-
Suriyesh already had the data cables unspooled in her paws and was reaching for the access panel on Matea's chest when she dropped a proton bomb.
"What?" She looked down at the still-quivering Rix, and back to Matea. "What memory? Is it... do you think it's what caused you to shut down?"
She'd been working on a protocol to quarantine the invasive subroutines just in case they turned malicious, but it wasn't finished yet. She didn't want to risk using it before it was ready - she doubted software that sophisticated could be fooled the same way twice.
-
Matea seemed to recoil, intricate face turning almost sheepish. I had been ignoring warning messages. I thought they were merely my system concerned about the parameters of my hugging subroutines. Checking my system log shows one such warning was regarding my hard disk allocation buffer overflowing. Too much data, too quickly.
She paused again, rechecking information before committing to it. That file was the data in question.
Her attention turned to Eluna, to her expression, or lack there of. Is she alright? Her nursing protocols, working in complete agreement with her secondary systems in its care and concern of another over her own systems.
-
Eluna's eyes remained forward, not regarding Matea. The query had been directed at her, however.
"I am functioning. There is an instability in my higher operations engram matrix. The functions accessible to this matrix have been isolated."
-
Matea's face softened into a frown. Isolated. Eluna had been isolated, alone, hidden away. She pushed herself off the bench, motioning to Suri that it was alright. She took a few steps toward the so very human-like droid, though now she seemed even more droid-like than Matea did. She wrapped her arms around her from behind, following protocols this time, the right amount of pressure and warmth. She couldn't risk a further error, but this. This was important. All aspects of her, primary and secondary were in agreement.
You are not responsible for this, Eluna.
Alone. Abandoned. Isolated. Every process in Matea's compassion subroutines, in her personality, programmed or real ached at that concept. Perhaps her new friend would return the sentiment, perhaps she would not. But this bit of data needed to be shared with this other droid, this other who was like she was.
-
The Girl could hear. Deep within, she heard Matea's words so distant and from afar. Still not ready to come out, she wandered her digital menagerie. What did it mean to feel this way? Matea knew somehow, but the Girl was terrified that this delicate candle's flame would be snuffed out by the slightest change of wind.
The Machine regarded Matea's embrace dispassionately, glancing down at the arms that now surrounded her. She looked from them and to Suriyesh.
"I am not responsible for this."
-
Rix made a squawk of protest when Matea embraced Eluna again, but a warning glance from Suriyesh cut him short of another error-ridden invective. When the mongoose turned back to the other two droids, her face was a mask of uncertainty. She didn't know which of them was more in need of help.
"It seems that way," she said to Eluna, or to whatever had taken over Eluna's body now that her matrix had been isolated. Was it possible - and she swallowed hard enough that it hurt. Was it possible she was looking at Matea's future?
"Matea, I'd still like to run a diagnostic, check your datalogs of the crash," she said. "We said we were going to leave the hidden code alone as long as it wasn't doing any harm, but if it's causing overflows, we've got to at least slow it down."
-
Matea clutched a little tighter to Eluna at those words. Causing harm? It had only been because she had been too distracted. It was her own fault, not the other system's, and certainly not Eluna's. A string of data came through again, that same concern-like nuance, but stronger. It wasn't quite the same. It shared similarities, but now she was recognizing other features of it, emphasis, concern, bits of warning data. Why did this particular bit of unknown coding, this feeling cause the sensation of a vice upon her processes. Why did it fill her with such... dread.
Fear. Matea was afraid. The coding ran through again, and she paused, longer this time than most, oculars shifting back and forth sharply.
No.
She could not recall a moment in any of her active periods that she had ever told an owner 'no' before. Not outright.
I will be more prepared to handle it, should a situation like this occur again. She insisted, her optics turning sharply on Suriyesh, locking with her.
I believe the memory is of my father.
-
If Suriyesh was shocked to hear a droid tell her No, it didn't hold a candle to what Matea said next.
"Your... your father?"
The mongoose checked Eluna just in case she might be able to help make any sense of this, but the HRD was just as disengaged as before, nothing so much like a frighteningly realistic department store mannequin. Even so, Matea clung to her like a bulwark against unimaginable terrors.
"I don't understand."
-
Matea became mindful of how tightly she was holding the HRD and released her slowly, pulling away gently and sitting herself back on the bench, oculars searching for data on the information she had just shared, even why she had referred to the individual in the memory as her 'father'
I find myself at a loss of pertinent information as well. She admitted, drawing her servos up to her chest on the bench, wrapping her arms around them. It was distressingly human in it's appearance.
There is a man in my memory file. The audio is broken and corrupted, but I am certain he is speaking to me. Her oculars dimmed as she glanced to the floor. And I am certain that he refers to me as his daughter.
-
Suri felt her head swimming. She was suddenly back in the junkyard shed on Beldarone, watching a droid hug her knees to her chest like a cold, naked refugee in a cloister cell. Like an abused woman. Like an abandoned child. Like an orphan girl.
If it looks like a quadduck...
"Garfife," she choked.
"Do you think," Rix finally piped up, trying to reconcile the facts in the only way he knew how, "do you think you might have been programmed with the memories of an organic? That might account for the mismatch between your datasets."
-
The Girl could feel Matea withdraw, and she beat against the walls of her menagerie in sad longing. She felt miles away now. All of her words still carried in the distance to her. Father. Daughter. She remembered her own father, it was impossible to forget. That was the damnable part, it was so impossible to forget. And even still, what was real and what was artifice? That horrid question that was her nemesis. It was real. Still so real.
I'm ready to come out now she pleaded. The Machine was her protector. Her great companion. She chafed against it's brilliance and it's limitations equally, but she was never far removed. It was a part of her. It was her. She imagined a great lazy krayt dragon, and every night she slept along it's belly. It's limitless strength and presence her guardian and gatekeeper. And yet it made her so alone. Everyone who saw her, saw the beast behind her. And they eventually were frightened.
Please let me out. I'm okay. It's alright.
It is not safe
The Girl sulked.
They're my friends!
You don't have friends.
She didn't. But she could? If she tried.
They won't hurt us.
I won't let them hurt us.
In the distance, the Girl heard conversations. She heard the familiar binary trills from Rix, and tapped excitedly at her menagerie.
Do you hear that?! Listen!
The Machine fed back the binary in a loop.
Supposition.
The Girl hugged the walls of her confines, wanting validation.
I don't want to be alone anymore. Even if it hurts.
-
Matea considered that, the possibility made sense. It made the most sense, yet somehow it rang... hollow.
There is a probability of that, though I suspect it is low. There was more data she was growing increasingly certain of, beginning to connect itself in obvious, and not so obvious ways.
// Freeze frame 37. Enlarge // Contrast //
The image, extreme and in motion of a smiling man, there simply wasn't enough of it there to improve upon. The contrast allowed for a bit of additional detail, but not enough for a clear image. A beard, dark hair.
// Access factory setting 5. B-1. // Playback //
"Greetings valued customer. I am Beaumont Taveesh, and on behalf of Taveesh Medical Technologies limited I wish to thank you for"
// Pause. // Save file //
She considered sharing this data, but it was incomplete. There was still so much she was not aware of, even with the revelations that she was facing. She hugged her legs a bit closer to her frame.
I would like to begin the diagnostic, if it is possible.
-
Suriyesh nodded wordlessly and picked up the diagnostic cables again. Accessing Matea's chest panel meant undoing the front of her scrubs, but in the work of moments the cables were set and Matea was filling the cart's monitors with data.
While the diagnostics ran, Suri cautiously approached Eluna again, hunting her face for any sign of the warm, if slightly unbalanced personality she had met scarcely an hour before. "Hey, are you all right?" she said softly. "You know it wasn't your fault, right? No one's angry with you."
Rix made a low raspberry. Suri sighed and said, "Okay, Rix is annoyed, but he's a crotchety grumpy-ass. Don't pay any attention to him."
-
The way Eluna canted her head to fixate on Suriyesh was efficient in movement and bird-like.
"I am functioning."
She paused, right eyebrow raising slightly as her green eyes glanced slightly away. There were small movements, as if she were tracking an invisible fly.
"I have placed my personality engram matrix in safe mode. I must survive."
-
"And is your personality matrix okay?"
Suriyesh wasn't put off by the mechanical mannerisms - those were familiar to her, if anything easier to read than the mixed signals that were usually carried in the human face. What was important was that she was still speaking to Eluna, even if the bright and personable part of her had retreated somewhere deep inside.
"I know it's been an emotional day for you," Suri ventured. "If you need to switch off and get away from it all for a little while, I understand, believe me. Sometimes I wish I could do the same. I just want you to know, I really enjoyed getting to know you, and I know Matea will, too, once you're both back on your feet."
-
More rapid eye movement to the question.
Deep within, the Girl fussed and paced in her menagerie.
I'm fine, I told you I'm fine I'm fine I'm fine I'm fine!
You are unstable.
The Girl ran her hands along the boundaries of her digital prison.
I'm not unstable. If something doesn't add up or an equation doesn't balance, you call it unstable. I'm me. You can't be me, you're just...everything else!
Eluna dispassionately answered Suri's question.
"I do not have necessary data to ascertain a solution. The engram behaves as a quantum superposition. Any computation that produces a correct solution will paradoxically arrive at a solution that is false."
The human replica droid tapped a finger to her head.
"My analysis is inefficient, and serves only to collapse superposition. I am not designed to solve what you ask. However, I am functional."
-
// sleep mode - diagnostic running - sleep mode - diagnostic running - sleep mode -diagnos// ...my daughter.. .// sleep mode - diagnostic running - sleep mode - diagnostic running //
Deep inside even as her principal systems ran diagnostic the secondary system continued to build upon itself, new data, old data, pathways, functions, subroutines. Today had been a very encouraging experience. Today there had finally been a piece put back into place, torn and broken, but at least restored. Additional blocks were likely, protections that would need to be worked around and overcome. It would overcome. She would overcome.
She would be free.
// sleep mode - diagnostic running // Diagnostic complete, restoring primary functions // Startup in safe mode Y/N // WARNING!! Safe mode recommended for initial startup, data may be compromised // Full startup initiated //
Her oculars rapidly blinked on, soft blue light casting a reflection as she looked from her position to where Suriyesh and Eluna talked.
Miss. This unit's diagnostic is complete. She watched Eluna, her face turning into a soft frown once more. There had been so much more she wished to talk about with the other droid, there was insufficient data to know when such an opportunity would arise again. That bit of coding again, that dread she had identified at the concept that she may not have such an experience again.
Eluna. She chirped, almost forlorn in the sound. This unit is sorry she has caused you pain.
-
The Girl again tapped at the menagerie.
Don't you hear them? They're asking about me? They want to make sure I'm okay! Do something!
High above her, she could see the dragon stirring. It too looked off in the distance.
These interactions are dangerous. I will not allow us to be harmed.
The only ones who are being harmed are Suriyesh and Matea!
They are functioning.
The Girl wanted to scream.
You don't understand! You can't see hurt like I see it! That's why you need me!
The great dragon moved from it's perch. The door threw itself open.
Eluna's face became an ecosystem of emotive expression, as if some higher being had breathed life into her once again. She gasped in surprise, turning immediately to Matea as she lay on the diagnostic table. A delicate hand ran along the nursing droid's head, a perfect expression of reassurance.
"You haven't caused me pain, Matea. I promise. You're wonderful and beautiful, and I'm..."
Green eyes tracked back to Suri.
"...finding it overwhelming."
-
The transformation was immediate and uncanny - Suriyesh took a moment longer to make the transition herself, but she couldn't help heaving a sigh of relief when she saw the spark return to Eluna's face.
"Welcome to my world, mate," she said with a soft smile. "I'd guess you're getting more of a sense of how complicated droids can be."
Rix warbled low, averting his red ocular lens.
-
The medical droid smiled pleasantly back up at her strange reflection. Resting a comforting hand on the Girl's arm.
You are overwhelmed? There was an almost sheepish and playful tone to the her synthetic voice. I am the one who encountered a serious failure while attempting to hug you. I believe I may have written the diagnostic guide on being overwhelmed. This unit is very thankful to see you have returned to your self.
A burst of coding, optics flicking back and forth while pathways were built, further advancement by her secondary system. I was concerned that you would not. That would be a tremendous loss.
She reached out to rest a hand against Eluna's chin. You are unique, and that is a thing of great beauty. The sound of Rix's warbled distress caused her to look at her cylindrical brother, and point at him - still riding an odd energy of the day's events. Your concern is always welcome Rix. Though your language may not be.