As you look over the court yard you see no familiar faces. The robotic guards hold a tight border around the prisoners. You are reluctant to join in the aimless crowd, but a hard nudge from your escort settles the hesitation for you and you stumble into the sea of strangers.
Zetara runs into a young woman after being shoved and accidentally knocks her down.
I'm so sorry. So sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. She offers a hand to the girl, hoping that she will understand and not start a fight which might go badly in these close quarters.
I'm Zetara. I was on my way to Abish when we were captured. Do you know why they are holding us?
The young woman looks up at Zetara. She looks to be a Lashunta with silver hair. She recoils at Zetara's attempt to offer hand, "Careful, if anyone else touches our bonds they hurt bad. A security measure against tampering I am sure." She looks at Zetara up and down. "Are you from Abish?"
Sorry. I'll be careful.[b]
When the young woman looks her over, she laughs.
[b]Oh, the 'mods? Yeah, I'm from Abish. Some people there accept it, though not many, granted.
She looks around at the large courtyard. So, what brings you to this beautiful spot? She gestures to the guards. I'm really entranced by the native life, myself.
She admits, in a much lower voice, It's really just nice to have someone to talk to, despite the circumstances. All that time isolated without even a new book to read. I was honestly nearing boredom, and I never get bored.
Instead, I composed some epic poetry. Would you like to hear it?
She chuckles, whether the girl agrees or not. Just joking. Don't ever say yes when someone offers to read you their poetry. Too many bad amateurs in this universe.
Where were you headed?
The Lashunta offers a shy smile, but it fades quickly. "They seem to want us to talk to each other and walk around for exercise, but if you meant why we are hear in general...I do not know. They have tampered my abilities with some sort of medication." She looks around and then back at you with teary eyes " I am really scared. I don't know anything about poetry." She lets a few tears come out before starting to walk ahead hiding her face.
The Massive shape of a Vesk was pulled by a pair of guards into the courtyard and then ceremoniously shoved into the growing pool of people.
While it was clear that it was a Vesk, the details were hard to make out through the bubble of gloom that surrounded him. It was clear he was wearing some sort of stocks that kept his arms up and on either side.
as the guards receeded slightly, the Massive shadowy individual said "So, is it day or night out? I've been away from the lady's song for so long."
Another Vesk of considerable size and covered in scars lifts his head, as if smelling the air, and bellows "Neither day or night blesses this foul place brother. I would embrace you, but these bonds upon me burn like the fire of the great mother."
I was just joking about the poetry, really... just trying to keep my sense of humor, you know. Things aren't ever so bad that they can't get... She stops, realizing that isn't the right thing to say. er... better. Things can always get better is what I mean to say. It's going to be okay in the end...
She trails off as the Lashunta walks away, and, realizing that she has probably offended her, she allows her some space.
Mumbling to herself: I'm scared too. You think I'm not scared? I don't know if I'll ever see my sister again, and she's the only family that doesn't think I'm automatically on my way to hell.
But hey, this doesn't seem all that burny, so must not be there yet.
She steps off to the edge of the crowd, as far from people as she seems able to go without incurring the wrath of the robo-creeps, and accesses her exocortex. Query: what am I doing wrong She sifts through the brain dump, as her exocortex, as expected, has a laundry list of the many, many things that she is doing wrong. Hmm. Empathy and building on shared experience, eh? Wasn't I already doing that? More brain dump. Okay, okay. Enough with the criticism. We can't all be perfect.
Zetara looks around for anyone at all to talk to besides her oh-so-accurate-but-not-very-helpful EC. Command: come up with a name for yourself. Calling you "exocortex" is robotic and impersonal.
She walks up to a random person, determined to keep trying as long as they are allowed to be outside their cells. Hi. I'm Zetara.
If that doesn't work, she tries the next person, working the crowd, but remembering her EC's advice and trying not to tell as many dumb jokes.
Another human responds to Zetara. A tall male with dark skin and harsh features. His hair is long and full of curls. He has tattoos that suggest he has been in facilities like this before."Those Lashunta can get very emotional, especially 'round here I notice. Something to do with the meds they give them to keep them from using their mind control. Something I am fine with personally, don't much like them Lashunta. Name's Sesostris, you can call me Seso though, everyone does." His tone is more jovial than you would expect, especially when contrasted to the Lashunta.
Nice to meet you, Seso. You can call me Zeta if you like. My father does... or did. She looks a little lost for a brief moment, but then brightens back up.
Do you know what this place is, or why we're here? I don't actually have any idea why I was taken prisoner. Seems a shame being captive and not being able to look back on the amazing-and-totally-worth-it reason for it.
"Ha, well I am no stranger to prison, but I can't say I recall being picked up this time. I have taken to drink of late though, and still in a bit of a stupor. " He pauses for a moment. "Wait. You don't know why you are here either? Or where this is? Let's see I was just docked in Absalom Station before this." He begins to mumble to himself as he trys to work out what happened. He seems just as lost, if not more, than Zetara.
No, I don't remember... I was thinking perhaps the ship on which i took passage was a smuggler, and I was assumed to be complicit, but, really, I have no idea. The bot-brains over there <indicating the guards> don't have anything to say.
Absalom Station... I think I've heard of it, but I was on my way to Abish, which... doesn't make sense. Totally different area. How long have you been here?
Query: Exactly how long have we been here?
Sitting in the corner, long spindly limbs pulled in tight against the crowd a seemingly meditating sarcesian nods towards the pair of Vesk, his head still above the crowd. I too have lost track of the time since the solar winds have laid their blessings. Perhaps I may trouble you for a description of how you last saw things? he says serenely.
The large being encased in shadow says "It has been 19 years, 4 months, and 11 days since I last saw the lifegiver. When last I saw her, I was using the gifts she has offered to all to destroy a Shadow Repository, which was housing stolen sentients. For this, I was labelled a religious extremist and terrorist and my face was turned away from the lady."
Nodding calmly although his expression showing a flicker of horror at the thoughts provoked. "While obviously all in a prison such as this must have some stain upon their record of life I do truly mourn such a fate. May the future have light for you." He offers some sympathy with a small bow of the upper body pausing to consider further the words offered.
"and may you sail through the void once more."
Like all prisoners brought together in an area, Kov'i will ask "So, what brings you to our accomedations?"
Ehron smiles towards the vest. "Truth be told I am not actually sure. Perhaps it was my newest potential employer double crossing me." He pauses a moment to let some incredulity set in about a prisoner claiming innocence before continuing. "But it is most likely some sins of association catching up with me from the past. I have flown with some unsavory types with a rather opportunistic bent. Some who also made their own opportunities."
Nodding towards a security bot he calmly says. "I would judge it is best not to lay claim to certainties in a place of recordings. Also this is a place where alliances matter and it is never good to open spilling past secrets of other allies."
"That's fair."
The shadowy shape twists some, almost as if exercising and says "you know the worst part of these...things? It's that I have an itch next to one of my back ridges. It's been bugging me for about two weeks."
As Ehron and Kov'i Lesk are commiserating, a large crystal is brought into the court yard. This 10ft tall by 3ft wide obelisk has a bright light inside of it.
One of the robot security guards pushes its way to the center of the courtyard and announces the same message in a Varity of languages. "Remain here until called up or be punished. Do not assault others in the courtyard or be punished. Attempt to remove your bonds or those of others and be punished. Attempt to assault a guard and be punished."
Ehron peers over the crowd watching the new arrival with interest. "Well, I wonder if this is the start of the main show?" he say quietly but enough to carry to Kov'i.
Whoa, Seso. Do you see that? I've heard of things like this...
She walks closer to the crystal, caught up by her curiosity.
She tries to get close enough to touch it. If the guards don't stop her, she will try that.
Scera woke up in a tiny cell and realized what had happened. She felt like an idiot for not ditching that vesk ship when she could. Now look where she was, a prisoner again. She found herself stunned suddenly yanked out of her cell, stunned into submission, cuffed, and then a needle jabbed into her neck causing that muzzy feeling in her brain to become worse before she was hauled out into the courtyard.
She stood there, her arms wrapped around herself in fear, as she looked out at the other captives. She wasn't sure what to do, her mind foggy, and was terrified of what might be done to her. This was worse than the kesh, here she had no way to manipulate others, her powers seemed gone, and she knew she was vulnerable. She saw another of her kind speaking with a strange looking woman and was about to approach them when suddenly a kesh was hauled in, and then another one. She gave a low cry of fright and began to edge back away from them as she stared in wide eyed horror saying, "Nonononononononono." She was so terrified that she didn't even realize there was a crystal being brought in.
Garland Stacks stands near a small group of other humans, careful not to get too close to anyone as he tries to recall how he got to this prison.
Let's see, I was on my way to Triaxis. It was a small repair job, but... Yeah, I was sneaking something through to the planet. What was it? I can't even remember. Is that why I'm here?
Garland shakes his head violently, his head aching from trying to recall a memory that clearly had no intention of making itself known. He looks around at the other prisoners. There are many species he doesn't recognize, but there are a few familiar sights. Humans, Lashunta, Vesk, even an android that seems too curious for its own good.
Garland watches the crystal with interest and confusion. What's going on now?
She gave a low cry of fright and began to edge back away from them as she stared in wide eyed horror saying,"Nonononononononono."
Garland turns his head sharply as he hears the sound of panic coming from nearby. Keeping an eye on the guards, he quickly moves his way over to the Lashunta.
"Hey, hey, relax," he says in a quiet whisper. "You don't want to draw the guard's attention, do you?"
Scera heard the man behind her and nearly jumped out of her skin with a muffled scream. She looked back at the man and said, "I-i-i-i-i-m sorry. I..." She seemed at a loss for words as she stood there, her panic abating some since she was focused on something else. She stepped back from him, her arms held protectively over her chest and asked, "Who are you?"
From below her Scera hears a grandmotherly female voice chime in. An all white furred, with wrinkles beginning to form around her eyes ysoki tells her."No really deary shut up. The rest of you too, Grandmother Rat be damned, I would have made a fortune off of all you blathermouths."
Glancing down the line at Ehron and giving a nod of respect
"That one has some sense, do as he does. Specifics still get you killed in prison"
Garland holds up his hands to show he's not a threat. "I'm Garland," he says, and leaves it at that.
He gives the elderly rat woman a dirty look, but can't bring himself to say anything against her. She was right after all. This was still prison. Instead, Garland asks, "Do any of you know what this crystal is all about?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
Seeing someone approaching the crystal that interests him Ehron decides to create a small distraction to help guards present look elsewhere. Quirking a grin towards the ysoki he does something that could be considered unwise in the circumstances.
He stands up to his twelve foot height, unfolding his limbs almost creakily allowing him to stand over most of the crowd with ease. He then stretches forth taking the fleeting opportunity to extend his limbs while he can. Inside awaiting whether the bots see mere size as a threat.
The security guard that is acting as herald of the rules continues in this vain. No other guards seem to react to Scera's anxiety or Ehron's stature, at least for the moment.
Zetara reaches out and barley touches the crystal and is struck with some sort of mental assault.
"What happened? Is there an attack?" the shadow-covered Vesk asked, concern in his voice.
Finishing his upper body stretch with pleasure and a pleasing amount of no guard interference Ehron nods down. "It seems an adventurous soul thought to touch the crystal. It would serve to talk to her when she comes back. If that happens as she is fallen, but the guards do not seem to be disposing of her."
Looking over the crowd and room Ehron pauses to see if there is anything else that is unusual.
Zetara slowly stands up, blinking rapidly and trying to get her eyesight back to normal, but it isn't really working. She shades her eyes, finally able to see a little bit, and realizes that Seso has abandoned her, so she stumbles through the crowd, trying on her own to find somewhere that is less bright.
After the robot security is done warning people of expectations, chatter picks up again from the crowd. No one seems certain of their location or how they got here. After an approximate hour people are lead out of the courtyard one by one, the same way they were lead in.
Scera choked back another scream of fear as the elderly sounding rat spoke to her. It would seem that the young lashunta was far to frightened to be reasonable and it wasn't until Garland grinned at her and said his name that she began to calm down. She smiled nervously back at him and said, "I'm Scera." She heard the sudden commotion as someone, the android woman, touched the crystal and seemed to fall asleep. She looked at the crystal when Garland asked about it and shook her head, "No, I've never seen anything like that before." With the only person to have touched the crystal unconscious, Scera made a decision right then and there as she said, "I-i-i-m not going near that thing."
Garlands smiles as Scera begins to calm down and nods in agreement. "Seems like a smart move," he says, watching the Android as she recovers from contact with the crystal. "Looks like they're starting to move people out of the courtyard again."
Did they just want us to see the crystal? What is going on here?
-Posted with Wayfinder
So far, Duanimon has merely watched fearfully from a corner, staving off panic by playing mental chess with their exocortex, but the sight of a fellow (at least partly) artificial individual being knocked unconscious by an apparently magical crystal is finally enough to stir some of their typical curiosity.
They walk to Zetara, asking "What exactly did that crystal do to you? It looked painful."
"Oh, and I'm Duanimon," they add after a prompt from their exocortex.
Zetara stores the dream in her exocortex, in case she has a chance to help the bright prisoner in some way in the future. Her exocortex doesn't seem to be working perfectly right now, but hopefully the memory is okay.
She still can't see all that well, and is shading her eyes from the overhead light, but before she gets pulled back to her cell, she tries to watch the guards' feet to determine whether all the guards are leaving the same way, or whether there seem to be more exits from this area that go to a non-prisoner area... in case in the future, there is ever a distraction big enough that she might be able to slip away, she wants to know which way to slip.
Unfortunately, her eyesight is still very poor. She is glad she knows what the light in the crystal went through, but hopes she hasn't ruined her one chance at getting away... if that is even possible in this place.
____
She is surprised when the Android walks up to her, but she recognizes it as a fellow mechanic, and feels some instant kinship, even though she knows the Android won't be able to feel the same in return.
There is a creature in there... apparently a being made of light. A prisoner like ourselves. I am not sure whether it was the mental contact or some communication-prevention interference that our captors have put into place that caused the shock to my system. I seem to have burned out some sight receptors.
Good to meet you, Duanimon. I am Zetara. Do you know how you got here?
"I don't know about anyone else, but I was on a ship which was quite suddenly and forcefully attacked and boarded. I was knocked unconscious by robots that looked somewhat like these guards, and I woke up here. Did you arrive in a similar manner?" Duanimon replies to Zetara.
Yeah, similar in some ways. I was taking passage to Abish, and I presume we were boarded and everyone taken... although I was in my room, so I only know for certain that I was taken. I was assuming that the ship was smuggling something and I just got caught up in it somehow, but there haven't been anything but bots to explain it to, and ... come to think of it... not one person from the ship was out here in the yard.
... I'm good with faces, or at least my exocortex is. It didn't recognize anyone as we came in. If it had, it would have reminded me.
I'm not good at social things, so I have it set to ... oh. Well, you are an Android, so you would understand. Humans need social cues, like names, and I am not good at remembering them, even though I am mostly human. I just have some cybertech/cyberart installed... Veemods of course, and ... well, it doesn't matter. I just need reminders from ... my exocortex, which I need to name. Or it needs to name itself, but it hasn't yet.
Tell me, Duanimon, how did you acquire your name? Did you choose it, or was it chosen for you?
"I chose it for myself, though it is my tenth name in almost as many years. It is a modification of a phrase meaning "two minds" in a rather esoteric language I studied briefly.
You're probably curious why I would name myself that. Well, I have a rather ... unique exocortex, named Entos, who has been with me since my awakening. It has been an integral part of my life so far, including being the reason I was on that ship. Which turned to to be a terrible mistake, obviously ... but anyway, I'm rather curious as to why a biological like yourself would choose to add electronic parts to their body, especially an exocortex. Is it merely a practical matter of improving yourself, or do you feel a particular connection to the artificial?"
I like your name, and what it means. Very clever. How is your exocortex unique, and how did *it* come by its name?
As to your question about my mods... It's mostly practical. I wished to improve myself.
Although, I have to say, if I am being perfectly honest with myself, part of it was pure rebellion against my father. He is a good man, but he is so, so rigid. Our faith allows biomods. There is nothing officially against it, but *he* is against it, and much of the community is too, saying that it does not have divine approval. So, I got some cyberart done. It was barely more than an animated tattoo, but he freaked out SO much over it... assuming that it was worse than it was, telling me I had to have it uninstalled immediately, that he wouldn't allow me under his roof with such an unnatural modification to the body gifted to me by the divine... It was too much, and I came to the conclusion that he actually didn't care about *me* at all, only about the divine.
Looking back, I know that I, too, overreacted. I haven't forsaken my faith in the divine, and I still love and respect my father, but after that night... I had been studying to be a mech, and he supported that, and he ... we both... assumed I would choose a droid. I had even been training with one. But after that argument, I guess I sort of went off the deep end. I know you wouldn't have, because luckily emotion never interferes with your logic, but that day mine did, and I took all the money I had saved to finish school, and went and got an exocortex and a skill slot.
That just made things a lot worse, of course. My dad kicked me out, and I had no money so I had to sign on to a ship in order to afford to finish school. Then after I finished school and was serving on the ship... there seemed no reason to go back. My sister was the only one talking to me and we can talk virtually. So, I just collected leave time or took it somewhere else. This was the first time I was going to be back in almost a year off planet now? I don't even know if my father will speak to me. I haven't ever actually tried since graduation. He came, that day. I was surprised. I tried to talk to him and apologize, but he was so hurt that I was leaving... said I was abandoning faith and family...
Zetara stops, rubbing her eyes. After composing herself, she says I think that my sight is recovering a little bit, thankfully.
So, Two-Minds, what do you think our chances are of escaping this place? Have you noticed any weaknesses? Have they mentioned anything to you about why we are here, or any way to get out? Something seems to be interfering with my exocortex's chronometer. Yours too?
"Well, that certainly sounds like a difficult relationship. I am often glad that I did not have to deal with the entanglements of a traditional family.
My exocortex used to be an android named Entos, one of the previous minds to inhabit this very body, but they did not wish to relinquish their mind in a renewal. Before renewing, they moved their code to a computer specially designed for longevity and had it implanted in their body. Becoming an exocortex when the renewal created a new mind for its body, Entos has guided each android to inhabit this body for the last couple of centuries. However, it has recently been ... deteriorating. Entos has proven quite a boon to me and I would like him to do so for future inhabitants of this body, so I have been trying to repair his code. It was while pursuing this goal that I was captured.
In any case, neither Entos or I has noticed any weakness in the security measures of the prison, though many of the other prisoners here seem like they could have skills helpful in an escape. My only significant physical ability without gear is the use of my nanites, and something here seems to be inhibiting their function, but that sarcesian and the vesk in the special restraints both seem like they could be useful."
Excellent. Let us by all means approach them. You will have to lead me in this, however; my eyesight is still spotty.
Hello, my name is Zetara. Duanimon here tells me that you two seem particularly skilled. We are attempting to coordinate with others for a possible escape attempt, if we ever get that far. Have you two noticed anything that would offer any hope at all in that pursuit?
Duanimon leads Zetara to Ehron and Kov'i, then asks the vesk "Do you have any idea what exactly those stocks holding your arms are? It seems curious that the guards chose only you specifically to receive them."
Additionally, Duanimon examines her own restraints, looking for any insight into their nature and how they might be escaped.
Garland catches the movement of the androids out of the corner of his eye (although now that they were a little closer one seemed to have more human features than he previously thought). He nods to Scera and Lakoon'ta. "Looks like they might be planning something," he says in a low voice. "They might know a way to get out of here."
Gesturing for the two women to follow him, but subtly so as to not attract the attention of the guards, Garland carefully makes his way to the slowly growing congregation. "Couldn't hope but notice the gathering over here," he says quietly. "If you've found a way to get out of here, I want in."
Duanimon turns to the human, "We don't have a plan yet, but we would certainly be glad to have more conspirators. Have you noticed anything which might help us escape?"
Hello. Zetara says to the newcomer. We are still brainstorming and trying to collect information. My name is Zetara by the way, and you are?
Has anyone determined which way we should go if we leave this room? Do all the prisoners get led in and out the same way? What is everyone good at? I'm primarily good at planning and fixing things.
Also, does anyone know, at all, how long we have been here? My exocortex is glitching... something our captors are doing... and it can't tell me what day it is, or even time elapsed since capture.
"My skills lie primarily in technological skill, extensive though mostly academic knowledge, logic untroubled by emotion, and some proficiency with ranged weapons. I similarly have no record of the time elapsed since my capture, though my guess is it has not been more than a week," Duanimon responds to Zetara.
"I'm Garland."
Garland Stacks looks between the android and the cyborg as they speak. Even they had no idea how long they had been inside this prison.
"I also fix things, and..." He pauses as instinct takes over to prevent him from admitting to a life of crime in front of strangers. But he was already in prison, and probably for that. No point in hiding it. "And I'm a smuggler as well. Neither of which will be of much use without any gear," he adds bitterly, glancing down at the sterile prison outfit. "And I've been known to talk my way out of a situation, though with robot guards that probably won't be useful. Erm, no offense," he adds quickly.
Zatara listens to Duanimon's response. Very helpful skills, thank you. Her logic has already helped me a lot... I needed something to snap me out of dwelling on the fact that we are here, and get me thinking of a way to get out. Gathering allies is a good start.
Zetara smiles at Garland's comments.
No offense taken. Duanimon can't feel to take offense, but to be fair to her, Androids and Robots are quite different things when it comes down to it.
To Duanimon: Perhaps you would like to explain the difference to our new friend?
As for me, I love my mods. They make me a better human... or a better cyborg if you want to call it that. :)
Smuggling is a perfect skill for this endeavor. No worries. She smiles.