Gyo 2: Electric Roombaloo

[whats_a_good_end]

[Crystal mutations on people and gigantic, energy-draining crystal worms.  Just when it seemed like just a mundane situation, the Breaker theft had taken a turn for the bizarre, and all Ana could do was just hope that something would come to light about it all.  But right now she has a another crisis to contend with.  A far, far more wackier more immediate one.]

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEONE GRAB IT!

[Down the hallway goes Ana's prosthetic hand, jerkishly and awkwardly.  Sometimes "galloping" along its fingers and thumb, sometimes rolling on its length.  Ana herself is in fast pursuit, complete in fluffy sleeping pants and a tank top.]

AND IF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT "CLEANING ROBOT INCIDENT" SO HELP ME-

Comments

I'm so sorry.

[break_the_nine]

[A great distance away from where this was happening, Leos felt a sudden sense of impending doom as he was looking at an open door.]

Uh oh...

[Much closer to where Ana was though...]

"VREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

[We can all guess which door was left open as a pair of Doombas are attempting to aid in the Hand's escape.]

[whats_a_good_end]

[Oh god it really had been them.]

LEOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!!!

[She kicks out hard at one of the doombas, wanting to get it flipped over and on its back.]

[break_the_nine]

[The Doomba arcs across the air gracefully like an eagle on a pogo stick, spinning like a flipped coin before it lands with a spin. It doesn't stop the other one attempting to usher the hand away.]

[whats_a_good_end]

[Her attention turns back towards the other doomba and her hand, and Ana makes a dive to grab hold of it with her left. Unfortunately, it's still trying to pull itself away like some sort of parody of the Evil Dead.]

And you-! Too!

[The hand twitches and bends, trying to break free. It's all she can do to try to just push the other doomba away.]

[break_the_nine]

"VREEEEEEEEEEE!"

[The other Doomba is doing its best to try get at the Hand, or at least try to get Ana to release it... its honestly not that much. Then it abandons this to go flip over its comrade the right side up and attack Ana from both sides!]

[whats_a_good_end]

You're not getting off easy either!

[As soon as the Doomba prioritizes helping its brother, Ana quickly gives it a kick to tip it over upside down too. Awesome, that's both of them! And...

[... No hand. The darn thing slipped out of her grasp in the confusion! Thus with a weary huff, the chase continues!]

[break_the_nine]

"VREEEEEEEE!"

[Surprise! There's one more attempting to block your path as it bravely scoots towards your feet.]

[whats_a_good_end]

[Surprise indeed! In the midst of locating her hand once more, Ana's knocked off her center of balance and falls.]

Wuaaaaagh!

[She lands painfully... but rising back up she can see it! Under the bench right there... it's her hand!]

[break_the_nine]

[The Doomba revels in its victory! And thus it proceeds to attack Ana again... by struggling out from under her and repeatedly bumping into the side of her face.]

[whats_a_good_end]

[Every impact makes her face twitch in frustration, grumbles growing in volume by the moment.]

He's going to pay for this, no doubt about it!

[And with that she grabs hold of the Doomba and throws it in the direction of her arm to knock it off-balance and get time to get back to her feet.]

[a_louse]

[Roger emerges from behind the corner, and watches in confusion as the limb quickly approaches into his direction.]

What.

[whats_a_good_end]

[The hand skitters around Roger as fast as it can. Ana, however-]

Mr. Smith watch ou-wuaaaaaaaaaaagh!

[Too fast to stop she tries to just weave around Roger, but bad footing just makes her fall flat on her face.]

... You okay?

[She asks while trying to get back to her feet. Easier said than done when one of your arms ends in a stump.]

[a_louse]

[Roger tries to catch the escaping limb, but it's too fast! Also, Ana suddenly colliding with him and knocking both down doesn't help. The best he can do is catch her before her face meets the floor.]

I've seen people chase many things. But their own arm? That'd be a first.

[whats_a_good_end]

[She'd all but braced herself to hit the floor when Roger managed to save her. It takes her a moment to realize though she's not kissing the ground.]

... First for me too, believe it or not. Something must've gone wrong with the motors in it... or at least that's what I'm hoping.

[a_louse]

Quite a little ingrate, that arm. Or maybe you treated it so badly that it had enough and just jumped out of its socket?

I kid. We should focus on catching it.

[whats_a_good_end]

It's not sentient or anything.

[A beat.]

Are prosthetic sentient in Paradigm-

Rattle.

[Right! Arm! And there it is off in the distance, trying to pry off a vent covering.]

Oh no you don't!

[a_louse]

Of course not. I don't even know anyone who has them.

[Roger launches towards the arm, trying to reach it before it disappears in the vent.]

This one is acting very smart just for a dumb object, though!

[whats_a_good_end]

And I'll find out why once it's caught!

[Fortunately the vent's covering is now something that can easily be wrenched free... and though Ana's hand is somewhat heavy from the materials used in it, it's not some kind of superarm or anything. Roger snatches it up, and Ana breathes a sigh of relief.]

Not smart enough though, that's for sure.

[a_louse]

Does it have an off switch?

[Roger looks for one while holding the arm firmly.]

I don't think anyone would like it to squirm while you're reattaching it.

[whats_a_good_end]

Yeah. Should be a spot just before the limb ends, on the underside.

[Hand recovered, Ana lets herself sink back down to the ground and sigh.]

And believe me I'd rather not even put that thing on until after it's gotten scanned for defects.

[a_louse]

[Now that he knows what to look for, Roger deactivates the arm.]

Let's find out what's wrong with it then, shall we? I'm curious myself. I didn't know robot limbs can suffer from alien hand syndrome.

[star_of_sad]

Grab it? Roger! Please, just say what you're cha...sing...

[Setsuko appears on the scene and observes the wild chase.

She promptly freezes, just like that. Too weird, rebooting brain, brb.]

[whats_a_good_end]

[Yes, someone to- let it just skitter on by.]

... Yeah. You saw that right.

[star_of_sad]

How...?

When did my life become so strange?

[whats_a_good_end]

I know what you mean. Being a test pilot can be dangerous, but there's a method to it.

Here, it's just...

Was the Unity Group always like this?

[star_of_sad]

Let's see... there were aliens, and sentient robots, and transforming magical girls, and sentient robots who were also aliens and could transform as well...

[Setsuko is suddenly stirred from her state and notices the hand is trying to make its way off the field of vision.]

Ah, it's running away!

[whats_a_good_end]

So even from the sta-

[But then Setsuko points out the hand-]

-Talk later! After it!

[The chase begins again, the hand rolling underneath a wall-mounted heater towards...]

Oh no. NONONONONO!

[An open elevator.]

[star_of_sad]

No! I mean, yes! Yes, this is good!

[Setsuko runs up to the elevator doors... and starts slamming the hold button!]

It won't run away from a confined space!

[whats_a_good_end]

Then-

Then keep pressing it!

[She dived, the hand trying to double-back only to flee back into the the elevator, into a corner. Ana's lunge falls short, and from there she just sorta stumbles in, pressing her body against the general location where the hand is while it struggles for freedom!]

-Got you!

[Less than graceful but it worked!]

[star_of_sad]

I heard about alien hand syndrome, but this is...

Umm.

How did it happen?

[whats_a_good_end]

Wish I could- say!

[With her other hand grabbing hold of the prosthetic from behind, she wrenches it free. It's still writhing and trying to grab onto something, but she just turns it off.]

I'd just been leaving it on its charger while I changed and then when I looked back it was scampering out of my room.

... What's Alien Hand Syndrome?

[star_of_sad]

It's when your hand moves independently of your brain's conscious action. It often acts hostile and even tries to hurt you.

I mean, normal hand, and not, err...

[whats_a_good_end]

... So not any crazy thing you've run into here that I hadn't been able to read up on. That's a relief.

[She shuts off the hand and tucks it under her arm for safekeeping.]

And thanks. For the elevator trick, I mean.

[star_of_sad]

It's still a thing that happens. Just not as... intense and over the top. I think.

I didn't really do anything special here. Do you know why your hand suddenly started going off on its own?