The Servant Enters

[Umbra]

Umbra's eyes shot open as his head began to scream.

Where am I? The robot . . . he. . . brought me here? The other, what is he?

[glow=red,2,300]He is Araxis servant of the God-King, undead, shadow-like, can become intangible, can become a near-shadow. This we know.[/glow]

The voices told him calmly. Umbra slowly rose to his feet, his cape flowing behind him as he did so. He stood in the shadows of the room and the light coming in through the curtains poured onto his black boots. He quickly spun around as his white eyes surveyed the scene.

"You, robot. Why did you bring me here? I did not ask for your help. I'll ask that you leave me alone. You, Araxis, is it? Why are you here, why do you remain silent? I am Umbra supreme arbiter of the Shadow-Khan. My purpose is to liberate this new world of injustice, however I quickly see that this is no easy task. As long as people exist, so shall exist greed, corruption, and unfairness. Who am I to decide what's right? I know not my purpose."

His last few sentences seemed to trail off as if he were speaking to himself, and himself alone. Umbra crossed his arms, and felt the cold metal on his bare chest. The arm-guards clanked as the touched one another, and Umbra stood tall as he awaited the creature's response.

[Imagawa]

Ix stood, surprised by his savior's sudden awakening, and seemed slightly offended as he responded, "Sir, you fell to the ground in the lobby. It seemed no place for me to leave you after saving me from that mob. So I brought you here to rest and remain undisturbed. However, it would seem that I may have chosen a more secure location, as this is the second visitor you have had. The first one left moments ago. After hearing my case, do you still wish me to 'leave you alone?'" the robot finished, his blue eyes spreading soft light in the room. He stood, waiting for response. After a moment, he added, assuming that he would make his intentions clearer, "I will gladly aid you in whatever quest you are partaking in, and I can assure you my loyalty..."

[Araxis]

As Umbra awoke, the shining light of his essence shone brighter in Araxis' awareness, for it was no longer stifled by slumber, and he mentally grimaced at the loathed life it was, all the more disgusting for its brilliance. What Araxis would give to wipe existance of these scumbag life forms . . . but he'd already given everything, even his soul, to the God-King. With the Umbra awake, Araxis' attention was shifted entirely to him, as the robot was no longer of consequence, and could take its place once more among the myriad unliving things in the room.

The soft blue light of the robot's eyes spread everywhere in the room save those areas near the bathroom where Araxis' aura of shadow and gloom writhed. As the living being awoke, Araxis' reason for being in this loathsome room, he stepped a little further into the room, wincing at the sunlight seeping through the curtains.

"I am Araxis, the Night Treader, the Shadowstalker, the Strider in Darkness, the Walker of the Unseen Way, the Lurker in the Gloom, and the Agent of the God-King. The God-King, Master of the Holy Church of Truth, desires that this world's eyes be opened to the light of Truth, for it is lost in the darkness of falsehood. I came here seeking you, in hopes that you would see the bright path of Truth and join our Holy Church and Crusade against Delusion. What say you?"

Araxis "watched" Umbra for his reaction; if he resisted conversion, the God-King would understand casualties were necessary in the Holy Crusade of Truth . . .

[Umbra]

Before Araxis spoke, Umbra heard the robot pitifully beg to join him. Or so was it in his mind. He did not need any sort of companionship, any one close enough to betray him in any way.

"Thank you for the thought, although I would have been fine. I did not ask for your help and it was not needed. I saved you from injustice and you shall leave me alone or I shall end your existence. The warning has been given."

He turned away from the robot as he closed his eyes. The voices inside his head were screaming.

He offered to help me on my mission, but I don't even know what that is.

He raised his right hand to his head and clutched his bangs, mind throbbing with the pain of many voices. Just then the shadow-being spoke in responce to his querry.

After listening to the missionary's statement, Umbra turned and scoffed, his cape following him shortly after.

"Why would I want some 'higher power' telling me what to do? I'm capable of making decisions without restrictions from an unseen being."

With that he took a step towards the closed door, but his foot never hit the ground, instead it seemed to pass right into it. The darkness spiralled from the ground and engulfed the black figure into itself. Melting into the shadows at his feet, Umbra was gone, merely a shadow on the floor. He passed swiftly and silently under the door infront of him, into the hallway on the top floor.

[Imagawa]

Ix stood there, staring at the door, unsure of what to do. He now had no purpose. He couldn't continue working here, what with being suspected of murder. And he couldn't go with his savior. This shadow being wanted nothing to do with him, and the winged one had already left. Ix took a step to the window, and opened the balcony door. He stepped through the curtains onto the balcony, and looked down the 1000 foot drop to the ground. He surveys the nearby buildings and the people far below, magnification allowing. He turned back to Araxis, and said, "I wish you luck with that mission of yours..." and then leaped off the balcony with one flourishing back flip.

--------------------------------

Roughly thirty four seconds later, Ix landed in the alleyway separating the hotel and its neighbor. Ix had made a slight miscalculation and actually clipped the edge of the smaller building on the way down, and his left arm was almost entirely removed. He sat in the alley now, attempting to repair himself. Already he could tell that there was only a 1.62% chance of doing this in such condition. He would need assistance.

[Mahandronis]

The figure of a fairly short woman stepped out from the shadows. While half of her face was still cast in darkness, the other was grinning down at the fallen mechanoid, eye and teeth shining in the moonlight.

"Well . . . it seems you have taken quite a fall. Can I assist you?"

Having become quickly bored by the events taking place indoors, Zaskrit had decided to see what was occuring outside when this one had fallen in front of her. Four feet forward and she might have been crushed.

"I hope you don't plan on staying there . . ."

[Imagawa]

Ix looked up into the eyes of the woman. "I miscalculated by a foot and a half on my decent. My arm here," he indicates the left shoulder with a right handed gesture, "is badly injured. If you would be so kind as to lead me to some sort of repair terminal, or shop, I would be most grateful. I also think that these clothes," he indicates the now tattered garments of his former job, which had lasted a mere two hours and twenty seven minutes, "are due for replacement."

He stood and brushed himself off, his whining servos in his left shoulder showing now no signs of response as the arm hung limp at his side. He held out his right arm, to introduce himself, "My name is Ix."

[Mahandronis]

Zaskrit bowed deeply, her smile fading into one slightly less menacing. Rising again, she tilted her head to one side.

"I can at the very least accompany you until you find such a place . . . In the meantime . . ."

She raised a hand, and a swirling vortex of energy surrounded the mechanoid's arm. In seconds, it was completely rebuilt.

" . . . please allow an illusionary one to suffice. It will fill all the duties that the real one did until I leave your company. Then, of course, your arm is broken."

[Imagawa]

Ix noted that she did not state her name. Perhaps he had used the wrong protocol for this area. The robot looked to his arm, and tested its workings. The woman was right; it was operating again. He nodded to the woman and said, "That you very much. Now, I am not very acquainted with this area. Where could I find a place with the tools required to make a permanent fix, and, perhaps, some modifications?"

As he spoke, he was tearing the garments off and casting them back into the alley. He was now back to what most would consider a normal look for a robot. He waited to follow this person, the fifth person to have helped him in his short time of existence. So far, it would seem that good people come in rather thick density among the population.

[Mahandronis]

Zaskrit inclined her head as she began walking.

"Third Law of Eden: Perserverence will forge a path when no other path is visible. We shall simply continue until something is found."

As she walked, her large, metal-covered arm swinging at her side, something occurred to her.

"Oh. I'm Zaskrit, by the way. The Oblivion. Zaskrit the Oblivion. In case you were curious."

[Imagawa]

He walked to her side and about one step behind. this protocol had been drawn up from servant attitude files, as it seemed the most appropriate. He was not at her side, so he did not imply equality, but he did not follow directly behind her, as to not impose a need for her to constantly turn around to look at him. If she decided to partake in conversation, it would also be easier this way than if he followed in her steps. He noted her metalic arm, and scanned it to see how it was attached, what workings it had, and so forth. He asked, "tell me about your arm. Are you like a robot in some way?"

[Mahandronis]

She flexed the fingers on her left arm, grinning widely.

"This is a gauntlet. It came to light during an encounter with . . . an old friend . . . that I needed some form of protection; this judging by what happened to the arm beneath. As such, I decided to create this. It can withstand most impacts and magic, if it doesn't blow my arm off first. Of course, I prefer to simply rid myselves of my foes before it is necessary to defend myself."

Zaskrit glanced behind her.

"Where did you come from? I can tell you've got some kind of reason for acting like a servant. Care to explain?"

[Imagawa]

He spoke without looking over, "I was created with the purpose to serve, but I was set free with no master. I don't know how to 'live' for myself, so I am simply seeking someone to 'live' for. All of my programming is made to be subservient. Even my real name indicates my sole reason for existence: ILS-116. 'Inter-laborious servant 116.' I am the one-hundred-sixteenth robot off of the line with my same make. Each and every one of use was the same. Each of us had the same flaw which the creators deemed too great to allow us to walk the world. Every single robot had that displacement of code, which gave us a minor sense of self. And yet, I was the one chosen to be released, while the rest like me were sent back for reworking. And even with this sense of self, I find that as all my other coding is written to make me serve, the choice to serve or not is irrelevant. I choose to serve or I choose to not do what I am meant to do. This is no choice at all..."

[Umbra]

((Cullen. It occurs to me that you and I should start a new thread, because we seem to be extra-curricular to this one, so just PM me with ideas on where and what and stuff.))

[Mahandronis]

Zaskrit stopped and turned, a slight smile on her face.

"You know something?"

She turned away and continued walking.

"I know . . . exactly . . . how . . . you . . . feel."

She shook her head.

"So you find a new application of what you were created to do. Built to serve, serve yourself. Find something to serve you believe in. Your freedom is not to choose whether or not you serve, but to choose HOW you serve. That makes you an impossible servant to be distributed, but should be an invaluable distinction to you."