001 - Speed Is Productive!

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy Shepherd and Anyone
WHERE: Hotel and Greenhouse
WHEN: First Days on Agra 10
WHAT: Settling In and Learning Practical Skills
WARNINGS: N/A yet, will update if change


Finding Pear Dice - Greenhouse Exploration

There is a serious issue here, namely that Tommy hates moving at snail pace. Part of the issue with being a speedster is that the mutation that made him move fast made a lot of the rest of him fast. Which included two things that were already a problem here on Agrii Whateverthefuck: his brain, and his metabolism. There was literally no turning off how fast his brain ran, even when he was choosing to operate in the sorts of time frames that humans do. Sure, he could slow it down some, but in the end how fast it ran meant that walking at normal human paces left his brain bored if there wasn't other stuff to do. Exploration, as it were, wasn't exactly the easiest for Tommy to manage. Which flowed into the second issue, his metabolism.

As much as Tommy wanted to speed around, make a full mental map of this place, figure out how to start improving it, he couldn't. His body needed food to fuel it, and speed was something that had to be sacrificed for the basic rule of survival. Which was literally the opposite of what Tommy had always thought he should do. He had managed to survive everything by running away, running to find answers, or otherwise using his speed as a survival strategy. Which meant not having enough food to maintain speed very long was sort of frustrating.

This was what led to Tommy staying in a relatively small area for his initial explorations. More than that, this is what led Tommy to a glass building, and through the doors. Was it wrong that he smiles the second he opened the doors and realized what was going on? Probably. Maybe not. Food. There is food in here. It isn't cooked, it isn't starch, but it's something.

And more than that? Another glowy orb. As weird as the previous one had been, this one Tommy is prepared for. Or so he thinks. When he touches it there is a moment of immobility as the system uploads to his brain, and a jolt that goes through him when a glitch prevents him from getting everything. But what he gets is enough to leave a grin on Tommy's face as he cracks his knuckles.

"Talk about a worthwhile project."

The only question is where to start. And the answer is easy. Bypass the seeds, ignore the broken irrigation system, and he makes his way up to the over-grown upper level. He moves to twisting, curling, monstrous vine covered in what looks like small cyan bananas. He plucks one down and just devours it in three bites. The peel is nutritious, and good for fiber, his new knowledge tells him. The flesh inside tastes something like a pickle, but one seasoned with lime. Full of good vitamins. Tommy laughs and pulls off his long-sleeved shirt and ties it around him at an angle to make a sling. Like he cares about being shirtless right now. Food is a great first step.

Over the next hours and days he starts doing more than a recurring task of gathering food. For one thing, overgrown plants absolutely have lots of dying and choked material below them. Tommy spends a lot of time squatting under plants, crawling around, and otherwise pushing things aside to start pruning back this dead material. It will be great fertilizer, his new knowledge tells him, even sets himself up a corner where he starts piling material until he can clear an area or tools enough to start a compost pile. When he isn't slowly working his way through one area he's trying to water everything he can. The problem, of course, is the process of watering, how to carry water from the fountain outside and in to the plants. This he solves rather clumsily, with a large, cup-like leaf from some durable sort of plant from a more tropical corner. The thing is more durable than he was expecting, and he doesn't care too much about the repeated treks. He even pours the water into a second leaf he pokes some small holes into near the top to make it more like a watering can.

Sometimes there is an advantage to fast brains: creative solutions to problems. And so it is, somehow, that digital age and tech loving Tommy Shepherd becomes, well, a farmer.




Personal Space - Hotel Exploration

In the early mornings and evenings when light isn't nearly deep enough for him to really want to work by, Tommy gets to the other tasks of living. Which means heading back to the hotel with a small selection of fruits and vegetables from the overgrown green house, together with some of what he can handle that is left over from the Whale Comb those cherries are a serious advantage for someone who has trouble getting drunk. He walks through the halls and up to the third floor where he's set himself up, and if he passes anyone in the hall he offers over a piece of food, usually one of the cyan bananas he's come to enjoy that taste like pickles made with lime in the brine, or a crimson red cucumber that tastes, just faintly, like tomatoes seasoned with oregano. That one, he knows well, is starchy as hell, and that's great for survival.

Once he gets up to the hallway he lives in and puts the rest of the food away, it's about securing the place. Checking over windows that may be present to make sure there are no new cracks or hole. Checking the pile of dried leaves he gathered from the green-house and laid out on the floor to make something like a mattress mostly a barrier from the floor to maintain warmth, and making sure his little degree of personal items are still around.

After that he goes down the hall and starts cleaning up other rooms. More people might come, and you never know what space they'll want for themselves. And he hates doing nothing.

When all of that is done Tommy sleeps. At least, he tries to. His body doesn't like more than four hours of sleep, stupid being fast. Which means often in the darkness of the night and early morning, Tommy moves quietly through the halls, one hand on the nearest wall to keep himself going in a straight and predictable line. Hopefully he doesn't scare anyone or start a fight.



[OOC: Wildcard or other starters available on request. You can message me here, find me on plurk @ churbooseanon or discord at Churby#4290. Happy to take Tommy's TDMs canon unless you wanna choose otherwise except Billy, mostly because we changed up timing, hit me up on that one bro

Will do brackets but prefer prose.]

Comments

[unbearablynaive]

"Many fruits on Earth can be sundried for preservation; I'd be surprised if there are not at least a few of these that will work in the same way. And if we can find containers suitable for holding liquid, we can make both alcohols and vinegars for preservation." Yes, that's what people will want to use the alcohol for, Vision. Preservation. "All those require are sugars and suitable bacterial cultures. We can be sure of the one and determine experimentally if the other is present."

Any leaves with unusual properties he'll separate out and try and see if they can be used for anything else, but there are still plenty that should probably just go into a composting pile. He harvests a bit more as he listens to Tommy.

"I can certainly help explore this building to start with; one would think gardening materials would be kept nearby." One would think. "I do phase through most materials, although a sufficient energy barrier will prevent me from doing so." Technically one of his weaknesses, there, but he doesn't seem to mind letting Tommy know about it. And it might be very relevant in this place - who knows?

So. Liquid containers (he hopes they won't have to make their own ceramics, but he at least has some basic knowledge of how to do so), gardening tools, storage and preservation for foods. And something to do with the pruned vegetable matter. That's a good start.

[doubled_speed]

Not the worst use of alcohol, but Tommy's pretty sure that and vinegar take some time to make. If only they had salt. Salt is good for that too, right? And dehydrating. Which he definitely doesn't know what to use.

"I'll leave the testing of things to you. Just... please don't use the 'e' word," he says, his voice a whisper. Because there is no way Vision would have missed how stiff Tommy went over it. Better not to talk about it, but he doesn't have a good relationship with the term or concept.

Perhaps it's a way of sharing a weakness of his own. A mental one. Still, that's a good list. And Tommy, with a nice pile of pruned and scrapped up material, stands.

"I've got a pile where I'm putting stuff for future composting. I can show you."

[unbearablynaive]

Ah, but they do have a nearby ocean, so salt might not be a problem. There's a lot of potential work for a scientist here, he can see.

The 'e'...oh. The Vision grimaces. "My apologies. I will simply call it testing, in that case." He may be the result of some batshit experiments himself, but unlike what has apparently happened to Tommy, they never caused him harm. It's easy enough to shift his vocabulary if it will make things smoother. "But there may be a great deal of testing, until and unless we discover more of these data points."

It's already a relief to have found one that will help with the food situation. Food, water, warmth, and rest are the most important needs, followed by security and safety. And before too long they'll have to figure out things like clothing and soap--hm. "If anything is particularly oily and has a pleasant odor, perhaps we should set it aside. It may be useful to have a plant we can make soap out of."

[doubled_speed]

"I mean, yeah, I can watch for pleasant orders, but wouldn't I have to damage leaves to see if they're oily?"

Tommy hadn't gotten too much of the stuff beyond 'here is what to eat and how to grow it.' Maybe his brain didn't interface with these well or, you know, it's just that he got the datapoint at a wonky moment.

Still, he is a bit thankful at the choice to use testing. Better not to have to explain it all, but he's fully relieved.

"Why are you putting some of the leaves aside? I mean, other than the whole composting thing."

[unbearablynaive]

"No more so than you already are by pruning them. There's little point in damaging healthy plants at the moment." Especially since this looks like it could be their main food supply for a while.

He holds up a particularly tough leaf as an example of the ones he's setting aside. "Early American settlers used cornhusks as a bedding material, and buckwheat hulls are still used in pillows. I know Wanda, for one, will be happier if she can have a comfortable material to sleep on."

[doubled_speed]

Oh. That's reasonable. Thing was, Tommy hadn't been very picky about what materials he'd used to make a bed for him and Billy. Maybe he should have.

"I knew about the trick of lying on something. Like, having material between you and the ground or floor," he admits. Which may raise the question of where such a survival tactic had come from, but had he really given Vision enough background to suggest he didn't camp when he was a kid? The comment is really up to Vision to interpret as he wished. "Gathered more of the dried ones for me and B. Didn't want to be bringing back something that would mildew or rot easily and cause us problems. Still, if we figure out which ones are best, we can put them aside for anyone to use."

After he has something for Billy and Wanda first. Not that he has a bias on anything. Which he's certain Vision would get.

"So I guess first pile for Wanda, and once you've got enough for her, I can consider changing out what we're using."

Learn something new every day. Maybe he should have paid attention in history class. Did history class even teach that?

[unbearablynaive]

The Vision nods; really, Tommy wouldn't have needed anything sinister to learn about not sleeping directly on the floor. Just a natural curiosity, or perhaps a sleepover. Hopefully nothing like Wanda's bombed city where she'd had to scrape for survival with only her twin.

"That was well done. Unless we can find or acquire a store of cloth, plant material will have to serve for many of our needs to begin with." Maybe animal hides as well, but if he can avoid hunting, the Vision doesn't particularly see why he should. He's not huge on killing things. Also, he doesn't know if they have anyone with actual hide-curing skills.

He works in companionable silence for a while, and once he's finished with the planter the Vision stands up and brushes his hands off (totally cheating by phasing so the dirt and debris falls off). "This is looking better already. It's satisfying to see the results of your work, isn't it?"

[doubled_speed]

Not QUITE like Wanda's bombed out city. But Tommy definitely had more street experience than he should have for someone his age. But he is happy to let the silence settle in for a while. Strange, he's never ever had a comfortable situation where he just passed time with someone in silence. Here? Here it works. Maybe it's because he's working so happily with the plants. Maybe it's because Vision is trying, and that matters.

He can't help but look up when Vision moves, though. Maybe he's part T-Rex too, his brain activated by movement. He frowns at the phasing to clean off. Wishes he could vibrate things off, but... well, energy.

"Yeah," he allows as he returns his attention to his vines. If only he had stakes to tie them up securely with. And string. He'll have to live with what he has. "Never done anything with plants before. Just production line stuff. You can't really get to benefit from your own work then."

[unbearablynaive]

He is trying - and it helps a great deal that gardening is something he truly enjoys. Having such a massive building to work with is exciting, for all that he hadn't been confined to a spaceship in a year. And with the new data download, most of his curiosity is focused on the flora he's working with rather than being uncomfortably focused on his not-son.

"No, it's not quite the same as being paid an hourly wage. If we're fortunate, we won't have to introduce currency into this system at all. Barter should be more than enough." Because there will undoubtedly be other people with their own skills to contribute - the first person to set up a system for hot bathwater will be able to name their price in drunken cherries, he figures.

Or someone who can make gloves. Tommy could use some garden gloves.

"Perhaps I'll go look for a cache of tools, as you suggested. I can think of several things that would make this go even more smoothly."

[doubled_speed]

An hourly wage. Not like Tommy used it for much back home. Frivolities and travel mostly. And replacing his shoes. And phones. No degree of phone insurance could cover the things that ever happened to him.

But the idea of making up a currency system seems stupid. Aren't they all in this together?

"With the green house being accessible, it doesn't seem like barter's going to be a useful thing. At least for me."

Still, the idea of things that would make this smoother gets Tommy's attention. He finally lifts his attention back to Vision and tilts his head.

"I mean, I could help some if you want. Can't be sure I can push through to harder to reach places without blowing a lot of energy, but I think trying wouldn't hurt."

[unbearablynaive]

See, the Vision gets to cheat, because he can make calls with his brain. There's a skill he wishes he could pass on.

"Your labor has value, even if it's something like picking vegetables. But I admit I would rest easier if we all share everything we find. We'll have to see how it goes."

He nods, looking interested. "It is little effort for me to phase through most materials, but knowing where to begin looking would be valuable. Perhaps you could show me which areas you have yet to explore and we can begin there?"

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, Tommy is quite happy being fully organic and not being able to make calls with his brain. This is better. Because people would have to crack his brain open for that, and so hard pass.

Seriously, all this 'you have value' and 'what you do has value' talk is going to to straight to Tommy's head. He already knows he can make money from what he can do. But that's different form intrinsic value. Strange.

"Honestly, I haven't explored a lot of anything. Touched a glowy thing, started taking a brief inventory of this main space, went to work."

Planning things out further than that hadn't really occurred to him. Okay, that's a lie. It has. But exploration sort of took a back seat to getting food managed as best he could. Not the brightest choice, but he's still young. Sometimes assigning the wrong priority to things was just what happened.

[unbearablynaive]

Fair enough. The Vision was built with onboard wifi, so it's very convenient. Sadly, there's no network here that he's been able to detect. Maybe someday.

"Hmm. So it would be a good idea to map the facility, then; we'll have a better grasp of what we have to work with. Some tools would help a great deal."

He can't help planning ahead, mapping out the probability trees to their conclusions. Having this building in easy range of the hotel and shops they're staying at has already made those tentative strategies much more concrete and easy. Food is right at the top of the list for important things, along with water and sleep and safety - even though he doesn't need to eat. It's important for everyone else.

"I don't suppose you've seen anything yet that would work as a writing surface? Paper-like bark or anything of the sort?"

[doubled_speed]

"No, but I also hadn't been looking," Tommy admits. Defensive right off the bat. Which probably wasn't fair to Vision. But defending himself is second nature. People assume the worst. That he's lazy or stupid or that he doesn't pay attention.

But really, he just can't anticipate some things.

[unbearablynaive]

"That's all right," he says quickly. Tommy is pretty defensive about it for some reason, but then perhaps if he'd had enough energy to explore at speed he would have already seen everything and is apologizing for that lack?

Hm.

"We can keep our eyes open for it. Ideally, I'd like to get some electronics working so we can have distance communication, but establishing our food supply should be the first priority. I can keep a map of the building well enough in my memory cache, and we can always write on the walls with charcoal if necessary to give some basic directions."

[doubled_speed]

Well that's something. And look, Vision isn't even upset at him. That's... helpful. He looks a bit shy but he nods. Yeah, that's good, he's not in trouble and he can keep going.

"That should help some. I've already had questions. I just wish we could label things. Tell people not to touch this or eat that until we review it."

[unbearablynaive]

He nods. "Yes, precisely. And so if you do come across anything that might make a suitable writing surface, or perhaps a sap that is sticky enough to hold a note to the wall, we could use them to begin labeling plants. Charcoal can work as a basic writing tool, and if we find something juicy enough we could use it as ink. A dark berry, perhaps."

Being low-tech is sure a thing. Sure, they can make styluses out of plants. Maybe even find something feathered, or make nibs out of metal bits.

"Or we could be less complex and color-code the plants with flowers or bits of discarded waste. Red is generally a good 'do not touch' color, yes?"

[doubled_speed]

Well, red tends to be the color of 'do not cross' with their family, so Tommy agrees with the idea. He considers it and nods.

"I can hit up the garbage pile outside of the hotel. I mean, we can't exactly use a lot of stuff here, it'll break down. But if you wanna make ink, you are going to need someone smarter than me to help out."

[unbearablynaive]

"That would be excellent, thank you." And he huffs a little at the smarter than me comment. "Oh, I imagine it will be a case of trial and error. My main advantage in this area is that not only do I have a good working knowledge of the theory behind such matters, I do not exactly require sleep."

He taps the stone in his forehead, which briefly flares. "Additionally, I can make fire without any tools; very useful, if we want to stick to charcoal writing materials to begin with."

[doubled_speed]

Listen, Tommy isn't going to argue about him not being smart. He's got a GED the Kaplans made him get, and sure he finished it quickly, but that doesn't mean he's smart.

"Seems like a lot of people can be fire starters. Mom's got that little lizard thing, B can just about wish it. I probably could have if I worked at the whole vibrations thing a bit better, but that doesn't seem to work right here."

See, another way that he's not very useful.

[unbearablynaive]

A lot of the work they're set up to do is less about being smart and more about brute-forcing their way through, though. Like gathering food. It's going to be a lot of work every day to keep the populace fed - but it's also very satisfying in a visceral way.

"Vibrations? How do you mean?"

[doubled_speed]

Oh wow, doesn’t he know? Tommy holds his hands up and begins to demonstrate, letting his hands vibrate at super speeds so they would be a blur to people.

“I can vibrate me. But I can also manipulate things like this. Molecular acceleration or something. Used to make explosions. Now I can make things crack or heat up a little.”

[unbearablynaive]

He watches, fascinated, and even laughs a little in delight. "I see. That could certainly come in handy - even if the effect is lessened here. Something similar happened while we were under the Atroma's control - most of us kept our powers, but they were dampened so as not to cause a hull breach or anything similar."

[doubled_speed]

"Yeah, I can see how that would be an issue," Tommy agrees, sighing. He hates... He hates feeling weaker. These were things he went through a lot to learn to do. And it hurt him. To be less useful.

"I mean, they still let me run fast, but I don't even KNOW if I can run as fast as I used to. But, like, heroes push through shit like that. And that's why people like them."

That's why people like him is the implication of those words.

[unbearablynaive]

The Vision frowns, but it takes him a moment to gather his thoughts as to why that statement strikes him the wrong way.

Finally, he says, "A person is not a hero because of what they can do, Tommy. A hero is someone who uses what they have to do the right thing. If Steve Rogers were stripped of his abilities, he would still rescue a child from oncoming traffic. That is what makes him Captain America, not how many motorcycles he can benchpress."

(He thinks it's one. He's pretty sure it's one. It might actually be more than that.)