2434/Mismatched Gears

Mismatched Gears
Date of Scene:	12 September 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Gothic Lolita, Viridian, Indigo

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Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Since the rescue has ended, and the ship arrived at Rizen 3 for repairs and recreation, Lolita has been wandering the ship a bit. She went off to explore by herself, and even ended up purchasing a new outfit of the local style (as her space kimono suffered an accident), as well as just helping out with repairs and moving. There's only so much she can do though...she's really only good for brute work, as she lacks the technical knowledge to really do a lot. She has gotten to know some of her crewmmates she didn't know well before, Gamora and Angela, and she's been able to talk with Indigo about what she's feeling, a bit at least. The younger gynoid isn't able to do much more than offer emotional support, as best she can. She's not very good at it.

    Really, the only person she hasn't been able to talk to has been Viridian...and that's because she's been giving her as much space as she can. And because she...really doesn't know how to talk to her. Indigo is easier...she's a gynoid as well, and Angela and Gamora are both warriors, so she can understand them a bit. Not so much the somewhat mysterious human girl.

    Today, she's sitting in the little alcove at the end of the crew quarters where she often plugs herself in, sitting comfortably on the deckplating, her legs pull up against her butt, folding against her body, her head pillowed against the bulkhead next to her. She looks...peaceful. And other than the cord plugged into her belly button, she looks pretty much like any girl who might have fallen asleep while waiting outside a door.

Viridian has posed:
    Viridian comes out into the hallway slowly. Her hair is shifting toward cerulean and her eyes are a bright green at the moment, giving the girl a faintly inhuman appearance. Of course, she's a Xandarian and so that is somewhat to bdee expected. She stops to look at the gynoid as he is about to pass, slowly tiltign herh ead to the left. Silence follows for a moment while Viridian considers what she might do now. She resolves to wait for the other female to awaken. Viri is walking without her prostheses today, thoguh she does so with somewhat wobbly steps. Its' a good start, moving under her own power.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    After a moment something in Lolita seems to sense the closeness, as her blue eyes suddenly open as she focuses on you. "Hello Viridian." she says pleasantly. "Are you feeling better today?" She flicks her eyes down, noticing the walking without protheses with a bit of suprise...after all, she never really knew why she had them. She assumed she'd suffered some sort of unrepairable nerve damage.

    She reaches down to unplug her recharge cord, then gets gracefully to her feet, automaticaly dusting off her very flimsy skirt. Apparently the local style os more a swimsuit than a dress, really. Though it does look at least a -bit- frilly.

Viridian has posed:
    "...Hello," Viri starts slowly. SHe leans up against the walll, her legs hsaking visibly as she is doing so. "I'm feeling better, yes." she doesn't indicate how much, The girl's hair shifts toward the same pink Indigo tends to favour and for a second she is contemplating the far side of the hall. "Did you rest well? I mean... As far as that applies to you. I don't know what you're- schematics are like..." She flashes Lolita a brief smile then, blinking slowly as she does.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Lolita cocks her head, then steps over to you, murmuring. "I'm well, thank you for asking. Indigo recently upgraded some of my core personanity engrams to bypass some hardcoded limitations, and I'm getting used to the...unusual ways my mind is starting to expand. Emotionally speaking." She smiles faintly. "Would you like to sit down? Indigo made a wonderful meal last night, I could heat something up for you if you are hungry."

Viridian has posed:
    "NO... I'd rather stand," Viri responds slowly. "I need to get used to it again." She swallows hard then, leaning herh ead back slightly, and then flashes Gothic Lolita a bright smile. She seems to be practicing if one is to be uncharitable. "Upgrades, hmm? How are they feeling so far? What emotions where you missing previously that she was able to award you...?" Those curious eyes are blue now, the colour they were before the incident on board the Skullship. She watches Lolita with renewed interest.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    The other girl smiles quietly, a sort of 'amused at the world' sort of tiny smile. "How to feel shame." she says after a moment. "What it's like to be in conflict with my primary directive when my personal desires interact with it." She clasps her hands demurely in front of her translucent skirt. "I've never had that sort of conflict before, because...I really only knew my brothers and sisters. And they were Livewires like me, with the same primary directive built into them. So we were always in sync. I never really had friends outside of that. And most of my emotional engrams were...modified, to make me a better operative."

Viridian has posed:
    "What is your primary directive?" Viridian asks seriously, nodding as she does. The pink hair is quickly shifting toward red. Red hair, blue eyes. It actually looks very natural on Viridian when she wears it, like it might be her natural colour. It's impossible to say, of coursa.e Nevermin that her hair is no long hair at all ut instead some sort of technoorganic composite. The redhead takes a deep breath and holds it for a moment, nodding her head as she does. It's the most engaged she's been in a conversaiton for awhile now.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    The other gynoid seems moderately fascinated with the color changes, though she's trying not to be rude by staring. Her eyes do flick to your hair with each shift however, briefly. "Well, it's a series of interlocking commands and directives, to be honest, but...most simply put, absolute loyalty to Project Livewire and its goals. Which would be the destruction of quasi-legal research faciltiies that are pursuing dangerous, immoral, unethical, or just plain stupidly catastrophic if they go wrong experimentation."

Viridian has posed:
    "Absolute loyalty with a side of espionage and destruction," Viri responds, nodding slowly. "I participated in a few missions like that myself when I did the mercenary circuit with Max. That was right after I had his weapons installed so that I could... Do the mercenary circuit. You know. I was a combat engineer," Viridian continues in a cheerful tone, nodding slowly as she does. Those blue eyes become green now. Red shifts slowly toward blonde, hitting all the notes of strawberry along the way. "And now? Did she... Free you from that directive then...?"

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Lolita smiles. "No. She couldn't. It would mean...dismantling the personality matrix that's grown. Like a vine grown around the lattice of the directive, it's a part of me. It would basically require resetting me to a 'stem cell' state, at least mentally." She shrugs. "But...before this...I wasn't allowed to consider what I could think if I ran into a conflict...or even to realize I should feel ashamed if I put the directive before someone I cared about."

Viridian has posed:
    "Mmm. But do you still have to do it?" Viri asks softly. "Or can you tell it no, I have to do this first?" She tilts her head slightly and then gives a faint nod. Small hands come to rst on the petite engineer's knees. "Either way, I'm glad she was able to help you. You did so much for us..."

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    That faint smile returns. "No, I cannot." she says gently. "Refusing to carry out my primary directive would be being disloyal to the purposes of Project Livewire. I can, however, edge around it....for example, my programmers never considered I would ever be operating off Earth, which has confused my priorities somewhat." She smiles a bit, then says gently. "I'm very happy you're together again. I would do it again if necessary. Even if it had meant my destruction." She shrugs. "I was made to be expendable, after all."

Viridian has posed:
    "You're not expendable," Viridian responds hotly, shaking herh ead as she does. Her eyes briefly gleamin a virulent green and her hair is nearly the colour of flames. "You're not, no matter hwat your creators tried to make you be. Your'e as importnt as any of us." She shakes her head slowly and hten breathes a soft sigh. "So it's confused. You have more autonomy out here...?" She asks slowly, tilting her head as she does so. "So, um. What have you been doing with your newfound freedom...?"

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    "It's a good summation, yes. Since I'm not longer within the situation my programmers envisioned, I have a great deal of freedom, as long as I don't return to Earth." She tilts her head. "I've been...thinking. And meeting people. I've been talking a lot with Indigo to help her deal with what happened to her. I've been sparring with Gamora...I even went to a zoo on the planet with both of them, which was wonderful." She hesistates, then says softly. "You seem better as well...I've never seen you without your exosuit before..."

Viridian has posed:
    "Better is- relative. The virus finished assimilating most ofm y legs, so they- work properly again..." Viris shakes her head and then flahses Gothic Lolita a somewhat rueful smile. "It's convenient anyhow." She bitesh er bottom lip then, fighting to keep herself steady. "Just need to stand a lot. Um. Does that mean you're going to keep staying with us?" She asks then, tilting herhead slightly as she does.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    There's a slightly questioning look in Loli's eye at the mention of the virus...she doesn't really know the situation there, other than it apparently exists and is held inside Viridian. "Yes. I am going to stay." she says simply, with a smile, then adds, thoughfully. "I'm sorry, I don't...know much about you Viridian. We didn't have much time to talk before the wedding, and then you and Indigo have needed time together. Should have time together." She smiles. "I don't really know much about what the virus means for you or...much else, honestly. Why your eyes and hair change color all the time..." she says curiously. "It's very pretty...and I assume it might be emotional...but...."

Viridian has posed:
    "...When I was young I was infected with the technoorganic virus. It turns living flesh to cybernetic components and corrupts bodies, eventually killing and - in some strains- taking control of them." Viri takes a deep breath and then holds it for a moment. "Around a thirdo f my body has been converted, possibly more. Starting with some superficial things, like my hair..." She apuses for a mment, tiltign her head slgihtly as she does. "It might be easier to explain if I just feed the information into your processor. Do you mind...?"

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Lolita considers that, but only for a moment. "I don't mind. Go ahead." she says, smiling at you as she waits. "Does this mean you will be...in contact with my processor directly, both ways?" she wonders. "I've always wondered if that's what telepathy feels like."

Viridian has posed:
    "We can make it both ways... If you like," Viridian replies, nodding slowly as she does. Then she is simply 0 in Gothic Lolita's head. She starts to send through the information, a eries of images translated far faster than real life. Of Viridian in the hospital, and the tracking of her disease's progress as it ravaged her nervous system. How she used her powers to seize its progress but had to sacrifice her ability to movep roperly. The way it continued at an accelerated rate when seh lobbed it at Brainiac 8. How it's fully infected her nervous system now and is only held back by a firewall that Indigo stole for her from the Brainiac, having seen it used as an emergency countermeasure during their fight. She just keeps sending images. Of course, a good computer can do many things at once.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    But, it's immediately evident...Lolita is not a good computer. She's nothing like Indigo, not just in terms of complexity, but in that she's been restrained from operating past slightly above normal human levels of speed and processing. Where you could process at superhuman computer speeds, she's been underclocked to keep her from thinking much faster than an organic intelligence. Her processor is like the vine she mentioned...her mind organic in how it's grown, shot through with the unyielding nature of her directive. She absorbs what you send her easily, though she's a bit slower in processing it through...though you notice, there's a very large gap in her memory systems currently. Entire sections have been written over, with some dataclusters having been pruned back ..in some cases so only fragments of memories remain now.

Viridian has posed:
    Viridian is patient, at least. She sends the image at a pace Loli can comprehend, throttling it downward forcibly when things become overwhelming for the gynoid's processors. Viridian just watches her silently the whole time. This is still faster than speaking directly, after all. Viri finally wraps her arms around herself and leans it into the wall behind her. Finally the girl closes her eyes. "I's infectious," she finishes simply. "If I handled it incorrectly it would be, at least. Not right now. But... You see? The movmeent difficulties, changing hair color.... All symptoms of the disease."

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    The gynoid closes her eyes while she processes. She pushes the information into her memory, at least...that part is quick, and there's lots of room there. She does the equivalent of speed reading after that. "Ah..." she murmurs softly. "I see. A very virulent virus." She opens her eyes again. "But you have a firewall in place now to prevent further infection?

Indigo has posed:
    <<Oh, hello, Gothic Lolita,>> Indigo broadcasts into the other gynoid's mind, the greeting tinged with the flavor of surprise. Viridian's eternal connection to Indigo to borrow Brainiac-level processing power has made the technopath something of a switchboard; a wifi hotspot, a thought which flashes through Indigo's brain with amusement. She, her wife, and her friend are having a psychic LAN party! <<Sorry if I'm intruding. I just noticed your presence on Viri's network and wanted to say hi. Would you two like me to silence my end of the connection?>> Her tone is polite, edged with a bit of anxiety and embarrassment at the intrusion.

Viridian has posed:
    <<...Of course not,>> Viridian responds immediately, blinking once as she does. <<Gothic Lolita hasn't been transmitting anything currently and I have nothing to keep you from." She shakes her head and then slowly straightens, her hair shifting toward aquamaarine as green eyes find Indigo's face. The Xandarian straightens, then wobbles slightly and finally seadies herself with a hand against the wall. <<Join us? I was just explaining the technoorganic virus to Lolita..." She smiles briefly.

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    <<You are not intruding.>> Lolita responds. With the two connected to the same 'hot spot', Viridian can easily feel the differences...Indigo, a beautiful interlocking series of incredibly dense code, like a small sun...Lolita like a sparse, crude, almost set of interlocking clockwork complexity in comparison, with wide-spaces between vine-like organic code. Indigo is elegant and well-designed; Lolita is fragile, made of interconnected code that doesn't look like it was made to go together really; some brilliant, some crude.

    <<We're in the crew quarters.>> she adds, apparently agreeing with Viridian about Indigo joining.

Indigo has posed:
    <<I'd like that. Thank you,>> Indigo broadcasts, mostly pleased and a little shy. <<I'll be right there. I'm not doing anything important anyway.>> She's seen Gothic Lolita's code before, and now as then, she offers no judgment of its complexity; the only value that matters to Indigo is that it composes the personality of her friend, and she therefore cherishes it.
    It doesn't take Indigo long to join the other two. The Milano is a cozy boat. Even so, she knocks diffidently on the bulkhead opening into the hallways to and from the crew quarters. "Hi, you two," she greets, Gothic Lolita's face getting a fast, shy glance, Viridian's getting a longer one with a smile attached. She joins the group on and at Viridian's side, one arm wrapping comfortably around Viridian's waist. It's not an accident she's providing Viri some physical support along with the affection. "So, discussing the virology of the disease, or just talking about how it affects you?"

Viridian has posed:
    "Loli was wondering why my hair and eye color changes spontaneously," Viridian relates simply asq her eyes prove the point by shifting toward a distinct shade of violet. The Xandarian leans against Indigo when supporti s offered, allowing herself to be moreo rl ess carried. A deep breath is taken and then held once more, and Viridian lets the seilence settle in for a moment.
    A smile is offered to Indigo then and Viri adds, " Itold her everything, from when I was little. Thus the networking - fraction of the time." She gives a slow shrug of her shoulders now. "We hadn't gotten to virology. What have you been doing so far today, Indy? I know you say it's not important, but... Humor me?"

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Lolita tilts her head, leaning back against the wall again behind her as she clasps her hands loosely in front of her. She smiles briefly at Indigo in greeting, but seems content to hear the answer to Viri's question for the moment, not offering anything herself..

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo kisses Viri's temple, just shy of where that multichromatic hair grows. "I was just cleaning tools down in the engine room. I've been cleaning a lot lately." This statement is offered as fact. You don't need to be a Brainiac to imagine why the symbolism of cleanliness would be appealing to Indigo here recently, but the rituals of her coping mechanisms aren't terribly interesting even to her.

Viridian has posed:
    Indigo kisses Viri and the Xandarian sighs soflty. SHe nods then, looking between the two gynoids thoughtfully for a moment. "I know. Lots of cleaning.... And now everything shines but it fels like ther'es more to do." She shifts her weight against Indigo briefly then adds,, "We should od somehting though. Get to know Loli better, wander he ship... I don't know. I've been keeping myself coopedu p in here ever since we came home,. Seems like it's time I... Stop."

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Loli tilts her head, pauses for a moment, then smiling at the couple opposite her. "I do not plan to go anywhere..." she says cheerfully. "But you have not been able to complete your honeymoon. You should take time to explore the world outside, it is very beautiful, and peaceful. A place to center yourself, they would say on my world."

    She smiles softly. "After all...you deserve to enjoy beauty together, after this...interruption." After all...they match. It just take looking at them to see that, how perfectly they go together. Like perfectly fitted gears turning in sync.

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo diplomatically draws no attention to Viridian's self-criticism except by tightening the one-armed hug on Viri's waist. "Viri and I always have alone-together time," she explains, tapping her own temple with her forefinger to illustrate. "We don't need to ignore you to do that, so let's go do something. We have a whole galaxy of diversions to choose from. What would you like to do, Loli? Your choice."

Gothic Lolita has posed:
    Lolita pauses, then seems to actually look...hesistant. "You are connected, but you have not been allowed to enjoy diversions with the two of you alone. This is how you make memories that are special between you? Many of the diversions on this world are intended for couples, or similarly connected groups..."