Milliways: Digitizing [The Cure, Part 1]

[ami_imperfect]

Dani stands nervously in the room that holds Ray's digitizing laser. She feels like a hundred butterflies have been turned loose in her stomach, laid eggs which hatched into caterpillars which then turned into butterfiles. After all this time spent worrying, she's finally going to be cured.

Possibly.

She looks over at Danny.

"You ready?"

Is her voice really that shaky?

Comments

[mendanddefend_archive]

"It doesn't hurt," offers Bob. "Digitization, I mean. It's just... really freaky."

[ami_imperfect]

Her smile is weak, but she manages one all the same.

"Thanks," she says to both of them. Then she turns, takes a deep breath and looks at Enzo.

"Okay, we're ready."

[a1enzo]

Enzo smiles at her and nods. "Let's do it!" He checks the laser's alignment one last time and fires.

[goinghost.livejournal.com]

Oh for the days when getting zapped with lasers and having his body change wasn't so typical.

Although the purple was different.

So was his code, in his head, telling him exactly what he was, in a way that scared him a little, because he didn't like mind control or anything that even remotely resembled, but was also comforting, as it all became clear:

His format? Hero. His Function: To Protect and Serve.

"Am I like a sprite cop now? What's going on?" A pause. "I feel like wearing a cape again."

[ami_imperfect]

When the laser hits, Dani's breath hitches in her throat. She feels herself coming apart, breaking up and suddenly she's scared and she thinks she's disappearing and she doesn't want to do this anymore...

...then slowly she's being built up again, number by number until she's solid and whole again. And in her mind, a little voice utters,

My format: Hero.
To Protect and Serve.


Dani looks at her hands - purple? - before looking over at Danny. "Since when have you worn a cape?" she asks.

[goinghost.livejournal.com]

"Since that time I split myself in two with the Fenton Ghostcatcher and turned into Fun Danny and Super Danny. Super Danny--I--really had a thing for capes. Of course, it was my bed sheet..."

He made his way over to the button.

"You feeling okay?"

[ami_imperfect]

"Yes." Her response is squeaked, mainly because she's trying to stifle her laughter at the mental image of Danny with a bedsheet tied around his neck like a cape.

She's not having a lot of luck.

[goinghost.livejournal.com]

"You're allowed to laugh. Sam and Tucker might've if he hadn't been so annoying."

Button push time.

[ami_imperfect]

Well, as long as you're giving her permission...

Dani's still giggling as she steps up beside Danny to push the button.

[a1enzo]

And they're back!

"Alphanumeric!" Enzo cries, running over to give Dani a hug - Stage 1 accomplished! - then pulling back to examine her more closely. She's still her, but besides the obvious purple, she's, well, smoother. Her hair's fused into a single mass, though it follows the same general configuration, and her clothing is mostly skins now, with the addition of a matching grey-blue belt to take the place of her vanished pockets. Obviously a sprite, but still Dani.

"You look nice," he tells her.

[ami_imperfect]

Her cheeks flush a darker purple at the compliment.

"Thanks, Enzo," she replies shyly.

[goinghost.livejournal.com]

"You can stop hugging now." Slight glare. "Now to test something out..."

With that, the familiar rings of light swept up and down him (wonderfully rendered) and he transformed, skin going very white, the familiar black and white costume, and his eyes going a searing green.

He formed a glowing glob of energy in his hand, and it was entirely possible he glanced over at Enzo as he did it. He looked more threatening transformed.

"Looks like it's all in working order."

[a1enzo]

Enzo utters a slight meep and drops his arms quickly.

"Great!" he says in response to Danny's statement (if not the rest).

[ami_imperfect]

Dani's not so forgiving. She echoes Enzo's statement, but as soon as Danny's back is turned she sticks her tongue out at him.

[mendanddefend_archive]

What the two Fentons look like, from Bob's perspective, isn't as interesting as what they scan like. The vague, nebulous energy readings he'd gotten from scanning them in the Bar proper are now clearly defined--it's as if he's put on a set of eyeglasses and they're in proper focus for the first time. The filetype is unfamiliar, but at least detectable.

And to his keytool senses, it's blatantly obvious that Dani is... well, damaged. Her code is full of holes and unstable linkages--it's holding together, but for how long? They'd better get this taken care of, and soon.