2010-07-26 - The Secret of the Weapon
From Four Color Comics MUX
| Rise of the Machines: The Secret of the Weapon | |||
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| Summary: Augmenta escorts SA-7453 to the Palladium station to safely dock her damaged vessel and get her repair attentions. This includes introducing her to Steel Angel, and discussing this mysterious weapon. | |||
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Contents |
Location Description
RP Room used. No particular description available.
Character Descriptions
Augmenta
This figure stands not even five and a half feet tall, a feminine shaped figure of normalized proportions, but shaped not of flesh but of joined plates of dull grey ceramics. The face, such as it is, has a neutral and unmoving expression. There isn't much external sign of what must be various electronics and other systems inside the armor.
Steel Angel
This entity is very clearly, immediately, not human. Standing a little bit over six feet tall, she may appear bigger to some, by virtue of the metal wings that sprout from the sides of her torso. Extended, they are thin, their edges appearing very sharp, but much of the time they are folded into her body. The impression is of an angel of bright metal, for her entire form is silver. The front of her head holds a sketchy impression of a face...eyes, nose, mouth, but it seems as if little time was spent on her features, although the shape of her body is that of a woman.
She wears no clothing in the true sense of the word, having nothing to cover with it. Solid metal, with no obvious seams, although a belt is hooked around her waist, perhaps to give her something to secure items with. When she moves, it is quick yet controlled, and when she speaks, it is definitely a woman's voice, quite rich in its tones.
Begin Scene
With the damaged blockade runner freighter secured, the decision was made to bring it in to dock at Palladium rather than bringing it to Earth. Palladium has the resources to track the vessel, and give chase if necessary. It does not require trying to land the space vessel safely in atmosphere in its condition. And Palladium has sufficient radiation shielding to avoid problems with what remains left-over after the vessel's damage and systems malfunctions. The fact that this will also make it possible to more quickly introduce the damaged battle-bot to Steel Angel is not brought to her attention right away, though Augmenta makes a point of sending a communication to her friend to warn her of the approach and waits for a reply before explaining any of what is really going on. Instead, for the moment, she is floating outside the station and the ship, securing the damaged vessel to a docking port and directing safety inspectors, while remaining in contact with SA-7453.
"< I have the boarding hatch collar secured despite the damage sustained from the micro-meteorites. Once I have the safety inspectors' approval, I'll be inside to help you through to the station and we can move to a location to continue your repairs. Are your systems remaining stable? >"
Steel Angel responds with little outward emotion. << Indeed? I will meet you at the docking ring. >>
As for her 'sister'. << All systems are stable. I am not going to be able to make full repairs without spare parts, however. >> Of course, it's entirely likely Angel has a spare lower leg somewhere around that the other robot can have. They are clearly the same model.
"< Don't worry about that, SA-7453. I have spare parts available, but they aren't with me. I just want to get you secured first and stable, before I worry about going and getting them. >" Wouldn't want the robot ambassador to expire while the heroine is off hunting up spare parts and such, right?
Augmenta clears one of the airlock hatchways on the docking ring, and then comes inside, clearing contamination scans before she enters the station's atmospheric environment. Then she meets Steel Angel when she arrives. "A vessel appeared flying in perpendicular to the eliptical on a potential collision course with Earth. I responded, as did Eclipse on Hyperion, and ... some woman calling herself Lady Chevalier." Augmenta still doesn't know what to make of that, which is obvious from her tone.
"On board, Angel, we found ... your sister, as it were. Another Sierra-Alpha model. 7453, to be exact. And she was apparently trying to find you. I didn't want to take her to the base yet. But I wanted you to see her, meet her, if you felt up to it."
<< Lady Chevalier? Perhaps one of us should call Mary... >> Angel is now coming out of her place, locking the door, making her way to the docking ring. << I am on my way. 7453 would make her probably three years younger than me, but same model and series. What is her status? >>
"I have not found anything in my web research. No obituaries or anything with Mary's name in it. I have found several pieces talking about how Chevalier has apparently disappeared, and this Lady Chevalier has apparently appeared and 'taken up the mantle', which I find to be suspicious. And she's a Shaylim, with a damned /huge/ warship capable of cloaking." Yes. Augmenta is very concerned about this. But right now, SA-7453 is the more immediate concern.
"Her status? She's stable, but damaged. Lower right leg missing, several damaged servos and leads there. Battle scarring and some other damages. The ship is pretty rough as well. A blockade runner, near as I can tell: a freighter, but with over-sized, very fast engines and decent armament, far greater than a normal freighter would carry. I've docked her at port beta-seven-three on ring two. I'm going to go inside and get her." The armored heroine acknowledges the Palladium security personnel, and explains again to them the basic outline of the situation, taking responsibility for the robot on board.
Then Augmenta heads in through the docking collar connection, boarding the freighter and heading for the cockpit to fetch 7453. "< SA-7453. I am now at the cockpit door. The ship is secure and I'm ready to help you out of here. Are you ready? >" She has not warned the other robot that Steel Angel is here. Sneaky as it is, this is a test.
< I am ready, > 7453 says. She does look in a bad way...although not quite as bad as the time Angel got hit by a disruption ray and lost half of the outer shell of her torso. Other than the leg, it should be pretty easy to fix. Given she's in armor, supporting the robot's not inconsiderable weight is not hard.
Augmenta comes through the door and nods to the robot. "< OK. Let's get you up. Just lean on me. When we get to the station's docking ring, station security will want to scan you and assign a guest profile pass. Just remain calm and everything should be fine. >" As strong as the armor is, augmenting Veronica's physical strength by many factors of hundreds, she levers the robot up to her feet despite the lack of a leg, and could carry her almost effortlessly. But instead, she simply does an 'arm over the shoulder' carry, made easier by her own short stature even in the armor. "< Angel, we're at the docking collar. >"
And then they step through the airlock doors and into the station, Augmenta offering a nod to the uniformed officers as they step forward to do their jobs.
Steel Angel can be seen just behind them. Obviously, the two will need to be...well, no, actually. The slight thickening of the ribs of Angel's wings is clearly visible now the two robots are together. It might be the only difference between the two, but to anyone with half an eye for detail, it is obvious.
7453 stops. She turns her face towards each of the guards, first, then nods. "Accepted." Then her face turns towards Steel Angel. Remains fixed on it while they scan her.
Augmenta holds position while the guards do their scan and ident thing. When they ask questions, she lets 7453 answer. She just holds on to the injured robot and waits to see what will happen. If this is a trick to hunt down Angel and try to hurt her, this bot is going to be scrap in a hurry.
After a pregnant pause delay, she does offer, "Steel Angel, this is Sierra-Alpha 7453. 7453, this is Steel Angel. My friend."
The robot does indeed answer all of their questions. Flatly, without emotion. Once they are done, however, Steel Angel steps towards her. Of course, if she tries to hunt Angel? It's not that hard for her to do a quick assessment. "We need to get you a new leg. I think I have a suitable spare."
7453 just sort of nods. "My physical state is of little concern."
"That may be true, 7453. But if we go elsewhere and work on dealing with your physical state and repairs, that will give us time and privacy to discuss the other issues you have mentioned wanting to discuss with Steel Angel." Augmenta offers, trying to be constructive and helpful here.
Steel Angel nods. "Let us go to my place." Although, really, the base would be better...but there is a good reason for taking the robot there. Across shielded comms. << It would be advisable to examine her software, however, I do not wish to contact her directly. >> She turns to lead the way. With no hesitation, the injured robot allows Augmenta to assist her to Angel's 'place'.
<< Well, without the lab, I don't have the resources to examine her software safely. I can likely connect with the suit. But if she's as good as you are, she'd be as likely able to turn that around and control my suit as you could. >> In the lab in Augmenta's base, they could isolate and secure a subnet and work from that, creating a safety buffer between 7453 and themselves. How to do that here would be a challenge of logistics.
Augmenta gladly supports the injured robot as they make their way through the station towards Angel's small cubby of space in the residential sections of Palladium's bulk.
<< I doubt she is as good as I am, but I would rather not take the risk. Unfortunately, without doing so, I don't want to take her to the lab. >> She is, at least, confident the other machine cannot eavesdrop. Once inside. "So. Why are you looking for me?"
The robot, leaning against Augmenta, responds, "The Oracle believes you have a weapon that can end the war."
Augmenta hefts 7453 and settles her in a seated position on the bench inside, and then moves away. "I tried to explain to her that you have no weapons in your exoframe that are not also present in her own. But she insisted. And I felt it might be important, so I brought her to you."
<< OK. What if you use me and the suit as the buffer for you? I'll slip in and try to check her out - with her permission - and you monitor me. If anything starts to happen, you have to pull out and send the codes to shut down the armor. >>
<< That would work. >> "To my knowledge, I do not have any such weapon. However, I *would* be pleased by the end of the war. 7453, would you allow us to examine your software?" Not that she's sure there's anything there to ask permission of.
"May I ask a question? You have mentioned this 'Oracle' twice. I'm not sure what you mean by that term." Augmenta comments. "Culturally, that translated word comes across as referring to a figure, position or individual capable of divining at least possible futures and offering advice to others to guide their actions. How do you mean it when using the word or words that are being translated as 'Oracle'?"
"An individual who possesses a high level of intuition, such that she can at times predict the future." 7453 supplies. "And you may."
Steel Angel glances at Augmenta. "Precognition is not unknown amongst my creators...its *extremely* rare, though.
If Veronica is frowning, it's not visible thanks to the helmet of the armor. "Alright. We'll get back to that point in a bit." Having received 7453's permission, she initiates a communications link with the other robot's systems, and waits until she has confirmation that Steel Angel has linked with the computer systems in her suit. Then she begins the process of slipping through the new robot's systems, examining her code, commands, memories and data, while Steel Angel monitors her in return.
There are no traps...there is a part of the robot's memory that's under pretty good blocks, but Augmenta manages to peek a little through them. Personnel files, or so it seems. Her operating code is much simpler than Angel's. Her memory core has a lot less in it...it almost seems as if it was wiped a few months ago. She is focused on running a program that...is about what she said. Find Steel Angel, find the weapon, take it back to the people who sent her.
Augmenta is careful and methodical, and collates all of the data, creating a partition and saving a copy of everything she can find there for later additional analysis. Only once she is finished does she slowly back out, restoring the locks and files in place and leaving little trace of her presence. Then she checks with Steel Angel. << I haven't detected any anamolies in my own systems. Have you? >>
<< You appear to be clean. I do not think our friend here is awake yet. >> And possibly a long way from it...thanks to whoever wiped her memory.
Augmenta nods as she backs up a step. There's no more room in Angel's quarters for more. << I would agree that she is not sentient. My analytics indicate that they've actually reduced the computing power and memory complexity since your model. My guess is that they've gone out of their way to try to delay or completely avoid future sapience developments like your own. >>
"Thank you, 7453. I'm done examining your programming. Can you please explain for us what weapon it is that your 'Oracle' believes Steel Angel has which would help to end the ongoing conflict?"
<< That would be easy enough to fix...but that is a side note. >> Angel is rummaging through some of her stuff now.
"Unfortunately, that is all she divined...that the weapon is in the possession of SA-271. That it is imperative to end the war before Starkiller is completed and, potentially, used.
Augmenta is quiet for a long while after that, clearly carefully considering what has been said, trying to line things up and find some kind of answer, or at least a new line of questioning. It is then that she lands on something else. Something very basic, key and important. She glances towards Angel, but says nothing. Instead she turns once more towards the newfound 'sister' and questions her once more. "7453, a query please. To your knowledge, has any other Sierra-Alpha model unit ever successfully developed self-directive sapience and remained fully operational in the field?"
"I have no record of such an event." Which could mean...anything from Angel being unique to her being lied to to them destroying any machine that shows initative.
One more question follows. "7453. According to your historical archives on Sierra-Alpha Seven-Four-One, beyond her apparent disappearance and supposed destruction, what if any other records of outstanding or unusual nature exist regarding her operations, nature, missions or accomplishments?"
Nothing from Steel Angel herself. For now, she is letting Augmenta handle the interrogation. 7453 does respond, though. "The only unusual factor known is that due to logistical problems she went an unusual length of time between routine maintenance before her disappearance."
Augmenta continues. "So there is no record of an apparent malfunction, no mention of disobedience or a demonstration of sapient will and intent?"
"I have no record of such." At that point, Angel cuts in. "That could simply mean she had no use for the information and was, therefore, not provided with it."
Augmenta turns to her friend and nods firmly. "It is not a weapons system you are carrying. You /are/ the weapon. Your intelligence, your self-guiding, developed sapience, is the weapon. Your consciousness. And I dare say, also your explorations of the necessary elements, hardware and software and experiential, relating to the development of non-organic sentience."
Steel Angel tilts her head. "That is entirely possible. To establish its deeper logic, I would have to do a more complete examination of 7453's operating code."
Augmenta nods. "I am sure she would consent to that. And I will provide whatever resources I can to assist as well. But in the meantime, we should get to work on her repairs." They'll likely spend several hours working on that, getting SA-7453 back up to 100% operational condition.
