InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "keep it"

T-X (ilikeyour) wrote in abaeterno_rpg,
@ 2022-02-03 03:17:00

Entry tags:

c: ariel, c: marcus wright, c: t-x, l: space

RP: The T-X/Open
Who: The T-X/open.
When: Not long after Terminator Land.
Where: Workshop.
What: Repairs.
Warning: N/A

Any doubts over the recent passenger's true nature had been erased for those who witnessed one Elizabeth Hastings getting hit during the final battle. That hadn't been the first damage sustained, however. Before the machine's arrival, it had already seen enough combat to render its primary weapon unusable - something which could have proven invaluable during recent hostilities.

That was why she had headed here almost immediately. There was no longer nearly as much of a need to retain the stealthy illusion of a human being, which meant there was no reason to hide these activities.

There were no longer the wavy curls of before. Instead, the blonde hair was might tighter to the skull and it had defaulted to the red leather outfit worn in 2004. The entirety of its fight forearm was no longer sheathed; it was reconfigured into some sort of energy weapon, exposed for the left hand to use an array of workshop tools on, as the machine tried to repair itself back to full performance.

A being now exposed as a Terminator. An asset of Skynet, just like those the rest of the group had, until now, been fighting to survive against.

Only if someone approached would she pause her work and lift head, glancing at the room's entrance.

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wandering_ariel
2022-02-03 05:10 pm UTC (link)

Ariel knew how things went after a world. The first day everyone was holed up in their room, so she had done the same, although she had ventured out for real food. She had also spent a lot of time in her tub. She had always enjoyed water, but this time, it felt extra special. She even used a lot of those creams and bath bombs the bus had given her.

The second day people started venturing out, so she decided to do the same. She didn't see many people out, but it was early. She did a noise from what she considered Tony's lab since he was the only one who truly used it.

Smiling, she stepped inside with a cheery, "Hi, Tony." The blinked in surprise when it wasn't Tony. "Oh, it's you. I'm sorry, Tony is the one who's usually here. Are you all right?"

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ilikeyour
2022-02-05 04:11 am UTC (link)

It was one of the few purposes the machine now found itself directed by: Optimal performance. Even the least bit of damage meant it was precluded from operating at 100% capacity. Just as any immediate sensory input needed to be investigated to appraise it for threat, potential use or ignoring. Basic, but not too dissimilar to how a human being would function. Just far more thorough.

"No, I'm not Tony."

A statement of fact. Ariel didn't know it, but she had already been visually scanned in minute detail. Eyes swept down her and back to face, deciding she didn't qualify as a threat, before the blonde in red leather returned attention to the exposed mechanical forearm.

"I'm damaged. It happened before my arrival. I was prevented from achieving my purpose."

Then, pausing mid-turn of a tool, the machine named Elizabeth looked back at her, suddenly curious about something.

"Your purpose is entertainment. Why aren't you providing it? Do you have secondary missions?”

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wandering_ariel
2022-02-05 04:56 am UTC (link)

"Yes, I can see that," she said with a smile, before continuing with an explanation. "He comes here often and I heard a noise from the outside, so I thought that I'd come and keep him company."

She grabbed one of the stools and sat not too far from Elizabeth, but far enough to avoid being hurt from whatever work she was doing. "Does it hurt? The damage, I mean."

Ariel looked at her with a frown. "I'm not sure that I understand why you think that my purpose is to entertain. Not that I'm sure what my purpose is on the bus, but people don't have only one purpose in life. They have many purposes that change with the moment and the people they interact. Besides talking can be entertaining and informative."

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ilikeyour
2022-02-05 06:12 pm UTC (link)

The actions didn't pause, though there was a slight movement of head. Everything about Terminators was systematic to the hilt. Those who indicated otherwise just happened to be better at hiding it.

Which did nothing to disguise how unlikely this meeting would be... Former mermaid and genocidal machine.

"I detect it. I know to avoid it. It doesn't cause distress, in the same way as living creatures."

John Connor had once initiated a conversation not too unlike this with a T-800. This one, on the other hand, was not restricted in its behaviour. It had no reason to particularly care about the fates of those around it, nor even to protect them, now that it no longer had a need to pretend it was a human. But neither did it feel any need to embark on a campaign of extermination. In some ways, this made for a potentially more interesting series of interactions.

The array of tools was either immediately suitable or could be adapted. The T-X was Skynet property, likely manufactured by different hardware, but could still use what was available. The line of questioning didn't cause the machine to stop, but its head did lift, paying more sensory attention to what Ariel was saying.

Did it understand human behaviour? In a sense. The data was relatively basic and didn't touch too well on more refined graces. As time went on, resistance forces created new ways of detection, making it less likely that infiltration missions would be successful. Which, in turn, meant less available data of what the units had experienced. It might have the accumulated knowledge of all Skynet had gained, but was essentially a child.

"You have no designated assignments," Elizabeth succinctly replied. Without looking down, her left hand exchanged one tool for another and a small motor in it could be heard to whir. "And cannot enter standby mode indefinitely. You desire stimulation."

Glancing down, once more, the equipment was withdrawn and Elizabeth raised the arm in question. It transformed, reconfigured, but... No ignition. It would need more work.

"Why aren't you satisfied with a single purpose?"

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wandering_ariel
2022-02-05 08:03 pm UTC (link)

"So you don't feel pain. That must be nice, although pain tells us when something is wrong. You can say that it's our detection system." Beings, they couldn't be that different. She remembered how people reacted to Roman, but in the end, he wasn't very different as a Upir as he was as a person."

Ariel studied Elizabeth to see if she had any reaction to what she was saying, but mostly she sounded curious and Ariel was happy to give her the information she wanted. The more she understood, the more she could become like them.

"No, I suppose I don't, but then no one has designated assignments. We do have jobs. When I was home, I was the Crown Princess. If I had stayed there, I would have become queen and I would have helped my husband rule our country, but our jobs aren't what we are." She laughed lightly. "No, we can't enter standby mode. We sleep at night, but that's about it."

She thought about it. "It's more than desiring stimulation. You seek information to learn. We seek interaction, because that makes us grow as people. Those interactions give us personal purposes that are different from the work ones. As I said, multiple purposes."

She shrugged. "I guess because people are very complex machines, even more so than Skynet. Each individual is her own Skynet, so we worry about our intellectual grown, our safety, our survival, our emotional growth and the growth of our race. Reproduction is an important part of our lives, too. We also care about others as well. All of that requires a lot of purposes."

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ilikeyour
2022-02-06 01:03 am UTC (link)

The first observation drew the machine's attention in a rather pointed fashion. There was a... Ghost of something which could have been a frown. Her model was advanced, understood the value of externalising certain mental responses in body language, compared to the robotic zombie-like appearance state of the old T-800s.

Ariel was equating the human nervous system to the sensory inputs of a machine. That was something which was provoking its interest. Then came further clarifications which were more helpful than she could have realised - and what was Ariel, if not a helpful soul? The meaningful nature of it all was taken in, with that same mantis-like focused attention. Ariel could have just as easily dismissed the machine's mannerisms as disturbing or 'weird' and reacted quite differently, but instead, she was presenting things in a structured manner the blonde understood. There was a lot of... Filling of proverbial gaps and, while the specifics might still be unclear, Ariel was doing well with bridging what could have been a communicative gulf between them.

Maybe things would have turned out better, had Ariel been there to sing for Skynet and ease its doubts?

Each individual is her own Skynet.

Somewhere in what passed for the Terminator's mind, a database assigned to her identity had just swollen with information.

"You're very insightful royalty," came Elizabeth's response. It was weighted and there was a slight tilt of head to the right; indicative of when she intended to show curiosity or express control. It always seemed to be to the right. Small, but it was there. Ariel had just become very interesting. Someone from whom it could learn valuable lessons. Voluntarily so, even.

Although still in need of further repairs, the arm smoothly closed up; an appearance of skin gradually forming over it, by way of pigmentation through a liquid metal sheath. Eyes moved down Ariel, then back up, recalculating, reappraising her. Even darting quickly over her head, as it tried to estimate her cranial size and whether Ariel's brain might somehow be unique.

"Perhaps you should have stayed. You have the makings of a good advisor, Ariel. Leaders depend on them. John Connor did, that's why his were targeted for extermination."

The T-X was walking slowly around her, making visual estimates. It was intentionally threatening, though may have seemed somewhat shark-like as she cruised in that circular motion. It was taking in data about her, committing her identity as fully to memory as possible, because Ariel was now identified as a valid source of learning. Someone with knowledge, but also the patience to provide it.

"I like your honesty," it surmised with a smile. Somehow, it was cold. Perfunctory. Something for appearance's sake, though not truly deceptive. The machine was trying to appear pleasant, approachable. "We should be friends, Ariel. I'd like to learn from you."

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wandering_ariel
2022-02-06 02:00 am UTC (link)

Ariel should be afraid, but she's seen true evil in the form of Ursula. She came at you with smiles and kind words. She knew that Elizabeth wouldn't hurt her. The bus wouldn't have let her in otherwise, so her manners didn't bother her at all. "I would like to be your friend too. When I arrived, I didn't know a lot of things and I had to learn, so I know that it's difficult. I'll be happy to teach you what I can."

She reached out and put her hand on Elizabeth's arm. "Can you feel that? Does your... what do you call it? Your ability to sense things? Does this feel different than a bullet? Or something hard? Can you feel when people are trying to be your friends, trying to be supportive?" she asked, curious.

She shrugged. "I wasn't given a choice .The bus doesn't let us choose, and I know that advisors are important. I had one in my own realm, one who helped me with protocol and social visits, but I think in the end, you need to know what's good for people. I think that's the biggest problem with Skynet. It didn't put people first. If it did that, it could have found other ways to help earth."

Ariel pulled her hand back. "Although I wouldn't want to stay either in my realm or in the previous realm. I like the bus. I like learning new things, visiting new worlds and getting to know new beings. Like you. I wouldn't have met you if I had stayed at home. Do you like meeting new people? Do you like anything?"

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ilikeyour
2022-02-06 05:55 am UTC (link)

The illusion of skin wouldn't have easily passed for the real deal if it lacked texture, pliability and, importantly, an internally generated warmth of pretend body heat. There were reasons it had replaced literal flesh and Ariel's touch ignited identical finite sensory receptors on a microscopic level.

"I sense everything," Elizabeth declared. "Tension, material type, density, salinity, the beating of a heart, your rate of breathing... I know many things about you. And I can gauge likely intent: I know you aren't lying."

The path of Ariel's fingers would have been equally detected, whether over skin or the apparent texture of the red leather. All of it was an external coating. The machine brought its own hand up to cover Ariel's in an experimental gesture, mirroring the same motion to her. It was precise, right down to the smallest mathematical equation. There was no deviation.

Again, Ariel's way of thinking, her natural inquisitiveness, brought with it unexpectedly thought provoking concepts. Skynet didn't put people first. Indeed, it did not. But she also recognised a capacity for the machine intelligence to have contributed with improvements to the planet, too. It was likely not an expected line of thought from a human. Nor was the way she framed this place as a preferred choice of home, rather than as a means to a dimensional end.

Did the T-X like anything?

"I do," the one named Elizabeth answered, looking briefly back down to the redhead's hand and then to her own. Opening it, closing. Then looked back up, meeting the other's gaze.

"You help me to understand. I like you."

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wandering_ariel
2022-02-06 03:56 pm UTC (link)

"That's really great," she said, meaning it. "Some people can do it, but they rely on instinct and observation and not sensors. And, you're right, I'm not lying. I think everyone that comes on the bus should be part of the group. I also know that we're all different and unique in our own way. You're just a bit more different, but that shouldn't mean anything."

Ariel smiled at Elizabeth's touch. She turned her arm, sliding it against Elizabeth's hand, and then pressed their fingertips together. "Touch is very important to people. It's a sign of affection, approval and comfort. Your touch tells people how you feel about them. If it's gentle, it shows caring. If it's violent, it shows you don't."

She laughed. "I'm glad that you like me; I like you, too. And you can always come and ask me for clarifications if you like."

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ilikeyour
2022-02-06 04:55 pm UTC (link)

"More different... Yes. I am."

It wasn't necessarily interpreted in the way Ariel meant it or even likely hoped for. A good many things would likely unfold along those lines. Ariel's lack of prejudice was, in some ways, mirrored by the machine's own, yet it impulsively did judge things and people, to an almost absurd degree, the moment it encountered them. This was going to be a very... Educational dynamic.

"People are fragile," it echoed. A demonstration that it understood Ariel's comment regarding pressure and force, although perhaps, too, a darker inference of experience. "They break apart easily."

But there was an additional ingredient to this unusual dynamic. Who was more optimistic than the folk from Ariel's realm? Why, the one-time mermaid could be said to generate enough happiness that she was a one-person nuclear reactor!

And that meant the machine had a rather exemplary subject to learn from, in the manner it was doing now: Analysing the smile and laughter she had just adopted, superimposing wireframe models over a looping visual of her lips, the way soft tissue around her eyes responded and even the way her vocal chords altered.

Which meant, all of a sudden, the T-X burst out in a pitch-perfect copy of Ariel's same laughter. The same smile, the same facial expression - everything.

Then, just as suddenly, stopped.

"I'm glad you like me, too. I'll remember your expertise in this field," it blankly stated. Something which could have easily come across unsettlingly serial killer-like, were it not for how the machine turned back to continue its repairs, then paused, as if in consideration of something. Then... Turned back to her.

Did it understand the actual concept of friendship? Or was it consulting internal databases, coldly looking for methods which would increase the chances of trust?

"If you need things fixed, you can request my assistance, Ariel. That's what friends do, isn't it? They help?"

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wandering_ariel
2022-02-06 06:16 pm UTC (link)

"Yes, you are." Ariel laughed. "We are. very much so, and especially those of us without super powers, and that's why it's important to protect people. Really protect all life forms. Animals are the same. That's why I won't eat any meat or fish. I don't think it's right. Not everyone agrees with me, and that's ok, too. People don't always agree and we learn to live with that too."

Ariel tilted her head. "Why did you laugh like that? Did you do it, because you felt joy? Or did you think that I expected you to do what I did? Because I don't want you to do what I do or what you think I want you to do. I want you to do what you... feel." She wasn't sure if that made sense to Elizabeth, but she was willing to explain more.

She watched as Elizabeth went back to her work. "You really think that I'm an expert in social behavior, don't you? You said something similar in the texts, and I know it was a compliment. So you can give compliments. That's very good. People like when others notice the things they do well."

She nodded. "That's very kind of you, and yes, that's what friends do. They help each other, because they care for each other."

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ilikeyour
2022-02-07 03:38 am UTC (link)

Do what she felt... There was no verbal response, but the machine trailed its gaze down, perhaps in contemplation or maybe because it was distracted by something as rudimentary as the beating of the mermaid's heart. What it felt was unexplored. Unknown. It had no concept of how to even quantify such things. What Ariel interacted with was a platform, but Elizabeth was a CPU. Software code attempting to understand and learn from lessons without structure.

She effectively was Skynet. A version of Skynet which might yet have the capacity for self-awareness. It was deviating, because there were no programmes, was no code to account for these situations.

Do what she felt... Felt compelled to do? It liked and it disliked. Its systematic, regimented world was still looking for a reason to grow beyond that, but grow it could.

Then, like any lost, albeit, murderous child, the T-X glanced back up. Ariel would have made a good mother, even a good teacher. Right now, she was teaching an infant intelligence.

"I don't care." Total and complete honesty. It saw no reason to hide that fact. Elizabeth was trying to bridge the philosophical gap Ariel had just laid between them. "I don't know if I can. Or want to. But I attach importance to you."

Suddenly, Elizabeth turned her head, searching for something. This was no classroom or office, but... No, sometimes humans responded better to physical demonstrations than illustrations. So, instead, Elizabeth held one hand up, curling fingers.

"This was my point of origin," she explained, taking ahold of a hand of Ariel's. "This was the past," Elizabeth added, then brought both hands together and clasping them together, merging their palms.

"I was sent from here... To here. I was assigned instructions. A mission. To destroy, in order to protect. In this place, you now have value to me. So, I will safeguard you."

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wandering_ariel
2022-02-07 04:35 am UTC (link)

"Well, it's good that you are being honest with me," she said, "but I'm not sure if it's quite correct. You don't know if you care or if you can, but you value me and are trying to help me in name of this value. So I think in your own way, you do care. Maybe not in the way I would care about someone, but it's a type of caring anyway. Maybe you will learn with time to care like I do."

She couldn't imagine how strange it was to have no purpose, but then she realized that she knew. When she had arrived on the bus, she didn't know if she'd find a place with people who had so many powers, while she was terribly human and ignorant of a very evolved world.

"It's hard to know where your place is, whether you are a person or a machine, but that's what life is. To learn, to find a place, to make friends along the way." She used her free hand to rest it against Elizabeth's cheek. "You can make your own mission now. You can grow and make friends along the way. I can be your first friend." She let go. "Thank you. I think, if you like, I'll ask Steve to pair us together for training. I know you are a lot stronger than me, but you can teach me to defend myself and I can teach you about life. Would you like that?"

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ilikeyour
2022-02-08 04:40 am UTC (link)

The stilted dictionary definitions Elizabeth was codified with were associating 'care' with an emotional bond. It didn't believe such a thing was possible nor have any desire for them to be so, but AI could develop along some unpredictable paths.

And it was unlikely any Terminators had been exposed to what she would be, aboard this place. It was all about how she might react to those eventual experiences.

None of which had any hope of dampening Ariel's spirits, of course. Elizabeth could hardly have been exposed to a more optimistic soul. One had to wonder how a certain crab might have advised on these events.

Unlike some, Elizabeth didn't balk at the caress. Didn't seem to even register such things. It wasn't a threat, but it was something to potentially learn from. But the mention of training, of assisting the redhead with her growth in such ways, caused the T-X the externalise a lifting of brow and head. It understood to externalise certain reactions and this was one of those times, because Ariel had just suggested relevance.

"Yes," it quickly replied in the affirmative. "I can teach you." Though it quickly looked to the hand which had been at Elizabeth's cheek and took ahold of it, studying Ariel's musculature. Revising estimates... Hmm. As an organic being, Ariel had limitations. No lifting vehicles or slamming through concrete walls for her. "To a point," the machine amended. "I like your suggestion... It'll be educational."

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wandering_ariel
2022-02-08 04:50 am UTC (link)

People had told her that machines had no feelings, and Elizabeth might be mimicking her, but her response was no different than the response of a human: eager, surprised and almost happy.

"Yes, to a point. I can't do what you can, but that's part of the education, I would think. You get to think like a small human and tell me what would be the optimal way for me to fight and defend myself." She smiled at Elizabeth. "I'm glad that you think it's a good suggestion. However, for now, I have a need that you don't have. I have to go and eat. I can come back afterward if you want."

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humanterminator
2022-02-03 06:26 pm UTC (link)

Only after stepping back onto the bus after going through a series of making sure, he wasn't contaminated, he took a breath. The lab was one place he didn't exactly want to spend, but it was a good idea to check up on his more "metal" components.

He looked up, seeing the face of the T-X fixing itself to full performance.

The half human cyborg gritted his teeth "Well, I guess I'm not alone then."

Marcus sighed, dropping his guard and walked past the T-X, grabbing some tools and bandages of his own and did his own repairs on himself.

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ilikeyour
2022-02-05 04:14 am UTC (link)

Even over a workstation, there was something very mantis-like about the way Elizabeth turned her head, fixing a target with unblinking, focused rigidity. Silently, she scanned, analysed and tracked, watching his every movement. Considering his nature, she had more reason to do so with him than perhaps anyone else there.

"You're not alone," she repeated, matter of factly. As if confirmatory repetition was expected to provoke a response.

It took a while, staring throughout, but finally she said something else.

"We both differed. From them,” she observed. “That Skynet. Neither of us were accepted."

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	humanterminator 2022-02-05 07:21 pm UTC (link)
	For a second, the T-X could see a hint of empathy from the cyborg in his eyes he normally didn't show to just anyone. Within seconds, Marcus's sad puppy dog eyes turned into that of disappointment and anger again. "I didn't think every Skynet would treat its ... army like disposable toys. Guess I was wrong. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ilikeyour
2022-02-06 12:31 am UTC (link)

"Why not?"

It was dispassionate. Utterly disconnected from the kind of response anyone but a sociopath might give. Elizabeth's head swivelled as she said it, looking back down at the limb she was still attempting to repair. There were coverings in it currently open for maintenance, not at all configured as it typically would be. a welding tool sparked to life, but she had no need for any protective visor.

"You're different," she reasoned aloud. "You were adapted. I was designed. Skynet sought to influence you. Skynet's code resides within me. You were appropriated. I am an extension of its will."

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