xp_logs | Hank, Jono, Wednesday morning

PsiSuck2000, Dr McCoy and Jono converge in the basement to discuss state secrets, baseball and aliens. Okay, not really. Glitter is mentioned though.

Hank ambled down towards the basement room where Jono was usually to be found, the PsiSuck 2000 tucked under one arm. (He'd invented it, he could call it that if he liked) "Jono?" he called, looking around for bobbing lights. "You around? I've brought you a little surprise, which I hope will be a good one!"

It had been a while since the last time someone had talked to Jono. Or that was what he thought anyway, not having really any measure of time. "What is it?" he asked after a while, which might've been a second or a minute or five minutes. "A puppy dog?"

"It's something that I hope will help us to make you better," Hank said cheerfully. "I call it the PsiSuck 2000. I'd already used 'Shiny Light Thingie'."

"Now I know I'm in good hands," Jono replied gravely, though it was a little hard to tell with the lack of face and other body parts. "I'm being given something that sounds like a bad porn plot."

"Well, if it didn't have a funny name, how would you know I build it?" Hank set the machine on the floor. "The idea is, it will drain off some of your psionic energy. Remember how I said you have too much of it, rather than too little? And matter can't contain it anymore? If some of it is drained off, we hope you'll be able to reform your body."

Jono really didn't have much to say to that. Of course he hoped it would help, but was a little more reluctant to voice it. "How does it work then?" He moved a little closer to the pattern representing Hank in the psionic landscape, trying to to find the information he wanted by good old-fashioned mind reading.

Hank dropped his shields, encouraging Jono to pick up surface thoughts. "Well, the scientific complexities aside, it's based off of a part of Cerebro. When you come into contact with it, when it's switched on, it will slowly drain energy from you. Very slowly, at first. And if at any time you want it to stop, just move away again. Once contact is broken, it can't get to you anymore."

It sounded simple enough, and more than that, Hank seemed to have at least a passing trust that the machine would do exactly as he'd explained. "I'll try it of course," Jono said. "Don't have much choice, do I?"

Hank nodded, flipping open the panel shielding the contact point, and looked from Jono to the machine. "Hm. It occurs to me that I have no idea how to get the two of you into proximity, given that you can't see it. Still. Maybe if I turn it on..." He flipped the switch, and the little lights lit and the little whirring thing inside whirred. "Can you percieve it now, at all?"

"No," Jono replied at once. Too hastily because in a moment there was something new forming in front of his 'eyes'. "Wait. I can see... something." It was very faint, and very strange because it had none of the qualities of a living thing, but it still had a psionic representation.

Hank beamed. "Wonderful! Now, if you could move towards it until you come into contact with it?" Ohh, he HATED having to test an invention on a patient, but aside from Charles checking it over briefly, there just wasn't much else they could do.... at least he'd been sure it couldn't pull Jono into itself, or something.

Jono moved, even physically reaching toward the box with tendrils of light. He knew better than to ask how it was supposed to feel, because odds were Hank didn't know. "Yeah, I'm not the fastest person around right now."

"That's all right. Take your time," Hank said, trying to project comforting optimism. This was really the only idea they had. If it didn't work...

Finally, after some frustrating moments, Jono could tell he was right by the machine, wondering if it was working already. "Now I'll just wait and see?"

"Not quite..." He hadn't quite managed to come into contact with the sensor. Hank reached down and turned the machine slightly, bringing the sensor into contact with a tendril of light. It buzzed, whirred again, and....

And then Jono screamed. No voice, but a resonating echo of pain, projected all around. He recoiled from the machine automatically, the light dimming as he fled away from it.

Hank swore, and followed the light. "Jono?" he said softly. "What happened? Did it hurt you? I'm very sorry, if it did...."

Pain was very strange concept for someone in that shape, and Jono really didn't want to experience it again. "No, I just did that for fun," he snapped. "What the fuck happened?"

"I don't know." Hank examined the machine. It had definitely drawn off some energy... but not much. "It looks like it did exactly what it was supposed to do.... but nothing like this has ever been attempted before." He sighed. "I take it you have no desire to try it again?"

Jono mulled over that for a moment. It definitely hadn't been pleasant, not even anywhere near it, but it might still be his only chance to possibly regain a physical shape one day. Wouldn't he be willing to undergo a little torture for that? "Did it work? If it did, I should try again, shouldn't I?"

"It worked a little, but I doubt it's made a significant difference. And this is the lowest setting it has." Hank sighed. "Back to the drawing board, I suppose. Maybe it can be recalibrated or something, but...." He trailed off, looking thoughtfully at the ball of light. "Jono, can I ask you something?"

Well, that was encouraging. "I can't really stop you from asking, can I?" Jono replied.

"Well, no. But listen.... can you still blast things? With your powers? I know you used to be able to." Hank shook his head, and projected his amusement towards the young psi. All that work, and it never occurred to me to ask you if you could vent off your excess power yourself!

The question too Jono by surprise. "I... don't know. I haven't felt like I needed to." Not like before, when he'd had to occassionally do that just to vent a little. "It's a little difficult since I can't see if there's something in the way. I don't want to blow up the, what, fourth room since I came here."

"Maybe you should try." Hank thought about it. "Once the quarry's cleared for visitors again, perhaps someone could take you out there? Paige, perhaps? I know it's upsetting her badly that she can't do anything to help you. " He reached out, touching a tendril of light with a gentle fingertip. "Getting out and doing something constructive... or destructive, in this case... might make you both feel better."

"I'll ask her," he said, thoughtful. He wouldn't mind something destructive at all, and maybe Paige could at least enjoy the light show if nothing else. "Thanks." The touch felt a little odd, as touches go, more of a brush against his mind, but then, that was nearly all he now was.

"That would probably work just as well as my expensive and clearly useless breadbox," Hank said ruefully. "I am such a doofus. But I have an excuse - I had a broken brain for a while. Did anyone mention that to you?"

"No, they seem to have forgotten that detail." Jono was even amused now. "I think they should've told me before subjecting me to your clearly insane inventions."

"I'm all better now," Hank said loftily. "And everyone was delighted to see me. There was much hugging." He grinned. "When YOU get solidified again, you'll probably get hugged all out of shape. There may be kissing, and probably gratuitous glittering as well."

The mention of glitter caused an interesting shuddery reaction in the light. "Wait, I thought you were supposed to make me want to get my body back?"

Hank laughed. "Well, if I were you, having half the Mansion's Beautiful People... which is nearly all of them... jump on me and pull me to their assorted bosoms, would make me very happy."

"At least I have something to aim for." And possibly, even the glittering wouldn't be such a bad fate. There's a lot to be said for being glittery instead of being a glowy ball of energy.

"That's the spirit." Hank smiled. "At least we know what's wrong, now," he said gently. "Our first attempt may not have worked, but we can keep trying. The important thing is that we have a place to start."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to PsiHoover 3000." Jono didn't have the heart - har har - to say he didn't really need inspirational speeches, since people were so fond of giving them. If there was a thing he felt passionate about right now, it was getting himself back.

Hank grinned. "Look forward to time with your lovely blonde ladyfriend,instead," he suggested cheerfully. "That's certainly a good incentive." Even if she was a touch mad at the moment, he thought ruefully. Everyone at the mansion was, now and then.

"She is mad to bother with me," Jono agreed, not having a very clear picture of what were words meant to him and what were thoughts that weren't. "Not going to question my good luck, though."

"Oh, not in that sense.... just a bit mad in general. She's had a stressful few weeks." He smiled. "Blasting a few rocks might do you both some good."

"I'm surprised blasting something isn't a normal part of therapy. Sometimes it helps much more than talking." Then again, Jono was ever so slightly biased about therapy and therapists in general.

"Well, personally I prefer bouncing around like a maniac and smashing things with my mighty fists, but the principle's the same." Hank nodded. "And please don't tell Paige what I thought... it'll just upset her more. When she reaches my advanced age, she'll realize that everyone gets a bit mad now and then." He shook his head and smiled. "I'll come and let you know when it's safe to go out to the quarry, okay?"

"Yeah. I'll be here." Oh, the sarcasm. Jono had never thought people went sometimes mad, but that they sometimes became sane quite suddenly, before lapsing into madness again. A perspective thing, he figured.