((Split from Catching a Stalker. Crystal and Gearhead))

Leaning over her workbench, TJ was putting the final touches into the lower arm of her bio-suit's revised nervious system when a nearby monitor blipped to life. Lifting up her glasses she looked at the scrolling data code. Without thinking, she was reading, decoding, and processing it all in her head. "Training rooms, no, just one. What's going on in there." Another screen flashed to life showing no active simulations, though a large group of peopled were gathered in the room. Nothing had been accessed recently except...

There was something off. "Maybe someone's monitoring the room." Checking the 'lines', TJ noted the room to be untouched from the outside. The training simulators were active, or at least being looked through. She wouldn't be sure which unless she checked it out herself. Setting her computers to monitor the processor and memory usage of the room, to alert her of any major changes or in five minutes, whichever came first.

Five minutes went by, the screen beeped twice, showing no change. "Hmm..." Setting her tools down she moved to her chair and put her headset on. Reclining, she began to seal the program in as she analyzed it. Any way out of the simulator would loop back into itself. Though this also made it unaccessable to the training room. "Looks like an errant program. Virus possibly. No..too large and too...Smart?" Going over the data again. "That's not a normal program. That..an AI!"

Feeling a shiver go down her spine, "Begin digital dive, Five, Four, Three, Two....."

Keeping herself grounded in her lab physically, though only partially with her mind, Gearhead's mind cruzed down the data lanes and highways. As she did she went over the bit of data she had scanned. She hadn't found any sign of a normal virus, though she had picked up a word: Mpath. It could be a sub program, a main program or even the program's name.

Soon she reached the looping paths and chuckled. They didn't impeed or block her in the least as she 'phased' through them. Finding the correct spot, she 'slowed' down when she came too a 'room'. Waiting outside she created her digital image. She gave the errant program a chance to respond before intruding, wanting to see what the AI would do.

Hooked into the simulators as she was, Crystal became quickly aware of the program around her being altered. Figuring it was simply Chris keeping an eye on her, she continued to spy on the Stalker Catching planning. This group of mutants was truly fascinating, and they were making her job quite a bit easier with introductions and power explanations. As the one incharge had mentioned, there was quite a bit of firepower available, but very little subtly and finesse. If a balance wasn't reached, the mission could quite possibly fail.

Abruptly the 'window' she was looking through, her access to the room's cameras, went blank. Crystal frowned slightly, and tapped the window. Surely Chris hadn't cut her off that quickly. The security codes she had were acceptable, and she hadn't done anything yet but look through programs, like flipping through an instruction manual.

She huffed and crossed her arms. In her current position of floating in the air with legs and arms crossed, she looked like an irritated genie.

A two-note tone hummed softly around her, and a door appeared in on wall, the digital equivilant of a doorbell. Someone was requesting access to her current area. Curious, Crystal unfolded and went over. She opened the door and looked out. She didn't see anyone at first, until she looked down. One eyebrow raised incredulously.

"If you're selling Girl Scout Cookies, someone around here has a very warped sense of humor...."

Crossing her arms with a little huff, "Pfft, I'm not that small am I?" She looked down at herself, "Nope, didn't think so." Looking back up at the 'woman'. "Not unless you want some digital cookies." Putting her hand out and plate of cookies appeared in the air as she laughed. Floating up to eye level with the woman. "Wait! You talk! Haha! That's awesome, and you've got an additude! Oh my my my! Someone had one hell of a brain to program you with that."

Gearhead flew around the woman once, twice, three times before stopping behind her. As she did the door closed and iron bars came down all around the room completely sealing the room off. Snapping her fingers, "Iris! You look like Iris...but you're not her. So why do you look like her? And what are you doing in here? More to the point, what are you doing here in this building anyways? The security should have eradiacted you right away." She waited for the AI's responce as she bobbed up and down slightly in the air.

"Pfft, I'm not that small am I? Nope, didn't think so. Not unless you want some digital cookies. Wait! You talk! Haha! That's awesome, and you've got an additude! Oh my my my! Someone had one hell of a brain to program you with that."

Crystal turned in her own set of circles as the tiny proxy circled her. If she had wings she could easily passed for a pixie. And who was she saying had attitude??

She huffed as the room was sealed off again. "What is it with you people and the security here?" She assumed her 'annoyed genie' pose in the air.

"Iris! You look like Iris...but you're not her. So why do you look like her? And what are you doing in here? More to the point, what are you doing here in this building anyways? The security should have eradiacted you right away."

As the proxy spoke, Crystal attempted to analyze her. She wasn't getting much, other than she seemed to be another AI.

"Of course I'm not Rayne. She's a mutant, I'm her trainer. Chip thought she'd learn better from herself. And I've been given access to the computers by Chris. I didn't feel like watching Rayne work out her personal issues twenty-four seven." Crystal's eyes narrowed slightly.

"For that matter, who are you? Chris didn't tell me about you, and he's supposed to be the Computer Master here. How do I know you're not a sabetour?" Even if she was, Crystal wasn't going to do anything about it, unless it threatened her personal safety, or Iris's.

Even as the AI tried to analyze Gearhead, Gearhead was watching the lines of code from the AI and knew what she was doing, she just smiled through it. "Trainer huh. I suppose that makes sense. Though I have no idea about personal issues..nor do I care. YOU," She zipped in close to the AI, "Are what interests me." She filed the name 'Chip' away in her mind, <Wonder who that is...I'll have to check on this Chip.>

In her digital form, Gearhead's voice a higher pitch than normal, so her laugh was even more so, and a bit squeeky. "Chris...I'm sure he fancies himself a computer master. Among the others he's probably very good, but no way is he a master." The walls of the room became see through, showing the looping routes along with very complex encription codes running along each one. "Aren't you suppose to introduce yourself before asking who someone is?" Gearhead copied the AI's annoyed genie pose.

Crystal tilted her head. The proxy sounded like a squeaky toy. She looked like something out of an anime.

"Sooo.... you're saying that you have more control than he does, huh? Well now, that's quite a claim." And possibly quite a boon, if Crystal played this right.

As the basic framework of the looping program became visible, Crystal moved forward curiously. She began hunting for the loop's end/start point. The entire program looked like a giant spiderweb to her, with various colored strands representing various lines of code. One red and one blue thread stretched out from the main web into the darkness beyond; it was the proxy's link and Cyrstal's. Crystal noticed that the two 'threads' were glowing purple where they intersected with the 'room's' programming. If Crystal tried to leave the program now using her normal clearance, without a proper release code from the proxy, she would be deleted, leaving the proxy unharmed.

Ingenious.

"Aren't you suppose to introduce yourself before asking who someone is?"

"Crystal. So you're better that Chris, huh? How much better?"

Gearhead nodded enthusiasticly at Crystal as she looked around and outside the room. Smiling she giggled. "Pretty isn't it. Something I did off the top of my head before heading here." Unlike Crystal, Gearhead wasn't locked out, so she looked into the training room and spoke, "The training simulator will be offline until further notice."

Snapping the fingers on her left hand, Crystal's arms disappeared from her program, replaced by sock puppets on sticks. Crystals right hand was clasped in Gearhead's, "It's nice to meet you Crystal. I'm Gearhead." She smiled. "How to explain how much better..." Crystal's other arm appeared then and crossed with the other as if they were crossed over someone's chest. "I suppose...I could re-write your entire program in the blink of an eye, but I wouldn't want to do that. You're interesting."

Floating windows appeared, twelve in total. Physics, chemestry, and biology were on a few of the screens, different problems and theories being worked on. "This is what I'm doing at the moment while I sit in my chair, along with being here with you."

"Gearhead? Now that's intereseting...." Crystal wasn't too thrilled with her own proxy being altered, but the ease with which Gearhead did so was fascinating.

"I suppose...I could re-write your entire program in the blink of an eye, but I wouldn't want to do that. You're interesting."

"Thank you. I like me the way I am too." Crystal's tone was a bit bland, but still admiring. And the demonstration made it clear she wanted to stay on this AIs good side.

"This is what I'm doing at the moment while I sit in my chair, along with being here with you."

"In your chair? You're not an AI?" Crystal took a closer look at the screens, and their contents. Even a megacomputer would have had a hard time keeping up with all of this. "You're a mutant." It was a statement. "Technopath? Or just a megagenius?

"And can I have my arms back now? I've grown rather attached to them ya know...."

"Pfft. No offence Crystal, but an AI wouldn't be able to do what I can do and deffinantly not as fast. At least not at this point in time." Waving her hand dismissively, the plants were gone and Crystal's arms were back. Rubbing her chin, "All the above I suppose. Though I've never thought about Technopath before, it fits." Dismissing the screens and turning the room back to normal. "You still haven't told me why you're here. Why have you been given access to low level areas, or why you're in here spying on those people down there."

"You still haven't told me why you're here. Why have you been given access to low level areas, or why you're in here spying on those people down there."

Arms back in their proper places, Crystal shrugged. "Like I said, I didn't feel like watching Rayne's personal life unfold. Chris gave me the same access he gave all of the recent guests. As for them," she gestured toward the group in the training room, "I wasn't spying, merely getting to know my fellow guests. My primary function is analyzation, after all. And there are an interesting range of powers gathered there to analyze."

There was a twinkle in Crystal's eyes. She was dying to get a closer look at this techie in real life. If she was as capable as she claimed, perhaps she could help Crystal expand her own knowledge and abilities.

"My secondary function is training, also. Thus the reason I was looking through the simulations. I was hoping to copy and mod a few of them for Rayne to use."

Gearhead nodded to Crystal as she spoke. "That makes sense." Looking away from Crystal, Gearhead allowed the window to open again, allowing the two to look at the group in the training room. "Wouldn't it be easier to get to know them if they knew you were here?" Gearhead's tone was unsure. She didn't go out of her way to learn about other mutants or other people in general, only if they seem interesting or are somehow able to further her own work in one way or another.

"OOhh." She looked at Crystal if she just remembered something, "Mpath. What is that? I picked out of the preliminary scan I did on the way here. I could riffled through your programing to find out but, I think it's safe to say, you're unique. I think it would be safe to say you're sentient, or borderline. So I haven't yet."

Back in her lab TJ had moved over to her desk, dunked an Oreo into a glass of milk and ate it. Gearhead's digital self let out a soft moan, "God I love oreos in milk." She looked at Crystal, a glint in her eye. "You ever had an oreo? Would you want one?"

"Wouldn't it be easier to get to know them if they knew you were here?"

Crystal shook her head. "Not necessarily. I've found that people relax if they think they are unobserved, and let things slip."

She used the word 'people', not distinguishing between mutant and human, because according to her various scans the only difference between the two were changes in their genetics. By that definition, people with cancer or a malformed limb could be classified as mutants as well. It was simply easier to say 'people'.

"OOhh. Mpath. What is that? I picked out of the preliminary scan I did on the way here. I could riffled through your programing to find out but, I think it's safe to say, you're unique. I think it would be safe to say you're sentient, or borderline. So I haven't yet."

Crystal smiled smugly. "Yes, I am unique." It wasn't lack of modesty, just a simple fact. She disregarded the matter of sentience, as there was quite a bit of grey area in that discussion. She did file it away for later dissection, however. "MPath is me. I am a Mutant Power Anaylzing and Training Hologram. As I stated, I was designed to help Rayne understand and train her mutation. However I have.... shall we say, 'branched out', since then?" Her smile widened slightly. "And my intention to further 'branch out', if at all possible. I've been granted personal space in the Lab computers to store my virtual library, and pursue my studies."

"God I love oreos in milk. You ever had an oreo? Would you want one?"

Crystal tilted her head. This fell into that category of 'sentience.' "My programming doesn't allow me to taste or smell. Merely see and hear. I have been experimenting with 'feeling', specifically pain." She paused, then added thoughtfully, "Rayne loves them. She goes through at least two bags just before her period, if not three. She says they are heavenly, until she gets on the weight scale the next day." This confused Crystal, because the extra two pounds were obviously just water-weight gained from drinking a gallon of milk along with the cookies, and faded within another day.

She tilted her head the other way. "What do you look like? Are you really that short?"

Gearhead nodded to Crystal taking her word that it was easier to learn and observe while unnoticed. "That makes sense now," She commented about the MPath word. "You said your intention is to branch out correct, that's where the 'feeling' things comes into play." Gearhead nodded to herself. "How have you experiemted with pain? Wouldn't tasting and smelling be branching out as well?" Gearhead lifted a hopeful eyebrow at Crystal. <To think something like this..no, her, was here and I didn't even know it.> The thought made Gearhead giddy.

Back in the lab, Gearhead began a new project. Wether or not Crystal would ever use the artaficial body Gearhead was now researching and planning was unknown, but it would be fun to do non the less.

Gearhead chuckled a bit when Crystal talked about Iris, her priod and eating bags of oreos. The girl hadn't had to deal with that aspect of being a woman for some time, having already stoped that reproductive action. "Does it really both people to put on a few pounds?" Not interacting with people to a large degree and not going into their personal lives unless it was part of her work, made her seem nieve in certain areas.

"What do you look like? Are you really that short?"

Shaking her head, "Oh no, I'm not short. Well, not really. I don't think so at least." Changing her image to match her true self, "I just find it more...fun...to be the small me in the cyber world."

Crystal made a face. "During one of my first trips here I was considered an intruder, and experienced some major discomfort during my stay. By definition, that qualifies as pain."

"Does it really both people to put on a few pounds?"

She shrugged. "I haven't observed anyone else, but it only seems to bother her once in a while. Other times she complains about being too skinny. I figure she must not serious, since she doesn't change her diet."

"Oh no, I'm not short. Well, not really. I don't think so at least. I just find it more...fun...to be the small me in the cyber world."

Crystal watched curiously. She'd had no trouble setting up her 'library', but she'd never altered her own appearance. Yet within the last few days she'd seen at least four people who did so, for varying reasons.

It was intriguing....

She tilted her head. "I wonder why so many mutants have oddly colored eyes?" she wondered aloud. Then added in a side thought, "I don't understand humans and mutants. Mutants attempt to hide any physical oddities, such as unnaturally colored hair and eyes, while humans wear colored contacts and dye their hair unnatural colors." She shook her head then shrugged.

"Whatever. So, where are you projecting from? Most of the computer lab cameras are blocked for me, and I don't recall seeing anyone like you in any of them. Plus I haven't seen you on the hall security cameras."

She paused, then added, "By the way, you wouldn't happen to know exactly how many refugees were taken in would you?" It was the easiest project on her list of things to learn about, and could be just that much easier if she knew numbers.