Spectral Analysis [The Cure, Part 2]

[a1enzo]

Once more, Enzo emerges from the Matrices' closet. "Mouse?" he calls. "You got everything? Did Oracle show up okay?"

Comments

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

"This looks good," Oracle says. "Now we'll need a scan of you in your other form so we can get a look at where the code is being corrupted."

[ami_imperfect]

"'Kay."

The transformation is identical to Danny's, right down to the white hair and skin and searing green eyes.

But it's obvious that Dani's straining to keep herself together in this form. A couple beads of sweat trickle down her face from the effort.

[l33t-mouse.livejournal.com]

Obviously they're not going to be able to do a mid-switch scan with Dani. Or, if they do, it's gonna be a little tricky.

Mouse starts the scanner up again: she gets a beep and sees red code flash across the screen almost immediately. Another few errors come up before the scan completes. "Okay, honey. Change back," she says, as soon as the scan's done. What she's seen worries her.

[ami_imperfect]

Dani doesn't hold back a sigh of relief as she reverts to her normal sprite form.

[l33t-mouse.livejournal.com]

"Just from takin' a quick look, sugar, I'd say yer thrashin'," Mouse says. "Means y'either ain't got the memory management protocol in yer kernel t'run yer functions right, or y'got a RAM access problem. So when y'do multiple function calls, ya keep switchin' between 'em instead o'runnin' 'em smoothly. Makes fer a massive strain on yer system." She doesn't check to see whether Dani understands the specifics or not. The important thing is that it's a fixable problem.

Mouse calls up Danny's ghost format code and runs it against Dani's. "Long as y'stay in yer low-power format, yer fine. Just need t'get the fixes ready, an' then we'll put ya in sleep mode an' patch ya up."

[ami_imperfect]

She nods. "Okay."

[l33t-mouse.livejournal.com]

"Go back in th'waitin' room fer now. This is gonna take a while - but not too long," Mouse says.

[ami_imperfect]

Another nod, and Dani hops off the scanner, double-clicks her icon to bring her clothes back and then heads back to the waiting room.

[a1enzo]

Enzo looks up from his zine (he's given up on Highlights and switched over to Sports Rendered). "How'd it go?"

[ami_imperfect]

Dani takes a deep breath and exhales before answering, "Mouse says she can fix it. She and Oracle just have to get everything ready."

[goinghost.livejournal.com]

Danny had only been poking disinterestly at the magazines, waiting for her to come out.

"Okay. So...should be easy, right?"

[ami_imperfect]

She nods. "Yeah, should be."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"You're gonna be fine," says Bob, with what he hopes is an encouraging smile. "Mouse knows her stuff."

[a1enzo]

Enzo nods earnestly. "She really does. When Daemon's troops were attacking, she kept 'em locked out for cycles, and they only got in 'cause Daemon infected her. And one time, just before I was copied, she changed a portal's destination while Megabyte had his hands stuck in it!"

He's not really sure how impressive that is, in hacking terms, but from the reenactments, it was totally cool!

[goinghost.livejournal.com]

"That's awesome. That's even better than Tucker."

Who could practically hack technology from another dimension (or at least tech from their dimension merged with tech of another dimension) and make it go to the library to research purpleback gorillas.

[command_dot_com]

"Not to mention the other inventions she came up with. Mouse's the one to thank for our Incoming game warning system." Dot says. "She's still making money over the royalties on that little number."

[a1enzo]

"And Game sprite mode," Enzo points out.

He flinches guiltily at the mention of Danny's best friend. "Maybe we shoulda brought Tucker along. We do owe him a visit."

[goinghost.livejournal.com]

"Tucker can't stand to be anywhere in the vicinity of hospitals or anything remotely resembling them. I figured maybe we could do another visit later if it was okay with you guys, but this time, he would have spent most of his time waiting outside for the rest of us if he'd come."

[a1enzo]

"Ohhh." Enzo grimaces. "That'd be worse than the waiting room. 'Kay."

[ami_imperfect]

Dani also winces. "Do Tucker and Sam know what we're doing?"

[goinghost.livejournal.com]

"...No?" Shifty. "I, uh, kind of did the impulsive not-telling-my-best-friends-what's-going-on thing again."

[ami_imperfect]

Dani makes a show of frowning and folding her arms over her chest. "And how well did that work last time?" she asks Danny.

[goinghost.livejournal.com]

"...Moderately okay at the end?"

[a1enzo]

That sounds... um... eesh.

"Maybe they won't mind too much if we invite them to the wedding too?" He looks to Dot and Bob for, hopefully, approval.

[command_dot_com]

"We'll see about setting up a special section for our friends from Milliways."

At this rate there are going to be at least 2 dozen showing up. "Or setting up a tour after the vacation."