12: I'm not a furry shut up

[fetchthestick]

I got big.

...

My masters would'a loved this. I mean, I'm sure they liked me as a puppy, but now they wouldn't have to wait! I can do what the grown-up pets do now.

'cept my masters aren't here. [Sigh.]I wonder who they would'a paired me with when I got big like this? I mean, for fun. Sure they would've put me with a bitch to make puppies

Comments

[electroniccrane]

[Motoko is enjoying her newfound English proficiency and listening to the comms.]

Are you a robot? You talk really well!

[What else would he be with all that talk about "masters?"

Motoko's not quite clear on reproduction yet, since it's not something that matters to a full-body cyborg, so some of what Thom's talking about goes flying over her head, and she doesn't notice the potential flaw in her reasoning.]

"Motoko, stop putting mochi in the tank. It's bad for the fish."

[electroniccrane]

Yeah, they're little.

It's, um....

[It's a cyberbrain.]

It's when you get a computer implanted in your brain.

"But mom they want some too :3"

[fetchthestick]

Oh! Wow, I've never heard of that.

So - what's a cyborg?

"I'm sharing! :D"

[electroniccrane]

Not a lot of people have them. The surgery is pretty risky. You can die.

[Motoko is ridiculously lucky to have survived her own cyberization.]

Cyborgs are people who have cybernetics. Um. That's when you get biological parts replaced with robot parts.

Fish: *belly-up*

[fetchthestick]

Oh, wow. That's dangerous. It's good for the fish they didn't have them, then.

So, you have robot parts? Neat, what are they like? Could I see?

"Mommy, the fish are sleeeeeeeeping!"

[electroniccrane]

Yeah, they die pretty easy anyway.

[Like when parents turn their backs for 30 seconds and a certain four year-old tries to share her dessert with them, for instance.]

Uh...

[Motoko has to think about this. People don't always react well to her, but Thom seems nice, and he already knows she's a cyborg, so...]

Okay. Where are you?

"They must be tired, let's put them to bed... in... the toilet."

[fetchthestick]

I'm on deck 2. I could come to you if you want!

[Thom senses her hesitation, so he wants to make it easy for her.]

XD

[electroniccrane]

No, that's fine!

[Batou says they can't use the elevators, so that's that, as far as Motoko's concerned. The stairs make a satisfying clanking noise when she runs up them, anyway.

Clank, clank, clank.]

Almost there, Thom!

[There's no sign of fatigue or heavy breathing in her voice.]

[fetchthestick]

Okay!

[He scratches behind one ear with his hind foot. The pants are uncomfortable when he does that. How can everyone wear these things??]

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[electroniccrane]

[Motoko pokes her head out of the main stairwell.]

Thom?

[She sets out to look for a talking dog. In her head, Thom's an Akita, only with talking instead of barking. And, um, maybe thumbs to work the comms.]

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[fetchthestick]

[Thom turns his head and trots over! He's like a patchwork border collie, if they weighed a good 200lbs. The proportions of his legs are different, and he clearly has a stiff collarbone.]

Motoko? Hi!!

[Are you prepared to be investigated by... DOGGIE NOSE???]

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[electroniccrane]

Thom?

[She grins. OMG DOGGIE YAY :3

Motoko smells of plastic and metal. And slightly of the shrimp she ate earlier, because cyborgs don't have to brush their teeth, at least until someone catches them.

She reaches up tentatively to pat his head. Dogs are for petting, right? Even the talking ones?]

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[fetchthestick]

Yeah!

[Especially the talking ones!! Thom's nose leaves little wet spots on her plastic skin.]

Wow, you don't smell like any person I've ever met!

[She's kind of like an animated doll or something.]

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[electroniccrane]

[She giggles. Her skin sensors aren't that good anywhere but her hands and face, but they do tell her Thom's nose is cold and wet. Emboldened, she pets his head more assertively, ruffling the fur and his ears.]

I told you, I'm a cyborg.

[Almost exactly like an animated doll, as it turns out.]

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[fetchthestick]

Well yeah, I've never met one before! Were you born like that?

[Even as an adult, he's got the memory of a goldfish, but he remembers her saying something about surgery for cyberbrains... so maybe she was born different and then her owners changed her!]

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[electroniccrane]

No...

[Motoko trails off. The subject of the crash still makes her sad.]

I was in a plane crash and my old body was hurt too much, so the doctors moved me to a shell.

["Owners?" Thom, that comes after she joins the SDA.]