Some Legends Are Told, Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold [CEREALIA INBOX]

[zerotohiro]

'Busy, leave a message!
...oh, you've reached Hiro Hamada. Whatever. Still busy!'

Hamada art by D-Joel, found on tumblr

Comments

[psycholawgy]

I did find some things out, but I'm not sure how helpful that can be...

[ she switches widget on and clicks on a few things on its holographic screen.

a voice recording plays:

A: Did the Bridge ever work with you guys? Like, as a CERES employee?
M: Hah! She's never been an employee, that would be ridiculous. Also, I'm winning.
A: We haven't even tallied the words yet! [...] So, why'd you help her out, then?
M: I'm still winning. [...] Because I wasn't on the clock, Ms. Cykes.
A: Don't gloat! It's unbecoming. [...] So... You honestly wanted to help The Bridge out? Why?
M: Pfft. Who knows why anyone does anything, Ms. Cykes? I thought it was funny. ]

[zerotohiro]

[For a moment he's delighted with watching Widget work. That doesn't last though as the playback begins. He narrows his eyes as he listens to the recording, taking all of that in before his lips turn down into a small frown.]

That's weird. I can get why he'd say that to me and Korra when he caught us inside the tower, but why would he tell you the same thing?

[psycholawgy]

[ BECAUSE HE'S A ROBOT. which she will tell him later on.

for now-- ]

He might say it's for "fun", but when he talked, it was full of anger.

[zerotohiro]

[PLEASE SHARE THAT THOUGHT ATHENA...]

You think he's mad at CERES? Or what? [He's pausing in his note-taking on Clonco entirely because what?]

[psycholawgy]

That's the thing I can't figure out! I was basically treading on thin ice when he told me that, so I asked what else made him angry. Then he told me that extinction did, and there was a lot of sadness in his voice.

I wanted to ask some more things, but he made me leave.

[zerotohiro]

Classic tactic. You know too much, but he likes you so he had to kick you out. [Oh god this is incredible.] Extinction though...isn't that exactly what CERES started doing to the natives when they built Cerealia?

[psycholawgy]

I know. That's why it's so strange.

[ speaking of strange-- ]

You'll never guess what else I found. I was able to touch Mosley's body, and it's cold as ice.

[zerotohiro]

Cold like...he was in a freezer or like he didn't have a body temperature at all?

[psycholawgy]

Like he was in a freezer. He's not dead, you know!

What makes things even weirder is he coughed out some black slime. I think it was oil.

[zerotohiro]

You're sure he's not dead? [He may be thinking of some zombie comic books he likes to read.] I know this is gonna sound gross but did you get a sample or anything?

[psycholawgy]

Gross, no!

He threw his handkerchief away, so I didn't get it even if I wanted to.

[zerotohiro]

Did you ask him about it?

[psycholawgy]

No! I didn't want him to throw me out before we even got to his office...

He tried to laugh, though. That was why the black liquid came out.

[zerotohiro]

Whoa. [That's a little disconcerting.] Do you think maybe CERES is controlling what emotions he's allowed to feel? I've never been quite sure what Mosley is besides "not human" but an actual droid?

[psycholawgy]

I think he was telling the truth about him not being on the clock, so he did something that wasn't his job. CERES can't control hearts... I mean, nobody can. And I wouldn't be able to hear his emotions unless he didn't have one. . . or he's special, like Clonco.

[ she fidgets in her seat uneasily. ]

I think he might be a special kind of robot. One with a heart.

[zerotohiro]

When we found him in the research center...or, I guess, when he found us he was having a hard time getting in touch with anybody else from CERES. Maybe that's why he took the incentive to do stuff off the clock.

[That's...a very, very strong possibility and the fact that he goes completely quiet is enough to say so.] ...you mean like Baymax, kinda. The ability to act on his own and develop his own personality and feelings, but still be a machine. You really think that's possible?

[psycholawgy]

[ she nods her head, totally serious. ]

He also cheated in our game of Boggle. [ athena??? ] He wouldn't have been able to get so many words unless he was some kind of android. I mean, fifty words is a lot already, but if you get a hundred? You can't do that unless you cheat or scan words in your head or something.

[ OBVIOUSLY VERY BOTHERED BY THIS. ]

[zerotohiro]

Wha--[Oh my god Athena this is actually not entirely helpful?] How do we know he's not just really really smart? ...I mean androids are designed to be really smart, too, but people...[Yeah there's no way to really justify this.]

We need more proof, but I think you might be on to something here.

[psycholawgy]

I'm telling you, it's impossible!

[ DESK SLAM. ]

[zerotohiro]

[DON'T DESK SLAM.]

All right, all right! [He rubs his hand over his eyes.] ...why would CERES employ a sentient robot?

[psycholawgy]

[ SHE DOES WHAT SHE WANTS. ]

Because... [ she tries to come up with a reason, but can't. ] I don't know. It's not like we know a lot about CERES' actions.

Not yet, anyway.

[zerotohiro]

We need to find out as much as we can. This is too weird and things aren't adding up again. [He hums under his breath, rolling an idea over in his head.]

Think Mosley would say no to a meeting with me?

[psycholawgy]

Try to be friendly with him first, and I'm sure he will accept.

[zerotohiro]

Do you really think I'm not going to be friendly with him? Come on, Athena. [...] I'm not that bad.

[psycholawgy]

I wouldn't know how you do your interrogations!