A Rundown Dark Lot

(From 'A Main Thoroughfare')~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>


After traveling through some of the city, Malus had found nothing useful to his search...what he was looking for had no actual easy means of investigating. As both a vigilante and a Prime Field, he was after two things constantly. Both foolish bounties that he could pick off in the name of something that he'd been coming to understand (or so his thinking was), that which of was justice. As the vigilante, Malus Kapun his life was fairly simple. Staying on the hunt for victims who were those who dared to be vile betrayers of a 'peace' that he himself doubted was what it seemed. But as far as his legal documents were concerned, he was naught but a simple young man who did the only job that he could gather on short notice.

"What is this...? I thought I found something out here, no traces anymore..." As the Prime Field male chose to act on his instincts, the platinum blond young man grabbed into the shadows and yanked out one man in dark clothing. Casually tossing the apparently nimble person. It made a lot of sense now, this fellow had a bit of talent with ars, but these small-time tricks were no match for his enhanced senses and unparalleled abilities for catching his targets. As he watched the spry being glare at him and draw a small knife; Malus responded by raising his left arm and gesturing his with right hand for the human to come and find defeat. It was just...another day on the job for him, as it would seem.

A most peculiar anomaly were detected as Zeta-06 for lack of a better word, merely watched the world around her sprawl. Like electrical surges going throughout a rather faulty series of circuitry, rife with viruses among other problems with this thing called society, she'd gather information and reach a consensus that perhaps, the truest answer to the problem rose partly because logic was not employed to maximum effect as it should've been intended. Liberal usage of ill suited chemical imbalances ran rife in the brain waffers, inviting discord and ultimately unsettling the machine. She was found wanting, and yearned to know more of this problem for what would be tantamount to the stoic Prime Field to be akin to curiousity, but in a discolored and greyish fashion, without the vividness or the magic that comes from life. It would be fair to say she were a machine, and rightly so.

"Evaluating current objective perimeters." Her visors flared into activation as oddities were detected whilst she were hooked into general area surveillance, twisting into further magnification from afar as it noticed particularly hasty movements associated with traumatic exchange imparted via surface tool through the xyz in projected exceeding measurements going past parameters, dispassionately she detaches from the wires connected to her back by a brief movement forward whilst the unassuming disguised capsule slid open to reveal her before the elevator shaft with a clear plexiglass view of the area before her, hovering down as she scrapped her palm across a steel rope holding an elevation cell, with but a tug, long and forceful, ripped out a segment of the steel rope as the occupants plummeted below in to the abyss, screaming in echoing fades before a loud crash silenced them forever. Summoning up her blades, her Creativity Software dictated to tie up both hilts of both swords, or what would be the equivalent of such, as the two were tied together by the steel ropes tightly. She had nothing designated by Relius Clover, and her programming did allow her a degree of autonomy that otherwise afforded her independent actions such as these. With her a few odd yard dozens away, she continued to watch as she hovered forth, looming within the dark as her photo-mimicking unit activates, rendering her transparent with odd distortions bubbling around that she existed at all. Her red visor orb signifying her existence in the first place. "Evaluation complete, signatures detected unknown. Per pending no objectives, freedom to pursue data gathering: Allowable."

It was during this brief struggle with the strange man that the male Prime Field had been pressured slightly. His choice of hand to hand was a little lacking, as a grappler didn't do well again an opponent who struck fast, with small dagger-like weapons; no doubt some kind of armagus used in order to either poison or nauseate an opponent, had granted the small man a short advantage. Though after being nicked a few times with the first of the two daggers, Malus had not allowed the man to get a second hit off on him. However, even after drawing his longsword and attempting to wound the man; despite leading on the man's speed...the agility was proving to be annoying. Even to a point that the Prime Field was feeling less and less tolerant of keeping up his well learned farce.

"No subjects around, it would do to defeat the subject...minimal power." It was one thing to say that his frustration had led him to wield the powers that he'd considered only an emergency. And for the first time in around 4 months, did he wave a single hand, his left out and to his waist. The odd hand motion twisting the space behind the man who seemed to be waiting for the next move that Malus would make. Instead...the man would find a distortion blade through his left leg. Something that had earned a loud scream from the nimble bounty. With this done, he'd be simple to handle, this was something that Malus took some pride in; in fact the approach was done slowly, with the longsword already placed back into the bindings. While he'd decided to force the man to submit through forceful, painful means. "Quite a bit of trouble you've given me there...I think its time for a bit of payback before I drag you in." the western drawl hinting at some more dark natured strikes; he planned to punish the man for his resistance and his annoying armagus.

A looming presence overlooked Kappa-10 wordlessly from behind as of this point, silent that only a spark caused a distortion more visible in the veil of a shade that draped overhead Zeta-06. She had made her way over to the man, watching him within the stealth camouflage wrapped about her into transparent distortion field, with her manner of seeing through the red orb that hung out in representation of her visor from the stealth camouflage she donned. Watching quietly, patiently, and without movements. A few runtime errors and crashing processes rendered anomalous behaviour from (Zeta-06, she should've updated from Windows 98 to Windows XP, NOT), which is to say psychological conditioning.

Intentionally, a tap against the floor from behind Kappa-10 sounded off, and the camouflage field wore off of Zeta-06 whilst she stood her height's length from Kappa-10's posterior view.

"What on earth is that noise..?" As Malus turned a head to the sound of the noise behind him, he'd automatically kicked the bounty across the face while in swinging motion, putting the man out with a quick strike. He'd had no intention of allowing things to go any worse than they had. Clearly as this being appeared before him, his unit kicked to life, in his mind all kinds of detectors had resounded and sent an array of chaos through his mind. For a few milliseconds he was disabled until he'd come to again, calmly assessing the situation through the focus of his eyes as Kappa, the true self of the vigilante that had come a long ways around from 10 months prior since his reactivation.

"Prime Field Device#10 reading subject, identification verification process requested for unknown elder unit." The reversion had been quick, upon realizing the presence was of one of his sisters! He was suddenly thrilled, excited, but at the same time...subdued until he verified what unit this was. He'd learned of a few units being active, all of those ahead of him had been the subject of his search; which thus far had failed. Though her appearance was nothing like what he'd expected, without a doubt she was one of whom he searched for. How fortunate...or potentially unfortunate. He knew programming went to a 'T', even if it did not run the same way in him. Incomplete training and a strange awakening allowed him his freedom, but what of she?

Rolled the visor red in magnification, picking every cell and... disagreeable modifications that gives somewhat unique tastes lining along the lithe contours of Kappa's figure. She hadn't recognized him as anything but another unit, but one so corrupted as others. Reaching out a hand, single and open a palm, she'd nod in the reasonable request. Calculating processors sparking within her automaton thought process to compile a consensus still unreached but garnering distance there, as it considers the weight of first contact, and the protocol that comes from communication. It had displayed at least one logical, or rather semi-logical trait, which was to incapacitate the non-Murakumo organic meat bag behind, but not kill. Questionable, but perhaps warranted were capture required over kill, the latter of which preferable given expedient efficiency it carries, for a permanent lack of resistance it has. Nonetheless, she'd hover closer, so that the man may be in reach of her hand. Strange and anomalous man, if anything, or perhaps a malfunction in her sensory array granted the bulge laying between thigh region, though much of the physiology begs otherwise, hence the possibility is strong and not discounted. This IS a strange unit. It piqued her curiousity as perhaps a failure to be discarded, but that has yet to come as her own decision, potentially.

"Granted. Prepare for data probe. Please connect, for compilation of information via metacarpal medium, if unfamiliar with first-contact protocol as per Creator's mandate and design. Consensus required regarding Prime Field Device#10, and may be completed upon data reception." She said flatly as possible, that accompanied the low octave and the faint whirring that instills and inspires her vocals to speak if not only for the purpose of conveying verbal exchange, rather than actual emotions and the depth and passion to it.

A data probe? That was fine with him, there was no information to be hidden, honestly just a very plain lifestyle, registering officially with a false identity to hide himself since his reactivation. The knowledge of the man who'd brought him back was of little consequence, granted that Kappa simply knew nothing of the man himself. Connection Initiated...confirmed." as he'd said this, his palm had pressed flatly to hers and as a slew of sparks erupted from the sudden link, his green eyes turned red and had begun to acknowledge the link. The male Prime Field's life story would be one of the first things linked to her, as to such she'd receive the tale of his anomalous birth; purely by chance and continued through the lab techs who wishes to see where a male would go. He'd made a serious degree of growth and pushed the limit.

It was all a lot to take in, more that his mind could calculate it, but of course, the Prime Field was determined to know her. Through this link, he'd get some degree of understanding about his sister. He'd felt that this was very meaningful, even if it was just a simple information link.

Conclusion delved further veering towards negative quadrant over potential danger and assistance rendered alike by Kappa-10 as she has gauged the many protocols in a measure of his very value as a person, as a machine does lacking emotion. Only a pang of chemical inflections dismissed as nothing more than a natural reaction of the body as nothing more than a distraction, seen as a problem to be rectified later in a hardware maintenance done by Relius Clover as of for later check ups, as required to one possessive of a mechanical hybrid marriage to flesh such as she. If such an identity as she even applied to one no longer acknowledging any of those faults that fall to femininity. Her form bearing no consequence as of yet, only deemed fit towards Relius's tastes and aesthetics.

What information pinging back as she had received her fill was that of likewise any linked to tragedy, but hers one she doesn't even know of as she forever lingers ignorant, unaware of underlying organic implication of her slavery, and even then, loyalty given to Relius nothing more than coding. She was discarded, like all the rest of the Murakumo, but hers was a failure far more vast than others, that only through her status as expendable, and Relius's own confidence in giving Zeta something of a great fighting chance, if anything, to be his cat's paw, through the inclusion of software upgrades, had left her what she was today -- a robot. Her reaction meanwhile was understandably without mirth, to Kappa's origins, as her sequential riddle of coding rhythm finally pinged with acknowledgement of a conclusion that she'd audibly sound off, now that she knew of her bro-- no, illogical thought, rather of later unit's story. Though in many ways Zeta is obsolete, hers was made up for whatever unique quirks as a result of being bestowed that second purpose by Relius.

"Consensus reached." She droned out in her flat monotone, feminine yet without waver, "Subject, your existence is incongruous. Recommend for immediate deactivation of motor functions for submission into this unit's custody."

During the data exchange, the side of Kappa that remained somewhat human, after his awakening had come to pass, if not for the digital harness still attached beneath his attire, he would have been without the capable processing abilities; since the systemic repairs were being made by the awkward device attached by his deceased benefactor. The traces of any kind of humanity within the sister unit him was minimal, which he'd hypothesized to be highly likely. As he knew programming as well as any other who was submissive to such a thing. Her orders were simple, very black and white as much of any orders were, but it did not stop him from wanting there to be more of interest between them. His sister did have a side, all of them did and he'd just have to reach out for it...carefully, he thought.

"Deactivation of Unit being considered, query posed to unit Zeta, purpose of surrender to custody warranting what outcome?" it was a simple question, it would buy him another few moments to ponder up reasons at which to pose to her. Maybe he could help draw her into a dialogue and question some more things.

"Outcome most likely within similar approximation of variables closest present are the study of Unit 10. Reprogramming or destruction shall entail pending further evaluation of appropriate action." She would say, her mind made up on the matter, if one can even call it that for what organic flesh present in her was marred by sheer augmentations riddling within her body, circuitry that are aplenty jolting with thoughts. Whatever thoughts glimpsed inside, if any independent ones were pertaining to the mission within the linear design she was implemented with. She was flawed and she didn't even know it.

She'd step forward, her red orb visor flaring red in her robotic cadence, this wasn't a primary prerogative, but Kappa-10's presence was aberrant, doesn't factor in at all within the grand schemes of things that he would be detracting overall, if made use of asset of against Relius Clover, her threat cogitators surmised. "Diagnostics read numerous errors in Unit 10, excluding physical defects." She continues in her flatness, "Consistent flaws being your thought processors erratically influenced by chemical changes and stimuli. Illogical, henceforth requiring hardware and software change as your last maintenance date is..." She would sound it off, mouth off the time. It was a large stretch of time, and it made it clear what his independence was, for how long, and just what Zeta thought of it, if she can be considered doing that at all -- inefficient. If Kappa-10 was Mac, unaffected by others as he swaggers with independence, then Zeta is more akin to the olden Windows XP.

The alterations that she was suggesting was would make him a slave once more, but as his mind processed this. Instead of fleeing, which had always been an option, he was going to press into this matter more. "Unit Zeta, Would your present function allow for a postponement of these suggestions? Unit Kappa would wish to pose queries, which would need an allowance of time." the questions were more in the gray area, he testing what he could extend for a small passage of time.

Zeta considered that the possibilities, among which chief of those in the obviously feebly organic inclined Kappa was doing, in underlying intentions, was buying time. However scans didn't note a build up of any weaponry, charges or the like. A curiously human trait for a unit that shouldn't be irrational in all that regard. Another were that Kappa-10, as a flawed and incomplete unit, wished to still take in data despite the irrelevance of the action. Whatever Relius Clover would do, would most likely end his chaotic autonomy in favour of mechanical order, with the required information entailed, though her protocols didn't deny her humoring Kappa's requests, if only because of some contrived reasoning.

"Allowable for the allotted time of one minute." She'd slate in a definitive time table, continuing on in her robotic inflection, "However, not submitting to custody will result in forceful deactivation as a consequence, a favored response by Creator and henceforth, optimized to be the highest priority in a compilation of responses."

More time than he'd hope to make some headway with, it seemed that the Creator was the one pulling the punches now, he'd had Zeta under lock and key, Kappa had considered his options. He could flee and while not a main directive of hers; he might suddenly slip onto that radar. He'd consider putting himself up for that emergency port when his consciousness might be in danger. Would the creator even bother fixing him? The link of a dangerous teleportation was simple to input, he had coordinates of a home base, and he'd returned there once after his first trials as a vigilante. "Unit Kappa holds another query for Zeta Unit. Since reactivation, how does unit maintain unit's non-mission based time? The creator's use of units would not be subject to much use during 24 hours, if no maintenance or directives are given?"

As Zeta stared impassively, within her she had calculated the necessary run down executable actions that can be done to take down another Murakumo, something though not weighted in actual performance, that is in Murakumo against Murakumo combat, was found purely theoretical. The data wasn't done by Zeta-06, hence the specifications would be off, nonetheless she'd stare at Kappa, internally counting down the time as he'd ask away his questions, desiring data for something otherwise... not pertinent, that shouldn't matter much. Just how different were those two units? One ruled by internal chemical stimuli?

"When not in operation, stasis would be the optimal choice of action, unless if anomalous entities, behaviour, or other factors appear to warrant activity without Creator's prompt. An example of an anomaly would be you, Unit Kappa-10." She'd explain.

While he was ruled by stimuli from his mind, he was by no means forever bound to it, in fact the very way that she explained the anomaly which he knew to be him only made him desire to ask her something, though the question was ultimately a moot one at best. He'd thought of how best to ask if she knew where any other sister units were and eventually came up with one. "What does Zeta Unit understand about the Prime Fields, beyond standing facts. Does...Zeta Unit have data on successor or predacessor units?"

In a quite a human manner of expressing something, she shook her head if anything within silence. The clock internal as it were ticked within, measuring and gauging the time as she had lapsed it within a longer tenure than the usual. Kappa-10 desired information, which as far as she saw, was done... in a crude manner. Oral speech is not as efficient as digital exchange or at least binaric, where the two could exchange it at the speed of thought. Still, a question that she herself boasts no such knowledge of seemed to give her a momentary pause, for a machine that is.

"...Correct. Data exists within the memory storage pertaining towards specific models in the Prime Field line. Two of whom chiefly deemed as a threat to eliminate with prejudice." She'd explain with a robotic overtone, "However, in the case of you, Kappa-10, you were by all accounts registered as destroyed. Your existence disproves such notions that Creator himself has written down, leading to a few speculative conclusions. The one with the highest probability being a re-activation not dissimilar to a Unit that... eugghh..." A fizzle sparked audibly, unseen but heard for a screech inside her head as she grits her teeth in a sharp jab of pain, before she shook it off, "Names are... to remain classified... your... your... your activation is done by an outside factor in the likeliest of accounts."

As she mentioned it, he'd decided to continue with it, yes...he knew that she might not change her mind, but it would not stop him from sharing. "Correct, Unit Kappa was reactivated by an alchemist who went by an alias, with the purpose of attempting the coup upon someone in a local office so that he could rise in the ranks in Kagutsuchi. This foolish attempt to break the sovereign rules of the Novis Orbis Librarium had resulted in his being executed by a squadron of foot soldiers." [color:35d6=dark blue]In Kagustuchi...this was exactly where he knew to be and as he reached out to her, it would be the results that would eventually speak for themselves. It was actually for the same reason that he wasn't concerned about the creator's machinations that might go on with his body. The prime field was altered by the digital harness, it had been an odd device that stirred up his fancy, unique form of thinking. He imagined it would get him destroyed, or rather that attempt. There had already been an odd means of his potentially getting around that. "Does Unit Zeta possess knowledge of her destruction?" He hoped to figure this out, to hear about what exactly terminated her and perhaps how it affected her. 

Further data processing ran a few narrowing of searches within the quadrants of what databases allowed by Relius, in a very specific allowance, only pertinent to the mission perimeters and designs he had in mind for her own capacity to act, to do as dispensed freedom, if it can be called that. "An inevitable conclusion to all those that oppose the superior entity, the Novis Orbis Librarium system. His existence would be deemed dangerous, hence provoking such a response. The action is logical, thus consistent with the Creator's protocols." She explained, slightly, she tilts her head downward looking at the feet Kappa possessed which were meant for walking, usually, perhaps, but despite such appendages present, that is often not a uniform case as some forego the usage of feet at times, as those aberrant alien circus people had shown in one research vector. "Your request has been processed, please wait for data to be found. Searching... searching... searching. Not found. The data is unavailable, thus either irrelevant, or deliberately deleted from memory banks. A likely solution -- a factor of both. Extrapolation suggests it is the most possible outcome however, but empirical evidence is required for a solid consensus in face of intangible theories."

She paused.

"As this unit is programmed with search and destroy functions, knowledge and data of one's origin necessitates a new priority of commands. The search for... past data, which has a success percentage of eighty if searched for has qualified search necessary, all in the benefit of the Creator." Her master, her idol, her very purpose of existence, Relius. Whether this was a programming, or perhaps something more is yet to be seen. "Unit Kappa, provide your objectives. In the absence or possession of one, it shall be deleted in favour of the preceding unit Zeta's new objective."

This response had been one of a similar nature that Kappa was hoping for, it was a daze really to the kind of time that seemed to be nearly impossible to him at the first thought. But here as he stood before her, she'd find him pondering for about 10 seconds, it was enough time to calculate a suitable objective without acting on the excitement he felt from her even mentioning this; at least it was a chance to be closer. The cost of which would probably come back to haunt him later, but he seemed willing for the risk; despite the cockamamie idea that it had been itself.



 "Unit Kappa would suggest that Unit Zeta accompanies this unit's present mission. Establishing the basis of Unit Zeta's past entirety, for the boon of the creator. With units both searching, the search time shall be dramatically reduced. Unit Kappa may also suggest that this unit's false identity be used for easier interface with biological human counterparts of the Librarium for ease of communicative issues." while in truth he wasn't sure that was a good idea, for the benefit...it was a chance that he might manage something with her, he'd already agreed to go with her and would ensure that he did just that, he'd follow the parameters but he intended to use every opportunity to make this search count: they could both find out how she perished, what her initial programming was. Granted she accepted the objective and subsets he'd elected to pose to her.

"Your request is logical, however with a few routines to be rectified in your corrupted and additional unauthorized hardware as scans indicated. Among which is your faulty functionality as a Murakumo, that to be repaired at a later time as required. Refusal to comply when maintenance is prompted would leave this unit no choice but to terminate you as a defective product." The corona of red that make for her cyclopean visor orb flared bright in observation of this unit, and then onward to the horizon, far beyond the span of a normal person as she had triangulated specifically the location from the gyroscoping directional programming where this area lingered so.

She balls up her fist, and hammers it against the wall's side. The specific calculation of structural integrity caused cracks to form like a spider web in an infectious cracking all the way to the ceiling, before it drops debris on the bounties Kappa were to take in place. Turning them into gory remains splattered all across with crimson gushing out, among other minced mixture of meat and bones broken apart. The accuracy of it had left only those specific elements flattened, and none of the debris to actually harm or even drop on the two Murakumos given Zeta's calculation.

"Your choices are narrowed, and your obligations eliminated. Submit, and serve, lesser machine. Objectives are to salvage leftover data, but in the face of secondary objectives, the elimination of high profile targets, their termination is tantamount to immediate action with complete prejudice." Monotonously she said, as she had hovered. Fully charged from her previous stasis, as she were clad in her gear. Petals followed her as if they were akin to wings of a Valkyria, before she drifted to the nearest boundary field that gaped wide open, floating inside and swallowed into oblivion.

[EXIT]

"Unit Zeta, acknowledged." He would say this without hesitation, following Zeta into the gateway, some part of him was greatly pleased with the following success. And he'd gone without any kind of question with his kin. He wasn't sure that helping her discover her previous life's end would help her, but to him it was significant enough to do. Such information awakened in him a sense of loss, it was one that was part of the beginnings of his free will. Though he knew this to be unlikely as a stimuli enough to change any one Murakumo, his change was by fortune and fate: or something like that which he applied to this change in his life. Only time would tell the effects of the fortunate souls and just what his own desires would bring him to as an outcome, he just knew it was worth every risk to aid his sisters.

(Exuent with Zeta)~~~~~~~~~~~>