The Agent
Once Vector sent me the details of the conversation, I knew there had to be something more to the diplomat's crusade. There had to be some sort of connection I couldn't immediately see from what I had read so far. I needed to dig deeper. There had to be an inciting moment. Something that turned Umber's head toward the plight of constructs.
After an in-depth search, I thought I might have found it. At least, it was something that had occurred before the diplomat started speaking about constructs and there was some parts of the report I found suspect. It was clear the diplomat had been injured on the job, but what caught my attention was the chatter about the company providing security and the security detail itself. I couldn't find anything recent about this company...ah, there it was. The company had been bought out by Volent for their 'security line' of constructs. While I lacked details about what occurred on the planet, the connections were there for the base of a line of inquiry.
I approached the landing pad area, datpad in hand, scrolling through a number of screens. Vector was already there and I moved into place behind him and to his left. Today, I would act as his security detail. I looked up from my screen as his head turned and made eye contact with him. He seemed to understand what I intended by my placement and gave me a little nod. Ever the gentleman.
The diplomat's hired vessel approached, landed, and released the hatch. The woman who stepped out was unremarkable, but for the ease with which she exited. Vector had expressed his feelings about how Umber felt about Coruscant and how she'd seemed relieved to have a meeting place on a little-known planet. The evidence before me suggested that he was correct. Either this woman was very confident - or very dangerous - or perhaps a bit of both. The armour-clad security person behind her perhaps part of the reason for her confidence, but still. I found her ease discomforting.
"We are pleased to greet you. May the sun rise above you." Vector spoke, not as a host, but as a facilitator. This wasn't his planet, nor his people. He steepled his hands briefly, then flared them out to the sides in a formal gesture, before he angled his body toward Siralai and the other residents as a sign of deference.
I kept my face toward my datpad, but my eyes watched the shrouded security person. Just because Umber came here of her own volition didn't mean that she also came with the best of intentions.
Corporate Affairs
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Monkey Kitty
- Posts: 914
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Re: Corporate Affairs
Anke Umber and Rills
Anke nodded her head in gracious acknowledgment of Vector’s greeting. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Hyllus. I know of you by reputation - they say your work on behalf of the Killiks has been both inspired and tireless. There is a kinship between those of us who work for peace, I think. I would love to hear more about your experiences if time allows.”
She also nodded in acknowledgement of Vector’s security person, but did not address her further unless she was introduced. Getting too friendly with the bodyguards tended to be considered suspicious - you would be seen as trying to ingratiate yourself, or trying to distract them from their duties, neither of which led to positive relations with their employer.
Besides, they might reciprocate and try to talk to Rills, and at the moment, Rills was busy.
Siralai and Visper introduced themselves as well, and Anke kept all three of them chatting, making sure to engage them equally and not giving the appearance that she was singling any of them out.
Rills, meanwhile, was hard at work. Yes, they were of course serving in a bodyguard capacity, but that certainly didn’t take all of the construct’s processing power as they walked down the hallway, even though as always, Rills remained on alert for threats. Currently, Rills was also multi-tasking this with another of their functions. Rills didn’t need a technological device to make contact with nearby networks. Rills was a device to make network contact. They reached out experimentally, querying first the local networks, then any Volent-proprietary networks that might be running on-site. (Thus far, Rills hadn’t discovered any networks of the latter type.)
Right now, Rills was only looking for one thing, and any data not related to that aim was passed by untouched. Rills was searching for other constructs. And so far, they were coming up empty.
I don’t see anyone, Rills communicated silently.
Anke alone received the input via the tiny cybernetic implant in her skull, tucked just beneath her left ear, and responded in the same manner. Maybe we were wrong.
Maybe. Rills didn’t sound convinced.
They needed more information.
“I appreciate you being so kind and welcoming,” Anke said with a smile. “But I can only assume this was not purely a social call. Is this regarding my Senate testimony? I assure you, you’re far from the only ones with an opinion.”
She seriously hoped they hadn’t dragged her and Rills all the way to Odessen just to yell at her in person.
Anke nodded her head in gracious acknowledgment of Vector’s greeting. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Hyllus. I know of you by reputation - they say your work on behalf of the Killiks has been both inspired and tireless. There is a kinship between those of us who work for peace, I think. I would love to hear more about your experiences if time allows.”
She also nodded in acknowledgement of Vector’s security person, but did not address her further unless she was introduced. Getting too friendly with the bodyguards tended to be considered suspicious - you would be seen as trying to ingratiate yourself, or trying to distract them from their duties, neither of which led to positive relations with their employer.
Besides, they might reciprocate and try to talk to Rills, and at the moment, Rills was busy.
Siralai and Visper introduced themselves as well, and Anke kept all three of them chatting, making sure to engage them equally and not giving the appearance that she was singling any of them out.
Rills, meanwhile, was hard at work. Yes, they were of course serving in a bodyguard capacity, but that certainly didn’t take all of the construct’s processing power as they walked down the hallway, even though as always, Rills remained on alert for threats. Currently, Rills was also multi-tasking this with another of their functions. Rills didn’t need a technological device to make contact with nearby networks. Rills was a device to make network contact. They reached out experimentally, querying first the local networks, then any Volent-proprietary networks that might be running on-site. (Thus far, Rills hadn’t discovered any networks of the latter type.)
Right now, Rills was only looking for one thing, and any data not related to that aim was passed by untouched. Rills was searching for other constructs. And so far, they were coming up empty.
I don’t see anyone, Rills communicated silently.
Anke alone received the input via the tiny cybernetic implant in her skull, tucked just beneath her left ear, and responded in the same manner. Maybe we were wrong.
Maybe. Rills didn’t sound convinced.
They needed more information.
“I appreciate you being so kind and welcoming,” Anke said with a smile. “But I can only assume this was not purely a social call. Is this regarding my Senate testimony? I assure you, you’re far from the only ones with an opinion.”
She seriously hoped they hadn’t dragged her and Rills all the way to Odessen just to yell at her in person.
Re: Corporate Affairs
Lokin
"Valli, you didn't tell me you were in the cloning business." he began,before shaking Linc's hand. "Strong genetics, strong grip. A pleasure, I'm sure."
Lokin fell back into a waiting posture, finger to his temple, as the two Vallis openly discussed something they did not want to share. He hated when people did that. It made him feel like he was inconsequential. That they thought he might be beneath them. Not that his ego would let him take that to heart, but it still grated. He couldn't agree more with young Valli's statement - corporate worlds often got in the way of truly great innovation.
"Indistinguishable, you say? Still with the self-repairing function, I'd hope? Again, Lars, the implications for the medical field are astounding."
Lokin was starting to feel like he was getting close to mission central. The Agent must be planning on procuring this technology for the Empire. He knew she was driven, but to have picked up on this was remarkably astute. Part of his mind wandered to the samples he had taken of her DNA the last time she'd been unconscious in his med bay. What wonders he might be able to accomplish -- if he could pair up a G.I.N.A. with the Agent's innate talent.
"Valli, you didn't tell me you were in the cloning business." he began,before shaking Linc's hand. "Strong genetics, strong grip. A pleasure, I'm sure."
Lokin fell back into a waiting posture, finger to his temple, as the two Vallis openly discussed something they did not want to share. He hated when people did that. It made him feel like he was inconsequential. That they thought he might be beneath them. Not that his ego would let him take that to heart, but it still grated. He couldn't agree more with young Valli's statement - corporate worlds often got in the way of truly great innovation.
"Indistinguishable, you say? Still with the self-repairing function, I'd hope? Again, Lars, the implications for the medical field are astounding."
Lokin was starting to feel like he was getting close to mission central. The Agent must be planning on procuring this technology for the Empire. He knew she was driven, but to have picked up on this was remarkably astute. Part of his mind wandered to the samples he had taken of her DNA the last time she'd been unconscious in his med bay. What wonders he might be able to accomplish -- if he could pair up a G.I.N.A. with the Agent's innate talent.
Re: Corporate Affairs
the Agent
"Please, you may call us...Vector. We are pleased that you have heard of our work and would be willing to share our experiences with you of course."
My eyes slid over to stare at the back of his head for a moment, moved over to Umber without returning her nod of acknowledgement, then back to my datpad. Vector had told me that the diplomat had insisted on being referred to by her first name. I found the lack of formality disconcerting. It felt like she was setting the table for a very specific game. Of course, Lana had also insisted on being called by her first name, but in that case it seemed to be due to her familiarity and connection with the rest of the group. Umber had no such connection to these people - hence my suspicion.
I began looking for a sign of a recording device about the diplomat's person, the droids...the body guard. The blip on my datscreen was so insignificant that if I hadn't been looking for something on that bandwidth I would have missed it. The bodyguard must have some high-tech implants to be moving in and out of systems so quickly. And so cleanly. I had difficulty following their path. And yet, they were not leaving any code behind. Nothing to sabotage our systems, spy on our networks. What was it they were after?
The diplomat and I seemed to be on the same wavelength as she asked the question I was asking myself about her - why am I here?. I wished I could tell Vector what I was seeing. That they were here looking for something specific, but had not found it. Did they suspect that the Ginas were here? The constructs she was swearing to protect as people? If so...how had word gotten out? I looked at the bodyguard more closely.
How much did they know?
"Please, you may call us...Vector. We are pleased that you have heard of our work and would be willing to share our experiences with you of course."
My eyes slid over to stare at the back of his head for a moment, moved over to Umber without returning her nod of acknowledgement, then back to my datpad. Vector had told me that the diplomat had insisted on being referred to by her first name. I found the lack of formality disconcerting. It felt like she was setting the table for a very specific game. Of course, Lana had also insisted on being called by her first name, but in that case it seemed to be due to her familiarity and connection with the rest of the group. Umber had no such connection to these people - hence my suspicion.
I began looking for a sign of a recording device about the diplomat's person, the droids...the body guard. The blip on my datscreen was so insignificant that if I hadn't been looking for something on that bandwidth I would have missed it. The bodyguard must have some high-tech implants to be moving in and out of systems so quickly. And so cleanly. I had difficulty following their path. And yet, they were not leaving any code behind. Nothing to sabotage our systems, spy on our networks. What was it they were after?
The diplomat and I seemed to be on the same wavelength as she asked the question I was asking myself about her - why am I here?. I wished I could tell Vector what I was seeing. That they were here looking for something specific, but had not found it. Did they suspect that the Ginas were here? The constructs she was swearing to protect as people? If so...how had word gotten out? I looked at the bodyguard more closely.
How much did they know?
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Monkey Kitty
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- Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 7:31 pm
Re: Corporate Affairs
Anke Umber and Rills
"Yes," Siralai replied. "Your Senate testimony. It was quite... enlightening."
And still, no one was quite ready to break the ice. No one was quite willing to make the first move - the first admission. Because the stakes were too high. If someone had guessed wrong about someone's intentions, someone could die, or return to enslavement.
Rills was sort of paying attention - to the extent necessary to maintain safety protocols - but was more focused on the networks. Eventually, they gave up on doing things the tidy way, and just sent out a general ping. To humans (and equivalent) it would just read as a fluke fluctuation, but constructs would know another of their kind was reaching out. The other construct wouldn't be compelled to answer, but Rills was hoping that if one was in range, their curiosity would get the better of them.
protocol: security riii5. identify?
A brief silence. Then, with a Volent feed signature no less, a tentative:
protocol: gina 1. identify: gina.
Then, to Rills's surprise:
protocol: gina 2. identify: teal.
Huh. There were two constructs here (at least - two constructs who were curious enough or bored enough to answer, anyway) and one of them was asking to be called by something other than their designation. Interesting.
Rills pinged back:
identify: rills.
At that point, however, Rills became aware of someone else lurking in their network feed - which meant Rills was potentially in a lot of trouble, and the two constructs who had answered might be too. They weren't supposed to be communicating with each other without owner permission. Anke wouldn't mind, obviously, but these other people...
Rills hastily slammed their processor firewall up and started disconnecting from their network connections.
"Yes," Siralai replied. "Your Senate testimony. It was quite... enlightening."
And still, no one was quite ready to break the ice. No one was quite willing to make the first move - the first admission. Because the stakes were too high. If someone had guessed wrong about someone's intentions, someone could die, or return to enslavement.
Rills was sort of paying attention - to the extent necessary to maintain safety protocols - but was more focused on the networks. Eventually, they gave up on doing things the tidy way, and just sent out a general ping. To humans (and equivalent) it would just read as a fluke fluctuation, but constructs would know another of their kind was reaching out. The other construct wouldn't be compelled to answer, but Rills was hoping that if one was in range, their curiosity would get the better of them.
protocol: security riii5. identify?
A brief silence. Then, with a Volent feed signature no less, a tentative:
protocol: gina 1. identify: gina.
Then, to Rills's surprise:
protocol: gina 2. identify: teal.
Huh. There were two constructs here (at least - two constructs who were curious enough or bored enough to answer, anyway) and one of them was asking to be called by something other than their designation. Interesting.
Rills pinged back:
identify: rills.
At that point, however, Rills became aware of someone else lurking in their network feed - which meant Rills was potentially in a lot of trouble, and the two constructs who had answered might be too. They weren't supposed to be communicating with each other without owner permission. Anke wouldn't mind, obviously, but these other people...
Rills hastily slammed their processor firewall up and started disconnecting from their network connections.
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Monkey Kitty
- Posts: 914
- Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 7:31 pm
Re: Corporate Affairs
Lars and Linc Valli
"The G.I.N.A.s do have some self-repair ability, but not to anywhere near the extent of the combat-purposed units," Valli Senior replied. "That is by design. We have to consider the nature of their likely functions. Please imagine this scenario: An enemy operative has been captured. She is interrogated aggressively and left in a cell. By morning, her wounds are completely healed. That would immediately arouse suspicion."
"They'd know it's not a person," Linc said bluntly.
"Precisely. We must make the unit respond as naturally as possibly, including to injury and healing. It shouldn't matter too much, of course. If a G.I.N.A. is doing its job, it shouldn't be getting injured much. Not like the combat-focused units, which are designed to take a real pounding."
"Of course, we don't judge the uses our clients make of our merchandise," Linc added smoothly. "If a client wanted a G.I.N.A. to use as an extremely expensive punching bag, that's fully their prerogative. It would be an incredible waste of resources, though. Pardon my bluntness, but if you just wanted something to beat up on, slaves are much cheaper. The G.I.N.A.s will tend to appeal to a more... serious buyer. Wouldn't you agree, Doctor?"
"The G.I.N.A.s do have some self-repair ability, but not to anywhere near the extent of the combat-purposed units," Valli Senior replied. "That is by design. We have to consider the nature of their likely functions. Please imagine this scenario: An enemy operative has been captured. She is interrogated aggressively and left in a cell. By morning, her wounds are completely healed. That would immediately arouse suspicion."
"They'd know it's not a person," Linc said bluntly.
"Precisely. We must make the unit respond as naturally as possibly, including to injury and healing. It shouldn't matter too much, of course. If a G.I.N.A. is doing its job, it shouldn't be getting injured much. Not like the combat-focused units, which are designed to take a real pounding."
"Of course, we don't judge the uses our clients make of our merchandise," Linc added smoothly. "If a client wanted a G.I.N.A. to use as an extremely expensive punching bag, that's fully their prerogative. It would be an incredible waste of resources, though. Pardon my bluntness, but if you just wanted something to beat up on, slaves are much cheaper. The G.I.N.A.s will tend to appeal to a more... serious buyer. Wouldn't you agree, Doctor?"
Re: Corporate Affairs
The Agent
"Well, that was a short conversation."
I spoke aloud, without taking my eyes of the diplomat's bodyguard. In truth, it was a guess on my part. I did not recognize the signal. My slicing did not reveal any particular network trace - which was precisely why I thought it might be a proprietary network that I hadn't yet worked with. And then when the bodyguard started throwing firewalls up, well...it seemed a reasonable assumption. I turned my head to address Umber.
"You were eager to come here because you were hoping to find constructs, correct? If so, I believe our next question is - why? What would you hope to gain?"
I realized I was breaking the stalemate, but at the same time we could not dance around the issue forever. Especially not when they had a way to communicate with the Ginas. What were they telling them? Despite the news article I found myself questioning the diplomat's motives.
"Well, that was a short conversation."
I spoke aloud, without taking my eyes of the diplomat's bodyguard. In truth, it was a guess on my part. I did not recognize the signal. My slicing did not reveal any particular network trace - which was precisely why I thought it might be a proprietary network that I hadn't yet worked with. And then when the bodyguard started throwing firewalls up, well...it seemed a reasonable assumption. I turned my head to address Umber.
"You were eager to come here because you were hoping to find constructs, correct? If so, I believe our next question is - why? What would you hope to gain?"
I realized I was breaking the stalemate, but at the same time we could not dance around the issue forever. Especially not when they had a way to communicate with the Ginas. What were they telling them? Despite the news article I found myself questioning the diplomat's motives.
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Monkey Kitty
- Posts: 914
- Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 7:31 pm
Re: Corporate Affairs
Anke Umber and Rills
Anke's smile pleasant smile wavered for a moment.
How fast can we get back to the spaceport if they start shooting? she asked Rills via her cybernetics.
>Fast enough, if I pick you up and run...
Great.
>But it's not going to matter. The ship left.
Double great. Guess we just have to talk our way out of this.
>"We"?
No.
"I'm terribly sorry," Anke said, the friendly, easy smile returning. "I've been rather a rude guest."
And now she was left with a dilemma. In Republic space, Rills was still an illegal construct. The Senate legislation - disgusting as it was - allowed for the enslavement of constructs, but required them to be under human control. Which Rills most certainly was not. So how did Anke answer? It depended on whether these people had figured out Rills was a construct at all or not, and she had no way of knowing that. If not, they would be safer if she proceeded pretending they were just a human employee. If so, she would need to pretend Rills was under her control - but that was a lot riskier than just avoiding the construct dilemma in the first place, because they would have to be meticulous about feigning obedience.
She tried to split the difference.
"I had instructed my Head of Security to--"
What were you doing?
>Sending out a ping.
"Send out a ping because--"
>I was trying to find other constructs on the network before that and I couldn't.
"I had hoped we could determine if you had any constructs here yourselves. As you know, the issue has suddenly become rather fraught, thanks to the Senate and the intervention of the Volent corporation to broaden their own market. I wanted to figure out if our interests align."
And that was still entirely unclear.
Anke's smile pleasant smile wavered for a moment.
How fast can we get back to the spaceport if they start shooting? she asked Rills via her cybernetics.
>Fast enough, if I pick you up and run...
Great.
>But it's not going to matter. The ship left.
Double great. Guess we just have to talk our way out of this.
>"We"?
No.
"I'm terribly sorry," Anke said, the friendly, easy smile returning. "I've been rather a rude guest."
And now she was left with a dilemma. In Republic space, Rills was still an illegal construct. The Senate legislation - disgusting as it was - allowed for the enslavement of constructs, but required them to be under human control. Which Rills most certainly was not. So how did Anke answer? It depended on whether these people had figured out Rills was a construct at all or not, and she had no way of knowing that. If not, they would be safer if she proceeded pretending they were just a human employee. If so, she would need to pretend Rills was under her control - but that was a lot riskier than just avoiding the construct dilemma in the first place, because they would have to be meticulous about feigning obedience.
She tried to split the difference.
"I had instructed my Head of Security to--"
What were you doing?
>Sending out a ping.
"Send out a ping because--"
>I was trying to find other constructs on the network before that and I couldn't.
"I had hoped we could determine if you had any constructs here yourselves. As you know, the issue has suddenly become rather fraught, thanks to the Senate and the intervention of the Volent corporation to broaden their own market. I wanted to figure out if our interests align."
And that was still entirely unclear.
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Monkey Kitty
- Posts: 914
- Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 7:31 pm
Re: Corporate Affairs
The Agent
Well. That had certainly set the proverbial ball rolling. While the diplomat was obviously dancing around some unknown truth, she was still revealing more of her hand than she had since arriving. The deep passion - desperation - in her voice formed a sharp contrast to the legal speech.
I was certain that this Anke Umber was an ally of the Ginas. Whether or not she would be to of any of us, I was less certain. If I was incorrect about the former, I had every confidence that we could handle anything she and her security person could dish out. But still…there was something that was bothering me.
I had a feeling that ‘something’ was right in front of me.
I looked to Siralai and Visper expectantly. Ultimately it was up to how they felt about the newcomers - I had no claim to the rights and freedoms of the two constructs I had overseen the saving of. And I supposed, neither did they. Perhaps that was the crux of it.
Anke Umber seems to be genuinely concerned about constructs and their rights. I believe her security person has already reached out? Do you wish to interact in person?
I sent the brief missive to the Ginas. Oh, Gina and Teal, according to the new descriptive tags on the second ‘Gina’s’ address. I realized that I had allowed a slight smile to come to my lips while I was distracted by this information. I decided to leave it there.
___________________________________________________________________________
Anke Umber and Rills
Siralai and Visper, oblivious to most of what had taken place, just exchanged a look.
“I understand the situation is delicate…” Siralai began, with more than a hint of uncertainty. The Force was not whispering any hint of threat. She felt - and it seemed Visper agreed - that they were still allies. But unfortunately, the Force could still be rather nonspecific at times.
It didn’t take Gina and Teal long to appear; it seemed they’d already been on their way to investigate the situation.
Rills and Anke turned toward them… and both froze. Anke’s hand reflexively laid itself on Rills’s arm. Rills had no physical reaction.
Rills, I’m sorry. We’ll get them out of here. I promise, Anke hastily communicated to Rills via her implant.
She wasn’t quite sure how she was going to keep that promise. But she’d find a way. Did she have enough credits to buy a couple more constructs? Brand new Volent models? Doubtful…
The tone in which Rills responded was flat. >This is normal, Anke. I don’t bruise. But we’ve all been punching bags for humans. Literally and metaphorically. Everyone does this but you.
Anke couldn’t quite draw her eyes away from the bruises. She forcibly adjusted her gaze.
“Hi, Rills,” Teal said.
“Hi,” Gina echoed. (Neither of them knew Anke’s name as of yet, as there hadn’t been time to communicate it before Rills interrupted the connection.)
Anke turned to Vector, her eyes now a little stony. “I will admit, I’m a little surprised you’re involved in this, based on what I know of your diplomatic record. There are no standards here for how constructs are treated?”
Well, now she definitely wasn’t going to let anything slip about Rills.
___________________________________________________________________________
Vector Hyllus
He had looked at Anke for a long moment after she spoke, confusion evident on his face if not in his pitch-black eyes. His gaze had slowly transferred over to Gina and Teal before realization visibly dawned on him. Immediately, he faced Anke again and held his hands out before him in a form of plea.
‘’Ah, we see where the misunderstanding has been introduced. Please, allow me to give you a short summary of how we met Miss Gina and Miss Teal.’’
At this point he nodded at Gina and Teal, followed by Siralai and Visper as though simultaneously asking for permission and checking to see if they appeared eager to step in. Seeing that they seemed amenable to him relaying his version of events, he returned to Anke.
‘’We, and this whole group,’’ Vector gestured around him to the immediate company and broadly at the hangar where the Evocii were still getting sorted out. ‘’Were on the planet Rishi when we came to find that Miss Gina had been taken by some SIS agents. Reports on these agents had been…less than savory, so this group decided to rescue Miss Gina. We knew nothing of her circumstances, but felt it wrong to not intervene. Unfortunately we were…late…in our rescue. The SIS had been…unreasonable in their interrogation. We removed Miss Gina from the premises and ensured that the authorities were notified of her mistreatment. We did our best to treat her wounds…she has received excellent medical care, though we realize her current appearance does not reflect that care.’’
Vector took a breath, then glanced at Teal. He knew less about what had happened to the second ‘Gina’, but the Agent had overheard some gossip and he hoped it was accurate.
‘’Miss Teal was on Rishi when other members of this group realized she was being controlled and attempted to free her of that control. The mandalorian acted within her best judgement, but we realize that her actions were not…as finessed as would be preferred. Still, Miss Teal asserted she wished to meet Miss Gina, so she was brought here to Odessen to do so.’’
His eyebrows lowered in concern before he proceeded to complete his statement.
‘’We hope that this very rough outline will be enough to clarify your current concern and allow for further discourse?’’
___________________________________________________________________________
Anke Umber and Rills
No facial expression was visible from beneath Rills’s helmet, nor did their body language really change, but to Anke - who knew them so well - Rills was radiating skepticism.
“Humans don’t save constructs,” Rills said shortly.
“Don’t they?” Anke’s reply was gentle, mild, and non-accusatory. Yes, she needed to point out the flaw in their reasoning, but what Rills was saying now fit with the vast majority of their life experience. For Rills, there had been one exception. But maybe for Gina and Teal, there could be an exception too.
Rills made a ‘hmph’ noise at her. Because of how their respiration differed from a human’s, such a sound would have to be made intentionally. But, in an effort to be fair, Rills did add, “Most humans.”
“It’s true,” Gina spoke up. “They did.”
When addressing Gina, Rills’s voice suddenly became much softer and kinder, but still being forthright, they pointed out, “You could have been ordered to say that.”
“I can show you.” Looking at the others a little apologetically, Gina added, “I wasn’t holding out on the rest of you about this. My archives are encrypted. I can’t share them with anyone else. But…”
“But you can play them on another device that’s property of the same company,” Rills finished dryly. “Alright. Go ahead.”
And she did. The two constructs made a data connection - which to the humans would just look like silently standing a few feet from each other - and Gina started playing Rills snippets of her memory archive.
She got through the difficult parts fast, cutting in and out, showing Rills only enough for them to recognize what was happening… and that none of the faces of the perpetrators would be familiar from the people they’d glimpsed here on Odessen. Then other scenes that she allowed to play in full. The team coming to her rescue and taking her away. Theron leaving the room when she was uncomfortable. Lana offering her water. The understanding reaction when she balked at medical scans and revealed her true nature. Gina wrapped toes to chin in a blanket, Visper’s arm around her, talking about how she felt, Visper caring how she felt…
“That’s it,” Gina said.
Rills took a breath. Then pulled off their helmet, revealing their face - and that they were a construct too. “I see,” they said. “Thank you, Gina.” Then, to the others, “Thank you for rescuing her. That was very good of you. I… am sorry that I was unfair. Please forgive me.”
___________________________________________________________________________
Lokin
“Most assuredly Linc, most assuredly.”
Lokin replied absently, his mind reeling with possibilities. What if he started with the ‘combat’ version, the one that could self-repair, to work out the kinks and then moved to the more fragile G.I.N.A. as a final test? Two units - unending test subjects. Of course, only if he could find the capital. Still…his plan was two-fold.
“You know Valli, you should let me promote these units to my colleagues. I myself might find more use for the, as you say, ‘combat’ model. My work presents some challenges that a self-repairing subject could alleviate.”
Here, he paused. He couldn’t obtain one of these units now. While SCORPIO seemed to largely tolerate his presence, she was wildly unpredictable and he couldn’t be certain that she wouldn’t feel somehow threatened by the presence of a construct such as this. Or that he might be threatened. After all, SCORPIO was currently only programmed to not kill the Agent - a helpful feature that did not extend to her crew.
“If I wished to obtain the services of your constructs, where should I sign? Unfortunately I simply could not take one with me today…”
___________________________________________________________________________
Lars and Linc Valli
Vallis Junior and Senior, exchanged a Look. Yes, everyone was being friendly here, but no one was naive.
“Just so we’re clear, our combat units are offered purely on a rental basis,” Lars said. His tone was jovial, avuncular. “You can’t… take them apart to see how they tick, as it were.” He punctuated this statement with a laugh to make clear it was a joke.
“But no, seriously, we would sue you,” Linc interjected, deadly serious to make clear it wasn’t.
Lars waved his hand dismissively. “I’m sure there’s no need for all that, Linc. We can come to a favorable agreement.”
This was, of course, purely a performance. Both Vallis were equally sharklike about defending their investment, and would turn on Lokin in a heartbeat if he became a threat to their bottom line.
“We’ll get you set up with one of our salespeople,” Lars continued in the same buddy-buddy manner as before. “My son and I are just the idea guys. The sales reps are the experts in determining which products are perfectly tailored to our clients’ unique needs.”
“Then we’ll send you over to Legal,” Linc added. “Just to make sure our contracts are completely in order and there’s no confusion about the terms of the agreement. Once the metaphorical ink is dry, we can arrange for the products to be shipped to the location of your choice.”
“For a small extra charge,” Lars added quietly.
Linc gestured to Lokin and said, “I’ll take you over to Sales myself, and make sure you get the best service Volent can offer.”
Before long, Lokin was ensconced in a comfortable office suite with an eager young sales rep, to whom he had been described by Valli Junior as a VIP customer, and was being quizzed about his needs and preferences.
“So, what exactly are you looking for, sir?” the rep asked, datapad at the ready to take detailed notes on the customer’s requests. “I assure you, we have products to suit any requirement.”
___________________________________________________________________________
The Agent
And there it was - the personal stakes I had suspected existed were revealed with a small flourish. Anke Umber employed a construct. Though, I supposed, simply having a security detail that was a construct did not lend itself to that level of concern and nigh desperation I was feeling from the diplomat. Clearly there was more at play here, but I was content with where we had arrived so far.
“You had no way of knowing. Your reticence was wise prior to receiving more information.”
I thought it was rather silly to be asked for forgiveness, as though the poor esteem of two people would permanently damage my reputation or ego. Of greater importance was that it was now clear on which side of the line our group resided - and that it was the same side as the diplomat and her employee.
“Would I be correct in stating that we may have a common enemy in Volent? Perhaps now that our motivations are clearer, we can rather get to the point of why we wanted to meet. Our intention is to ensure Volent does not exploit constructs as a people - that intention has been complicated by this new law passed by the Republic Senate. I personally would like to deal with the latter issue before the Empire also thinks that it is a good idea to regulate persons in this manner.”
I was being bold, I knew. However, I also felt that Vector was in agreement with me and that no one else affiliated with the Empire would find out about my involvement. As long as my team currently visiting Volent HQ kept their mouths shut, of course. I briefly checked my datpad. Still no contact from Kaliyo or Lokin. That could either be a good thing…or something I would have to deal with later.
___________________________________________________________________________
Anke Umber and Rills
“Yes, we have a common enemy,” Anke agreed without hesitation. “Their treatment of constructs is unequivocally enslavement, and it’s no secret that I oppose their effort to gain an influence in Republic politics, a fact which has doubtless come to their attention.”
“And they’re assholes,” Rills volunteered dryly.
“And they’re assholes,” Anke concurred.
It hadn’t escaped the notice of either Anke or Rills that the words ‘people’ and ‘persons’ had been used. No doubt the choice of words was deliberate. It gave them both the confidence that pursuing the line of conversation was an acceptable risk.
Anke, now back in diplomat mode, said, “Before we go further, I do want to make sure we are perfectly clear in our understanding about the legal status of sentient constructs here on Odessen.”
“As my colleague alluded, they’re people,” Visper said. “Their legal status is no different than the legal status of any other person who lands here.”
Anke’s heart cautiously lifted a little. “So ownership…?”
“No,” Visper answered simply.
Anke’s mind started racing. “So if a construct were to arrive on this planet - where constructs are legally regarded as people and ownership claims are not recognized - that construct would automatically become legally free of any ownership claims that were previously attached to them as soon as they set foot on Odessen soil, would they not?”
“Yes, that would be my judgment,” Visper agreed.
Anke exchanged a look with Rills. This changed a lot…
But from Anke’s perspective, it didn’t change enough. Rills might now no longer be legally owned, they might be free - but they wouldn’t be safe. As soon as they returned to Republic space, they would again be afoul of Republic laws. Unless…
Unless they could become a citizen of somewhere else. Then the Republic would be forced to recognize their legal status.
It seemed possible. Anke had seen other people - Evocii, mostly, though not exclusively - who were clearly refugees. Requests for asylum had to be an option here. And she was a diplomat, wasn’t she? She was sure she could make an unassailable case for Rills as an endangered refugee who needed to be granted emergency legal status on Odessen.
There was, of course, one major potential complication. Herself. Or, more specifically, that she was going to have to talk Rills into leaving her if she was going to make this work. Because those clear cut justifications she could offer for Rills suddenly got really muddy if she was in the mix too. She had no solid ground for an asylum claim herself. I pissed off a corporation and they probably want me dead now. Yeah, who hadn’t? It wasn’t substantial enough to make a case - and she couldn’t let that torpedo Rills’s chances at a full life here.
She was going to have to talk to Rills alone for that one, and she didn’t anticipate an easy sell, even after everything they had been through - their loyalty was too strong. But that was a problem for later.
For now, Anke said, “Thank you for the information. We’re happy to join forces with you against Volent. I’m afraid our efforts so far haven’t made much progress, though. They’re a rather nebulous enemy, and now they’re worming their way into the Republic itself. We may have some sort of inside information that could prove helpful, though - in particular Rills, my colleague, has experienced the company from the inside as part of their forced labor force. As a show of good faith, is there anything we can provide? You are of course free to confirm anything we tell you through any other channels you may have access to, you don’t have to simply take our word.”
___________________________________________________________________________
Lokin
The Doctor returned to the ship, quite pleased with himself. He had managed to secure the use of one of the Valli’s constructs and had negotiated with the so-called sales clerk to allow him some room to test his inoculations and genetic re-writing mechanisms. The self-healing ability of the unit would certainly be tested, but Lokin dearly hoped it would be sufficient.
Feelling the ship pull away from the dock, he knew that he had given Kaliyo enough time to get her work done. The real work, the Agent would likely say. She never seemed any more than politely interested in his work, which was disappointing. While she was certainly an excellent intelligence agent, she didn’t seem to have that curious mind required for scientific pursuits. A pity she likely wouldn’t understand the loftiness of his current goal - or the overall benefit to the Empire.
He sent her a brief missive, simply stating that he’d met with a colleague and was once again ready to offer his services. Lokin thought a moment, then added, “I can scarcely wait to tell you about my latest research plans.”
___________________________________________________________________________
The Agent
I was pleased to see how things were progressing now that each party’s ideals were out in the open. I was about to suggest some avenues of interest where Rills may be helpful when the message I was waiting for came through.
What I read…concerned me. I never should have sent him there. I should have anticipated his response. Foolish of me not to.
“Agent?” Vector’s voice, softly probing for an answer to the ‘change in my song’.
I showed him the Dr. Lokin’s message, taking the opportunity to look up and stare at a tree some distance away. I used it to create a separation between my emotions and the task at hand.
“I will need access to Volent’s files if we are to ensure constructs are able to retain their complete autonomy. Any information left behind could lead to a third party creating workaround code and I would like to avoid that becoming an issue. It would be helpful to know approximate numbers of constructs currently employed or inactive and where they might be held.” I finally felt as though I was in control of my feelings and allowed myself to meet eyes with the Anke and Rills. “When your enemy has many heads, one must strike quickly.”
I could get an answer to where at least one construct would be, myself. I sent a return message to Lokin.
~’Glad you had an opportunity to meet with your colleague. Regarding your research - is there a new crew member on my ship that I should know about?’~
___________________________________________________________________________
Rills
“I can slice the company’s files,” Rills said conversationally. “But I would need to be on-site to hack their data. They have a lot of protection against remote access.”
Gina and Teal - constructs intended for espionage purposes - would be able to do so even better. Rills did not volunteer that information, however. They had no intention of putting the other two in harm’s way again if they could help it. Not when Gina and Teal were finally free. No, someone combat-ready must be sent. Someone like Rills. If they were lucky, they could convince Anke to stay behind too - but the diplomat was stubborn. As was Rills themself. Perhaps that was why the two of them got along so well…
“I believe that Volent has approximately fifty constructs of my type - security and combat. I’m being approximate because the number fluctuates. We are considered expendable. At any given time, some may be dead, or have been catastrophically damaged and abandoned or salvaged, or more may have been added to the inventory. Some will be rented out and deployed on client missions. The others are kept in a warehouse until they’re needed. In terms of other units… I have no idea. I had never met one like Gina and Teal before. There are also some prototypes in a lab. I don’t know if you will… want them. They may not be… usable…”
Rills exchanged a look with the other two constructs. Gina and Teal both looked a little haunted at the thought of the man who worked in that lab. Rills sympathized. But they were still trying to figure out the situation here. Would constructs too badly mangled and damaged - or too traumatized - to be useful be considered worth saving by these people?
Once, a few months ago, Rills had asked Anke ‘How many do you have to save to be satisfied?’ And Anke had replied, ‘All of them.’ Rills had felt an emotion, hearing that. But they couldn’t be sure these others would agree.
“There is… one other thing,” Rills added, suddenly sounding careful and circumspect. “Any constructs you find at Volent will be controlled by human handlers. They will not be responsible for their actions and may be forced to attack you. I understand that you must defend yourselves, but perhaps you could try to be… understanding… of that?”
And one last secret. Rills hoped they didn’t come to regret this, but if this was to be a joint mission, everyone had to know the parameters.
“I… have a code I can initiate in their processors to free them, if given the opportunity.”
Rills hoped they hadn’t just condemned themselves, with that admission. If these were actually Volent spies and Rills had made a mistake in trusting them, they themselves and Anke were both as good as dead.
Well. That had certainly set the proverbial ball rolling. While the diplomat was obviously dancing around some unknown truth, she was still revealing more of her hand than she had since arriving. The deep passion - desperation - in her voice formed a sharp contrast to the legal speech.
I was certain that this Anke Umber was an ally of the Ginas. Whether or not she would be to of any of us, I was less certain. If I was incorrect about the former, I had every confidence that we could handle anything she and her security person could dish out. But still…there was something that was bothering me.
I had a feeling that ‘something’ was right in front of me.
I looked to Siralai and Visper expectantly. Ultimately it was up to how they felt about the newcomers - I had no claim to the rights and freedoms of the two constructs I had overseen the saving of. And I supposed, neither did they. Perhaps that was the crux of it.
Anke Umber seems to be genuinely concerned about constructs and their rights. I believe her security person has already reached out? Do you wish to interact in person?
I sent the brief missive to the Ginas. Oh, Gina and Teal, according to the new descriptive tags on the second ‘Gina’s’ address. I realized that I had allowed a slight smile to come to my lips while I was distracted by this information. I decided to leave it there.
___________________________________________________________________________
Anke Umber and Rills
Siralai and Visper, oblivious to most of what had taken place, just exchanged a look.
“I understand the situation is delicate…” Siralai began, with more than a hint of uncertainty. The Force was not whispering any hint of threat. She felt - and it seemed Visper agreed - that they were still allies. But unfortunately, the Force could still be rather nonspecific at times.
It didn’t take Gina and Teal long to appear; it seemed they’d already been on their way to investigate the situation.
Rills and Anke turned toward them… and both froze. Anke’s hand reflexively laid itself on Rills’s arm. Rills had no physical reaction.
Rills, I’m sorry. We’ll get them out of here. I promise, Anke hastily communicated to Rills via her implant.
She wasn’t quite sure how she was going to keep that promise. But she’d find a way. Did she have enough credits to buy a couple more constructs? Brand new Volent models? Doubtful…
The tone in which Rills responded was flat. >This is normal, Anke. I don’t bruise. But we’ve all been punching bags for humans. Literally and metaphorically. Everyone does this but you.
Anke couldn’t quite draw her eyes away from the bruises. She forcibly adjusted her gaze.
“Hi, Rills,” Teal said.
“Hi,” Gina echoed. (Neither of them knew Anke’s name as of yet, as there hadn’t been time to communicate it before Rills interrupted the connection.)
Anke turned to Vector, her eyes now a little stony. “I will admit, I’m a little surprised you’re involved in this, based on what I know of your diplomatic record. There are no standards here for how constructs are treated?”
Well, now she definitely wasn’t going to let anything slip about Rills.
___________________________________________________________________________
Vector Hyllus
He had looked at Anke for a long moment after she spoke, confusion evident on his face if not in his pitch-black eyes. His gaze had slowly transferred over to Gina and Teal before realization visibly dawned on him. Immediately, he faced Anke again and held his hands out before him in a form of plea.
‘’Ah, we see where the misunderstanding has been introduced. Please, allow me to give you a short summary of how we met Miss Gina and Miss Teal.’’
At this point he nodded at Gina and Teal, followed by Siralai and Visper as though simultaneously asking for permission and checking to see if they appeared eager to step in. Seeing that they seemed amenable to him relaying his version of events, he returned to Anke.
‘’We, and this whole group,’’ Vector gestured around him to the immediate company and broadly at the hangar where the Evocii were still getting sorted out. ‘’Were on the planet Rishi when we came to find that Miss Gina had been taken by some SIS agents. Reports on these agents had been…less than savory, so this group decided to rescue Miss Gina. We knew nothing of her circumstances, but felt it wrong to not intervene. Unfortunately we were…late…in our rescue. The SIS had been…unreasonable in their interrogation. We removed Miss Gina from the premises and ensured that the authorities were notified of her mistreatment. We did our best to treat her wounds…she has received excellent medical care, though we realize her current appearance does not reflect that care.’’
Vector took a breath, then glanced at Teal. He knew less about what had happened to the second ‘Gina’, but the Agent had overheard some gossip and he hoped it was accurate.
‘’Miss Teal was on Rishi when other members of this group realized she was being controlled and attempted to free her of that control. The mandalorian acted within her best judgement, but we realize that her actions were not…as finessed as would be preferred. Still, Miss Teal asserted she wished to meet Miss Gina, so she was brought here to Odessen to do so.’’
His eyebrows lowered in concern before he proceeded to complete his statement.
‘’We hope that this very rough outline will be enough to clarify your current concern and allow for further discourse?’’
___________________________________________________________________________
Anke Umber and Rills
No facial expression was visible from beneath Rills’s helmet, nor did their body language really change, but to Anke - who knew them so well - Rills was radiating skepticism.
“Humans don’t save constructs,” Rills said shortly.
“Don’t they?” Anke’s reply was gentle, mild, and non-accusatory. Yes, she needed to point out the flaw in their reasoning, but what Rills was saying now fit with the vast majority of their life experience. For Rills, there had been one exception. But maybe for Gina and Teal, there could be an exception too.
Rills made a ‘hmph’ noise at her. Because of how their respiration differed from a human’s, such a sound would have to be made intentionally. But, in an effort to be fair, Rills did add, “Most humans.”
“It’s true,” Gina spoke up. “They did.”
When addressing Gina, Rills’s voice suddenly became much softer and kinder, but still being forthright, they pointed out, “You could have been ordered to say that.”
“I can show you.” Looking at the others a little apologetically, Gina added, “I wasn’t holding out on the rest of you about this. My archives are encrypted. I can’t share them with anyone else. But…”
“But you can play them on another device that’s property of the same company,” Rills finished dryly. “Alright. Go ahead.”
And she did. The two constructs made a data connection - which to the humans would just look like silently standing a few feet from each other - and Gina started playing Rills snippets of her memory archive.
She got through the difficult parts fast, cutting in and out, showing Rills only enough for them to recognize what was happening… and that none of the faces of the perpetrators would be familiar from the people they’d glimpsed here on Odessen. Then other scenes that she allowed to play in full. The team coming to her rescue and taking her away. Theron leaving the room when she was uncomfortable. Lana offering her water. The understanding reaction when she balked at medical scans and revealed her true nature. Gina wrapped toes to chin in a blanket, Visper’s arm around her, talking about how she felt, Visper caring how she felt…
“That’s it,” Gina said.
Rills took a breath. Then pulled off their helmet, revealing their face - and that they were a construct too. “I see,” they said. “Thank you, Gina.” Then, to the others, “Thank you for rescuing her. That was very good of you. I… am sorry that I was unfair. Please forgive me.”
___________________________________________________________________________
Lokin
“Most assuredly Linc, most assuredly.”
Lokin replied absently, his mind reeling with possibilities. What if he started with the ‘combat’ version, the one that could self-repair, to work out the kinks and then moved to the more fragile G.I.N.A. as a final test? Two units - unending test subjects. Of course, only if he could find the capital. Still…his plan was two-fold.
“You know Valli, you should let me promote these units to my colleagues. I myself might find more use for the, as you say, ‘combat’ model. My work presents some challenges that a self-repairing subject could alleviate.”
Here, he paused. He couldn’t obtain one of these units now. While SCORPIO seemed to largely tolerate his presence, she was wildly unpredictable and he couldn’t be certain that she wouldn’t feel somehow threatened by the presence of a construct such as this. Or that he might be threatened. After all, SCORPIO was currently only programmed to not kill the Agent - a helpful feature that did not extend to her crew.
“If I wished to obtain the services of your constructs, where should I sign? Unfortunately I simply could not take one with me today…”
___________________________________________________________________________
Lars and Linc Valli
Vallis Junior and Senior, exchanged a Look. Yes, everyone was being friendly here, but no one was naive.
“Just so we’re clear, our combat units are offered purely on a rental basis,” Lars said. His tone was jovial, avuncular. “You can’t… take them apart to see how they tick, as it were.” He punctuated this statement with a laugh to make clear it was a joke.
“But no, seriously, we would sue you,” Linc interjected, deadly serious to make clear it wasn’t.
Lars waved his hand dismissively. “I’m sure there’s no need for all that, Linc. We can come to a favorable agreement.”
This was, of course, purely a performance. Both Vallis were equally sharklike about defending their investment, and would turn on Lokin in a heartbeat if he became a threat to their bottom line.
“We’ll get you set up with one of our salespeople,” Lars continued in the same buddy-buddy manner as before. “My son and I are just the idea guys. The sales reps are the experts in determining which products are perfectly tailored to our clients’ unique needs.”
“Then we’ll send you over to Legal,” Linc added. “Just to make sure our contracts are completely in order and there’s no confusion about the terms of the agreement. Once the metaphorical ink is dry, we can arrange for the products to be shipped to the location of your choice.”
“For a small extra charge,” Lars added quietly.
Linc gestured to Lokin and said, “I’ll take you over to Sales myself, and make sure you get the best service Volent can offer.”
Before long, Lokin was ensconced in a comfortable office suite with an eager young sales rep, to whom he had been described by Valli Junior as a VIP customer, and was being quizzed about his needs and preferences.
“So, what exactly are you looking for, sir?” the rep asked, datapad at the ready to take detailed notes on the customer’s requests. “I assure you, we have products to suit any requirement.”
___________________________________________________________________________
The Agent
And there it was - the personal stakes I had suspected existed were revealed with a small flourish. Anke Umber employed a construct. Though, I supposed, simply having a security detail that was a construct did not lend itself to that level of concern and nigh desperation I was feeling from the diplomat. Clearly there was more at play here, but I was content with where we had arrived so far.
“You had no way of knowing. Your reticence was wise prior to receiving more information.”
I thought it was rather silly to be asked for forgiveness, as though the poor esteem of two people would permanently damage my reputation or ego. Of greater importance was that it was now clear on which side of the line our group resided - and that it was the same side as the diplomat and her employee.
“Would I be correct in stating that we may have a common enemy in Volent? Perhaps now that our motivations are clearer, we can rather get to the point of why we wanted to meet. Our intention is to ensure Volent does not exploit constructs as a people - that intention has been complicated by this new law passed by the Republic Senate. I personally would like to deal with the latter issue before the Empire also thinks that it is a good idea to regulate persons in this manner.”
I was being bold, I knew. However, I also felt that Vector was in agreement with me and that no one else affiliated with the Empire would find out about my involvement. As long as my team currently visiting Volent HQ kept their mouths shut, of course. I briefly checked my datpad. Still no contact from Kaliyo or Lokin. That could either be a good thing…or something I would have to deal with later.
___________________________________________________________________________
Anke Umber and Rills
“Yes, we have a common enemy,” Anke agreed without hesitation. “Their treatment of constructs is unequivocally enslavement, and it’s no secret that I oppose their effort to gain an influence in Republic politics, a fact which has doubtless come to their attention.”
“And they’re assholes,” Rills volunteered dryly.
“And they’re assholes,” Anke concurred.
It hadn’t escaped the notice of either Anke or Rills that the words ‘people’ and ‘persons’ had been used. No doubt the choice of words was deliberate. It gave them both the confidence that pursuing the line of conversation was an acceptable risk.
Anke, now back in diplomat mode, said, “Before we go further, I do want to make sure we are perfectly clear in our understanding about the legal status of sentient constructs here on Odessen.”
“As my colleague alluded, they’re people,” Visper said. “Their legal status is no different than the legal status of any other person who lands here.”
Anke’s heart cautiously lifted a little. “So ownership…?”
“No,” Visper answered simply.
Anke’s mind started racing. “So if a construct were to arrive on this planet - where constructs are legally regarded as people and ownership claims are not recognized - that construct would automatically become legally free of any ownership claims that were previously attached to them as soon as they set foot on Odessen soil, would they not?”
“Yes, that would be my judgment,” Visper agreed.
Anke exchanged a look with Rills. This changed a lot…
But from Anke’s perspective, it didn’t change enough. Rills might now no longer be legally owned, they might be free - but they wouldn’t be safe. As soon as they returned to Republic space, they would again be afoul of Republic laws. Unless…
Unless they could become a citizen of somewhere else. Then the Republic would be forced to recognize their legal status.
It seemed possible. Anke had seen other people - Evocii, mostly, though not exclusively - who were clearly refugees. Requests for asylum had to be an option here. And she was a diplomat, wasn’t she? She was sure she could make an unassailable case for Rills as an endangered refugee who needed to be granted emergency legal status on Odessen.
There was, of course, one major potential complication. Herself. Or, more specifically, that she was going to have to talk Rills into leaving her if she was going to make this work. Because those clear cut justifications she could offer for Rills suddenly got really muddy if she was in the mix too. She had no solid ground for an asylum claim herself. I pissed off a corporation and they probably want me dead now. Yeah, who hadn’t? It wasn’t substantial enough to make a case - and she couldn’t let that torpedo Rills’s chances at a full life here.
She was going to have to talk to Rills alone for that one, and she didn’t anticipate an easy sell, even after everything they had been through - their loyalty was too strong. But that was a problem for later.
For now, Anke said, “Thank you for the information. We’re happy to join forces with you against Volent. I’m afraid our efforts so far haven’t made much progress, though. They’re a rather nebulous enemy, and now they’re worming their way into the Republic itself. We may have some sort of inside information that could prove helpful, though - in particular Rills, my colleague, has experienced the company from the inside as part of their forced labor force. As a show of good faith, is there anything we can provide? You are of course free to confirm anything we tell you through any other channels you may have access to, you don’t have to simply take our word.”
___________________________________________________________________________
Lokin
The Doctor returned to the ship, quite pleased with himself. He had managed to secure the use of one of the Valli’s constructs and had negotiated with the so-called sales clerk to allow him some room to test his inoculations and genetic re-writing mechanisms. The self-healing ability of the unit would certainly be tested, but Lokin dearly hoped it would be sufficient.
Feelling the ship pull away from the dock, he knew that he had given Kaliyo enough time to get her work done. The real work, the Agent would likely say. She never seemed any more than politely interested in his work, which was disappointing. While she was certainly an excellent intelligence agent, she didn’t seem to have that curious mind required for scientific pursuits. A pity she likely wouldn’t understand the loftiness of his current goal - or the overall benefit to the Empire.
He sent her a brief missive, simply stating that he’d met with a colleague and was once again ready to offer his services. Lokin thought a moment, then added, “I can scarcely wait to tell you about my latest research plans.”
___________________________________________________________________________
The Agent
I was pleased to see how things were progressing now that each party’s ideals were out in the open. I was about to suggest some avenues of interest where Rills may be helpful when the message I was waiting for came through.
What I read…concerned me. I never should have sent him there. I should have anticipated his response. Foolish of me not to.
“Agent?” Vector’s voice, softly probing for an answer to the ‘change in my song’.
I showed him the Dr. Lokin’s message, taking the opportunity to look up and stare at a tree some distance away. I used it to create a separation between my emotions and the task at hand.
“I will need access to Volent’s files if we are to ensure constructs are able to retain their complete autonomy. Any information left behind could lead to a third party creating workaround code and I would like to avoid that becoming an issue. It would be helpful to know approximate numbers of constructs currently employed or inactive and where they might be held.” I finally felt as though I was in control of my feelings and allowed myself to meet eyes with the Anke and Rills. “When your enemy has many heads, one must strike quickly.”
I could get an answer to where at least one construct would be, myself. I sent a return message to Lokin.
~’Glad you had an opportunity to meet with your colleague. Regarding your research - is there a new crew member on my ship that I should know about?’~
___________________________________________________________________________
Rills
“I can slice the company’s files,” Rills said conversationally. “But I would need to be on-site to hack their data. They have a lot of protection against remote access.”
Gina and Teal - constructs intended for espionage purposes - would be able to do so even better. Rills did not volunteer that information, however. They had no intention of putting the other two in harm’s way again if they could help it. Not when Gina and Teal were finally free. No, someone combat-ready must be sent. Someone like Rills. If they were lucky, they could convince Anke to stay behind too - but the diplomat was stubborn. As was Rills themself. Perhaps that was why the two of them got along so well…
“I believe that Volent has approximately fifty constructs of my type - security and combat. I’m being approximate because the number fluctuates. We are considered expendable. At any given time, some may be dead, or have been catastrophically damaged and abandoned or salvaged, or more may have been added to the inventory. Some will be rented out and deployed on client missions. The others are kept in a warehouse until they’re needed. In terms of other units… I have no idea. I had never met one like Gina and Teal before. There are also some prototypes in a lab. I don’t know if you will… want them. They may not be… usable…”
Rills exchanged a look with the other two constructs. Gina and Teal both looked a little haunted at the thought of the man who worked in that lab. Rills sympathized. But they were still trying to figure out the situation here. Would constructs too badly mangled and damaged - or too traumatized - to be useful be considered worth saving by these people?
Once, a few months ago, Rills had asked Anke ‘How many do you have to save to be satisfied?’ And Anke had replied, ‘All of them.’ Rills had felt an emotion, hearing that. But they couldn’t be sure these others would agree.
“There is… one other thing,” Rills added, suddenly sounding careful and circumspect. “Any constructs you find at Volent will be controlled by human handlers. They will not be responsible for their actions and may be forced to attack you. I understand that you must defend yourselves, but perhaps you could try to be… understanding… of that?”
And one last secret. Rills hoped they didn’t come to regret this, but if this was to be a joint mission, everyone had to know the parameters.
“I… have a code I can initiate in their processors to free them, if given the opportunity.”
Rills hoped they hadn’t just condemned themselves, with that admission. If these were actually Volent spies and Rills had made a mistake in trusting them, they themselves and Anke were both as good as dead.