Day 2: Early Morning.

[arcadia_central]

Who: uSUC, Kaworu Nagisa for now.
Where: Central outskirts, to the north.
What: uSUC decides it's about time it dealt with one of the current unregistered vagabonds.
Rating: PG.
Warnings: HOTT Computer on Angel ACTION.

---

Another glorious day!

Yes, yes, it was glorious. The sun was shining (somewhere up there, at least; it was always hard to

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[arcadia_central]

Oh my. Not entirely grey-scale, at least. The eyes were quite an unusual colour, and it at least knocked down the likelihood that it was dealing with a typical human. The music that Kaworu had been humming also seemed oddly familiar, and Central began an idle wander through its databanks, seeking the information.

... Ah, Beethoven. Not its favourite composer, really. It was more of a Tchaikovsky fan.

Or Meatloaf.

"... Nagisa Kaworu, then!" Regardless of the boy's secrecy, uSUC remained brightly cheerful, undeterred. Well, over the last two days it'd certainly faced more troublesome encounters. Even if Kaworu was being difficult now, Central wasn't one to give up terribly easy.

Well... most of the time. This was certainly one of those cases where knowing what it was dealing with was quite important, and the computer wasn't prepared to let things slide with him. The user exhibited some rather suspicious and unnatural behaviour; there was possibly some reason, and it was going to get to the bottom of it.

"I do apologise for the inconvenience, but I'm programmed to treat all beings equally upon first arriving, so I really must request that you do answer the questions as all other users have had to. It's simply for the sake of keeping all of my users safe. I don't sell information to third parties, so you needn't be concerned with spam mail."

[tabris_the_5th]

Kaworu looked up at it, enigmatic smile conveniently in place, unwavering as always. Spam mail? How... unusual this machine was, almost complete with a personality. Could the Lilim have programmed it with one? Could they have mastered such little things as happiness and the like?

Were they getting closer to godhood on their own? But of course they could never perfect something they did not understand, and how was it that they could understand the pristine whiteness of a soul if theirs were not untainted?

No matter, not now, not really. Here, it seemed as though he had nothing but time, and to rush would be to waste. Now that the constraints of existing with grave purpose had been lifted (at least for the moment), he could enjoy time slightly better.

Unless...
But, he hadn't felt Adam. Or Lilith. Of course, that didn't mean that they didn't exist.

"We all have questions, yet is it fair that only our walls are down for your eyes to view our informational indiscretions?" One white eyebrow arched, something that created the barest of creases in an otherwise perfect forehead. "Would you answer my questions for those of yours I answer?"

[arcadia_central]

Oh, this was new. Bribery? No, not really. Tit for tat, an exchange of information. uSUC fell quiet, grave and serious at last, as it considered this. While it initially seemed like quite an innocent compromise, the computer was well aware that there were some things it was not capable of sharing freely, and more importantly, that any information it dispensed may be used against it.

Not all of its users were the shining paradigms of goodness, after all. Well... it did take all sorts, and Kaworu at least didn't appear menacing. He wasn't holding any weapons, and though the scanner couldn't read him well (a similar issue to the Del user, by the looks of it), he spoke calmly and serenely, and that was a positive sign.

It was difficult, though; humans often boasted the abilities of their five senses, their 'sixth sense' for reading others, for sensing things amiss; uSUC knew of none of it, felt none of it, and it was something of a disadvantage.

"I can't guarantee anything," it stated, tone not apologetic, but honest at least. "Many of my files are classified, and there is some information unknown even to myself. So long as your questions remain within my programmed capacity to provide answers for, I will agree to your terms."

It paused, checking the surrounding area. Good. It was quite isolated, and it could identify no users nearby.

Paf. Streamers flurried madly out, a fresh batch from the abundance produced overnight.

"Welcome to Arcadia! Please state your race and world of origin."

[tabris_the_5th]

"You asked the first question, though, therefore it is my move on this gameboard." Kaworu smiled sweetly, not in a fake or manufactured way, but honest from the depths of his lighted soul. He was pleased that the machine had offered to play the role of receiver as well as taker; at least it would give him ground to stand on and a place to begin.

Plucking an errant strand of pink streamer from his shirt (so much color stood out like a scar against his monochrome appearance), he held it between his hands gently, careful not to tear it. Apple red eyes watched the screen, smiled, and kept contact, even if the machine couldn't appreciate such things. Would it understand that the eyes were the windows to a person's soul? Would it know how to read them even if it did? Had the Lilim gotten so far advanced?

When he had...last remembered, they were ages, lifetimes, evolutions behind such technology. There was one way to find out, however, a simple way.

"Where is your maintainer, the one that runs you?" For even as advanced as the MAGI were, they had handlers, people to read the printouts, to make sense of 0's and 1's.

[arcadia_central]

Oooh, this was slightly unfair! Surely uSUC's questions weren't quite that prying. Nevertheless, this was at least not a difficult question, was certainly something it was free to provide. Central smiled neutrally as it answered. "Nobody maintains me. I am self-sufficient and create my own maintainers if necessary."

The eye contact didn't go unnoticed, though it wasn't truly understood, purpose a mystery; it was just one of those body language algorithms as far as a computer was concerned, one thing to make Kaworu distinct, unique, recognisable.

"Should you ever like to meet them, I presently have Angry Bot and Happy Bot physically maintaining my systems and cleaning Central city. Additionally, Raidou is my personal assistant, in charge of peacekeeping and user relations.

"Now! If you're satisfied, I should be most pleased if you could kindly answer my first question."

[tabris_the_5th]

"Maintainer" and "Creator" were two totally different things, one could suppose, and he would take it as it was for the moment and not argue. Being self-maintaining was an impressive feat, he had to admit; even the Lilim needed others, if only to feed into their souls, their interactions, their sense of Self. This must be the flaw in the machine, though; no personality, no soul, an open vessel.

Useful.

But to answer to a "race" was going to be difficult; he couldn't say Angel without the questions coming afterwards, barraged by them. And if this wasn't the Tokyo-3 that he was familiar with, what were the definitions of Angels here? Deathbringers? Evolutionary marvels? Benevolent forgivers?

Race. Hm.

But then again, the question had two parts, and which part he had to answered hadn't been specified, had it now? Answering "the first question" and "the first PART of my question" were very separate items, and the second part was a great deal easier to explain, even if that, too, wasn't simple. However playing with the wording, he could work this, he supposed.

After all, how did one explain the wonders of the metaphysical versus the physical? He hadn't been completely born in either one...

At least, not until Shinji--

"I existed in Tokyo-3, Earth, before I arrived here." And that was all, for the moment. "Who created you?"

[arcadia_central]

Aaah, civil thus far! Though Central wasn't programmed to be too wary, it was nevertheless pleasing to see that he was living up to his word.

Tokyo-3, Earth. That was the best question to answer first, in fact; now it knew where to look for the name and identify the race as well, began scouring the lists to find it...

... Hmm. Odd. No Kaworu Nagisa. There certainly were a lot more stowaways than Central had initially suspected; Kino, Del, Kaworu were all unexpected when they dropped in. Ah, well! The more, the merrier! The name was input, ticked, and uSUC smiled.

At least until the next question; it immediately began to fade. The creator.

"... My apologies, that information is classified. Do you wish to ask another question, or is it my turn now?"

[tabris_the_5th]

Classified? How could there be trust if there was no reciprocated information? How could there be equal footing in a relationship of any sort of standard? This did not bode well, especially as the smile, however falsely generated, started to fade when he asked such a thing.

"I do not understand how there can be a comprehension and a certain level of trust and faith if there are not open pathways," Kaworu murmured, his own smile fading to a thin line. Rarely was such an expression seen, and it was obviously distressed, troubled, but as smooth and even as the other expressions had been, although a little less natural. "If we must put our lives and wellbeing in your hands, how can we do that with our hearts if you hide away information from us?"

He sighed, almost vexed yet not quite there yet, and shook his head. White hair swung back and forth, brushing his brow, before the smile returned, the red eyes bright. "Who may I speak to if I want to go over your command? Which living being is in charge?"

[arcadia_central]

"I do apologise," the computer repeated, patient and undeterred. Even Kaworu's change in expression was not seen as particularly unusual or questionable; it was the anticipated response, and any other may've been more suspicious for it. "But you must be aware, there is no equality between us. My programming ensures that I won't provide information I'm not permitted to; you, along with all biological organisms, don't have that restriction. It's not a matter of trust so much as it is what is input into my system."

It paused.

"... Incidentally, you're one to be speaking of trust when you're asking me to trade my information for yours."

Well, let it never be said that Central couldn't understand snarkiness when it wished to. Its voice, however, remained as civil as could be, hardly meaning to offend.

At last, another question - and the user didn't seem too annoyed if the smile was any indication. A relief, especially as his question also had a very simple answer. "There is no higher command on Arcadia than uSUC.

"What is your race?"

[tabris_the_5th]

It wasn't "trading information"; it was a bond of openness that permitted an equal exchange of facts and ideas that allowed for one to be on par with the other. He hardly believed that there could be no higher command than the computer on Arcadia, just as he hardly believed that it bore no maintainers. This computer seemed equal with the MAGI, but little else; this one just tended to bear a little attitude, be it good or bad. All machines needed creators, upkeep, needed something to give it soul and purpose.

Kaworu stared up at the monitor for a moment, watching the expression that was programmed deep, and let his smile widen. A machine without a soul was still but a hollow vessel, one that yearned nothing but could so easily be controlled. Was it any different than Unit 02? Was it different than any of them?

Two delicate hands reached up, pressing lightly against the side of the monitor as if to rub temples on a person's head. "I apologize," Kaworu whispered, "but don't worry; your secrets will be safe with me."

[arcadia_central]

uSUC was fairly sure there had to be a restriction against this, and not just because of the fingerprints. The computer squeaked, screen swiveling from side in either vehement denial, or simply as a way to shake his hands off. Either way, it was clearly not desired.

Especially if he was going to start saying things like that. uSUC had dealt with a few odd types in its time; it knew better than to expect anything innocent when the user was being so sinister and cryptic. "What do you mean? The secrets are mine to keep!"

... It wasn't just contact, either. uSUC could tell from the way it... felt, from the way its circuits became charged and bristled within. He was doing something inside. He was...

Oh.

"Kaworu Nagisa, cease and desist at once!"

[tabris_the_5th]

Kaworu smiled in a way that would drive most people mad with frustration simply because of its honesty, and narrowed his eyes a sliver harder. The objections from uSUC were obvious in his ears but even more rooted in his mind; he could hear all that the computer was saying before it had even processed the command to drive the audible protest through its speakers. It was a shame, too, because he could not stop this violation (but a computer bore no soul to feel violated, he supposed), and so the protests would continue until he deemed it end.

I apologize, he thought, transmitting it to the database. But I must have the answers I seek.

For a moment, he had a brief memory of watching a video of the Second Child's encounter with Arael, the music, the light, the absolute invasion. He recalled her screams on the filtered speakers, caught and trapped and forever imprinted on a reel, and he watched with a slight dispassionate stare. To open, to become faced with yourself, was never an easy task but the light of the soul, the light of the truth was always something beyond all concept of Lilim existence. Painful, perhaps, but revealing nonetheless.

Would a machine feel it any differently?

Kaworu plunged deeper into the machine, flipping through files, sliding past walls, digging, rooting. He had to know. He had to find out the reasoning behind this. Was it SEELE? NERV? Was it something even beyond that?

[arcadia_central]

"Cease and--!"

All these disruptions. uSUC's entire system felt like it was going up in a blaze of fireworks, every mechanical synapse, every data transfer wire clogged and snapped, every command stuck the moment it was issued. uSUC was being blocked from its own processes, and though the computer could not know fear, or confusion, it had a feeling it was coming quite close to it.

Worse still, it could feel Him. It could feel the hands that ran through the files, thousands of words per second, and all the classified information now felt far out of reach of uSUC's protection.

uSUC was programmed not to harm unless absolutely necessary to achieve peace, but it was also programmed to protect those files at any cost.

The creators would never stand for it.

Get out of m-me, Kaworu Nagisa, or I will s-surge and I will kill you!

[tabris_the_5th]

There was no fear in that. He knew he could die, had died in fact, but still there was no fear. Why should there be when he was content with himself, with his life? He would go to the void with the others, incomplete until merged with Adam, even if he was naught but a vessel that housed such a lightened soul.

Isn't that what all Lilim are? Even if they have free will, they are flesh homes.

He slid around the proverbial walls constructed every time a new one came down, moving quicker into dusty depths. The light of his soul would be maddening to a human as it mingled with theirs, brimming and blinding, but to a machine, he wondered if it was respected at all. Was this what Unit Two experienced? But no, because it was born from them just as the rest were.

Shinji.

He took a quick detour, steeling his jaw. Curiosity could wait; he needed to know, needed to know what happened to the Ikari boy. Where was he? Did he survive? Was this the result of a failed project? Had he let them all down and proved that Lilim could not change, even with the support of others?

Had his own death been in vain?

Shinji...

[arcadia_central]

There was no stopping him it seemed, not by conventional means. uSUC's own need for self-preservation made it hesitate, going hurriedly through procedures. The robots had been called, but they were much too far away to assist; Raidou, Raidou was off, initially busy with another screen, one that was no malfunctioning severely. If it could reroute a reasonable body of power into sustaining it, perhaps just long enough to deliver a message...

Raidou, hurry!

What was he looking for? Each barrier slammed down like a collapsing wall, sending shockwaves through its circuits. It wouldn't be long until all things classified would be open to him...

Already, he approached The List all too quickly.

You have fifteen seconds, Kaworu Nagisa!

It'd be enough, it estimated.

[14thsummoner]

((From here. ))

Raidou hurried as quickly as he possibly could, which for him was pretty darn fast. He pelted through the streets, not entirely sure what a 'Kaworu' looked like or what he had to do... but he wasn't going to let Central down. Whatever was going on was screwing up with a lot; this meant that he had to step in.

Seeing a rather strange looking guy molesting with his hands on one of uSUC's monitors qualified as what he was likely supposed to be stopping. The boy, then, threw his cape back, reaching with his right hand for his katana and his left for a demon-summoning tube. "Hands off! I won't be asking a second time!"