maskormenace | action || later audio

ACTION: Maurtia Falls
[Bad enough he wake up surrounded by soldiers again. Bad enough he wake up in a body that isn't his own, missing memories. No one shot at him this time, but it's a small comfort. Very small. As the soldiers are quick to deposit him in a big city.]

[And... surround him with people. Too many people. Way, way too many people.]

[He's not completely comfortable with this strange body yet, so when the young man with mismatched eyes -- one red, one green -- goes sprinting away from the porter, he ends up stumbling a few times. Once he even falls flat on his face.]

[If anyone's around to offer assistance, he just stares wildly at them, startled, awkward.]

[If they don't persist, he takes off running again, somewhere, anywhere away from all these people. Maybe if he runs far enough, Shadowmaru will return and make this nightmare end. He'd been trying to do the right thing -- he'd made a promise, he intended to keep it. Why is he being punished like this?]

[He'll eventually, if un-accosted, seek shelter in a park. Probably under a tree.]

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[Later on, after settling somewhat into realizing this won't change any time soon -- that he really is stuck here, Kagerou sets about poking at his comm device. He doesn't activate the video feed -- no, he's not comfortable with that yet. He just wants to figure out what's happening here.]

[He's almost talking to himself as he speaks.]

I don't understand this...

[That's all there is for a few moments. As if he's trying to determine the right thing to say.]

Why me? I'm nothing like a... like a "Hero". I've never helped a human being. And why should I? None of you have ever done anything for me.

Why should I be a "hero"?

Why should I do anything for human beings?

Whoever decided this -- whoever brought me to this place. You shouldn't have.

[He ends the call abruptly, right there.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He doesn't usually show up on the network these days. He doesn't want to -- there's no one on here he wants to deal with. But this guy... there's something familiar he can't leave alone.]

Human beings, huh?

Yeah, sure. They'll call you a hero. Don't buy that act. That's not what they really mean.

Yes. Human beings.

... What do you mean?

You really don't get it, do you?

[He says, like this has always been common knowledge to everyone, ever.]

We're just weapons to those guys.

[No, Tetsuo, he doesn't -- because he's not even a year old.]

Just... weapons.

Just a tool?

Ask anyone. They could tell you the same thing.

Why...

Why are we tools? To... to who? And they're lying to their own kind?

['The government did it to themselves', Kaneda told him. And after all the bullshit America kept spouting, after all the stuff he'd seen and fought against...

Theres' only one answer, isn't there?]

That's what governments do. Russia, America - [Japan....] - it's all the same. They don't give a shit about you. Be a good sheep and fight their war - that's all they want.

Edited 2016-02-08 07:23 (UTC)

[Wars mean killing. Killing human beings. That was a crime. And he'd promised... He'd promised. And had to leave...]

[He shakes his head, despite the fact this is only audio.]

Humans don't care about anything but themselves. I know that. But I won't... I won't be used again.

I won't break my promise.

[We interrupt this moment of drama...]

Humans this, humans that... what are you, anyway?

Nothing but a shadow.

[The bitterness in the words is strong with this one. But, after a long moment, he adds:]

... An AI. "Super AI", they call them. It must include my chip, too.

AI -? Like a machine?

No! I'm not just a machine! I'm not one of those simple -- those stupid talking machines!

[And without thinking, the transformation happens. As he hits a button on his comm, showing video, rather than just audio.]

A talking machine is a vending machine! Or a traffic signal! Or a train! Not me!

I am Kagerou!

[Robot?]

[Holy shit. More silence. This thing looks kinda... familiar...?]

Kagerou...?

[He had a toy robot once....]

[SHIT THAT'S WHAT THIS ROBOT REMINDS HIM OF]

[HELL WITH THIS HE'S SWITCHING OVER just to keep it to video. Enjoy a weird-looking human with blue-frosted beached hair.]

You for real?

[Tetsuo how the hell have you missed paying attention to the local robot community this hard]

[Well it's not the weirdest hair he's ever seen. He saw the police commissioner, after all.]

Yes.

Why wouldn't I be?

You're ... a robot.

And? So what!

'So what?' ??? You're a robot!

And you have a problem with that?

[Shakes his head. For once... no. He's met an AI before, but none remotely like this. THIS is a proper robot. Yes.]

I never imagined I'd get to meet one!

...

[Please hold. We're trying to figure out how to process this.]

...

What?

[How does it work? What kind of engine does it have - it has an engine, right? It's got to.... What about fuel? How does it think? Those eyes... how do they see? This isn't like meeting the tank - it's not too terrifying before he can find it absolutely fascinating. That one he had to warm up to, but this one...

All this and more is already racing through his mind. So many questions. The nerd he thought he'd buried flares up hard and insistent, demanding to meet this thing. If he could just inspect it for an hour! He may be peering at the screen far more intently now. Ignore that.]

Kagerou, wasn't it?

[Like hell is he forgetting this name.]

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