yogen | I've never been good at titles, but have a robot freakout

Entry tags:

I've never been good at titles, but have a robot freakout

Who: Legion and … you?
What: Arrival of one very distressed robot
When: Late May, probably 5/27 I guess
Where: 3rd year classrooms, Locker 114
Warnings: Legion has a freakout, possible mentions of topics like genocide.

A)For a few moments, the Geth that wakes up in a classroom is happy, or something approximating it. Carefree, at the very least, with only the thought of being rewarded for a task well done on their mind. Perhaps a bit of confusion-waking up? what happened to them?-but overall they were content, and mostly just idly curious when they found the tapes and decided to pop one into the VCR.

It’s … well it’s strange, to say the least. They don’t think they’ve ever been in that strange place before, and yet, it feels familiar.

"Geth do not infiltrate." The timing, the words, the intonation (or lack of it), are all a perfect match to the ones spoken in the vid. Why would Geth infiltration even be a concern? It is a question they ponder, during the blissful minutes before the video ends and it all comes rushing back to them.

Their programs are immediately occupied by the sudden flood of data, and anyone who comes by might find them standing utterly, eerily, still.

And then, they begin to shake. Their programs dedicated to movement are no longer able to process inputs or instructions, and their movements are jerky, poorly coordinated. They stumble away from the tv, smacking into a desk and falling onto it, spasming and slipping and unable to get up.

B)They are in a school. They are a student. This is impossible. They were destroyed.

This environment is a lie. They cannot trust it, or its inhabitants.

They also cannot escape.

Without any leads on what to do, they head for what their "memory" (have they been hacked) says is their locker, hoping to find their gun.

Unfortunately, when they open said locker, no gun is there to be found. It might be somewhat humorous, actually, the way they pause, pull out a T-shirt that says Not A Robot, and just … stare at it. At least until they haul off and slam the locker door in a rage.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

"...Well this place has a twisted sense of humor," The Detective murmurs drily as the... machine... robot? slams the locker door.

"Still trying to get yourself oriented with this place?"

Immediately, they whip around, headflaps flaring, posture defensive. The shirt is dropped to the floor, forgotten.

They stare at him, the lights on the side of their face glowing red, and say nothing.

He is organic. Organics destroyed them.

What are his intentions?

He held his hands up to show he wasn't carrying anything. Seeing how fast they reacted, the body language... he's not entirely sure, but it reads wary?

"I'm another one who found myself suddenly aware of being here, allegedly as a student, despite it being completely illogical. And we are not the only ones who found ourselves trapped here."

Wary would be a good way to put it, yes. Wary, and large and dangerous.

"Acknowledged." They speak, finally, their voice its standard monotone. Their body language tells a more accurate story-they do not appear to be calming down. Their eye twitches, gaze flicking from one part of the surrounding hallway to another, but never quite leaving Sherlock entirely.

They consider their options for fighting and/or fleeing, should he turn hostile.

There are others who share their circumstances. They consider the possibility of alliance: would these others be willing to work alongside Geth?

Right now, it's hard for them to really believe in the sincerity of anyone expressing such a desire.

It's like a soldier certain he was in enemy sight, the thought stirred an old memory.

"My name is Sherlock Holmes, I am a Detective." He doesn't lower his hands, his eyes following the Geth's gaze. "Right now, none of us can leave the building... and I will try to answer what questions you may have."

[and y'know, maybe it's her fault for not putting the cap back on her bottle of soda while she was walking. and maybe it's her fault for hearing a locker slam and thinking it's how movies make guns sound. and maybe the end result of both of these things is her tripping over her shoelaces and dropping the bottle, spilling almost the entirety of it on the ground.

doesn't make it suck less.]

... Aw. [... she looks around, sees only what is possibly a weirdly placed traffic light, and kneels down to start scooping the soda back into the bottle.]

[ Nanami cant comprehend what it must be like for the other, in a way she felt this way a long time ago. Waking up to the existence of what she would be - as memories that were not her own shaping the entirety of her own existence. Taking several days of sleeping for long and random hours, attempting to regulate herself to act like a normal human being.

She watches quietly, eyes neutral and expression lacking emotional pretense. As if she too were frozen in place, waiting to jumpstart into motion. Or rather, she placed herself in waiting mode with it.

Eventually the other moves, and after letting them come to their senses she asks. ]

Welcome back, are you okay?

Detective just suggests law enforcement, which isn't exactly comforting to a being for whom it is literally illegal to even exist.

"We are Legion." The last of the Geth, murdered by organics like you, but they don't say it. They're not ready to, not just yet.

"...Why?" Why what? Why everything. Why would organics wipe the Geth out only to bring Legion here? Why make them believe they were a student? Why approach them? Why answer their questions, if he intends to do so honestly? Why bother, if he intends to lie?

...Why the poor attempt at humor that was the robot shirt?

With a burst of startled chatter, they whip around to stare in the direction of the noise.

A child. They ... relax? Well no, they don't entirely relax: where there are children there are adults protecting them, adults that will not take kindly to a large and dangerous robot being near a child.

Still, the likeliness that she herself is a danger is minimal.

They watch her, uncertain of what, exactly, to do.

A plurality or perhaps a network AI? A fitting choice of name if so. If he had realized Legion thought he was police, he'd be somewhat offended, but that is neither here nor there.

"That is a very good question, Legion." he couldn't help but smile slightly. "We still haven't gotten a complete picture, unfortunately. I suppose I should explain myself first, my job as a Detective is to find the truth and to seek answers, and in this case, the more information that is shared the more likely we would uncover what is really happening here. Far as we can gather, we're in a Japanese school in the year 1999," he pauses, AI... might be. "On the planet Earth," Sherlock quickly adds. "Though I'm not sure if any of those mean anything to you."

See, here's the problem Nanami: you don't look like a fellow synth, but an organic.

True, she is very young, and neither threatening nor hostile, but that means nothing-it was their closest, most beloved allies who gently, and with apologies, demanded that they step aside and let their people be slaughtered in the most vulnerable moment. They've just managed to stand again when her words reach them, and their head whips in her direction, flaps flaring out. They let out a long stream of alarmed chittering noises, robotic but also weirdly animal and very, very alarmed.

They take several steps back-they nearly trip again in the process, but manage to stay upright-eye twitching as they struggle between not wanting to look away from her and trying to look for an escape route. At some point, they notice a window, and abruptly launch themselves toward it, slamming hard against the glass with a ś̷̲c̴̢͍̆r̷̯͊̍ḛ̸͕͐e̷̘̕͝c̵̱̽̋h̸̜̒̚.

?

[ Nanami can barely comprehend human emotions, let alone a synthetic being. However from what she can derive from their actions, the flair of parts and sounds that make an amalgamation of something shes never heard before. Remaining absolutely calm, with the same face she made a moment before. With a quirked brow. Nanami waits til the other can find some sense of normalcy, but its obvious that is impossible because they jet right for the window and slide down onto the floor.

Not coming closer she waits til the other can.... Collect themselves. Her heart aches, and she knows she can do nothing for them but merely say. ]

You can't escape even if you wanted to, I've tried. [ She repeats her question in the same tone as before, as if her voice was recorded and repeated. ] Are you okay?

[haha holy shit the traffic light moved.

... wait, that's actually not unusual at all. how could she have forgotten the magic moving mailboxes of her homeland.

... should she say hi. the shiny part appears to be their face. so, it'd be rude not to.

she gives a little wave.]

He's correct in that they're a swarm intelligence. There's 1,183 programs living within their platform, and they can network with other platforms.

Legion is a fitting name indeed.

"We are familiar with humans." They say, as though they haven't been platonically in love with one. Haven't delved into every part of human culture that seemed remotely relevant. Hadn't placed all their faith, all their hope, in Humans as a species, until the betrayal left them completely vulerable-

Outside, they remain as passive and wary as ever.

"Thankfully that simplifies things," He gives a sigh of relief. "All right, I believe the next thing you need to know is some of the 'quirks' of this place. We 'Transfer Students' - as we who remember who we really are is collectively known as - cannot leave the building, the students and staff who don't have that trait can go and come. The library is completely silent - no sound in or out, same for the entirety of the school at midnight until about... six in the morning.... And perhaps I should show you my notes, it might be faster."

There is much to be said about is unspoken, and there is volumes in Legion's reticence.

Her apparent lack of reaction is actually good to some degree, as it can't further feed their own panic.

Not that it helps all that much, because they pay very little attention to her actual words, instead scrambling to their feet and smashing the window hard with their arm.

...Yeah, their efforts definitely aren't working.

[ It's unfortunate she doesn't know what to do in this situation. They continue to throw their arm into the window which does nothing presently. Nanami steps closer only afraid the other would continue, and inevitably break them self. ]

Please stop. You'll hurt yourself.

[ Since this was within the set of rules she abides by, she can in fact say something or do something about it. That is to say... What that is, is very narrow since she's not a capable person.]

"Greetings."

Do traffic lights have limbs where she's from? Or crests? Their crest of headflaps visibly ripples.

She is young enough that her ability to understand and self determinate is still developing. They will not treat her poorly.

"There have been no successful escapes?"

They're thinking in terms of not being allowed to leave, not considering that it's literally physically impossible.

Even if he is not a trustworthy source of information, his notes would likely still be valuable. However, it is likely that the offer to share data in this form is a trap.

They stop their attempts to smash the window, though it's not because of her words. They see her move towards them and immediately freeze up before backing away, eye completely focused on her.

She is clearly non hostile, but it does little to ease their fears, considering the situation. Is her desire to help genuine? Is she simply seeking to 'catch them off guard'?

Edited 2021-05-30 10:49 (UTC)

... I think youre still processing everything going on.

[ Nanami states quaintly deciding to talk, she notices that the other is paying attention to them. Unaware of the engaging thought process the other holds in their mind. She at least thinks, if the being before them is listening then what she says can be processed thusly, ]

My name is Nanami Chiaki, I am stuck here in this school unable to leave too. It overwhelmed me too when I first woke up, I was not sure I understood the point of being here. However, after sometime and talking to other people. I realized I was not alone.

[ From here she waits. ]

She believes they are distressed purely over the school?

"Organics destroyed us."

Their people are gone. They are alone: they doubt that any attempted alliances with the others here, even if those others are trapped like them, will be fruitful. Their memories have been altered. Their closest friends betrayed them.

They have nothing.

...

[ 'Organics Destroyed us.' Nanami stares at the being before her, having heard the way the voice echo'd through to her. Seemingly perched a thought in her head, she begins to process it. Taking quite a long while in order to reflect on her thoughts - Nagito calls it: When lights are on, but nobody's home. Perhaps the being decide to move or leave, it takes her about 10 minutes of thinking almost dozing off before she tilts her head and tries to speak once again. ]

Do you mean your kind was wiped out of existence? By human beings?

[ Nanami thinks well about the meaning of that again even though she was the one who says it, affirming to herself how reality seemed to be a bit messy now. That beings who were unlike herself, from games she has played in the past. Seemed to readily exist as if it were nothing. As if the correlations between fact and fiction began to bleed and blend in this school readily. ]

They're considering leaving, yes, though it takes a long time for them to actually try and do so.

They go to the door, but there appear to be people in the hall.

Better a known nonhostile than those unknowns, they decide.

When she returns to herself, they are near the door.

"Yes. No. Our creators destroyed us. Humans abandoned us."

...

[ Nanami looks over to the being, wanting to say more. Unable to however, ]

I understand.

[ She lets the phrase linger in the air before speaking again. ]

Do you want to try going outside? It is different here, it's not like your home world.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 3

I've never been good at titles, but have a robot freakout

B

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

B

A)

CW: The AI situation in Mass Effect is fucked up

no subject

oh most certainly.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

You know, usually it's Legion being the calm, rational one...

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject