Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria)

Subject: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Mon Dec 04, 2017 10:32 pm

Milton wasn't too familiar with the slums on the first floor of Junction. From the day he arrived around the Middle floor, Dr. Meli had kept a close eye on his whereabouts. Despite his combat capabilities, Meli had insisted that Milton stay out of the lower floors without a purpose. Even so, the biting curiosity of the foreign slums beckoned him to come, and the friendship he had bonded with a few of the citizens who lived there convinced him that the slums weren't as bad as Meli insisted. So, on this lovely quiet day, the young bot donning the appearance of a teenage human wandered down the chipped sidewalks of the slums, hoping to come across the friends he met earlier.
"Hmm... I don't see them anywhere. Seems I'll need a guide in this turn of events. Who would know the area fairly well?"

Milton's eyes locked on a... figure out of his left optical field. He couldn't place it, but something about her caught his attention. Looking at her, she didn't seem human, her face instead being a slated metal mask of sorts with glowing blue eyes. Deciding to investigate further, Milton approached the caped figure and spoke as clearly as he could.

Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Guilty_crown-16-shu-dictator-scarf-evil

"Pardon me. Are you familiar with the area? I came to view the activity around here, see if there's any good shops down here."

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Tue Dec 05, 2017 9:45 am

For being the slums, the place was unusually peaceful that morning. Rianara had lived here long enough to have seen both the best and the worst that the slums had to offer... and most days usually leaned towards the latter category. Something about today just felt good. The surroundings were still as dirty and depressing as always. Whatever was causing this happier feeling, it could stay that way. The slums could certainly use some of it. She only gave brief nods in response to any sort of greetings she'd get, although they were quite rare, but the robot was better off without the people getting too friendly with her. Even though most of the folk around here were mere thugs and generally bad, she had sympathy for them, for it had not been their choice to end up here. And bad living conditions tended to bring out the worst in even the kindest individuals. And yet, this place was practically made for her. The normally gloomy atmosphere suited her somewhat. Still, Rianara stood out like a sore thumb amongst her much dirtier fellows. Sure, her scratched up metal coating made her fit in, but her clothing certainly didn't. She still wore the traditional garb from her homeworld, and while it by now was somewhat dirty, it still spoke of some wealth, even though she didn't possess anything remotely close to that. Not that she really needed it, as her Aether core would probably remain functional for hundreds of years to come. It was more likely that her body breaking down entirely would spell the end of her days rather than the android's energy supply running out.

Of course, she did see people from outside the slums come and go every now and again, although it wasn't exactly common. Ria had made it a principle to stay away from them entirely, as they would probably only bring her unwanted problems. And her somewhat spooky appearance, with the scratched face-plating and the gloomy glow of blue from her eyes made most outsiders stay away from her baseline. Today however, she would learn that it wouldn't always be the case. When spoken to, Rianara turned around, narrowing her eyes at the young teen, and what Milton had assumed to be a mask moved almost as if it was her face. Lacking any features aside from her eyes and some scarring, a faint scowl of irritation crossed the metallic plating. "I wouldn't really bother with the shops here, kid. There's nothing of value to be found. At least, not for outsiders like you." She said, her voice very cold and robotic to a degree. Whether this robotic tone was intentional or not was up for Milton to dechiper himself. "If that's all you're looking for, then I'd suggest you head someplace else. The Lower Ward isn't a safe place to be running around alone." And without much else to say, Rianara turned her back to Milton again and kept walking.

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Wed Dec 20, 2017 5:39 pm

Were Milton any more human than machine, he would more than likely return the glare he was given. Who was this person, telling him what was of worth to him or his safety? Sure, Dr. Klein was in the habit of checking up on him and making sure he stayed within his allowed parameters, but at least she knew to leave Milton to weigh his own options. Nevertheless, he remained with the same neutrally cheerful expression on his face as a message flickered into his vision, visible only for a moment to the unit opposite him as a white box popping over his iris before it immediately disappeared. Milton spoke as a gentleman should, clearly and with confidence, as he followed her down the road, glancing and memorizing the locations he visited thus far.

"There's no need to speak of me as though I am not welcome. I have acquaintances who take up shelter in this area. As for the worth of the items at said shops, I believe it is up to me to determine their worth. I consider very few things of little value, but seeing how you have no interest in speaking unnecessarily with me, I'll be straightforward. Would you like to guide me to points of interest in the area? I am more than capable of defending myself, but I do wish to learn more about you. Perhaps you'll allow me to pick your brain, Ms...?"

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Wed Dec 27, 2017 10:28 am

Rianara and Milton couldn't be further apart in terms of how they were handled as Androids. Milton had been given a very human-like appearance, as if to blend in, while Rianara's design had been much less subtle. While she did move like a human did, everything else about her was far from being human. Her face had next to no facial features on it, as if the creator had no artistic feeling whatsoever. She was designed to be easily destinguishable from a crowd of humans, like most androids on her home-planet were. Back in the day, before the revolution, her face used to look a bit more pleasant to the eye, as it had been given a pearl-white paint-job with some golden accents here and there... That color had been worn off by now due to use and age. Living in exile for as long as she had was the main cause. That, and she never bothered with keeping that look up to begin with.

This kid's generally cheerful expression did annoy her slightly, but not enough for it to show on her face. "Hm? Guide you?" That was a request she did not expect from someone like him. Did he lack any common sense? Or was his confidence just that high? Even Rianara had to admit that she wasn't exactly the most trust-worthy-looking person around these parts. However... that last bit he had to say irked her even more than the cheerful attitude he had."...You're better off knowing as little as you can about me..." Unknowingly, Milton had stepped on a rather sensitive subject for her. Rianara would much rather avoid attachment to people, fearing that the past may repeat itself... That she would have her hand forced against her will... in order to hurt her friends. She couldn't take that risk again. "We're both better off that way." She was torn however... He had shown genuine interest in her, which was a rarity... but was it worth the risk?

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Wed Jan 10, 2018 2:36 pm

Milton couldn't see it from the eyes of a machine, but his brain could tell something wasn't right. Did he say something wrong again? Was he getting on this being's nerves already? True, the slums were dangerous, but he was far from helpless. Unlike Rianara's likely impression of him, Milton wasn't constructed to resemble a humanoid being at the start; he was simply a collection of upgrades and replacement parts that were initially meant to appear and function like his original limbs. It was an arm and leg to start, then another arm, another leg, his head, his chest... like replacing one plank on a ship at a time, it only resembled his flesh form because they were meant to be additions to his human body.

Before Rianara could turn to leave him alone, he found himself speaking aloud, reaching for her arm to stop her.
"I do not know what you have been through,
but I do not believe anyone should be alone... well, the commander is an iffy decision, but never mind him. You do not need to worry for my safety; I am very much capable of defending myself.

Please, at least give me a name. After that, I can leave you alone if you really don't want me around..." Milton pleaded,an earnest need to help gleaming behind his eyes.

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Wed Jan 31, 2018 1:45 pm

Rianara stopped when she felt something latching onto her shoulder. "And maybe one day, you'll know what that is... Just pray you don't have to go through what I did." she replied rather ominously, if at least somewhat less hostile sounding than before. Ria's tone of voice was still a far cry from anything that could be remotely called friendly, but at least she wasn't being as cold to him anymore. "Are you really showing compassion to a damaged, old robot like me, young man?" She asked slowly, unsure of what to think. Was he coming from a place of genuine concern or not? She had always a difficult time to tell the difference.

The android looked at Milton with slight curiousity mixed with a bit of skepticism before she spoke. What did this boy want out of her? "Good. Then, I guess I can show you around, if you can keep up, that is." She reluctantly decided to give him a tour of the neighbourhood at least. While Ria wasn't a professional by any means, she knew her way around here better than most people, despite having only lived here for a year. Databanks are quite useful for that stuff. "The name's Rianara. What's yours, boy?"

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Thu Feb 01, 2018 3:07 pm

"Just pray you don't have to go through what I did."
There it was. Another person who had gone through their own version of hell and thought that telling others that they would never wish to go through what they suffered. Milton didn't seem the sort to have suffered quite a lot, merely resembling a teenage male human, but the fact that he was more machine than organic was the testament to the life he had left behind on Orbis. He was far from naïve to the harsh nature of the universe, but the only way he would ever get through it was to live life with his head held high and his feet marching forward. But, of course, this Rianara may not have known his condition yet.

"Yes, quite. I imagine you have many interesting and heartbreaking tales to tell, but I won't prod where you are not comfortable. Takes time to get to learn a troubled soul, that's what I was taught by the doctor.

Of course I would show compassion towards you. I dislike the notion that people do not wish to learn more about them. Everyone, whether machine or flesh or any medium in between, has a story to tell through their lives and what resides in their minds. Not everyone asks when you wish they would, so I like to pick people's brains from time to time to see just the kind of variety of mental processes they have.

When Rianara mentioned having to keep up with her, Milton's body was prepared to enhance his speed by giving his skin a more sleek form as the two walked down the way. Milton's eyes darted from sign to sign and face to face as the map of the Slums started forming in his mind, noting unknown buildings and capturing the faces of unknown people, keeping Rianara's file open to add more details to it. Milton kept a close pace behind Rianara, adjusting his scarf to keep the 'label' near his neck covered.

"My name? Oh, you may call me Milton. May I ask what you occupy your time with down here, Rianara?"

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Thu Feb 01, 2018 3:32 pm

"As does everyone here in the slums. We've all been through some bad times, either recent or during years gone by." She had heard her fair share of depressing stories over her time here, some more dark than others. Rianara seemed to have landed in one of the worst camps, if she compared her own misfortune to those stories she heard of. "And digging too deep into others can be very dangerous on it's own. Don't trust everyone you meet. Especially not around in these forsaken backwaters. Luckily, you ran into me rather than one of the worse pieces of scum around here. I can't say I'm a law abiding citizen myself, but I at least don't jump on whatever unlucky outsider who happened to wander into the wrong place on Junction. People are desperate and do whatever they can just to survive. I guess what I'm trying to say is... restrain yourself. Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to." It was of course a matter of respect... some people took offense to that. Rianara was a bit offended herself by his lack of tact, and stubborn nature, but at least he had good intentions. She couldn't fault him for that.

"What I do? Well... If I'm going to be honest, not much. I pretty much just wander around the slums, wasting my days away walking. I mean, what else am I supposed to do? Get food? When I'm fueled by an almost limitless source of energy? Pfah. It'll last me for at least 600 years, if not much more than that." Rianara replied wryly. Of course, she did have a few places of interest that she wanted to explore more now that she had mapped out almost all of the Slum sector. The Under and well... the last bit of the slums she had yet to visit, namely the back alleyways. People said it was much like a maze. She had to see if it was anywhere close to the truth.

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Thu Feb 01, 2018 4:05 pm

As Milton had figured, the Slums were ripe with dangerous encounters and dark stories of the tragedies befalling those that call it their home. Any one person was just as likely to lie to you as the other, but the way Ria spoke and went about his request gave Milton the impression that she was one of the seemingly rare exceptions that made up a good number of Milton's friends. He still had his human wits and intuition about him, so he could tell blatantly sketchy folks from the usual law-abiding crowds. Even so, anyone attempting to trick him or cause him harm would have his blade, gun, and Phobetor to deal with. He knew the general process to an unfamiliar and sketchy place; go about your business and pay others no mind. Of course, whether he would follow it or not was up to who caught his eye...

"Very well. I understand what you mean to say. Though I do have acquaintances down in the slums that may be able to point out the familiar connections between them, I do know how to exercise caution around suspected individuals. My profession does give me a tendency to ask questions, but only if I am familiar with them on a level of trust that would allow me to say them."

"Oh? A core that can be powered unaided for 600 years at an estimation? That's a fascinating development. The labs near my house have some pretty advanced technology, so I imagine if you are willing, they would love to measure your physical capabilities. Aside form my job on the Middle Ward, I would think that, should you be physically able in combat, the planet below holds quite a variety of mysteries to investigate. I imagine you could get some good resources from the Avatars down there. What sounds interesting to you?"

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Mon Feb 05, 2018 3:37 pm

Rianara would raise an eyebrow in Milton's direction. "And pray tell, how am I not one of those 'suspected individuals'? I can't say I have given you a reason to ever trust me. And yet, you do. Why?" The android asked, narrowing her eyes at Milton in a rather curious way. The trust between the two wasn't wholly mutual, and the reasons why were mostly because of her own past experiences. If he ever got too close for comfort, there would be reason to worry. But for now, his questions seemed innocent enough. Hopefully, this wouldn't bite her in the long run. "Yes. It's powered by a radioactive substance we call aether. Quite the dense material, it's energy producing capabilities is what allows for such longevity in power cores fueled by it. I don't know the specifics myself, however, I do know this. Despite it being such a radioactive substance, it's relatively stable, given how much radiation it produces. It takes a lot for a power core to have a nuclear meltdown... but when it does happen, you don't want to be anywhere nearby." Not that she had actually seen it happen herself. All this knowledge came from the maintenence folder on her mainframe. Data that she could not delete herself, permanently etched into her memory. "As for this whole testing buissness... I'll give it some thought, at the very least." Rianara replied, rounding the corner of a building, pushing her way through the crowd, seemingly un-noticed by those she walked by. Was she really that good at hiding within a crowd? Or had people just learned that it was best to ignore her?

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Thu Feb 08, 2018 7:20 pm

Why was Milton trusting yet another stranger when, as Ria mentioned, she had not given him great reason to trust her? Milton was not one to suspect strangers of harboring ill intent towards him; after all, his track record of identifying potential friends and notable acquaintances among strangers he talked to was a resounding streak of successes. When it came to strangers, Ria didn't give him a serious reason to distrust her. She wasn't like Mr. Blackwood in the fact that they obviously didn't trust him, only that Ria didn't understand why he was so trusting. Might as well tell it to her as he considered it.

"Well, firstly, I was the one who had to approach you with discussion, and all you have done thus far is agree to follow my request. If you were to draw a weapon, I assure you it would be broken or out of your grasp before you could injure me. Secondly, who is to say I don't have a method of detecting strangers from acquaintances that have yet to be? I am an apprentice to a professional psychologist, so it is entirely possible I've been picking your brain to determine if you could prove dangerous to associate with. Either way, you currently have my trust in the sense that there is currently little reason to assume you are untrustworthy.

So, you run on a radioactive substance called aether? Well, that is rather interesting to here. On my home world, many of the advances we have made in science relies on a natural energy source known as Stream. I have found it comparable to the terms of mana found in many stories of human lore. Perhaps you're energy source would be compatible with our Stream and combining them will somehow enhance the energy source. So, are you familiar with the Mekor Gen labs on the middle ward?"

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:15 pm

"I... see" Rianara replied slowly. She somewhat got his reasoning, even if his line of thinking was still a bit naive. "Some are quite good liars. I suppose you do have your ways though. Not gonna go and police your way of thinking. That's not really why I was built." She was a law enforcer. And he wasn't doing anything really illegal by just trusting people. "...Oh really now? Well, I can assure you that disarming me won't be necessary. I don't need weapons to do harm. Just don't give me an excuse, and I'll be nice." She was not paticularly fond of his tone. He came off as incredibly arrogant, a trait which the old robot did not find paticularly appealing. "Well, I'm fairly certain you'd need more extensive psychological knowledge around here... Not everyone here thinks like you and I happen to." Whatever this professional psychologist knew, it couldn't be applied to every single race here anyway. Only a small minority of the races here thought in the same ways, and functioned differently.

"That's right. Aether. Quite an odd substance, I have to say. I don't really have much experience with it though, aside from well... the basics. Being such a highly radioactive, and precious compound demands a great deal of studying to even get the clearance necessary to work with, so I imagine it's quite volatile if not handled properly." Rianara replied thoughtfully. "The core's casing is sturdy enough to keep the aether safe, so there's no worry. I won't just randomly explode. First, you'd have to breach my armored plating, and then actually get the core out... and that's a task few have managed to do, and among those that have tried with other units like me without the proper training have lost their lives." The android replied in a somewhat grim tone. "That's a risk I wouldn't want to take. One wrong step could cause Junction to lose one city block, if not more." Rianara looked at Milton with slight confusion when he mentioned the Mekor Gen Labs. "No... Can't say I have."

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Sun Feb 25, 2018 4:48 pm

(Sorry! I could've sworn I had posted for this. Guess my post got lost in the mail)
Milton listened carefully to Ria's description of her energy source's potency and protection, picking up on her negative reaction to Milton's more confident statement on his ability to defend himself. While Milton hadn't intended it, he did at least learn that being so cocky didn't sit well with Ria. He'd have to watch his tone to make sure he didn't push her further. In an attempt to reconcile his mistake in tone and change the subject, Milton took over in the conversation.

"Oh no no, I had no doubt you were capable of defending yourself. If anything, I just wanted to reassure you that I was not defenseless. But you are correct in saying that few share such a wavelength of thought. That's why I choose to talk with people in different places in life; the more I can learn about the people in different locations, ages, and walks of life, the better I can attempt to do my assigned job. I'm no Dr. Klein, so I can't guarantee I know how far to push my questioning, but I'm good enough to get repeat visitors and pay.

As for why I bring up the labs, it's where I was... raised. It's been converted into a repair shop since it was detached from the rest of the plant. We're continuing to push our technological understanding using alien technology, so if you ever need repairs to your body or wish to contribute to research, I know the researchers there would love to learn more about your operations... and maybe then we can get Anni her wings back.

Anyways, thank you for the tour. I will head back up to the lab once we go our separate ways out of respect for your advice. But before I go, I'd like to ask a question of you to get your view on something. Say that a wooden ship, let's call it The Blume, was replaced plank by plank with new pieces of wood whenever the wood started to become too rotten until the ship is made of entirely new planks altogether. If someone were to take all of the old pieces of the ship and build a ship in the exact likeness of the original...

Which ship is The Blume?"

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Fri Mar 02, 2018 4:47 pm

"Well, good for you. I think you'd like my old home. People there are quite chatty." Well, it was part of Atharan culture to share information. The entire world was pretty much based on that whole premise. Showing the fruits of what you've learned, teaching others your craft, passing on knowledge... Maybe not from a psychological perspective, but given his interest in engineering and technology, the boy would certainly have a fieldtrip on a world where those passions were considered to be an artform. "Not to mention that robotics and engineering there are basically considered as forms of art. The motto for the Magistrate is ”The soldering iron is our brush, and the plates our canvas”. Alas... you'll probably never get to see that world as we passed it about 25 jumps ago." Perhaps she felt a little nostalgic talking about her old home. Despite all it's flaws, Rianara still missed the busy streets of the capital, and the larger than life constructs of Athara's tinkerers and engineers. But even if the option to go back presented itself to her, Rianara couldn't and wouldn't go back. Her home had hurt her too much. So she would probably spend the rest of her days here, in the slums of Junction until a promising world passed by.

"I see..." Rianara was raised in a lab much like Milton had been, albeit under very different conditions and for a different purpose entirely. "I'll make sure to remember where to go if it ever becomes an issue. Assuming the good doctor is still alive by then. I don't know if I'm going to need any substantial repairs anytime soon, and I... I'll wander for a long time. Outliving most of the organics here by a large margin, but that's to be expected. My body doesn't decay over time like one of flesh does." Rianara shrugged. "But in case the crisis does come, I know where to go."

The android looked at Milton curiously. "Anni?" She asked, somewhat interested in this new individual brought up. Wings? Was it some kind of flying robot? Ria wished she could fly. That would've certainly made her job as a Subdual unit way easier... Maybe she could get some kind of flying modifications to herself by the good doctor? She certainly wouldn't say no if offered. Flying was undeniably useful.

"Don't... mention it, kid." Rianara replied, sounding somewhat suprised with herself. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of this. Part of her was scared of getting attached to this young boy, and another, smaller part longed for companionship... The former feeling was still very strong, but Milton had at least budged her convictions, if only slightly. Much more progress needed to be made before he could really consider her a friend... "Good question... If I have to give you an honest answer, it would be up to the crew to decide which one is the original... not me. I have no personal attachment to The Blume, so which one's the original is irrelevant to me."

After givng Milton her answer, Rianara said farewell, and the two walked their separate ways... Rianara unsure of what to really think of this kid, somewhat scared of what he was doing to her.

Subject: Re: Slums Aren't So Scary (Ria) Fri Mar 02, 2018 6:24 pm

While Ria would have described her home world as a robotics wonderland that Milton would find absolutely breathtaking, he seemed hesitant to reply. A world where robotics was revered as a form of art, a motto of technology being the advancement to advance their craft... it was like Vel Mekor. Replace art with the motifs of a brave military, and Vel Mekor comes to mind. Milton's body was about as artistically recognized as a powerful bomb; to those who are using it to win at any cost, the destruction they would cause would be beautiful to witness. He left that world behind as Ria had for her own reasons, and he didn't plan on going back to either world.

"Yeah, our chances of returning to our home worlds are quite slim. Though in our cases, it's probably for the best. Anyways, assuming you don't take significant damages, she may very well pass on by then. The people of our planet do have a bit longer of a lifespan due to the Stream in our bodies, but without natural sources besides the generators, it won't last that long. "

When Ria seemed to perk up in curiosity as he mentioned Anni, his eyes seemed to spark with energy as he talked about her.

"Yeah, Anni! She's a childhood friend from home who's... in the same situation as me. Where I come from, Stream is actually used to infuse certain people with aspects of animals, sort of splicing their genetics with the stronger genetic benefits from the animals. Anni's mom was half avian, so she's got more hollow arms and legs than normal. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, her replacement arms weren't prepared for her condition, so we're working on fixing them so that she can glide again."

However, as Milton heard her response to his question, he unintentionally groaned under his breath. No matter who he asked, nobody would give him a straight answer. Even worse, she said it was irrelevant to her. But if it were up to the crew, maybe it meant it was up to him to decide what he was. With that, Milton waved her off and made his way back to the Middle Ward.

"It's irrelevant to her...? Guess that's expected of other people. If anyone's going to care about my condition, it might be all too late. At least I impacted her in some way. 'til next time, Ria."

[EXIT]

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