[mingle] the space (january).

[fracturamods]

interim mingle

( WELCOME BACK, TRAVELERS. )

There's nothing but the clatter of train tracks, and the odd feeling of almost floating.

When you wake, it's hard to tell exactly what it is that you're missing - only that you are. There are pieces that aren't quite right, even if you're not sure where those pieces would normally be. Pieces of what, exactly....? Well, if you had to put a word to it, it would be - yourself, probably. Or did you get something back recently?

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. Though it just as easily seems that the only form of welcome or explanation that you have, comes from nothing more than a slab of marble. It might've changed since the last time you saw it.

You might have changed since the last time you saw yourself too - perhaps with a new emblem on your clothes, or a portrait on your skin.

There's no need to fret that much though. You've already gone through the ordeal once, and you might be able to see results from it. Even so, it's best that you don't get too comfortable, because there is still the unshakeable feeling:

There's still much more ahead of you.

Comments

[rateup]

I'm not really picky, but... If I were to choose, I'd be a Knight. Knights are pretty cool.

[ thanks, 9S. itaru looks at his forearms and even peeks into his shirt if there's anything on his chest, but a burning sensation on his right bicep makes him roll up a sleeve and reveal a tattoo of an 8-bit crown. ]

...Huh.

[decryptic]

[ Knights, cool? More like clunky and overzealous. 9S thought he'd understand humans better after living an integrated life with them, fake though the memories may have been, but... I guess there's no accounting for taste. ]

A Ruler, huh? Though your crown's looking a little... low-resolution.

[rateup]

[ itaru frowns at the thought, like... what the hell, man. he just thinks they're neat. and he's toootally not biased that he played as one in a recent stageplay of his favorite videogame franchise either. ]

I like it. Kind of reminds me of the old days of 8bit pixels. And besides, how can you see this when your eyes are blindfolded?

[ is that rude to ask? maybe the kid's blind and he just made a random guess on his faction. ]

[decryptic]

[ 9S assumes the frown is associated with the low-res comment and goes on blissfully unaware that he may have offended a human. Truly, a happy ending. ]

They're goggles, actually. They come equipped with thermal sensors, target functionality, a customizable HUD, all kinds of good stuff.

[ And he'll make no move to take the goggles off. It doesn't occur to him at all that it might be rude to keep his eyes covered. ]

My name's 9S, by the way. I'm an android. Mage faction, I assume. Nice to meet you, sir.

[ He taps the little moon with a chunk taken out of it embroidered over his heart on the strap of his backpack. ]

[rateup]

An android? Like, for real?

[ because itaru knows an android back home, but it's a reaaally long story as to why there's one in the first place. so he's circling around 9S, checking him up and down with a keen eye. ]

Hm, hmm... You sound natural for one, but I can't complain about it. Also, your goggles look really dope - does it come with wifi?

[ can you play video games with it..... they kind of look like VR goggles, and all. ]

[decryptic]

[ Whoa, a human who actually seems familiar with androids... outside of sportsworld, anyway. 9S looks at Itaru looking at him, but stands still, unbothered by the scrutiny. He possesses no visible seam lines, appearing for all intents and purposes like a youthful human. ]

They have wireless connectivity, but they don't have access to the internet, if that's what you mean. I've searched high and low around here, but there's no internet to speak of, I'm afraid. The last place we were in had it, though.

[ And his sportsland self really enjoyed it... Social media and memes are so powerful. ]

[rateup]

[ well, whoever manufactured 9S sure knew what they're doing... not that itaru's an expert on the subject. their own android back home turned out to be human all along, but for a while he put up a pretty convincing job of it. maybe it's the same thing with 9S here? ]

Really? Damn, I guess I'll have to stop looking for wifi for now. [ he pauses. ] They keep mentioning the previous world... Did they really have golf and ice hockey on volcanoes and stuff like that?

[ kano told him that earlier, but itaru's got to make sure because... you know. kano. ]

[decryptic]

[ TURNED OUT TO BE HUMAN ALL ALONG i'm fuckin losing it what is your canon even ]

Sure -- in virtual reality. They were nuts about their VR.

[ That's the sad, boring reality of it... There was magic and stuff on the side, but who cares about that!! ]

What did you need wifi for?

[rateup]

[ i don't get it either bUT DON'T WE ALL COPE BY ACTING LIKE ROBOTS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE... ]

Oh, so they're all VR? Jeez, why didn't that kid just say so. I would've loved it there if that were the case.

[ he sucks at sports because of course he does ]

Just wanna check in on the stuff I left back home, like DMs and login bonuses. Don't you need any online updates too?

[decryptic]

Login bonuses?

[ 9S tilts his head at that. Even in sportsland he didn't play mobile games. He doesn't quite get how humans can get invested in fictional stories and characters as much as they do. ]

And nope, I run just fine without software updates and all that. Once we androids are rolled out, we are what we are until we get blown up or modified. It's simpler that way, don't you think?

[rateup]

It's efficient, yeah. But are you okay with being blown up or whatever? Unless you don't really have feelings on the matter.

[ do robots have feelings...? because for a robot, 9S sure doesn't sound like it. maybe that's how advanced his world's future is. ]

[decryptic]

Well... it's a little complicated. Used to be that I could backup my personal data on a big old satellite in space. If I got blown up, my most recent instance of data would just get uploaded into a new body, and I'd only lose the memories that happened in the interim. It isn't ideal, but its better than going kaput entirely.

[ 9S is probably worse about self-preservation than most other androids, but it's also part of what makes him a good support unit. ]

Still, I probably have a pretty different outlook on those kinds of injuries than you humans do... unless you figured out a way to regrow limbs and such?

[rateup]

Nope. Just some slow-ass regeneration through scabs and bedrest. But who knows what the future will bring, you know?

[ 2018 isn't much, but things really have changed a lot since the start of the decade. ]

I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I. It's Chigasaki Itaru. Uh, Itaru's my given name, in case your database missed that. [ since he's encountered some people from ancient china who observe different naming conventions than him. he's been mindful of it ever since. ]

[decryptic]

Understood. Japanese, right? I actually have experience with the language. I spent some time in the region.

[ Not that he had to speak it, but as a unit made for information retrieval, it made sense for him to have the language on file. ]

[rateup]

Oh? Were you there one a mission?

[decryptic]

[ 9S blinks from behind his goggles. Maybe Itaru understands androids even better than expected... which would put him in an interesting place on the timeline of human history as 9S understands it. ]

Got it in one. Recon, mostly. Can I ask what your experience is with androids, sir?

[rateup]

Oh, we have our own android back home... Kind of. He's gone through some character development of his own, so now he's trying to adapt the concept of human emotions. You know, typical coming-of-age stuff when it comes to robots.

[ even though Guy is probably much older than the rest of them... he's a cool dude, ultimately. ]

Still, for an android you seem pretty human yourself. I mean that as a good thing, of course.

[decryptic]

[ This is. So puzzling. There's a typical coming-of-age narrative for robots? He's never thought about how humans might have portrayed fictional A.I.... ]

Well, sure. We were intentionally made to be like you. I'm pretty sure I have more than a few years on your android, too. I come from 11945 A.D.

[rateup]

That far off, huh.

[ a beat. ]

...Does that mean the human race has been replaced by you guys?

[ poor 9s is going to have so many questions about how fictional robots have been portrayed in two-thousand-LATE-een ]

[decryptic]

[ jesus that pun ]

We weren't trying to replace you. It just kind of ended up... happening. Oh, but I really am grateful to be able to meet you all. It was every android's dream to see humanity safe and sound.

[rateup]

[ oh......... for some reason, that really got to him. there's a possibility that 9s might have come from an alternate version of a doomed earth anyway, but that doesn't stop itaru's features to soften with a smile. ]

Mm, I'm grateful too. And we won't let you down while we're all here, Nines.

[decryptic]

[ 9S twitches in surprise. He hasn't told anyone here about his erstwhile nickname, so 2B would've been the only person who knew it. Maybe it was just a whim of Itaru's to call him that. Either way, it's a jolt to 9S's system. ]

Er... Right. I know you won't, sir.