worthallthis | The Last Voyages: IC Inbox

[Technically it's intensive conditioning more than actual programming, but, well, he doesn't have the terminology for it, and the techs mostly treated him like a robot, anyway.

He shrugs awkwardly.]

I was. There's rules. Protocols. T. Trigger words.

Oh.

[She says, taking this all in matter-of-factly. After a few seconds, she nudges a little closer to bump against Bucky's leg without saying anything. She is a little concerned for him.

When the doors buzz she comes out of the elevator and rolls over to her room]

It's in here. Do you want to wait out in the hall?

[The bump makes him twitch a little, but mostly in surprise. Touch from a little rolling metal robot isn't as bad as from a fleshy-type person.

He steps out of the elevator immediately when the doors open, and does in fact wait out in the hall. It's wide and open and safe, and he needs to get his heart rate back under control before the next elevator ride.]

I'll wait right here.

[Though he might peer into her room curiously from his hallway vantage point.]

You got it.

[Gortys nudges the door; it's fairly obvious that her own body is her warden item, and it opens obligingly for her.

Inside is Fiona and Sasha's old caravan, and Gortys' first and so far only 'home'. She's spent longer on the ship than she has being alive in her own world by now, and it shows.

The caravan-cabin is small, barely fitting the three full-grown people it must have carried at some point. There's an old dresser, and a game table that Gortys immediately goes to. Guns line the walls; some from Fiona and Sasha but still others that Gortys probably collected herself over the months spent here.

There's a door on the other side of the caravan which leads to a bathroom she never had a need to use.]

Gotcha!

[she calls out, withdrawing the board game from where it had been stashed protectively underneath one of the sofa seats.]

[It's an interesting little room. Definitely small, but not actually much smaller than his own cell-like cabin. The guns actually surprise him (and he itches a little to have one on his person, at the sight; the hidden knife is good, but it's no gun). So does the fact that the game was hiding under a cushion.]

We could just stay here. If you'd rather.

[Let him put off the elevator a little while longer.]

It's not that small.

Oh, yeah?

[she asks, turning around. Gortys hides her treasures like a five year old might; under the bed and in couch cushions. She shrugs, not really minding it. The place is a bit cluttered, sure, especially for a robot. But maybe not so much for a sentimental girl.

There's even a kitchenette with a stovetop where Sasha would make meals for everyone. Gortys can't use that either, and it's too tall for her but she looks up over at it]

I think there's some food and stuff in the cabinet there if you wanna come in. Unless you eat electricity, like I do.

No, I don't eat electricity.

[The idea is cute. And makes sense for how a robot would explain charging up.]

It's fine. I ate earlier. Where should I sit so you can show me the game.

[He doesn't want to sit on something that might also have a treasure stashed inside it. He is very heavy.]

Uhhh.....huh. oh! I know! up there!

[she points to where the table is set up, and hands up the box to him before climbing up to sit in the breakfast nook herself]

Just let me know if you start getting uncomfortable, okay? I'm a learning robot so I don't know until you tell me, and then I can watch for signs in later conversations!

[Well, that seems like she's selling herself a little short.]

You noticed in the elevator.

[He does come to sit, though, the chair looks safe enough. He sets the box on the table and, after a glance at her for permission, lifts the lid curiously to see what's inside.]

[she quiets down a little, somewhat disheartened when Bucky points that out]

...Yeah, but that might've been a glitch in the system. See, I'm starting to think more like a human and it's kind of freaking me out.

[The box contains a cardboard set-up with pop-up 3-D castles and bunkers, six various people in different poses and levels of ferociousness, and graph paper.

lots and lots of graph paper]

[He doesn't really know what he was expecting, but the board makes sense-- it's a "board game", after all-- and he supposes the little people are the... badasses?

He glances over her way at her statement. That... sure does sound familiar, doesn't it.]

Everyone keeps telling me that's what I'm supposed to do. It kind of freaks me out, too.

[Of course, he is demonstrably human (well, mostly), so it might be a little different for him.]

[Gortys actually looks relieved to hear that another person is going through the same stuff]

Right?? Oh gosh. Everyone's always telling me that I'm a defective robot or that I should think for myself all the time.

[she starts to set up the pieces. The rule book is dug out; all 300 pages of it]

Some people wanna fight me because they think I'm a 'deviant' and some people wanna hurt me just to make me disobey my programming and hurt them. It's really confusing!

[He... frowns. That sounds. That sounds wrong. That sounds... it sounds familiar. The plates in the metal arm shift restlessly under his jacket.]

Who wants to hurt you. To make you hurt them.

[He's kind of ignoring the game, even as she sets it up, because that cause some really unpleasant echoes.]

[Gortys shrugs, uncomfortable about naming names]

Just, y'know. Some people here. But I have friends now and they explained those people and why they think like that.

Oh, which one of the badasses do you wanna be? There's the Siren, and the Assassin, and the Hunter, and the Soldier, and the Mecromancer, and the Berserker.

[That's an easy question. While his job is technically assassin, he remembers he's also been called:]

Soldier.

[A pause, chewing on the inside of his cheek, then he says,]

As long as you're okay. If you don't want to hurt people nobody should try to make you.

You got it!

[she sets up the Soldier piece in front of Bucky and then begins arranging the board properly for a mini-campaign]

Yeah. I'm good, really. There were a few close calls but so far so good!

[He's just gonna assume she's telling the truth and she really is okay. Even if he's not happy with the explanation.]

Close calls aren't great. Nobody had better try again.

Gosh, I hope not.

[she starts to sort through the rule book]

Okay. So here's how you play. Because we've only got the two people, I'm going to be the dungeon master. That's the person who tells all the other players....player where to go. I also play all the monsters. Rawr!

[she says, holding up her hands for the effect]

And that makes you the campaigner. You get to decide whether you're going to save damsels or fight monsters or kill wizards or something.

["Rawr". Jesus, it shouldn't be allowed for a robot to be that cute. He may actually be smiling a little bit. It doesn't last long, though, because he's looking over the board and pieces now.]

What's a damsel.

[He can work out "monster", and he's heard "wizard" on the network a time or two. But damsel is new.]

Somebody who needs help, I think. They always couple it with the phrase 'in distress'.

[He hesitates. Making decisions really isn't his strong point, here.]

What would you do?

Oh no, I don't make the decisions. I react to them! You decide what to do.

[That's going to make this take a lot longer than it could. He looks over the board, looking for some kind of clue as to what he should be doing. It's all pretty alien to him.]

I guess. Save the damsel?

[Since they were just talking about it. And the Asset is not known for saving things, so he might as well try something... new. Ish. In a game.]

You got it.

[Gortys consults her rulebook]

Okay. The book says you have to roll to decide on your character stats.

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