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Post by Vlad on Sept 20, 2022 3:15:30 GMT -5
Vlad had been bested so horribly by a punch that pushed beyond even his fist specialized defenses as he closed a guard rushed as his aura armor showed signs of failing layer-by-layer cut like two-ply toilet paper the sheer power of the attack overwhelmed him and blew his consciousness back into his black box. Turned out, yes, the legendary master paladin armor was an obsolete museum piece. Stop a dragon’s unassisted teeth? Sure, it would grind the fangs into a cow’s knobs of teeth
Against this Mira, this colossus of Rhodes forged by some malevolent god of the forge, one could easily conclude the gold armor may as well been the most budget of set armor, cardboard plate reinforced with duck-tape and paint. Fortunately, his consciousness was blown back into his black box, so he did not suffer as all the means of stopping overcharge popped sending a web of firecrackers through his form and then his exterior form obliterated leaving only the for all intents and purposes indestructibility black box floating in the void as earth 2 was annihilated.
The android was floating in a void absent of sensory as his consciousness restored itself in the void, a familiar point where he was previously convinced at his death at buus hands his data would be lost to some kind of synthetic equivalent to Buddhist rebirth, to become part of the source code and either consumed utterly or spit out anew, neither as far as he could tell happened. But this time he was anything but alone, cyborg of his companions post organics also bearing paladin insignia his comrades merely doing their duty were cut down by Mira’s attack dogs a few of Mira’s troops were among the fallen, paladins don’t go down without a devil of a fight. And of course the populous of earth 2 were made to join in this traversal plane.
“Hu lucky paladin bastard got me with my guard down. “Said one of Mira’s soldiers
“you should not have dropped it, your boss’s victory does not entitle you to victory, “Vlad said, seeing the medical needle in the throat and the bayonet in the eye of the soldier
the needle’s reserve was bone dry, so it was plunged into the throat and made bubbles in the blood while the spear in the brain coupled with combat adrenaline caused the bubbles to be fast tracked to the heart and caused the circulatory system to fail and a few extra pot marks of the back of the near escapes of earth 2 repeatedly shiving him no one went down without a fight.
“Ha, maybe so, but you were a cockroach to Mira squashed comedically a petty effort in vain why you paladins bothered so outmatched. And you're an android you knew attacking a power that vast beyond you defied any logic, but you inherited the concept of philanthropy, or altruism, or one of those sorts that say give your life for others is worthwhile bet those who spoke such empty words have never faced defeat so complete, you died a heroes' death anti climactic and worthless. Just as the notion of a philanthropic hero is.”
“Better than dying a screw in a war-machine. Your number is all they will remember until someone new is given it, then all that you will be is the dust of the ship you died and were atomized in.”
The shadow guard type soldier sneered. "We are both pawns, paladin, be it to our internal wiring, neural code, or whatever power took us in. well your presence has been a bore blue, gonna head forward into the waiting line now, likely gonna go to hell and have fun beating down all I can to build my own chiefdom in hell, do try to find peace with your failure to aid others wherever you end up. Better to reign in hell than steward in heaven “
The shadowguard presence began to rapidly vanish to the check-in line. All of them already talking about their chiefdoms. They’ll cut out of hell after a few of the extra twisted gave knowing looks and aggressive gestures to those they killed before they died.
<sludge, worse than beast, the galaxy would be better if their parents drowned them.>
A fleeting moment of resentment entered his head, and what being that aspired for paragon light would not hold sharply negative thoughts on such creatures whose conduct was lower than that of a vulture who had not knowing malicious intent but instinct to be their need to bite the throat of the dying to fast travel their trip to the grave, so they may eat.
Vlad found his mind being pulled elsewhere to an ally. He let his consciousness data enter the mental plane and manifested in a hall of knights he awaited in the middle of the walk way a halo hanging above his head.
He looked around. Mechanical precision cones from front to back, turning on his heel trying to catch who may come.
838
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Post by Bersimmon on Sept 22, 2022 10:27:21 GMT -5
Bersimmon was still napping when he drifted off into full sleep, waking up standing in a full-on knights hall, seeing nothing but glaring avalanians, and a feeling like he didn't belong. Then, an illuminated Vlad with a halo appeared ahead of him. "Vlad... Is that you?" He began. "Weren't you at Bassas too? I screwed up royally." "I'm surprised I'm here with all the drugs they shot me up with so I could continue to fight. I'm going to need to take a long, long rest after they punish me. I didn't mean to kill those paladins... It was a terrible accident that should never have happened." (107)
((Kai Combat Rune))
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Post by Vlad on Sept 23, 2022 1:45:23 GMT -5
The android frowned with empathy. “That mission had a lot of meddling with the mental plane. I should have been better, should have got better connection with my negotiation outfit, more into coordination to cut the escape of the infiltrators. Perhaps could have caught and interrogated them and better prepared for the main mind’s offense. The aspirations of paragon status is a great deal to measure up to for even a synthetic who's power is nowhere near as dependent on emotions as their powers, yes it is very understandable that one feels they under perform or if time were rewound, we would take new better actions… but we can only say that with the benefits of hindsight. Put us in the same mind, if nothing gave pause or was altered of the events, the same move would most likely have been made. The stress and trials of the field, the raw emotions you draw on, the mental assaults of the target’s main brain.
The android walked forward, his mechanical nature carried over in the other world, as sounds of his mechanics filled the space between them. He rested a hand on his shoulder. “Avalon has protocols for therapy and recovery from missions, complicated and even failed. Upon my recovery and restoration, I shall most likely require a stint in them, to recover my own morale failing the people of earth 2 from Mira. So many that I could not save. The feeling of falling under the paragon expectations saddens me to my very soul, that I suppose I can confirm I have it is not a mere projection of my observations of organic depictions of the afterlife as I have read, not merely a simulated setting for my mind to occupy itself during my restoration I seen as probable on my experience of other world when i was first destroyed by buu. Your brand of biological warriors take so much from your instinctual drives and emotion and those can run chaotic, the madness of war often leaves lose-lose choices and the only good move is the one that is 12% less lose and hoping the choice we make is that 12% less lose.” Vlad pulled his hand off the shoulder and turned his head away. Emotions were complicated, as were how to console others most effectively. Should he extend that empathetic hand on the shoulder to a brotherly hug? Would a hug merely discomfort him? Cold hard metal is not something biological beings outside of those of the ASFR community would take pleasure in. Never mind the feelings influenced by sexuality that organics have, Vlad having an andro-physiology and identifying as pronouns associated with it. Organic beings have millions of years of evolution as a social species to adjust to the emotions they possess, refining the experience to a dance so many of them struggle with, and he? His grasp of emotions came from neural mapping of a socially isolated guy who at the time of brain scans was having fallout’s with every friend he had, fact he finagled some functional social existence from that wiring was quite a testament to adaptive AI. And yet it remained clear emotions could confound, and the simple read is that his being a synthetic would mean compared to a saiyan his understanding and experience of emotion were muted, limited, and inexperienced. Humans, saiyans and the other lifeforms of biological make had emotions as part of their core life code, androids like him needed to have systems added onto the core processes of their otherwise functional brains. A social species, it was something that they had to be capable of in some limited way to function. if his core emotion systems ever failed, his other neural systems would still work.
“I wish I could aid you more, my friend.” his plated head that cut off any brows managed an arch of genuine ‘I truly wish I could’ vibes as soft green eyes glowing with electronic lucidity turned to him.
“The mantle of paragon is ever aspiration. We must always do our best to see to it, we do better next time and save more people than our more destructive powers may harm when our calculations are wrong.” He could comfortably say he was at least trying to really connect.
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Post by Bersimmon on Oct 5, 2022 15:05:59 GMT -5
It was almost like Vlad were really there as he rested his hand on the Saiyans' shoulder..
"Vlad, believe me," Bersimmon started. "If I were an android like you, I'd have deleted my emotions long ago." He said.
"But I'm not, and I can't. Being sentient is hard." He looked down. "So trust me when I say I'll be OK. But now I have to own up to my actions, and I will succeed. I will still forever be the Butcher of Bassas, but it won't stop me either."
He noticed Vlad seemed equally disheartened. "Let's defend Avalon." He said. (100)
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Post by Vlad on Oct 8, 2022 0:38:33 GMT -5
“Yes sentience is a difficult thing to navigate, escapism is oh so tempting a prospect. The best decision, the right decision, the best of a bad situation choice, the least evil.” he lowered his head. “The choice you can live with yourself making. So often that is the only one to make that is not total betrayal to one’s ethics.”
“Mental health aid is always open to seek when need be. Do not turn away aid tho it is in the end up to us, many kind souls will lead us to water even if it’s up to us to choose to drink.”
Vlad offered a half smile. “I believe with time, you will prove that dedication is true. Avalon itself bares scars of crimes and failed trials past, and yet it stands tall and brilliant. Imperfect as anything in this realm occupied by the forces of entropy is going to be, but it learned to bear the scars and not be defined by them, as many other high functioning technological worlds fell into.
“Protect and serve this galaxy as our branch of the oaths pushes us to. Until all sentient life, organic or mechanical, can see a galaxy as virtuous and good as it can be gently guided into. And may the times we stumble and fall be no greater hindrance to us than a child with protection falling from their bike. Stay strong, and together we will weather what storms come for the fallen and for those people and philosophies that mean everything to us."
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Post by Bersimmon on Oct 17, 2022 17:44:49 GMT -5
Bersimmon chuckled. "For a machine you sure have some complex thoughts. I bet Autira would love to open you up and tinker with your feelings. The things she makes for the protectorate are truly nifty. She even made a mask that makes you look like whoever you want to. Avalons' tech is pretty out there."
He paused. "Wait a minute, our communications were down and mins meddled with... You aren't still having troubles, are you? If you didn't run a iagnostics check, I* know someone who might be able to help. Have you met Autira? i think you two may be acquainted, but I honestly don't remember.
(107)
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Post by Vlad on Oct 19, 2022 12:28:51 GMT -5
Vlad smiled, a chuckle is a fairly good sign, “my mechanical brain was made around centuries of study of the brain converted into the application of it to a combination digital/analogue medium.” Vlad got visibly less comfortable with the prospect of feelings tinkered with. “You mean subjecting me to ethically constrained stimulation for my emotional responses and not controlling them, right?” he hoped, as he was a sentient machine and emotional and what organic would be comfortable with the idea of their emotions tied to a remote control or something? “But yeah reprogram-able matter and rearranging nanites among other technology is rather cool, and because the civilization is not a military centered superpower or a market controlled civilization, the R&D is quite free to create all forms of cool and useful things and experiment as not confined by interest of warfare or profit alone.”
Vlad thought about it a bit, “the negotiations were infiltrated by directly tied agents to the psionic force. Any attempt to reach out I made technologically or telepathically were heavily monitored and combated. Do you suspect there may be a back door into my perception now for if they return what I saw/know may use to plot their revenge? The name is known to me, and I believe I have encountered them briefly in the past. If either of your tech friends wish to check my status or run tests they can… just try to keep it no worse than they would subject organic neurology to, I am functionally on par with organics in neurological makeup just electronic not bioelectric.”
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Post by Bersimmon on Nov 4, 2022 16:14:21 GMT -5
he wrote off vlads concerns: "she wouldn't hurt you, i was just being playful, calm down, vlad." but then vlad seemed suspicious of the nature of his condition. "She's a tomboy, but she wouldn't harm something so advanced, and i know that because she treats her equipment better than me. when her mask got damaged on arlia, i heard about it for days. and I believe since you were so close to it, it couldn't hurt to run a check. thats all i'm sayin'."
"But if that can be done wouldn't that mean you can just switch bodies? I once saw a movie about a woman whose mind was trapped in a robot. It was pretty cool, i just don't remember much of it."
(124)
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Post by Vlad on Nov 20, 2022 22:27:39 GMT -5
Vlad’s form relaxed a bit more. "Perhaps I will let your allies under my creator’s supervision. He knows how far I can be pushed safely.” he smiled a bit. “Learning more about those that take an interest in synthetic beings is intriguing, I will admit. Even those who have quite the… attraction to tech, for lack of a better word. It is interesting socializing with them. Just I have the same healthy fear of potential lobotomies as an organic may.”
“Trade of body? Yes, such is quite possible for me, but one could say with the technology now a few individuals had their organic brains cut out and put into jars and not many lining up for that degree of trade even if it's trading up for a better body. Be it fear of having to train a new body, comfort in the one they have, or potential interference with the bodies new protocols and limits to potentially work within, don’t see many organics lining up to trade up their bodies even if they can get robotic bodies that have all the sensory systems if not more than their organic bodies. You can tell your allies I am curious and willing to try a trial run.” he chuckled a bit at the way he used that offering of a general vibe like it was some demo subscription.
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Post by Bersimmon on Nov 22, 2022 16:33:40 GMT -5
Vlads' chuckle made Bersimmon give a small smile. It was nice to converse, as it provided a distraction from the bad things happening in his life. His human family forced into hiding, the blood of fellow paladins' spilled by his hand... these things weighed heavily on the Saiyans' soul. He had even taken up recreational drinking and yet was sober at the moment.
He was then reminded of EP3, Vlads' ally. He briefly wondered how both of them were designed. But he had a different question in mind. "Vlad, remember that wolf-man? Didn't he try to kill us? I wonder where that one is right now."
(106, 544 twc)
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Post by Vlad on Dec 3, 2022 18:23:19 GMT -5
The android’s head tilted trying to recall, he remembered a religious wolf-man attacked EP3 he was told and the saiyan helped her and found the wolf man’s problems and abusers and the wolf man freed himself and joined the paladins reforming programs.
“Last I was told, he was getting rehabilitation and the staffers seem rather optimistic may take a long time, but he is progressing. EP3 holds you in high respect and gratitude for assisting her with that.” he relaxed a bit more visibly as he eased his back on a pillar and stood on one leg, smiling a bit, “Everyone has the capacity to improve even after a major mistake.”
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Post by Bersimmon on Dec 8, 2022 17:53:52 GMT -5
"Yes, you're right," He said. "But what happened to the church he left behind?" He wondered. "Were they destroyed, reformed, disbanded?" He asked. "It's been a long time since I saw him, and I remember popping back some brew-skys with him. Wait, I drank a lot... did I throw up? I don't really remember, but I have been drinking waaay too much lately. I threw up on Autira once. She was not happy, and neither was I. Puking hurts..."
He shuddered at the thought of puking again. He then turned to Vlad again. He smiled again. Suddenly, Bersimmon saw a blurry image. It was like static on a TV, and he was suddenly pulled out. He was able to yell out one last thing before he faded from the spar realm again: "Sorry, but I'll see you again!" ((138, twc 682))
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