Lancer wannabe

[cloningblues]

[1] [It's a video transmission! Which shows a teenage boy, trying not to be tense and awkward and failing miserably. Also it's very obvious he's reading from offscreen.]

Is this on...? Unity Group, I should introduce myself. My name is Toshikazu Asagi. I am a member of Team Rabbits, and the pilot of the experimental AHSMB Blue One. My team was assigned to work with you after the recent operation, and... I hope we'll be able to repel aliens and other enemies as well as we did this day. We saved lots of people together.

...I'm not the team leader, but if you hae questions for any member of the team, you can find us all around easily enough. Let's work well together.

[He sighs in relief. That went better than expected, despite his stage fright! Suddenly Asagi realizes the camera is still going on and grabs the screen, cutting the signal. The transmission is over but he can still be easily reached, either via the comms or in person.]

[2] [Asagi inspects his accomodations at Star Rose. The room is comfortable enough, much more spacious than what he was used to at the academy.]

This looks very good. I think I can get used to living like this! Just...

What are you doing in my room?

[Not restricted to just people he knows. Groups welcome too.]

Comments

[anewmachine]

Shouldn't I be? I get to do stuff! Real stuff, on my own, with my own hands! I can travel the world and the Earth Sphere, and see all kinds of amazing things that I'm right there for, for real!

I think it's pretty great.

[cloningblues]

Since you're an AI... Does that mean this is the first time you can, you know, interact with things?

[anewmachine]

No, no, I've been dealing with the physical world as long as I've been alive. My whole architecture's built around embodiment.

My hardware's big, though, and always changing while I grew up. The Rose is the first time I've really been able to move around with a body I'm inside, instead of one I'm controlling from somewhere else. Wherever I go, there I am. No lag, no disassociation. It's a whole different experience.

It's part of why I use things like this for human-scale stuff. [The drone spins in the air.] I could use a humanoid body, but if I'm just puppeteering it from outside, it feels... uncanny.

[cloningblues]

Hmm... Well, good for you, I suppose. A whole world of possibility is now open for you.

[Sounds like Asagi is not so excited about stuff himself.]

[anewmachine]

Hey, it's the same for you, you know! Even more so, technically, since you're younger than me!

[cloningblues]

No. I never had any possibilities other than being a soldier. It's something that was decided for me.

[anewmachine]

Huh? Who decided something like that? How?

That doesn't sound ethical at all!

[cloningblues]

I'm a part of the MJP Project. I've been in the academy as long as I remember, and all this time I've been told what a responsibility it is, that the fate of the world will depend on me, and all that stuff!

You can probably quit if you try hard enough. But would you quit, in those conditions? Just trying to find out makes you feel like you disappointed everyone!

[anewmachine]

[...Liz is quiet. She's not sure how to respond to that; most of what she thinks isn't anything it'd probably do Asagi any good to hear. After all, like he says... he does have a responsibility, or at least a burden few others can carry. Lives are riding on his fulfilling his assigned role.

But still... If he ever had something like a real choice in all this, he doesn't now remember it. And honestly, from what she knows, any choice he may have had wouldn't have counted for much - not when he was born and bred for one task, and raised knowing that. It's the kind of nightmare scenario people who don't know her all too often imagine her own creation was like.]

...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made assumptions.

I... don't know what you should do. Or what you can do. But... I hope you'll have the chance to figure that out for yourself. That's something everyone deserves.

[cloningblues]

Maybe. I mean... if I found myself in the same situation, but from my own free will, I would've done the same thing. Probably. I don't know.

Sorry you had to hear about this.

[anewmachine]

It wouldn't be any different if I didn't know about it. You don't have to apologize.

Things... are pretty desperate, with the Wulgaru, aren't they. But still, you really turned the tide at Nora. Maybe, soon...

Hey, do you have any hobbies?

[cloningblues]

I do a bit of many things. Nothing noteworthy.

[An elusive answer.]

Why do you ask?

[anewmachine]

Well, if you feel like you don't have much choice about your responsibilities, you can at least make the most of the time you've got for yourself. Who knows? Maybe we have something in common. Do you read? Watch movies? Play games?

I bet I could kick your ass at your favourite game.

[cloningblues]

I do a bit of all of those. I don't really play multiplayer though. I prefer games you can play alone in peace.

[Wow, this guy just sounds really boring, doesn't he.]

[anewmachine]

Hmmm, all right. If you change your mind, though, here's my contact.

[Liz makes a finger-guns ka-ching gesture at Asagi, both barrels hands. If he's got his phone on him, it'll signal an alert.]

I'm on at all hours.

Can you help me with the door, please?

[cloningblues]

Huh...?

[Distracted by phone. Okay, did a girl just give him her phone number? What is he supposed to think about this? Anyway, door open.]

Right, here you go. If that engine problem repeats itself, ask a mechanic to look at it, okay?