[DAY :042] do androids dream of electric sheep?

[onemind]

[PING. If you happen to be surfing the Concordian extranet, a familiar looking window pops into the browser. --It's familiar at first glance, anyway. This has no identifying user, no chat text box. It might be more easily mistaken for an error message. It says:]

Hello. I'm awake.

[After thirty seconds, the window closes on its own. Should anyone connect one dot to the next and go check in the room where Kellix the skele!droid has been stored, they'll find him-- well, still prone in the made bed, but his optical receptors are lit up and his internal systems seem to be making fairly regular whirring and whizzing noises. That's a good sign, right?

These messages pop up whenever Kellix wakes up, for however short the interval. Hope you like pop-ups.]

Comments

[decommission]

Guess that explains how you turned up on our doorstep. [ A light huff, and a pause. ] There anything else you needed to know?

[ That he can uh actually answer.

PIDGE WILL SURELY BE MORE HELPFUL [

[onemind]

[Thanks for spilling the beans, Pidge.]

I'm curious what your current goals are, honestly. Or I guess how you plan to accomplish them. But I understand that's a sensitive topic and that I've done nothing to help you trust me.


[A pause. The android's optical receptors click around in their sockets.]

Is there something about me you wanted to know? Any questions I could answer for you?

[decommission]

[ His brow furrows. ] Well, I can say that right now we're looking for who's responsible for the bombings. [ The plans on accomplishing that are pretty fragmented at the moment.

Frowning at the floor. ]

Is Y you're, uh, owner?

[onemind]

Of course. Many people are.

[It isn't a judgement; he sounds-- understanding? Just as he's patient, delicate even, when it comes to Steve's next question.]

No, she isn't. Y is a friend. I'm genuinely sorry, but I can't actually tell you who owns me. I've been forbidden and my programming won't let me override a direct order from my owner. I know this makes me seem suspicious, but I promise I'm not here to hurt you or your friends.

[decommission]

[ Hmm. ]

Does that person know you're here?

[onemind]

[Click. Click. Click. He's silent for an uncomfortably long time.]

I'm not sure.

[decommission]

[ He almost thinks Kellix isn't going to respond. He frowns, unsure what to make of the answer. ]

Will they come looking for you? [ A beat, looking over the android's broken appearance. ] Do they treat you alright?

[onemind]

No, they're used to me being absent. And yes, I'm treated with kindness.

[It sounds like an explanation he's used to giving.]

[decommission]

Alright. [ His eyebrows knit together, but he makes no attempt to push the subject. ] Well, this place is pretty crowded, so if you need anything -

[ There's always someone around. ]

[onemind]

[Click. Whir. It sounds like a momentary hesitation, but maybe it's a programmed pause. Hesitations are organic, natural; androids must adapt to the natural beats of organics to communicate effectively with them.

He considers a question, then dismisses it.]

I appreciate that. If there's anything you need that I can provide, I'm happy to help. You'll have to forgive my limited mobility.

[There's a trace of good humor to it.]