The Tale of a Jerk and a Scientist

[denigrator]

Characters: Hojo and YOU
Setting: Throughout the tower. Pick a floor, any floor.
Format: Action to start, but I'll match prose, too
Summary: After some time spent wandering his ruined world like a ghost, Hojo has returned to the Tower. His first priority? Research.
Warnings: A complete lack of scientific ethics, which may come up.


[A great deal has gone on in Hojo's absence--he's been gone months!--and this has had the unfortunate effect of upsetting so much of his research. He has absolutely no idea what's happened while he's been gone.

So what's a scientist to do? Make his way through all the floors he had been so carefully studying, trying to salvage what he can. Sometimes he talks to himself. Sometimes he hums. Off-key or tunelessly. Sometimes he scowls and stops to take notes. Sometimes he smiles. And stops to take notes again. He grits his teeth, doing his best to ignore the cold. He's worked in cold (very cold) climates before. Fortunately, he has a Fire Materia, which provides some warmth.

One might find him in the cafeteria, taking samples of the oatmeal.

In the observatory, he spends a long time looking out, studying the strange creatures visible through the glass.

He takes soil samples in the graveyard, and biological samples on floor Forty-One, collecting insects. He plucks a few blossoms in the meadow (Twenty-Five) and in the garden (Twenty-Nine).

He stops in the clinic to deal with a few of the wounds he's sustained along the way.

He pauses to enjoy the morgue (Twenty-Six) and the laboratory (Twenty-Seven), looking for traces of his old research with Fuhito. He doesn't find much, though what he finds, he gathers up. What a shame. So much work lost. All the more reason to work more, and harder.]

So much to do, so much...

Comments

[kosmic_angel]

Creatures found in the Imaginary Domain of existence and capable of interacting with this domain, the Real Numbers domain of existence. However, combating them is impossible as they never fully exist in this plane. Enough to interact and kill humans with a single touch but not enough for them to be killed.

There is a possibility that they could be surrounding the tower, yes. My capabilities do extend to combat outside of the Gnosis phenomenon

[And she'll continue to answer unless the answer was top-secret information regarding Vector or the Federation.]

That is a logical assumption. I have discovered that my systems are far more advanced than most are familiar with.

[She nods at the biologist comment, thinking of realians.]

[denigrator]

Imaginary creatures that interact with the real? I've never heard of such before, but I'm intrigued. Why is it that they threaten humanity?

With such difficult adversaries, I can see why such a special weapon was needed. If you're so dangerous to them, perhaps they've thought of a way to contain you, and that's why you're here. It's not very useful if you can't sense where they might be.

So you can, say, combat any other person or entity here? Or you could destroy this workshop, if you wanted?

Yes yes, I can see you're very advanced. Nanomachines, that's uncommon where I come from. What materials are you made of? You're convincingly lifelike, unlike the robots I'm familiar with.

[kosmic_angel]

The reasoning behind their attacks are unknown, only that they cannot be reasoned with or contacted.

[KOS-MOS shook her head, knowing it was a human thing to do and that Shion would encourage it.]

There is no data that implies that they have the intelligence to enact such a plan or the capabilities to do so.

That is correct. However, I would not kill, destroy objects or rooms without reasoning to do so.

[We'll just ignore when she killed Virgil, okay? Okay.]

I am afraid that information is only available to members of Vectors First R&D Division. Please contact Shion Uzuki or Allen Ridgeley if you would like more detailed information.

[denigrator]

So you know very little about them, then. Hardly enough to say for certain that they don't have intelligence or what they're capable of.

Are you capable of reasoning then, as well as destroying? I wonder what the reason to create a reasoning weapon is. [He gives a short laugh.]

Ah, there it is. I expected there would be some limit to your answers. It only makes sense. Such a sophisticated weapon should have its safeguards. Are these named individuals present in the Tower?

[kosmic_angel]

That is correct. I am built to fight them, to protect human life, not attempt to reason with them.

I am capable, yes. The reasoning is simple: a weapon without such a capability would simply kill or destroy with little or not discretion or concern about non-combatant casualties. As I am now, I would be capable of doing what is necessary without direct orders from my superiors.

They are, however Allen Ridgeley is not the one that I am familiar with. It would be best to speak with Shion in regards to my construction.

[denigrator]

I quite understand. I myself am a bioengineer. I've made organic weapons, for the good of the people, to protect them. [Not really.] Sentience, and independence, can be a double-edged sword.

The fact that you can act without your superiors' orders doesn't concern them? What if you get an idea they don't like?

And don't you feel that using your powers here might be a good idea, considering?

Perhaps I will, if we meet.

[kosmic_angel]

Yes, it can be. That is why I am programmed to obey all the orders that I am given by Vector personnel and the CEO. So, they do not need to worry about my acting on my own or having ideas that they do not approve of.

I do believe that my abilities will prove to be useful here, yes. There have not been ah need until this point in time, however.

[denigrator]

You don't wish to have your own ideas, or to act on your own?

You don't think there's a need? How will you discover whether your powers can combat this place without trying? That seems rather lax.

[kosmic_angel]

I do not. I see no point in it as I was constructed for combat purposes alone.

[That's such a huge lie but even KOS-MOS doesn't know about Mary's soul being inside her.]

I have already been in several combat situations with native monsters here and have had no difficulty in disposing of them. And my transfer system is functioning acceptably.

[To demonstrate, her F-SCYTHE appears in hand.]

[denigrator]

You only wish to fight, I see... You have no desire for human enjoyments or relaxations, no experience of pleasure? [Well, it doesn't hurt to ask...]

Yes, the native monsters are rather simple, not unlike the monsters of my world. Not that I'd want to fight them alone, ha ha.

Transfer system? Yes you seem to be well-functioning. [He raises his eyebrows at the scythe.] And what is that?

[kosmic_angel]

That is the purpose behind my creation so yes. I do not have any such desires.

[They are pretty weak. If she were able to feel or enjoy anything, she'd prefer the challenge of a Gnosis.]

The Transfer system is used to transfer goods from one location to another.

This is the F-SCYTHE, created by Miyuki Itsumi of Vector Industries Second R&D Division.