Imagawa
Warrior
The soulless never hurt...
Posts: 248
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Post by Imagawa on Jul 19, 2005 17:35:58 GMT -5
ILS-116 walked along the beach, his thin frame leaving behind far deeper footprints than one would expect. He had been sent into the word no more than an hour ago; this was the first of the world he has seen outside of a delivery truck, and it was beautiful. The rest of the shipment was on their way back to the plant for processing after a programmer on the vehicle found a serious glitch while inserting final personality specifications. The glitch was no more than a misplacement of two lines of code, and yet it made the difference between completely subservient slaves and independent thought. The programmer had instantly commanded the driver to stop, and he did so. While they were turning the truck around, the programmer made a split-second decision based entirely on curiosity: what would such a rogue robot do in a world without a master? He took the only robot on the truck which had been given a personality so far, and informed it that "his" name was ILS-116, and that he had no master. He was to go out into the world and "live" life as he saw fit. 116 "decided" to take this order to its fullest extent possible.
Now Ix, as he had chosen to use the very last sound combination from his serial number for a name, was now making his way down the beach, his dark black plasteel body contrasting with the incredibly light surroundings. As he walked along, some human decided to take advantage of the opportunity and command the ILS to throw away some garbage which the man did not want to deal with himself. Ix was "happy" to comply, and soon others saw the opportunity as well. By the time Ix had reached the end of the beach and stepped on the footpath which led to his future, he had roughly three and four-fifths pounds of trash in arm. In the stretch of only three-fourths of a mile, he had done the work of seven different humans so that they would not have to. He filed this in memory for any later efficiency analysis. Ix approached the hotel which lay before him, and moved to the side to deposit the refuse in a dumpster. He then walked to the front doors and entered.
A young bellhop walked toward Ix with his eyes on the ground, saying as if he had recited it over a hundred times just this day, "Welcome to Neptune's Palace, may I take you..." and now he saw the feet of the robot. The young man rolled his eyes and made an attempt to push Ix out of the way with a hand to the face.
Ix moved out of the way, saying,[glow=blue,2,300] "Please, sir, I would ask that you not attempt to harm me..."[/glow]
The bellhop was astonished at this show of independence, and his angry face was a testament to that fact. He looked as if he were about to attack the ILS, but his hand stopped in midair as a gruff voice rang out from behind him, "Boy, is that your property. With what I pay you, I seriously doubt it..."
Ix stepped past the bellhop and saw that the voice belonged to a man much shorter than Ix, but much heavier as well. The portly fellow sported a tight white suit which did not flatter him, and gold accessories which did not flatter the suit. Ix spoke with is pleasant, yet still somewhat metallic voice, [glow=blue,2,300] "Would you be a manager or owner of this establishment?"[/glow]
"I would. Who would you be asking for, servant?"
[glow=blue,2,300]"Myself, sir. I am looking for a job." [/glow]
The man almost laughed at the idea, "Yourself? A job? Are you under remote access or something?"
[glow=blue,2,300]"No, sir, I intend to find myself a living here, and your resort looked as if it would have a position for someone such as myself."[/glow]
"Who owns you, servant?"
[glow=blue,2,300]"No one, sir."[/glow]
The stunned silence of both the owner and the bellhop was registered by Ix's processor as an attempt to understand information which was unheard of before the moment at hand. The manager asked, "How do you mean? Did your owner die, or disappear?"
[glow=blue,2,300]"No, sir. I have never had an owner."[/glow]
After a moment of thought, the heavy-set man took on a jovial attitude, which Ix then processed as a sense of opportunity with a hint of guile and manipulation, "Well... if that's so... perhaps you should step into my office..."
Ix complied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soon Ix walked out of the office with a white piece of paper in hand. He made his way across the lobby to the elevators. Once there, he pressed the call button, and waited one minute and thirteen seconds for the doors to open. After waiting for the three occupants to leave, Ix entered, waited for any other takers, and once he was satisfied that he was to be the only passenger he pressed the button labeled "B."
The elevator descended, and when the doors opened, Ix walked down a hall to a door marked "Laundry." He knocked, but received no response. He knocked again, and still nothing. So he turned the knob slowly, and it yielded. The door swung open smoothly, and revealed a room of clothes washers, dryers, and pressed. A woman in a white maid's uniform came over and looked the tall robot over before saying, "Yeah?"
[glow=blue,2,300]"I was told to give you this,"[/glow] and he held out the white slip of paper.
She read the paper, looked Ix over again, and then rolled her eyes, making a comment in some less-common language which Ix understood as "what will they think of next?" She walked off, and returned five minutes and twenty seven seconds later with an arm full of clothes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ix followed orders and changed in the basement restroom, the men's basement restroom, even though it made little difference. The outfit looked ridiculous, with the sleeve barely reaching Ix's second elbow, and the whole uniform looking far too baggy. The upper portion hung on his shoulders like they would on a coat hanger, but the pants had to be tightened on with a belt so tight that it was comical. The shoes actually hindered Ix's movement, but they wouldn't stay on the skeletal structure without slipping and falling off, so Ix disregarded them. The cap was the worst of all, simply ludicrous on the almost featureless face. The uniform was stark white, and his body was pitch black, save his beaming blue "eyes." The gold accents on the suit gleamed in the reflection of Ix's plasteel. Overall, the color scheme worked rather nicely, but it still just didn't seem to look right... It was like when people dress up their animals: it just shouldn't be done.
So, now, Ix walked back to the elevator and rode it to the lobby. He crossed the room toward the room service office, well aware of the laughing and commentary of those in the room. He did not care; he was finally getting to do what he was made to do.
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Imagawa
Warrior
The soulless never hurt...
Posts: 248
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Post by Imagawa on Jul 20, 2005 0:27:23 GMT -5
Ix was now employed as a guest servant in the most elegant of all the hotels on the beach face. He was somewhat proud of the ease with which he had gotten the position, having only stated his efficiency record to the manager. He had even been offered half of a currency note per hour for his work, which Ix declined for being too much, and informed Mr. Havow that he would work for nothing more than a room and maintenance. The manager smiled greatly at this. Ix had made a friend.
He now stood in the lobby near the front doors. He greeted patrons as they entered, and a calculated 98.7271% laughed at him in some way. 1.1728% had not seemed to notice at all. Only .1001% had actually shown some sort of respectful greeting.
Once again, someone entered, lugging two over-sized bags with them. Ix approached, saying[glow=blue,2,300] "Hello, sir, and welcome to Neptune's Palace. I would gladly help you with your luggage." [/glow]
The man turned his head to the ILS and dropped his suit cases on the lobby floor. He wiped his brow with a blue handkerchief. He tucked it back into his black suit and smiled at the robot, saying, "Why, thank you. I would appreciate it. Just take those on over to the check-in desk. And, if you can, tell the man behind the counter than Allan Hicks is here. I have a reservation for the suite."
[glow=blue,2,300]"Certainly, sir,"[/glow] Ix said, picking up the bags with ease. He walked over to the counter and placed them nearby while Hicks approached, wiping his brow again. Ix told the clerk behind the desk the message, and the man was quickly ushered to the front of the line. Ix simply stepped to the side, waiting for his next order.
After all was said and done, Hicks told the ILS to carry the bags to the suite and put them in the room, and then he had tucked a a larger currency holder in the robot's pocket. Ix made an effort to refuse it, but the man had already turned away.
Ix rode the elevator up to the top floor, and found the room. He soon realized that he had no key, so he simply held out a finger to the mechanism, and an electric pulse waved through various circuits creating a controlled magnetic field. Two and seven-tenths of a second later, Ix had picked the lock, and entered with the bags. He left, locking the door again.
By the time he was in the lobby, a scene had formed. A crowd gathered in the middle of the room, and through analysis of their tone, there had been a tragedy. Ix approached, and was soon berated by accusations of, "Him... that's the robot! That's the one who killed him!" When Ix looked to the center of the crowd, he saw Hicks dead on the ground with shock marks scorching him and his clothes. The vision did not last long as now he was being attacked by many human fists. Although they did nothing to his body, his processor was beginning to overwork itself. He had to flee.
He ran out of the crowd, but was soon cornered. He yelled out, as best as his pleasant metallic voice could sound distressed, [glow=blue,2,300]"Help, someone. Please. I'm innocent."[/glow]
But still the crowd closed in on him.
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Umbra
Infantry
With great power there must also come great responsibility.
Posts: 128
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Post by Umbra on Jul 23, 2005 0:30:30 GMT -5
Confused, alone, in pain, and tired Umbra had managed to find his way to the beach thanks to Harle's advice. His pain that day in the forest had been the greatest yet, and it echoed in his already blaring mind. He clutched his head, his slender black fingers entwining with the white hair over his right eye. Umbra closed his eyes, and listened to the gentle lapping of the foamy surf on the coarse-sand beach. The voices stopped screaming, the throbbing quelled, and time seemed to slow as Umbra knelt by the sea. He opened his eyes to a soft glaze, and looked out, as far as he could. He sat in the shade of a dune rising behind him. His problems melted. He rested his hands on the loose, soft cloth of his gray trousers, relaxed his shoulders. The sheaths of his blades lowered slightly as his did this. The tension in his neck, on his back, in his mind was gone. His hunger, his thirst, his fatigue were gone. Time, perception and even existence all were gone until all that remained was peace. For a brief moment there were no swords, there were no betrayls, there were figts, no pain, and no suffering, just him and his questions.
What do I do now? Where do I go from here. Obviously there's nothing I can do about the Shadow-khan, so it seems my existence is meaningless. Have I no purpose other then the one given to me by the counsil? Am I not my own person? Make I not my own decisions?
Bowing his head slightly, he came to realise that the only true thing that he wanted was to prevent the downfall of the Shadow-khan. Too late.
Well, I suppose that I can prevent the corruption of this planet that I currently inhabit. Very well, it is decided. The only way to rid the universe of the corruption that killed my people is to rid planets of corruption one at a time.
Umbra rose to his feet. He needed rest, food, water, and more rest. He had been told that there was a hotel here, near the beach. Looking around, he located what looked like a likely candidate as his heavy boots began to bore there way into the large grains of soft sand. He took a step, into the bright light of the sun, and he felt the burning. Determined to not let the increasingly annoying obstacle deter him, he pointed himself in the right direction, and began to walk. The sunlight shone on his neck, his head, his chest and his arms, and where it shone it burned. The pain seering through him, he continued, knowing that it would get better with time. In any case it was better then the pounding voices of prisoners within his head.
Finally approaching the entrance of the hotel, he stepped out of the light, and into the compelling darkness that was the shade of the awning above him. Knowing that he had no money, he would simply have to sneak his way in and 'borrow' their accomodations. Not a bad price to pay for ridding the planet of corruption. Umbra took a step towards the door, however before traveling more then a singular foot, he heard the quiet murmuring of an unbelievable occurance, followed by the inevitable screams of accusations that will always accompany the former. The darkness seemed to spiral from the ground as Umbra melded with the shadows, becomming intangible. Umbra quickly found his way to the back of the pack where he could easilly see that, guilty or not, this creature was being unfairly treated.
"Cease."
As Umbra spoke, the unruly mob stopped and listened to the dark, powerful voice that rose from no where. As the crowd turned, the dark being in turn rose from the shadows where he hid.
"Release the suspect, or you shall all be tried as criminals yourselves, and all criminals must be eliminated."
As the frenzied people screamed and ran in terror of the shadow-being, he walked smoothly and elegantly over to the fallen, now identified robot. He extended an arm, and spoke to the creature.
"Rise mechanoid. They must have had a reason to attack you. Do I have to kill you, or are they unjust? Tell me what has occured here this day."
His white glowing eyes peirced the air of silence and paranoia and called out as a calming beacon to all those who sought it as he stared the robot down.
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Imagawa
Warrior
The soulless never hurt...
Posts: 248
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Post by Imagawa on Jul 23, 2005 0:46:08 GMT -5
Ix rose from is position with fluid ease. He looked into the eyes of his savior, and reached out his overly long hand, his uniform tagging along as best it could. The once perfectly white uniform now bore more than one mark of dirt on it where he had been kicked while down. The robot spoke calmly, "Thank you very much, good sir. The commotion regarded that man," and Ix pointed to the fallen, electrified corpse. He continued, "Apparently, the crowd witnessed a robot do the killing. However, I happen to know of no robot which can harm a human. It is in our programming to not do so. If you doubt my innocence, you may check my memory logs."
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Umbra
Infantry
With great power there must also come great responsibility.
Posts: 128
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Post by Umbra on Jul 25, 2005 22:38:54 GMT -5
"Not necessary. From my experience with Earth robots, you are unable to lie. And you would have no reason to. I have helped you, now help me and leave."
Umbra turned and sank into the icy blackness that was the tainted floor of the hotel. As a shadow, he passed effortlessly and un-noticed under or over the frightened civilians who just witnessed a murder. He passed through the quivering masses who he realised were terrified of him more then of the robot who stood accused of killing a man in cold blood. As if on cue, four voices spoke as one in his head.
[glow=red,2,300]Umbra, how do you plan on saving a planet terrified of you? People fear what they do not understand, and attack what they fear. You shall fail.[/glow]
I won't fail! It matters not if they are afraid of me. Better that they are. Best of all they know not of my existence! I just need rest. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!
Umbra began to lose consiousness, and as he did so, he began to fade back into the world of the tangible, exiting his shadow-form. He trembled on the ground behind the crowd, unseen, and his head spun. His head spun with the roar of the frightened people, it spun with the gentle humm of the lights, it spun with the cool-dustiness of the ground, but most of all it spun with the voices, the voices that terrorized him daily. The voices that could not be quelled. The voices that haunted his existence. His head spun and he spiralled. He spiralled into the void of unconsiousness where he could be at peace. Where there were no prisonners, no voices, no pain, and most of all, no planet to worry about saving. With his last grasp of reality, he began to question his mission. He wondered what it is that he should truly do.
Perhaps. . .
The one word echoed in his mind as the light of the hotel clouded and the black closed in. Calm over-took him as he lay motionless on the ground.
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Imagawa
Warrior
The soulless never hurt...
Posts: 248
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Post by Imagawa on Jul 26, 2005 0:18:33 GMT -5
As the man faded away, Ix had called out for him to stop. Now he lay on the ground unconscious. Ix moved over to the man, and the crowd avoided him. He bent slightly, reaching his thin arms under him, and picked him up. Ix then walked to the elevator. The scared masses dared not approach. He entered the lift, and took it up to the top floor.
The doors opened, and Ix walked out, carrying the man to the suite door. He extended one finger, and opened the lock using magnets once again. He took the man in, setting him on the bed. He then seated himself in a chair in the corner, watching over his savior.
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Keijina
Infantry
Only survivors get to keep power. We died once, and we don't intend on doing it again.
Posts: 149
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Post by Keijina on Jul 26, 2005 1:40:10 GMT -5
The hot, golden sun of Fyia spread light across the sandy, pristine, perfect beach. The soft splash of the waves against the sand created a peaceful lull that calmed the nerves and seemed to drown out any violent sound. The comforting rays of the sun created diamonds in the deep blue and green ocean that teemed with life. There wasn't a cloud in the sky that could hinder the sun as it climbed higher in the sky. The scene was perfect.
To everyone but Qualm.
To her, the sun created waves of heat that would even irritate a nude person. The beach was filled with shards of empty beer bottles that stuck into shoes and bare feet. The waves splashed sticky salt water on the passer-by and dragged away any left-over beer that could very well have been drunk. The ocean reflected both heat and light from the sun and further broiled the walker as well as blinded them long enough so that they could be broiled and blinded again. Dead fish, killed by pollution, floated around and landed on the shore, adding a grotesque smell to the already unpleasant beach. The only shade in the vicinity was located in the large, strangely perfect hotel a few feet away. Grumbling about pollution and corporate fyia, she walked into the turning doorway. As soon as she was surrounded by glass, she opened her wings, breaking 2 out of 4 panels. Qualm was met with an extremely pleasant sight.
A dead, sizzling body lay in the middle of the lobby and a large mass of people ran around, grabbing for communication devices and breaking things and just causing general chaos. Sensitive ears picked up something about a "killer robot" and "The Shadow of Death". These both intrigued her. She singled out a small conversation between a woman and a man.
"Did you see it? The robot killed him! Shocked him!" "Well, Martha... it's not in a robot's nature to kill..." "But the manager said that he was programmed to be independent! He's the only one of his type! So it has to be him! And I saw it all happen! Well... sort of..." "What do you mean by 'sort of'?" "Well, he was fine one minute and then the next minute I turned around and there was a robot franticly pressing buttons to the elevator and he was dead!" "Honestly, Martha..." "That's what happens when we give our creations independence! They turn on us!" "He couldn't have done it in public..." "Well, he had help from the Shadow of Death, ya know..." "You pose a good poi- hey... whose that... lizardy chick in the lobby?"
Qualm abruptly stopped listening and looked around. Now, after about 5 minutes in the crowded lobby, she was getting stared at. Man these people where slow. About a minute later, everyone was silent and looking at her. She looked at all of the confused and scared faces and spread her wings abruptly. They all gasped and proceeded to whisper to neighbors, bringing the noise level to a soft hum. Qualm took the time to rummage through the man's belongings with her tail. She then shut her wings and walked out, spreading them and lifting off. The sun cast a large maroon and black shadow, growing larger with her gaining height.
The dragon-descendant was actually looking for something in particular. She searched in all of the windows and listened with all her might until she heard something. A few stories above her, the ever-so-soft screech of two petal parts clanking against each-other. Her tail flicked and she flew higher, landing on a specific balcony. The door was open, the gust of her landing blowing the shades until they almost touched the robot. She casually leaned against the balcony rim, looking at the shadow and the mechanical being.
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Imagawa
Warrior
The soulless never hurt...
Posts: 248
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Post by Imagawa on Jul 26, 2005 23:43:15 GMT -5
Ix stood abruptly, and spun to face the balcony. He had detected an abrupt increase in air pressure for but a moment, but his suspicions were correct. through the curtains he could make out the figure of some... being. He stepped back, between his savior and the person on the railing. He spoke out, and his mechanical voice was closer to indigence than one could ever have heard from a robot, "Who are you, and what are you doing there?!"
While he spoke, his processor ran a series of scans and calculations over the figure. He determined that she was female, of dragon lineage, and carried many weapons on her. She was a serious threat. However, she could have killed both of them without this hesitation, so Ix determined that she did not want to destroy them just yet.
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Post by Araxis on Aug 5, 2005 1:22:02 GMT -5
The shadows and gloom in the basement of the hotel swam together, boiling and writhing in an angry sea of darkness. A chill entered the room, sharp and draining, sapping all warmth from the room mercilessly. Beads of water formed on all the surfaces as the water in the air condensed, and then frost formed as the water froze. There was much water in the air here, for it was near the sea and humid, and the frost was thick upon the piping. The shadows writhed, and a swollen mass of darkness began to dance an even more agitated jig. Suddenly, the gloom expanded wildly, expelling all light from the room, then just as suddenly returned to normal consistency, a dim half-lit atmosphere under flickering yellow lights of ill repair.
In the middle of the room, a small cloud of gloom remained.
Out of this bit of shadow stepped a man-shaped figure, as if taking the last step off a staircase. This figure was featureless, black, and rough at the edges, not quite defined properly; a three dimensional shadow. The cloud of gloom out of which he stepped remained providing an aura of protective darkness that lingered and clung like a shadowy mist.
Araxis observed his surroundings. He did not have eyes per se with which to observe, but he enjoyed a certain ability to perceive his surroundings which equated with his memory of actual sight. He could make out shapes and distances, probably better than a normal human being, but the inanimate were difficult to focus on. Living beings, on the other hand, were easy to focus on--indeed, they seemed to shine with an inordinately bright light, and he could feel their warmth emanating in their presence. They made him sick. The very presence of life was revolting, and yet it infested the galaxy. Araxis wished above all else to simply extinguish every last trace of the hateful thing . . . but the God-King had other plans.
Araxis, my Agent, harken, for I have a task set for you.
The Voice of the God-King, like a choir of despairing angels, rang clarion in Araxis' head.
Your journey has been interfered with by My Ancient Foe; yet even this is in My advantage. You, my Agent, are to establish My Church on this most removed of worlds.
Araxis immediately complied. 'Yes, my Master.' It was not in Araxis' nature to even consider not acting upon these orders, no matter how far removed from the God-King he may be. His very being was tied to the God-King's essence, and to rebel against the Master would most certainly bring swift doom. Such paltry thoughts as dissent did not even cross Araxis' mind. Instead, he turned his attention to the exit of this room. Though the accursed sun shone beyond the building--Araxis could feel its hated heat baking the ground outside and loathed the very thought of it--he wished to explore the establishment and seek out possible converts to the Holy Church of Truth.
To this end, he floated lightly to the top of the stairs, the frost following him, while the areas where his aura had ceased to be became quite damp. Maintaining his corporeal body for the moment, Araxis opened the door with a hand and floated out into the hallway beyond. Life shone everywhere in this place; it must be some sort of gathering place, or--as he considered the distribution of living beings--some sort of sleeping hall or hotel. Most of these beings were average in their spirit, perhaps a little more or a little less but as a whole uninteresting and quite loathsome; but towards the upper areas, perhaps on the top floor, there shone two sources of vitality of intriguing brilliance. The Church needed powerful allies; perhaps these disgusting two beings of life and light would understand the true despair of the universe.
Abandoning his material body for a simpler method of ascent, the form that had been Araxis dissolved into a cloud of darkness that boiled upwards. A passing employee of the hotel, likely a janitor who had been in the depths of the building when the mob appeared, caught the fleeting last swirls of mistlike gloom as they disappeared into the ceiling above, and blanched in fear. Mere moments passed as Araxis traversed the storeys and arrived at the top, just under the room where the two beings were.
There was sunlight in that room, from an open door. Araxis was annoyed. He reached out with his perception, peering at the inanimate, to determine where there was shadow, and detected a small room off to one side with but little light. The God-King's Agent swirled in there, a cloud of gloom in an already dark room. The door was closed at the moment, and Araxis reformed his corporeal body in secret. When he'd completed this transformation once more into a mostly manshaped visage, he reached out and pulled the door open.
Sunlight reflected off objects of the room, lancing into him and paining his essence. Mentally, he raged against the loathsome light while the door eased open a crack, admitting but a glimpse of the unnatural shadows lurking in the bathroom. "Salutations." His hollow voice was cold and emotionless; not because he wanted it to be such, but because his husk of a body could produce nothing more (though even if he could produce sounds of emotion, he likely wouldn't).
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Imagawa
Warrior
The soulless never hurt...
Posts: 248
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Post by Imagawa on Aug 7, 2005 12:29:07 GMT -5
Ix twisted his body to the voice, and then turned back to keep his eyes on the winged one... only to realize that she had disappeared in that short moment his back was turned. At this, he moved over to the door, and peered out, but to no avail. It was as if she had vanished. He closed the door and locked it, bringing the curtains over it. He then turned back to the utterly black room, his blue eyes glowing in the darkness. He spoke out, scanning the room as he did, "Who's there? I happen to know that this is not your room, so if you would be so kind as to leave..."
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Post by Araxis on Aug 7, 2005 23:48:24 GMT -5
The robot's voice seemed at first to come out of thin air to Araxis; there was no life source behind it, no shining light. In fact, it barely registered in Araxis' consciousness; several moments passed before he realized he'd been spoken to by an inanimate object. He spent another moment actively observing the objects in the room, seeking the source of the lifeless voice--a manshaped object seemed the most likely source, and Araxis addressed it in his hollow voice. "Araxis is here, and I am he. I wish to speak with the life form in this room." Though he'd wanted to speak to both entities, it appeared that one had gone. Meanwhile, the remaining life form, while at once brighter than the others, seemed to flicker, and Araxis realized that it must be unconscious--the inanimate being was the only being to speak to in this room.
Therefore, the undead agent turned his full attention on that entity, though he cared little to converse with such a lifeless being (which was ironic, because Araxis himself was little more than a robot--a husk of a once living being containing the spark of sentience and animated through arcane, rather than electrical, means). Nevertheless, if this was the only sentience here, it was the entity to be dealt with. "I will not leave until I have spoken with the other being here."
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Imagawa
Warrior
The soulless never hurt...
Posts: 248
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Post by Imagawa on Aug 8, 2005 16:46:51 GMT -5
"The man you speak of is sleeping, and I would prefer he not be disturbed until he is well. I am sure you can wait in the hall until he is rested..." Ix ran calculations and measurements through his head. the sound variations created by this man's speech were abnormal, namely there were no variations. Even machines had a more varied tone than this voice. Heat detectors revealed nothing in the room that he occupied... not even the usual currents of electricity which should be located in the walls... It was as if he had a dampener. Very peculiar. This man could pose a significant threat to Ix's well being. He took not of it, and prepared an escape plan which included his savior.
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Post by Araxis on Aug 8, 2005 22:43:13 GMT -5
"I will not disturb him," Araxis said in his flat voice. "But I will remain." With the door to the balcony closed, the loathsome light of the sun in the room beyond was lessened, and Araxis felt slightly safer. He let the door behind which he lurked swing a little wider open, supernatural shadows writhing about him like a black mist.
Behind him, mostly hidden by the lurking gloom, were several porcelain structures--a seat the inside of which contained water (now ice, due to Araxis' chill presence), an angular bowl about knee high of a size to hold a human body, and a smaller yet similar bowl on top of a counter--revealing the small chamber to be the bathroom.
The shadowy being stood silently where he was; undead as he was, he could remain still to the point he seemed a statue, albeit a strangely gloomy, featureless, and chilling statue. The frost and shadows of his aura, meanwhile, danced and writhed, boiled and quivered, always moving.
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Imagawa
Warrior
The soulless never hurt...
Posts: 248
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Post by Imagawa on Aug 8, 2005 22:50:16 GMT -5
Ix sat on the chair once more, watching the sleeping figure, and keeping an eye on the bathroom door. He sat, waiting for Umbra, although he didn't know that name, to wake. All the while, he estimated reaction times and actions required to protect his savior from any threat coming from said bathroom, or the balcony for that matter. He checked a timer which was running in the background. The man on the bed had been sleeping for roughly fifteen minutes now, and Ix could not estimate how long it would be before he was rested.
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Mahandronis
Infantry
"If I were any better at holding a sword, I'd cut my hands off for the insurance."
Posts: 109
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Post by Mahandronis on Aug 8, 2005 23:57:43 GMT -5
The commotion over the death and the general noise of the club passed unnoticed by a young woman sitting in the corner of the club. Her piercing eyes glared out from under messy, short black hair, and the fingers of her right hand tapped out some forgotten beat on the massive metal gauntlet on its twin. As she ran out of music, she sat back and considered what was going on aloud.
"There's only so long I can wander around without any real idea what I'm doing . . . "
Zaskrit's words died shortly after leaving her lips, cut down by the ongoing hubbub around her. Slowly, she set her head down on her arms, preparing herself for a short nap.
A few moments later, a voice awakened her.
"Hey, babe. Whatcha doin' in a place like this?"
She opened an eye, glaring up. A human male, perhaps twenty years in age, stood above her, grinning like the maniac he must be to be speaking to her. He was flanked by another two males, and all three appeared at least partially intoxicated.
"C'mon. You don't really wanna hang out here, do ya? Let's head out, I'll show ya a better time . . ."
Zaskrit sat up and stretched out, folding her hands behind her head.
"Oh, but I'm so comfortable here . . . I'll tell you what. I'll give you fifteen seconds to find a better place to be. Sound okay?"
The man laughed, and his lackeys followed along.
"Aw, why would I leave a cool beauty like you by yourself?"
"Because you value the pitiful existance that has been granted to you by Gaea almighty. You've got four seconds."
More laughter.
"Hey, no need to be -"
Zaskrit reached out her right hand, and a turquoise cloud of smoke materialized around it, quickly taking the form of a large handgun.
"You should be grateful to me. I will be gracious enough to allow you to spend the last few moments of your lifetime becoming better aquainted with the floor of this club, along with various fluids that, until this point, had been internal."
The man fell to the ground as the misty bullet ripped through his chest, splattering blood on those standing behind him. As it escaped his back, the bullet disintegrated into nothing, and the man dropped to the ground, choking up blood.
The predictable scene that erupted was one that Zaskrit, for the most part, ignored; she returned to the nap that she had started moments before.
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