[Voice]

[ufo_fanboy]

[Mulder seldom drinks. Unless there's a weird cosmic alignment or the aftermath of a disaster of some kind. Right now... would be one of those rare exceptions, while he's hanging around his place sulking. He's got his vodka. He's got his frozen orange juice concentrate. He is all set[A lot has happened all in a row- the draft, the experiment, the

Comments

[i_speak_softly]

We're doing all right. All things considered.

[Circumspectly:] Were you able to defrag that disc?

[ufo_fanboy]

There has to be something, however inexplicable is seems. We just haven't uncovered it yet.

...Speaking of uncovering, I have that biodata with me, finally.

[So many interruptions kept getting in their way, like the draft and experiment...]

[semper_cogitans]

Ah... is that so? [Robert seems... almost excited, if that can actually be properly said about biodata. ... Then again, it's him. Why the hell not?] I would be... most fascinated to see it, if you... would not mind...

[Hey, it'll take his mind off of Giles. Sort of.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don returns, bringing Mulder his tea.] What did you think? Was there anything in it?

[Perching on the arm of the couch again, he passes Robert the second steaming cup. ]

[ufo_fanboy]

Thank you.

[At least geeking out over something is a good distraction. Mulder sips at the tea, before pulling out the papers he's gotten together with that biodata information. Similar to when Don did his own analysis, it all shows a very similar pattern.]

I think I can safely say I concur with your findings. The difference is so subtle as to be almost unnoticeable, but it's definitely there.

[semper_cogitans]

Thank you, Don... [Robert happily takes the tea and sips some of it, turning to Mulder at the same time.]

Can the difference be accounted for by... any standard deviations?

[Have to rule these things out, after all. As much as Robert would like for a clear signal to exist.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don wants to leap up at Mulder's assessment, but he controls himself, remembering that a subtle difference is in all likelihood his own error and nothing more.]

What did it look like when you extracted it?

[ufo_fanboy]

It was hard to see any difference from that baseline at first, admittedly. I was almost afraid there'd be nothing there... but the closer I looked, the more carefully... well, that's when I ended up seeing that variation.

[He points to a couple of spots in his figures as he talks, then pauses for more tea-sipping.]

[semper_cogitans]

Are the deviations enough to be significant factors, perhaps...? [You have officially pinged Robert's Biology Nerd side, Mulder. And what might be some real insight into the weirdness that is Luceti!]

If so, we may actually have some interesting data on our hands...

[i_speak_softly]

[Don leans forward, studying Mulder's calculations. The results look a lot like his own.]

Robert, where do you keep your pencils?

[ufo_fanboy]

[And with a little variation here and there, those results have ended up being overall pretty well close to Don's, as he'll soon enough notice. He nods thoughtfully to Robert.]

I think they could be very significant.

[Of course, he'll attempt not to get carried away with theories- ATTEMPT. But it's too exciting a distraction not to let it get him thinking anyway. He waits for Don to get something to write with and look at the results.]

[semper_cogitans]

[Pencils...? Those silly things made of wood and graphite?

... Stupid wood things.]

... Er... would a pen suffice, by any chance?

[Because Robert has an aversion to pencils. Pens are made of plastic and therefore far more familiar. Even if the plastic isn't biodegradable.]

[i_speak_softly]

Whatever you have. [So saying, he turns back to Mulder and his numbers.] You wouldn't happen to know anyone else we could get baseline data from, do you?

[ufo_fanboy]

I may know a couple of people who'd be willing... although I'm sure we could ask around, too.

[semper_cogitans]

[During the brief conversation, Robert gets up to go fetch the requisite pen, a standard shade of blue. He returns a few moments later, offering the pen to Don.]

The more data we have to work with, the more accurate our conclusions from them...

[i_speak_softly]

[Don takes the pen with a smile, then turns his full attention to Mulder's numbers. He squeezes in some notations on the agent's formulas, then starts working over the emergent pattern itself.]

What do you think of our possible signal? Does it resemble anything you're familiar with?