Billy Cranston (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
oncearanger) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
exsilium2013-01-08 05:38 pm
oncearanger) wrote in exsilium2013-01-08 05:38 pm
02. [video]
[The face of a man about sixty-five years old appears on screen. He's squinting at the blasted device through glasses that he's very glad he kept, but he would still struggle to make a text post at the moment---not with his old prescription. The voice is rougher, but still recognizable as Billy's to the few people he knows.]
Please answer this question for me: it's urgent.
Is extreme accelerated aging a known side effect of the transporter? I have several other hypotheses about my sudden condition, but this is the first I should test. And if you know of any cures for this condition, I'd appreciate a pointer. I'm drawing up my own attempts at a cure, but there's not much I can do with our limited supplies.
[He sighs wearily.]
I calculate that I'll age to the point of death within the next 36 hours, or sooner if it accelerates further, so there's not much that I have to lose.
((ooc: The aging is a canon event caused by his own tinkering at home gone wrong with a delayed reaction. And there's a canon medicine that would likely be at the Hold, but he hasn't a clue.))
Please answer this question for me: it's urgent.
Is extreme accelerated aging a known side effect of the transporter? I have several other hypotheses about my sudden condition, but this is the first I should test. And if you know of any cures for this condition, I'd appreciate a pointer. I'm drawing up my own attempts at a cure, but there's not much I can do with our limited supplies.
[He sighs wearily.]
I calculate that I'll age to the point of death within the next 36 hours, or sooner if it accelerates further, so there's not much that I have to lose.
((ooc: The aging is a canon event caused by his own tinkering at home gone wrong with a delayed reaction. And there's a canon medicine that would likely be at the Hold, but he hasn't a clue.))
video;
[He dutifully spins the tablet around to show it. There's a plank over the bed, tools laid out, a big toolbox in the corner, scrap metal in another corner, and more tools hanging on a board on the wall. Other than that, everything seems fine.]
video;
Would you mind if I come over and take a closer look? If it's anything like the things I'm used to dealing with, it would have probably left some traces behind. And they're not always visible.
video;
video;
video;
[He squints, then finds the button to click off the feed. Now to think while he waits.]
->action?
He stuffs the awkward device into his backpack along with some salt and heads out the door.
Soon enough he's knocking on door 209.]
action
Hello there. Can you tell me what you're planning to do now?
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What, specifically, might it be?
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[He starts up the EMF, trying to detect any suspicious activity.]
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[Free him up to look for sulfur residues - not that this is a demon's textbook MO, but what does he know? He's only dealt with one and he's heard of at least two here.]
action
[He circles the room, awkwardly stepping over the half-finished projects he hasn't had time to put away. He really should've done more cleaning, but bending over was a bit of a pain at the moment. After a while's search, he sighs and places the device on the bed.]
Nothing unusual.
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Is there anything here that's in any way displaced? [Maybe someone slipped in a hex bag - but to find one here seems like a long shot.]
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Not that I can see---not that I'm seeing very much in the first place!
[He runs his hand awkwardly along the shelves, counting off tools. Everything seems normal. Except a missing wheel for a wheelchair.]
The tools are fine, but there was a wheel that---ah!
[He stumbles and falls safely onto the bed.]
I think I knocked that over in a panic this morning.
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[This place doesn't exactly seem senior safe; he moves to pick up that wheel and put it safely away. He doesn't need you breaking your neck before he can figure out what's wrong.]
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[Billy waves off the concern and uses his umbrella-cane to push himself upright.]
So there's not likely to be a trace of paranormal activity? That will mean I need to consider my other hypotheses.
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[Encouraging, he knows, but in his experience it's always paranormal.]
What's your other hypotheses?
action
I was forced to restore my age when it was reversed artificially in the past. The device worked, but it was untested. That could be one source.
A week later, I was exposed to negative proton energy. I was fine for several months after this, but it could be a delayed reaction. [Does it make sense? No. But it's canon.]
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Your age was artificially reversed? How?
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I had to reverse-engineer their method to fix things, but I might've failed.
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[This is definitely a lead.]
What kind of invaders are we talking about here? How do you reverse the rotation of the planet?
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[He still has a distaste for the word 'magic', and he omits things where he can to avoid being caught out for who he is.]
My device accelerated my body's aging to restore me to an age where I could be taken seriously in my work until we sped the earth back to its rightful place.
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