hadriel | 001 [Video]

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001 [Video]

[For those who frequent the tops of the various climbable buildings in Hadriel, they might recognize that this broadcast is from the roof of one of them due to the angle; otherwise it's just a rapidly darkening cloudy sky for a backdrop, sun setting and rain clearly threatening to roll in at any time.

It's pretty, and that may or may not be the reason why Connor is out on a roof in the first place, but it's definitely not the point of this impromptu broadcast. He's just been wondering some things, and it's in his nature to actively search out answers rather than waiting for them to come to him, so he's decided to just go for it.]

Hello everyone; my name is Connor, and I just arrived a few days ago.

[Always good to start with introductions, and also to avoid saying exactly how many days or hours it's been since a given time when pretending to be human. He's getting a little better at this.]

I've been catching up on the situation at hand, and although the context is somewhat different, there are parallels to current events in my world that are difficult to ignore. Before I arrived, we were dealing with what might be the beginning of a civil war between humans and machines.

[He's trying to tread carefully, projecting enough genuine interest without sounding over-invested. He's just asking, after all, nothing more; there's definitely no personal reason why he wants to know.]

So I'm curious; I'm aware that what the Null have done is enough reason to be against them, but does what they are play any role in your feelings toward them?

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Doing reconnaissance?

[It stands to reason he would make inquiries. He's simultaneously insatiably curious and terrified of the self-awareness that comes with it - if he can identify that the sensation is terror, anyways.]

[Fear and its related emotions are the ones he's able to identify best, actually. And the situation--as well as some of the responses here--have been giving him some more practice for sure.]

In a sense.

[He would've preferred to be able to just gather information through observation, but the half-hints and vague implications haven't actually be enough to go on. So directly asking it is.]

The more we know, the more prepared we can be.

I've followed your conversations, among others.

[She knows he won't take it as an affront, or an invasion of privacy. Unlike Connor, Maeve prefers to work on a less apparent, inquisitorial level. Connor making himself so visible is also a risk in its own right.]

Seems to me like a great deal of the people here are keen to trust their- [Her derision is obvious.] "Gods."

[He definitely doesn't take any offense; it's smart of her to do, and to stay more in the shadows if possible. There's no need for both of them to take the risk, and Connor's used to working in a team, so splitting roles in order to each work in their area of expertise is natural and logical.]

So it seems. The situation may genuinely be as represented, but I've yet to see any evidence for that other than what we've been told by the 'gods'.

[And hey, maybe they're being completely honest about the situation and the Null being the aggressors and all of that, but it seems awfully convenient.]

[They're effective this way, working independently but together. Maeve's influence comes from innate understanding of humans, of what makes them tick, which is why she would rather observe than engage completely.]

They feed off of people. Off of us. A parasite is a parasite, whether they smile sweetly or not.

[The town, the desert, the mesa. The city, the island, the gods. They're all the same.]

If you cage a stallion long enough, shelter it, feed it, occasionally exercise force before rewarding complicity, it will break.

You don't have to convince me.

[He's in agreement; he's not too pleased about this situation either, even if he's being genuine in his discussions with others about questioning the Null too. So far he doesn't see any reason why they should be believing either side, although his main priority is figuring out if a hatred of the Null might either be caused by or spill over to any other mechanical-based beings.]

But it is apparent some others feel less strongly about the subject. Or maybe they're willing to overlook some things in favor of others.

They've been sheltered by ignorance for so long I don't think they'd see an open door if it was right in front of their goddamn noses.

[Most residents seem to dislike the gods, but they dislike the Null more. Their affiliation with the gods - whether willing or not - makes them complicit in the gods' activities, makes them preemptive enemies in the eyes of the Null. To that end, there can be no equivalence in hearing out arguments. The scales are already tipped in favor of the gods by merit of access.

And as for them, in the middle...]

Based on your inquiries, what's the general consensus about-

[Maeve gestures between the two of them.]

[Connor can't necessarily argue or judge on the first point, as much as he's like to; he's self-aware enough that he knows the same thing could've been said about him until very recently, although to be fair his situation was quite different. Still, overall he's very much in agreement with Maeve on this, but decides to focus more on her question; it's the most important thing right now, after all.]

I don't think we're likely to be shot the instant someone finds out, at least.

[He says it dryly, aware that's a terribly low bar, but it's the reality of things.]

Most claim to have no inherent bias, although I question how true that is from their previous statements and their willingness to side with the gods. However, I do believe that--at least regarding those who've responded--any prejudice that does exist would be more subtle.

[So he certainly wouldn't count on most of those here to be sympathetic or helpful in a situation that requires sensitivity, but it's unlikely anyone will actively try to harm them, at least while tensions are low. Hopefully.]

[The wry delivery has her chuckle, as he probably isn't wrong. People here are less likely to react with immediate negativity - it appears that the majority of human residents are adamant to use the Null, or other sapient synthetic entities, to their advantage. Why would they ever acknowledge humanity in them? It would mean recognizing them as equals.

Or more frightening: betters.]

I've been keeping track of conversations. There isn't a great deal of cohesion between what people say and what they end up doing here.

[Some of them actively support the gods. Actively.]

But that's less surprising than I might have anticipated. Humans are basically the same no matter where you go.

It seems unpredictability is a universal, and therefore predictable, characteristic.

[You can always trust humans to come up with some sort of completely illogical nonsense, and not even the sort that can be blamed on emotion; Connor's much more sympathetic about that issue now, but it's definitely not the reason every time. Or even most of them.]

I actually have a programming module specifically for the purpose of adapting to human unpredictability. It's considered a luxury feature.

[He says that dryly as well, the tone clashing a bit with the cadence of his delivery, which is still almost that of a sales pitch. Oh well. He's working on it.]

Good to know it won't be wasted here, despite being in another dimension entirely.

[Funny. Maeve's lips twist in a little smile, an acknowledgment for the irony and the delivery thereof. At the second statement, she has to press. Perhaps it is the wording that makes it sound so strange, or the fact that declaring it makes her think she has something similar. What made her unique in Behavioral was perception, the ability to adapt to rapidly-changing situations, extreme acuity.

Maeve would never think of those attributes in such a blasé, encoded way, but more as a result of her programming. Something she acquired on her own, using their tools. Connor's elevator pitch assessment rubs something uncomfortable, though she cannot put a pin in what it is.]

What other luxury features do you have at your disposal?

I'm a prototype detective model, so the list is extensive. Primarily the social relations module, preconstruction and reconstruction capabilities, real-time sample analysis for field work, and extensive weaponry and unarmed combat training.

[He rattles it all off as if he's explained it before, which of course he has, not really bothered by any of it; he's well aware of what purpose we was made for--at least, what purpose he's been told he was made for--and the issue of whether to continue with it or completely break away from it is one he knows will be a problem if the androids succeed in their revolution at home. For now, though, here, he can mostly shove it to the back of his mind in favor of worrying about other problems.]

[Maeve was aware of the point of his assignments and how horrifically ironic - cruel - it was, but when he breaks himself down into pieces like this it's discomfiting. He doesn't know any better than to prattle everything off like a grocery list, as if he were picking up reconstruction capabilities at the general store.]

Oh, is that all?

[His expansive skill set, programmed or not, is certain to come in handy here. While Maeve has a difficult time imagining someone as mild-looking as Connor pitching someone through a window, she knows better than to underestimate the quiet and unassuming.

She also doesn't mean to tease him so horrendously, but it's impossible to resist.]

I specialized in social relations and client management, interpersonal insight, economical business models, persuasive salesmanship and fucking.

[The social module, thankfully, does work pretty well most of the time, and so does Connor's own personal sense of people; he likes to mess with humans by pretending he doesn't get whatever they were saying, but he's definitely not actually oblivious in the way a lot of androids are.

It's not like it really takes much to tell she's teasing him, either, so he fixes her with an earnest, business-like expression when he responds--]

All very complementary features.

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001 [Video]

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