Vroom Vroom

[dee_lorean81]

[There is a DeLorean, heavily modified, doing laps in an empty, paved part of the Nexus. One might wonder what the driver is doing -- practicing for a race? Working on their turning? Just burning rubber because they're bored?

And then one might get a little closer -- and see that there IS no driver.

. . .perhaps it might be fairer to say that the car is bored.]

Comments

[dee_lorean81]

[Dee's voice crackles through the radio again] Glad to hear it! Though do you mean the swimming, or the shapeshifting?

[palmerthing]

Oh, both. *Of course it's also a big help that she's a car now, but the others are nice too.*

[dee_lorean81]

[Dee goes in a slow circle around him] I guess it's weird for you to just stay in one shape for that long, huh?

[palmerthing]

Back home was worse, but yeah. Even liking being human as much as I do, it's a bit cramped.

[dee_lorean81]

[Dee toots her horn] Cramped?

[palmerthing]

Something like that. Or like the way you start going numb if you don't move for too long.

[dee_lorean81]

Right. . .pins and needles, but for a shape instead of a limb.

[palmerthing]

Basically. Getting bound up in one shape feels weird.

[dee_lorean81]

That's something I don't know -- I only have the two, and these days both feel pretty "right" to me. Though I guess then if I got stuck as one or the other, unable to switch, that would feel pretty weird.

[palmerthing]

Humans have relatively compact frames--short neck, not many limbs, no tail. Not even much in the way of fur. Tall, yeah, but it still feels a bit confining sometimes.

[dee_lorean81]

Not enough stuff to fiddle with, basically? [she jokingly wags a door] Try being a car sometime. I don't get ANY limbs to play with. Or fur. Unless someone puts some fuzzy dice in me.

[palmerthing]

*A laugh.* Do wheels count as limbs? Stubby ones, though.

[dee_lorean81]

Yeah, they're basically feet with no legs. [wiggles her doors again] These probably count more as "limbs." Better range of motion and all that.

[palmerthing]

So in a way you have more limbs, you just can't do much with them.

[dee_lorean81]

I can wave, drive around, time travel, and turn small animals into roadkill. [pause] Don't do that last deliberately, but. . .

[palmerthing]

*A laugh.* Alright, fair. You just can't you know, go indoors or manipulate objects.

[dee_lorean81]

Yeah. . .I'd say that having the human form has put into perspective how limited the car form is, but. . .that doesn't feel quite right, as I wasn't sapient before I had the human form.

[palmerthing]

Not even vaguely aware, I'd imagine. I think we've always been at least a bit aware, if only on the level of bacteria. *A wry smile.* It's strange when you can refer to yourself as 'we' and be completely sane.

[dee_lorean81]

Nope -- they didn't build cars with AIs back in the 80s. Except for KITT, but he wasn't real in my world. [there's a little burst of static on the radio, as if she's pondering something] Yeah, it is. . .but it is as weird as suddenly being conscious of yourself and having a lot of memories that, technically, you SHOULDN'T have because you WEREN'T conscious for them?

[palmerthing]

Okay, yeah, that's pretty weird. Not sure which is worse.

[dee_lorean81]

I try not to think about it too much, because it's one of those things that makes your head hurt. Or I guess my roof, as I am right now. [pause] Engine?

[palmerthing]

Engine seems more like a heart to me . . . cars don't really have a brain analogue, do they?

[dee_lorean81]

Not unless they're a more modern car with a computer in 'em, no. Which probably makes it really weird I can think just fine in this shape, but -- well. I got the human form through weird magic portal stuff, so. . .

[palmerthing]

The fun of trying to figure out the impossible . . .

[dee_lorean81]

Maybe I should ask Dad what he thinks. He, hilariously, knows cars better than I do.