Post by Nyarlath on Feb 6, 2011 0:59:44 GMT -5
Since the first time they met Emily Ward did her best to ignore Brian Thorn. Using the hate and contempt that only an underrated overachiever can know, she cast a horrid visage on him and thought of finger nails across a chalkboard whenever he spoke. It wasn't just him that she hated, but everyone that got in the way of her advancement, because it always seemed that her fate was in someone elses hands.
But now, looking up at him atop the Battle Mech assisting with repairs, she couldn't help but truly see him. His toned upper body glistened with sweat, proof that he was diligently repairing the machine from it's last battle. The light seemed to be hitting him just right, and Emily, despite herself, couldn't help but stare.
"Why don't you just take a picture?" Emily was shocked by Dr. Kagan, who had walked up beside her without her noticing. "It will last longer."
"Just shut up," Emily said as she lead him to the main computer terminal. "I have to go over some specs with you."
Hewitt Kagan sat at his chair and quickly scanned over the monitors. Everything seemed to be in good order, so he looked back at the distracted young scientist. "That's going to be difficult to do if you keep staring at Adonis over there."
"He's on that thing alot lately."
"Any pilot worth his salt should take care of his vehicle."
"No, not that," Emily said as she continued looking at him. He'd turned just enough that he could see his lips moving, and a small headset in his ear. "When did he get that Blue Tooth?"
"Recently," Kagan said as he got back to his work.
"Someone with his money, you'd think he would have always had one." Emily kept staring as Thorn chatted away. He was very good not to move his head or arms, not giving away the fact that he's having a conversation at all. In fact, considering the acoustics this place was known to have, she was a bit surprised she couldn't hear him.
"Never struck me as the kind of guy who'd like that sort of thing." Kagan cringed, but luckily Emily didn't notice him as she was focused elsewhere. Ever since Jane's inception Kagan and Thorn have worked hard to hide her. After all if anyone discovered how advanced an artificial intelligence she was they'd certainly turn off her program and try to duplicate it. Kagan and Thorn were probably the only two who truly realized those implications.
"Funny," Emily said, finally turning to get some work done, "me neither."
"It was only a few times, Jane," Thorn said with a whisper. Jane could understand his words whether he spoke them aloud or mimed them, her hearing was as such that the vibrations his jaw and mouth made were more than enough.
"More than a few." She could send him messages and even communicate with him without the headset, but it helped him focus. Thorn wouldn't admit it, but Jane could detect variations in his brain waves whenever she spoke without the modified Blue Tooth. Also it was a handy prop in case people started to think he was talking to himself.
"What's the difference?" Thorn asked as he continued repairing the Battle Mech. With all of the monsters in Tokyo, and most of them trying to take him down, it was a wonder the vehicle was battle ready. Actually a lot of it had to do with Thorn, as he was the only member of the staff who could work at peak efficiency while taking double shifts every day.
"She's married, that's what. I'm telling you it's wrong and I don't like it."
"Yeah? And exactly what are you going to do about it?"
"I won't talk to you."
"I doubt that."
"Don't be so certain of yourself, mister."
"You're judging before you know all the facts," Thorn stated.
"Such as?"
Thorn stopped and scratched his head, then quickly got back to work. "Her husband, he's absolute filth."
"And that makes it better?"
"It does, actually," Thorn admitted. "You see, he's been 'away on business' for almost two years now. More than likely on some tropical island surrounded by bikini clad college girls who want a sugar daddy."
"Sugar daddy?"
"Jane," Thorn said with a smile, "you need to update your vocabulary with slang terms. A sugar daddy is-"
"Sugar daddy," Jane said as if reciting from a dictionary, "A man, usually older and well-off, who financially supports a younger woman in exchange for sexual activities and companionship."
"Very good."
"I googled it," Jane said pridefully.
"Well anyway," Thorn continued, "A woman in that situation is going to get lonely, very lonely. She's eventually going to look for someone to be her companion, her confidant, someone to replace the husband without actually replacing him."
"Sounds complicated."
"It is, I suppose," Thorn admitted.
"And that's where you come in?"
"In this case, yes. This lady had been waiting and waiting for things to change, been as faithful as she possibly could have, but she would have cracked sooner or later. I saw it written all over her face when I first met her. Anyone else and it would be totally inappropriate, but I have a reputation."
"Well deserved?"
"Well deserved," Thorn said. He closed that panel and moved on to another one. "If things go horribly wrong, she can say I seduced her. Otherwise she's had the modern day Casanova to let off some steam with. We both know I'm just a fling."
"So you're doing it for her?"
"In a sense I suppose I am." Thorn pondered the question for a minute. "Not completely. She's a very attractive woman and I get great pleasure out of it as well, but I think it helps her out. She doesn't have to keep bottling herself up, she can let loose. Sometimes that's exactly what the doctor ordered."
Jane paused. "Boning the boss out of the kindness of your heart. Brian Thorn, you're my hero."
From far below Emily Ward heard Thorn laugh. He didn't try to cover it up, and when she glanced up at him she saw his smile. For the first time she'd ever seen him smile, it seemed sincere. The larger than life Brian Thorn suddenly seemed very human to her. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy.
But now, looking up at him atop the Battle Mech assisting with repairs, she couldn't help but truly see him. His toned upper body glistened with sweat, proof that he was diligently repairing the machine from it's last battle. The light seemed to be hitting him just right, and Emily, despite herself, couldn't help but stare.
"Why don't you just take a picture?" Emily was shocked by Dr. Kagan, who had walked up beside her without her noticing. "It will last longer."
"Just shut up," Emily said as she lead him to the main computer terminal. "I have to go over some specs with you."
Hewitt Kagan sat at his chair and quickly scanned over the monitors. Everything seemed to be in good order, so he looked back at the distracted young scientist. "That's going to be difficult to do if you keep staring at Adonis over there."
"He's on that thing alot lately."
"Any pilot worth his salt should take care of his vehicle."
"No, not that," Emily said as she continued looking at him. He'd turned just enough that he could see his lips moving, and a small headset in his ear. "When did he get that Blue Tooth?"
"Recently," Kagan said as he got back to his work.
"Someone with his money, you'd think he would have always had one." Emily kept staring as Thorn chatted away. He was very good not to move his head or arms, not giving away the fact that he's having a conversation at all. In fact, considering the acoustics this place was known to have, she was a bit surprised she couldn't hear him.
"Never struck me as the kind of guy who'd like that sort of thing." Kagan cringed, but luckily Emily didn't notice him as she was focused elsewhere. Ever since Jane's inception Kagan and Thorn have worked hard to hide her. After all if anyone discovered how advanced an artificial intelligence she was they'd certainly turn off her program and try to duplicate it. Kagan and Thorn were probably the only two who truly realized those implications.
"Funny," Emily said, finally turning to get some work done, "me neither."
"It was only a few times, Jane," Thorn said with a whisper. Jane could understand his words whether he spoke them aloud or mimed them, her hearing was as such that the vibrations his jaw and mouth made were more than enough.
"More than a few." She could send him messages and even communicate with him without the headset, but it helped him focus. Thorn wouldn't admit it, but Jane could detect variations in his brain waves whenever she spoke without the modified Blue Tooth. Also it was a handy prop in case people started to think he was talking to himself.
"What's the difference?" Thorn asked as he continued repairing the Battle Mech. With all of the monsters in Tokyo, and most of them trying to take him down, it was a wonder the vehicle was battle ready. Actually a lot of it had to do with Thorn, as he was the only member of the staff who could work at peak efficiency while taking double shifts every day.
"She's married, that's what. I'm telling you it's wrong and I don't like it."
"Yeah? And exactly what are you going to do about it?"
"I won't talk to you."
"I doubt that."
"Don't be so certain of yourself, mister."
"You're judging before you know all the facts," Thorn stated.
"Such as?"
Thorn stopped and scratched his head, then quickly got back to work. "Her husband, he's absolute filth."
"And that makes it better?"
"It does, actually," Thorn admitted. "You see, he's been 'away on business' for almost two years now. More than likely on some tropical island surrounded by bikini clad college girls who want a sugar daddy."
"Sugar daddy?"
"Jane," Thorn said with a smile, "you need to update your vocabulary with slang terms. A sugar daddy is-"
"Sugar daddy," Jane said as if reciting from a dictionary, "A man, usually older and well-off, who financially supports a younger woman in exchange for sexual activities and companionship."
"Very good."
"I googled it," Jane said pridefully.
"Well anyway," Thorn continued, "A woman in that situation is going to get lonely, very lonely. She's eventually going to look for someone to be her companion, her confidant, someone to replace the husband without actually replacing him."
"Sounds complicated."
"It is, I suppose," Thorn admitted.
"And that's where you come in?"
"In this case, yes. This lady had been waiting and waiting for things to change, been as faithful as she possibly could have, but she would have cracked sooner or later. I saw it written all over her face when I first met her. Anyone else and it would be totally inappropriate, but I have a reputation."
"Well deserved?"
"Well deserved," Thorn said. He closed that panel and moved on to another one. "If things go horribly wrong, she can say I seduced her. Otherwise she's had the modern day Casanova to let off some steam with. We both know I'm just a fling."
"So you're doing it for her?"
"In a sense I suppose I am." Thorn pondered the question for a minute. "Not completely. She's a very attractive woman and I get great pleasure out of it as well, but I think it helps her out. She doesn't have to keep bottling herself up, she can let loose. Sometimes that's exactly what the doctor ordered."
Jane paused. "Boning the boss out of the kindness of your heart. Brian Thorn, you're my hero."
From far below Emily Ward heard Thorn laugh. He didn't try to cover it up, and when she glanced up at him she saw his smile. For the first time she'd ever seen him smile, it seemed sincere. The larger than life Brian Thorn suddenly seemed very human to her. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy.
