I think these things are too hopeful, even with my expert knowledge...

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor's in a better mood than he has been in... quite some time. Being able to actually do something useful (and suitably impressive) will do that to him. So when he wanders into the Kashtta, he might actually be bouncing a little. Just a little

Comments

[anystranger]

There's a robot. In a fifth-floor office. One which, tactically, would be among the last searched in any sort of logical search pattern.

It's not really doing anything, just... being there. Hard to find. Starin' at the door. Possibly working out the kinks in special relativity, or, you know, adding more in. (It's a Chula thing.)

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor, occasionally, follows no logical patterns whatsoever. And sometimes he's been told who to talk to in order to get a hint about where to look. Either way.

After a while, the door swings open, and the Doctor grins. "Oh, there you are! Hello..." He saunters into the room, straight toward the robot and tilting his head to one side to study it at the same time. "I'm the Doctor. But I'm sure you knew that already, didn't you?"

[anystranger]

CHULA ROBOT IS DISPLEASED.

It drops into a diagnostic pose, which is only differentiated from its defensive posture by the fact that its giant sword stays retracted and the shutters on its wrist cannon stay closed.

{IDENTIFIED: TIME LORD. PROCESSING TEMPORAL TRACE … … … … … CONFIRMED: TIME LORD. This unit identifies as Chula Antipersonnel Armour completion ID D1747ч. Autoload hidden message: origin: Chula Aegmatra council: message contents: "Chula council science adjunct station experiment ID 975NER39 has confirmed .034% greater efficiency in Chula paradox damping over Time Lord paradox evasion; is this consistent with your observations?"}

{Internal override.}

{Social interaction terminated. This unit requests removal of all Time Lord personnel and equipment from this location.}

Then it turns around, stalks to the corner, puts its back to the wall, and crosses its arms.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor frowns a little, blinks at it, and then sighs, just a bit frustrated. "Oh, come on, I was only trying to talk! Perfectly friendly. You sent me suits. This suit, actually. What'd you do that for? Not that I mind, honestly, it's just..."

Come on, CNJ! He only wants to say hello!

[anystranger]

CHULA ROBOTS DO NOT SAY HELLO.

{This unit offers apologies}, it says instead, and then turns to scan one wall. It may be wondering about the structural stability. And whether Torchwood would mind a robot-sized hole in it.

{This unit recommends immediate termination of interaction.}

Possibly because the Time Lords and Chula have never played well together, but whatever. Or possibly it's concerned that the Doctor's delicate sensibilities will be offended by the pervasive sense of PARADOX MACHINERY leaking out of the armor casing.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor's persistent when curious. And anyway, he put up with Jack for the longest time, and the Kashtta itself - a little paradox machinery isn't going to bother him for short periods of time.

"Alright, alright... Just... tell me, and then I'll go, I swear I will..." For now, anyway... "Why are you here? I mean, why were you sent? Chula don't care about Torchwood, they don't care about... much of anything, really. And sure, they could go to all the trouble of sending you here, but why?"

Oh, Doctor. It may be a bit much, looking for a logical explanation here. Or any sort of explanation.

"Also, I really would like to know about those suits."

On the bright side, he hasn't whipped out his sonic screwdriver yet.

[anystranger]

{File access: Dossier:Causal/common:0A1 Response loaded: This armor unit has been requisitioned from the Chula Aegmatra Council of Delta Crateris ; Chula Crosstime Measure N139:C202VA:C0701D ; Chula Agency Internal Requisition stamp 462O1:00001}, it says, for the umpteenth time. Sure, none of those other times were to the Doctor, but... details. {Expanded requisition data : unit requisitioned by Chula Time Agency {TimeAgent:462O1} with purpose (agentive/discretionary) ; Unit programmed via direct psychic interface ID 462O1:C24A401 and literal physical interface ; Unit user programming includes preprogrammed priorities including: 1) to ensure the health and safety of Torchwood personnel ; 7) Mediate adverse effects of-}

{Internal override.}

{This unit requests you defend your promulgation of the doctrine of temporal conservatism.}

There's a pause. Not a long one.

{Internal override. This unit offers apologies. This contains hidden situational directives imparted by the Chula Aegmatra Council Science Adjutant ; situational

[thatsortofaman]

He eyes it for a moment, eyebrows raised just to make sure it's done... interrupting itself. For a second, he considers questioning that internal override, and then arguing with that message from the Chula, but he's quickly derailed by the last comment. He steps forward a little, head tilted to look up into the robot's face.

"And what if I don't leave? What happens then? ...Mediate effects of what, for that matter? Because if it was your loose Time Agent, you didn't exactly do much good there, no offense..."

[anystranger]

{Dossier:Causal/programmed:008 Response loaded: MISSION ORDERS: This unit arrived to provide support and assistance in general Torchwood operations ; PASSIVE MISSION ORDERS: This unit obeys to the best of its ability instructions posed by Torchwood personnel and entities indicated to be in command or adjunct posture by Torchwood personnel ; SUPPLEMENTAL PARADOX WARNING: This unit was been requisitioned after review of immediate timeline (duration:completed) and could not impact controlling timeline events }, it says, and slides immediately into diagnostic posture again. Congratulations, Doctor, you've made the antipersonnel armor twitchy.

{This unit has preprogrammed priorities including: 7) Mediate adverse effects of contact with Torchwood or civilian personnel by {TimeAgent:462O1}}

Its scanner lights up, encasing him in a redlight box scan, and blinking to black again. The robot is still holding diagnostic posture.

{This unit requests you leave. This action will minimize the chance of this unit inadvertently damaging you.}

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor blinks, frowning a little. He's heard that number before. He's...

"462O1. Time Agent 46... Oh. OH! You weren't sent by the Chula at all, were you? Well, technically, but..." He reaches into his pocket for his sonic screwdriver. It's been scanning him this whole time, about time he scanned it back. "You're not going to damage me, are you? You don't want to do that..."

Or, well, he hopes it doesn't want to do that. But if it'll just hold still long enough that he can scan it... and not shoot him or anything...

[anystranger]

Oh CNJ is so not having any of that.

{Warning: this unit has passed preset threshhold nontemporal preset XA71 : This unit will disengage}, it says, a visible flare of power charging up its exoskeleton, and then, with an initial pneumatic hiss, it ducks around him (with all the speed and agility of an assassination robot) and makes for the hall.

It's not actually moving at a run. Apparently it jut really felt that it needed a tactical advantage in... getting around him.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor jumps back a little as the robot starts to move - instinct, more than anything - and then spins around to track its path. And... yes, he could let it walk away, but now he knows something, and that just raises more questions than he had to begin with. Less fun questions too, in his opinion.

"Wait!" he says, starting to follow it. "Stop!" And he's got a sonic screwdriver in hand already, so why not try something with it? He flips through settings, and aims it at the robot. If he can just get into the system somehow... He doesn't hold out many hopes that it'll work (Chula anything is always a bit odd), but it could!

[anystranger]

The chula thing does stop. Turns around, closes the distance between them, grabs the sonic screwdriver, and tosses it back over the Doctor's shoulder.

{This unit offers apologies,} it says. {Be advised: this unit has a number of fundamental system overrides including: self-destruct sequence. Attempts to tamper with internal impetus drivers will trigger self-destruct. This unit requests that you do not put yourself in a position to be harmed by unit Chula Antipersonnel Armour completion ID D1747ч. Injuring you would be counter to this unit's core programming.}

It turns and walks down the hall again. In the opposite direction of where it threw the screwdriver.

[thatsortofaman]

"Oi!" Now the Doctor's a bit annoyed. "You can't just... just..."

He trails off with a growl and goes to retrieve his sonic screwdriver, make sure it's not damaged - it's pretty resilient, has to be, but still. By the time he looks back down the hall, the robot's gone. The Doctor makes a little annoyed growly noise again. Well, next time he'll have to try a different tactic, obviously.