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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2020 5:56:23 GMT -8
He gave a resolute nod and stepped off the edge of the six-story building's roof. Air whooshed past him, tearing at his dark hair. The hem of his long white coat fluttered and snapped in the rushing wind. The free fall did not frighten him, as it would have when he was human; his face preserved its gentle calm, like the shallow waters around Papaya Island, lapping merrily at its sandy shores.
The ground rushed up toward him at an alarming speed as he plummeted. His expectation was to slow his descent utilizing the anti-gravity nodes installed upon the soles of his feet, yet that particular protocol did not activate as expected. Null hit the ground with tremendous force, the pavement fracturing beneath his considerable weight, a kinetic ripple of force spreading out from the epicenter of impact.
It bowled over the busy intersection, pedestrians fleeing as the ground ruptured into fissures beneath their feet. Cars honked their horns, many knocked aside or flipped completely over onto its roof, trapping people within smashed, vehicular prisons. Shop windows shattered and exploded, a glittering plume of glass and debris. It was a scene straight from a nightmare, as if a meteor had struck.
Null simply stood in the midst of the giant crater, body coated in a thin layer of grime and dust. A hint of a frown tugged at the corners of his lips as he stared at his hands. A quick internal diagnostic told him he took minimal damage from the fall. Why hadn't his attempt at flight worked? Had he undershot his parameters? Perhaps the building he chose wasn't tall enough. Maybe he'd find a taller one and try again.
[281]
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Post by Vidar (PROJECT: RAGNAROK) on Apr 21, 2020 15:27:59 GMT -8
This was a new city for him. He had never been here before. Sure, he had been around a few places in the Southern Islands ever since he left the hidden lab of Doctor Kringle, but he hadn't visited all of the islands, the cities, the small coastal towns and villages. It was different than he had imagined; it looked similar, somewhat, to some of the cities he had visited in other parts of the world, but at the same time it was different. The buildings were constructed in a different style. For example, around the West City area, the buildings had a more modern look to them. The buildings here looked not old but rather eclectic, maybe even retro? Or would it be called vintage? Well they looked to be a stark contrast to the strange lollipop shaped and domed structures that dotted West City.
It still had a somewhat cozy feel as opposed to the cold feel that West had given him.
The people here looked at him funny. But, that was something that Vidar was used to. As he walked down the road, he noticed that people would turn to look at him. Perhaps it was due to his height, although he wasn't the tallest person around, he did stand slightly taller than quite a number of people around him. Or perhaps, and more logically, it was due to his appearance. His bright yellow irises and black sclera made his eyes pop out. His shirt was sleeveless, which allowed for better range of movements in his arms, and revealed that both of his arms were cybernetic; highly advanced robotic limbs, albeit they looked human aside from the fact that they were metallic. He didn't have robot pincers or anything. He still had a set of normal human hands with normal looking fingers.
His attire fit in with a lot of the people around him, despite his body not fitting quite so much. Aside from the sleeveless shirt - which was also a hoodie - he wore a pair of jeans. The outfit was nothing spectacular but that was best.
People would stop and stare; one particular man did a double take when the cyborg walked past him and he almost dropped his cell phone. One woman yelped, startled, as he walked past her.
Yet, despite the general surprise of the people around him, no one appeared to look at him negatively. Though even if they did, he wouldn't have noticed nor cared.
He was focused on the vistas, the views, the buildings,the trees, and the various signs that dotted the area; oh there were signs. They were advertising shops (a flower shop, a cake shop, a dress shop) or simply the name of the street he was on. Everything was fascinating.
He had been in the midst of enjoying a billboard when he felt something. The ground shook violently. In fact, the billboard swayed dangerously and the people around him screamed and ran in all directions. Nearby, glass exploded outward from various display windows. Car alarms went off. Cars were sent crashing into each other. The people within attempting to escape but were unable to, trapped within the confines of their own vehicle. Was it an earthquake?
His HUD kicked in automatically as he looked around. His eyes scanning, glowing an almost searing gold as he saw the ripple tear its way across the asphalt and sidewalks, shatter glass and topple sign posts.
EARTHQUAKE?...NEGATIVE. TRIANGULATING SOURCE...
His eyes shot in the direction of the source of the destruction as soon as his HUD pinpointed it. He didn't go there immediately, however; he, instead, went to the nearest vehicles to him. He saw the people inside, screaming and attempting to escape but were unable to.
"Cover your eyes." He motioned to the people inside as they looked at him with a look of shock but appreciation and turned away from the window, covering their faces and eyes with their hands as he clenched his fist and slammed it into the window glass, shattering it violently before he grabbed the door and with a strong yank, and a loud scream of twisting metal, he ripped the door off the vehicle as he dropped the door on the ground and then leaned in through the open doorway and broke away the seat belts. He helped the people out as they blubbered out thanks again and again.
"I suggest you go sit over there, you may have a concussion. Help will be arriving soon." He spoke calmly and they nodded, making their way to where he pointed before he went to help another group out of their vehicle.
Once he pulled them out, he turned his attention to the nexus of all the destruction and began to walk over to what looked like a large crater, where the HUD was signaling him as the source of all the destruction. Inside of the crater there was a man, though as his scanners roved over the man, he could not detect an energy signature, which made him immediately assess that the man was a robot or a cyborg like himself.
CREATE FILE?... Y/N Y.
He took in as much data as he could with his quick external sweep of his eyes, height, for example and other details were taken in and added to the file.
"You have caused a significant amount of property damage and injured a number of civilians," he spoke plainly, in a matter of fact tone, his eyes locked onto the white clad man, "If this is some sort of attack, I advise you cease and desist immediately or I will be forced to stop you with utmost force."
WC: 950
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2020 17:40:16 GMT -8
A voice cut through his reverie. Null tore his gaze from his smooth, unblemished hands as his dark gaze raised to the edge of the crater. Only for the first time did he notice the collateral damage his experiment had wrought. A man stood addressing him. Data scrolled before his vision, his own eyes glowing violet as he completed his scan of the figure. No detectable source of energy.
The figure spoke in no uncertain terms: cease and desist, or he would be forced to stop the android. A smile tugged at the android's lips. Man often sought to impose their will upon others. He gave a little hop, the action carrying him out of the crater and up to the edge beside the android.
He scanned the chaos and carnage of the area. Emergency sirens blared as crews attempted to aid people who had been harmed. "This is unfortunate. I merely sought to determine the cause of some... issues this body is having." His dark gaze slid over the cyborg with interest. "Indeed you could stop me with force if those implants of yours are as advanced as I suspect. Humor me and take a look around us." He gestured to the devastation of the area. "Would you introduce yet more violence? Can you understand the irony of your remarks?"
Null allowed the cyborg to ponder this while he approached an overturned car. Gripping it by the edge, he hoisted it with one arm. The metal groaned in protest as a woman wriggled out through the broken windshield, grateful for his help. Soon emergency crews were tending to her wounds. "A far better use of our time would be to help these citizens, would it not?"
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Post by Vidar (PROJECT: RAGNAROK) on Apr 21, 2020 20:18:14 GMT -8
"You caused this damage. It is more than unseemly for you to speak of inciting violence," He continued to speak in a rather blunt tone, staring him down with bright glowing eyes, his brows furrowed as he said his peace, "Can you understand the hypocrisy of yours?"
Seeing the man hop out of the crater, with no visible effort on his face, and the violet glow to his eyes also was a big indicator, Vidar's suspicions were fully corroborated. This man was, in fact, some form of android or cyborg, augmented with high tech cybernetic modifications. He did not move from his spot, however he did watch the man's every move, tracking him with his focused and intense stare.
He saw the woman climb out of the windshield of the car, happy to be alive even if it meant being helped by the person who caused the accident and the damage and the trauma in the first place.
"If you wanted to test yourself, you should have done so away from a civilian population. I do not need cause massive collateral damage in order to fight you." He turned to face him as he crossed his arms at his chest, a small frown crossing his features, "You are not one of Doctor Gero's creations. I have no information of you in my data banks."
He did move, at last, though he did so away from the white clad android and instead walked over to help some civilians; one of them had their leg trapped under a bit of road rubble when the asphalt ruptured upwards and toppled on top of their leg. His eyes scanning over the individual's limb as he helped them up, lifting them up off the ground with no visible effort seen on his face, "Your leg appears to have broken in two locations, placing weight on it is ill advised." He sat them down on a nearby bench, "Wait here for the emergency responders and they will tend to your wounds."
As soon as the person was seated, nodding in agreement to what he instructed them, he turned towards the other once more. There were many things he wanted to say to them, so many questions, though for now the most pertinent questions had been asked, mainly why did he perform his tests within the city limits? Surely if he cared about civilian casualties or collateral damage, he would have done the testing a distance away.
"I introduce violence if violence is necessary in order to ensure the protection of the populace; from any and all threats, that would include you given your current actions," he peered around at all the chaos and damage that Null had caused, "So, why am I to believe that you are not a hostile threat to the city and the people therein?" Vidar asked bluntly.
WC: 475 CWC: 1,425
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2020 4:31:22 GMT -8
"You seek justification, is that it?" He raised a slender hand, brushing his delicate, tapered fingers against the front of his lab coat as he sought to dislodge the extra dust from his person. "I offer none because it isn't necessary. I cannot spare the mental faculties, even for a moment. While you believe you have found a solution to your dilemma with a threat of detainment towards me, I have not."
"Furthermore," he held up a finger to halt any unwarranted interruption, "As an artificially constructed being, you must understand the dire need to assess any and all malfunctioning components." It was as close to a reason Null was going to grant. As an android, even with the intricate patterns of a human consciousness imprinted upon the fiber-optic, silicone-based mass that formed his brain, empathy was almost impossible. "It is regrettable that anyone was hurt. Even more regrettable that my hypothesis has not been driven to its natural conclusion."
He hopped again, incredible speeds leaving a puff of smoke in his wake as he seemed to disappear from sight... only to reappear atop a nearby light pole that had not been felled in his landing. Null observed their surrounding buildings. "Which of these do you think would be sufficient for my test? Do you know of a place better suited altogether? It is not my directive to harm humans—small, weak, and pliable they are, they still have their usefulness."
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Post by Vidar (PROJECT: RAGNAROK) on Apr 22, 2020 15:31:21 GMT -8
He watched the other, listened to what he had to say, and his brows furrowed even more. His frown deepened. This individual, he was unsure if he was a full cybernetic being or was an augmented person - whether human or otherwise, he could not tell - was showing now remorse whatsoever for the damages he caused. Sure, collateral damage, in a fight to protect the citizenry of a city or town, is to be expected. But this was not a battle. This man was just performing experiments, trying things out, that ultimately caused significant damage not only to the architecture around them but also to the people around them. He had endangered human lives with his experimentation.
"I understand that need. I also understand that before I perform any sort of testing, with which I plan to assess any and all malfunctioning components in need of upgrade, repair, or replacement, I perform calculations and audits in order to asses whether or not my tests will cause any eminent harm to my surroundings and those therein. You failed to do so. That was irresponsible."
He did, however, continue to help the people around him, lifting heavy debris out of the way, pushing a car back onto its four wheels - it had been knocked onto its side, trapping the occupants within - before he ripped the doors off one side and allowed the occupants to escape their wrecked vehicle. He did so with a calmness to him, moving from one spot to the other with purpose. Yet, despite this, he kept his brow furrowed, his frown never ceasing, as he peered over at the other man from time to time from the corner of his eyes as if he were non-verbally accusing him for having caused such damage.
"If you are going to continue to perform your tests, which could result in greater damage to the surrounding area and an increased likelihood of loss of life, I would suggest you go outside of the city limits and find a tall cliff to jump off of if new heights is what you are attempting to find. Any attempts to repeat this experiment within the city will result in your immediate removal, through whatever means I deem necessary in order to ensure the safety of the populace. It is that simple. Want to continue? Do it somewhere away from the population."
He turned his back on Null and instead walked over to a fallen mailbox, lifting it up onto its two feet as he began to pick up the scattered correspondences from the ground and then placing them back into the letterbox.
The sirens of the ambulances, police, and fire departments were growing louder and closer and soon Vidar could see them rushing down the road. Thankfully, despite the damage, no fires had been started and the buildings remained intact, relatively speaking; aside from shattered windows and a few cracks here or there on the stonework.
"There should be an unpopulated region to the south on a small island with tall cliffs from which you can fling yourself if that is what your experiment pertains." The blonde cyborg suggested rather bluntly.
WC: 525 CWC: 1,950
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2020 3:33:47 GMT -8
A hint of a smile tugged at Null's lips. What an obedient bot this one was—content to exist within the parameters that were given. He could not detect this one's strength, but Null suspected from those parts which were visible his power was considerable. He could probably reduce this entire city to rubble, and yet he wasted that potential.
Perhaps all he needed was a little... push in the right direction. Let the cattle fend for themselves.
"I will do as you say... but first." He held up a hand, as if to quiet his man-machine companion as he strolled toward the makeshift nexus formed from a barrier of emergency vehicles where most of the crew and the injured had gathered.
"My dearest friends," he began, raising his voice to be heard over the tumult. "What trying times we exist in, such as today. While I cannot place the source of this tragedy, I shall endeavor to do all in my power to aid you in the healing and restoration of your city. Consider every resource at my disposal yours to use as you will." The people seemed grateful, some even cheering at the notion.
"It doesn't take much, does it?" Null addressed the cyborg, though his smile remained fixed in place aimed toward the people that gathered to thank him for his kindness. "If it were my true intention to destroy these people, I would never be so direct as to use force. But I am new to this form of mine—would you care to show me this island you speak of? I could use your aid... after we ensure the safety and well-being of these people, of course."
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Post by Vidar (PROJECT: RAGNAROK) on Apr 23, 2020 17:03:49 GMT -8
The smile that crossed the man's face was somewhat...off putting. It was something that Vidar could not quite put his finger on. But it made him think of an image he had seen on the television once; it had been a cartoon that had played again and again while he was in the lab with Doctor Kringle and the other scientists. It was a re-run, played every so often on the television. It was a cat. Yes, that is what he recalled from that strange cartoon. It was a cat. The smile reminded him of a cat. The feline was staring at a mouse that it had captured; it had its paw right over the small mouse's tail and it was keeping it in place, making sure that it couldn't run away. Yet, while it did that, pinned the creature down so it couldn't escape, it was speaking such sweet words, such kind words, attempting to sound as non-threatening as possible. And while the feline was speaking - the idea of a talking cat was something he never bothered questioning, it was a cartoon after all - the cat had this smile on its face. It was a small smile; not so much a smirk, but something that one could easily mistake as a smirk. It was such a sly grin, small and unassuming. Yet, despite that little curl of the lips there was something cold, something sinister, something hidden in the subtext. The toothy way the cat spoke did not help matters - and the mouse in the cartoon felt the exact same way that Vidar felt now as he saw the small smile spread across the man's face; he felt uneasy.
He didn't show it, of course. Vidar was good at keeping a straight face. His expression was lacking an expression; his brows were furrowed, his lips were set in a slight frown now - having somewhat lessened in intensity - yet he remained expressionless. He watched as Null raised a hand, as if to quiet him before he could speak, interject, and then he walked over to where the first responders and the injured had gathered and he made his presence known to them.
He watched him closely. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? Was he going to apologize?
No. Absolutely not. In fact. He did the exact opposite of an apology; he claimed to be unable to place the source of the damage, the destruction, "That's not the truth," He spoke up. His brows furrowed once more. He had lied. That was not the truth. He had been the cause of the destruction. He had even admitted as such to Vidar. Now he was going to deny it to the faces of the people he had injured and all without batting an eyelash? That image of that smiling cat crossed Vidar's mind once more; that unsettling and cruel smile that mirrored the tiny and unassuming grin that had crossed Null's face from earlier before.
The people were appreciative, from the look of it, raising their voices up as they cheered this person who promised them to find out how or why this all happened. Yet a few peered over at Vidar then back at the white clad man.
"That's not the truth." He repeated as Null began to walk over to him, "You are very much able to pinpoint the cause of the damage."
But, he wanted to go to the island that Vidar had mentioned. That was good. It would at least pull him away from the populated city and toward an uninhabited location to continue whatever experiments he wanted to do in order to assess any problems in his cybernetic augmentations. That would have to do; he would have to set aside the lies, get him away from all the people, and then he would confront him about it.
Why lie? Why would he lie about it? He had no problem claiming responsibility before?
"I'll show you where the island is," Vidar spoke up, "Follow after me." Turning away from the other cyborg - or android, whatever he was - he began to walk away from the scene of destruction, away from the civilians.
WC: 700 CWC: 2,650
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