Getting Settled Pt 4

Walt dropped Carrie off at her motorcycle. "So this is you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Why?"

Walt grinned. "Nothing. I like your taste. It's a classic!"

She grinned. "I'm glad you think so! Want to go for a ride sometime?"

Walt chuckled. "That thing ain't a two-seater. The other person would literally be sitting-oh!" He got what she was implying. "Why Ms Kelley isn't that illegal, unsafe and possibly immoral? Is this what they call "entrapment"?"

She winked. "Don't forget. I used to be a "vigilante". This is me asking for a second date sometime. Is that a "no", Mr Stark?"

He shook his head. "No, Ms Kelley. That is definitely a "yes"!"

She smiled. "Thank you, Walt... I actually had a really good time!"

Walt leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I did too, Carrie. I don't know where this is going but I hope we can make it work somehow."

She nodded. "It'll complicate things for sure. You're a good man, Walt. But..." she got out of the truck and walked over to Kaneda's bike from Akira and put her helmet on. "I also know trouble when I see it. That Diana you talked to twigged it herself. You're cut from the same cloth as Bruce is. It's part of what makes you attractive if I'm honest. But you ain't cut the same. You're better mentally than he is but..."

"... I've accepted the darker parts of my nature too. Bruce has his goal and code. I got to the end of my goal and I don't hardly have a code. Just my word. I know. Everyday, I look in the mirror and wonder when I'll be the monster."

She took his hand. "And that's what makes you a good guy. Bad guys don't care about that stuff."

Walt nodded. "Hey. I always wanted to ask you "vigilante" types something."

"Yeah, what's that?" She starts the bike.

Walt grins. "Pretty sure about the answer but how yall like working for the PWBI?"

She grins revving the bike. "Honestly?"

He nods. "Honestly."

"It sucks b-", the rest of her reply is drowned out by the motorcycle as she roars away, definitely exceeding the speed limits.

He shook his head watching her go.

"I knew it."

Walt finished up his appointments and made the rounds.

He got an estimate on the award of awfulness and thought about auctioning it off for charity. He couldn't wait to get rid of the thing now.

He stopped to check on the ponies and visted with each of them. He spent extra time with Fluttershy who was having the hardest time out of them but their visit went well. The seven of them even went for a nice walk together.

Detention had a small issue, the slimes were merging. It was pain to do but they rounded the rest all up and changed the parameters for their holding cells onto tiny little individual cubes for each one. It looked like a giant glowing Rubiks cube full of slimes.

Checking in with the Bulma's was interesting... as usual.

"Well? What do you think, Boss?" adult Bulma said.

Walt looked through the scouter at a young adult Bulma and LaForge working on Data's posotronic neurals. "I think I should be concerned... why does he keep saying, "Raspberry" at the end of his sentences? Did you break, Data?"

"Pfft- what? No?" She says.

"Bulma, you're a terrible liar and I don't need Friday to tell me that much." Walt shook his head. "She's connected well with the Scouter mk32, by the way. Now what happened?"

"Well you see," said mature Bulma coming over indicating Data, Geordi and young adult Bulma, "I might have asked to take a little peak inside his head."

"Ok, go on."

"Meanwhile I asked Geordi if I could look at his visor for a moment since I was working on mk32," said adult Bulma.

"And?"

Young adult Bulma stomps her foot. "They're trying to shift the blame on to me again, Boss! If Geordi hadn't been blind and she didn't leave his access panel open. This wouldn't have happened!"

Walt looked at young adult Bulma. "What happened?"

Geordi says, "Actually it's my fault. I knocked over the beverage she was bringing. I'm terribly sorry, Boss. It won't happen again. We've almost fixed the glitch now. Right, Data?"

"Indeed," Data says. "Earlier my speech matrix was causing me to insert random foods at the end of sentances, then it was fruits and vegetables, then fruits, and now just "raspberry". Were making progress, Raspberry."

Everyone blinks.

Data does too. "I take it that it happened again? I meant to say, "Boss". Apologies, Raspberry."

Walt nods. "It's quite alright, Data. As for you..." he looks at young adult Bulma. "What does it say on the door of this one and nearly all of the labs?"

She sighs. "No food or drink in the lab at all times...but it wasn't mine, Boss!"

Walt raises an eyebrow. "Oh really? What did you spill?" He turns to face adult and mature Bulma who found the ceiling very, interesting.

"They made me go get them their alcoholic Original Hetap™️ and chips!" Young adult Bulma stomped her foot again. "Just because they're older they think they can order me around, Boss! We're supposed to be equals, dammit!"

Walt looks at the recycling full of various Hetap™️ and gives the two older incarnations of Bulma a look and shakes his head. "Honestly... what am I going to do with you? Sending your "under the legal drinking age" self on a beer and snack run for you into a "no food or drink" lab? While delicate and sensitive electronics were left with open access ports and unprotected? Then trying to blame your younger self?"

He turned to young adult Bulma. "You're not blameless, you should know better, you're in a little trouble..." he turned to the other two, "...but you two are in heaps of trouble..."

"But aren't you happy with the Scouter mk32, Boss?" Mature Bulma asks.

"We thought you might be and wanted to celebrate a little. Besides it was snack time, Boss!" Said Adult Bulma.

"Oh, I am!" Walt said. "This is nearly everything I asked for! You've done really great work, ladies...but that is that and this is this..."

"Increased funding and supplies. I want 30 mk32's to be made over the weekend. If they hold up to trial they're going into production. All three of you will work to make them through the weekend. Understood?"

It was a big order. But they knew that they could do it. It meant staying in the lab all weekend though. No days off. "Yes, Boss!" All three said.

"You'll still get your exchange credits for time working plus the bonus for good work. Understood?"

Happier more enthusiastic. "Yes, Boss."

He looks at the older two. "Starting monday. You're my personal cleaning ladies at HQ on top of your regular duties for two weeks! I better be able to see my reflection in the goddamn John everytime I go to take a piss! If I don't, I won't be happy. And then you aren't going to be happy. Understood?"

They knew he meant it but it was a light punishment. It could've been much worse. It wasn't going to be easy though. "Yes, Boss!"

"And me, Boss?" Asked Geordi.

"Nothing." Walt says. "Wasn't your snack. Wasn't your lab and I can hardly blame you for being unable to see since you haven't gotten the cybernetic eyes. Infact for helping with the scouter mk32 you and Data are also getting a bonus. That's fine work you two."

"Thank you, Boss!"

"How do you like it Friday?"

(("With it's compact minimized design and improved and enhanced functionality I'm operating through the Mk32 at an estimated base 312% increase over the glasses, Boss. The idea of incorporating hardlight tech into the scouter then shaping it to create something like the glasses is quite brilliant."))

"Thank you Friday." Said Walt "I was rather pleased with the idea when I came up with it myself."

(("Like Penny's "blades" you made for her, you adapted existing technologies and ideas from other worlds to create something different and improved. You might have missed your true calling, Walt."))

"She's right you know." Geordi says. "The reason Bulma wanted my help was I might not need cybernetic eyes. Using the Mk32 I might be able to see without them, Boss. They could help a lot of people."

Walt shook his head. "And if after testing and trial we decide to push out a civilian model, I'm hoping they do... but for now they're untested proprietary 3S tech. Also the idea of anyone with an AI getting their hands on one is dangerous. Granted most people won't even live long enough to have an AI customized and evolved like Friday is now but the potential for cyber crime and **** with a regular AI and one of these things is a bit scary."

Walt sighs. "The idea of a street full of people with a fraction of a percent of her functionality at their fingertips is too much. The average "Prime citizen" is usually too irresponsible as it is. These things may end up on the illegal list, if not the restricted. A lot of stuff does. You'd be surprised how little people think through the consequences of their actions."

"Correct me if I'm wrong." Data said. "But I wasn't aware that the welfare of the world was your responsibility, Lime."

Everyone smirks. They're close, now.

Walt nods. "That's right. Some might chose to see it that way. But I have always been a believer in responsibility. I'm responsible for how the company treats you, since the company owns you... the world's no different. I literally fought to save it, so I'm responsible for it's well being and should do my part to help looking after it... making sure some dumb kid doesn't come along to set it on fire and piss on the ashes just because they can, is important... besides... I don't necessarily trust those who are responsible for looking after it, in the first place. Most are alright but not all. Some of them couldn't slap their own asses with a patented ass slapping machine, as my grandfather used to say."

"I'm not familiar with that one," Data says. "I shall add it to my colorful dialog subroutine Lime."

Walt smirks. "File it under "gross incompetence", Data."

Geordi sighs. "Don't encourage him."

Data nods. "Done."

Everyone blinks and looks hopeful.

"How do you feel, Data?" Young adult Bulma asks.

Data blinks. "Right now all of my systems seem to be Hetap™️."

Walt turned off the Mk32 and covered his face with his hand.

Mature Bulma says, "Maybe he's thirsty?"

"Dominate your thirst with New Hetap: The Energy Drink™, the thirst dominator!" Says Data repeating a commercial.

Walt stands up. "Please get him fixed before we get sued..." He walks out of the lab yelling over his shoulder "... or a licensing deal!"

"Hetap™️ Classic, you know you want one!" Agrees Data.

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Raven Manami Aiba also with Tsuyu Asui Haruhime Sanjouno The Baroness Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress and Serana

Will Return In

Getting Settled Pt 5

Coming Soon]