15697/A twist of Fate

A twist of Fate
Date of Scene:	09 October 2023
Location:	Club Lux, Melville
Synopsis:	Aftermath of Fate discussed, a bit of progress and a bit of straightening of ideas. Nick now has a permanent room in Hotel Lux, too.
Cast of Characters:	Sinister, Lucifer, Phantasm (Drago)

---

Sinister has posed:
Mondays in Lux are quiet. Sometimes, they're even a closed night, when inventory is being done and government mandated deep cleans. Not that Lux has cockroaches or rats, but you have to appease the Health officers.

Such it is tonight, but open house and open bar to polish off dregs that aren't actually sellable. This after all, is not Tijuana, but there's a lot of bottles with half a shot left and such, that beg to get someone plastered, by doing insane cocktails with a lot of leftovers.

Maybe someone will get creative?

Sin is in one of the larger booths upstairs, his arms folded on the table infront of him, chin on hands, staring at a disassembled portable EEG. Which means very little to anyone, but it's about the size of a portable sub-woofer speaker and plugs into a power source or its own battery pack. And it's rather unrecognizable. The tiny superconductors that go into almost all motherboards are floating in a cloud of metallic gnats around his head and the skull cradle for the machine is rotating quietly in space infront of him.

"I'm not going to be able to get anything out of you if you don't tell me why you're not working, you know. You SHOULD. But you're not."

Lucifer has posed:
Deep cleans and emptying dregs means that Lucifer is currently behind the bar just a little ways from the big booth that Sinister is in. Of course, he's doing something that could be dangerous for most mortals, but for someone like himself and Nathaniel who can burn off liquor like it doesn't exist... maybe this will work out fine.

None the less, he soon exits the bar holding two hurricane glasses filled to nearly the brim and sets them carefully down on the table -next- to where Nathaniel is holding all his techy stuff.

"Did you try plugging it all in and then doing a hard reset? Or perhaps this is one of those rare instances where the positive and negative sides are backwards? Though, maybe you need a different source of conduction. I don't think modern technological processes are going to work when you're dealing with something literally non-worldly..." He smirks. "Try a drink?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Be it by text or phone call, Nick has ended up securing an invite to help with the ever so important practice of 'Waste not, Want not.' The arrival isn't as quick as the others, partly due to him living in another city. The other part of the reason would be that like the previous evening, he has taken an alternative route to get here.

The alternative route was bit distracting. But in a good way. Non nightmare beach dreams tend to have a bit of a Hollywoodized filter to them so there really wasn't any rush to get through all that quickly.

But he's now arrived, entering in the club with a bit of an amused smile upon his lips. The musician is not as smartly dressed as the night before, but he was somewhat considerate with the choice of attire. Not high end, but it's no a No shoes no shirt no service type of situation either.

Sinister has posed:
"It could be. But something... augh. You know I'm distracted when I can't do basic mechanical engineering - not seeing the wood for the trees," Sinister sags back, lets the components just float in their array of disassembly and glances down toward the doors. "Incoming Drago," just offered, he looks at the glass filled so very full of poison. "Did you... just put everything together to see what would happen? Or is this a Imbibum delecto par Lucificum?"

Regardless, he leans in to sip the brim, wondering if this is alcoholic life-saver flavour or diabolical in the wrong way.

"By the by, are you any more enlightened as to what the heck last night was really about, or is it just me being uncomfortably lost in Fate?"

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer shrugs. "Even us higher and lower supernatural beings cannot be outside the whims of Fate. Likely irked brain spaces since - opposite to Father's teachings - Free Will does not actually exist. Choices depict outcome, actions have consequences. There's the threads of what happens should you not have called Uriel, or if Uriel didn't answer... or if the battery didn't work... or... millions of other what if conundrums. At the end of it all, we are on this path. For now. Seeking what outcomes we have ahead of us depending on what we choose. Which toys with Fate. And makes it unhappy."

He waits for Nathaniel to take a sip. "It's a few of the bottom top shelf liquors, some of the last bottles of syrups and topped off with soda. It's a Devil's Iced Tea." He offers that, about the drink, and then smirks.

"Maybe you should set it aside for a day. Sometimes when you step away, clear your mind, it comes to you. As an epiphany." Or. "...I could also try and tinker with it..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
It takes but a few moments before Nick locates the angel and the doctor. Destination in mind he makes his way over the bar. (Such a shock there) A hand lifts to wave to the pair. "Good evening." The cheerful crooner greets. The smile is likely most prevalent on his expression but as he gets closer, he does appear to have a slightly tired look to his eyes.

pale eyes glance to the non-drinkable item before Sinister and then glances to the doctor's expression "...Having your equivalent of writer's block?" He wonders aloud.

Sinister has posed:
"Yep," Sin replies that to Nick, sipping again on the 'devil's ice tea'. It's an interesting... mishmash of things that shouldn't logically be compatible. Mix it all together and it does taste a bit like an alcoholic life-saver. It's the syrups that do it. "This is just an EEG and it's broken and .... yeah, I think I should just abandon this for the time being, I can't focus."

He considers what was said though, by the devil. "Go ahead if you like. I'm probably just missing one busted wire somewhere, maybe one blown superconductor. They =are= tiny."

But he's also going to consider the rest of that speech. "As I noted to Nick here, I don't happen to ascribe much to Destiny or Fate. I believe we make the former and decide the latter. Though, I've come to realize that just because you don't believe in -it- doesn't mean it doesn't believe in you and can sometimes pack a wallop. I just... feel still like I got scolded. Which is madness, considering all the other things I've ever done that were totally ignored."

Lucifer has posed:
"They do say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it doesn't exist... but the latter is also true. It's all about checks and balances. Which is annoying at best... confusing at worst. In my opinion anyway..." Lucifer offers this before looking over to Nick.

"Evening Nick. Hope it finds you well. Care to try a new drink called Devil's Iced Tea?" Motioning to the other hurricane glass he's brought over which he hasn't touched yet so if Nick wants it, he's free to have it.

"Also, we did get scolded. But I think I got the brunt of it unless I'm missing something. Anyway. I can look at your contraption, you take a break from it, and... I don't know... tomorrow you should go do something that makes you happy. YOU. Yourself and only thus."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick nods to the confirmation and the general idea of leaving it alone for a bit. "Good idea." He responds, "And you're probably right, it being something simple. But, stare at something for too long and you get blind to the obvious. But take a walk and the answer might just pop into your head as you're doing something else entirely."

As Lucifer motions towards the drink, the musician gives an assessing eye to it. "...track record of previous evenings like this aside. The choice in name is hinting I should probably secure a place to crash before any of that even passes my lips." The amused smile's still in place as he says that.

Nick glances back over to Sinister. "...I wouldn't let what he said bother you." He allows, "Strange gets like that too at times." Even before he made the school, Strange had those moments. Thoughts of coming in to find Strange just floating crosslegged style over a coffee table in Wade's condo comes to mind. He still doesn't know where the coffee table came from. He's just certain they didn't have it prior to that night. "It's in their nature. It's also probably like a jurisdictional issue of sorts as well." Oh man do enforcement groups hate it when other groups go into their territory.

Sinister has posed:
Sinister scoots aside a bit, so that Luci can approach the disassembly with ease. It's a little like a jigsaw puzzle, but with no picture and one piece squiffy. Maybe all you have to do is turn the piece around a few times, to make it fit?

He also points at the far end of the VIP section, where the hotel reception is. "We've got a couple of spare rooms going on at the moment, it's quiet at the beginning of October. It only gets busy at the end, when people come for the Spooky DJ and the bloody feast." And the gesture then goes to the 'iced tea' "...so no excuse! Actually it's not bad. Sort of burn-the-throat candy flavoured. Grenadine, for the win."

Perspective put the way it has been makes him grunt softly, then chuckle. "I suppose all of that is accurate. Sometimes, the truth doesn't hurt so much as annoy the begeeze out of you for its logical follow-through. Still..." here he side-eyes Luci. "...it was the helmet head that showed up at the Hellfire club, all uninvited. Not Doctor Nelson and there were ... words. Subtle sort of not-so-subtle promises of come-uppance and consequence and it was by its nature... vague and unhelpful."

Lucifer has posed:
"Also. There's always a room for you. Even if the hotel is filled up - which it really rarely is - you can always come crash up at the penthouse. And there is nothing more in that glass than top shelf liquors. No weird or unknown things. I promise." Lucifer says this towards Nick and then looks to the contraption on the table.

He picks it up, turns it over, pokes it here and there. Then he frowns and does it all over again. He pulls a piece up to peek under it and then goes to push it back in but fumbles with it for a moment. There may be a 'snap'ng sound. Lucifer blinks and then pulls the piece out again. It's still in tact, the snap was likely it just going back into place...but Lucifer still can't seem to figure it out in all the times he turns it over and under. Just not inside out.

"...I might need to go get a magnifying glass..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"So... kind of Sphinx like in the way he speaks?" Nick queries, glancing over to the hotel reception desk and nods. "Alright, I'm going to take care of that first, so I don't have to think about it later." When thinking is honestly going to be even more impaired than it is now.

The musician idly glances over, watching Lucifer fiddling with the part in hand. A brow lifts as he looks to the piece and then to the contraption. "...What about here?" He asks, pointing over to one section.

Right. The room. "I'll be right back."

With a turn Nick heads over to the desk. The penthouse may be nice but, if he can give the pair their privacy, that's probably a win for all three of them.

Sinister has posed:
"Like the Sphinx? Yes, I suppose so. I've encountered /a/ sphinx. It attempted to eat me, as they're prone to doing. Tangent, Nathaniel, tangent..." but the fiddling, trusted at first and then there's that snap, draws his gaze sharply to the device. "Maybe I'll get a mani-pedi tomorrow," with his gaze staring at the source of the snap "...come back all buttery soft and squishable." ... "That came out wrong."

Well, there's not much of a distance to travel to go get your room card. It's within earshot on a day when the club's shut and the music isn't interfering with the accoustics.

Lucifer has posed:
At the front desk, the woman working behind the counter gives Nick a red-lipstick'd smile. "Oh heya Nick, how's your night goin'?" All Queens meets Brooklyn in her accent as she punches a few things in on the computer. "Course, I'm guessin' ya didn't come ova here just to say hi to little 'ol me didja? Well, I got yer room key all ready for ya. Mistah Mornin'Stah also wants to extend his personal thanks for everything you've done for them and this card will work for that room whenever you need it. Consider it yer home away from home, okay cutie?"

While all that goes on, Lucifer smiles, and then wonders just how Nick is going to react to such news. "I didn't break it... if that's what you were worried about. I felt those eyes..." He offers and then turns to look where Nick had motioned. "Oh... maybe... here..." He has to find tweezers - course Nathaniel can turn his fingers into such - but somehow Lucifer has a pair and connects a tiny little adapter into another little bit. "I think that might do it..."

He then looks up and over to Nathaniel and smiles. "Have a whole entire spa day. The works. You do like being pampered..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick smiles to the woman, "Evening's going great." He answers, starting to reach into his pocket. "Hope yours is doing well too." As he fishes the ID out for the usual room check in procedure, the woman's explanation causes for him to pause.

Blink.

Blink.

"...What?"

Sinister has posed:
Friend-slash-uncle owns a hotel, casino, bar and nightclub and lives above it.

Prone to extravagant gestures, too, we'll note. And if you can't spoil a distant nephew, what is the world coming to?

Sin smiles at the reaction overheard. His hearing's pretty good when he wants it to be, after all.

But the proof of the pudding for the EEG is in the switching it on, disassembled mostly as it is, there'll still be a current flow after -- click, click, clicky, pop, click, clack! All those other tiny components all whizz to their respective spots as Sin flips the switch.

LIGHTS! There are lights! "Well, I'll be jiggered."

Lucifer has posed:
"We have Nick to thank for this...I wasn't as much help as I thought I would be..." Lucifer says this much, and is likely 'ignoring' the goings on at the front desk of the hotel portion of the club.

He really is a Master of Trades when it comes down to it.

"So now that this is all working... how... does it actually work?" This much more as he reaches for Nathaniel's Devil's Iced Tea and takes a sip, makes a face, then sips again. "...Needs a little tweaking..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
After essentially getting the room thing explained again, Nick turns his head to look over to Lucifer who is conveniently ignoring the going ons.

He can't help himself, can he?

Feeling the room card being set into his hand, Nick turns to look to it and then to the woman working the desk looking at him expectantly.

"This is a bit of a surprise."

Although considering the bar stuff, should he be?

"...Thank you."

Card fully accepted, the woman turns back to her other duties while Nick puts the room key up along with his ID.

Well. He glances back over to Lucifer. He seems to enjoy doing stuff like this. So- as long as he doesn't go overboard, it should be fine.

Right?

Nick makes his way back over to the table, looking over to Lucifer, "...Thank you."

A glance shifts over to the device. "Oh it lit up? Nice."

Well, assuming lights are a good thing.

Sinister has posed:
"Ninety percent talent, ten percent blind luck," Sinister says with a chuckle. "...And it's a bit 'I'm about to die of a diabetic overload' sweet. It just needs something sour in the mix. Alright..."

Taking up the cradle with its array of sensors, Sin turns it about so the inside can easily be seen. "This is a skull cap. All the machine does is transfer electromagnetic signals to the sensor and configure it from raw sensory data, to an image that can be seen on a monitor, turning thoughts into colour that's marked on a screen. But I'm going to see if adding an extra formulation can turn those EEG images on a screen into a translatable image on a holoimager that can be interacted with. I'm going to attempt to decode thoughts and turn them visible -mechanically- rather than telepathically. If I can get that to work... I can do the same with images perceived by a user into a shareable, watchable interaction."

The explanation given, Sin looks up at Nick and winks as the man returns. "Luck of the Irish."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer glances to Nick and waves a hand dismissively. "You're family. You were considered such even before it was proven that we are - actually - somewhat related. Even if distantly." He offers and then smiles. "You're welcome."

As Nathaniel explains how the device is intended to work there's a slight tilt of his head given. "Well that...certainly is something...and in so doing this... we can depict... something about what we need to do in order to avoid imminent disaster? How does reading thoughts mechanically achieve this?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"And it looks like this time it's not the bad variety." Nick tags in on top of Sinister's Irish comment. He takes a few moments to look to the setup being shown by the doctor. He listens to the explanation and nods. "...So like sketch projection only less magic and more...tech."

Ugh. That comment sounded smarter when it wasn't actually said out loud.

As Lucifer explains why he did, Nick nods. "I do appreciate the sentiment. And I will be sure not to let the room go to waste."

That stated, he takes the hurricane glass that was previously indicated to him now the matter of not dream traveling home drunk is handled.

Nick considers the question Lucifer asks, tilting his head in thought. "...I'm assuming it's more multiple parts broken down to more managable things. This is what handles the input and output...and I'm guessing there's probably some type of ...buffer between it and the thing that's going to use the feather."

Or he could be very very very VERY wrong.

Nick sips his drink, pausing to look to the concoction. "...It really does taste like tea."

Oh this is DANGEROUS.

Sinister has posed:
"Sweet tea, but yes."

Sin ponders the inquiry then, chewing on his inside cheek. "Well, in this particular instance, it's a matter of energy conversion. Electromagnetic is going to be translated into photonic. Then it's a transformation of photonic into photonic-tactile. Holo-imaging is a kind of seven point triangulation of a set of images that are just fractionally off from one another, so that the brain is tricked into seeing the third dimension. Add a measure of force generation and you have tactile three-dimensional representation."

ANd realizing that this doesn't really explain much, he adds.

"Sometimes, creating something wholely new is required. That takes more time. SOmetimes, you can coopt technology that already exists, to a different purpose, rather than trying to re=invent the wheel. I'll also be using a genetic sampler repository to fine tune who the device is focusing on -- so that we only read one timeline at a time."

Lucifer has posed:
"Can I ask an entirely assanine question?" Lucifer begins and then, because he is who he is, he simply continues. "Why did we go about the busy-ness of making this contraption. Why didn't we ask Doctor Strange?" It's not like there would have been any harm in that. Aside from..potentially pissing off the already psychotic doctor.

"Course, I'm only half understanding what you're saying but if I am understanding anything correctly... this will let us, eventually, peek into each time line until we find the best possible outcome? Which... could take a while... but still worth it?"

His gaze does turn to Nick and he smirks. "Is it good? I could go tweak the recipe now if you want..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick nods to Lucifer's question. "It is good. Although, I can easily see someone downing these not realizing how much alcohol they're taking in."

Well, until they try standing up.

Another sip is taken. Nick is consciously slowing himself down. He wasn't lying, the drink is good.

But there's something bothering him. Not the drink but-

"What type of genetic sample?"

Sinister has posed:
"Spit would do it," Sinister replies to the question posed by Nick. "Sweat, too. So a finger print scanner would pick up traces." Human beings do shed their DNA so easily.

"Not a dumb question, more a matter of monopolizing intent. Sure, we could have asked Strange. One time. Two times. Maybe a couple more. If we have to do that a thousand times, he's got a lot more important things to do than take us through endless timelines." Sin looks to Lucifer and shrugs shoulders. See? Logic. "And he kind of already helped us. There's chronomantic energy in the the Improbability drive, because of what he did. Also negative plane energy, which might be helpful."

Lucifer has posed:
"I forget how those two words correlate. I didn't mean assinine as in dumb, I meant some sort of synonymn for rude." Lucifer offers and then tilts his head one way and then the other. "But by genetic samples, do you mean someone who is supposedly going to survive to the end of the event? Or can it be any so long as it's genetically...uhm...viable? Compatible? Insert other useful and correct scientific term here?"

A scantily clad waitress with an hour glass figure in the way that she's the live action version of Jessica Rabbit comes by the booth. She delivers a whiskey to Lucifer, a glass of water to Nick and a plate of onion rings to Nathaniel. "Don't give me any look either. You haven't eaten and while /I/ can survive without food, your metaphysical body cannot...especially when you've been ignoring it for days."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick looks to the additional drink set down next to the Hurricane glass. "Thank you." He says with a smile to the server. That'll definitely help for later. A glance is given to the server as she leaves before he looks back over to Lucifer and Sinister.

So. One timeline. Specific to that person. Just looking forward right?" He pauses, "How would you be able to consider multiple scenarios? Plant a suggestion in their head and hope they follow through on that suggestion long enough to generate an outcome? How would we know if what we're seeing is not the end result of all the probable outcomes considered?"

Sinister has posed:
The plate of onion rings is given due consideration for what it is: Sustenance. And compulsory sustenance at that. With a mock look of affront, one is taken up, dipped lightly in ranch and munched on. "No. I mean by sample, that the person using the machine has to tell it that it's them using the machine. Elsewise, you -saw- what happened when the drive was untethered to a specific, it started showing all possibilities and probabilities, without focus. We have to be able to tell the machine /which/ individual or individuals it's supposed to read. Genes are the easiest scientific identity card, honestly. Plus I don't know how to accurately program for an energy signature recognition, without there being variables."

Munch, munch. He reaches for his own drink and takes a healthy swig.

"In theory, one person, one timeline, one specific thought, if that's remotely possible, but may not be. EEG tech should at least help with that, a little. I have to get a moderately workable prototype up, before I can iron out the kinks. Otherwise, all of this is conjecture and theoretical."

Lucifer has posed:
"Ah. Gotcha. So you could encode it with a few genetic samples, and then it will recognize who is using it and show them..something from the viable future..." Lucifer thinks he's getting it. Slowly. "Well... I do hope this all pans out... cause we're putting a lot of trust into something we're not even sure will work just yet."

There's a pause and then, "Which I truly hope you don't take as a slight. I trust in you and your work. But until theory is proven it's still just a theory.." He reaches over and steals an onion ring for himself then.

"Hungry Nick?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"That's how a lot of things progress. Someone trying something and hoping it works out." Nick ends up stealing an onion ring as well. He grins at Sinister in a blatant admission of his crime before looking back. "Ok. So, if we use Wade's DNA, it'd keep to viable future for our Wade and not the one that you had the conversation with a little bit ago?"

Lucifer's question gets answered with a bit of a nod. "Maybe a little." He admits, before biting into the ring.

Sinister has posed:
"Essentially. Yes." Sinister nods, taking another ring. "I'll be inputting those I've already got, but it'll have the capacity to take fresh samples to measure, also. You never know who might be important in this. But inaction is unacceptable." He doesn't seem to mind that this act of consumption is a communal one. That is after all, a form of love.

"Luckily, in this instance, a lot of what I'm doing has been proven to work, individually. Many of the kinks have been worked out, but it'll be a matter of a lot of fine tuning." Pause, beat "By the by I really /don't/ need to eat. I just enjoy it these days. It's not just a necessary chore. Plus, I get maximum benefit out of it when I do."

Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer gives a nod. "Well. Hopefully you can get it to a point where we know it works. And you're right. Inaction isn't acceptable. So I'm glad we're doing this. It might be our only chance.." He says this much and then leans back some. "Though I think you've had enough electronical fun tonight. Why don't you put your contraption all back together and we can head upstairs for a bit of relaxing?"

He then looks to Nick. "You should have a little fun tonight too...though...that's not on the house." He winks then before letting out a chuckle.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
To the prompt to find something else to do, Nick looks to the half finished beverage. The crunch of the onion ring serenading him as he considers the possibilities. No crowd. Nothing but family, friends, staff and...

A certain piano comes into mind. No excessive travel necessary. Nick swallows his bite of food. "I'm sure I'll find something to do..."

Sinister has posed:
With a telekinetic dance, the pieces of the EEG fly to their respective spots, all clicking and screwing and clonking into place without the scientist so much as giving it a second thought. He knows how to assemble and disassemble these things in his sleep. It floats up behind. "No offense Nick, but do enjoy yourself." Why would that be offense? Because he's got eyes only on one thing. Sinister smiles, takes the drink down the hatch with one shot and follows at a sedate but purposeful pace, to the elevator. One thing on the mind tonight and it will be good.