Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

Visiting the Senate had been interesting; Homecoming had been without much incident. That made Monday even quieter than usual, as Ender tinkered, tested, and went through emails at an alarming rate.

More research. More work. It kept his mind busy, and Stark's calm, with only the light of the holographic display to make anything stand out.

[[ open ]]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Ben came in at the usual time with the usual cups of coffee and the usual greeting.

"Ho, Ender."

[endsthegame]

And in his usual way, Ender answered, "Ho, Ben," with an added, "So now you've seen Other Luke."

[momslilassassin]

"He's a dork, too," Ben said with a grin. "I'd almost forgotten that."

[endsthegame]

"I'm wondering if that's just a Skywalker character trait."

[momslilassassin]

"Hey," Ben said, looking Very Affronted. "I'm not a dork."

[endsthegame]

"Dork Jr," Ender said, thoughtfully. "That works."

[momslilassassin]

Ben, maturely, stuck his tongue out. "What are you working on today?" he asked in a oh-so-subtle change of subject.

[endsthegame]

"Just the usual," said Ender, about three hours later, when the mun realised this comment had gone unanswered. "Stark's arc reactor. Some of the old research stuff from back home."

[momslilassassin]

"Which old research?" Ben asked casually.

[endsthegame]

"Don't insult me by pretending you don't know," Ender said, wryly. "I'm not hiding anything."

[momslilassassin]

Ben shrugged a shoulder. "Just checking," he said. "Making any progress on either?"

[endsthegame]

"A little," he confessed, "But not much. The colony is mostly preoccupied with its own problems - which is only to be expected. As for the arc reactor, it's going to take a lot of time to make it smaller."

[momslilassassin]

"Or a big hammer, but then it'd just be broken," Ben said with a quick grin. "Does the colony have a name yet?"

[endsthegame]

"Working on it," Ender promised, with a twitch of his mouth. "I don't suppose you have any expertise on tiny energy reactors."

[momslilassassin]

"Depends how tiny," Ben said. "Dad's prosthetic has its own energy source."

[endsthegame]

Ender raised an eyebrow. "How much does it power?"

[momslilassassin]

"Enough to make his hand react just like a real one," Ben replied, "and to short-circuit a door to get it to open."

[endsthegame]

"Stark's generator has been keeping his heart running for quite some time," Ender observed, "As a magnet for shrapnel. And that's only a fraction of its output."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded thoughtfully. "Are there schematics?"

[endsthegame]

"A couple," he said, calling them up on his laptop. "Mind brainsharing?" Metaphorically.

[momslilassassin]

"Mind giving me half your paycheck?" Ben teased, already peering over Ender's shoulder.

[endsthegame]

"And here I thought you liked sharing the dumb ideas in your brain," Ender sighed.

[momslilassassin]

"I can also be bought off with ice cream," Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"It's a miracle you don't have a spare tire yet."

[momslilassassin]

"It's because I also run five miles a day, kreetle," Ben said, reaching out to poke Ender companionably.

[endsthegame]

Ender poked him back. Lightly. In the stomach. "More and more every day."

[momslilassassin]

"It's almost the end of ice cream season, anyway," Ben said, letting out a little grunt when Ender poked him. "Then it's hot chocolate and whipped cream time."

Yes, Ben had a schedule.