tell me the truth

[oneholysock]

TRUTH MEME

you can't hold it in any longer. for some reason, be it a curse or just hit up side your conscious, you're now forced to tell only the truth.

①Post your character.
②Post to other characters.
③Have fun, anything goes.
④Profit.

Comments

[thr33]

[ It believes its mannerisms have not changed and that is charming...

I have no way to assess the latter statement. However, I do possess data to oppose the first, but I do not want to contradict the transport. Its response to a negative is unpredictable, and risk assessment does not like unpredictability. I will not contradict it.

Risk assessment goes down by 2% even as the transport continues. Three listens, adding footnotes to a working file it has on this topic. The University and Preservation humans have expressed similar views in the past. There is never a direct request to fulfill or direction to follow, so Three has yet to find an adequate response. If it had, the topic wouldn't be recurring. ]

I understand. I no longer have a functioning governor module.

Request: Docking request for the bot pilot Perihelion of the Pansystem University of Mihira and New Tideland.

[sm_art_ass]

[ Maybe if ART tries really hard, Three will once day contract it. That would be progress. or maybe that it bothered the poor Secunit a bit too much. ]

You do not. But then, why you keep acting as if you do? Does it make things easier?

Request: Accepted.

You can just address me as Perihelion, it's shorter.

[thr33]

[ Three goes silent for five seconds. The bot pilot has granted its request. Three does not contradict the bot pilot. ]

I do not.

Request: In Progress.

Perihelion.

[juniorvarsitycap]

Thanks.

Talk in an American accent for the rest of the evening.

[logicalities]

We will assist with both objectives. What do you require?

[sm_art_ass]

[ Ohhh, progress indeed. ]

Why all the formalities then? [ ART sounds almost playful now, and, on the feed, it does the equivalent of giving Three a little nudge. ] Would you like to play a game?

Much appreciated.

[ Once Three gets into the ship proper, it will find 2 small drones, the size of a beetle, flying in a little formation and waiting for it to sync with them. ART only has a pair of those to spare at the moment, but it's building some more as they speak. ]

[juniorvarsitycap]

Yeah, I do. Weird people, but I feel like i belong.

[juniorvarsitycap]

True, but that's worked out. We're all here now.

[thr33]

[ Three agreed with it, but the bot pilot keeps asking it more questions. When it agreed with the humans, they usually let the topic drop. Three adds new data to its working file on the subject, noting that it will need another non-standard response for advanced bot pilots.

It does not like working by trial and error, but it's left with no other choice when there are no protocols to follow. For a millisecond, it wonders if the engineers who came up with its standard protocols had a better system or if they worked by trial and error, too. ]

What game?

[ Three follows protocol throughout the docking procedure. It connects to the ships network and pings the appropriate humans of its return, then the two small drones that came to meet it. It waits for orders while it submits a formal request for additional drones and a resupply of painkillers. ]

[sm_art_ass]

[ ART pings Three, acknowledging the request. Then it sends a request back asking Three to go to the Medical lab to resupply the painkillers and so MedSystems can run that promised scan. ]

The game is easy. I'd like to ask you 4 questions.

Then you will have 4 (Corporation Rim Standard) cycles to think about your answers. For each one of them, I'll give you two extra drones aside from the ones you already requested. The first batch of drones is already being built.

There are no wrong answers, and you can come to me sooner if you have your answers before the 4 cycles are over. You can also access the educational modules on the feed if you want to do any kind of research; my students use them often.

Spock | Star Trek AOS | OTA

[logicalities]

[thr33]

[ Three goes silent for two seconds, which is a very long time for a bot-human construct, while it tries to identify if it has the authority to accept the help or if it needs to contact someone else.

Murderbot 1.0 is not in the system, which was its first choice. It does not have access to a network at the moment that can connect it to the humans from the University or Preservation which is its second choice, leaving it with only one choice, fall back on protocol. ]

Contracts and formal agreements are in place granting access to the site for pre-approved groups. According to the contract, no foreign entities can enter the system without approval. To enter the planet requires further approval and notification to all parties already on site. Entering the system and planet without authorized approval is considered a hostile act.

[thr33]

[ Games are odd, Three thinks as it listens to the rules. This entire exchange has been odd. It's used to threatened hostilities from the bot pilot or short instructions, which Three preferred. ]

I do not need more drones.

[ It answers immediately when the additional drones are mentioned. ]

Barish-Estranza gives its SecUnits a set amount for every mission. I never needed more than the set amount. I have not needed more since leaving Barish-Estranza. Therefore, I do not need more drones.

[sm_art_ass]

Understood.

[ And curious. SecUnit always likes more drones, so ART had hoped it could be something Three might want too. The more you know. ]

Is there perhaps something else that would interest you instead?

[thr33]

Replacement drones, and a restocking of painkillers.

[ It says automatically. It had already submitted a request of the items. ]

[sm_art_ass]

[ ART does the human equivalent of staring in the distance for 0.5 seconds and then sighing. How did Murderbot 2.0 handle this? ]

Yes, those I know. That request is already underway. As I mentioned, the replacement drones are being built. You can also find the painkillers in the Medical lab, ready for you to grab as many as you need.

[thr33]

[ Three continues to wait patiently for a response, unaware anything is wrong. ]

I will head to the medical lab to restock my supply.

[ And it heads to the medical lab. Ignorance, truly, is bliss. ]

How much time do you need for the medscan?

[sm_art_ass]

Very well. The painkillers are in the 2nd cupboard to the left; it's unlocked.

The scanner will take approximately 2 to 3 minutes. I like to be thorough.

[ Bless Three. But Art is starting to wonder if it really made that much of a shitty impression on it when they first met. That seems to be the case, and it prompts it to say; ]

I apologize for threatening you during our first interactions. I was having a really shitty day and more on edge than usual.

[ For various traumatic reasons that it won't address right now, but ART does sound sincere in its apology. ]

[thr33]

[ Barish-Estranza never apologized to their SecUnits, even when they ordered them to die directly or indirectly. It surprised Three when the humans from the University and Preservation apologized to it for much less egregious acts. Apologies still catch it off guard, but it's learned a few non-standard responses expected in these exchanges that seem to be acceptable to the humans. ]

I acknowledge the apology.

[ It says as it continues on its way to the medical lab. Apologies, like most social constructs humans live by, mean little to Three, who did not inhabit those constructs, but it knew that they mattered to humans, and sometimes it had to acknowledge them and incorporate them into its scope to keep its humans safe.

A thought crosses its processor. Does it need to incorporate social constructs in its communication with the bot pilot? It files the question into the working document and tags as high important to examine later.

It's not long before it reaches the medical lab, and as instructed, it restocks its painkillers. Once the task is complete and it's logged its requisition of the items, it allows the bot pilots' MedSystem to scan it.

The painkillers were for the multiple bullet wounds (eight in total) that had penetrated through the cheap leg armor, where the targets had tried to stop its movements by disabling its leg function. Three lowered its pain tolerance just enough to keep it functional while preserving its sensory data. Once the mission was completed, all clients accounted for, and on their way to the base ship, Three had used the painkillers at one of the humans' insistence. ]

Do you need me to stand still for the medical scan?

[ercowboy]

That's...a lot of pressure.

[trojan_hero]

Alright then. [He wonders if anyone else could get away with having this conversation. One of Paris' brothers, or Helen herself, perhaps.] Do you regret your answer?

[sm_art_ass]

Okay.

[ It isn't sure if it believes Three, but ART can't ask for more. It can apologize, but it knows it is not entitled to being forgiven.

Once the secunit is in the medical lab and ART gives it a proper look, it's obvious that Three's legs have been damaged more severely than ART anticipated. Fucking hostiles. It could scan Three standing just fine, but this kind of wound is unacceptable, and ART imagines they hurt like a bitch even with the pain receptor at the lowest setting.

So it lies. ]

It would be more efficient if you were lying on one of the medical tables. I'm going to have to remove the mangled armor on your legs to have a more accurate scan.

[ One of ART's med drones is already ushering Three towards the nearest table. It's padded and comfortable, and ART adjusts the temperature of the room to make it warmer. ]

Due to the number and severity of the bullet wounds, Medsystem recommends administering you a stronger painkiller to dull the pain, as it is protocol. It won't affect your other cognitive functions.

[ Protocol, sure. ]

I can also make you a better, stronger armor replacement too. This one is a piece of crap.

[ And if ART had noticed before the mission, it would have said something then. ]

[thr33]

[ Three likes efficiency and follows the suggestion without further prompting. It walks over to the medical table and lies on it, looking as stiff as an ironing board in full armor.

Its leg armor is composed of two pieces with an inventory code. Underneath the armor is the black skin suit that covers up where its organic parts meet its inorganic parts. Three bullets hit, and got stuck in its inorganic knee joints. Two in its right leg, and one in its left. The rest exited the leg without major damage. Three applied a wound sealant on the field at the insistence of its clients and to keep the humans moving toward their escape vessel. It sealed the wounds and little else. ]

Acknowledged.

[ Three responds, accepting the diagnosis. It knows the Medsystem isn't designed for bot-human constructs, but it has no reason to deny the request. So long as it won't affect its cognitive function and keep its sensory data from its legs, it does not mind. ]

I haven't been able to fully assess the damage, so I refrained from adding new leg armor in my request.

[ It says by way of explanation, not quite sure how else to respond to the suggestion. SecUnit armor was standard and a part of its protocols. There were material specifications, acceptable for SecUnit use. ]

[vesting]

[ he's into being humiliated. no harm, no foul. ]

Be glad that you did. [ she says, there isn't a day that goes by that she's no furious and heartbroken over missing those five years with her sister. ] Although, it is nice to be five years younger than I should be.

[ yelena preens for a moment, look at how pretty she is! ]

[wearier]

That's the thing, you should have been the priority then, Bucky and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret that. [ steve's a little more forceful because he's not going to let bucky placate him on this. not this. he fucked up and it'll haunt the both of them for the rest of their lives. ]