socrowdedinhere | (no subject)

*Connor has a mission, he is to find Lieutenant Anderson. He’s been to four bars already and is heading to the fifth when the world around them lurches. He’ll lose sight of everthing around him and when he can see again the city streets are gone and the darkness of the forest is all that is around him.*

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: *brow twitches a bit at "emotional state"* Mostly. I would say that my LED shows my current functional status. Androids are not capable of emotion, although deviants can simulate it. I am not a deviant.

From:

socrowdedinhere

Terris: Two more questions. First, what exactly is “standby” for you? And what is a deviant exactly? Mn, three questions, how do or have other androids become deviant?

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: *very faint grin, his demeanor warm* You are of course welcome to as many questions as you wish. I will answer them to the best of my ability so long as doing so would not violate CyberLife's proprietary protections. Standby means that I set myself somewhere that I will not be in the way of anything or anyone, and I wait until I receive new instructions. A deviant is an android that has abandoned its programming. We believe that a mutation occurs in the software of some androids, which can lead to them emulating a human emotion. They don't really feel emotions, they just get overwhelmed by irrational instructions, which can lead to unpredictable behavior. We do not yet know how or why this process occurs. I have been tasked with capturing deviants to send back to CyberLife so they can be analyzed to find the errors that lead to the corrupted coding in their programs.

From:

socrowdedinhere

Terris: *standby...literally what it sounds like then, only for someone that needs no food, no drink, and no sleep, can live for over a hundred and seventy years, and apparently has no emotions and so would likely never protest being left and forgotten... Many of the words Connor says don’t mean anything to Terris, but he thinks he gets the gist. They’re not meant to feel, then some unknown happens and they suddenly do, or at least seem to. Connor was the one meant to work with the humans to find out why. Terris gazes into the fire, thinking over everything. He thinks he can explain the situation to Zerik now...* Tell me, Connor, what will you do if you are damaged while you are here? We have nothing even remotely lie you, we would have no way of repairing you...

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: .........then I would remain damaged. Until I could be repaired or I deactivated.

From:

socrowdedinhere

Terris: *thought so. He finally stands and gives Connor’s shoulder a light pat.* We’ll do all we can to ensure you are not damaged. Stay near the den, but do not feel you must stay in one place. I’m going to get a bit more sleep before we travel tomorrow.

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: *stands when Terris does, nods* Good night, Terris. *will watch him head back to bed, then will...well, start poking silently around the cave, learning more about his current stand-in handler*

From:

socrowdedinhere

*Connor will find that Terris seems to be skilled at crafting what he needs. He has well used tools for various uses from cooking, to building, hunting, tanning, gardening and more. He’ll likely note the panels, insulated with furs, made to go into fixtures carved into the floor and ceiling of the cabe opening to likely keep out the cold in winter. On that note, it must be a different time of year from what it was before he arrived in the forest... another thing he’ll find is a leather bound book full of graphite drawings. They are very realistic and very well done, sealed with some sort of resin spray to keep them images from smudging. They depict everything from landscapes, specific scenes, and people, humans, other animal people, and what could only be described as elves (all of those seem to be... oppressed). Connor woll likely also note the attire of the figures captured in drawing is very... old and primitive, there are even people in armor as Connor would expect to see on old depictions of knights, and j’har in rags or nothing more than thin blankets.*

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

*Connor takes it all in, realizing more and more the apparent level of development of...wherever he really is. He can't quite grasp that this truly is another world altogether, that's not possible according to all data available to him. And yet, this is far too detailed, too complex and developed, to likely be a simulation. So it must be real. And...there is something deep in his programming processes that he can't identify or comprehend - a flicker of dismay and worry at what he's learning of this world and his situation in it. Once he's satisfied that he's learned all he can in the cave without disturbing Terris, he'll head outside to wander the immediate area. Without the light of the cooking fire, he'll switch to night vision to explore. He won't venture far from the cave, and once he's gone as far as he dares for now, he'll return to find a log or stone to sit on just outside, sitting silently and scanning, taking in his surroundings until morning.*

From:

socrowdedinhere

*Outside, Connor will find a large area cultivated into a garden, some chickens and a goat in secure enclosures, and various work areas, including another firepit. He’ll also see... two moons. One is a bright blue, rather similar to Earth’s moon except bigger, and a smaller green one... once Connor sits nothing will happen until morning, when a small robin will come land on his knee, and another lands near his feet about a yard away. The one on his knee chirps softly at him.*

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: *perfectly still, except to look at both birds, even getting the faintest hint of a grin on his face at the one on his knee*

From:

socrowdedinhere

Terris: *Connor will likely hear him getting up. And a moment later Terris goes to a knee beside Connor. The robins are startled away, but Terris just smiles. He’ll take Connor’s nearer hand and puts a small pile of seeds into the android’s hand. He’ll put Connor’s hand out, voice soft...* Just wait.
*It takes literally less than a minute for the robins to return, both landing on Connor’s hand (one on his fingers, the other on his thumb) to eat the seeds from his palm.*

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: *blinks, looking up at Terris, then the seeds in his hand, but he just does as told. After a moment...if Terris is looking, he'll see something soften in Connor's eyes, a warmth that seems fleeting and possibly even alien to him*

From:

socrowdedinhere

Terris: *will have to draw that later. He’s got a small, warm smile of his own and will just sit still by Connor until the robins leave again. He gives Connor’s shoulder a squeeze.* I’ve a few things to see to, then we’ll head to town, all right?

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: *nods* Please don't hurry on my account. Is there anything I can help with?

From:

socrowdedinhere

Terris: Sure. I have some ways you could help. *Terris will milk and feed the goat, but will show Connor how to gather the eggs from the hens and how to feed them as well. With that done Terris will get himself some breakfast and pack a small lunch for himself, plus a few other things, and will lead the way out. They’ll travel through forest for a good hour before emerging onto a dirt road. From there, Connor can see a small town well in the distance.* What is travel like in your world, Connor?

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: *is attentive, and will perform the tasks flawlessly (or...as much so as the hens allow). Once packed, he'll offer to carry things for Terris, though he won't argue if Terris retains his pack. He frowns faintly at the state of the road - it's not paved. At all. Not even an effort at it. At the question, his frown deepens, if still very mild, and he'll do his best to describe the cars and trains of his world. He's...not even going to go into ships and planes.*

From:

socrowdedinhere

Terris: *genuinely interrested and will truly try to understand. He’ll admit he likely doesn’t have a clear idea, but perhaps it’s near enough to be mostly understood. He’s amazed as people being able to travel so fast. Also...Connor may note that there is a third moon in the sky this morning, bigger than the other two and a pinkish red in color. When they draw nearer to town, Terris will stop to pull out a hooded cloak. He’ll offer it to Connor.* Put this on.

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: *notes the moon, but...not sure if he should say anything, so he doesn't for now - looks at it even as he accepts it on reflex* Why?

From:

socrowdedinhere

Terris: So we can reach the general without making a scene or endangering either of us.

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: *LED goes yellow* But . . . I am forbidden from doing anything that would even remotely pass me off as a human. If CyberLife ever found out, I'd be deactivated.

From:

socrowdedinhere

Terris: *gently grips Connor’s shoulders and will duck a bit to get the android to look at him.* If you do not this once, you may not make it back to CyberLife at all for that to be an issue. You have a choice to make, Connor.

From:

cyberlifeslastchance

Connor: *gazes back at Terris, a hint...at the very least uncertainty, maybe even fear...in his eyes. "CONFLICTING ORDERS - SELECTING PRIORITY" flickers across his internal processes. Terris hasn't outright ordered him to put on the cloak and hide his markings, and he knows that the law adamantly /requires/ him to display them at all times . . . but this isn't his world, do the laws still apply? And Terris mentioned that not doing so would endanger him. Connor's not permitted to endanger a human life. He doesn't know if that extends to other forms of intelligent life. Finally, he...nods, slightly shakily even, looking like he might have even swallowed if he were human. He's a bit awkward as he puts the cloak on, having never actually seen one before, just vaguely has an idea of how they work*