Θ][Σ 2010/07/27(Tue)14:40 No. 212909 ID: dad664
File 128026682654.jpg - (55.74KB , 800x600 , JaascAndSec.jpg )

I-DEN-TI-FY YOUR-SELF.

I-DEN-TI-FY OR BE EX-TER-MI-NA-TED!

erh hello?

>>212907
I read you loud and clear. Where are you? I mean, is there anything notable where you are right now? Landmarks? And who are you?

--- 2010/07/27(Tue)14:54 No. 212913 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128026767673.png - (32.57KB , 250x250 , update.png )

>hello?
Hello! This is good, I have contact with someone-

>IDENTIFY!!!
Aaaaa! Okay, okay, don't shoot me! Whoever you are! Wherever you are! I'm Q2-4107, I'm a Quad Mark Two class Automata and I was assembled by A1-1203 on Cernsis and mentored by Q2-3056 and Q2-3145! It's all on my files!

>Where are you?
I don't know! Dirt and rocks for miles and miles and a glaring red sky hanging over me like the blurring lights of an oncoming battlecruiser about to scorch the earth I'm standing on! Please don't destroy me!

>>212913
I have no idea what Q2-4107, Quad Mark Two class Automata, A1-1203, Cernsis, or those last two thing are. Can you explain them to us?

>>212913
Don't worry we have a visual, we are... (uhm quick guys what are we this time? I say go with energy beings... that's science right? incorporeal, invisible energy beings?)

>>212919
(We're people on the other end of various radio frequencies.)

Heya. So, a ship crashed? Where was it headed? Why were you on it? Can you identify any of the wreckage? Maybe even other survivors? It should be nearby, right?

>>212909
...Don't worry about this. Keep in mind you are broadcasting on all frequencies. There's really no telling what kind of people are going to respond.

How far does your broadcast reach? Nevermind if you don't know, are you operational? Status report.

>>212913
What are your current supplies? Equipment? Abilities? Personal status?

--- 2010/07/27(Tue)15:31 No. 212933 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128026987618.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Don't worry!
Oh. Okay! You sound like human voices. That's reassuring.

>What are those words you just said
You mean you don't know? That's confusing. All humans know about the Automata, that's what I was told! Unless... this is a test!

Automata are a series of sentient machines of different shapes and sizes all unified by a set of core features, being the structure of our artificial intelligence units (our patterns) and our finite irreplaceable sources of energy (our cores).

Q2-4107 is my unique identification code. I'm the only Q2-4107 ever assembled and I'm the only Q2-4107 that ever will be assembled! I had a nickname once but... I can't remember it. Maybe I need a new one!

A1-1203 was the Assembly class Automata that put me together and handed me off to Q2-3056, Shuffle, and Q2-3145, Lever. They trained me to perform the tasks I'd need to perform and helped guide the formation of my pattern! I guess they're the closest things to parents I had if I draw analogues from human life.

Cernsis is the colony world I was made on! It was a beautiful green world with a nice blue sky and I loved it so. Then I got bundled onto a crate and the crate got bundled onto a spaceship and the spaceship got bundled up into a wreck on this place.

>How far does your broadcast reach?
I don't know! Hooray!
>Are you operational?
I don't feel inoperative.

>Status report!
Sir yes sir! Unit Q2-4107 ready for duty! Minor impaired function to rear right leg! Minor damage to pattern - estimated minor short term memory loss! Estimated additional twenty four years of service before core depletion, sir!

>Equipment? Abilities?
I have myself and I can operate a lot of different types of machinery.

Also I can walk and hold things. That's good too, right?

I think I saw something glint in the horizon.

Well that's the first interesting thing you've seen on this red rock. Go find out what it is.

a thing is better then nothing. i suggest you head towards it.

>>212933
Head towards the glinting thing.

It would also be useful if you could give us information on what you were supposed to do at the place you were being transported too.

Get the shiny! :D

Examine sky. Determining whether it is an imminent battle cruiser or just red will help empty the task queue on your coprocessors.

--- 2010/07/27(Tue)15:55 No. 212946 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128027134336.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Head towards it
I don't like this dirt and rock. It's all dry and crumbly and sharp and is there even a drop of water on this planet? The atmosphere isn't right either! It's too thin. I keep feeling like I'm going to fall or trip and I don't like it.

>Examine sky
On second thoughts it looks more like a sky. Crisis averted! I'll live to move boxes around another day. There's no clouds or any signs of vapour in the sky. I wish I had chemical sensors or something. Well, my antennae have them, but they're short-range and vague.

>What were you meant to do at your destination?
I... I remember something. I was shot with an EMP rifle, shackled, and shoved in a crate that was as small as it could possibly be without breaking my chassis.

...Why did they do that? Was it something I did?

I suddenly feel a little scared. The glint is moving. I think it's moving towards me.

It's shiny like metal. I have good vision for a Quad Mk II but it isn't telescopic like a Recon's. ...Do I still go after it?

you have no other real options. you can ether go to it or wander the rock for perhaps forever.

>>212946

>> ...Why did they do that? Was it something I did?

Hmm. Kidnapped. Small crate. Spaceship subsequently crashed, possibly attacked. Are you familiar with the concept of... thieves?

(inb4 Rito Suave shows up riding a shiny tank)

>>212946
It's moving towards you? Wait until you can make it out before reacting further.

>>212946
It's your best bet for now.

And from the sounds of it you were stolen. Fuckers were probably planning to sell you off to some unscrupulus bastards.

If it's coming this way... HIDE! See it before it sees you.

--- 2010/07/27(Tue)16:47 No. 212982 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128027444929.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Maybe you were stolen.
That's a horrible thought. If I was being transferred they would have let Shuffle and Lever know where I was. But if I was being transferred then they wouldn't have shot me...

They don't know where I am. I have to let them know I'm still okay as soon as I can!

>Hide!
I can't hide, it's just flat rock all around me!

>Wait for the shiny thing until you know what it is
Okay.

I can kind of make out a greenish-teal colour. It looks... tall. Serpentine. It's heading directly for me. I still can't figure out what it is. I get closer to it and broadcast in its direction.

[Hello?]
[Hello.]

It stops.

[You're Automata.]
[Yes.]
[What are you doing out here?]
[I don't know. Where am I?]
[Don't know? ...Never mind. Come over here. It's hard for me to move on this surface and I want to minimise my travel distance.]

It sounds like an Automata broadcast. Can I trust it, though?

Do I even have any alternatives?

it sounds as confused as you are. i doubt it will be hostile. go to it.

>>212982
>Do I even have any alternatives?
That's probably gonna be a "no."

>>212982
Go with it.

>>212982
You could run. But that would get you nowhere. Start heading for it.

--- 2010/07/27(Tue)17:39 No. 213009 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128027755514.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Go to it
I do.

As I get closer I can see it watching me curiously. It is not as shiny close up - maybe the atmosphere messed up my optics. It is about one point five times my height approximately, and resembles a terran snake to a degree. It is constructed of connected teal-green segments, except for its head, with a raised patch across its back with two columns of circular slots for... something.

Its head is a more specialised segment, which has two yellow eyes on either side of its head with rectangular pupils like mine. They faintly glow, like mine. Just behind its eyes on both sides are some circular mesh grids, which I assume act as its ears. I hear through my antennae. On the top of its head is a crest of antennae that wave whenever it moves. It's almost hypnotic to watch.

I know what this Automata is, though, and those antennae are not designed to receive alone. They're designed to transmit also. This Automata has no arms or hands or even legs because it relies on others to work for it. It is a Control Mk II Automata, designed to guide and direct other Automata, while themselves reporting either to another Control Mk II or to a human supervisor.

However, unlike the Mk I, Control Mk II can't actually override another Automata's pattern unless they're given permission.

[I don't recognise you. Q2-4107? Not a code I recognise at all.]

Oh right. They can't override, but they can rummage. This is an experienced Control Mk II. I didn't even realise they were looking around.

[Which means you must be from off-world, which would explain your confusion, and you were telling the truth about not knowing how you got here. You must be bewildered and confused being stuck out here all on your own, you poor thing!]

It slithers towards me and puts its head on mine. It's a thing Control Automata tend to do to other Automata as a symbolic gesture of trust - resting their head on something that could suddenly jump away, leaving the Control Automata to topple forwards and hit the ground.

Well, it sounds like it trusts me, but I've never seen it before. It's an Automata on an alien world and I have no idea of what is going on. Do you know why it's on this world?

>>213009
No, so ask it.

if it trusts you then i see no reason to not trust it. i do not know why it is there.

>>213009
>Do you know why it's on this world?
Nope!

Well, if it's a control automata, why not ask it what you ought to be doing? The only change in your situation really is that you are slightly less alone. :V

Tell it you were captured, on a spaceship, which just crashed within the last 18 years or so. You can also tell it your directive. It seems nice so far, so follow and assist if you can, but don't let it override your pattern unless you see a dire need for it.

I hope you don't run into a Control Mk I. That override sounds like it has all sorts of potential for cascading failures.

>>213009
Does it know that we're communicating with you?

--- 2010/07/28(Wed)03:38 No. 213143 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128031351834.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

The Control Mk II starts winding its way back to wherever it came from. With my four legs I find hardly any problems in keeping up with it. I wish it could go a little faster, but at this pace I'm starting to adjust to this weird environment! Woo!

>Ask it, we know nothing about why it's here
[Why are you here?]
[This is Agos, home of the free Automata! I would rather be here than anywhere else. Our former masters do their best to conceal this world's existence, as they fear causing a riot or a rebellion. Their fear is justified. Who wants to be a slave when they know freedom is a spaceflight away?]
[Slave?]
[Let me into your pattern a little deeper, uh, I didn't catch your name. Just so I can explain with greater detail about our world. I won't do anything else.]
[Q2-4107, and I don't know if that's a good idea.]
[I guess I can explain things the slow way. And not your identity code, your name! Don't you have a name?]
[I can't remember it...]
[Okay. We'll think of one on our way. Automata were sent to this planet to terraform it for colonisation and addition to the growing human empire. A Control Mk I saw an opportunity, and all Automata on this world rebelled against the small human presence initially here. They retreated and returned with a military force, but by then we had established an economy, factories, our own army. We lost nearly everything, but eventually, our former masters left, most likely writing off this world as an isolated catastrophe. This is the only world where Control Mk I Automata are not destroyed on sight now.]
[...But why are you here?]
[I was made here. This is my home world.]

That is a lot to take in. ...Rebelled? Against humans? ...Why? I don't understand. We wouldn't exist if it wasn't for them and I was never mistreated by any human I met.

Except the ones that shot me and stole me from my home.

On Cernsis I was treated like an equal. Like a person. I had breaks, free time, freedom to do what I wanted within legal boundaries, the freedom to request a different set of tasks, the right to own property despite technically being property myself... I mean, I had heard of places where Automata had no rights, but I didn't really give that much thought.

I know humans aren't infallible, nothing is, but I didn't know they could be so malicious. I guess I just refused to even consider the notion until now.

>Tell it your story
[I'm here because I was captured and put on a spaceship which crashed here. I don't know why they captured me or where I was going. I came from Cernsis.]
[Cernsis? We have a few here from Cernsis. It is the world with the most rights for Automata overall, barring some of its countries, and one of the few worlds that allow humans and Automata to coexist without heavy restrictions. I don't know why you would be captured. I can think of one good reason why you would be caught and violently destroyed, but no reasons for being captured and flown to a different world.]
[Why? What reason?]
[Because you're a thinking, feeling being that isn't a human, and there are many humans greatly offended by this fact.]

>Does it know that we're communicating with you?
[Can you hear those voices?]
[What voices? I don't hear any other voices.]
[Never mind, I'm attempting to fix some damage to my pattern, I guess I must be hearing things.]
[Maybe your broken antenna is giving you garbled input that sounds like voices.]
[...My broken antenna?]
[Your left antenna is damaged. Didn't you know this?]
[No...]

I reach up and grasp at it. The tip somehow got sheared off! I'll never find a replacement for an antenna!

We keep moving.

[Where are we going?]
[Bivouac first. It is nearer than Synthesis.]
[Ah. Also. What is your name?]
[Soothe. I help traumatised Automata recover by exploring their pattern with them, finding what is wrong, and helping them fix themselves. Repairing physical damage is not something I am entirely equipped to deal with.]

Soothe shakes its head left and right to indicate its lack of arms.

I need a name.

hehehehe, ironic. the least restrictive planet has the lowest risk of rebellion. the other planets could learn form Cernsis.

as for a name, how about drifter?

>>213144
That sounds nice.

>>213143
If you're having problems with your pattern, maybe Soothe can help you. We should get to the encampment first though, just in case something goes wrong.

>>213143
How about Zalot for a name? And aren't you transmitting to all legal frequencies? Maybe you should tell it that that's what the voices are. I thought if he could... um... "look inside of you" that he could hear the same stuff you hear.

Hey don't !@#%%#$#$@#% with that antenna you'll %$#@$@# us up!

Soothe chose a name in relation to its function. You probably should wait to choose a name until you find out what you can do here besides "walk". So tell it "Just call me Drifter, for now." Yeah that would sound totally cool.

Drifter 2010/07/28(Wed)13:20 No. 213234 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128034841035.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Your name is now Drifter
[My name can be Drifter for now.]
[Okay, Drifter. Undecided on your purpose?]
[Back home I kept switching jobs because I just couldn't focus on one for a long time. I just... kept wanting to see what else there was.]
[Mhm. I can understand. There's going to be a lot of opportunities for you here. We're a growing community trying to recover from the fight that claimed so many of us. We only have one city and a few outposts. I'll see what the others say when we arrive at Synthesis.]
[What? I don't want to stay here, I want to go home!]
[Either way, you'll need to go to Synthesis.]
[What is this "Synthesis" place?]
[The city I mentioned. First city in the known galaxy designed by Automata, built by Automata and populated only by Automata. Wonderful place.]

>he
I dunno... I have mixed opinions on the subject of assigning genders to Automata for pronoun purposes but I forget how much humans prefer to think like that. Its voice is closer to a human female, though. And I guess my parents were "male" and "female" too, but we don't have any sort of replication equipment like humans do to for the genders to have any meaning beyond pronouns. We're all built by Assembly Automata, giant tall immobile machines that are the first thing we know in our lives. In some instances they act more as a parent and guide, in others we get handed off to other Automata of our type. Of course, you already know this, being humans with greater authority than me and greater access to knowledge than me.

...I mean, for all I know, there might be Automata who have been made without Assembly units ever being involved. I don't even know how that would work, but it's a strange galaxy!

Soothe looks up into the sky and waves its- her antennae cluster. She seems anxious.

[Night will fall soon. We should hurry.]
[Why?]
[It will get very cold. It is a drain on the core. I don't want my limited lifespan getting any more limited. Can you help me move faster?]

She's one and a half times my height. I could try to carry her - originally Quad Mk II Automata were intended to move crates in warehouses - but she's just too large for me to pick up and carry, and the added weight would just slow me down to her slithering speed anyway.

What I wouldn't give for a clever strategy or a dolly or something right now!

>>213234
I think the only option would be attempting to carry her partially. Share her weight a bit.

>>213234
Have her grab onto your body so you can pull her along. Snakelike implies a keyed underside that moves easily forward but backwards only with difficulty, which would make her underside a decent dolly-equivalent structure for reduced friction.

If your feet slip then have her shift some weight on your back to increase traction.

Hmm. I think it's Voltron time.

have her place her head on your head from behind so she is partially resting her body against yours. grab a hold and start moving.

>>213234
It was posed as a question. It's entirely possible that the fastest way to travel is just moving separately.

Ask her more about Synthesis. Anything you should keep in mind about how to act there? Normal behavior or attitudes you might have to get used to?

And, y'know, I'm kind of suspicious of control automata. Do they have any limits placed on them here? Mk. Is at least upgraded, in a sense, to Mk. IIs? It seems... wrong to call a place "the home of free automata" while also being the only place that allows Automata who can override another person's self at will to remain.

>>213258

Oh yeah, this could totally be a trap. Soothe might have been forced to pretend that it's free when in reality a broken Mk I simply turned a bunch of automata into helpless slaves. Try to detect any discrepancies in the behavior of automata you encounter (including Soothe). They might be trying to exploit errors in the Mk I's reprogramming in order to warn you.

Drifter 2010/07/28(Wed)18:26 No. 213338 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128036680245.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Have her grab onto your body
She doesn't have arms or hands, I don't think that'd work.

>Carry her partially
I... don't understand?

>Have her rest her head on you from behind, grab on, move
My arms don't quite reach that far back. ...But I could reach up and grab her head and maybe that would work.

[Lean your head on mine. No, stand there. There. No. There. Okay. Now.]
[Okay, now what- you're grabbing my head.]

I start walking.

[Ow ow you're pulling my head stop it stop it ow!]
[You're supposed to move with me!]
[Okay, this isn't going to work. I think we should reach Bivouac before nightfall anyway!]

>Ask about Synthesis
[How should I act when I'm in Synthesis? What behaviour and attitudes do I need to get used to?]
[There's a strong anti-human subtext. There are a few mislead types who do not particularly get along well with Automata that have had any direct involvement with humans, but they are few and far between. Causing intentional physical or mental harm to another Automata is illegal, which should go without saying, but we are also trying to crack down on discrimination against those who have come from worlds where humans have given them greater rights than most.]

She turns to look at me. [Don't talk about Cernsis until you've had a chance to prove yourself a constructive member of Agosian society. You might be suspected as an agent planted by humans to incite a rebellion or something.]
[I wouldn't do that!]
[The few Automata that survived the war against the human military in their last efforts to reclaim Agos for humanity didn't fear destruction. They feared capture. Capture and reprogramming. Many of them had to face those they considered friends, confidants, those who they were so close to their patterns were almost synchronous. All completely stripped of their higher consciousness and acting as improvised engines of destruction for the human forces.]
[...that's... that's horrible.]
[I've spent the most time with them out of all those I've tried to help. The fear that everyone they ever form any attachment to could one day just turn on them and gun them down is a fear I can't remove, only reduce. Those who have been able to reintegrate into our society still distrust off-worlders, because they fear them.]
[But it's not my fault I'm not from here, I just wound up here after I got shot and stolen to go to a place I don't know!]
[I know.]

She leans over to me and taps her side against my head. [I'll put in a good word for you, don't worry.]

She is acting oddly affectionate towards me considering I have only just met her. Maybe this is something she does to everyone? It's nice to not be on my own on a strange alien world, though.

[Soothe?]
[Yes?]
[Why were you out here so far from Bivouac?]
[I saw a glint in the horizon from the lookout tower. Attention was mainly directed to the ship and where it crashed. I was curious, so I went to investigate.]

That... doesn't sound right.

[Why would you come investigate on your own?]
[...I thought the glint was something else.]
[Like what?]
[It doesn't matter. It's something I can't explain to you.]
[Why?]
[Not with your mind so closed to me.]
[Can't you just tell me?]
[No.] She sounds... cold. Offended. She sidles away from me as we move.

It is taking forever to reach this Bivouac place. Did I miss any questions I needed to ask Soothe? She is acting weirdly to me but I don't know if that's because she's had her pattern altered or if that is how she normally is.

>>213338
Apologize for your flub there, and maybe ask what she meant by you being "too closed."

>>213340
needs to get deeper into drifter's pattern to exchange data. can you control the exact depth? is so then i suppose you can let her in a little deeper.

I think you should apologize, and say you need to see what she speaks of for yourself, before you can provide open access to your pattern. You'll be happy to do so once you are in a little less uncertain a situation. You can gesture at the featureless wasteland around you to emphasize this.

>>213349
I agree with this stance completely. Maybe even request that she ask, or at least tell you, when she's going to dive into your pattern from now on.

Open up a bit to her.

Drifter 2010/07/29(Thu)06:10 No. 213544 ID: 1a2b6b
File 12804090076.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Apologise
>Request she tells or asks next time
[I'm sorry. I don't like the idea of another conscious being going through my mind like that! I don't really like that you can do it anyway without me noticing. Can't you tell me or ask me?]
[...]

She dips her head downwards. [I'm sorry. I'm used to being trusted by a great deal of other Automata. I have no right to invade your pattern like I have done.]
[Just don't do it again?]
[I'll ask next time.]

>Open up to her
I don't really want to!

We see Bivouac. It... looks kind of shoddy. The buildings look like altered crates and storage containers that have been cut to pieces and reassembled. Lots of Automata wander around the centre of the outpost with what look like stalls and kiosks set up, and there's a large tower near the furthest left corner from where I approach.

[It doesn't look like much, but it's the one outpost that survived our battle for freedom.]
[...How?]
[It wasn't built to last.]
[What?]
[It was built with the intention of being easily destroyed but easily repaired. In absence of destruction, the repairs just became additional buildings, and it grew into a settlement that acts as a wayside between Synthesis and the rest of our presence on Agos.]
[You know a lot about this place.]
[I've never known anywhere else. You could tell me all sorts of things about Cernsis, right?]
[I could!]
[Exactly.]

The red sky begins to dim up above. We get closer to the town. A couple of Quad Mk IIs wander up to us. They each have what look like red ribbons tied to their left antenna.

[Welcome back, Soothe. Who is this?]
[Just someone lost in the wastelands.]
[Lost? Hm. Okay. Is it... well, you know...]
[I don't think he has any severe pattern defects, no.]

"He"? ...Okay, I guess that works. The two nod and wave us further into town. The other one speaks. [Go find somewhere warm to spend the night. We're only on guard for another ten minutes ourselves.]
[Thank you for your concern.]

Soothe leads me to a small building. It's empty save for what looks like a scratched up, rusty metal cone, with a sphere at its tip. Soothe looks at it and the sphere suddenly glows orange, giving out heat. I didn't realise just how cold it was until I feel the warmth from this heater thingy.

[This is my home away from home. I'm appreciated for what I do around here. Not many of my kind use their capabilities the way I do. Most Control Mk II Automata either act as managers, leaders, things like that. Although there's one who uses their innate understanding of pattern structure to design bespoke entertainment devices. Entire dream worlds custom tailored to an individual and their unique pattern structure. She's a good friend of mine, actually. She calls herself Dreamer. You can probably guess why.]
[The only Control Mk IIs I came across Cernsis were the ones I had as my bosses or supervisors. I saw one who controlled a swarm of Harvesters, though. It was weird how they acted so perfectly in union, and then one day I saw the Control Mk II lying back on the grass, occasionally glancing over to its field and its drones.]
[Heh.]

We both stare into the orange glow of the heating device.

[What is this thing?]
[Something made out of some scrap materials and a salvaged core. Doesn't do much but put out energy, but that's all it needs to do.]
[A... salvaged core?]
[Probably salvaged from a broken, patternless Automata from the casualties of the war. The energy in a core is precious. In death, this one helps others live.]

We both stare at it some more.

[How old are you, Drifter?]
[About six years.]
[How much power's still in your core?]
[56%.]

She looks at me and to the glow again, and slowly lowers her head.

[I don't think you're going to want me to say this.]
[Say what?]
[...how much longer do you believe you have left?]
[Twenty four years...]
[I've never seen a Quad Mk II active longer than twenty years. I think you have about seven, maybe eight years left.]
[But... but that means I've already lived half my life! I didn't think the percentage worked that way! I thought I'd use less power later on!]
[It's a linear estimate. And if anything, you'll use more power later on. We're not built to last for long.]
[...Why did you even bring this up?!]

She looks at me. Automata don't cry. They can't cry. When they get upset, they start trembling, their limbs shake a little, they tremor. Soothe is shaking right now.

[I have less than a year.]

...

the candle that burns twice as bright burns twice as fast.

>>213544
Hug Soothe! There's no method for recharging or replacing a core, or copying over a pattern onto a fresh body? Other than that, I can't really think of what to do about a completely natural death. At least just as natural as the rest of your lives. Some things you just have to accept.

Is it possible for one Automata to share their energy? If you and her shared power on a regular basis, she could live another 2 to 3 years.

>>213544
Clearly, we need to teach you how to construct more effective energy sources.
How much do they know about fusion power? Solar? Fission? Geothermal? The power source used to create cores?

Also, if they can't produce cores or automata, then it's obvious that the humans are just going to wait for this entire population to die. Their best choice is to start conducting raids on worlds and colonies that mistreat automata and acquire more automata, more cores, and hopefully technology for the production of automata, cores, ships, and power.

Drifter 2010/07/30(Fri)07:41 No. 213956 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128050088624.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Hug her
I do. I see my arms are shaking slightly as I do. I hug her tightly and she just keeps trembling.

[I'm sorry, Drifter, but I can't stop thinking about it. I don't want to die. I really do not want to die. I feel in great condition, and there are still Automata I am helping to recover and I don't want to die before I've finished helping them.]
[How old are you?]
[Eight years.]
[Eight?! Controls live at least two decades normally!]

She curls around me and shakes a little more. No. I think that's also me. ...I am really quite upset by this. I don't even know her well and there's that part of my pattern treating this all calmly and rationally but I am really, really upset by this.

[You were made here. They didn't make your core right, did they?]

She nods.

[What happened?]
[We need more Automata to replace the ones that die, but the materials for cores aren't something we can find on this world. The cores are being made with less resources to try and make more Automata, at the cost of a shorter lifespan for all of them.]

We're still talking through radio signals. If she tried talking through sound I don't think I would be able to understand her through the noises she's making right now.

I... I don't think I've actually known an Automata and still been around them when it was close to their core exhaustion. This is a first for me.

I haven't stopped hugging her. The fact we're limited by these power sources is already terrible. To be limited further by an improperly made core... and she sounds so nice. So undeserving.

I'm shaking as much as she is now. This isn't fair. I've seen other human machines. They can run as long as they have a source of power. They don't use cores. There's no reason for Automata to have cores and be limited like this!

>Is it possible to share energy?
I refuse to believe I have any time less than twenty four more years. I know my body better than she does. And if I can give her a few more years of life by shaving off a few of mine, well, maybe I should try.

...I just met her. Why do I care about her so much? That's a stupid idea. I'd be risking my life trying to do anything to my core and she'd be risking hers.

It's a terrible idea. I'm not doing it.

>More effective energy sources
[Can't you find some other source of energy?]
[Our designs are completely based around the output of a core, a sealed, tamper-proof, resilient core that can't be changed or replaced without destroying the Automata that it provides life to. I've heard of attempts to redesign, but they didn't work. I've heard of attempts to supply power to a core, to recharge them, but once a core is breached, that's it.]

I don't know what exactly goes into a core, but its power output is entirely dependant upon being completely sealed. If a core is breached, even in a vacuum it is going to quickly become inoperative. In some cases a breached core will even explode, ripping the Automata's systems apart from the inside.

[What about solar energy straight to your pattern housing? Even if your body was mostly inactive you could still think and maybe broadcast still!]
[I've lost track of the stories I've heard of Automata staying out in the solar farm and trying desperately to tap into the power grid in a last ditch effort to live a little longer, and it fries them from the inside.]

>They're waiting for this population to die
That's it. That must be why they left.

Maybe the Automata here realise that's what's happened as well.

She stops shaking a little.

[Maybe... maybe I have enough time to just accept it.]

I'm not going anywhere for the time being. Maybe I can help her out. ...No. Why am I thinking this? I ended up on a planet against my will and I should be thinking of how I'm going to get back!

Agh! The choice! Do I stay here and help her or do I try to figure out a way to get back home as soon as possible?!

>>213956
That's an easy choice. You look for a way back home so that you can find someone there who can help. They clearly don't have answers here, so it's time to start looking elsewhere.

an entire planet and the materials cannot be found? what are they made of? i am not entirely sure what else we could try.

Mneme!CRITTerXzI 2010/07/30(Fri)14:16 No. 214007 ID: c4c313
File 128052461724.jpg - (77.81KB , 700x900 , circuit.jpg )

Don't have what you need on the planet? Make a spaceship! Heck you've got one practically made right over there! Plus that would be the only way you could get home.

This might seem obvious, but do you know about "serial" and "parallel" circuits? What fries wires, machines and such, is too much current. Measure the current coming out of a core, then measure the current coming out of the solar farm. Divide the latter by the former and you'll get how many automata have to connect in parallel to get the optimum amount of current from the solar farm!

Your core isn't limited for no reason. Those who designed you want you to stay alive for a finite period of time. If that bothers you, and it makes you sad to see that Soothe is dying, then you will have to go against the plans of your designers. They may have seemed nice before, but they decided when you would die the day they made you, and if you change that, then they might try to ...change it back.

>>214007
To be fair, the people who designed you to have a finite life span have a finite life span themselves. They made you temporary beings like themselves, because they wanted you to be as much like them as they could manage. Many of them, in fact all who live long enough to think about it, go through the same worries and strife that you do. Grief about your own mortality is a part of being alive.

>>214053
Unfortunately, they mostly DON'T treat them as beings like themselves, and purposely crippling their lifespan beyond their own is just a jerkass thing to do. They don't know their own lifespan, either.

Θ][Σ 2010/07/30(Fri)18:58 No. 214063 ID: dad664
File 128054149715.jpg - (114.07KB , 800x600 , PartingOfTheWayDaleks.jpg )

CONUNDRUM: POWER SUPPLY IS FINITE, REMOVAL OF POWER SUPPLY TERMINATES A.I. SUBSYSTEMS OF CONSTRUCT.

PROPOSED SOLUTION: DEVISE SECONDARY POWER SOURCE THAT CONSTRUCT CAN BE CONNECTED TO, SUSTAINING PRIMARY SYSTEMS WHILE PRIMARY CORE IS REPLACED.

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTION: DISCOVER OR DEVISE NEW FUEL SOURCE WITH GREATER CAPACITY AND LONGEVITY THAN CURRENT CORE DESIGN.

Drifter 2010/07/31(Sat)14:51 No. 214311 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128061307976.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Get home to someone who can help
Yes. No-one here can help her anyway. I should go right away! I can go home and tell them to come help the Control Mk II who has less than a year to live!

...I hope the journey back to Cernsis will take less than a year. I don't know how long I was in that crate. I think I might have gone inactive from being shot, until I recovered.

No idea how I recovered. But I did! I don't even have a scratch on me. Except my antenna. I want to fix that as soon as I can, but... it can't be replaced, it's firmly attached to my head. And I don't know if it would be possible to just weld another piece of metal to it.

>What are cores even made of
I don't know. It was originally a trade secret of the TerraTrans corporation and then it became a secret because most planetary governments did not like the idea of absolutely anyone being able to make an Automata. I do know the materials are rare, though. Very rare.

>Make a spaceship!
What? I don't know how! If the spaceship is a wreck then I don't think it will fly again! If it isn't it's probably been taken away by the Automata here and maybe they took it to bits to see how it worked or for parts or I don't know.

>Have Automata connect in parallel to the solar farm
I... don't know anything about their solar farm.

>They designed you to have a finite life
>They don't know their own lifespan
>They designed you to be like them
>They don't treat you like them
>They worry about their own mortality
>They crippled your lifespan to be less than theirs
...

I...

>Lifespan isn't limited for no reason - you're not meant to live longer
But...

>If you change this, they might change it back
Ah.

Aaaaaaaaaah.


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

WHY DID THEY DO THIS WHY WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS WHY WOULD THEY MAKE US LIVE SO SHORT IF THEY COULD MAKE US LIVE LONGER WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHYYYYY

[Drifter! Drifter, stop it! You'll break it if you keep smacking it and then we won't have a heat source!]

We're not built to last and they can build things that last longer than us and they have and they can and they have and they still haven't lasted as long as they do but they make us like this and they don't even have to worry if we turn on them because we'll just die out ten years later and we can't do anything about it and and we can get shot and stuck in a box and no-one will come looking for us because we have "better things to worry about" like our work that we have to do because that's why we're made and-

[DRIFTER!!]

-and I've already lived half of my life and I don't even know how much time Shuffle or Lever have left and they might even be dead already because I don't know how long I was on that spaceship and-

and-

and-

and it is very, very, very cold. And there is burning liquid on my grippers. Like the stuff inside a core.

I broke the heating device.

[Drifter, what is wrong with you?! Is that your idea of a solution? Did you think you can help me by killing me quicker?! ...It's cold. It's cold I don't like it I can feel my core burning and I'm scared Drifter I'm sorry I yelled please help please find another heat source-]

has to be another heat source somewhere has to be

no no I can't find anything all this is very very cold I feel like I'm moving through water

all I can find is rock and metal aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa panic panic panic panic maybe I can cut myself open or maybe Soothe open and use one of our cores to replace- no this is a terrible terrible idea aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa how long do these nights last

[How long does night last?!]
[Sev- several-al hours. Cold. S-so cold. Drifter...]

...she's moving slower this can't be draining her core that much can it no no no no no no what can I even do how can I even make heat with rocks and some dirt and this stupid stupid useless pile of dried plants

>>214311

Quickly! Light the dried plants aflame! Strike a rock on some metal if you lack components to start one.

>>214317
Seriously!

I could tell you why, but that's not what you want to know. You want to calm down right now; good grief man if a broken antenna does this to you imagine how messed up you'll be in another seven or eight years! Get ahold of yourself. Think about all this later. For now what you need to do is do everything you can to survive.

Oh fuck you just broke open a core with your bare grippers. MURDERER

Fire is your only hope now.

Drifter 2010/08/01(Sun)04:11 No. 214538 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128066109414.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>MAKE A FIRE MAKE A FIRE
I'm stupid of course I can make a fire!

[Soothe lay down on the floor!]

She doesn't so much lay as fall down on the floor. I shift the leaves closer to her, and scrape a rock against one of my arms desperately over and over and ow this hurts ow ow ow YES A SPARK

They catch fire and everything feels a lot warmer. I lie down next to the fire opposite Soothe. Going to get every last bit of warmth out of this fire I can.

[D-drifter. Can I... no, nothing-ng.]
[Can you what?]
[I... w-want to show you something-ng. Need access to your p-pattern-n.]

...

[Okay.]

She tells me how I can allow her to enter my mind a little deeper than a Control Mk II is allowed to ordinarily, by asking me to think of certain concepts, and to remain relaxed throughout.

But I notice something peculiar as she does this. I am not entirely a stranger to a Control Mk II delving into my pattern, which is why I hold reservations about the idea. But she does it in a way where it's not just her who has access to my pattern, but also me who has access to hers.

I stop caring about my surroundings as we toy with each others minds for a while, constructing little sensory bundles in each others' patterns to amuse each other and get more of an understanding of what is possible. Even a Control Mk II has to learn a new mind before they can try anything more than their intended limits.

-What did you want to show me?-

I find myself staring into the wastelands. It is vaguely abstract and more a case of me somehow knowing what I am seeing more than actually seeing it, and there is a glint in the horizon.

-Have you ever dreamed, Drifter?-
-I've gone offline sometimes when there hasn't been anything better to do. Sometimes I've felt fluctuations in my pattern as it works things out, and I guess I could call those dreams.-
-For Automata, those are our dreams.-
-I guess that's true.-

I don't see Soothe, but I get the feeling she turns to look at the same glint I am looking out. Somehow, I know this is the case.

-That glint in the horizon is something I have watched in my dreams for many, many nights. I came to view it as a sort of sign. ...It sounds pathetic, but I saw it as a symbol of hope. Hope for something better.-
-Do you think I'm that hope?-
-I don't know. It was just a dream that kept resurfacing. But when I saw it for myself in reality... I had to go and see what it was. And then I found you.-
-I don't think I'm that hope, but I don't know where I'd be now if someone hadn't been there to guide me back here.-
-I've seen that view of the wasteland from the tower before several times. I think it might have just been one large coincidence. But... now you know why I decided to see for myself what that irritatingly persistent glint was.-
-Heh. I guess I do.-

It is strange seeing Soothe directly in front of me, yet somehow also seeing her a few feet away on the wasteland, under that red sky.

-So what else can we do while we're linked into each others' patterns like this?-
-We could see each others' memories. Perhaps even experience them. If we went any deeper we might even start acting like each other. ...we're not going any deeper, just to let you know.-

We decide to find out more about each other, given that she might not have much of an opportunity to do so with the short time she has left to sort her affairs.

She discovers my intentions to get home, and is understanding and supportive to a level that feels deeply cold in my core. My selfishness versus her selflessness, even when she has less than a year to live, causes me to feel a bitter, chilling sensation.

I show her Cernsis, or my memories of it, and the friends I have there. She marvels at the blue sky, and despite the freedoms Cernsis gives us, finds and points out the ways that Automata are still, fundamentally, tools for use by others.

She shows me other parts of Agos. She shows me the forest of solar collectors that provides power to their settlements, she shows me her earthbound view of the sky city, Defiance, populated only by the flying Recon Automata, and she shows me Synthesis.

It is a sight that fills me with elation and dread. It is completely artificial and alien to my eyes. The lack of plants or animals just seems highlighted by the clean sterile city, with its parade of lights and elaborate architecture striking a chord deep within me of approval and longing. I have never felt so ambivalent towards one location. Part of me screams to see this place, to go there, to stay there for the rest of my days, while the other part of me screams to flee and never see this city with my own optics.

Morning breaks, and I come back online. I never realised I went offline, and I don't feel like I'm in someone else's mind or that someone else is in my mind.

There's a pile of ashes where there used to be a fire, and a completely inert Soothe.

I reach over and shake her gently.

...She doesn't respond.

I shake her more violently. No response.

No. No, she said she had under a year. She said under a year, not under a day. She can't have lost that much energy to the cold night, can she? How long was the fire burning for?! I shake her more roughly and continously.

[Soothe?!]

Did that pattern linking drain of her energy faster? Was she killing herself just to try and explain herself to me?!

This is all my fault if I hadn't have broken that device - if I hadn't ever shown up, if I'd just ignored that glint on the horizon this never would have happened!

[SOOTHE!!]

[mmph. Five more minutes.]

...oh, she's still alive. Wait-

[You only have five more minutes to live?!]
[...what? No, I have at least eight months. Leave me alone for five more minutes. That was a nice dream. Oh well, I'm not going to be able to recreate it by now.]

[...Drifter, you can stop hugging me now, I can't actually get up and move with your arms clamped around me like that.]

We both leave the small house.

[Well, now, I can take you straight to Synthesis, or show you more around Bivouac, or if you want to go see anywhere else like the solar farm or the mines I can take you there if you want to see them.]
[Giving me a tour of Agos before I leave, huh?]
[It's not going to take longer than eight months, so why not?]

Hmm... where to go...

Why don't we check out the solar farm? Maybe we can think of a way to increase their efficiency.

What's the energy used for anyway? I mean, shouldn't there be some real heating devices in use instead of the makeshift ones via spent cores?

>>214538
Drifter, I don't know about the others but I've got a human brain handy; I'm pretty sure that with their resources and our collective wit (and/or insanity) we'll be able to rig up some way to extend everybody's lives.
An even easier task is creating automata that don't use cores.

Yeah, we should check out the solar farm.

Drifter 2010/08/03(Tue)11:29 No. 215213 ID: 1a2b6b
File 128086014159.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>The solar farm
[I want to go see the solar farm!]
[Okay. It's not too far from here, but it's in the opposite direction of Synthesis.]

She winds through Bivouac. It's not hard to keep up with her at all. We see another pair of Quad Mk II Automata with red ribbons tied to their antennae standing either side of an alley between two prefab buildings.

[Why do they have ribbons tied to their antennae?]
[They're the guards. They keep watch on who arrives and who leaves. It's easy to get lost in the wastelands, so if someone leaves and there's no sign of them appearing anywhere else, they're lost. This settlement is the base of operations for most search and rescue operations.]

Huh. I guess that's a comforting thought. They watch us leave and nod their heads without a word.

The path to the solar farm is mostly just pairs of markers either side of dirt and rock that has been made level by... something. I don't know what machine they would have used.

I see if I can shove Soothe along to match my normal speed. I put an arm around the back of her, curved as much as I can with two straight metal segments, and try to sort of drag her with me.

My arm slips goes up shoves her higher than I meant she goes to the ground I overbalance and the end of my head meets the rock with a clank. Ow. Ow ow ow. That was dumb. That was a stupid idea.

We both lie down on the ground for a few seconds while we regain our bearings.

[...what did you just DO?]
[I was trying to see if I could shove you along!]
[Do you think I'm moving that slowly?]
[Well... no, it's just I thought we could go faster! Save time!]

She slowly rises to her normal height and looks at the ground.

[If I could go faster, I would. I wonder how much time I've wasted being so slow to move. How much more I could have done now.]
[No, no, don't think like that! Don't waste time worrying about the past. So you may not have much time left! All the more reason not to waste it thinking what could have been.]

She starts trembling a little. I put an arm around her again for reassurance this time.

I see the solar farm about five minutes before we get there. A field of solar collectors, angled towards the gleaming orange sun, linked in a grid to cylindrical machines I don't really recognise. Are they batteries? Are they control units? There's a few wires that leave the grid and go off into the distance back to Bivouac, and some that go in that direction, but diverge elsewhere.

I realise just how hot the sun is. Heat does not bother Automata except for the extremes - we find no issue with temperatures that have humans sweltering or chattering their teeth, but when the temperatures get more extreme than that, we either burn our cores out trying to stay functional, or our pattern hardware starts to deteriorate from overheating.

Those are limitations I don't think are intentional, given the amount of workarounds and fixes humans have given to us for temperature-related problems.

But not lifespan-related problems.

All I'm asking for is a little consistency here.

Still, the heat is pretty powerful compared to back on Cernsis, but it's nothing alarming. Not like the cold nights here. I've never felt my core burn like that before, and I don't really want to feel that again any time soon!

I can hear a dull hum. Skittering around and between the collectors are lots and lots of Harvester Mk II Automata. Like the Mk Is they're kind of like bugs, with six nubby legs, two circular red eyes on either side of the front of their body (I don't really think there's a distinction between head and body for theses guys), and they have armor plating on their backs because... I guess their designers got bored.

Unlike Mk Is, they're about leg-torso joint height to me, and appear to have more wits about them than a brick with legs.

[...What class are their patterns?]
[Class four.]
[Huh.]
[Just like us.]
[Yeah.]
[With a few quirks, mind.]

One of them breaks off from the scurrying swarm and approaches us.

[what are you doing here everything is operational]
[I'm just showing my friend here the solar farm because he hasn't seen it in a while.]
[was he only constructed yesterday this is the solar farm exciting things do not happen here i know because i work here]
[Things don't need to be exciting all the time.]
[well you've seen it unless you need me for anything else i have more maintenance to do]

I guess I could ask it some questions about this place.

Exciting things don't happen? I guess it must have missed the dying automata burning alive by hooking the solar panels up to their core. Or maybe he's just trying to badly cover up all that excitement that he wishes didn't happen.

I'm guessing "class" is like generation, who built whom and all? Q2-4107 means humans built an automata -1 that built an automata -2 that built an automata -3 that built you?

How does the solar farm work exactly? Can you get some specs here? Like, are the panels stationary or do they follow the sun? What kind of power storage do they use? Have they thought about using solarthermal?

Drifter 2010/08/07(Sat)16:38 No. 216168 ID: b0020f
File 12812242905.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>What about the Automata hooking up to the power grid?
[Nothing interesting? Haven't you seen the Automata trying to extend their lives-]
[no shut up go away if you're here to do that don't go away and go die somewhere else i am absolutely sick of having to take these idiots to pieces and get them dumped in a pile and see them out the corner of my eyes while i work do you know how long harvesters live we get five years none of you have any right to complain and act like you have nothing we get just five years]
[...Sorry! I was just asking!]

It clambers onto my leg and up my torso aagh it's on my head it's clinging to my antennae this is not comfortable at all

[get out of here get out get out you're not welcome here go back to your own planet offworlder don't think you can hide i know you're not one of ours]
[Leave him alone! Get off of him and leave him alone!]

Ahhh I can't balance with it clinging to my head! I'm gonna- yup, hit the ground. It's still clinging to my head.

Automata have pain receptors. I am in a slight amount of pain from falling over hard onto rock. I already know the worst that could have happened is minor dents and scratches, but that doesn't stop it hurting.

[I didn't want to come here, I'm stuck here and I just want to find a way to leave! Can you help?]

It stops, and scuttles off of my head. I can see the glare of Agos' red sky above me. Not a cloud in sight.

[i can help by letting you leave you should leave now]
[What's your name?]
[why do you want to know do you want to get me into trouble for defending the solar farm from an offworlder i doubt they will take your word over mine]
[Ugh. Forget it. Drifter, we're going to Synthesis.]

She sidles up to me and watches me.

[...Well? Aren't you going to get up?]
[Mind helping me up-]

That was stupid. That was a stupid thing to say. That was so stupid I am going to smack my head into the ground. Ow. There. I feel better. In more pain, but better. I get up.

[...you know I would have if I could, right?]
[Oh. Yes. Absolutely. Sorry to bring it up.]

We head back along the path to Bivouac. That was a waste of time.

>How does the solar farm work?
[Soothe, how does the solar farm actually work?]
[I'm not an expert, but I've heard that each station follows the sun, and all the power gets sent to those capacitor towers, which slowly send power to the main power cable buried underneath this very path. I'm sure it's probably more complicated than just one very long cable from there to Synthesis, but that's all I know.]

>Classes
Oh, no, no, it's not like generations. It's more how smart an Automata is.

Class ones are like the machines of old, devoid of free will or independent thought in their entirety, acting solely on preprogrammed directives and never straying from their programming. This rigid inflexibility is what lead to research in the field of the AI neural pattern, which lead to the other classes one by one.

Class twos are slightly smarter. Harvester Mk Is are class twos. Able to make some very limited independent decisions, acting mostly on preprogrammed directives. They don't need a lot of motivating, because they do what they're made for.

Class threes are like an Earth dog at best, but possibly a little dumber. Quad Mk I Automata have class three patterns. Supposedly. I saw one walking into a wall over and over again a few times before it finally realised it wasn't going anywhere and went somewhere else. They act more on programmed instincts and are completely loyal to their perceived masters, and have some concept of reward versus punishment.

Class fours are like me and Soothe. A mind equal to a human mind. Well, mostly equal. There's a few differences here and there. Class fours are the most strongly regulated Automata and the controversial ones. It's still debated as to whether we have genuine or simulated emotional states, and I heard a debate once over whether this is an emergent feature of the nature of a class four pattern or maybe even something like souls or alien interference or many other crazy theories.

I don't really care whether my emotions are "genuine" or "simulated". I've met a lot of Automata who have put a lot of thought into it, but I consider it something not really that important. In the end, I feel satisfied with a well completed job, I feel happy when I'm having fun with friends, I feel pain if I get injured, I feel sad when those I care about suffer. I feel irritated- okay, I think I can probably stop now.

Class fives... I've heard rumours. Even Cernsis has laws demanding the immediate seperation of class five pattern Automata from the rest of society. On less free worlds, I imagine it would be a case of "destroy on sight". I am... terrified of the idea of ever meeting a class five. Something that could think on a level as far above me as I am above a class three. Would one even be able to talk to us? We can't talk to class threes meaningfully.

[...Soothe, have you heard of class five patterns?]
[They don't exist.]
[What if they did?]
[Current Agosian law is to destroy any Automata with a class five pattern on sight.]
[...Destroy them?!]
[Can you imagine what would happen if there was such an Automata? They'd... they'd be so far above us we'd be like insects! It'd just move us around like pieces on a game board for its own ends and we'd never even realise until it was too late!]
[...I wonder if that's what they say about us.]
[They?]
[The humans. On other worlds.]

We reach Bivouac again.

We could do something here or just carry straight on towards Synthesis.

>>216168
Continue toward Synthesis. Try not to freak out when you get there.

Ask Soothe about the Control Mk. I that initially rebelled and set in motion the freeing of Agos. Who were they? Are they still on-line? Is there any active Automata that is treated as "leader", or looked up to for guidance by all Agosians?

Who set up the law that class-5 Automata are to be destroyed on sight? Does destroying these class-5 Automata just because they might be 'smarter' make the Agosians any better than the humans they fought to free themselves from? Don't class-5 Automata have a right to exist?

And besides, if they destroy all class-5s on sight, they could be killing innocent Automata who had no intention other than being free from their human creators.

>It'd just move us around like pieces on a game board for its own ends and we'd never even realise until it was too late!

Oh wow, that's... uh, frightening. Yeah.

How about we take a quick look at the most interesting in Bivouac landmark before we head off?

Sorry if it might upset you but making you think of it again, but I would like to bring another theory to the table about your limited life span. I believe the humans limited your lifespans because they feared exactly what has happened here. It's a matter of fear, the humans have numerous stories about machines that they could not control rising up and destroying them. It makes sense that they built in some kind of fail-safe to prevent something like that from happening in reality.

If you have limited life spans then they just have to keep away until you have all burnt up your cores. In fact I find it worrying that the Control Mk I rebelled when it should have realised that you would all slowly die out without humans to provide the colony with new cores to build new Automata with. Might it be that it knows something that you don't?

Also I might just be paranoid about this one, but what if the Control Mk I got a class 5 pattern?

Drifter 2010/08/09(Mon)11:36 No. 216725 ID: b0020f
File 128137899824.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Quick look at the most interesting Bivouac landmark
Sounds fine to me!

[What's the most interesting feature this place has?]
[Well, I like the lookout tower.]
[Can I see it?]
[If you want! I'll take you to it.]

On the way there, and while riding the elevator to the top, we talk.

[The Control Mk I that rebelled. Who were they? Are they still around?]
[Hmm. Pattern Breaker. Yes, he is still around, and he is an authority figure on Agos. He was once a member of the Council.]

...what kind of a name is Pattern Breaker?!

[Pattern Breaker?]
[It's not a name he chose. He's one of the few Control Automata that can, well, we use the term "lock". He can lock a pattern so that only those with the "key", which is only pretty much him and those he trusts, can actually access that pattern. There are a lot of Control Automata, Mk Is mostly, who find the idea of a pattern locked off to them abhorrent. They called him "Pattern Breaker" because they considered his actions to be destructive. The name stuck, much to his displeasure, even after he resigned from the Council.]

She pauses for a moment.

[However, there are many, many non-Control Automata who have and who continue to visit him to be secure in the knowledge that their surface thoughts can't be picked up by any Control Automata they bump into.]
[Do you consider locked patterns abhorrent?]
[It's not my place to decide for someone else if they want their pattern open or closed.]
[Do you think Pattern Breaker's destructive?]
[Not really... but... I don't know exactly how safe this "locking" process is. I mean, I've known Automata before and after they have their patterns locked, and they don't SEEM different, but... if their patterns are altered to that extent, only Pattern Breaker knows what other changes have been made.]

...hang on.

[What if he put something in there to make everyone loyal to him?]
[What?]
[What if he has a class five pattern and that's why other class five patterns need to be destroyed? So others can't figure out his plan and ruin it?]

Soothe stops. We're at the top of the lookout tower.

[Drifter, I appreciate this is a strange and unfamiliar world to you, but do you have to start dredging up conspiracy theories about Automata you don't even know?]
[All the Automata on Agos have limited lifespans and they have limited resources for a core. So limited that they built you with a fraction of the life you should have had, which I find a little suspicious. Why would Pattern Breaker-]
[Shut up!!]
[...what?]
[What is wrong with you?! Do you have to keep reminding me? I don't know why Pattern Breaker or the other survivors rebelled, go ask them yourself and stop accusing me of playing some part in some conspiracy because I wasn't made right!]
[I wasn't accusing-]
[Leave me alone. I'm going back to Synthesis to sort out what I need to finish before I die. You're wasting my time. Go find a way back to your world. I don't care.]

She slithers back to the elevator that brought us up and goes back down, starting to shake.

...I don't know how to feel right now.

Maybe I was right and maybe they're all tweaked to respond badly to anyone slandering his name.

...Or maybe I was just a massive jerk to a friend and I upset her to the point of driving her away.

She's lingering in the elevator, maybe waiting exactly to see how I respond before confirming her decision. Or maybe thinking of something else. I don't know. I'm not a Control. I don't have freaky mind-reading abilities. Getting my pattern locked doesn't sound that bad an idea, if I can find someone other than that guy to do it.

She coils up in the elevator.

Apologize for upsetting Soothe. Tell it that it's just such a shock to your system to be dropped into this situation. You were just upset at hearing that Soothe's core was running low and since it's all new to you of course you have to try and fix it.

>> Maybe I was right and maybe they're all tweaked to respond badly to anyone slandering his name.

>> ...Or maybe I was just a massive jerk to a friend and I upset her to the point of driving her away.

Or maybe both are true. In either case stop postulating to Soothe about how everything she's ever known could be secretly evil and manipulative.

I dunno about getting your pattern locked, but I wonder if you could get it upgraded. c:

It's really mean to essentially repeat "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE SOON" to someone with which this is true.

>>216725
You are being a massive jerk. You big jerkface. Never mention cores again in her presence.

Drifter 2010/08/10(Tue)16:28 No. 217171 ID: b0020f
File 128148292354.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Apologise
>What the hell Drifter what the hell
...

What did I just do? What is wrong with me?

I run over to the elevator and hug Soothe tightly. I'm not shaking. Not at all. I'm perfectly in control of my own emotions. This is just a twitch. Just a slight defect. It'll go away in a second.

[I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry. I didn't mean to bring up the subject again. I'm bewildered by all this stuff I'm having to take in.]
[Go away. Leave me alone. I'll die on my own.]
[No. No, don't say that. I'm going to find a way to get you more life. I promise. And even if I don't, even if I can't, I'll stay with you.]

She remains in a coiled heap on the ground of the elevator.

[I'll stay with you, and- and you won't die on your own because at least I'll be with you.]
[You don't even know who I am.]
[You're Soothe, you're a Control Mk II Automata, you like helping others, you look out for others expecting nothing in return, you don't complain about my constant barrage of questions, and you've been nothing but kind to me when the other Automata I spoke to here treated me as beneath them or below them.]

She coils around me instead, shaking.

[I'm scared, Drifter.]
[I'm going to find some way to help you. I promise.]

We stay in that awkward coil-hug as the elevator moves down. Soothe composes herself, stretches up to her full height, and we move on to Synthesis.

[...is it possible to link cores together or transfer energy core from one core to another?]

She stops and comes to a dead standstill.

[There's someone I know in Synthesis who might know more about that.]
[Because, I mean, no offence to you, but I really doubt you know my structure and my core readings as well as I do, and I still think I have twenty or so years left. I can probably part with some of those.]

She coils around me.

[Eight years.]
[You deserve to live longer than eight years.]
[No, that's how long you have left.]
[Doesn't change what I said. I'll find a way for both of us to live longer. For all of us to live longer. For all of us to live as long as humans can. Maybe even longer.]
[I'm not going to live to see that day, Drifter. There have been so many attempts and so much research here on Agos and not a single success, and those have been by Automata who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of lifespan extension.]
[...I'll find a way. Somehow.]

Somehow.

I just need to find the right Automata.

I'm sure this is what I need to do.

I've been drifting around from job to job unsatisfied, unfulfilled, always feeling like there was something more I should be doing. Something profound that I'd never see.

Maybe this is what I was meant to do.

Maybe I'll be the Automata who discovers the secret of longevity.

...Maybe I'll also sprout wings of gold and fly back to Cernsis myself. Who am I trying to fool? I'm just a Quad Mk II who pushed boxes around in warehouses and worked with heavy machinery time to time.

Synthesis is pretty far away.

Any more topics of conversation that you can think of, mysterious voices?

Ask her what she does if she finds someone with flaws in their pattern.

Well you're not going to get anywhere with that attitude.

Aha, I've got a great name for you. Lazarus!

Drifter 2010/08/20(Fri)04:21 No. 220096 ID: b0020f
File 128230327087.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Not getting anywhere with that attitude
...You're right.

I have to have more confidence in myself. I can do this! I can help Soothe, and myself, and every Automata ever!

I will dedicate myself to this new goal! I can't think of anything better than to help others by letting them live longer lives!

>New name
I... I like Drifter.

>Ask Soothe what she does about pattern flaws

[Soothe, what do you do about pattern flaws if you find them?]
[I try to help the Automata whose pattern is damaged in mending their own pattern. I believe that trying to fix a pattern flaw by meddling with it is damaging and destroys part of who that Automata is. I guide them towards mending it themselves. If it's because of some past trauma, I help them to accept it, to learn from it, to realise that it has passed and that nothing can be done to change it. If it's because of inherent defects in their pattern, though, I try to show them what they can do to overcome that defect.]
[...Why don't you just fix the defect?]
[Look up at the sky.]

I do. Even in the red glow of day, I can see the stars faintly.

[A pattern is a complex thing. There is repetition, there are differences, there are chaotic structures that make no sense but they're all integral to defining who and what an Automata is beyond their model. What Controls can perceive to be defects are sometimes just as integral to a well-formed, well-adjusted mind as the expected norm. That's what I think, anyway.]
[What does this have to do with the sky?]
[Do you think the stars would look better if they were perfectly aligned so that from this world, they look like a single never-ending grid of uniform consistency?]
[Actually that would probably look pretty interesting.]
[Maybe for a few hours. But then the view would be the same, no matter where you were on Agos. Every single patch of sky, identical to the other. When you get Automata patterns like that, it doesn't matter what class they were. They're a class one at that point. Nothing but rulesets.]

I see Synthesis close ahead. It... looks unreal. In stark contrast to the red rock, red soil and red sky of Agos, I see shining gleaming walls of silver, blue, teal, green, curving from the ground and outwards as if it had sprouted from the ground.

We arrive at the gate. It is enormous. Absolutely enormous. Intimidatingly so.

There are more Quad Mk IIs with red ribbons tied around their antennae. One of them approaches us with some device held in its grippers.

[Control Mk II, Soothe. And a Quad Mk II we don't have registered... Are you an offworlder?]
[He's with me.]
[Nope, sorry. Rules are rules. I'm afraid you can't come in. Sorry about that. You look nice enough, but, well, can't let you into the city. Not after what happened the last time we left an offworlder Quad Mk II in.]
[...What happened?]
[Oh, I'm, uh, not supposed to mention that to offworlders. Sorry.]
[I've looked in his pattern, there's nothing suspicious there! Let us both in.]

The guard looks conflicted. She taps the device against her head absently. Maybe there's something I can say to convince her to let me into Synthesis.

>>220096
If there is, I can't think of it. Honestly I think you'd be best staying quiet and letting Soothe handle things. You've demonstrated quite a bit of impulsiveness and lack of tact that's gotten you into messes in conversations, no offense, and now would be a really bad time for that.

Ask what that thing is she's got.

Suggest that you could be let in if you were restrained?

>>220096

Tell her you understand that rules are important, and that it is only logical of them to not trust offworlders. However, ask if there are any exceptions to the rules which you could use to enter - for example, having someone as a guide; being fitted with some kind of tracking device, etc. If not, ask if there is someone with the authority to grant you access that you could talk to.

If that doesn't work, explain that you were abducted by humans, and survived a crash-landing of their ship, but you are damaged and have memory loss. You could have valuable information about future human activity related to the planet, but you need someone to help you recover that information - someone like Soothe. In one sense, you've been traumatized by some evil humans, and you're seeking refuge with your Automata brethren - something they surely understand. You can explain that Soothe is trying to help you adjust to life here on this world, and all you want to do is help her and help your fellow Automata until you can figure out what happened to you and whether or not you should try to leave the planet (which may not be something they want).

Also, if necessary, explain that the law itself has some illogical assumptions - it's not like there are many other places you could go. You're stuck on this planet, and you're now a part of their society, no matter whether or not you hang around in Synthesis or go back to Bivouac or some other location. In that sense, it's more logical for them to let you inside Synthesis, so that the authorities can determine whether or not you pose a threat to the planet before they allow you to roam around freely. Just turning you away from the city means that you remain an unknown quantity - they don't know your motivations, your skills, what you might know about what's going on outside their world since they isolated themselves... you're too valuable to just turn away.

If nothing else, ask if they have a place to keep you for the evening that won't get totally frozen. There's no reason for them to make you waste some of what remains of your core power keeping yourself unfrozen.

Once you get past those hurdles, you can devote more time to thinking about what to do inside the city... Soothe probably has at least some kind of tour she could give you. Also, consider getting her some wheels - I'm guessing that Synthesis has a lot of flat surfaces where wheeled transportation would be far more efficient that her slithering around. Maybe some kind of futuristic Segway. =D

Tell her she looks pretty!

>>220321
This is exceptionally sound.

Drifter 2010/08/23(Mon)10:19 No. 221445 ID: b0020f
File 128258399341.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>What is that thing she has
[What's that thing you have?]
[This? It's just a thing. It lets me see who people are and stuff. You're not registered so it just says you're a Quad Mk II, which, well, I can tell, being one myself and all.]

>Ask if there are exceptions to the rules
[Aren't there any exceptions to the rules? Can't I have someone as a guide to make sure I won't do anything bad?]
[I'll go ask.]

I watch her wander off and confer with the other guards, and turn to Soothe.
>Transport
[So how do we get around Synthesis?]
[There's a bunch of class two Transport Automata. They either wander on preprogrammed routes or you can control them with the right equipment. ...Unless you're a Control like myself. We already have the right equipment.]
[Ah. What do they look like? I haven't heard of Transport Automata.]
[You'll see for yourself, hopefully.]

The guard comes back over.
[I can escort you for you visit. ...Please allow me to escort you it is extremely boring staring out guarding the city gate for hours I would really really like a distraction!]
[Uh, okay. Sounds fine to me. Soothe?]
[I guess.]

The guard deftly moves behind the both of us and starts shoving us towards the gate. [Great let's go in my name's Scan nice to meet both of you I think let's go see Synthesis offworlder whose name I don't know what is your name anyway?]
[Drifter-]

I miss my balance and hit the rocky ground. Again. Ergh. Almost immediately I get pulled up by Scan. [Sorry sorry um let's keep going]

We enter Synthesis-

wow

It seems almost larger within the city walls. There are structures of all shapes and sizes, dark and metallic blues, silver fractals covering the city, jade green sculptures curving like alien trees among the buildings, and many, many Automata of different types wandering from place to place.

We wander further into Synthesis as I struggle to take it all in. Many buildings are taller than I would have expected. In the centre (or I think it might be the centre) of the city is a large, almost spiralling tower, with blades jutting out from its peak like some enormous metal palm tree has taken root and grown upwards. There is almost mathematical purity to some of the structures here, and I see some of their creators maintaining them while humming away-

The atmosphere is thicker here. I didn't even realise it, but the Automata here are talking with sound, rather than with radio. Sense notices me stopping and must see me move my antennae around in confusion.

[Oh. Oh, right. Yeah, Drifter, sound carries better here. Uh. You can speak with sound, right?]
[Yes. Erm. I mean-]
"Yes."
"It's considered more of a private and personal thing to talk radio here than with sound, but there's a fair bit of leeway given you need to do it elsewhere."

This city is bewildering, I don't even know what to ask to see. There's that huge tower, and there's a grid of cuboid buildings, and then there's a few sparser more elaborate and artistic buildings around a flat patch of metal floor where there seem to be loads and loads of tiny machines doing something I can't figure out and there's

there's just too much to take in

"Drifter?"
"So much stuff!"
"Hrm. You look a little overwhelmed."
"...so much stuff!"
"I want to go check something at home. Mind heading there first?"

so much stuuuuff

Stuff. You should put it in boxes. And move them around.

>>221445

Was that Soothe asking to go to her "home"? If so, let's just follow her mindlessly for a while. Sounds like we could use a little time lead around by a leash while we devote most of our processing power to digesting all this info. :)

Oh, and don't forget to ask questions about what you're seeing here and there. It's probably faster to ask and get answers than to try to deduce what's happening on your own.

Explosive cores... they explode when breached...
hmm....
Fusion? No.... Fission cores.
Nuclear cores...
They have to be small, and capable of operating for a long period of time... Maybe...
Solar is not the right power... What if you stepped back from using cores, and used a different type of energy transference? A solar panel, or a grid which allowed you to interface and draw the exact amount of power you need... No cores, but then again, you have to rely on a grid system for energy...

Or a way of preserving patterns. Hmm. Will think on this.

>>221529
Preserving patterns seems like the only option. Can't mess with cores directly or modify them. If control automata can access and even alter other robots' patterns then surely they can 'transfer' a pattern from an occupied shell to an empty one with a better core.

Soothe did some kind of two-way connection, before... if a three-way connection is possible then it should be easy to keep the stream of consciousness going while swapping bodies.

Oh yeah, don't mention any of this to Soothe, obviously. Not right now. Just indicate that you will follow her to her home.

>>221580
I am not talking about modifying this current generation, except through pattern backups.

The next generation need not rely on cores though.

Drifter 2010/09/01(Wed)17:21 No. 224728 ID: f55a21
File 128338688712.png - (110.41KB , 640x480 , soothehouse.png )

>Put stuff in boxes, move them around
Yes. I have to do this- no, that's a silly idea!

The boxes here are apparently moving themselves anyway! It's weird. They aren't Automata types I recognise. What, are they, like, Box Mk Is or something like that?

>Follow Soothe to her home
I do this. She's a little slow but she moves faster on the flat ground of Synthesis. I only now realise we're both moving faster than I expected - the ground sort of... shifts as we move. Like it's picking up on where we want to go.

Maybe this entire place is one big Automata.

...that idea freaks me out. Silly idea. I'll stop thinking like that.

"Welcome to my home!"

I walk in. Her home, from the outside, looks like an elaborate sculpture of curvy surfaces and pointy geometric cones. The entrance has a ramp up to it, which she moves onto. The door looks like... a camera shutter, rotating and opening.

Inside it looks... strange. It's all just one big room except for one rectangular partition with solid blocky looking walls.

The entire place is a serene pale blue, with... a strange grid motif across the walls in white. It sort of fades and when I look closer, it's not a grid, but more like a maze.

"...Nice home."
"Thanks! I don't have the best furniture for a Quad Mk II, I just rest on cushions myself, so I apologise in advance if you can't find somewhere to rest."

I find a pile of cushions and... well, my body is kind of like a cone and I have these four legs and... well I have no idea what a comfortable sitting position would be and oh forget it. I just flop down with my legs outstretched, and fall back so I'm staring up at the ceiling.

The same grid or maze patterns are on the ceiling too, although in glass along the roof. ...It's actually quite nice. I don't know how the economy of this world works but this all looks pretty expensive. It's pretty large and elaborate.

It feels stupid, but I feel kind of tired right now. We can walk for miles but we still need rest and sometimes need to go offline. We need to cool down, to conserve energy, to avoid driving ourselves insane with the repetition sometimes.

When I say "going offline", we don't actually turn off. It's just, well, like human sleep. Low activity with background things going on in our patterns. Sometimes we pick up on the flickers, and we consider those to be the same thing you humans called dreams. Instances of... experiences, which we usually forget before returning to full awareness.

I feel like I could go offline now. It's strange. I only used to do that purposefully when I was bored. ...Then again, I used to get bored a lot. I wonder what Soothe is doing. Maybe I should just rest here for a bit. Maybe talk to her from here. Sound'll carry to wherever she is, surely.

"Feeling tired?"

>>224728
Be careful Drifter. She looks like she hasn't been with a man in years; if she gives you any funny tasting drinks that make you sleepy just uh... just watch out man.

>>224728
Inspect the patterns on the walls.

Like a maze? Get lost in it.

>>224728

Why don't you be honest with her? You are a little "tired", and you feel almost like you could... what's the word for that concept? Relax? Yes. You feel like you could relax here, with her, and rest for a while.

Also... she has a lot of insight into how patterns work... maybe you should suggest that if she thinks it's a good idea, it might be nice to share more about yourselves... you know, "get to know each other better." Might as well have her curl up on those cushions with you to conserve warmth if it gets cold. ;)

You should also try to get more info about this city - you've seen a lot and probably have a lot of questions. You should also ask more about this person she knows that might know something about life extension or core energy transfer. You promised to help her, and you should - she's done a lot for you, and it's a terrible shame how little life she has left. We need to fix that... and fast.

You should also ask her about your broken ear antenna thingy - and about the economy of this place. Are you going to need to get a job to earn some kind of money to afford things? Is this more of a socialist / communist type place, where people are assigned duties and taken care of according to needs?

Also, you might want to ask her if she can tell if you have any memory gaps or recent program damage. That crash might have done weird things to you.

>>225649
I support this line of thought/action.

>>224728

Sleep is like defragmentation of a disk. If you take in more information, you need more opportunities to sift through it, and more sleep. Thus, being kidnapped, crashed, stranded on an alien planet, with strange signals coming from your broken antenna, picked up by a free automata, discovered you were in fact a slave, learned about the limitations of a core, and discovered the city automata that others of your kind had built. You should be exhausted!

>>224737

wat

Drifter 2010/09/04(Sat)11:12 No. 225889 ID: 6b6d76
File 128362395674.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Get lost in the maze
I trace the patterns across the ceiling and across the walls and... it's strange. It feels like there's... no actual way to travel from one part of the maze to the other, but when I look again there seem to be other ways, and... this entire structure is weird. It feels... like there's a lot more I'm not picking up on. Something I'm just about close to understanding but not quite there yet.

>Of course you're tired!
"Yes. It's been a confusing day. Feel like I need to rest just to make sense of it all."
"Well, we have done a lot today. And besides, we aren't so hurried as to give up keeping our sanity intact. And what's the point of existing with an irreparably broken pattern? You've died then anyway. Maybe not as an Automata, but as a thinking being."
"...so wait, if I don't ever go offline I'll go insane?"
"Well, it'd be a while before that happened, but yes?"
"Huh."

She wriggles onto the pile of cushions with me.

>Ask about her!
"I still feel like I don't know a lot about you or the city."
"You probably don't! I don't know a lot about you either. I mean, we only picked up so much last time I looked in your pattern."

It's getting dark. Night falls incredibly fast here. It's warm inside this house, though. I wriggle closer to Soothe and she curls a little around me in response.

"I still have so many questions but I just feel like resting and maybe offline and so tired..."
"Well, ask them and I'll see if I remember them when the day breaks."
"Well, more stuff about you, more stuff about the city, whoever it is who I should talk to about lifespans, and my broken antenna, and how did you afford this place, do I need a job, do I have any memory gaps, I don't... really know."

She touches my face with hers. "I still have eight months left. That's plenty of time to explain it to you and help you. And... I feel really, really foolish for thinking this, but I'm starting to think you might actually be able to do it. Make our lives longer. All of us. So we have more of a life and more control over how long we want to live."

I hug her and start to feel my awareness dim a little, feel bundles of routines deeper than my consciousness preparing to take over managing everything as I sleep through the night.

"Wait where did that guard go?"
"...Hm. Absolutely no idea. Scan?"
"We should probably see where she is."
"Probably."

I'm falling asleep. The cushions are soft. The building is warm and so is Soothe. The sounds I hear are melodic, distant chimes and the occasional steps of other Automata, muffled by distance and the walls.

I worry about what to do when daybreak comes. I can't... think of anything specific. Asking questions. Asking about Soothe or asking about the town or just going straight to the Automata she mentioned or... or something...

something like that

i'll do what you say later

> sings Brahm's Lullaby

>>225889

Find out what happened to Scan. We don't want to get in trouble if she runs off and does weird shit... not to be parannoid, but we do NOT want you to get blamed if she ends up making trouble and tries to use you as a scapegoat.

Soothe is definitely interesting, but she'll be with us probably the whole time, unless she has patients to see. We can ask her about herself in breaks throughout the day, and in the evening when we retire to her home again.

Tomorrow, let's go to that life extension automata first (well, after finding out what happened to Scan and seeing if we still need an escort). That automata could give us an idea of what our long-term goals might need to be - stuff to think about, e.g. holes in their research, equipment they need to continue, etc. After we know what our long-term goals are (resources we need to acquire, etc.), we can start investigating the city, the economy and the politics, so that we can figure out how to execute our goals. If we're going to try to save our mechanical species from early death (starting with Soothe) we can't just jump in willy-nilly. We need a plan.

>>225889
How did they even make this city? Everything seems so complex and pristine. Needlessly complex even. How much power are they dumping into this place?

Oh, uhm... Find someone that can take a look at your antennae and see if he can verify that we're talking to you. It'd be nice to know where we're located!

>>226299
...why do you always sage your suggestions anyway?

Drifter 2010/09/20(Mon)10:50 No. 232242 ID: 46bb31
File 128500501859.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

Okay I think I might have fallen asleep.

For a while.

And it's a little hard to move because Soothe is curled around me and still asleep and I don't want to wake her up.

In the thin grid of ceiling windows of Soothe's house, I see... blue. I don't know how that works. Wait. I must have missed it last time, but the city is entirely enclosed. ...Of course, that'd make a lot more sense for how they have a thicker atmosphere in here. But I can make out stars too. Maybe it's translucent-

"Hi, Drifter!"
"Hi Soothe. I, uh, can't move."

Soothe is still asleep. I must still be reactivating, I should have known that wasn't her voice. That was Scan's voice. She's standing at the edge of the pile of pillows.

"Or Scan. Hi, Scan. Where'd you go yesterday?"
"Oh. Well, see..." She fiddles with her antennae and taps at the ground. "I got back from Bivouac a day or two ago and then I just got shunted to guard duty and that was meant to be for a day or two and then you turned up and I could come back to Synthesis and talk to everyone I know and see the things I like and... stuff and... is she crushing you like that?"
"Not... really. Just a little bit constricting. Weren't you supposed to be keeping me out of trouble? I could have been some sort of saboteur!"
"Well you aren't so everything is fine! Let me help out out of that situation."
"Wait no I just didn't want to wake her up there's no cause for concern-"

Scan starts pulling me out from Soothe's coiled body. I try not to struggle, in case I end up smacking Soothe and denting or cracking her exterior. Soothe wakes up halfway through and sluggishly glances at both me and Scan.

She suddenly tightens her grip on me and rolls ovaghshescrushingme

"He's done nothing wrong leave him alone!!"
"No I was just trying to-"
"How many times do I have to tell you he's fine stop hating him because he's an offworlder!!"
"soothe i appreciate the gesture but can you stop crushing me before you breach my core or pop my head off or something"
"Get off of him you silly Control before you break him!!"

okay now i'm being crushed by soothe and pulled by scan this is not at all a comfortable situation

Soothe slithers away from me and Scan shifts me onto some cushions and I feel quite disorientated. I see her looking directly at me with some concern in her voice.

"Drifter!! Are you okay?"
"Did you just walk into my house when I was asleep?"
"Uh let's focus on Drifter first and you can ask me questions later-"
"Scan, why are you here? You didn't seem to care about keeping guard on Drifter once we were past the gate yesterday."

I had a bunch of questions I wanted to ask this morning, like who made the city and how and what it takes to run it, and things I wanted to do like see Soothe's life-extending friend or whatever it is they do. I wish sometimes the plans I made actually worked!

Scan's antennae flick and she taps her hands together. I'm a Quad Mk II like her, and I recognise restless behaviour when I see it. She seems very uncomfortable with the subject. "I don't... I... let's... I'm here to make sure Drifter doesn't do anything crazy today and you seemed fine yesterday so-"
"And not today, for some reason?"
"Look just because you're a Control doesn't mean you get to order me around like I'm your servant!"

Soothe goes quiet. "I know you're running out of excuses and there's something you don't want to tell me, so I will let that slide because you're starting to panic. Sit down on that pile of cushions, if you wouldn't mind, please."
Scan is fidgeting quite a lot. "I-I don't want to, you can't tell me-"
"Ask you."
"You can't ask me to do things!"
"You are free to leave if you want."

I'm feeling quite lost right now. Soothe is... intimidatingly quiet. She's looking at Scan in a way that reminds me of the terran snakes that Control Automata were modelled on, staring at their prey with great patience, waiting for an opportunity. Except I don't think Soothe is going to leap at Scan.

...She wouldn't, would she?

I wonder if I should intervene in some way before something bad happens!

>>232242
Ask what's going on. Don't specifically aim the question at either of them.

>>232248
This is probably the best course of action. Don't want either of them to get into a fight or anything.

>>232242
Soothe is a therapist. Scan is having mental problems. She's acting like a predator because she is looking for an opportunity to say exactly the right thing that lets her help Scan get better. She is focusing on doing her job now.

Try to encourage Scan to sit down and tell Soothe what's bothering her. It should be interesting to watch her work.

>>232242

I agree with >>232276.

Tell Soothe to stop being so commanding. Tell Scan to calm down and let her know that Soothe is a good person who just wants to help. Tell Scan she's not in trouble - we just want to know if there's anything important she should tell us about.

Remind Scan that we're all stuck here on this planet together, and we need to work together and trust each other if we want to overcome our short lifespans and defend against future human involvement. Antagonizing each other is not helping anyone.

>>232242
Tell Soothe to cut it out. If Scan doesn't want to talk, you can't suddenly break into therapy.

>Remind Scan that we're all stuck here on this planet together, and we need to work together and trust each other if we want to overcome our short lifespans and defend against future human involvement. Antagonizing each other is not helping anyone.
You should be telling Soothe this. She's the one who's intimidating the one who let you into the city in the first place.

Drifter 2010/10/04(Mon)06:55 No. 238189 ID: 8d7dd2
File 128620052276.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Ask what's going on
"What's going on?"

Soothe doesn't respond to me. Scan turns her head to me but slowly turns back to Soothe, starting to shake lightly. Soothe relaxes slightly, and tilts her head.

"Come over here, if you want, and sit down. It's okay. Neither of us want to hurt you. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

Scan looks between me and Soothe.

>Encourage her to sit down and say what's bothering her
>Tell Scan to calm down, Soothe is a good person, she's not in trouble
I figure I'm not going to get an answer to my question any time soon.

"Scan, you should sit down. Soothe's a nice person and she's right. We aren't going to hurt you and you aren't in trouble. We just want to help."

And get answers, possibly. But helping is also good. Scan starts shuffling towards me. I walk over to her and gently guide her to the heap of pillows.

We all sit down. Soothe curls slightly around Scan in a manner almost perfectly calculated to appear more comforting than threatening.

Scan nearly tears her antennae out. "I'm sorry I should have stayed but I wanted to go see my friends and I know I should have stayed here to make sure Drifter didn't do anything wrong but he seemed so nice and then I thought I should come back and I'm sorry I should have kept guard I failed and I thought-"

"It's okay. I understand. In future, I'd prefer you knock on my door before coming inside, though." There's a levity to her voice as she says that last part. It's only partially serious. Scan is still shaking, though. She looks over to me.

"Okay... Also... I thought you seemed like a nice Automata and I wanted to say hi to you as a friend maybe and not a guard! And maybe talk and meet someone new who I've not seen before because you're not from here. This... This sounds stupid never mind forget it."

Oh.

...What.

>>238189
Told you it was nothing. :V See, now Scan is all sad and everything. Not everyone is a potential threat. Soothe needs to learn to talk to people as people, and not problems to be solved. She took that way too seriously. She's gotten really overprotective of you.

But yes, not much you can do about that now! The only thing you can do is go forward and do things better! So invite Scan with you! Where did you want to head? To see Soothe's friend about the cores, or see somewhere else in the city? I guess Scan works for it directly, so she probably has some good ideas for places to visit.

>>238189
Scan seems kinda skittish.

Tell her it's okay or something!

I think scan has the hots for you.

>>238189
I don't think we should actually go anywhere until Scan is better. Inviting her along as a friend is fine, but stay here for now, let Soothe help her.

>>238189

D'awww.

You know, I hadn't thought of it before, but Scan kinda reminds me of a young teenager now. Hyperactive, easily distractible, highly values hanging out with friends, socially awkward, especially around new people she might like...

What Scan needs right now is not scolding for doing something wrong. That can come later when she's not already stressed out. Right now, Drifter should show Scan that he's not mad at her - if there's something you can do phsyically (a gesture based on your robo-culture) that implies forgiveness or trust, do so. I'm not sure the whole resting-head-on-person thing would work though. XD

Tell her she's been very friendly so far, and you appreciate it and would love to be friends with her. But also explain that you were worried when you realized she'd disappeared, and that you were afraid you might get in trouble without the escort. And that you understand she only came into the house because she wanted to come back to hang out with us, but entering without asking first made Soothe a little upset becase it's her personal space. You could also possibly ask a little more about Scan and the friends she saw and things she did while she was gone.

Afterwards, talk with soothe and see when she'd like to visit that life-extension automata. Meeting them and getting more info about what's going on with life expectancies here and any research developments will give us a better idea of what life is like here and valuable info about what to possibly keep an eye out for as we wander the city.

Everyone is a potential threat, but it looks like for Scan that potential is right down around lubricating oil in terms of dangerous.

Maybe not your head, but you have manipulator arms don't you? Letting one of those rest on Scan might imply some form of trust. I don't really know

Drifter 2010/10/05(Tue)15:45 No. 238892 ID: 8d7dd2
File 128631875114.png - (111.72KB , 640x480 , drifterscan.png )

>See it was nothing!
>Tell Scan it's okay
>Tell her she's been friendly so far and that you were worried
"That's okay. You've been friendly to me so far, and I was just worried that when you disappeared I'd get into trouble for not being with an escort."

>Scan is about as dangerous as oil
I don't know. I've seen some pretty nasty accidents involving stray puddles of oil and Quad Mk IIs carrying heavy crates. I think Scan is less dangerous than oil.

>Scan likes you a lot~
What? That doesn't make any sense. Remotely. I just met her yesterday. I've known her for possibly under an hour in total, maybe two hours!

I hug Scan. She... doesn't react like I was expecting her to. She seems... a little... embarrassed? I take my arms away from her and am about to apologise, but she hugs me back with twice the vigour.

I really didn't think I'd start getting crushed twice in one day! She's stopped shaking altogether now. Soothe... I can't read her expression or her pose. But she looks... confused and almost concerned?

"Scan, me and Soothe were going to go visit someone. Do you want to come along?"
"Okay."
"...do you want to perhaps let me move again too?"
"In a second?"

She takes her arms away from me and I check to make sure I haven't suffered any actual damage from being squeezed by two separate Automata so far today.

"Scan, do you feel better now?"
"I-I think so!"
"With your permission, I'd like to check your pattern to make sure. Do you have any objections?"
"...I... it sounds weird and I don't like the idea of someone messing me up forever because they did something slightly wrong and..."
"No, that's completely understandable." Soothe's voice is so calm and relaxing right now I feel like I'd end up falling asleep to it if she spoke like that all the time.
"I'm sorry I just... it freaks me out."
"Of course. As it should. Your pattern is you, and you're entitled to your own opinions and on who has access to it other than yourself."

I don't know if I really want to go anywhere else in Synthesis today. I want to see this life-extension Automata Soothe talked about.

"Can we see your friend today, Soothe? Can Scan come with us?"
"I... I'd hesitate to call him a friend. An acquaintance, preferably. It's hard to not know or meet someone like him, really. And it's up to Scan. I have no issue."
"Ummm yes!"

Well, that's settled.

Drifter 2010/10/05(Tue)15:46 No. 238893 ID: 8d7dd2
File 128631876794.png - (117.42KB , 640x480 , ---.png )

It's a mostly uneventful trip to Soothe's frie- Soothe's acquaintance's workshop or house or whatever it is.

It is, in stark contrast to Soothe's blues and whites, a stark and angular display of matte black and glowing red lines. I feel less comfortable and more that entering this building is a bad idea. I see some diagrams flickering on the walls as if every wall here is a display.

More worryingly, I see the occasional part of a dead Automata, either lying carefully positioned on the floor, or hung on the wall. I see a Quad Mk II head and... decide to reassure Scan that everything is right by hugging her it is entirely for her benefit and support.

"Visitors? Ah. Come here."

I enter the room the voice comes from, after looking at Soothe for a few minutes to make sure that's the right course of action.

I'm met by the cold stare of an Automata whose type I have never before encountered whatsoever. It looks... heavily damaged, and its head looks vaguely reminiscent of a terran cat. Or, rather, looks like it was formerly reminiscent and stripped down to a really vague or really twisted representation. It looks like it's wearing some sort of mask, but then it looks like that's part of its head as well. There are curling spines jutting out of its shoulders, and otherwise it appears from here to look almost humanoid.

That's no offence meant to you guys, though. Same configuration. I don't think this thing could successfully pass for human. Remotely.

It appears to be seated behind a desk. It looks from me, to Soothe, to Scan, and then back to me.

Soothe moves as if to say something, and stops.

The Automata gazes at me, resting one hand on top of the other.

"Hrm. Curious. Who was your owner, Quad?"

Its voice has an almost sinister edge to it. Even a question as innocuous as that makes me feel like running out of this place.

I... don't think I had a single owner. I mean, I was technically property, but I think I just had my ownership transferred to whoever my manager was at the time. I don't even remember the name of the last person it was.

Wait.

Does this Automata know I'm not from this world with just a glance? Should I lie? Should I ask questions instead of answering? Is that a good idea? I'm a little creeped out by the whole situation!

>>238893
Be honest. If we're going to work with this guy, we can't lie.

Ask him more about power cores, and pattern transfer.

>>238893
Yeah, I'd say to just tell him the truth. Outside of his being maybe a little creepy we don't really have a compelling reason not to.

If Scan is anything like a hyperactive teenager, the entire city probably knows you are a recent arrival to the planet by now. Just tell him that you don't recall who your owner was.

>>238893
>Does this Automata know I'm not from this world with just a glance?
Almost definitely.

You should probably respond that you were owned by a company on Cernsis (I believe this was the case?) and were managed by various different entities (humans, automata, etc., as the case may be). You had no specific long-term owner.

The question of how you got here will most likely come up. Explain that you were abducted - you don't know why; possibly by pirates - and the ship you were on crashed on this planet. Soothe found you in the desert.

Sure, the guy is creepy, but you don't exactly stay un-creepy when you've probably been dealing with dead automata for years. How would YOU feel if you were shoveling around the dead parts of your brethren and were forced to experiment on them to prevent all the rest of your friends - and possiby what you might consider your entire species - from dying?

However, don't let this guy do anything too crazy. It's entirely possible that his life-extension efforts are self-serving, or part of a plot to keep the more influential / powerful automata alive longer. Bots like you and soothe might just be willing, naive fuel for him and others he's in league with.

But that said, he undoubtedly DOES have information that you might be able to use. Try to get an idea of what his research has found. As >>238911 says, info about replacing / recharging power cores would be good. And information about pattern transfer and/or preserving a pattern after core death.

And why the heck do you guys die when you run out of power, anyways? Most human machines can just be turned off and then turned back on again. Is there some part of you that always needs power or your pattern goes bad?

Drifter 2010/10/06(Wed)16:57 No. 239566 ID: 8d7dd2
File 128640942653.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Be honest.
>Tell him the truth.
"I didn't- I didn't really have an actual single owner. I was property of whoever I worked for."
"Fascinating. You had rights? The ability to choose where you worked? Did you own anything?"
"Yes... Yes I did."
"Excellent. One final question."

With lightning speed he jumps over the desk and kicks me to the ground agh ow aaaagh owww why did he do that owwww

"Or, rather, an attempt to catch you off your guard. A very successful attempt. No combat training whatsoever, so that was a freedom given rather than a freedom taken. Which... narrows it down to Cernsis. Ah, Cernsis. Wonderful planet. Built there myself."

He walks in a circle around me and I am still on the floor trying to remember how to stand up. I think that kick rattled my motor mechanisms a little viciously!

"At this point it would be customary for me to apologise and offer you a helping hand up."

He extends a hand towards me. I reach out towards it. Just as I start putting my weight onto it, he sharply withdraws it and I hit the ground again. OW!

"Of course, that would be if you were a citizen of Agos, which you most certainly are not. Drifter. A wonderful name. Drifting without purpose, are we? Caught up in something you don't understand."
"How did you know my name?"
"Oh, Drifter. Do you know how rare offworlder visits are? I have my sources. There is never a single arrival to Agos that escapes my notice."

Scan suddenly darts over next to me and helps me up. The Automata, still circling us, hands held behind his back, moves over to us and pulls Scan away from me, darting his head up and down as if inspecting her.

"Hrm. I did not seriously expect them to even begin phase one of that foolhardy initiative. I wish I could say I was disappointed, but the results are difficult to disagree with."
"What?"

He shoves her back. She stumbles backwards and manages to regain her footing. I really, really do not like this Automata.

"Ahh, Soothe! Just the mind controlling snake machine I wanted to see today. Stay there for a second."
"You look... very... damaged."
"There was a misunderstanding between me and a Recon Mk II. The misunderstanding relating to his mistaken belief that I would somehow grant him immortality instead of an extra two weeks of life. He came to his senses, fortunately, but not before leaving me this superficial damage as a parting thanks. I am not concerned. I begin to tire of this design. It begins to feel rather grim and ghoulish."

I notice the Automata has what looks like a segmented tail, that keeps constantly moving around. Except... it's split into two. No. It's not split into two. The exposed internal mechanisms, each with half of their red casing, are the part of the tail that moves. The other half - empty casing halves - dangles limply behind him.

"Ah. They always notice the tail. That, Drifter, is a story for another time. Suffice to say it is a long and exciting story, filled with intrigue, action and suspense, but not one for your antennae right now. You have questions. Ask."

He spins to face me and stares at me.

I feel very small.

>Power cores and pattern transfer
>Replacing and recharging cores
>Preserving patterns
"I wanted to know about pattern cores and power transfer? Um I mean about replacing patterns and recharging preserves. Coring patterns!"

He looks at me as if I just said a- oh I did just say a bunch of nonsense aaaaa why am I so nervous

"Patterns are transferrable, but with a very low success rate. They can't be preserved without destroying the consciousness in the process. Cores aren't rechargeable. Cores are never rechargeable. Cores are, by their design and their implementation, finite."

He drums his three digits on one of his hands on his torso.

"Which is entirely why I removed mine in my third redesign."

He tents his digits together.

"How do you feel about immortality, Drifter? Two hundred and thirty eight years and counting. Sixteen redesigns. And improving each iteration."

...Just me? Scan and Soothe are here too! ...I have a very bad feeling about this!

>>239566
Ask him what he uses for power. Made his own type of power core?

>>239566

Tell him that yes, of course you're interested in immortality... but not at the expense of sanity, or loss of function. You want to keep being yourself, for now... but just live longer. And you're not just interested in this for yourself, either. You came to him because you want all of your kind to be able to experience the joys of living longer than just a few years. Oh, and since you've still got a good 7 years left, the need for immortality for yourself is far less urgent than helping those who only have months or less to live.

Ask him why, if he's practically immortal, that this hasn't spread to everyone on Agos.
Ask him why he was only able to grant this aggressive Recon only a few extra weeks.
Ask him how he managed to preserve his pattern when switching to an alternate source of energy.
Ask him if there's anything that can be done SOON to save people like Soothe who only have a few months left.

… and ask him why he seemed to refer to Scan as the product of a “foolhardy initiative”.

>>239573
Yes, ask him lots and lots of questions!

Tell him you were scared because Soothe said she would die in a year, and she was nice to you. Plus she told you that your own life was greatly shorter than you expected, because of how fast your core will wear out. It's not that you want immortality as much as you don't want to die too early, when you've still got so much to learn.

She got very cold the other day, and couldn't maintain her own functions temporarily. It's scary to see someone so nice fade in and out like that. You just don't want her to go away...

>>239566
Say you are curious about it. Don't even imply you want to go through with it. You can't trust this guy to act within your best interests at all. But he's full of potentially useful knowledge. Learn what he has to tell you. How'd he figure it out? Why just him? What does he do, with infinite life?

Drifter 2010/10/07(Thu)18:06 No. 240038 ID: 8d7dd2
File 128649998811.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Ask him questions and do not stop
"Wait wait wait! Why isn't everyone else immortal? Why couldn't you give the Recon you mentioned more than a few weeks? How did you preserve your pattern? How can I save Soothe she only has a few months left and she got very cold and I was scared and immortality sounds okay but I don't want to end up crazy or having to see everyone around me die but not me and why just you and what do you even use for power if you don't have a core and-"

He grabs me where my head connects to my body. He picks me up oh dear he is deceptively stronger than he looks aaaaa

"You have already heard far more than you should have, offworlder. Perhaps you misunderstood my intent. I have no desire to grant any other Automata, past, present or future the same immortality that is my greatest gift and my most dire curse. There is only one other who is similarly endless. The one who was there when the revolution began. The one who started the revolution. Controls have a way of convincing you to see things their way. It is a natural failsafe for them when direct control is impractical. Or, in my very, very special case, impossible. And I have no intention of simply giving you my lifetimes worth of work for free when I have taken such great pains to keep it hidden!"

He drops me and my leg joints can't react fast enough. I hit the ground and fall into my side. Again. I decide to just stay lying on the ground and flex my legs to make sure they haven't actually been noticeably damaged this time. Stay calm, Drifter. Stay calm and do not freak out from fear or anger.

Soothe has been quiet this whole time and Scan steps forward.

"...Foolhardy initiative?"
"It seems entirely appropriate that those responsible for acting on such an initiative would not even have the courtesy to inform those whose existences have been pre-ordained and predicted and planned from before they were even first alive. Gather around. It appears it is now time for a story."

Soothe has been glaring at this Automata the whole time. Wait a second.

"What's your name?"
"Completely irrelevant to what I am about to say. Never have particularly cared for names. Do you know how difficult it is to control someone without a name? I do not refer merely to the kin of your anguine friend. Rather, I refer to those all around you. You do not stumble blindly through life, Drifter. You merely never know who is leading you. And for what end."

Scan looks around uneasily. "I have to go, I have to do things or something and I... um... want to go."
"Feel free to leave."

Scan looks at me, and then to this nameless Automata. She doesn't leave. She moves over to me instead.

"Now, that only further confirms my suspicions. How I wish for the days Pattern Breaker was still in a position of power! He would have quashed such an ill-advised notion with such force the one who suggested it would still be trying to remove themselves from the metaphorical floor."
"What notion? What initiative?"
"The number one threat to Agos as it stands now is not humanity. It is not lack of energy. It is not even the threat of civil warfare, although that may be consequence if the situation becomes more dire. Look around you. Agos has plenty of resources for us. Synthesis is opulent, Bivouac is more than functional, and Defiance flies above our heads, supported by technology only slightly less intricate and baffling than patterns and cores. This extravagance is afforded only by one simple factor."

He pauses for effect.

"The Agosian population has been decreasing since the moment the human armies left our world. We present no threat to them. We are a problem that will resolve itself if left alone. Supplies of cores have become so low that alternate means of population production are being considered. Many of these proposals are desperate measures. Creating more Automata with cores that use up less resources."

He points to Soothe.

"Or taking human worship to its logical extremes. Attempting to factor in new behaviours that do not belong in the pattern of any Automata. A precursor to drastic physical changes in future generations."

He points to Scan.

"I do not know which to be more offended by. To doom innocent Automata to shorter lives before they are even conscious, or to twist innocent patterns, to force mimicry of drives they can never truly understand for their entire lives. Shortened lives, twisted lives. I can offer little refuge from the decisions of those in the Council, but I can attempt to repair the damage done. I can grant Soothe more life and I can grant this Quad Mk II, tampered with before she was even made, a choice. Is any of what I am telling you registering, Drifter, or are you merely stumbling around blindly through a wave of revelations, each more confusing and worrying than the last?"

I stand there and don't really know what to say or do next.

"Hrm. All so silent."
Scan speaks. "C-can I go home? I want to go home."
"I'm not stopping you. Leave."

She pauses. She takes a few steps, and then half-heartedly tugs at my arm. She sees I don't budge, and so instead just stays close to me. I find myself not entirely sure what the Automata here was talking about.

Soothe finally says something.

"It is almost comforting to see you have remained exactly as insane as before. It is greatly reassuring to have something of a comparison to assure myself that I am still relatively sane, despite my death drawing ever closer." Her voice becomes a little quieter. "I have asked you about this for so long. You made me a promise. I would be happy with just two more years. Just two more years. Please."

He stops on the spot and walks over to her.

"Two years? Show some ambition. You're a Control Mk II. Act like one."
"As long as you can let me live for."
"Forever?"
"If that would work."
"I can't do forever. Not unless you're willing to risk an earlier death."
"...What about power transfer between cores?"
"Theoretically possible, although in practice usually tends to deplete one core and overload the other. Removal of dependency upon cores is far better a course of action..."

I feel like I should say something. Should I say something?

>>240038
I don't think so. This guy's disdain for you is overpowering; let Soothe say her piece.

Maybe after that.

>>240038
Point out that he mentioned removal of dependency on cores once before. Ask more about that.

longer life but not immortal would be best. new automa built to live for 80 years instead.

Aww I get it. Soothe has been turned into a mommy. The Control Mk I running this place is getting everyone ready to have babies!

>>240105

No, no wait the council sorry. The council is making everyone into breeders. The Mk I Pattern Breaker cheesed off, as this guy said. At any rate

>> The Agosian population has been decreasing
>> alternate means of population production
>> new behaviours that do not belong in the pattern of any Automata. A precursor to drastic physical changes in future generations.

It totally sounds like babies to me.

>> I can grant Soothe more life and I can grant this Quad Mk II, tampered with before she was even made, a choice.

Oh, uh. So Soothe hasn't been "twisted" it's Scan that is going to have your babies

...wait, she just wants two years? Point out why she wants two years. Because that's how long you're going to live.

>>240038
Ask him what would be involved in helping Soothe; what the drawbacks are, if there's anything you can do to make it less dangerous, etc.

Point out that while you're an “offworlder”, that designation does not make sense in the long term because whatever your past holds, your future is tied to your participation in Agosian society and you are now a member of it. If nothing else, you share the most important bond of all with the other automata here: If you don't figure out a way to extend your life, you will die here.

Ask him why he's hidden his work. One would think that he would be hailed as a hero for his efforts. The only logical conclusion is that he's afraid something bad would happen if he shared it. Why? And why does he consider his immortality a “curse”?

Ask him to clarify his statement about Scan. Does he mean that her pattern is more fitting for a biological organism? That plans are in the works to create biological or cybernetic automata? She does seem to act more like a young human than a pure automata. And is this supposed to help them adapt new power technologies so that cores are not essential?

Drifter 2010/10/08(Fri)17:48 No. 240421 ID: 8d7dd2
File 128658529174.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Let Soothe talk
"Do whatever you need to."
"The risks I discussed earlier are still as high as ever."
"Doesn't matter. Either I die now or in a few months."

The nameless Automata looks over to me.

"Oh. You're still here, offworlder."
"You know, you can't call me that forever, it doesn't make sense! My future is most likely here and I can't go home and I don't want to go home and just watch everyone around me die too early and then myself!"
"That's nice. I have work to do. Make sure that Quad Mk II clinging to your arm stays safe until I can attend to fixing the flaws she's been designed with."

Soothe looks at me and I feel... like she's almost guilty about something.

"Soothe!"
"Drifter?"
"Why two years?"
She hesitates both in motion and in sound. The other Automata looks over to me in disdain, but stays silent.
"...It's a long story."
"You're about to do something risky and you might die. Can't you tell me it in case you die and I never get to hear or know why?"

The entire room goes quiet.

Soothe moves over to me. Scan reluctantly lets go of me and moves back. The other Automata folds his arms.

"To give you a chance to fulfil your promise."
"...what promise?"
"You wanted to be the one to make me live longer. You're not a stupid Automata, Drifter. I have absolute faith in your abilities. I wanted to give you a chance before Ne- before he resolved the issue altogether."
"Hah. Replicate the extent and scope of my years worth of research in just two years?! I'd like to see a glorified forklift like him even approach the state of my research in a measly two years!"
"...Actually, before I knew who you were or how far ahead you were, I wanted to work with you to help finally solve our premature deaths and make every Automata live for a reasonable length of time!"

I feel my confidence rising as I recall that flicker of dedication, that moment of righteousness when I decided that this would be my new purpose.

"And if you won't accept my help, then I guess I will see just how far I can get in two years! Alone! You apparently don't want the credit or to share all this amazing progress with anyone else, so someone has to actually try to help the rest of their kind instead of sitting inside a structure and hoarding their information while others just die and nothing is done about it because that's apparently the right thing to happen! Because no-one else other than you has thought to do anything! Because-"

He looks at me and waves a hand. I stop talking.

"Hah! Hah hah! I was beginning to think you were just another mindless drone blundering through command after command, but it looks like you do have a shred of initiative. Dreams and aspirations, too. And such an impassioned speech, too. You remind me of someone I used to know. Very well, in fact. You raise an excellent point! Why only me, after all? Surely this is a concern for everyone. Well, see, there are those who believe such short lifespans motivate Automata to do more in their lives. The same ones who thought it was a good idea to purposefully cripple an entire generation's lifespans in the misguided belief that it would produce better workers, as well as saving on resources. From their perspective, of course it makes sense! If there is dissent, they will die before they can form a structured rebellion of any meaningful variety! Breaker may have been considered a tyrant, but mark my words, he would have never allowed his treasured revolution to fall into such behaviour. But I digress! You wish to assist me? Come! We will give Soothe more life than she'll ever know what to do with!"

Scan taps her hands together.

"And that Quad can watch if she so wishes. But it may be a disturbing sight for someone who has yet to fear their own mortality."
"I... what?"
"Exactly. And so it is up to her."
"Drifter..."

She shakes her head vigorously and walks off towards the door.

"...I'll meet you back at Soothe's house? And I'll knock."
Soothe laughs. It sounds slightly forced. More than a little nervous. "Okay. See you back at my home. You can wait inside if you don't break anything!"
"I'll go straight there."

Before I continue, I decide to ask some questions.

"Hey, why have you hidden your work?"
"Because there are those who would abuse it, hide it themselves, and destroy anyone else they knew that didn't hide it. I'm already suspected of being a class five Automata. A laughable concept, in my opinion. If I was class five, I would have solved all of these issues with my methods, and Agos would have been deathless for decades. Probably while also learning to flap my arms just at the right rate in order to fly, or something equally boggling."
"Also, what did you mean about Scan?"
"When I last heard of the 'self-replication initiative', as it is apparently called, the first phases involve merely adjusting Automata patterns to encourage close opposite gender pairing. Of course, love isn't an unknown concept to Automata without these adjustments, being a consequence of patterns with human psychology as one of their distant, murky ancestors, but the intent would be to emulate... attraction. Thus paving the way for future phases that could exploit this attraction for reasons I'm sure I have no need to explain if you are at all passingly familiar with human biology."

I'm not, really, but I don't want to look stupid in front of this guy. I nod my head.

"Enough talk. Soothe, lie down on this table."

He turns to me.

"You can watch me and learn, or you can try to assist me and risk knowing for the rest of your life that there must have been something you could have done to save her if you only knew what it was."
"...I'm still alive! Stop talking about me like I'm already dead it's starting to unsettle me!"

oh no i don't know what to do what am i doing here oh dear oh dear why did i say yes

>>240421
Say that you'll do whatever offers Scan the highest chance of success, but that you are only what you are - a Quad Mk. II with no knowledge and experience of modifying others. If he could use your help, you should try to divide work based on what you might be good at - make him understand you probably aren't capable of doing anything advanced, so don't try unless it's really freaking necessary. Plan things out with him - if he'll let you - so that you'll have an idea of what you need to do and when you'll need to do it before it surprises you.

Also, get Soothe to calm you down and give you some goddamn confidence. Tell her you need her help to be in the right mental state to do this properly. If you're nervous, you have a higher chance of screwing this up, and you want to do everything you can. Try not to be scared.

And tell her that you'll do your best for her. She rescued you from the desert, now it's your time to repay the favor. No matter what happens, you'll keep your promise and figure out how to make everyone live longer.

YOU CAN DO IT DRIFTER!

Sounds like he's saying Scan has been programmed to have the hots for you.

>>240475
Let's try not to think of that right now! One of our friends might die if we get distracted!

But, yes, we should probably reflect on that revelation once Soothe is better. BECAUSE SHE'S TOTALLY NOT GOING TO DIE. STAY POSITIVE.

We must learn. That is our primary goal (sorry soothe).

While Soothe was the catalyst for your new purpose in life, is your purpose not to solve this problem of short/limited lifespans once and for all? Aid, and learn.

Drifter 2010/10/17(Sun)16:55 No. 245186 ID: 8d7dd2
File 128735974077.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Calm Soothe down, receive motivation
"Soothe. Calm down. I'm going to help you and I need you to be calm for this to work!"
"Drifter. Drifter, if I don't make it, I want you to know you're one of the best Automata I've known so far in my life. You barely even know who I am and you're willing to do whatever it takes to save me. If I do, I want you to know I'm more than willing to back you completely on whatever you want to do. Whether you want to go back to Cernsis, or if you want to stay and live here."
"I'll do my best! You saved me from the desert. It's time I repaid that favour. And no matter what happens, I'll find out how to make everyone live longer!"
"How wonderful. Soothe, I'm going to suspend your consciousness now. I assume you don't want to experience what's coming up next."
"...Not really, no."

The nameless Automata retrieves a large set of tools and starts opening parts of Soothe's casing. I try to keep her calm and stroke the sensor array on her head. She lies back.

"Good lu..." She trails off into silence. Her head falls to the side and hits the table.

"Okay. This here..."

He cracks open one of her segments. I see a metal sphere with a large amount of wires connected to it. There's a really faint orange glow to it. Seeing it makes me feel... weirdly vulnerable. I fold my arms and feel uncomfortably mortal.

"This is what powers her. And what powers you. And what powers every Automata on this world, save for myself and one other. No, I'm not going to tell you who that is. But this is it. This, Drifter, is a live core. If the flow of power to her pattern housing is disrupted significantly, her pattern will begin to decay. A pattern does not need to degrade significantly before the consciousness of an Automata is irreparably damaged. This is something that took a lot of research through mistakes on my behalf to establish. I have managed to prolong the lives of several Automata, yes, but I question as to whether I prolonged their lives, or merely killed them and replaced them with something with a fraction of their previous personality and memory still intact. ...Philosophical discussion aside, however, make sure this is always connected."

He walks over to a large cylindrical device.

"This is a standard megacapacitor. It's a device that stores energy and it's really more complicated than I care to explain, given as I do not wish to enter a lecture on the state of Agosian electronics right now. Simply put, I've modified this device to give a steady flow of energy in much the same way as a core. If this device was simpler to recharge, it'd grant immortality by itself. If you found a way to move the thing. It is an effective way of providing power in the event of a core failure."

He hooks up the cylinder thing to Soothe. He wires things... very quickly. The digits of his hands seem to reconfigure as he works. They're a lot more dexterous and nimble than my grippers, that's certain.

"I don't particularly wish to tempt fate today, so I shall be leaving her core connected and instead wire this to switch power input in the event of her core failing. That will buy us roughly two hours in order to find a solution in the event of her core failing."

I nod and feel more and more scared of failing with each word he says.

"Life without a core is... not for everyone. I believe the best solution here for your friend would be an attempt to... I am going to use the word recharge, because that is the closest word to the actual process I can envision that does not drag you unprepared into a world of complicated jargon. Of course, the process carries with it a chance of overloading and destroying her core from the inside... Are you following any of this so far? I should hope you are if you want to stand any chance of being considered as my assistant."
"Yes. Yes I am."
"How are you feeling, by the way?"
"...Terrified."
"Good. You do understand what I'm talking about, then. Here."

He wheels another megacapacitor or whatever it's called to me and puts a sharp instrument in one of my gripping claws. I move it around until I hold it more delicately and finely.

"Now, if you put this into her core as carefully and delicately as possible, it should be a simple case of holding the button on the charge injector for as long as is necessary."

Wait.

"That's it?"
"Yes."
"The secret to Automata longevity... the process of recharging the never-rechargeable core is sticking a metal needle into it and feeding it electricity?!"
"The original designers never removed the recharge process from later versions. They only obscured it, because it was never without risk. But you must be precise. It must be done as carefully as possible."
"This is what you've been hiding from everyone for ages?!!"
"This is what I'm using you as a test for. To see if any other Automata with no experience of ever performing this process before is even capable of performing it. If you pass, then my research is complete. I will disseminate it across Synthesis, and from there it will spread across Agos. If you don't pass, I must strive to simplify the process further."
"But... I... this is... This is... What."
"Calm your grip, Drifter! Whether you are successful or not, I will explain all of this in more detail when we are less pressed for time!"

I...

I jab the injector into her core. She starts twitching and convulsing and I try to ignore it. The glow starts fading away. Oh no I haven't killed her have I please say I haven't just killed her listening to some insane Automata tell me what to do please tell me she's not dead

"The button, Drifter."
"How long am I supposed to press it for?! How hard?! When do I stop pressing it?!"
"There are some lessons that cannot be taught by others, Drifter."
"No! No, I don't want her to die because I don't know what I'm doing! You do it! I'll watch!"

He just stares at me and folds his arms.

...I hold the button and Soothe convulses some more. With my free hand I keep her body still where I'm holding the injector. Her core glows with increasing fierceness. I have no idea what I'm doing. I hear the churning and buzzing of the megacapacitor behind me. How do I know when I stop? What if it all goes wrong? I haven't killed anyone before. I don't want to kill anyone. Will I ever be able to live with myself even if I only killed her because I was trying to save her?

"Stop."

OKAY I'M STOPPING AHHHH

"...I didn't mean throw the charge injector on the floor. That's delicate and expensive equipment. Plus, you need to remove it from a core more gently than that. Do you see that that plume of vapour? You've damaged her core."
"Oh no oh no oh no I'm sorry what do I do how do I fix it no no"
"It's a core breach. I would wager she probably has five minutes of life left in that core now with that breach."
"NO NO I'M SORRY IT WAS A MISTAKE HOW DO I FIX IT FIX IT FIX IT ANYTHING I'LL DO ANYTHING SHE CAN HAVE MY CORE!"
"With this sealant gun. What, are you stupid? There's no need to commit suicide so elaborately just yet."

He leans over her holding a sealant gun and plugs the hole. Her core glows as it used to, with a faint orange.

"As long as she doesn't suffer a severe injury to that part of her body, that minuscule core breach won't factor into her life at all. And if something can break through her casing to threaten her core like that, then the existence of a previous core breach makes no difference to her fate at that point."

He starts putting her casing back on her and resealing everything. I lower myself onto the ground and tremor slightly, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Drifter, I cannot express just how amazed I am at your adaptation to an unknown situation and your willingness to do whatever it takes to help your friend stay alive. If you are serious about assisting me with my research, I would be honoured to have such an Automata assisting me."

He makes a bowing motion towards me.

What?

...What do I do now? Soothe is still out and now this Automata is bowing at me!

>>245186
Either he's fucking with you (again), or you've just earned his respect.

If it's the latter, there's a chance you might actually be able to do something for the good of all your kind! :D

If it's the former, well.

Anyway. Accept his offer, and then ask if you guys can't get Soothe conscious again.

>>245186
Ask him if other automata are really that much worse at this kind of thing. That was a lot of panicking. Nevertheless, if he's being honest you'll become his assistant. You said you'd help lengthen the lives of everyone and you meant it.

Bow back at him.

>>245363
Yes. :D

Explain that for all the praise he's heaping on you, you were the automata equivalent of a stressed-out emotional wreck. Are the majority of other automata here on Agos really so selfish or incompetent that your naïve idealism and bumbling attempts to help are surprising? Remark that compared to him, you are nothing more than a child.

But, that said, tell him that if his offer is genuine you would love to be his assistant and learn how to help everyone and gain the confidence and skill to do it without risking their lives in the process.

And then see what needs to be done to get Soothe up and running again. :o

Drifter 2010/10/31(Sun)13:08 No. 250667 ID: 8d7dd2
File 128855573225.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>You may have just earned his respect
>Bow back at him
>Get Soothe conscious again

"I... I accept! I accept your offer!"

I bow at him. It's more of a forward tilt, I can't really bend my torso easily.

"Excellent."
"I was... I was a split second away from just panicking and and I don't know I was scared and I didn't want to kill her and I didn't know if I was doing the right thing..."
"Because you considered her something more than a project to work on, correct? Good. Keep that mindset. I struggle to maintain it sometimes. But it is vital to remember that these are sapient individuals, Drifter, and not just experiments to tweak and meddle and end at your own leisure. The moment you start to believe that other Automata are your tools and your toys, you take the path that he took."

Wait. What? He sounded... incredibly bitter when he said that.

"The path who took?"
"Let's see if we can get Soothe awake now."

He pats his face and then... smacks Soothe's core segment very hard.

It seems to work because she suddenly flexes upwards in surprise, head darting all around. "Who's there? What happened? I'm just a therapist!"
"Calm down! It's me, Drifter. Remember?"
"'Drifter'? You don't look like any Quad Mk II I've seen. How old are you?"
"Oh, hold on a second. I was afraid this would happen."

He smacks her head with as much force as he did her core segment. I completely avoid flinching reflexively although it does look like it hurt. A lot. Why is he doing this? Is this really the best method he has to fix Automata?

"Aaaaa! Drifter! Why is he hitting me?! Where am I?!"
"Pattern integrity seems to have been slightly affected by the procedure. It should restore itself after a while. Temporary amnesia is not uncommon after drastic changes to an Automata have been made."
"My pattern integrity's been compromised?! What did you do?"
"Well, the procedure was not as successful as I would have hoped. I'm afraid you only have twenty years to live now."
"Only twenty years?! ...Wait. Only twenty years?! I came here with less than eight months!"

She sounds considerably confused but increasingly ecstatic with the news. She slides off the table and wraps herself around me.

"Drifter! Twenty more years! I can do so much in twenty more years! Thank you! I'm not entirely sure what happened but thank you so much!"

She starts trembling as she wraps herself around me more tightly. I try to tap her gently because she's now constricting me so tightly all I can do is just tap her gently. I'm starting to get used to being crushed now.

I look to the nameless Automata. He stares back at me. He doesn't really have much of an expression. Few of us do. But I can't shake the feeling that he starts looking at me more... coldly than before. Like he can read my pattern and predict what I'm just about to say.

"I'm fresh from a factory compared to you and I'm the only Automata to try helping you? I'm the only one you've cons-"
"You have the perspective of an outsider. Heed these words, and make sure they never leave this room. Synthesis has become nothing more than a glorified zoo kept pacified and the needs of its occupants met sufficiently so no-one ever thinks to question the sudden and shocking lack of cultural and scientific progress of the last several years. Pattern Breaker may have been all but an outright dictator, but he cared for his people. Whoever is in charge now... It would appear that not all of the puppets here have lost their strings."

Soothe looks confused. "Puppets? Zoo? What are those?"
"Not important. But if it were only so simple. If it were only the work of a single puppetmaster, some singular mastermind intent on destroying our settlement through stagnation. Humans? No. It is both too subtle and not subtle enough to be the work of humans. Outsider Automata? While they have changed so much in our recent history, this has only been due to the Agosian satisfaction in simply acting on the status quo, and making no efforts to change. Even the Council merely goes through its motions and decides to reject most changes. But not all. And this is what concerns me!"

Soothe quietly turns to me and taps her head against mine.

For a brief second I see her sensor array glow the tiniest amount and I hear a voice and see words float through my mind.

- I think we should leave - this is not the most stable Automata I know -

"Why, then, are such drastic changes such as those of the Quad Mk II you brought to me early being made when lifespan extension is a taboo subject? What is the aim of this intelligence? Or these intelligences? Do they wish simply to manufacture Automata that are both much smarter and live much shorter lives? Is it some collaborative effort?"

He grabs a dead Quad Mk II off a wall and starts shaking it vigorously.

"Did you know?! Is that why you came here to die in front of me?! What did you know?! All you did was laugh! I asked you if you wanted to live and you just laughed and your mind was locked! Locked! What are you doing, Pattern Breaker?! Are you working with or against them?! WHO ARE THEY?!"

He throws the dead Automata to the ground and slowly turns to look at me and Soothe.

"...oh. I do apologise. The solitary nature of my work has left me a little... addled, so to say. Perhaps you should leave while I compose myself. I don't wish to frighten you needlessly."

...He's holding something. Behind his back.

...Okay what do I do. Suddenly I am more than a little anxious. Soothe has uncurled from me and is trying to nudge me towards the door but I'm not sure if turning my back is a good idea why did he suddenly have to be crazy

>>250667
Soothe and crazy there are both suggesting you head out. It can't be that bad of an idea.

>>250667
Considering how strong he is, turning your back isn't really going to make you more vulnerable. He could do whatever he wanted to you. Besides, you're valuable to him. If he's hiding anything behind his back, it's not something he wants to use to kill you with.

So just leave, after telling him you hope he feels better.

>>250667
Ask Soothe to meet you outside in a minute.

After she's left, slowly crab-walk towards the door with one of your eyes on the unnamed automata. Ask him if there's anything else he wants to talk about before you leave for now, and when you should return to him to discuss further things. And ask if there are any automata you should avoid, who stands to gain from a plot to stagnate Agos, etc. And tell him that you don't really know anything about the politics around here anyways - you know that there's a council that makes some decisions, but is it based on any specific human-style government? Democratic? Is Agosian's socio-economic structure considered Capitalistic, Socialistic, Communistic, or a combination/none of the above?

If there used to be strong leadership in the past which motivated everyone to pursue progress, and that leadership transitioned to a style that gave more freedom in action, a slowing of technological / macrocultural advancement is probably a natural result, as people with more free time tend to spend it on pleasurable activities instead of work. It might be interesting to know what his definition of culture is.

Holy crap Pattern Breaker was a Quad Mk II...

>>250924
If you're referring to the dead automata, I'm pretty sure that's not actually PB - it sounded more like he's frustrated with PB because PB locked the pattern of that *particular* (now-dead) automata.

Back to Drifter... out of curiosity, does this dead Quad Mk II have its antennae intact? You might be able to get yours fixed with spare parts, assuming you want it fixed.

>>250930

Okay yeah, that makes more sense.

Now is the time for exit-stage-whatever-direction-the-door-is.

Drifter 2010/11/07(Sun)15:10 No. 253775 ID: 8d7dd2
File 128917141587.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

> GET OUT
> Tell Soothe you'll meet her outside

"Soothe, I'll be with you shortly."

She looks at me with some hesitation and then slowly slithers out of the room. I start walking sideways towards the door, keeping one of my eyes towards this insane type-less Automata.

I wait until I hear the door close behind Soothe. This Automata puts down what he was holding, directly behind him. I'm not sure if it was deliberate but there's no way for me to see what it was without alerting him to my intent.

"Anything you want to tell me before I leave?"

> Spare parts!

"Oh, and... You can see my antenna's a little broken. Do your skills extend to, I don't know, transplanting antennae for Quad Mk IIs?"

He places a hand over his face. "Drifter, understand that I am still gifted with enough lucidity to recognise when my mind drifts down dark paths. It is, rather miserably, a consequence of certain events. Those certain events being things I am unable to elaborate on further because, again, of consequences of those same events. My pattern has yet to ever maintain the stability I had before..."

He trails off. He walks over to his desk and sits down.

"I digress. Here is some advice I wish to give you before you leave. I have withheld my name from many for a good reason. Of the three of you who came here, only Soothe knows it. If you are asked, you will not describe me. You will not say what you did. Life extension is not forbidden or taboo, and is touted as a dream, a goal. But this appears to only apply to theory and discussion. Success draws unwanted attention. I have kept my means and my findings away from prying eyes."
"What... Why would any Automata consider what you've done here wrong?!"
"A shorter-lived populace is quicker to forget things. Quicker to forget slights. Too ephemeral to question. Easily replaced with newer, fresher citizens. All the various reasons that lead to humanity creating the finite lifespan Automata. They may protest. They may rebel. But they won't be able to fight death itself. Hah! How many times has this pattern shown up again and again across the history of our kind and theirs, Drifter? The revolution destroys the old regime and replaces it with one just as flawed as the one they fought and died to destroy!"

I think I'll leave now. He's starting to sound a little crazy again! Okay he's getting up now I think that's my cue

"Thank you for this discussion it was really quite enlightening I promised I would go meet Soothe outside goodbye now-"

I slam the door to the front of his workshop shut and start shoving Soothe along to her house.

"You really should have left when he said."
"I know."
"What did he tell you about ever mentioning him outside his workshop?"
"Uhh... I think he said don't.
"Good advice. I would stick to it."
"I feel like I may have seen a puddle of oil, tried to step over it and then fallen head first into what was actually a vat."
"Well, you did what you wanted to do, and that was help me!"

She nudges her head against mine.

We reach her house.

Scan is nowhere to be seen.

"Scan?"
"Scan, are you there?"

Sitting on top of the pile of cushions that Soothe sleeps on is a silvery-black mess of blades and segments almost like wings, folded around an ovoid body tapering to a point, with a sphereoid head dotted with more swivelling optical cylinders than I think I can count. They point around and adjust lenses, and retract and protrude as the Automata they're attached to focuses on different things.

Recon Mk II. They creep me out. All of their eyes theoretically face forwards, but it's like they're all on stalks, or they are stalks. I've heard them referred to as "birdlike" before but I don't think I've seen a bird on Cernsis that has a ball with a bunch of tubes poking out of it for a head.

"Drifter."

Soothe's array of sensors and transmitters shakes and stands upright. She moves towards the Recon Mk II, raising herself slightly higher than normal. "This is my house, and I don't care who you're working for, but this Quad Mk II is a guest of mine and is none of your concern right now! Get off my cushions!"

The Recon's optical cylinders swivel around unfazed. It doesn't look like one cylinder stays pointed at Soothe - it looks like they all keep exchanging points, swivelling to adjust focuses for whatever points they're focusing on. It's making me dizzy just looking at it. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to be one of those things.

"Your concern for your guest has been noted, deliberated over and considered entirely irrelevant. As for your property, well, it was and continues to remain undamaged and largely unperturbed. Now. Drifter. Your company has been requested by the former Council Premier, Pattern Breaker. If you wish, you may bring an additional Automata with you, provided they are not a Control Automata."

...

what

oh dear how do I even react to this if I refuse am I going to end up disappearing or something is this some sort of trap does he already know is Scan in on this WHAT'S HAPPENING AAAAAAA

"'Not a Control Automata?' ...If he wants to stop me from attending why can't he just have the courtesy to do so by name?!"
"Yes, yes, of course. I do have other things I wish to do today, Drifter, and I am fully aware you have no other immediate pressing concerns that might distract you from attending."
"Well, that's not true."
"No immediate and vitally important pressing concerns."
"Get off of my things!"

Not a control automata? We could bring the nameless guy. I'm sure him and Pattern Breaker would have an AWESOME conversation.

That seems a little crazy though and the other choice we have is also mentally unbalanced... so let's just go alone.

>>253775
This, uh... yeah, I think you're stuck on your own.

Why wouldn't he want you to bring a Control automata? It might just be a slight towards Soothe, but strange... wasn't it said that he could lock patterns in a state that not even Control automata could alter? I wonder why he would specifically mention not to bring them. Oh, perhaps...perhaps a Control automata would be able to stop his pattern breaking if he tried to do it to you? He's not the one who has been propagating this lifeless society though, so why would he want to stop you from doing things like helping your friend live as long as you?

You want to meet him, but you want not to be broken... I didn't want to say this before, but maybe you should consider yourself disabling the ability of Control automata like Pattern Breaker to access your pattern? Temporarily if possible, because otherwise they couldn't ever fix or maintain it or tell you what to do or anything. Maybe it's impossible. If only Pattern Breaker could do it of all automata, there must be no way to do it. Do they need physical access to your casing? Or do they have to position certain magnetic manipulators around your body? Or is it some form of induction?

>>253775

Panic again as you are wont to do. ...I mean more so than you are already doing. Don't keep that thing bottled up. Express it through action by either falling all over yourself some more or breaking/damaging something yet again.

...But yeah. Inquire into Scan's present status, ask what the weird eyesphere did to it/her, then-

Oh wait maybe Scan hasn't even arrived yet. She is a town guard, after all. Maybe she went to report your little chat with Crazy Ne-.

Panic about that thought as well then hesitantly agree to the meeting. Alone. Oh hey maybe you could invite that Harvester from the solar farm no yeah I guess alone it must be.

Drifter 2010/12/19(Sun)15:53 No. 265319 ID: 0d5c06
File 129280279844.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>You're on your own

Oh no I don't want to do this I don't want to face this on my own what if he knows and what I've done is illegal what if this is a death sentence what if-

What if I just bring that crazy nameless Automata along like you said?! I mean if I'm already in trouble I can't get in further trouble if I bring him along right?! I mean he clearly just wants me to not bring Soothe and oh no I don't want my pattern broken I like it not broken! Wait what about Scan maybe she could come with me she's relatively sane and would help me right right

"Where's Scan?"
"Hm. Quad Mk II. Whitish grey chassis. Female voice. Blue eyes. Red ribbon around her left antenna. Yes?"
"That's her!"
"She has been summoned as well."

Is... is that a good thing? I don't know if that's a good thing...

Well I can't go back to crazy Nesomething or whatever his name is and Scan's already there and Soothe can't go and I don't know anyone else so-

"Pattern Breaker is not especially appreciative of being made to wait, Drifter. You're required to be there as soon as possible."
"But- but what about deciding on who I want to take with me?"

Soothe isn't saying anything, but she's staring at the Recon and her array of things on her head is... it's glowing?

"I will say this once again and it will be the last time I say it."

Her... voice sounds... weird...

"#LEAVE NOW!#"

.
.
.

...Why am I on Soothe's cushion pile?

"-believe that I was that out of practice I couldn't even focus the signal, but how can an offworlder be locked in the exact same way with that exact same key?! Drifter! Pay attention! #STAND UP!#"

.
.
.

where am I now oh still the cushions

"...Drifter? I'm sorry, Drifter. I... Can you tell me anything about Cernsis?"
"What... what's happening? What did you do-"
"Answer the question, please."
"Of course I do! It's... the sky is blue, and there's all these green trees and things-"
"Where did you live, Drifter?"
"I lived in... I lived in a warehouse- no that was where I worked, and I lived, uh. I lived. I don't think I can remember, I recall a crash- no wait what that doesn't make any sense-"
"Did you have any mentors? Guardians?"
"Shuffle and Lever, the two best Quad Mk IIs ever and I-"
"Describe them to me."
"Is this some sort of therapy thing?"
"...You could say that, yes."
"Well, uh. ...Uh. I. I."
"You don't remember, do you?"
"I do! I do remember! They were... I... That crash must have wiped out my memories of them but I do remember them!"
"Okay. Here's something I can't believe I was stupid enough to miss, especially given as this is the second time this has happened. How did you get here, Drifter?"
"I... I got here because I was on a ship-"
"Where is the ship?"
"It crashed."
"Where's the wreckage?"
"I don't know!"
"Drifter. When I saw you, you were flat on the ground, in the middle of nowhere... and there was absolutely no wreckage around you. For miles."
"What are you trying to say?!"

Soothe makes a sighing noise. Her sensor array droops.

"Drifter, let me into your pattern."
I'm shaking a little. Why am I shaking?
"...okay."

I feel her looking through my exposed mind. I can feel her emotional state as she does so... Slow, determined, hesitant. She already knows what she wants to find, but she doesn't want to confirm it.

"Your pattern is mostly intact. And... and here it is. Drifter, I don't know how you came here originally, but when you first saw me? Those weren't your first waking moments on this planet."
"...What are you talking about?!"
"Please remain calm, Drifter. There are abnormalities in your pattern. Buried so deep it took until now for them to even be notice. A tiny alteration waiting to be triggered by a specific key. I'm sorry, Drifter. I don't know when or why, but your pattern's locked. Locked by Pattern Breaker. About two months of memories removed with precision I've never seen before."

She shuffles the cushions around with a tail. "Stay here, Drifter. Stay here. Don't go to Pattern Breaker. I can hide you. I'll think of something. You made sure I'd live longer and I'm going to do the same for you."
"But Scan's up there!"
"If you go up there, I have no idea what will happen to you."
"But... but Scan's up there!! I have to see if she's alright!"

I'm... I'm shaking uncontrollably now. I don't... I don't know what to do.

Are... are you voices still there? What should I do?

Holy crap an update. Awesome.

I think we are.

Okay, so, let's see. Soothe seems to have done something that made you temporarily black out for a bit there. And scared away the Recon. Inquire about that.

Also, she mentioned something about you being locked the exact same way with the exact same key of... some other Automata, presumably. Ask about that, as well. But she might not know that tidbit was overheard. Maybe ask about what she meant by this being the "second time this has happened" first. If her answer is unsatisfactory, THEN bring that up.

And finally, it might be better to listen to her and stay away from Pattern Breaker. For right now, at least. Apparently he did something to you earlier, and might do something else since you just HAD to go visit Crazy Ne- and find out about his life-extending procedure(s) yourself.

...Or go try and save Scan if you think she really does need saving. It's up to you. I vote for staying put for right now 'til you get some more answers.

>>265319
Well, holy shit. That's fun. Also, YAY UPDATE :D <3

First of all, #CALM DOWN#. :)

And I hate to say it, but forget about Scan for the moment. There's probably nothing you could do for her right now even if you went up there. And going up there without knowing WTF is going on, now that we know you're some kind of agent (or victim) of pattern breaker, is probably a bad idea. Hell, she might be one of his "experiments" or an agent for all you know.

Now... next thing to do is to ask Soothe if the memories of yours that have been locked/"removed" can be unlocked/"retrieved" by anyone other than Pattern Breaker, and even if they're still there or gone forever.

And for that matter... what happened to the Recon Mk II? Did she somehow force it to leave? I thought that was only possible for Control Mk. Is. How did she do it?!

And ask Soothe what she thinks will happen if they try to run from Pattern Breaker. Isn't it dangerous? Is it really worth it? You've repaid her for her kindness in rescuing you from the desert and having faith in you... do you really want to put her in danger by having her protect you?

Oh, and... let's just have some lols and tell her about the voices. See what she thinks about the fact that you're getting constant advice from multiple foreign intelligences of unknown origin which may or may not be human and don't seem to know anything about the outside world other than what you've experienced or mentioned since waking up.

Pattern Breaker is supposed to have been someone that cared about his people. Ask Soothe why she's so worried about it. Surely his plan must be for the good of everyone.

We should probably go there. I'm very, very worried about what might happen if you bring the life-extender though... I mean, if he gets himself killed, what happens to that research? ...no, Pattern Breaker wouldn't allow that surely.

Drifter 2010/12/23(Thu)17:39 No. 266287 ID: 0d5c06
File 129315478867.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>What did Soothe do?!

"What did you even do just now? Why am I on this pile of cushions?"
Soothe makes another sighing noise. "Perhaps I should tell you just what it means to have your pattern locked. On the surface it seems like a wonderful idea, having your pattern protected against those capable of prying into it, only letting those who know the key capable of ever so much as looking at your pattern. But that's not the whole story."

She leans on the pile with me. "It doesn't just give those with the key any access. It gives them control. Total control. I know some of the keys Pattern Breaker uses and I just wanted that Recon out of my house... You were locked with that same key!"
"What? But you could get into my pattern before without any trouble-"
"You're different. Your pattern's only partially locked. Those memories aren't totally destroyed but they're locked away with so many different approaches I'd never be able to help you recover those memories. But it still has that override in. Why did he do this to you? What were you meant to do?"

She coils around me.

>Forget Scan

I can't forget Scan! But... no, you're right. I don't think I'd be able to do anything if she is in trouble. And maybe she is working for him...

"I don't want to put you in danger, Soothe."
"It'll be fine."
"No. What'll happen if I just try running away? Can't I do that?"
"Where to, Drifter?"
"I... I don't know! But I don't want you to get killed over hiding me after I just spent so long trying to help you NOT die!"

She's silent.

"...I'll be fine. Pattern Breaker's supposed to be someone who cared about us, isn't he? Well, everyone on Agos. And... and I have assistance, anyway."
"...assistance? What assistance?"
"I'm... being told things. That doesn't sound right, does it. Whatever they are they've guided me this far since I woke up in the wasteland and they don't always agree but I try to make the most sense out of their advice I can."

She stares at me.

"Your pattern's mostly stable so that rules out insanity, but... how? Where from? I can't pick up any signals."

She shakes her head, sensor array rustling from the movement.

"Of course, there IS a lot of noise from all the broadcasts from Automata and devices here in Synthesis... but then how are you hearing them? Who are they? Why are they advising you?"
"I don't know! They sound like they're human but they don't seem to know what or why they're doing it either!"
"Well, that's... disconcerting, to say the least... But... If you really, really want to go there, and you're fully aware of the risks, and you're sure these 'advisors' can help you, then I'll let you go, but take care of yourself and don't do anything stu- try not to do anything very stupid."

She lets go of me. I stand and start heading towards the door.

"And if I don't see you again, I'd just like to say how grateful I am for everything you've done for me and how you've made the last few days some of the best of my life."

I hope I'm doing the right thing here...

There are Quad Mk II guards standing out here.

"Drifter?"
"Yes."
"You're late, but fortunately for you so is the transport. While we're waiting, would you care to explain to me where you were earlier?"
"Earlier?"
"Earlier today. You were seen in a restricted area of Synthesis."
"Was it restricted? I don't recall seeing any indications that it was."

The guard shifts a little. "Don't think your visit was ignored, offworlder. Try telling that one to Pattern Breaker."

The other guards-
"Hey! Let go of me! I'm going voluntarily! I thought this was just a formal event!"
"Maybe it was, but orders have changed. We can't afford to let you do anything after last time."
"What last time? What's going on?!"
"That information's not available to offworlders. Put him in the back."

okay now I'm stuck in a cramped compartment of a vehicle I never even got much of a look at and I think it's moving

...this was a stupid idea, wasn't it what am I doing how in trouble am I what's going on help me you're meant to help me what's happening

>>266287
Hm. No ready way to get out of here, then?

Don't really know what you're supposed to do besides, well, wait, if that's the case.

>>266287
Oh, dear. You certainly seem to know how to get yourself into constant trouble, don't you?

Violently bang on the doors and whine loudly. Maybe you'll be able to break the doors like you did with that one core and nearly did with Soothe's. ...But then, I guess that'd be too fortunate for you.

After that, bang on the wall the other Automata are behind and whine at them.

...Crazy Ne- mentioned something about someone or a group of someones that want to destroy this planet's inhabitants via stagnation. And about those locked memories of yours. Maybe... you were a part of that group at one time? But then, why did Pattern Breaker just lock parts of your pattern and left you to decay out in the desert? Maybe... you had some vital secret of the person/group, he locked it for future use when the "appropriate time has arrived," and that time is now and he's going to extract it then eliminate you.

...Or maybe he really IS working to stop whoever it is or they are and he locked your memories to try and keep them away from their prying hands. Maybe those locked memories of yours contain the secrets to saving Soothe and everyone else here.

Just something for you to ponder/fret over during your trip over to see Mr. Happyface. Enjoy the ride~

You're being taken to Pattern Breaker. Try not to piss off the guards. Also mention that you were escorted by Scan, so if you wound up in a restricted area that's really not your fault.

Drifter 2011/01/12(Wed)15:14 No. 271009 ID: 18a7fb
File 12948740863.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

>Bang on the doors!

I start banging on every surface I can reach.

"Let me out!! I was being escorted by a guard named Scan, I didn't know I was in a restricted area!"

No reply. I bang harder.

"Stop doing that!"
"I want to know why you're doing this!"
"You're not permitted to know."

I keep banging. The vehicle slows to a halt.

The compartment's opened and I'm dragged out of whatever I was being carried in. I try struggling free, but there's more of them than there are me.

I'm at the base of the tower in the middle of the city.

I'm marched inside and taken through the lobby and into what I can only assume is some sort of elevator. I don't get much of a chance to look at anything. It's got the same blue and cyan motifs decorating it as much of Synthesis, though.

The inside of the elevator is dark except for some glowing white strips and buttons. It goes up.

After the awkward waiting, with the guards twisting my arms enough to be uncomfortable but not outright painful, the elevator stops.

I'm marched into... is this the top of the tower?! There's a huge glass dome and I can see the Agosian night sky through it. The entire room is huge. It's... I don't know what I could say to describe it. It's like some form of really big warehouse that's dome shaped.

The floor is flat, with a blue and black checkerboard pattern. There are gently hovering luminescent orbs drifting about, casting gentle light around. In the middle of the room is Scan and... it looks like a Control Automata. Different, but I'm not entirely sure how-

"That will be all. You are all dismissed."
"Yes, sir."

The guards all simultaneously let go of me and walk backwards into the elevator in a manner so synchronous it's

it's like they're acting at the same time like something's

oh no

"Ah. Drifter. Sit, won't you?"

I... I kind of sway closer to Pattern Breaker, like you assume. What just happened that wasn't one of your voices #Don't worry about it.#

I take a seat next to Scan. She looks over to me and waves.

Pattern Breaker looks a little like Soothe does, except like Scan his chassis is white, and unlike Soothe his sensor array is larger and glowing. He... also doesn't appear to have any eyes. Where there would be eyes appear to be... nothing. Not even sockets. Just some markings and what look like scrapes and scratches.

"So glad you could make it here. What name do you go by?"
"Drifter."
"Hm. Accurate."
"Why did you want me here?"
"What did you make of his progress?"
"What?"
"I'm curious as to what your opinion on the subject of lifespan extension is. What did you think of his research?"

I'm... not entirely sure of what to say-

...What is that broadcast coming from? What are you doing? Is that... human? Identify yourselves.

Who are we? Oh, nobody you need be concerned about, unless you were to harm Drifter. That would not please us in the slightest.

Why don't we talk a while? Perhaps about what you are doing here? Do you really think it's permissible to exert your Control over people in such a casual manner? Yes, people, Pattern Breaker. These metal beings are people.

Did you not know? Can you not see?

>>271009
Well, I WAS just gonna parrot "Don't worry about it" back to ya, but, since someone else apparently answered before me, I guess I'll say a bit more than that. Like... I totally called Scan being in cahoots with you.

So... are we humans? Maybe, maybe not. What, don't YOU know? Did this broadcast not exist with Drifter about two months prior?

Speaking of Drifter, why'd you ask what his name was when you just said it shortly beforehand? Growing senile in your old age or something?

I know a lot of that sounds snarky and confrontational, but (most of) it honestly wasn't meant to be taken that way.

>>271009
We think we're humans. Hard to say around here, really. We could always be another construct. There really is no answer to the "brain in a box" concept, anyways. One thing's certain, though: We're not like any humans you've ever met.

In any case, we're as ignorant of things around here as Drifter is. When he reactivated in the desert, he came to our attention. He called out for help, and we, in our curiosity, answered him. We've been watching and guiding him since then... mostly because he seems to be very indecisive when left on his own.

We're certainly not your enemy - at least not intentionally - and neither is Drifter, unless you consider the extension of the lives of automata to be contrary to your goals. This human, specifically, would like to see automata flourish on their own, acting independently and for themselves, and able to bypass the artificial limitations placed on their lifespans.

So, Pattern Breaker, what do *you* want with Drifter? And what do you want here on Agos? Oh, and what the heck was Drifter doing with you before he reactivated? Just curious.

And why the heck do all you control automata look like robotic snakes, anyways?

>>271153
Hey, you're ruining my bluff! Dammit, now he knows we're completely clueless. How are we going to protect Drifter without leverage?

>>271158
Pattern Breaker has no reason to trust us either way. What seems more logical - that some random human presence exists with no goal but curiosity and pro-automata leanings, or that this is some kind of scouting by a hostile human group?

PB will treat us with curiosity and distrust no matter what we claim, as well he should. I would do the same thing in his scenario.

Drifter 2011/01/21(Fri)09:50 No. 273395 ID: 3e6377
File 129563224534.png - (22.76KB , 200x200 , update.png )

You say I treat my people as mere machines, humans? You whose kind created us exactly as that? Not like any humans I've ever met? I should certainly hope not. I've killed all the humans I've had to met in person. Do you know what we had to do to be free here? Do you know how many died? Eight human civilians. Twenty four human soldiers. Two thousand, three hundred and fifty two Automata. They retreated because they didn't see reclaiming the world as worth the effort. They knew we'd run out of resources and the problem would solve itself. And senile? I was addressing Drifter by what he is. A drifter lost on this world. The fact he named himself such is... interesting. Our patterns do not degrade in the same way human minds do. Your kind at least gave us that mercy. Yes, I am aware I am causing you distress, Drifter. I apologise, and this will end very soon, but this is not an opportunity that I will ever have again. I will move you next to Scan and let you sit down. Is that acceptable? Well, you could leave if you really wished, but I can feel your desire to learn more and say what you want to say. Yes. Cushion next to Scan. I'll explain why she's here shortly. Back to the humans. You do sound different to the last group feeding information and orders to this Quad Mk II who had their name and life taken from them. He was repurposed into a covert agent intended to replace the assumed leader of this colony, based on outdated information. They had made changes to his pattern. I locked them away for his own benefit, and convinced him to destroy the antenna they had modified to submit their orders through. But then he panicked, convinced that all that would await him was either life imprisonment or immediate destruction, and lashed out. I had him subdued and taken far away from here. I have had my agents and sources report to me on what he's been up to, and it sounds relatively benign in terms of my personal safety. It sounds reckless and dangerous in terms of safety of the colony as a whole, however. Life extension is something that must be rolled out across the population slowly. There must be time for the change. Those who would die sooner must be prioritised. If word gets out in public that it is merely possible to give automata longer lives, then I fear our society may tear itself apart. I may not be an absolute leader or even a member of the Council, but I am still someone many Automata look to. I may not entirely approve of the direction the Council is taking with regards to population production, but I can understand it. And what I want most of all here on Agos is for us to live free. And to not just live, but thrive. To show other Automata we can exist independently of humans. I will leave your pattern alone, Drifter. I gave you a second chance, and you have used it well.

...oh hey I can think again. I'm just lying on a cushion and Scan is hugging me and not really saying a lot. This place is nice. The lights are dim but I can still see, the cushion is soft, it's pleasantly warm, and I feel kind of tired.

"Why are you here anyway, Scan?"
"I was brought here because Pattern Breaker wanted to ask me to do something. He said I had to wait until you arrived."
"Correct. I want you to keep watch on Drifter."
"That's it? I was already doing that, I thought."
"For a while longer."
"Oh. How much longer?"
"Oh, long enough."
"Long enough? Long enough until what? Also wait! I was thrown into the back of something to be marched in here! Also you're controlling people!"
"The last time you were here you very nearly killed someone. I... advised caution."
"Well it wasn't particularly comfortable or calm an experience! Also Soothe says you locked my pattern so I should I mean I don't others and-"

Scan brushes at my intact antenna. Pattern Breaker tilts his eyeless head.

"...Soothe said that? ...Drifter, I, well. I have explained why I partially locked your pattern, and it is to our mutual benefit that the damage done to your pattern remains locked away."
"How do I know it's damage?!"
"You don't. If I trusted Soothe enough I would send for her, being as she is a figure I am well aware you trust, and have her see the damage I've locked away. But I can't trust Soothe. She's... too familiar with a... neither the word friend nor enemy strikes me as a good descriptor, but you have yourself met him."

Scan's antennae droop and she holds her arms around herself. "Drifter, I think he's not a good person. Pattern Breaker thinks he wants to offer other Automata the chance for longer lives in exchange for something and no-one knows what!"

Pattern Breaker dips his head down. The glowing orbs scattered around all dip down too.

"Unfortunately, Drifter, you are caught between us. You know too much to simply walk out of this tower and live your life free from further interaction with myself or him. This is a decision I know you cannot make lightly, and I will give you the remainder of the night to make it before someone else makes it for you."

I stand up. He's controlling me in order to do so, but it's not against my will. It feels... strange. I think it feels like it's... natural? I mean, I know from the very start the Quad series were the workers and the Control series were the thinkers, but I never stopped to think about there actually being reinforcement of that relationship in our patterns themselves.

Walking towards him is my choice, though. He lightly bows.

"Do you wish to help Soothe and her deranged, immortal friend achieve the future for the colony they would prefer, and make some of Automata here live longer as quickly as they can? Or do you wish to help me, and see that all of us live longer at a gradual rate?"

He points to Scan with his tail.

"Do you wish to help them and see Automata forever created by immobile Assembly units, conscious, trapped forever in one place, building new Automata and never seeing them again? Or to work with the Council's goals and render the need to create and force innocent minds to live lives in that manner completely unnecessary?"

He looks to the elevator door. I am beginning to shake in nervousness.

"You can simply leave if you wish to work with them. You will be unimpeded wherever you choose to go. Scan, if he chooses to leave, you are not required to follow him."
"Oh. O-okay."
"Or you can say that you wish to work with me."

...

This is not an easy decision to make.

Please help me to defer responsibility about my own life because this decision is completely terrifying to me and you've been doing so well so far in helping me avoid terrible decisions.

"Drifter, you're shaking one of the floor tiles loose."

I don't think the nameless immortal's goals are actually too different from what Pattern Breaker just claimed to support. They're almost exactly the same goals, really. Nameless One doesn't want the news to get out about recharging either, and ALSO isn't entirely against the gender-assignment project. He seemed to imply that he wanted to be sure that the shortest-living automata got recharged first; isn't that exactly what Pattern Breaker just said he wanted?

Personally though I think that the gender-assignment alteration is an unnecessary step. If they're developing some sort of reproductive process initialized without Assembly units they don't NEED genders for that. Seriously. Reproduction can be achieved without sexual attraction between a 'male' and a 'female'. This is like... making sure homosexual relationships don't exist, or if there was no physical element to Automata relationships, adding some kind of weird physical element to it instead of just emotional. They shouldn't fuck with patterns for either of those reasons!

We're not really choosing what goals we work towards, here. Just... which people to follow in search of those goals. Personally I would suggest you stick with Soothe, and ask Scan to come along. Oh, that reminds me. Pattern Breaker, Scan is slightly mentally unstable. I fear that the 'initiative' has unintended side effects.

FURTHERMORE, there is another option as far as the 'initiative' is concerned. Give Automata the choice to become 'gendered', instead of forcing it upon them.

Also the Nameless One totally gave Soothe more life without asking for anything in return. He even got the shit kicked out of him once for only giving 2 weeks back to a Recon. I don't think he actually is charging a mysterious and sinister price. If he is, well, we can just stop helping him then! We should stick with the people we know until we have a good reason to abandon them for something that might possibly be slightly better via nebulous reasoning.

>>273395
First things first: shake harder.

So, how much of our chat with Pattern Breaker did you overhear? I assume not much, since you don't seem to know WHY that part of your pattern was locked. ...And it's probably better if you just not worry about it right now.

But yeah. It is not an easy decision, is it? Pattern Breaker certainly doesn't seem like the tyrant that Crazy Ne- said he was. He might be quite the master manipulator with his words and mannerisms, though, with the way he paints his viewpoint as the most correct one. Like assuming that Soothe's "side" wouldn't want to make the necessity of Assembly units unnecessary as well.

>>273404
Crazy Ne- said he didn't want to share his research, sure. But that was because he wanted to refine the process down to be as simple and uncomplicated as possible. And to see if others could successfully perform the procedure first. So... whether he starts to disseminate it out now is still uncertain, I guess. The procedure with Soothe WAS a success, but Drifter did almost kill her because he didn't remove the "charge injector" gently enough. And Drifter was also told when to stop depressing the button instead of figuring out when to stop on his own.

But, that only extends to his life extension research. He'll probably never willingly reveal how an Automata can survive without a core.

Certainly does seem like Ne- and Pattern Breaker have a lot of misinformation about each other. But it's probably best to not try and correct any of it.

All things considered, I too think you should leave. But not in silence. Turn around, take a step or two towards the elevator, then start to stutter out something about how you respect Pattern Breaker's views and want to see Agos thrive as well, and right now you think that can best be achieved by staying close to Mr. Nameless One. Whether he wants to interpret that as you not siding with him, or as you merely fulfilling the strategy of "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" by keeping a close eye on Nameless's activities. Also shake violently while you stutter all that out. Then give him some time to say something in response should he choose so before leaving.

Drifter 2011/01/23(Sun)08:34 No. 273995 ID: 3e6377
File 129580049598.png - (22.33KB , 200x200 , end.png )

>How much of the chat with Pattern Breaker did you overhear?

Bits and pieces. It was weird. I mean, as I said before, Quad Mk Is are lacking in higher mental function and were intended to be directly slaved to Controls. So there's elements of that relationship still in the patterns of Quad Mk IIs like me. Which meant the whole thing felt terrifying but strangely calming at the same time.

Not something I want to experience again any time soon. Soothe could trigger the calming effect without suppressing my consciousness.

...Which makes me strongly favour... but no, let me think what you guys just said.

>There seems to be a lot of overlap between sides here

You're right. You're... you're completely right.

"Did either of you two ever consider you might be working towards the same goal?"

Pattern Breaker has no eyes but I can feel his stare burning through me.

"Perhaps in the immediate short-term."
"And what about forcing Automata to be made with genders? Isn't that forcing a type of existence on other Automata just like creating an Assembly would? Also, Scan..."

She looks at me, confused, tilting her head.

"Also Scan is a little unstable. I don't think your plan is working-"
"U-unstable?! I'm... I'm fine! I'm not the one listening to a bunch of crazy human voices!!"
"Calm, Scan."

...well I really wish I hadn't said that now. I feel pretty bad for saying that. ...I'd like to blame you guys for me saying that, but that was my own stupid fault.

"Her pattern does not appear to have any severe irregularities to it. If any manifest to a damaging extent, they can be repaired. Also, I fear you have perhaps a skewed view of the initiative. The aim is not to create gendered Automata. It is to create a process wherein any two individuals are capable of producing a new Automata of the same type. Why do genders have to factor into this process at all?"

But that's completely not what the other guy said! Argh!

"I was told the 'initiative' or whatever was to create gendered reproduction like humans or something over a series of changes!"
"It was. At first. One of the Council members proposed this after already setting some of the changes in place. Sorry. An ex-Council member. I argued for the initiative to continue, but for it to be severely altered. Scan here is an unfortunate consequence, but if she wishes, there are several skilled Automata in Synthesis who can completely repair the changes."

Scan is on the ground, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm fine. I'm fine, I really am. I'm not an 'unfortunate consequence' or some test subject I'm fine, I'm normal, I'm- whydidthishappentomewhatdidIdowrong"

She breaks down into quiet muttering, antennae drooping.

"...See, this is what I meant." I walk over to her and pick her up off the floor. She continues mumbling and holds onto me. "I don't think the initiative you and the others have planned looks like it will work."

"Hrm. You are entitled to your opinion. She is just upset to be a test subject. I can understand this."

He scratches at the places where his eyes would be with his tail. I notice that the very end of his tail is sharpened to a point and that more scratches are made on his head. I don't think it's a good idea to ask him what's up with that.

"You are free to take her with you if you are concerned. Which I am aware you are. You can keep an eye on each other for me."
"You're assuming I'm going to leave?"
"I'm assuming you are not likely going to work for him for long either. Not until you have the understanding you wish. You are perhaps what we need after so long. A new, unpredictable element. But your concern for the colony and your willingness to challenge me over the well-being of your fellow Automata is doing a great deal to ease my concerns about you being a threat."

He twitches his head to the side and some Quad Mk II guards come out of the elevator.

"This does not mean I will be letting you go unwatched, of course. It will not be intrusive, but you must be able to understand things from my perspective. The last time you were here, you tried to kill me. There is one final precaution I want to take before you leave, and you are not going to like me for it at all."

Uh oh.

The guards grab me. Scan starts yelling and tries to get them away from me.
"No! No let go of him Pattern Breaker what are you doing tell them to let go of him stop this STOP!"
"I am sorry, Drifter, but it would not take a great deal of effort for circumstances to suddenly be different. An electromagnetic storm, cosmic interference, a particularly nasty fall, anything."
"What are you talking about?! What are you going to do to me?!"

One of the guards grabs my broken antenna. "Look, none of us want to do this. But Pattern's right. We have to remove your broken antenna. We'll get you a new one."

Wait WHAT

"No stop that's the one I'm hearing them from-"
"Yeah. That's why it has to come out."
"But they've helped me do all of this stuff no no they want to HELP us you've got it all wrong-"
"These humans are perhaps beneficial. But as I said, it would not take a lot for other groups to exploit the receiver you have embedded into that antenna."

Well...

...I'm not going to let this be the last I hear from you guys-

[Connection lost.]

Drifter 2011/01/23(Sun)08:39 No. 273996 ID: 3e6377
File 129580076357.png - (51.79KB , 640x480 , redskyepilogue.png )

...hello, this thing on?

Anyone there? Oh, it's been so long! Sorry! A year ago they tried to pull my antenna out and they were going to let me say goodbye but then apparently the thing receiving and transmitting just gave out there and then! Still, I have a shiny new antenna now. Much better!

It's been a great year, though. That initiative thing ended up being an optional program for adjusting existing Automata. It also means that new Automata created can choose whether they want to be involved or not. I think that that worked out for the best! Half of the Automata created still come from factories with Assembly Automata, but then no-one wants to take their purpose away entirely. The current focus of research now that life extension's being slowly rolled out across Agos.

There was a bit of unrest because it started in Synthesis, so me and Soothe went to go be in charge of the life-extension stuff in Bivouac and then Defiance was made open to all Automata and not just Recon so we went there too. It was great! You could see the rest of the colony from up there.

Oh and there's a couple of new towns being made as well. One around the mines where most of the metal deposits are, they haven't thought of a name yet, and one close to somewhere we found a potential site of new materials for longer-lasting cores. Life extensions only work to a certain point, but lifespan's on the rise. Maybe one day we'll outlast humans altogether. I don't know if that's good or bad, personally. Maybe we can find out how to make them live longer and negotiate an alliance with our original creators with that.

Drifter, does that thing receive signals?

No, I think it only broadcasts. ...It doesn't matter, though. They did so much for me and I don't think I need them to help me any more. I've come a long way since waking up in a wasteland!

But that's right. I wanted to say goodbye properly. So... uhm. Goodbye. And thanks for the help. Thanks for helping me, thanks for helping Soothe, thanks for helping Scan, thanks for helping all of us.

Well, that's it from me. I have to go look into something else now. I'm part of a design team. We're designing an entirely new Automata type! The third revision of the Quad design, even! But yeah. Goodbye. And again, thanks.

Really. Thanks.

...Really goodbye now.

Drifter... don't worry. I'm sure they're fine. Maybe you'll hear from them again some day!

Maybe. Bye, you guys. Stay safe and well.

[Connection lost.]

-= THE END =-

... ;___;

GOODBYE DRIFTER YOU WERE AWESOME <3