[network] @captsteverogers; It's not exactly Best Buy [open] - Day 153

[bottledblond]

[Though he's learned to make personal calls, there's just something exciting about actually finding something he thinks is useful and Steve dives right into the network. Tony had mentioned needed electronics and, well, Steve thinks he's found some. There's one machine here that looks like it still has power. Someone ought to tell him that this is not exactly news.]

Tony, is something like this what you were looking for?

[Steve holds the tablet towards a machine that dispenses SD cards. He's not sure what they are or what it does, but he's gotten himself a black one and tries to show it off as well. He just wants to be helpful.]

It's at Mallard River Market.

Comments

@jwatson; voice

[jumpthegun]

Hullo, Steve! I've seen that machine before. Were you and Mr. Stark looking for SD cards for a particular reason?

[bottledblond]

Is that what these are? I don't know. Tony mentioned needing electronics. It's not really my area.

[jumpthegun]

'Fraid those probably won't do too much for him, but they're good to hang onto. You can put programs on them, then transfer those programs to other people. That machine in there actually has power, so that's likely the most interesting thing, yeah? Not many places with power.

Just be careful you don't stay too long at the shop.

[bottledblond]

So the last me here warned. [That fact bothers him a little less now.] I don't want to be stuck outside. It's bad enough in a house at night. I don't want to see how cold it is without a roof over my head!

What kind of programs can people put on these? I thought the tablets were impossible to use for anything other than what they were intended.

[Either someone is smarter than Tony Stark here or maybe Tony was lying about what he could do?]

[jumpthegun]

You should probably find someone to travel with, sir - Steve. Even just one other person can make it a lot easier to deal with any anomalies that turn up or at least huddle with overnight for the warmth.

As for the types of programs, we've found a few scattered around Norfinbury. [And there's one John would like for Steve to have, but he can't exactly just advertise it openly.]

I've heard about a mapping app, and a few people have programs that let them hack or decrypt things.

[bottledblond]

[He should have stayed with Zach and Steph. Even if he was crashing their... Whatever it was.]

I know I should. It seems basic. But the smaller the group, the less chance of everyone being in danger right?

[Trying to get to Clint, Tony and Natasha is probably a bad idea]

A mapping app...? That sounds incredible useful. I've been following the map House made available and the other Captain left some really nice maps on the walls of most of the houses here. I just found some markers too so I was going to fill in the rest as I go.

Tomorrow.

I need to find a house without holes in the roof tonight.

Doctor Watson? Does Tony know about the hacking software? That sounds like his game.

[jumpthegun]

We seem to be okay in groups up to four. At least for the mo. But even small groups can be attacked. Keep on your guard, yeah?

And Dr. House's map is probably the most complete one we've got on hand at the mo.

As for the hacking software, I'm not sure. Might be a good idea to let him know about it, though. I know Quark and Jim have two of the programs. They're the reason we have the Data App on our tablets, apparently.

[bottledblond]

[Steve has gotten pretty decent with technology since he was pulled from the ice but that doesn't mean he understands half of that. He tells Watson that he'll let Tony know though.]

I've seen some of the research about group numbers and moving around a lot. I heard uh... The last Captain met with an anomaly.

I'm not sure I like what I can't fight, Doctor.

[jumpthegun]

He did, I'm afraid. He died protecting Ms. Peggy Carter, though. And I very much doubt he went down without a hell of a fight. [Which... may be at once unsettling and comforting. John's not really sure how he'd feel hearing things about a double. He moves on from that quickly.]

We're working out ways on how to deal with them, though. I managed to escape from one with Beckett and Haurchefant's help. I'm not sure anyone else has. It snagged my leg, but the rubble from the houses around here can actually hit them. They threw all of that down on top of it and dragged me up into shelter. Not my proudest moment, but it worked.

[bottledblond]

And it proved a good lesson.

[He shouldn't have brought up the other Steve. He wasn't sure how to feel about Peggy being here and being with him... Her destiny had been with another man. She moved on. She had a family. And he was with her towards the end of her life too. He was there at her funeral. He carried her to rest. And that was how he wanted to remember her. His best gal. The rest? The rest is painful. He has other things to focus on now. Like, oh, this cough. The one that completely interrupts his train of thought. And poor Watson's story too. It's thick. And wet. It's heavy in his lungs.]

Sorry to bother you about this... Do you know if there's a place I might be able to look for an inhaler? Just in case.

[jumpthegun]

I'll see if I can request one for you. Otherwise, you'll want the pharmacy and hospital in the ice tunnels. Haven't ever seen one in either building, but they're where we've located most of the medical supplies we have, as far as I'm aware.

That cough, though. How long have you had it?

[bottledblond]

[Ice tunnels? There was a hospital inside of some tunnels made of ice? Or through ice? Steve needs to sit down with the map tonight once he's settled.]

Three days. Maybe the outset of four. I'm not sure if it's getting worse or not. I use to get like this whenever it got too cold as a kid.

[jumpthegun]

[Yes. Before the serum. John's just going to avoid mentioning that. Right.]

It might be MN poisoning, in all honesty. For the people who've got the sickness end of it, seems to manifest as a sort of cold, then get progressively worse over the course of about a month. I can definitely prescribe you some cough syrup. That should help a little, at least. Do you have any medication allergies that you know of?

[bottledblond]

Worse? How much worse?

I don't think I had any allergies... It's been awhile since I've taken medicine either.

[He's not helpful, John, and he's sorry. Having an immune system that doesn't seem to want to work any more isn't something he's unused to, but it's been a long time since he's worried about it. ]

[jumpthegun]

[He doesn't want to scare Steve, but this is just the way it is.]

Pneumonia-like symptoms plus coughing up blood. I'm sorry, sir. The medications seem to get less effective as time moves on, but no one's actually died from it at present, just been left miserable.

[bottledblond]

[Coughing up blood.]

Tuberculosis?

[Not a great way to go. But neither was pneumonia. And he knew all about that.

[jumpthegun]

I'd honestly need to examine someone fully in the final stages to give you a better rundown of what it's most like. TB's another decent description from what I've heard. It's not actually bacteria, though. It's nanomachines in our blood pumping out too much waste. The Admin says we've got scrubbers for it in our bodies, too, but some people seem to have them functioning better than others.

[bottledblond]

My turn to get the bad end of the deal then.

Thanks for your help, Doc. If you want to take a look at me, I'll make an appointment.

[jumpthegun]

I'm a little set on a course at the mo. I think we're nearby each other. Do you have anywhere particular you're going? I am planning to head down to the hospital. Probably can make it in the next... oh, week or so. This weather's bloody awful.

[bottledblond]

Don't worry about me, Doc. I'm trying to meet up with some people but--

[He has to laugh.]

Barely being able to move is taking the better part of forever. I don't think I'm anywhere close.

[jumpthegun]

Mm, well, if you're at the Mallard Market, we're not too far from each other. And just got a notice back from the Admin. You'll find some medication in the next few days. Varies how quickly they get it out, though. I'm prescribing you Pulmicort, as needed for your inhaler, and a bottle of cough syrup. Hope those can help, sir.

I'm sure you'll meet up with your team soon enough.