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[Synik]

Cass

"Have you?" Shift's tone is innocent but somehow it goes deep into the heart of you. Further question cascade within. Is it what you want? Are you happy? Is this all there is? The technomancer's gaze remains pleasant. "Perhaps. Never say never."

Ophelia

whatever deep conversation Nae and Fi had been in, the robotic surgeon makes his apologies and moves towards you. "There was movement? That is excellent news." A small circle of red light rotates on Nae's upper chest plate. "Neural activity is... different from before. She is not awake but has stirred."

Eve moves to be at Nae's side. "We will do all we can for your friend. It is not just her at stake - "

"It is the fate of the city," Nae finishes.

Eve touches your arm. "Please. This way. We cannot do anything right now, but the signs are good."

Edited by Synik, 07 September 2009 - 09:03 PM.

[Early Bird]

"Please, anything you can do.. for the city if you want, but I just want my friend back" whispered Ophelia. She stood as Eve touched her arm, reluctantly, looking into Sally's face hoping for some sign of life, her hand lingering on the still one beneath it. Finally she tore her eyes away and followed Eve as she was led away.

[Dehoffren]

Fi felt numb as if all her senses had shut down, she shivered as Nae placed his cold metallic hand on her shoulder and yet somehow she still found his touch comforting so much so that Fi bent her neck towards her shoulder and allowed her head to rest briefly on his hand while he spoke. The words drifted passed her ears, her mind not able to fully comprehend their meaning but as Nae moved away from her queries over what had been said made her brow crease. Turning away from Jo momentarily she watched the others and said under her breath “So Winston is her father?” she uttered the words slowly as if they were a riddle that she had to fathom out

[fury]

[color=#6666CC;]"I told you I'd help,"[/color] Cass hisses, [color=#6666CC;]"besides I can never see myself servicing you, you'd probably disappear in the middle of it or something!"[/color]

[Synik]

All

Shift looks away as Cass lays down the law to him. "My apologies," he says. "Words often fail to communicate what I mean. But, no matter. Help is help. Thank you."

Eve leads Ophelia away from Sally's bedside. "Nae will do all he can for Sally." She leans closer to Ophelia and out of Nae's earshot adds: "He lost many friends during the war and the troubles that followed. That's why he made us." Eve's brow furrows. "Or we came from him. It's hard to explain." A weak smile follows. "He'll help Sally. It's what he lives for now."

The group of you now stand in the middle of the room. There is little sound except the quiet breathing of the ill. Nae moves away from Jo Girl's bedside and shepherds Fi back towards the group. "Have you decided what you need to do, X?"

Shift bows his head. "Yes. If the four of you - Cass, Fi, Hayden and Ophelia - are willing. And Cass has stated she is, I suggest we try and make contact with the Number Syndrome."

[Dehoffren]

Reluctantly Fi drifted away from Jo-Girl’s bedside, her eyes remained glued to the Trix’s serene features until the last possible moment. A sob vibrated in her core which she beat down to the pit of her stomach not wanting to show more vulnerability than she already had. She felt her breath come in short sharp stabs as Shift spoke, his words not really registering with her, just floating past her ears without being fully understood. She nodded dumbly her acceptance, feeling the need to doing something anything to help a loved one.

[Synik]

Shift picks up on Fi's subtle gesture. "Thank you Fi. Hayden? Ophelia? Are you in as well?"

Eve fidgets with her walking cane before asking "Is there anything you need from us?"

The self-claimed expert ponders the question for a moment. "Somewhere quiet with a table with at least five chairs would suffice. I will also need a mobie that will not be missed and a jug of water."

[Early Bird]

"Yes I'm in" said Ophelia quietly. "Anything that'll help Sally.. and the others". Ophelia didn't quite follow what Shift was talking about. Contact the number syndrome? Was it alive then? And the things he had requested seemed strange, very ordinary, no special equipment or anything. She supposed all would be made clear in due course.

[Synik]

Shift nods his head just the once. "Excellent." He slips his hands into the pockets of his robe-like coat. As the seam of the coat touches, it starts to self-zip. An old technology but handy none-the-less.

With the soft whisper of artificial muscles, Nae moves from one of the beds to be with the group. "You can use our meeting room. It is not far from here. Adam will be along shortly and he will take you there." The cyborg's tone is short, distracted too.

"Do you need me too?" Eve asks. Nae nods and the dark haired woman makes her apologies before leaving through the door you came in from.

There's a knock at the door and it opens slightly: Adam's pale face shows through the gap. "Adam," Nae commands. "Please take our guests to the meeting room. Ensure they have what they need." The deep red robot eyes flick to Hayden. "If you do not wish to be involved, Adam will find some place for you to rest." Shift looks like he's about to object, but merely bows instead.

Edited by Synik, 15 September 2009 - 03:50 PM.

[currymaniac]

"It is not that I do not wish to be involved," Hayden paused for a moment, "But I am wary, a lot of weirdness has happened in a very short time to me, well, to everybody here, and I'm afraid that I do not share everyone's....how to put it...blind faith? You say you wish to make contact with the number syndrome, but what does that truly mean? What exactly are we going to be doing here? I myself do not exactly want to have my mind turned into a squishy calculator again."

[Synik]

Shift's head nods slightly as Hayden expresses his concerns. "Scepticism is a valid tool," he says slowly. "Blind faith? Perhaps, although I would have preferred the word 'trust'." His tone remains light and a smile dances in his dark eyes. He breaths in and frowns briefly as if that will push out the thoughts. "Twenty years ago I would have agreed with you completely. How can a man without cybernetics talk to a machine? Science tells us that that is impossible."

His head moves slightly to take in everyone's gaze. "Two hundred years ago? None of this - or indeed any of you - could exist. Not this city and certainly not Cass, Ophelia or you Hayden. The biosculpters and tailors have worked their magic over you in ways people of that age could not imagine possible." He extends a hand and palm up gestures to Fi and Jo-Girl. "Indeed, Fi and her friend Jo; you have been completely rebuilt. In some ways you are like our host, Nae. An everyday miracle of modern medicine and the progress of science."

Shift's hand slips back inside the pocket of his coat. "The people I represent, they have given me skills that I do not fully understand. I mean no arrogance by this statement: I am able to talk to machines. I can feel the digital rules within a mobie, the complex swirling of processes within a computer and my awareness can travel within the networks that bind this citystate. These are grand claims, yet can you explain how I could divert the monorail pod you where trapped in? My image stood on the display of a mobie that lacked a holo-pad. Given the laws of the world, how can that be? Either I am as I state or I am a trickster - and liar - of grand proportions."

The last few words tumble gently from Shift's neutrally accented voice. "Together we can touch the entity that is the Number Syndrome. We can communicate with it, understand and learn. Hayden, I understand your fear, yet you cannot be infected while you four stand together."

[Early Bird]

Ophelia felt relief realising that the thought had been nagging that they might get reinfected. "I still don't get what you mean about contacting this thing though" she said. "Is it a machine or is it alive? Can it think for itself?"

[Synik]

"There is thinking," Shift replies. "And there is awareness. I do not know if what we face is an entity, a collection of entities or some giant...." His voice trails off and he sighs. "Some giant - " His hand slides from his coat and he seems to grope for the word. " - network. I can hear it. Like some far off tune. But I do not recognise it. I feel this is the next part in solving this puzzle: to work out what we are facing. If we know our enemy - if this is an enemy - then we can work against it and save others."

[fury]

Cass laughs at Haydens reluctance, it is a bitter sound not a mocking one. [color=#6666CC;]"Weirdness is my life, it is in me and follows me around like a cloud,"[/color] she shrugs, [color=#6666CC;]"I am sure it'll be no worse that a bad 'trip'."[/color] She glances over at Adam and winks at him, [color=#6666CC;]"not speaking then sugar?"[/color]

Edited by fury, 17 September 2009 - 10:34 PM.

[Synik]

A blush rises to Adam's pale face as Cass teases him. His silver eyes lock on her face as he talks. "I-I'm just waiting to take you guys t-to the meeting room. Just like Nae said."