8035/You Want Me To What

You Want Me To What
Date of Scene:	28 September 2021
Location:	Common Area - Milano
Synopsis:	Vance tries to convince Ava to learn how to 'quantum jump'. The first step, however, is learning to manifest a protective aura, and the way he proposes they do that isn't Ava's first choice -- especially knowing how Finley will react.
Cast of Characters:	Vance Astro, Ava Starr

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Vance Astro has posed:
    Vance misses 31st century hyperdrives. The ability to jump so much farther, so much faster. He's been wiling away the time aboard the Milano until just recently... he had a thought. A memory of an event that hasn't happened yet. Stupid time travel.

    Either way, he seeks out Ava, knocking on the doorframe to the room she is in as he says, "Hey. Has anyone suggested that you figure out how to Quantum Jump?" he asks, "Sort of a super hyperspace type of thing."

Ava Starr has posed:
It's actually the middle of the third watch. Most of the crew is either asleep or quietly occupied. Someone else is at the helm, of course. Ava can't pilot worth a damn. She can drive... but that doesn't help when you're in space. Curled in a corner of the cot in her QEC, which she's draped in a couple of tarps for privacy, she has a small tablet in her hands. She looks up from the screen when Vance disturbs her concentration with his quiet knock.

Her ears rise faintly at his question as his head peeks in. "Noooo..." she says slowly, green eyes faintly curious. "I only just figured out how to fly." She's still working on control. Of pretty much everything. "I take it that's another Quasar trick?"

Vance Astro has posed:
    "There's lots of those. But really, it's a matter of focus and visualization from what I was told. Since the bands operate via a neural connection..." offers Vance with a lopsided grin.

    "But.. The Keeper told me he could use the bands to basically get -anywhere- in a few seconds time. Maybe a minute at the most. That sort of mobility would be why the bearer can protect the entire universe. But it should never be used within a planetary atmosphere. It could deplete the ozone layer if that happens."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava blinks owlishly at Vance as he talks about depleting ozone layers. That certainly makes combat teleporting sound less appealing. But, then, that's not really what he's talking about, she knows. Still -- it's where her head goes. If you can cross the universe in a minute, how much quicker is it to just apparate behind someone?

But, no. It's not to be.

She raises a hand and rubs the back of her neck briefly. The bands have shifted slightly to be a little less onstentatious on her wrists, more likely to blend in with her Ghost suit.

"So," she says presently, "what you're saying is don't practice when I'm on a planet. It's not going to suck the air out of a spaceship, is it?" Her English accent is dry. "'Cause I'm not seeing a viable training ground here."

That she can protect herself in vacuum is also not something she's yet had occasion -- or inclination -- to test.

Vance Astro has posed:
    Laughing softly, Vance shakes his head, "You realize.. the ability to traverse the universe would be useless if you couldn't -survive- it. Right? Your aura... you -can- summon an energy aura, right? It can protect you from vacuum, -and- hold in enough air for you to breathe."

    "You can extend it to others also.. that's how you take a team with you. We should totally try it. In the airlock.. you put up your aura and we -slowly- depressurize."

    And then he holds up his hands defensively, "What I mean by that is super slow... if you feel woozy, we turn it around."

Ava Starr has posed:
Ava is *not* the most trusting person on this ship. Indeed, Vance may be that person, given the personalities of the rest of the crew. Him, or Finley. She levels a starkly evaluating stare on him for several heartbeats. To be fair, he is definitely a Captain America type. That would suggest that he's on the level. And, since she can both render herself intangible, thereby passing through the hull, and has learned how to thrust herself at speeds that far exceed anything she learned on Earth... she slowly comes to the conclusion that she *might* be safe enough trying this.

She considers whether or not she should tell Finley about this. Her friend may become quite upset, if she thinks Ava has taken risks without her there to monitor. But since Finley's currently the one at the helm -- all she has to do is babysit the programmed course to Hala -- it's not like Ava can just call her away to test this.

Slowly, Ava uncurls from her corner. She tosses her tablet down, blanking out the screen, and reaches for an ornate, wire-wrapped crystal pendant sitting on the small crate she's moved into the QEC as a makeshift table and storage unit. Wordlessly, she hangs it around her neck. "Let me go warn Finley what we're going to try," she tells him. "She can monitor us from the cockpit." Because, otherwise, Ava knows full well there'll be hell to pay.

"I'll meet you there."