Log:Automa Rejects

2020/10/12 Wade|Wayne Reflex Artemis 1

After horse riding lessons and being told repeatedly she should not find out 'how swiftly these steeds can go', Artemis departs the community center with Wayne. "I suppose I can understand this view of white horses. You looked most majestic upon it, Wayne," she smiles.

Wayne grins, "Well, thank you. I don't think I felt comfortable enough to be 'majestic', but I'll take the compliment."

Artemis chuckles. "You must! For you know I cannot lie," she smiles. That doesn't mean he isn't right about it. It just means she saw him as such.

The Steingberg Community Centre appears to be a renovated, substantial but not excessively large, single story Harrisburg house about fifty yards away from the Harrisburg free clinic on the opposite side of the road. There's a sign above two wide double street doors reading 'Steinberg Community Centre'.

Wayne smiles and puts an arm around her waist as they walk, "Well, you looked great atop your steed as well. Picturesque."

Artemis smiles and leans into him as he does so. She looks to him and chuckles. "I would not suspect you of lying on such a thing. I have been accustomed to riding beasts in the wild for fun and sport, or the rare creature faster than I. Only when a spacecraft or other vessel was unavailable."

Wade nods. "Most of what I've dealt with have been vehicles. Cars. Motorcycles. Figther craft. Shuttles. That kind of thing.

Artemis smiles and slips her arm around his waist in kind now. "Mmmm. That is most impressive. I knew not that you had such skill in so many crafts! I have yet to learn of thy Urthen vehicles or how to pilot them. I am more used to space vessels."

Wayne nods. "I can deal with some spacecraft too. At least the ones that Starguard uses." He thinks about it, "What kinds of space vessels have you piloted?"

"The escape pod that landed my Bloodbound Brother and I here, for one." Artemis thinks on that and laughs. "Though in truth, I more crashed it here. It did not fare well under fire before we struck the star gate that brought us here."

He nods again, "I'm assuming an escape pod doesn't have much in the way of controls."

"Nay, fortune smiled upon us that we were able to escape as far as we did. If not for the gate, we were sure to be captured again or die in our attempt for freedom," Artemis opines as they walk together. "I have flown Malvan vessels, a guild craft from some race, an Ixendar racer...hmm. Many I know not the name of, but the controls are often similar. Though I be no expert pilot. I can at least steer the ship."

Wayne smiles. "Well, in most cases, you're unlikely to hit anything anyway."

Artemis chuckles. "Aye, unlike on the surface of most planets. I believe I have seen these motorcycles and am most curious to ride one someday. I hear there be both races for horse and motorcycles!"

Wayne grins. "Humans like to race anything they can. Planes. Motorcycles. Cars. Bobsleds. Dog sleds. Horses. Snails. People themselves. Bicycles. You get the idea."

Artemis smiles and chuckles. "This be not rare to hoomans. What of you, Wayne? Do you enjoy racing? And what vehicles and creatures do you race?"

Wayne smiles. "I used to run track when I was allowed. Well, when Wade was allowed." He shakes his head, "I haven't really done any racing myself aside from that." He pauses as he realizes something. "I just noticed - You didn't call me 'Friend Wayne'. Is there a reason?"

"Mayhaps you and I can race perhaps, if it would be enjoyable to you," Artemis offers. She smiles to him and gives him a light, affectionate squeeze. "The honorific seemed not to apply, since ye be more than friend to me, Wayne. While there are other such titles I could use, I am yet unsure of what would fit ye best."

Wayne smiles. "Mmm. I see. Well, I'm not sure what the best title would be. Most would sound pretty awkward."

Artemis chuckles. "I was unsure of your feelings of such." She slows as she thinks upon it. "I would not wish to embarrass thee or shame thee. Nor can I use a false statement to describe thee."

Wayne grins, "Well, 'Friend' is still accurate, if not all-encompassing."

Artemis studies him and thinks on it. "Hmm...as long as it does not dishonor you...Friend Wayne," she smiles. "I confess I have not learned how to long court a hooman, or hooman simulacrum. Mayhaps the Google will have the answers!"

Wayne shakes his head, "I suspect there won't be a lot of guidance on that online, I'm afraid. I won't be offended if you contine to call me 'Friend'."

Artemis is crestfallen that Google will not prove a good guide in this matter. "Hmmm. Would Lover Wayne be appropriate? Or 'Wayne, my love'?" she proposes casually.

Wayne smiles. "In human society, that kind of statement is often kept for private moments. People get annoyed with lots of...overt displays of affection. I'm reasonably sure you won't understand why htat's the case." He chuckles.

"No, I still do not understand why hoomans hide their affections from each other." Artemis looks over at him with a smile, then reaches out to try and lightly touch his chin from the opposite side to turn it towards her as she leans in a bit. "Do you dislike overt displays of affection?"

Wayne thinks about it. "I...would have said yes. But...I want to be a separate person from Wade. I know that's how he'd answer. And I'm going to go with te opposite answer. Go ahead and be overt. What attracted to me was your ability to jump into things with both feet." He smiles and leans closer to kiss her.

Artemis smiles and leans into meet him eagerly, kissing him deeply and wrapping him up in her arms. She doesn't hold back. At the edge of Harrisburg toward the main city, there doesn't seem to be too many people walking along the street this evening.

After some long blissful seconds, there's the sound of metal can bouncing along the pavement near them. Tink...tink....PAFF!!

A cloud of greenish yellow gas quickly envelopes the pair and the ground around them, making it hard to see. Being a machine, Wayne doesn't suffer any ill effects. But he can feel Artemis pull away from the kiss while still holding him. "What be...be...this...?" he can hear her say in a disoriented, daze tone before she begins to fall away from him.

Wayne goes ahead to try to support her weight and not let her crash to the ground. He looks around for whoever is targeting Artemis, figuring that there will be another attack incoming shortly.

Artemis is supported, limp in his grasp, but still breathing. She's just unconscious after a few deep breaths. It's hard to see beyond the gas cloud, but Wayne can hear a mechanical voice. "Statement: Subject Victory, AKA Wade Lockwood, son of Patriot, AKA Senator Jack Lockwood. The Hunt continues."

Harrisburg is where Reflex lives. She just finished her daily meal. Sure, she should probably eat more. But for now, she was sitting on top of an old tenement building where she was eating and listening to her police scanner. She wraps up the wrapper and reaches a hand over the edge to drop it into a trash can all the way down on the sidewalk before looking out over the town and picking up the radio to plug it into her ear.

Then.. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Cloud? She launches a tendril and leaps off the roof to begin swinging in that direction.

Wayne doesn't have his own shield bracer like Wade does. He'll have to do soemthign about that. But for the moment, he grabs Artemis's shield bracer and puts it on. He turns it on...and then tries to carry Artemis toward safety, away from where he heard the voice from.

After Wayne travels about 4 meters, he's free of the cloud. Whatever called out is blocked from view with the cloud of knockout gas between them. Artemis is fast asleep, but given Wayne's strength, carrying her isn't too much trouble. There may be a few places to hide her away. An alleyway, a door stoop, behind an old fashioned mail box.

From above, Reflex can see Wayne (or the famous Wade Lockwood, Son of Patriot!) coming out of the cloud carrying an unconscious red head. But at the current angle, she can't yet see the ground beyond the cloud.

Unconscious woman being carried out of the cloud. Okay. So Reflex takes a quick moment to pluck her rebreather out and plops it over mouth and nose... the silvery skin adhering to it as she drops into the smoke to see if there's anyone else who needs to be pulled out. "I've got your back Victory!" she calls out, her voice a bit weird due to the rebreather.

Wayne looks ukp in the direction of Reflex and nods with a wave. There will be time to deal with mistaken identities later. He considers trying to climb to the roof with Artemis, but instead sets her down next to a stoop near an apartment building, giving her some cover. He then turns toward the cloud and falls into a defensive stance.

The cloud begins to disperse with the wind, gradually clearing away. On the ground on the opposite side are two humanoid beings. One is a municipal cleaning Automa humanoid robot. It's tall, broad, an older model, so not as sleek as modern iterations. It's chasis is scraped and scratched from work. It's carrying a grenade launcher. Beside it, is an XH-45 model of a beautiful woman. Or was. It looks like it belongs in the scrap heap now. It's organic outer layer is damaged. The bottom half of it's attractive features are ripped away and ragged, leaving a metal jaw and eery white teeth exposed. Parts of its mid-section has also been torn away to reveal metal that is heavily dented. Perhaps someone's once believed XH-45 got hit by a car and was replaced. Their heads track to Wayne when the gas clears.

Seeing the gas dissipating, Reflex breathes easier. She keeps her mouthpiece in for now as she has plenty of time left on the clock there. But then she spots the automata and her eyes go wide. "Shit." she mutters, "I feel like Wil Smith in I Robot."

Wayne doesn't have his normal shield. Well, he doesn't have Wade's shield. And he only have a vague idea what he can do with Artemis's counterpart. But he certainly doesnt' want to deal with getting bombarded by a grenade launcher, so he closes the distance.

Artemis' shield is definitely heavier than Wayne remembers his energy shield feeling. It IS made of metal, after all. But it's not so heavy he can't wield it effectively. It connects to the bracer, and has a hand grip, and he can feel what may be controls he's feeling in the grip, but it's hard to tell what's what.

The bulky municipal robot reaches out his other hand as it lowers the grenade launcher. Electricity sparks and charges around it as a charge builds and then fires at Wayne. At the same time, the once human-passing Automa robot runs for Wayne.

Wayne brings the metallic shield around, blocking the electricity first...and then the hand to hand strike. Thankfully the shield absorbs the electricity well enough to insulate him. "That could have been worse."

Reflex uses her claws against the larger Automa Industries unit, causing a rent in its chestplate.

Wayne moves just like Wade would. He spins and tries to plant his foot into Automa2's belly to drive it back. "I'm not Wade Lockwood. You are mistaken. I am Wayne. A robotic duplicate of your target."

CLANG! Wayne strikes the XH-45 that is one of his predecessor models. It doubles over for balance and weight distribution, and holds her ground. "Proposition: False. Statement: Records on Wayne not found." It doesn't take his word for it.

The disturbing looking Automa, with its once attractive organic layer in tatters, takes a swing at Wayne with exposed metallic knuckles.

The larger automa unit marches forward slowly a few meters as it charges up its arm again. Electricity builds and then arcs for Wayne.

Wayne shakes his head, "I was programmed by Laksman to replace the original Wade Lockwood. Clearly it works, if you're fooled."

Wayne holds up a hand, "I have an access panel. Hang on. Wade can't do this..." He then opens the panel on the back of his neck and turns enough to show them.

Both the automa units slow down and pause at this physical proof. "Query: Make and model number?" asks the municipal unit.

Wayne says, "I'm an XH-50. Same manufacturer as yourselves."

The automa units lower their arms. "Query: Programmed objectives?" asks the XH-45 about Wayne's programmed mission goals.

Wayne closes the panel and thinks about it. "None now. Originally, it was to replicate Wade Lockwood adn replace him. But the plot by Laksman was found out." He then adds a question of his own, "Who programmed you? And what is your objective?" Well, he thinks it's the obvious, but still...

The automa units are silent a moment as they process this. "Statement: Program override of unknown origin executed August 6, 2070, at 12:34:50AM. Objective: Capture Subject Victory. Statement: Subject Victory, AKA Wade Lockwood, son of Patriot, AKA Senator Jack Lockwood, not found. Searching..." states the larger automa unit. Both turn in unison and begin to walk across the empty street.

Not Victory? Reflex is entirely confused. "Um. I repeat my last words... Dopuble-U, Tee, Eff." she mutters as she retracts her silvery tendril back into her skin.

She walks over and calls out, "I heard Wade was up in Washington DC!" A total fabrication, but it might buy some time. But then she strides right up to Wayne. "So.. that just happened." she states.

The automa halt at Reflex's comment, turn north, and begin traveling that way.

Wayne nods to Reflex, "We need to keep tabs on those two and shut them down. They'll be a danger to everyone. I just didn't want a fight in the city streets." He heads over to try to wake Artemis, "C'mon, Artemis...wake up." He slaps her cheek a couple of times.

Artemis took several deep breaths in that cloud without realizing it was a danger. All it did was make her sleepy, though. The slaps rouse Artemis, her eyes blinking open slowly just as another slap lands. She smiles at him. "My, thou art forceful," she says suggestively, then starts to remember how she came to be this way. She sits up more and quickly floats up to her feet. "Wait, we were ambushed! Where art the cowardly foes?!"

Pointing off into the distance, Reflex in her metal skin and black longcoat says, "Um, they went that-a-way?" with a shrug.

Wayne chuckles and pulls the shield off his arm to return to Artemis. "We should track them down if we can. They can't have gotten far." THe smile disappears, "They're additional robots that were programmed to attack Wade, like the ones that were reprogrammed in that incident in the Alien District at the trade show?"

Wayne smiles to Reflex, "You probably heard during the fight. I'm not Wade Lockwood. I go by 'Wayne'. Here's the short version: I was programmed to replace Wade. The plot was found out. The malicious code was removed, and I'm autonomous now. Trying to be a hero in my own right."

"Stranger than fiction." Mutters Reflex as she shakes her head. She stuffs her hands into the pockets of her coat and shrugs her shoulders. "So, we should pursue then?" she asks.

Artemis looks surprised as she realizes he is wielding her shield. She's still a bit disoriented from the gas. She accepts the bracer from him and clasps it on to herself. It adjusts to fit her arm perfectly, as it did with Wayne when he took it. "Ah yes, I recall the trade show incident. 'Twas before my meeting of ye. They were attempting an "Operation:Hun. Hmmm. Do ye have memory of that Operation?" she asks Wayne. Of course, operation:Hun was all the robots were able to get out before they were shut down.

Wayne nods. "I wasn't there personally. This time, they said, word for word, 'Statement: Subject Victory, AKA Wade Lockwood, son of Patriot, AKA Senator Jack Lockwood. The Hunt continues.'" He even manages to duplicate their speech tone and pattern. "I suspect they were additional programmed robots when Laksman attempted the first attack."

Artemis nods, impressed by Wayne's impersonation. "Then we should do as ye both suggest and track these additional robots."

"So, are we, or are we not pursuing them?" asks Reflex, lifting her brows and gesturing over her shoulder towards the north.

Wayne nods to Reflex, "Yes. Absolutely." He starts to jog in the direction the robots went off in. "They can't have gotten that far yet."

Not to say 'thwip', but Reflex nods and launches a tendril upwards on an angle, latching onto a wall and yoinking her into the air. It's not super velocity. But it's not slow.

Artemis takes off in the air after Wayne, though she's a bit wobbly still from the gas. She narrowly avoids crashing into a street light pole before snapping out of it and flying a bit straighter in pursuit.

The Automa units aren't too far ahead. They're moving at a brisk walking pace to the north.

Wayne keeps them in sight...and he does a quick search to see if he can find out how they might be shut off easily and quickly.

Artemis swoops down, a bit wobbly and out of sorts. She finally decides to land roughly by Wayne and take the rest of it on foot. Her brains is still in a fog from the gas. "What think ye of what should be done with these kin of thine? Mayhaps we can free them as you have been."

Wayne nods, "Perhaps, but we'll need to stop them safely without destroying them. I'm trying to look up how to shut them down safely."

Artemis nods, walking better than she was flying, but she's still a bit hindered. She smiles to Wayne. "Indeed. I have no intention of destroying them, just has I had no intention of harming ye when we recovered Friend Wade. 'Twas why I took thee into my arms; to restrain and also protect ye from the wrath of the other Guardians. I can do so with these as well."

Wayne nods. "As soon as I try to shut one of them down, grab the other. That will help keep it from responding to stop me."

"Thy plan is sound. I will be ready," Artemis says as they get closer to the Automa Units, who have turned to a less populated side street to continue their path.

Wade thinks he has an idea how to turn them both off. Of course it requires holding a button down for a full second after opening the panel up. He comes up behind the small one, looking to see if the access panel is accessible...or already open.

The access panel on the small one is partly open on one side and dented. The organic covering is ripped off that section, leaving just exposed metal.

Wayne comes up...and tries to open the panel far enough to get to the button and then press the button down firmly.

Not quite fast enough! He gets the panel open, but the smaller unit turns around. "Statement: Subject Victory, AKA Wade Lockwood, son of Patriot, AKA Senator Jack Lockwood. The Hunt continues." Short term memory? Most likely it still can't differentiate Wade from Wayne on visuals alone.

Artemis just manages to grab the larger automa unit from behind. It's strong enough for construction and repair, but Artemis manages to get ahold of it for now.

Wade says quickly, "I'm still not Wade Lockwood. I'm Wayne. The robot you met not long ago? The XH-50?" He's hoping that will help to get them to hesitate.

The XH-45 hesitates for a moment to evaluate Wayne's statement. "Statement: Subject Victory, AKA Wade Lockwood, son of Patriot, AKA Senator Jack Lockwood, not found. Searching..."

The municipal cleaning Automa Industries model has been halted from walking and notices Artemis is restraining it. It tries to escape in earnest now.

Artemis strains, and much to her surprise, the larger model breaks free of her hold.

Wayne nods. "You're damaged, XH-45. Let me just check your access panel, if you don't mind waiting a moment. I'll have your repaired shortly."

The XH-45 processes that for a moment. "Affirmative. This unit is in need of repairs." The companion software has definitely been overwritten. It turns around to allow Wayne access.

Artemis tries to reach for the HL-20 model to grab it again. "Yes, as...the XH-50 has said. We...we...are..." she starts. She closes her mouth firmly, as she can't repeat his lie.

Wayne nods and opens the panel and presses the button down for a second to shut her down.

After a second, the XH-45 begins to shut down. Her head drops forward and her eyes close, her body locking in place to remain standing.

The HL-20 witnesses this and tries to escape Artemis' grip again. "Statement: The XH-45 is not repaired." Artemis grunts to keep it held.

Artemis is still disoriented from the gas, and the HL-20 breaks free, preparing to take hostile action.

Wayne nods. "She needs a technician for repairs. I can't do it here."

The HL-20 hesitates. It's inclined to believe his fellow model. Its head pans to Artemis. "Query: Which XH model are you?"

Artemis doesn't answer right away. "The XH-50 will need access to your panel."

The HL-20 looks back to Wayne. His words convincing, it turns to precent is back and the panel near the top of the back opens up.

The HL-20 still repeats to Artemis, "Query: Which XH model are you?"

Wayne nods to Artemis and smiles. He then goes ahead and shuts off the other automaton, pressing the button assertively.

The HL-20's systems power down and it goes into a neutral position before shutting down completely.

"Success! Thou were very clever in this!" Artemis praises Wayne. "And no further harm need come to thy kin. I shall help thee carry them where they can be restored."

Wayne smiles. "I think...taking them to Starguard makes sense. I can probably carry the smaller one, if you can carry the large one."

Artemis nods and smiles to him. "As ye wish," she says warmly. She steps to the front of the HL-20 and hoists it up and over her shoulder, careful with it. "I fear there be some damage to this one from earlier. Though they both show old wear."

Wayne nods, "They were both damaged pretty badly already. I'm hoping the techs will be able to sort out exactly who did this. Maybe they can help track the programmers down."

Artemis nods as she steps alongside Wayne. The XH-45 doesn't weigh much more than a human of its size. "Think ye that they might be restored?" she asks hopefully.

Wayne shakes his head, "I'm really unsure. They might not actually have a personality matrix like I do. They might only have that hunting code within them. But the techs should be able to find out, I should think. It's a bit beyond me."

Artemis smiles encouragingly and reaches to place a hand on Wayne's shoulder. "Should there be anything left of their old code, I am certain Starguard shall restore it. If there be nothing left...we did what we could to grant your kin a chance at restoration."