[OPEN]

[theniputitback]

who ; Parker and YOU
what ; Searching for Cindy's Big Daddy Doll.
where ; A theme park in Residential Zone 4.
when ; Immediately following Eleanor's request for help.
warning(s) ; Hey, remember how Abraxas infected an entire amusement park...with death? WHO WANTS TO PLAY?

Comments

[double_discs]

It was a very logical place to return to look for the strange suited User's missing 'daddy'--which he was pretty sure by this point in time was a small representative copy of something much larger that existed in another world. This was the last place he'd seen her, the first place they'd met, and the rough amount of playing they'd spent in the area was rather conducive to dropping and loosing such an item. Besides that he could take another look around at the infection to make sure it wasn't progressing too far out of bounds.

What he wasn't expecting to find here was another curious User wandering around in the park. To himself, he sighed in irritation. Aloud, his white-noise grew to a louder decibel of rumbling.

He approached the User without hesitation in his quick stride. He stopped barely a few feet (possibly even less than two) from her. "Identify, User."

...He was really beginning to get tired of not being certain how to address all of these Users in an appropriate manner. Maybe he needed to see CLU about that...

[theniputitback]

Parker backed up, quickly putting more space between herself and the unfamiliar robot. She stared, baffled. Why was a robot calling her that?

"I'm not a user!" she said, sounding offended. "I've never even touched any drugs."

[double_discs]

Rinzler blinked beneath the helmet and then cocked his head to one side. What were drugs and why did the User think he was saying she'd touched any?

"...No. Incorrect. Confirm identity, User. Additional inquiry: what are 'drugs'?"

[theniputitback]

Parker tilted her own head, mirroring Rinzler.

"...What?"

What was he asking? Was he trying to tell her she was wrong? But...he didn't even know what drugs were? This didn't make any sense.

"Drugs are bad," she explained - sort of. "I'm not a user." She paused.

"...Who are you?"

[double_discs]

"Acknowledged. Inquiry: correlation between terms 'drugs' and 'user'?"

He straightens tall--and damn, he's 6'3'' altogether--and glares down at her. "System Security. Designation: Rinzlerrr. Now identify, User."

[theniputitback]

Parker straightens up in turn, but he's still got a good eight inches on her. She glares up at him defiantly.

"I don't use drugs. I'm not a user."

And...oh. Security.

Oops.

She's already backed up a step, eyes roving for the quickest way to get herself out of sight and away from the security guard, before she remembers. She's not here to steal anything. She's just here to find something.

To help.

She stops, lifting her chin to look at him. "I'm Parker," she says. "I'm allowed to be here."

[double_discs]

Oh. He supposed that made sense, but it wasn't the definition of the term as he saw it. "User. Computer user. Human. In your case."

He noticed the antsy step backwards as soon as it was taken and took a quick step forwards to counter it. He was quite accustomed to rogue functions running as soon as the term 'security' was anywhere on the grid and he could already tell she was a suspicious one.

And now again the User was wrong. He was kind enough to point it out. Again.

"Negative. Area is restricted." It wasn't safe. (Not that he cared if you were hurt or anything.) Because he said so. "Leave."

[theniputitback]

"Of course I'm human," Parker shot back. She obviously wasn't a robot, like he was. Or an alien. And..."And there's nothing wrong with using computers."

She took another step back when he did, an unintentional sort of dance along the pavement. When he tried to tell her to leave, though, she stopped, standing her ground, folding her arms and planting her feet obstinately.

"No," she said stubbornly. "I'm not doing anything wrong."

[double_discs]

The phrase 'Death to Users' came to mind but he didn't say it aloud. It probably wasn't the most subtle line he could say to the actual face of a real User. Although if it got her to leave more quickly...

Again, he took a step forward though it wasn't needed. If she bolted, he was sure that he was perfectly fast enough to catch her.

Rinzler paused for a second to compute a reply. Technically, he supposed, she was correct this time. At least by standard station regulations. He still considered the area restricted by his standards however. It was, after all, infected with a virus. It was his job to quarantine the area and--well, he couldn't purge it yet so quarantine was as good as it got.

"Area is unclean. Proceed at own risk."

[theniputitback]

Parker braced herself when Rinzler took another step forward, ready to run if he tried to reach for her. She opened her mouth to continue arguing her case - and then stopped, looking at him uncertainly.

Oh.

"Okay," she said, and took a tentative step to the side, watching to see he'd follow. She hesitated.

"...What do you mean, unclean?"

[double_discs]

Only his head swiveled to follow her movement this time.

At her question if he had been absent a helmet clearly his astonishment would be obvious. Couldn't she tell? Couldn't she see it everywhere?

"Virus is present."

[theniputitback]

That stopped her, briefly. Parker studied Rinzler, trying to figure out how serious this was. She didn't want to get infected with something terrible and die.

But she'd also said she'd help.

After a long moment, she spoke again, quietly.

"...Is it fatal?"

[double_discs]

"Viral effects to Users currently unknown. Will harm through electrical jolt if directly touched however."

It was the best answer he could give. He really wasn't sure if Abraxas could infect Users or not, and if so to what sort of extent. The best bet was not to find out however. Rinzler really did not feel like having to sweep up CLU's mess if it involved psychotic Users.

[theniputitback]

Parker's brow furrowed in confusion. What did getting sick have to do with using computers? And how could a virus electrocute you?

"I won't touch anything, then," she said uncertainly. "But I have to go in." She glanced up at the yellow-lit roller coasters and Ferris wheel, and then back at Rinzler. "I'm looking for something."

[double_discs]

Rinzler straightened and peered at her more intently when she mentioned the last part. He was the best at tracking things down and he was already on the prowl as it were. Could it be related? Possibly, though he didn't expect it to be. Either way it wouldn't hurt for him to inquire.

"Item in question? This area is familiar to me."

[theniputitback]

She just watched him for a moment, debating. What if he decided it wasn't important enough for her to risk looking for it? What if he tried to make her leave?

...well, if he did, she could always sneak back in. She lifted her chin and looked the robot in its nonexistent eyes.

"A doll."