selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

“But you are smart!” Carlos insisted. “It’s no small mental feat to keep this place running! You know who’s who and where their strengths are and you know how to command respect and compliance from people, which is something I could never do. And… and I think you’re very good at reading people as well. Heh, I’m, like… pretty bad at that. I didn’t have the social development I probably should have had outside of interacting with the same forty or so people for over three decades, you know?”

“That comes along with livin’ out here for so long, ya learn to read folks and…. honestly, most of us wastelanders are pretty good manipulators, it ain’t exactly a skill I’m proud of, but it’s a necessary one.” He smiled, patting Carlos on the knee. “Anyway, the point is, I’m not offended. We’ve all got our strengths and I know you’ll catch up on the whole reading people part, it just takes a little more time bein’ out here and experiencin’ this shithole firsthand.”

Carlos shrugged slightly. “Maybe,” he said, though his tone suggested he didn’t think he would.

He continued to take apart the machine, putting aside parts that were usable to be cleaned and tossing broken parts into the far corner. “I’m surprised at how many of these parts survived,” he admitted. “The machine probably hadn’t been used for 200 years before we found it.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos smiled at Hancock and shook his head. “No. So, this is interesting – the fan cools this end of the piece,” he pointed to one side with the screwdriver. “So when that is cool, all the heat over here,” – he swirled the point of the screwdriver above the remaining parts like a wand – “tries to go back and warm it up. But then the fan just pushes the heat back out and cools it. It keeps going like that, heat that gets generated over here just flows out like a river just to get pushed out of the terminal.” As he explained he pointed the screwdriver at one end and drew it along to show the flow of motion. “It’s kind of like how wind gets created, actually… or how reactor cooling systems are used.”

“That…… huh. How the hell did they even figure out how to do that? Doesn’t really seem intuitive, y’know? Still actually doesn’t make a whole lotta sense to me how that works, but I believe ya.” Hancock let out a soft chuckle and offered a shrug as he glanced from the terminal back to Carlos. “I didn’t actually know any of that. Heh, must seem pretty stupid to a genius like you, huh?”

Carlos blushed a bit. “Oh, come on, I’m not really a genius… I just had an education.”

He suddenly froze. Shit, that sounded so… so pretentious and horrible!

“I – no, I don’t mean it like that!” Carlos quickly back-pedaled. “I meant – I meant I got an old-world education, and it specialized in mechanics for the wo- the job that my G.O.A.T. exam had placed me in s-so I have a head for this stuff. You… you have a head for resource management, leadership, and charisma. Just, uh… just different strengths is all.” Carlos tired to smile at him awkwardly, hoping that he hadn’t messed up too terribly.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos laughed. “That would be kinda fun,” he admitted. “But to find any intact film reels… I wonder if it’s possible. After we work on the turret system, if you want.” Carlos removed the next casing – one that covered a large bar of metal that led from the board toward the fan. “This part right here – the funny-shaped bit of solid metal – it leads heat from the mainboard over to the fan here so that the fan can drive the heat out of the terminal.”

“Right, after the turret, I almost forgot, heh. We can take a look for some film, maybe if we can get into that library or somethin’ we’ll find some, don’t have to worry about it, just thought it might be fun.” He leaned in then as the conversation shifted back to the task at hand, taking a look at what Carlos was talking about. “Wait, how does that work? I’d think a hunk of metal there would keep the heat in, not lead it out. It’s not like an obstacle for it?”

Carlos smiled at Hancock and shook his head. “No. So, this is interesting – the fan cools this end of the piece,” he pointed to one side with the screwdriver. “So when that is cool, all the heat over here,” – he swirled the point of the screwdriver above the remaining parts like a wand – “tries to go back and warm it up. But then the fan just pushes the heat back out and cools it. It keeps going like that, heat that gets generated over here just flows out like a river just to get pushed out of the terminal.” As he explained he pointed the screwdriver at one end and drew it along to show the flow of motion. “It’s kind of like how wind gets created, actually… or how reactor cooling systems are used.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos looked at him. “I’m guessing you’ve never had the opportunity to see a film, huh?” he asked. “I’ve only seen working cars from the film archives in the Vault. It all looks so flashy and calm – being able to travel great distances in relative leisure, a great big rumbling machine under you… I thought it looked great. You’re not the only one who wonders what it really was like. It seems like it was definitely taken for granted back then, before the war.”

Carlos turned back to carefully unscrew just about anything he saw, dropping screws and small pieces into the bowl one by one.

“Eh, not so much. Don’t really have a working television and I dunno how to watch anything on my terminal, so it’s uh…. it’s pretty much just books for me.” He shrugged, idly picking at a thread sticking out from the knee of his pants as he watched Carlos work. “Maybe sometime you can get somethin’ runnin’ so we can watch some shit, huh? That could be our next project, heh.”

Carlos laughed. “That would be kinda fun,” he admitted. “But to find any intact film reels… I wonder if it’s possible. After we work on the turret system, if you want.” Carlos removed the next casing – one that covered a large bar of metal that led from the board toward the fan. “This part right here – the funny-shaped bit of solid metal – it leads heat from the mainboard over to the fan here so that the fan can drive the heat out of the terminal.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

“This will do great – I can tell which screws go where,”
Carlos told him, giving him a smile. “Thanks!” He started to undo screws on the
piece and dropped them into the bowl.

“About the cars… I get sad because they don’t run. Now they’re just miniature nuclear reactors
waiting to go off because they can’t be properly contained. And without working
parts… they’re of course completely useless.”

“Oh, I gotcha.” He shrugged, not quite getting what the issue was, but he assumed if he was as smart as the other man was, he’d probably feel the same way. As it was, Hancock saw cars more as a means to find quick cover or simply an annoying obstacle to climb over than anything. “I wonder sometimes what it was like back then, everyone drivin’ around in shit like that, but then I see one explode and I don’t mind so much that I don’t get to ride around in one, I’d rather keep all my remaining parts attached, heh.”

Carlos looked at him. “I’m guessing you’ve never had the opportunity to see a film, huh?” he asked. “I’ve only seen working cars from the film archives in the Vault. It all looks so flashy and calm – being able to travel great distances in relative leisure, a great big rumbling machine under you… I thought it looked great. You’re not the only one who wonders what it really was like. It seems like it was definitely taken for granted back then, before the war.”

Carlos turned back to carefully unscrew just about anything he saw, dropping screws and small pieces into the bowl one by one.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos grinned again. “It’s kinda nice,” Carlos said. “I
like seeing all the order and knowing that things are connected in a special
way. I can’t tell you how many cars or machines that I’ve seen that just made
me sad looking at them. I’ve always wanted to ride in a car.”

Carlos took the casing off and set it to the side, upside
down as a make-shift tray for parts. A thought occurred to him. “Oh – can you
get me a bowl for the screws I get out?” he asked Hancock. “I’m sorry; I didn’t
think of it until now.”

“Wait, is the inside of a car messy? Never really looked in one’a them either, never had a reason since they don’t exactly run, y’know? I’ve always wanted to ride in one too, wonder if I ever will.”

At Carlos’ request, Hancock got up and headed over to the cabinet to grab a bowl, carrying it back over and setting it down beside the other man as he took his seat on the floor again. “This work well enough? Don’t need a couple for different sizes? I dunno if that’s a thing, heh.”

“This will do great – I can tell which screws go where,”
Carlos told him, giving him a smile. “Thanks!” He started to undo screws on the
piece and dropped them into the bowl.

“About the cars… I get sad because they don’t run. Now they’re just miniature nuclear reactors
waiting to go off because they can’t be properly contained. And without working
parts… they’re of course completely useless.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos looked at him and he smiled. “Oh, of course,” he
said.

Carlos got his tools and set them aside before he started to
carefully unwrap the terminal that they got from the fabric he’d wrapped it in.
He then took out one of his screwdrivers and started to take off the casing.

Going quiet then, the ghoul just sat close and watched the other man work, a curious look on his face. “Y’know, I don’t think I’ve ever really seen the inside of one’a these things, not like…. whole, anyway. I’ve seen ‘em smashed up before.”

Carlos grinned again. “It’s kinda nice,” Carlos said. “I
like seeing all the order and knowing that things are connected in a special
way. I can’t tell you how many cars or machines that I’ve seen that just made
me sad looking at them. I’ve always wanted to ride in a car.”

Carlos took the casing off and set it to the side, upside
down as a make-shift tray for parts. A thought occurred to him. “Oh – can you
get me a bowl for the screws I get out?” he asked Hancock. “I’m sorry; I didn’t
think of it until now.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

“Oh, yeah – certainly!” Carlos said. “I think I’ll take
apart the terminal that we salvaged first and clean the parts so we have them
ready for when I open up your terminal.” He looked to Hancock with a smile. “I
think I said this before, but don’t be afraid to ask any questions – I’ll
answer whatever you’re wondering!”

“I can help clean some shit if ya show me how.” He offered as he settled down near Carlos to join him, ready to lend a hand where he could. “If there’s uh…. like anything you can tell me about regular cleaning or maintenance or whatever, that’d be good too. Whatever I can do to keep this thing runnin’ pretty well.”

Carlos looked at him and he smiled. “Oh, of course,” he
said.

Carlos got his tools and set them aside before he started to
carefully unwrap the terminal that they got from the fabric he’d wrapped it in.
He then took out one of his screwdrivers and started to take off the casing.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos nodded. “Yeah, sure – absolutely,” he said. “Um – let’s
go get to working on that Terminal – I shouldn’t take too long – a few hours at
most. And I can write up the list afterward.”

“Of course, didn’t mean right this second, heh.” He chuckled softly as he gestured toward the terminal and began making his way over there. Waiting around for a few hours didn’t really sound like much fun to the ghoul, but the prospect of having a better functioning terminal was appealing enough to keep any complaints he may have from coming out. “If you want, feel free to just explain what the hell you’re doin’ as ya go, I’m interested in all of it and I don’t know the first thing about how tech works, just how to use some of it.”

“Oh, yeah – certainly!” Carlos said. “I think I’ll take
apart the terminal that we salvaged first and clean the parts so we have them
ready for when I open up your terminal.” He looked to Hancock with a smile. “I
think I said this before, but don’t be afraid to ask any questions – I’ll
answer whatever you’re wondering!”