silence. ]

Scanning and analyzing area --

Retreating back into chip. [ And with that, the holograph disappears back into the data chip, hiding her under the grassy green field. ] Unidentifiable lifeforms. Total, 7, possibly more. Analyzing further. Human. Non-human. Non-human. Human. Human. Human. Human. Closest human lifeform, approximately three-fourths of a mile away.

Damnit.

[ But she had no choice, either way. ]

Releasing distress beacon. Chief, if you can hear me, standby.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ This is the sound of Wash mentally head-desking. Why did he think they were going to be able to coordinate something between Church-the-surly-bitch, Epsilon-the-attention-span-of-a-goldfish, and Cortana-the-inevitably-traitorous-prisoner? ]

This is Cortana. She's. Er. Going to be staying with us for a little while.

[ Okay so he hasn't stopped staring. ]

You know she's naked... right?

Well, I wouldn't say I'm naked.

[ ohmygod ]

[ so strangled ]

What have I told you about thinking before you talk?

And stop staring.

Edited 2009-11-14 01:36 (UTC)

I'm not staring! I'm just saying I can see her... binaries. You know, in case she wanted to do something about that.

[ SO BELATEDLY, to Cortana's face finally: ]

.........................................hi.

Hello. What's your name?

[ Automatically, ]

Leonard.

It's nice to meet you, Leonard.

[ Is there anything more painful for Church to overhear than a teenage moron version of himself trying to flirt? Probably not. ]

So, uh... Hey. What brings you down here to hang with us?

Edited 2009-11-14 02:18 (UTC)

[ Oookay heading that off right there. ]

Ep-- er, Leonard. She's a hostage.

A hostage?! Man, why didn't you tell me? We need to rescue her right now! Who's holding her prisoner?

Hm. That's a good question . . .

[ SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH ]

We are.

...I am.

...

Well, why?

Because she's from the UNSC, and she found us. This location is compromised.

Apparently, he's not a big fan of UNSC.

Or John.

Or both.

Uh, yeah? Wash kinda doesn't like anything.

Oh, I think he likes some things . . .

[ So conversationally, ]

No, he doesn't like women either...

[ LALFJDSL;FJSLDJFL???

SFLKSDJ

DKFLDSJ

DKFJK

...

... ]

I've gathered as much.

Yeah, I guess he just finds guys easier to handle?

[ What is this presence suddenly looming near his shoulder ]

[ That would be Wash firmly clamping a hand over Epsilon's mouth and dragging him back against him to hold his talkative little self still. ]

Cortana, 'Leonard.' Leonard, Cortana. Now everybody knows each other, wonderful. You two will be working together on those security codes.

Edited 2009-11-14 07:09 (UTC)

Of course. Whatever you like.

[ He'll just be over here, wriggling against Wash's chest and grumbling muffled curses, okay. ]