Blogathon post #47: Xenonovellllll
More of it!
Shion keeps looking back over her shoulder at the 100-Series, who's now sitting up in the maintenance bed, dangling the bunnie charm from her fingertips.
"Before you ask," says Caspace quietly, "I don't know what's up with her either. She was officially assigned as this vessel's sole 100-Series unit, and the serial number and everything check out, but she has a very strange personality. And she keeps insisting she's okay and not submitting for full maintenance."
"Keep an eye on her for me, will you? And call me if she wants to see me. I hope I was able to build at least some of a bond. She's missing large portions of her social functioning."
"Yeah, I noticed that too."
"Anyway, as far as the rest go..." Shion hooks up her connection gear to Caspace's computer and uploads her notes. "I'll leave my notes with you. The specific manifestations are different, but they're all noticeably confused or uncertain about a particular aspect of their lives. This is probably causing them to reject the new data you're attempting to add. If they already aren't processing information well, they're going to resist absorbing more out of simple self-defence. Makes sense?"
"Sharp observation...I hadn't even thought of that angle. I've been working pretty closely with Alex here." He waves towards the Realian who was having trouble integrating with his unit. "Shall we try adjusting him accordingly?"
"Sure. But just remember, this is mostly stop-gap. Once we get back and fully debriefed, you should get them all to Third Division to get a full tune-up."
"Of course."
A few adjustments later, Alex lies contemplatively in his maintenance bed, golden eyes half-closed. Hardly for the first time, Shion wonders why most of the combat Realian models--Alex's line included--had been designed to look so young, almost baby-faced. Fully grown, not like the 100-Series, but eerily innocent-looking.
"It is difficult to adequately express this," Alex says after a moment, "but I feel as if a weight has been lifted from me. My thoughts are clearer and less uncertain. Thank you very much."
"Then you're doing better!" Shion smiles down at him.
"I think I can adjust the other units with this data too," says Caspase, going through information on his own connection gear. "Ms. Uzuki, I know you like to say that you're just making the best of what your mentor taught you, but..."
"It's true, though." She tucks her braid behind her ear, a little awkward. "He knew just that much." And more. Oh, Kevin. "But I'm glad to help out here. Honestly, I've always wanted to work with the Third Division. I'm considering requesting a transfer once my current work is finished."
Caspace frowns slightly. "But Vector's First R&D Division has some of the best scientists in the galaxy. Isn't that a bit of a demotion? You sure you'd want to transfer out, given how hard it is to get in?"
"Oh, yes. Besides, my family's always asking, 'how did you get assigned to the First Division? Must've been a mistake in the paperwork.' Who knows?" She laughs. "Maybe they're right. Besides..." She paces over to one of the Realians still in maintenance, now asleep while Caspace works on him. "I want to learn so much more about them..."
"What's learning about them going to do for you?"
Shion starts at the unfamiliar voice, harsh and mocking, and looks up to see a man leaning in the doorway to the lab, dressed in the baggy blue fatigues of an A.G.W.S. pilot, arms crossed and grinning darkly.
"Lieutenant Virgil," Caspace says, an edge to his voice."
Shion keeps looking back over her shoulder at the 100-Series, who's now sitting up in the maintenance bed, dangling the bunnie charm from her fingertips.
"Before you ask," says Caspace quietly, "I don't know what's up with her either. She was officially assigned as this vessel's sole 100-Series unit, and the serial number and everything check out, but she has a very strange personality. And she keeps insisting she's okay and not submitting for full maintenance."
"Keep an eye on her for me, will you? And call me if she wants to see me. I hope I was able to build at least some of a bond. She's missing large portions of her social functioning."
"Yeah, I noticed that too."
"Anyway, as far as the rest go..." Shion hooks up her connection gear to Caspace's computer and uploads her notes. "I'll leave my notes with you. The specific manifestations are different, but they're all noticeably confused or uncertain about a particular aspect of their lives. This is probably causing them to reject the new data you're attempting to add. If they already aren't processing information well, they're going to resist absorbing more out of simple self-defence. Makes sense?"
"Sharp observation...I hadn't even thought of that angle. I've been working pretty closely with Alex here." He waves towards the Realian who was having trouble integrating with his unit. "Shall we try adjusting him accordingly?"
"Sure. But just remember, this is mostly stop-gap. Once we get back and fully debriefed, you should get them all to Third Division to get a full tune-up."
"Of course."
A few adjustments later, Alex lies contemplatively in his maintenance bed, golden eyes half-closed. Hardly for the first time, Shion wonders why most of the combat Realian models--Alex's line included--had been designed to look so young, almost baby-faced. Fully grown, not like the 100-Series, but eerily innocent-looking.
"It is difficult to adequately express this," Alex says after a moment, "but I feel as if a weight has been lifted from me. My thoughts are clearer and less uncertain. Thank you very much."
"Then you're doing better!" Shion smiles down at him.
"I think I can adjust the other units with this data too," says Caspase, going through information on his own connection gear. "Ms. Uzuki, I know you like to say that you're just making the best of what your mentor taught you, but..."
"It's true, though." She tucks her braid behind her ear, a little awkward. "He knew just that much." And more. Oh, Kevin. "But I'm glad to help out here. Honestly, I've always wanted to work with the Third Division. I'm considering requesting a transfer once my current work is finished."
Caspace frowns slightly. "But Vector's First R&D Division has some of the best scientists in the galaxy. Isn't that a bit of a demotion? You sure you'd want to transfer out, given how hard it is to get in?"
"Oh, yes. Besides, my family's always asking, 'how did you get assigned to the First Division? Must've been a mistake in the paperwork.' Who knows?" She laughs. "Maybe they're right. Besides..." She paces over to one of the Realians still in maintenance, now asleep while Caspace works on him. "I want to learn so much more about them..."
"What's learning about them going to do for you?"
Shion starts at the unfamiliar voice, harsh and mocking, and looks up to see a man leaning in the doorway to the lab, dressed in the baggy blue fatigues of an A.G.W.S. pilot, arms crossed and grinning darkly.
"Lieutenant Virgil," Caspace says, an edge to his voice."