10191/So, About Those Nanites...

So, About Those Nanites...
Date of Scene:	25 November 2019
Location:	Ship's Operations - Legion Cruiser
Synopsis:	Brainy gets told the bad news about what's behind the misbehaving nanites.
Cast of Characters:	Invisible Kid, Brainiac 5
Tinyplot:	The Panacea Project

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Invisible Kid has posed:
    Lyle's in the lab.
    Of course Lyle's in the lab.  That's where he prefers to be.  Even when he's doing things that don't actually require laboratory access, if possible.  It's just an environment he likes.  And technically speaking, what he's doing right now does not actually require he do it in the lab, but he's doing it there anyway.
    Hunched over a terminal, looking like he's a bit short on sleep, working with intense concentration.  Whatever he's doing, he's serious about it.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    After (presumably?) stabilizing Mon-El, Brainy had something else to look into.  He's just returned to the cruiser, and back to the lab.
    "Lyle," he says.  He walks past him, and begins to check on a minimal-supervision experiment he had running.
    He doesn't seem to pay any mind to Lyle's intense concentration or sleep-deprived state.

Invisible Kid has posed:
    Lyle looks up.  "Wha—oh grife."  He looks genuinely stricken.  "Uh.  We found out what happened with the nanites and you're really not going to like it, Querl."
    While it is generally Lyle's way to sneak up on things, right now is the wrong time for that technique.  "We found Astrix Stellaris' logs.  Turns out he broke into our systems.  I'm already fixing the security hole he got in through, but that's not the worst of it."
    He takes a deep breath.  "I'm sure you're already not liking this, and it gets worse."
    He takes another deep breath.  "The little idiot found the COMPUTO files."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    Brainy pauses.
    "I don't just keep COMPUTO source code lying around, ready to activate, Lyle.  No matter what clever-yet-hurtful things you say about my approach to my work."  He crosses his arms.  "So you need to elaborate."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "That's all the information I have, from Astrix's logs.  This is all on him, not on you.  He went in and did something monumentally stupid, and if we did anything wrong, it was only in assuming that no one in this era would be able to hack our systems."  Lyle pulls up the log files—yes, of course he made copies—and plays back the last one where Astrix explains breaking into the systems and "innocently" poking around and not realizing what he'd come across and how it took over his nanobots.
    "On the down side, Cos says we can't kill him."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    Brainy puts his hand on his chin, and then says, "The first thing C.O.M.P.U.T.O. will do is either take control of or construct an assembler to build itself a new body.  It will likely use Mon-El to do that, then kill him, because the idea of using a meat suit for any significant length of time would be offensive to it.  And if it's going to build a weapon… I need a weapon to fight it."
    "Follow Cosmic Boy's lead for the time being, I have to go," Brainy says.

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "Doesn't it already kind of have a body, in the form of the nanite swarm?  Or will it want something more… tangible?"  Also, color Lyle surprised that Brainy's taking this so phlegmatically.  There's more than a little history with COMPUTO, and all of it sucks.
    And if Brainy looks like he's leaving, Lyle is definitely following.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    Brainy pauses.  "It's vain.  It will construct a body that suits its innate sense of grandeur and self-importanace.  Lyle?  Stay.  You're needed here."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "The systems are secured," Lyle asserts.  "And you're not going off alone.  Okay, I will admit, I'm best suited to protect our computer systems if you're not here.  But sprocking take someone with you, even if it's not me.  Please."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    Brainy glances back at Lyle, and raises his eyebrows.  "Taking someone with me where I'm going would put them in far more danger than I will be if I go alone, Lyle.  Everything will be fine, you just have to trust me."  He turns, and walks out of the lab.

Invisible Kid has posed:
    Well, that's the wrong way to get Lyle to stay in the lab.  He runs after.  "Oh, for… since when does anything we do not put us in danger?  Take Drake or Alex, at least—COMPUTO won't be familiar with them and their powers.  Could be the hesitation you need."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    "I need a weapon capable of fighting C.O.M.P.U.T.O. and a rogue Daxamite.  A weapon with sophisticated security systems that will favor me and prevent the AI from seizing control of it from me," Brainy says, before he pauses.  "Do the math."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "I did do the math.  I know how absorbed you can get in a problem.  At least have someone to watch your back while you're working!" Lyle protests.  "I will even admit that it shouldn't be me because I know how absorbed I get in a problem.  Just don't go alone.  If not for your sake, then for my peace of mind.  I'll be able to focus better on this end."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    "You are the most astonishing hypocrite," Brainy says.  "If it was you absolutely nothing would stop you from haring off on your own and leaving everyone to worry themselves sick wondering what you were doing and if you were safe.  You have to trust me, because our manpower is low and C.O.M.P.U.T.O. can put us on the ropes when we have a full roster.  Good-bye, Lyle."  He turns to walk off again.

Invisible Kid has posed:
    Lyle makes a kind of strangulated noise, grabs Brainy by the shoulder, turns him around… and kisses him almost desperately.  "I know you won't do anything stupid.  Just don't do anything crazy.  If you're not back in a reasonable time, I will come after you, and like you said we're already short-handed.  Now get out of here before I change my mind and follow you anyway."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    Brainy returns the kiss, and then he puts his hands on Lyle's shoulders.  "We have to talk about our relationship when this is over, Lyle.  Because I don't have words for how much I care, but at the same time…."  He shakes his head.  "We'll talk about it when I get back."  He turns, and squares his shoulders, before he walks out.