8247/Sentinels: On being Alive

Sentinels: On being Alive
Date of Scene:	10 July 2019
Location:	Triskelion
Synopsis:	Agents May and Skye interview the Sentinel Sebastion, and get a gist of his personality.
Cast of Characters:	Bastion, Melinda May, Quake
Tinyplot:	Sentinels

---

Bastion has posed:
Sebastion has been brought to SHIELD. A room was created for him specifically, it has been secured by SHIELD tech personnel, in a manner similar to a room normally used to contain subjects that have powers. These personnel are optimistic but cannot guarantee the security and safety of the room (or visitors) against an artificial entity they are unfamiliar with. The room has been adjusted to appear more comfortable than most cells, including some pictures, a cot with plaid sheets on it, some paperback books, a plastic table and chair, some other things, to emulate being far better than just a cell.

There is a little potted plant on the table (a peace lily), a small little sprout of green leaves and a white bloom. A calendar has been stuck to the wall, but it's on the wrong month; it's back to June, showing a field of golden poppies.

The occupant is laying on the cot like a corpse, eyes closed. Sebastion looks much like a big, wide military male. His hair is a short, cropped pale blonde; he isn't particularly handsome, his jaw is a little too hard, maybe, but he's not bad. He's dressed in the same thing from the NYPD prison time: prisoner khakis with a number printed in a few places. His left arm's sleeve is tucked upwards with a rubber band, as his left hand is still gone, from elbow down. He's barefoot, and there's some bruises and injuries on his left foot leading up under the pants on that side.

Melinda May has posed:
May leads Skye toward the isolation room she'd had the Sentinel cyborg Sebastion brought to. Since this was done on relatively very short notice and the initial emphasis of the isolation room was to secure it against Sentinel-based communications, so things are still being arranged, acquired, and so on. Case in point: May is carrying a small stack of clothes that are commonly found in the training areas -- sweatpants, t-shirts, sweatshirts, socks, and similar.

They reach the door and she looks at the younger agent. "From the sounds of things, the NYPD were treating him as a suspect and a threat. I have no intention of repeating that treatment, but we need to be prepared in case he does turn out to be aggressive against us." She leads the way through the security 'airlock' system, leaving all of her electronics there, then knocks at the door to the actual room and waits a polite amount of time for the being inside to respond.

If he doesn't, she'll proceed through into the room.

Quake has posed:
Skye follows along with May, listening. "And.. we're not. Treating him like a suspect, right?" She might not be certain exactly what they were treating him like, but she suspected it was a lot more like how Cal had been a guest - not precisely free to roam, but also not exactly locked up. For both his, and their, protection.

There's a small balk at having to unload her electronics at the airlock. "Great, so this is how Samantha felt." For added measure, she removes her gauntlets too. After all, she's not supposed to be doing *that* anyway, and if she had to, she can without them, they're to reduce the chance of injury, not power her abilities.

"So that we're clear, my job today is..?"

Bastion has posed:
Sebastion heard the knock but didn't respond. When the door opens, though, he is in the process of sitting up on his cot, rotating a little bit to lean against the wall alongside it; one leg dangles off the bed, the other bent under it. He looks like a human that's been through something of a wringer physically, his manner is a little bit disconnected as if he'd been asleep, and is waking up to take in what's happening now.

"Hello," Sebastion says simply to the arrivals, his gray eyes taking on a more alert cast as he appears to study each of them. His expression isn't unfriendly: just reserved, cautious maybe.

Melinda May has posed:
"Eyes and ears mostly," May tells Skye, and then they're inside the room and Sebastion is sitting up. She sets the stack of clothing on the cot with the plaid blanket then stops a respectful distance away. "Mr. Sebastion, I'm Deputy Director Melinda May and this is Agent Skye Johnson. I apologize for intruding so soon after you've arrived, I have no intention of taking up too much of your time. May we sit and talk for a bit?"

May's tone of voice is calm and matter of fact. If one is familiar with pop culture references, she seems almost Vulcan in demeanor.

Quake has posed:
Skye shrugs. "I can do that." Mostly. She can mostly do that.

Divested of all things with electronics in them, Skye follows May into the room, nodding when she's introduced. A hand waved in the air with a half shrug and a "Hi" thrown in for good measure.

Bastion has posed:
Sebastion, who has been in some extremely different conditions, doesn't seem to overreact to the change. He finishes slowly watching them, and nods to May's question. He looks over at the single chair, but leaves it to the two women to resolve if one of them will sit and the other stand. His level of exhaustion makes it clear he'll stay where he is.

"My time is yours, while I'm here," he answers. His voice is measured, without hesitations. He seems calm. He nods to Skye's wave, and a small smile touches his mouth at her relaxed manner.

Melinda May has posed:
May stays standing, giving Skye the option of claiming the chair or not as she pleases. She's already suspecting that Lewis is going to make further changes to the furniture in this room, and her rule with stand. But if, say, a recliner from the break room nearby were to end up in here, she'd be anything but surprised.

"I was informed that you suffering negative effects either from your treatment while with the NYPD or because you don't have a way to replenish your personal energy reserves. I already have some of my top scientists assigned to help you that as quickly as possible. To perhaps help them, what would be your ideal way to replenish your reserves? Food, or raw energy?" Because if it's the former, she will have that rectified as close to instantly as possible.

The hint of a smile aimed toward Skye is not missed, and if the being relates to the younger agent over her, she won't be offended in the least.

Quake has posed:
The hint of a smile is returned in Skye's crooked fashion, and yes, the younger agent takes the chair. Someone should take the chair, and it makes more sense for it to be her than May if May is the one conducting this 'interview'. Besides, it's easier to watch their guest and try to figure him out from a relaxed position. "We brought you clothes. Figured you might not want to look like Jean ValJean for the rest of your stay here. And for the record, I'm not one of the top scientists."

The comes with another of those crooked grins, but no actual explanation of what exactly it is she does do here. Or why she's been chosen to accompany Agent May.

Bastion has posed:
Sebastion tilts his head a little bit as May asks him about replenishment. "I eat food normally," he answers, with a mild discomfort showing. "I don't plug into the wall." The joke was made, but he doesn't find it all that funny: much like an overweight person might joke about a health issue due to it, but it's not actually funny.

"Without fixing what's wrong with me, fuel is the least of my problems, but thank you." Sebastion is polite, returning respect with respect. He doesn't seem to get Skye's joke. "I'm not sure who that is, but I wouldn't mind a shower and change of clothing," he responds with a soft laugh, right hand drawing in to pick at the front of his prison khaki shirt once. "Though I'm not picky." There's a careful quality there: he doesn't want to offend someone that likes khaki, maybe.

Melinda May has posed:
May nods in acceptance of Sebastion's correction to her presumption. "That is what we want to do, fix what's causing your decline. Two of our best people are already at work on a solution."

"In the meantime," she gestures to the clothes she'd brought with her, about three changes' worth, "The shower and clothing is the least we can offer. It's not much of a selection because of the short notice, but we'll work toward correcting that quickly." Or she trusts that Darcy will. The clothes she brought, while simple and plain, are warm and soft, clearly selected for comfort though possibly a bit overlarge as she erred on the side of caution. And, the isolation room does indeed have an en suite bathroom that allows for as much privacy as a monitored room can permit.

Quake has posed:
"Jean ValJean. Some dude who was arrested for stealing a loaf of bread. Forget what else, but this police officer spends his entire life chasing him down only to figure out right before he dies that he was wrong. Stupid joke. Mostly meant you might want out of the prison clothes since you're not really a prisoner."

May has clothing covered... So... "I think folks weren't realoly sure what to expect of you, you know? The whole Sentinel thing. I guess we have some adjustments to make, but if you have a favourite kind of food we can make sure a nice selection is sent down. The cafeteria cooks are the best about things like that. And the clothes are fugly, but they're comfortable. And clean."

They might not be the best fit, but as May has already observed, they'd been chosen on short notice.

Bastion has posed:
"I have a... instinct about what needs to be done. With supplies, I think I can do it. I can participate," offers Sebastion, though with caution. Last time he offered to help out, it wasn't received well. "I know that my body seems to confuse scans." He's self aware, at least.

Sebastion nods towards the clothes, and then questions, "Did you want me to change now?" he questions. There isn't skepticism, he seems to really be asking. "I don't mind, I am just resting otherwise."

Skye's description causes Sebastion to nod again, though more slowly. "I'm a human, but I'm also part Sentinel. Not by choice. I don't want to be this." He rubs his right hand over his neck once, and then gently checks the tucked end from the sleeve that masks his missing left forearm, to be sure it is still folded. They read as uncomfortable motions. "I don't know what to expect of me, either."

Melinda May has posed:
May considers for a moment. "I'm no expert, but I suspect that we can start with basic hand tools and with descriptions or examples of the supplies you need we can bring you more specific items, within reason. You can understand that items that can potentially be made into weapons will be scrutinized more closely, I'm sure. But at the same time, we're a bit more willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

At his question about changing clothes, she shakes her head no. "Not unless you feel you absolutely need to right this moment for comfort or associative reasons." Translation: Sebastion won't shock her by shedding clothing, but she's not going to deny him the chance at some subjective privacy.

She doesn't comment on his last words, leaving those for Skye. Cold of her to do so? Maybe.

Quake has posed:
Skye frowns ever so slightly as Sebastian declares his makeup, and that he doesn't know what to expect of himself.

"You can change when we've gone. Or not. Nobody is going to make you.. but.. See, everyone think's you're one of them. And want to be. Well, not everyone thinks it, but peole aren't going to stop and ask first. Sentinels are kinda scary."

The frown remains. "Jeez, I know how that sucks, the whole no clue what the fuck you are or what you're doing, really. And, I won't lie to you, the possibility exists we can't unmake whatever it is that happened. I mean, we can try if that's what you want, and it sounds like it is, but we might not be able to. Could maybe see about jamming tech. Keep them off your frequencies at least till we've dealt with them."

More to the point, she knows exactly how he feels.

"Uh.. so, not sure it's completely comparable, but I meant it. I really get what it's like to have this thing happen to you and now you're stuck with it. I mean, you might not be a powered person, but not sure it's all that different. If you want someone to talk to about it, totally can listen. And, if you want, we can help you figure out what it is you can and can't do so you're not in the dark about what to expect of you. No strings attached."

Okay, May might not like Skye giving that offer, but it's out of the bag now.

Bastion has posed:
"I'm not trying to build weapons," Sebastion says quietly, with a mild rather human frustration under it. This is a soft spot, but he's containing his emotions, it appears. "At the very least, I need an exterior.... support for my mind. A crutch, but for thought. I lack the way to describe this." The frustration shows from the inability to convey it. "I'm sorry; this is what is killing me. It's difficult for me. I gave a parts list to Agent Coulson." He taps a few fingers against his forehead and then drops the hand loosely to his lap.

"I will wait to change, then. But thank you for the clothes," says the Sentinel, as May doesn't direct him to change right away.

Skye's explanation gains her some studying, heavy stare from the Sentinel. It's a little specifically keen, this look. But it only ends in a relieved, and trusting smile in return to her as she makes the offer. "I appreciate it. Really. I feel like when I speak about what I can do, it makes my situation worse, every time. I become scarier. I only mean to be truthful, and honest, but I have been met with fear. I have learned to ...shut up."

Melinda May has posed:
"We both know you're not, Sebastion. But my bosses and the people whose jobs it is to protect this building and everyone inside it have to think that way even if they don't think it's justified. I'll contact Agent Coulson and make sure that the items on that list are brought to you as quickly as possible, as a reliable pair of hands to help you put them together as you need." Yes, she's thinking Fitz, possibly with Skye there again to offer help and be a potential defense for the engineer in the event of a worst case scenario.

Speaking of Skye, her offer does not go unnoticed, however, as much as she might not like it, she thinks it's a risk worth taking. They could be gaining a potentially crucial ally here in their stance against the Sentinels. So, if Skye glances toward her, the younger agent will see a very slight and subtle nod. Permission to do as she's just offered.

Quake has posed:
The nod is noticed, but it wouldn't be the first (nor last) time Skye did as she thought was worth the risk. Probably one of the first times she's done it *right in front* of her boss, but then again, she hadn't gotten where she was by ignoring her gut instincts.

It's with a grim little smile that Skye turns a nod to Sebastian.

"People are afraid of anything they don't understand. Trouble is, you can't cant understand something unless you make the effort to try and learn about it. So.. So the thing is, people took a chance on me when I wasn't what they thought. Worst thing happens, this turns out to be a trap. But we'd still have learned something about you. I think you're worth the risk."

Another shrug.

"And if it is a trap, you already know what you can do. If it isn't, then you deserve to learn what it is you can and can't do. Nobody deserves to live in fear of themselves. That's a shit way to live. So, if you want somenoe to help, or just listen, I'm your girl. Added bonus, I get computers too. Though I'll confess I don't know much about the Sentinels, so you might be horrified at the stupid questions."

That comes with a smirk of amusement at her own expense.

Bastion has posed:
"Being one handed will slow me down a little bit with constructing, so help is... great," Sebastion says, with some relief, to May. His reaction to his missing hand is not an unusual one: he's clearly unhappy about it, but seems to have resolved to not fall into despair at the loss. Then again, repairs are a posisibility.

"I didn't know I was anything other than human until I accidentally shot some energy near someone. I did not mean to harm her. She is all right, but I ... struggle to live with that. It's still my responsibility, and I should have known, or." He shrugs both shoulders. "At least now it's half as likely." He made a sad little joke, again. His smile is brief.

"Almost everything I do know, now, is related to Sentinels. I won't be horrified, Agent Johnson: I didn't know anything at all a few months ago. I didn't have a name."

Melinda May has posed:
Sebastion's discomfort at his lack of a hand is not lost on May, and she's already mentally resolving to have Fitz check into that as well. Perhaps the engineer can make use of scans from Barnes' prosthetic arm to devise something that works at least similarly.

"All the more reason to take Skye up on her offer. Knowing what you are and are not physically capable of makes it far easier to chose when to use or not use your capabilities. Much like anyone who knows a martial art." She does indeed know this from direct personal experience.

Quake has posed:
Skye nods in agreement. The hand she can't do much about, but the other?

"I didn't know I wasn't entirely human until about a year ago. And the first time I.. made things happen.. I destroyed an underwater base. I had no clue. It just happened. It took me a long time to gain control over what I could do, and for bit I was afraid of me. I'm surprised everyone else wasn't more afraid of me."

She contemplates, then carries on, "Full interests of disclosure, I'm not a mutant. I'm kinda close. Probably close enough it doesn't matter to anyone except maybe my kind, or the Sentinels. I don't know if they care or not. But if matters to you, I'm not human. So when I say I get it, I get it. But I understand if maybe you're not ready for that, either."

After all, it was already a lot to take in that maybe you weren't human yourself, let alone this stranger might just well be exactly what you are supposed to be destroying.

"But you didn't have a name? Like.. are you saying you werne't alive a few months ago?" Which seems odd. From what she understands (and unless medical finds out otherwise) Sebastian was mostly organic in biology and should have grown up the way the rest of the world did. Unless they'd grown him in a vat or something? Hatched him? Something?

Bastion has posed:
"I... can't fly anymore, I learned," Sebastion says, perhaps somewhat out of the blue. "I think, the closer I am to death, the more human I am. I don't ... mind that part of it." He nods a little bit to May's assessment.

Skye's line of questions draw most of his attention, mostly due to how much information she's giving. He doesn't seem upset about her not being human or not being a mutant: there's just an open smile for her, of acceptance. There's no immediate attempt to kill her, no move towards it at all. There's no visual tell that he's a Sentinel, other than that they were told that he is.

"I believe what happened is that... I am a cyborg. Part machine. And when that happened, I lost any of who I was before," Sebastion explains. "I named myself, after the son of the woman that helped me, in my first memories."

Sebastion looks down over his left side: the hand, and so forth. "I don't know if she knew what I am. Maybe. I don't know what happened to her."

Melinda May has posed:
"Perhaps we should give you a bit of time to think and get that shower you want. I'll see about the list of items you gave to Agent Coulson." May looks at Skye briefly. "Skye can make sure the technical specialist I've tapped for this is up to date on what you need and how quickly we want to get this going."

She shifts her weight over to one foot, a subtle indication to Skye that it's time to step away for a bit. "If you think of anything else you need, or you'd like to talk with either of us or another agent again, the control panel by the door will let you talk to someone who can reach us." Yes, it's a polite way to say guards. It's likely clear that's why she's implying, but she's trying to make it not seem that harsh.

Quake has posed:
Skye gets up from the seat she's been in, "Sure. And if you want someone to talk to, or you know, tell people to back off or whatever, ask for me. I'll make sure you have what you need."

Skye smiles, then turns to follow May out.

Bastion has posed:
Sebastion nods, picking up on that they are going to go, and he is expected to clean himself up. He pushes off of the wall and stands up. He's something of a tower when standing, and perhaps stayed seated due to self-awareness of it. Some might be intimidated, and he didn't want to imply any attempt of intimidation. He uses his single hand to palm a set of the clothing, moving it towards the small bathroom, setting it just inside the door.

"I will be here," Sebastion answers, in a way that one would use if they could potentially go elsewhere. He is, in his way, saying he won't be a problem. "I can tell you are good people. I have a sense for others. Thank you for giving me a chance," Sebastion says, gently, to the two women.