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[captainryan]

The bed's made and Richard's relaxed on it, one hand tucked behind his head as he watches River finish getting dressed. The other hand is hanging off the side of the mattress, scritching Damocles' head.

"So CAL makes a copy of your data every time you return to the Library, and if something happens, she can restore you from that, correct?"

Comments

[hell_in_highheels]

"Yes, that's what I was thinking. Hallo CAL."

"Hello River, Captain Ryan. Unlicensed acqui- Oh!" CAL's face lit up like the little girl she really was coming downstairs on Christmas morning. "Is this Damocles?" She looks back and forth between the adults and the dog.

"Yes, CAL. Go on, Dam. Say hello."

The girl, for all she is the Library's AI, probably smells like a little girl who spends her time reading books, watching the telly, eating sweeties, and drawing pictures.

River takes Richard's hand in her own, watching the two get acquainted.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Richard's still a bit leery about AI children. His one previous experience with such a program involved the Red Queen (http://shewasright.livejournal.com/4082.html?thread=54514#t54514), and she would have killed him had she thought she needed to.

Still, CAL has been well-behaved every time he's visited.

Dam wags his tail a bit, ears at half mast as he politely sniffs the girl. Hi! He hasn't met all that many children, due to Richard.

The werewolf gives River a sidelong glance.

[hell_in_highheels]

"Hello Damocles." CAL extends a hand to the dog, her eyes wide.

River smirks at Richard. "She asks me about him every time I come to visit."

"He's beautiful!" The girl's hand reaches out to ruffle Damocles' ears. "Good dog," she murmurs.

River lets Dam get his proper pets before calling him back. "CAL, can you find me a book with a beach? Preferably one with seagulls and a nice temperate climate?"

"Yes, River. Accessing. Meet you in your office with a selection in just a few." The girl waves tentatively to Richard before disappearing.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He nods in return, trying not to look too unfriendly.

Damocles' ears are now pricked forward. Where'd she go?

She's still around. She merely isn't here. The rules are a little different in this world.

What rules?

...human phrase. Nevermind.

"Any alien beach paradises I should know about?"

[hell_in_highheels]

Girl come back later, Dam. Promise. River holds the door of her office for the both of them.

"Oh I can think of a few rather spectacular ones, jade singing sands and what not. Did you have a preference?"

She moves off toward her workstation, clearing off a space in the window seat for him should he decide to sit, rather than pace.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"Singing?" He looks less than intrigued at that possibility. "Doesn't that get annoying?"

He opts to stand for now. Dam is skirting around the edges of the room, sniffing at everything.

[hell_in_highheels]

She slips into her chair and the workstation lights up. There's one little box of red in a sea of blue, and she deactivates the reminder with a poke of her finger.

"Well, it's not like they play show tunes. The waves set up a resonance pattern in the beach. It's actually rather soothing. Like a chorus of soft bells."

Dam will probably have great fun in the solarium with all the plants. There might be a cricket or two in there to chase. Maybe even a moth.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"But do they have seagulls? Or something similar?" That's why they brought Dam after all.

Though he's investigating crickets at the moment. Those actually are kinda tasty, unlike those crappy moths.

Richard glances out the window, but when he looks back River is glowing slightly.

"...everything all right?"

[hell_in_highheels]

"This is the baseline scan. Hold on a moment." She holds still while the scan completes, and then the light fades.

A mechanical voice announces, "Incremental archive commencing. Please stand by."

"Seagulls, yes, the ones that don't chase back. Well, your Earth has any number of amazing beaches, black sand or white, or even red. Hawaii or Greece, perhaps?"

"Please refrain from moving. Beginning incremental archive again."

"Yes, fine. Have it your way," she answers the machine, rolling her eyes at Richard.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"I'm not that particular. If there's nothing there to chase us but something interesting for Dam to poke his nose in, I think that'd be fine."

And then he gives her and amused smile because he assumes she's still being scanned and can't answer.

[hell_in_highheels]

She holds his gaze while the archive program completes, blinking occasionally. The machine chimes and the voice announces, "Incremental archive complete. Please review archive and confirm."

She beckons Richard with a hand.

"Now, this is the point where I go through my archive and decide what I'd like to keep and what I'd like to revert to an earlier file version. The bones in my hand, for instance, have never been broken because I chose not to archive that information. But the scar at my shoulder is carried forward. Helpful if I ever decide to get a tattoo or something," she winks at him, teasing.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He frowns thoughtfully as he stands next to her.

"That could take a while, unless you're just looking at the changes from the last save file?"

[hell_in_highheels]

"Yes, exactly, just the last file."

Her fingertips fly over the file, each sector lighting up as she touches it. It's clear she's done this a few times.

She talks while she works. "So Greece then? There are ruins in Greece." The enthusiasm in her voice reminds him of the way some women would mention a shoe sale.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"Have you been there before?"

He has, but he was mostly just passing through. Sight-seeing has never been high on his list of priorities.

[hell_in_highheels]

"No, but I've read about it. I mean, I don't mind skipping the ruins."

She finishes her work and hits confirm on the file. One last scan passes over her and she shivers, her scent reverting to one akin to her having just stepped out of the shower.

"Two copies, please."

Two tiny discs, perhaps an inch across, appear on the desk beside her. She slips them into a little sleeve, and pockets them.

"There. Done." She stands, catching his hand again, standing on her tiptoes to brush a kiss against his cheek.

"Now, let's see what options CAL has come up with for us."

There's a stack of large format books on the end of the reading table now, that may or may not have been there when they arrived.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I don't mind seeing the ruins. I've just never had the time before." He was a busy man, once.

"Whatever you like." He really has no preference. Even the singing sands would be interesting.

[hell_in_highheels]

Give her half a chance, she'll keep him very busy. Just not running and shooting things.

"Right. Well, let's see." She flips through a few books. While she's looking, a warm body hits her thigh.

"Oof. Hi Dam." One hand reaches down to scrub the dog's ears. "Here, this looks nice. Carriacou, Martinique. Sparrow Bay, specifically."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He bends down to get a closer look.

"Looks lovely," he opines, eyes on her. He plants a kiss on her cheekbone.

[hell_in_highheels]

She leans into that kiss, her eyelids fluttering closed, her scent awash with longing. Her hand comes up to catch his shirt front.

After a moment, she remembers she was in the middle of something. "Martinique it is."

Blinking rapidly, she smirks up at him, her cheeks flush with colour now. "Right. Tell Dam what's about to happen?"

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Richard takes a moment to figure out how to explain this. Damocles.

Yes, sir?

While we're here at the Library, we're able to visit the places that books talk about. River just has to put the book on that ledge there, and a doorway appears that takes us to whatever the book is about. That's how we're going to visit the beach. Understood?

Yes, sir! Is it like the beach outside?

It's the same type of beach, but from a different place. You'll smell when we get there.

Okay!

"I believe he understands," Richard says, looking back at her.

[hell_in_highheels]

"All right. Here we go."

She puts the book up on the ledge and opens it, stepping back as the portal opens. It's a glorious summer afternoon, twilight perhaps an hour away, and a lovely a warm breeze blowing off the sea.

This time, she takes Richard's hand and leans against him.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

And of course he lets her, standing strong as he supports her and peers through the opening.

Go ahead, Dam, Richard jerks his head at the portal encouraging the pup to go exploring. "Let's," he says to River, taking the few steps forward necessary to step inside.

He stops sharply just through the portal as the old familiar pressure that only recently began building suddenly sky-rockets.

"...the moon's full here, isn't it."

[hell_in_highheels]

"I don't know, is it?" He would know better than she. But it doesn't hurt to verify. "Inquiry: Moon phase, current location?"

The same mechanical voice responds, "Current moon phase is 90% and waxing."

"That answers that. Shall we find another locale then?"

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He tilts his head sharply at the unseen voice, still not fond of the 'out-of-nowhere' technique.

"I'd prefer it, yes." Damocles! We're leaving!

But we just got here!

NOW.

...yes, sir.

[hell_in_highheels]

"Right."

No question, no hesitation, she simply backs out into her office again and, as soon as they are all back through, she closes the book.

A quick inquiry of the stacks finds them another image of the same beach, this one at the new moon, and she resets the portal.

"Sorry, I should have checked first. This should do us just nicely."