[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]

It just might. I've been running possibilities over in my head... It's really too bad I don't have some of my notes from home... though I have a feeling it'd still be unlike most anything I've encountered before.

[Mostly. He's still convinced something comparable has to be out there, something that can help them understand things fully, and get closer to understanding this place.]

[semper_cogitans]

I must confess, I myself would... not have thought to look at the biodata, but [- and here Robert smiles affectionately... nay, lovingly... at Don -] Don is certainly brilliant enough to.

... Though, you have been an incredible assistance yourself, Mr. Mulder. I appreciate it very much...

[i_speak_softly]

It was really Mr. Mulder's idea to begin with.

[As Don works on the numbers, he reaches up to absently rub the back of his neck - as though he could feel the stripes of his barcode and deduce additional information from them.]

What kind of data do you think the signal is encoding? Vital signs? Location?

[ufo_fanboy]

Thanks... well, we can blame the conspiracies on my world for giving me the idea in the first place. They... do a lot of this kind of thing, that I've run across.

I think they've got a little of everything. Location for sure, because they always can find us if they want to take someone. Vital signs, other identifying information that could pertain to their experiments...

[semper_cogitans]

Some sort of assessment at a glance, perhaps. Things that would be... valuable for them to have quick access to, such as species, chromosome count, approximate age... [Robert makes a low, soft hum of interest.]

... If... if we could decode it ourselves, it would provide much insight into the way the Malnosso choose to group us as... subjects.

[i_speak_softly]

[Don taps his pen against the paper, and then both his hands still in their movements.]

Robert... did you say your nanocomputer takes pictures?

[ufo_fanboy]

[Mulder looks over at Robert expectantly, he'd love to see that nanocomputer in action.]

Would it be capable of decoding the information, perhaps?

[semper_cogitans]

[...

Good question.]

I could certainly take... holophotographs of them, yes...

But as for decoding, I... am not so certain. There may be a way, but without knowing of the actual protocol behind the encoding, I would hardly know where to begin.

... Trial and error, perhaps? [It'd take forever, but it might be a starting point.] Or algorithms, though nothing I have tried so far is a successful fit...

[i_speak_softly]

I would start with seeing if there's a relationship between the numbers and the stripes.

[He gives Robert a gentle nudge. Less talking, more retrieving of nanocomputers.]

[ufo_fanboy]

Yeah, I have to agree... start with some simple comparisons and build up from there. It may take time to have a real breakthrough on their encoding, but we seem to have enough of that on our hands.

[Mulder will never exactly get used to the "no job" aspect of Luceti. He looks expectantly at Robert, excited to see what the computer will be capable of.]

[semper_cogitans]

[And off Robert goes, into the wild sterile-white yonder. It takes him a minute or so to get to the desk he keeps his nanocomputer on, before he returns with the little device nestled in his hands.]

So what do you wish for me to do, Don...?

[i_speak_softly]

[Don gathers up his bandana tails in his hand, holding them against the back of his head and stretching his neck forward so Robert has clear access to his barcode.]

Take a picture of that...

[ufo_fanboy]

I've always wanted to see this in action...

[Mulder watches closely, intrigued by how this will work.]

[semper_cogitans]

[Robert slides the nanocomputer out of its case, pausing to open it and then flick it on. The holographic screen comes up; Robert quickly begins to type on the small slide-out keyboard before bringing up the holophotography function. Then he points what seems like a specialized net of lenses at the barcode.

It takes a few seconds of silent scanning, and then a replica of the image appears on the nanocomputer's screen.]

... There we are.

[i_speak_softly]

[Don won't get to see yet because, well, it's behind him. But as soon as Robert is done, he turns around to see the resulting image.]