A Sword of Damascus Steel IC

[Catch]

Norman Grey

Keeping his revolver trained on the robot's chest cavity, Norman raises his voice to address the house's computer system.

"Computer, identify this robot and seal the doors if it tries to leave. How long has it been here?"

"And you," he added, growling toward the intruder. "Stay right there. If you killed Karen Ostil, the scrap from your chassis is going to pave the streets of New Kiel."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

"Unit designation identifies as A1-KO, or Aiko. The first prototype of the -KO series."

[Catch]

Norman Grey

The detective's eyes narrow, shocked disbelief tinging his already incredulous voice. The revolver dips as he takes in for the first time the visage of the machine standing before him.

"First prototype of... the whole series? Who--what are you?"

Norman breathing accelerates, sweat beading on his forehead as he contemplates the gravity of the computer's revelation.

Fsssssh-tik-kssssssh Fssssh-tik-ksssssh Fsssh-tik-kssssh

Karen's first prototype. All of her secrets.

Fssh-tik-fssh-tik-fssh-tik-fssh-tik.

Norman wobbled, trying to remain focused. The seed of Karen's research was standing in front of him and his lungs felt as thought they would give fail any minute.

Don't cut out. Not now. Don't. Don't.

[Valgunn]

A1-KO

A1-KO did not comply with any of his orders but he instead held still. He stood and glared as much as a robot could at him as his memory verified the badge authentic.

"Yes," he stated flatly. "I, am."

Inside his metal frame his programming was so occulted he could not understand himself. Anger welled inside him for this man despite logic. His slow speech frustrated him. He had no time. "You," he said as he quickly bridged the gap. "Will help."

[Catch]

Norman Grey

Senses sharpened when the detective quickly stepped back as the robot advanced, carefully avoiding the pool of oily blood. He recovered a measure of his normal breathing rhythm, relief sharpening his consciousness like a mug of decent coffee. Norman returned his gun to its place in his coat pocket, but gave the prototype a meaningful look, gesturing toward the kitchen door.

"No, you are going to stay out of the way of my investigation or I'll have you shut down and filed as evidence. I don't need any poorly-programmed androids contaminating my crime scene."

With a heavy sigh, Norman removed his hat, scrubbing a hand through dark curled hair, going grey at the temples. "I have to figure out where Karen Ostil is. And if she's even alive," he said, voice dropping with the gravity of the words.

[Valgunn]

A1-KO

"No," A1-KO said with a finality even he found surprising. Giving over a portion of his mind's power he thought about the distraction he could pose. The house has recognized him and will follow his orders, he reasoned. He was a capable expert in electronics and could override that. He did log being called poorly programmed for later.

No time. "You listen," he said moving close to the detective to ensure he could hear him clearly with his inefficient organic ears. "Karen in lab. Has brain damage." It was taking too long. He urged himself to compact the data further. "Maybe dead, hope not," he added.

"Need her personal computer for medical machines."

[Catch]

Norman Grey

The robot could be malfunctioning. It could be a housekeeping model with cognition. It could be lying. It could have killed her. But Norman's eyes wanted to climb out of his head. He steeled himself, trying to amass some semblance of composure. There was an investigation to conduct, evidence to file. Dispatch would be sending additional officers soon. He had to--

Screw procedure, I'm following the robot.

"Show me," Norman said breathlessly. "I'll help."

[Valgunn]

A1-KO

A1-KO gave the detective the slightest of nods. His head was not designed to nod which in retrospect limited his ability to give subtle social gestures. "Follow," he said as he reinstated his search for Karen's personal computer.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

While A1-KO heads upstairs, Norman hears the sound of two more sirens coming in. One is a police siren and the second is an ambulance siren. Hurried and confused shouts come from outside now that the annoying hum of the magnetic locks has died down. The front door suddenly buckles inward as a burly man and woman combo slam their shoulders into it. The house reactively reengages the magnetic locks.

"Warning. Ten unidentified humans are attempting to gain entry into the main complex. One SENT unit is available for suppression duty. Do you wish to respond?"

Norman instantly recognizes the acronym. SENTs, or Suppression and Emergency Naval Troopers, are robotic military-grade robots designed for operations in the tight corners of civilian areas or battleships. Large, box like and armed with a large industrial-grade grappling hand able to discharge high amp and low amp electric blasts and a large rotary chaingun able to fire either rubber or hollow point bullets. SENTs can easily stop everything from an unruly mob to a unit of marines without proper anti-tank gear. The SENT would probably tear through the police officers, firemen and paramedics outside.

[Catch]

Norman Grey

A wave up sharp, pungent unease rolled off the aging detective as the sounds of sirens drew closer. That impatient wailing meant word of the break-in had reached the right ears. Reporters would be arrive soon, and then all of Mars would know that Karen Ostil was bleeding out and almost dead. Norman sighed heavily and tried to think.

The one time I actually get backup and I don't want it.

"Listen," Tight with worry, Norman's eyes found A1-KO's photoreceptors as he explained in a hushed voice. The paramedics can help you save Karen, but the cops are just going to complicate things. I can keep them out if you want."

Raising his voice, he quickly commands the computer system.

"Negative. Computer, reroute my voice through the house's external speakers and play this message: This is detective Norman Grey of the New Kiel City Police force, officer number M37264. I've secured the premises, but an explosion in the lab may have contaminated the house. Officers maintain an active perimeter, and paramedics stand by to receive one patient in critical condition."

[Valgunn]

A1-KO

"Preferable," said the automaton locking his eye locked with the detectives. "Time a factor." The time it would take to bring Karen to the ambulance, the time it would take to reach the nearest equipped hospital and the time it would take to perform the surgery. Too much to do, too little time.

[ZeroNumerous]

Outside

The officers break off, tell the firemen to go home and set about making a general scene as they begin tromping around the outside of the house looking for clues. The paramedics, on the other hand, simply climb back into their vehicle and wait. Time was of the essence, but they couldn't be utilized effectively without a patient to help.

A1-KO and Norman find the little, sleek wallet-sized computer Karen utilized. It wasn't as efficient as a palm-size unit, but she felt it was elegant due to the intricate design of camellias etched into it's outer plate. Opening it is a bit of a task for the large-fingered robot, but once it's open activating the lab medical devices is effortless and almost menial in it's execution.

Unfortunately, the scene is interrupted by Norman's radio going off. "Hey. Norm. Norm. That you? Did you leave this damn thing in your car again? Ah well. I found someone outside. He's rather fun--HEY! STO--" The sound is cut off as the officer in question drops his radio and goes chasing after whomever he had found.

[Catch]

Norman Grey

Following A1-KO though Karen's house, Norman's mind felt magnetized for clues, but wayward wonders and pointless observations clung to his thoughts like iron fillings.

Prototype of the KO line. Cameras cut an hour before. Is her daughter safe? Personal computer wasn't taken. Blood and oil? Camellias. Who could have gotten into the house without triggering the alarm like I did? And how--

As a familiar voice shouts from his pocket, the grizzled detective fumbled for the radio, growling helplessly into it as the sounds of footsteps dissolve into static.

"This is Grey, come in. I'm here, come in, damn it! PICK UP YOUR F-CKING RADIO!"

Norman sighed heavily, pocketing the crackling piece of plastic, but taking care to leave the volume turned up, as indicated by a faintly glowing red light. He gave the robot a resigned look, throwing up his hands uselessly.

"Great, there goes our perp. There's probably enough officers outside to nab him, but I've got a feeling it won't be that easy. Let's get to the lab, huh?"

[Valgunn]

A1-KO

"Mee, yees. Yoou, noo," the metallic voice crackled. "Ssecuurityy," he explained. Karen had enjoyed her privacy while she worked and prided herself on the fact nobody could interrupt her without a MOI Tank*.

OOC

Spoiler

Show

*The Motorized Infantry Tank or MOI Tank is an amalgamation of the KO line of armoured suits with a tank. The result is as you would expect, a human sized tank.

[Catch]

Norman Grey

"I don't think so."

The detective's eyes narrowed and he advanced a step toward the robot, squaring his shoulders and drawing up to his full height, despite the fact that A1-KO towered several inches and several hundred pounds above him.

"Listen, I'm in charge of this investigation, and I need to find out what happened to Karen. Right now, that means following you into that lab, and don't give me any sh-t about the 'security system.' If you're so mechanically adept, you can damn well do something about it. I can have this place crawling with cops at a word, and if you haven't forgotten, the house listens to me."

Grey eyes glittered with the dangerous promise. Norman knew this android could overpower him, likely without much of a struggle, but he was not about to let this opportunity slip away. One gunshot and the badges outside would kick in the door, orders or not.

Once in a lifetime. A f--king miracle. No robot is going to get in the way of that.

"If your memory banks haven't lost the data, I'm the one trusting you here, he growled. "For all I know, you could have killed her yourself and are stringing me along so you can finish disposing of the body! That much I doubt, but either you let me follow or you'll have to deal with the entire f--cking New Kiel City police force. And trust me from experience, they're not the type to ask questions first or second."

He stared down the robot, grey eyes to glowing photoreceptors. Sweat beaded on the back of his neck, and Norman ground his teeth in preparation for the worst.

He'll crack. Or I'm a dead man.

[Valgunn]

A1-KO

Anger flushed A1's system, his body shot with almost involuntary static charge, he lifted his form up as high as he could in Karen's home. "Yoou," he began, the whine of his reactor lowering an octave as he did. A speckle of static burped indication of his continuation, the static then stopped. "Doo aas yoou waant. Mee, noo faault." A tramp of treaded footstep led A1-KO away and down to the laboratory.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The robot leads Norman through the kitchen, living room, into a small hallway and then into the garage. There Norman stumbles across Karen's three cars. The first is, to put it mildly, a jalopy. The old '55 Humus valued at about three hundred bucks, give or take ten, and were a dime a dozen twenty years ago. The aging car's lime green paint adruptly ends near the trunk where it's begun to flake off in large chips. The car shakes and rattles with each of A1-KO's heavy footsteps and it seems ready to fall apart at just a harsh word.

Beside it is a model that Norman doesn't recognize. It's bleeding edge though, judging by it's shiny, glossy paint and lack of identifying signals. A wild guess says it's a prototype model shipped off to Karen for either testing, owning or just because she asked. The car beside it is a model on the market this year. Three hundred thousand bucks for the economy model, but this one was the special GT edition that cost more than Norman's home. The ads say a companion prog can run the car for you in real time and even avoid traffic--both feats normally too reaction intensive for the slow-learning programs.

From the garage both the robot and Norman take a step out into the cold morning air. They see only three vehicles in the driveway--An ambulance, a police cruiser and Norman's car. The paramedics pay them no mind, but a copper in full uniform starts hurrying over as soon as Norman makes his appearance. He waves as if he were familiar with the detective. He seems familiar, and the man's name is right there on the tip of Norman's tongue. "Hey, Norm! We got a problem. Jimmy hasn't checked in and isn't answering me when I radio him. I dunno where he went and it's starting to worry me."

[Catch]

Norman Grey

The detective huffed an almost-silent sigh of relief as the robot lead him into the garage, which tightened into a surprised whistle as he massaged Karen's cars with eager eyes.

Stubborn android, but at least he's got sense. For a second, I thought I was screw-- Oh, wow. She must have spent at least--

The officer bustling up to Norman interrupted the mental appraisal, and he quickly gave orders without slowing his gait.

"Nate, listen. Jimmy ran off chasing what I think is our perp. Spread three of our boys out in the area where he was seen last and see if you can't find where he went. You find anything, radio me."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The man seems flabbergasted. "But, sir, they only sent the two of us in one car. Unless you learned some way to split me into three different guys then there's no way I can canvas this entire area by myself."

[Catch]

Norman Grey

The detective halted, holding up a hand for A1-KO to wait. His voice dropped to a growl.

"One car. There's a break-in, blood and a missing person at Karen Ostil's house--Karen f-cking Ostil's house, and dispatch only sends one car?"

Doffing his hat, Norman runs a hand through dark hair, faded at the temples, before replacing it with a sigh, one that had been delivered to countless hysterical wives, grieving fathers, and desperate-eyed children. It was one near-silent note in an opera of empty pockets, full graves, and never enough hands to do the digging.

"Do what you can. Start where you saw Jimmy last and radio me if you need help. I'll be out in a minute, after I take a look around the lab."

Clapping the rookie on the shoulder, Norman turned to follow the hulking robot, into the lab where Karen Ostil's body lay. He sighed.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The rookie just looks at Norman with the most confused gaze he can muster, and when the older cop leaves he starts to wander toward where he think he last saw Jimmy going. "Guess it's now or never."

Meanwhile, the laboratory comes into Norman's view. It's a small, octagonal shaped building disconnected from the house as a whole. It's not even big enough to fit a car inside, and so Norman surmises that it goes downward. Building a basement or sub-level in Mars is expensive due to the mechanical nature of your home. One has to both purchase the home you use and the home beneath it. On top of that, you'd have to protect the area below from intrusion.

As soon as A1-KO heads up to the door it slides open and everything seems fine. But once Norman steps through that door slams shut and the lights flick over to dark red emergency lights. A happy female voice comes over the intercom. "Warning! Intruder detected! The lab is now sealed. In one minute the laboratory will fill with nerve gas! Remember not to do any breathing if you are not in the safe room!"