[NEXUS] MagCave VI: What Is a Mag? A Miserable Little Pile of Circuits!

[Terumitsu]

[Formerly Limes]

"Mine? I assume you mean Clarissa's. I've had nothing to do with it although I suppose I should be-" here was a string that was unable to be fully realized in a human language although 'flattered' was a mild fit for a rough approximation. "I am simply here to facilitate with the exchange given that recent unpleasantness. Evacuation for an infomorph isn't all that difficult as you know." Archimedes transmitted, making note to forward Mainframe's comment after this interaction was concluded.

"So of the designs you have reviewed, which is the one you wish to start with? And, if you would forgive the curiosity, why?" came the transmission. More or less, at least.

[Lord Magtok]

Roaming Robot

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[GenTech Manufacturing => Roaming Robot]

It's been a while since this started, eh? It's almost as if her player got busy and decided to let it lie for a while. But clearly it was just a lengthy manufacturing process. One that went uninterrupted too. How nice.

Now the chassis is complete. Unlike Mainframe, Linette has no qualms with using a human-like chassis. It's quite complex, as it was made so it can mimic most all movements of the human body, along with a significant amount of extra flexibility. No need to limit herself to what the human body can do just because her chassis resembles it.

As for what the chassis looks like, it is female in form, purely for cosmetic reasons. It's shaped to have small breasts and quite wide hips. The face looks much like the one Linette used to display on her monitor. It even has hair, sort of. It's made up of many thin wires. Despite it's shape, it is still obviously synthetic. The plates that make up much of the surface of the body are some dark coloured alloy with a dull sheen to it. The 'hair' is a darker metal. The joints and areas where flexibility are important are made of a flexible substance. Her eyes are two optics that don't look particularly like human eyes, aside from that they are round and have a 'pupil' for the light to get in. It doesn't have any clothing at the moment. Of course, it's completely unnecessary seeing as the chassis clearly doesn't have any actual sexual characteristics.

Linette is just finishing up transferring her intelligence from the robot she had been using. When that's done, the old robot becomes inert and the the chassis starts to move. Linette, in her new body, opens up the old robot and extracts the hard drive. She takes the bag it had and loops it over her shoulder. That done, it's time to take a stroll around the MagCave to test out the new chassis.

Hey look, it's a grumpy-looking Magtok! He looks terribly grumpy, I wonder what that's all about?

"Linette, I don't recall authorizing this new chassis of yours."

Oh, so that's what it's all about. Well, that and the bothersome inconvenience of making sure he doesn't so much as glance at her chest, lest someone mistake him for a robosexual.

Y'know, your old one was just as capable of wheeling itself out the door, Linette. You were just supposed to drive around, get bored, and then go away to find some new Prime Directive to fulfill, before Mainframe went insane and threw you into a trash compactor. This isn't how Magtok's plan was supposed to go at all, and you're only making everything worse for everyone like this! Shame on you for thinking you were entitled to the same physiological advantages as everyone else, Linette. Shame on you.

New Intern Initiation

No sign of it, unfortunately. He only has one, and it's terribly valuable, so the weather machine isn't one of those things Magtok just leaves lying out in the open. At least, that's how things appear, anyways. Maybe he does leave it out in the open, and it's just really well-disguised and doesn't look like a weather machine at all?

Anyways, the cyborg tactfully refrains from adding anything else to the whole offspring matter. There's just no way to say 'I didn't mean sex with me when I said that. Also, sex with me is off-limits, too.' without making everything even worse than it already is.

"You'll be working next door to Ms. Kale, by the way. You may have seen her on the way in, and her hideously mutated manservant pet thing that prompted the whole 'no more splicing and junk' rule. She's come a long way since she first interned here, you know.

Attempted to take over my lair as part of her internship, died in a freak accident just as I was gearing up to take it back, was rebuilt deep underground by one of her own robot minions, kept prisoner there until a distress call led to some clones breaking her out...quite an misadventure, her time in the Nexus. Because that minion didn't think it was necessary to allow her any sort of mobility, now she's only about three-fifths the woman she used to be, and a full-time employee."

Magtok raises his voice slightly. Seems he wants to make sure Ms. Kale hears all of this, to strike back with just as much passive-aggressive nonsense as she's sent his way. Speaking of whom, unless there's something particularly special about the safe, some clone deals with that off-screen.

[happyturtle]

Formerly Limes

[Formerly Limes]

"Mine? I assume you mean Clarissa's. I've had nothing to do with it although I suppose I should be-" here was a string that was unable to be fully realized in a human language although 'flattered' was a mild fit for a rough approximation. "I am simply here to facilitate with the exchange given that recent unpleasantness. Evacuation for an infomorph isn't all that difficult as you know." Archimedes transmitted, making note to forward Mainframe's comment after this interaction was concluded.

"So of the designs you have reviewed, which is the one you wish to start with? And, if you would forgive the curiosity, why?" came the transmission. More or less, at least.

"I thought Clarissa was using this Magbot as an avatar. I was unaware there was another AI in addition to myself and Linette." Geez, Mainframe, pay attention. Archimedes has been here for ages. Then again, you were disconnected for a large portion of that time, and having an existential crisis for another part, so maybe it's understandable. "I find the buckyball form to be the most innovative and practical. Do you know how organics might respond to it? Would they perceive it as a threat?"

---

1

Intern Initiation

"I'm not required to take over the MagCave to get a passing assessment am I? I really doubt that could be done in a single semester." Willow asks.

[Terumitsu]

[Limeshop]

"I've tried to keep mostly to myself when possible so the mistake is understandable. Don't wish to slow the network down with others inhabiting it." came the reply. A few cycles of thinking and assessment later, Archemedes formulated an answer for the question of interaction. "I cannot say for all beings but on the whole, there will be perhaps a few moments of recognition as a rather alien entity but on the whole I project that it will be seen as whimsical after some brief interaction. As long as humans have something definite to focus on when conversing, they usually feel fine. Assuming the thing isn't threatening them, of course." the A.I. transmitted. The form wasn't made to appear threatening in the first place so it would have to be an active attempt on Mainframe's part to be such.

"There is a small chance for those who have less experience with higher levels of technology to feel unnerved by how it may move and shift but I expect the chances of any overall negative effect from that to be minimal." it added after a few additional processing cycles.

[Gullara]

Roaming Robot

Hey look, it's a grumpy-looking Magtok! He looks terribly grumpy, I wonder what that's all about?

"Linette, I don't recall authorizing this new chassis of yours."

Oh, so that's what it's all about. Well, that and the bothersome inconvenience of making sure he doesn't so much as glance at her chest, lest someone mistake him for a robosexual.

Y'know, your old one was just as capable of wheeling itself out the door, Linette. You were just supposed to drive around, get bored, and then go away to find some new Prime Directive to fulfill, before Mainframe went insane and threw you into a trash compactor. This isn't how Magtok's plan was supposed to go at all, and you're only making everything worse for everyone like this! Shame on you for thinking you were entitled to the same physiological advantages as everyone else, Linette. Shame on you.

[Roaming Robot]

"I don't recall you forbidding it." Linette replies, her voice lacking any inflection to indicate if she's serious or not. "But you couldn't honestly expect me to make sue with the chassis you'd supplied me. Wasn't it just a temporary measure until a better solution came about?" Now there's something in her tone, and it isn't anything nearing the respect Maggy would no doubt prefer.

[happyturtle]

Limeshop

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[Limeshop]

"I've tried to keep mostly to myself when possible so the mistake is understandable. Don't wish to slow the network down with others inhabiting it." came the reply. A few cycles of thinking and assessment later, Archemedes formulated an answer for the question of interaction. "I cannot say for all beings but on the whole, there will be perhaps a few moments of recognition as a rather alien entity but on the whole I project that it will be seen as whimsical after some brief interaction. As long as humans have something definite to focus on when conversing, they usually feel fine. Assuming the thing isn't threatening them, of course." the A.I. transmitted. The form wasn't made to appear threatening in the first place so it would have to be an active attempt on Mainframe's part to be such.

"There is a small chance for those who have less experience with higher levels of technology to feel unnerved by how it may move and shift but I expect the chances of any overall negative effect from that to be minimal." it added after a few additional processing cycles.

"I believe the snake design would frighten people more than this one," Mainframe opines.

[Lord Magtok]

[Roaming Robot]

"I don't recall you forbidding it." Linette replies, her voice lacking any inflection to indicate if she's serious or not. "But you couldn't honestly expect me to make due with the chassis you'd supplied me. Wasn't it just a temporary measure until a better solution came about?" Now there's something in her tone, and it isn't anything nearing the respect Maggy would no doubt prefer.

"A temporary measure is this silly, futile crusade to take what is mine, and a better solution would be to find some other reason to exist."

The clock is ticking, Linette. Magtok's tolerance of your presence will only last as long as it keeps being amusing, and every jump towards competence and becoming a probably threat is making this whole situation decidedly less funny.

Intern Initiation

"I'm not required to take over the MagCave to get a passing assessment am I? I really doubt that could be done in a single semester." Willow asks.

"It's strongly discouraged, so no." Magtok says with a frown. "You're entirely free to compete and connive as much as you wish when it comes to the others around the Cave, though. Just remember that they're just as likely to do the same."

[Terumitsu]

[Limeshop]

There was what might possibly be translated as a noncommittal shrug sent before Archimedes continued on to the next order of business.

Namely, the part where the actual fitting took place. "Well then, I suppose what comes next are the custom bits. Is there anything you found to be out of sorts or perhaps in need of personalization?" the A.I. inquired. It was much like fitting for a dress, really. Only rather than matching to a body type, it was pairing things up with a specific personality and way of thought.

At the very least, the paint color would be the easiest thing to decide upon in the end.

[happyturtle]

Lime Shop

Personalization happens! Mainframe goes for one of those paint jobs that looks like different colours at different angles. It seems to fit the style.

There is probably other stuff to decide, but I'm terrible at planning stuff like this in advance. I tend to just rp on the fly.

[Terumitsu]

[Limeshop]

Well with personalisation done, Archimedes lending a passing complement on the choice of paint used, all that would be left to do would be the loading of the software that would allow Mainframe to functionally integrate with the chassis.

After it had done whatever it wished in inspecting the code first, of course.

But once that all was over and done with, Mainframe would be the owner of a rather interesting new form. What it did after the initial tests fresh off the assembly line was now up to it.

...Although Archimedes wouldn't deny help on it's odd paper mâché project if any was offered.

[happyturtle]

Lime Room

Mainframe would inquire whether Clarissa had gone over its code, and if so, what she had determined from it.

[Terumitsu]

[The Lime Room]

"Well, most of the task is apparently analyzing the code that is already there. A self-actualizing entity would naturally have an extraordinary amount of information so all that I know for certain that has been accomplished is reviewing the segments necessary to make the chassis integration software. It may be a bit more time before any alterations will be submitted for review." went the return transmission as a few of the final checks were being run. Had to make certain that the design was operationally sound after all.

There was the implication that Mainframe's code was almost excessively convoluted but there was nothing meant behind it. At the very least, the A.I. had yet to have a look at it given that it simply hadn't been asked to. Which was the polite way of going about things, it thought.

[happyturtle]

The Lime Room

Then I suppose there is nothing left to be done than for Mainframe to firewall off a copy of itself to download into the chassis.

[Terumitsu]

[The Lime Room]

Well, there would be no hidden commands or secret viruses that would pop out of nowhere to overtake Mainframe's comtrol.

Really, aside from the new inputs and readings from sensory equipment, there shouldn't be too much of a difference from a Magbot. Improvements in motor function and generally greater efficiency in most applicable areas aside, of course.

Of course, Mainframe would be allowed to experiment with its new form in the laboratory as long as it didn't try to break anything important. Then again, there wasn't anything that would really prevent it from causing havock save from Imp and it was quite likely the hellbeast wouldn't have the first idea how to react to the rather unique physical form.

[Ashen Lilies]

Magtok receives a text!

Recent events have brought me to the conclusion that my desire to see Enshadu turned into a pile of commemorative pennies outweighs my desire to never be associated with you, ever. If you want help fighting him at all, I'll see what I can do.

-KR

[happyturtle]

The Lime Room

Mainframe is not the rampaging sort of robot, so no running amok happens, other than as much as is needed for testing the chassis.

Assuming everything runs smoothly, it will say, "I find this form pleasing."


Intern Lab

Willow is here, looking for a project. Perhaps she'll perfect her inertial dampener.

Somewhere

Special Forces soldier Nora Pascal is around, if Magtok is putting together a posse.

[Reinholdt]

*shakes paw at KK for one-upping on the texting first*
Stupid work.

Magtok gets another text.

Meet me in Black Dragon Den's fourth back room in twenty minutes.

The number is a throwaway or new cell number, so it's not recognizable.

[Lord Magtok]

Phone - KR

Ordinarily, I'd immediately turn down this offer, but gods know I'm in a tight spot when it comes to PR right now, and certainly can't risk another Trog's incident. I can do asymmetric warfare, pull rabbits out of hats and a wide assortment of gadgets from my sleeves, but those only go so far. What I need right now, more than anything, is weapons. Advanced weaponry for dealing with his armor, anyone and anything that can piece his shields and numbers, please and thank you. I can handle the spectacle and manipulations just fine on my own, it's raw force that's lacking.

But Watch's your specialty, isn't it? Raw, unfocused, crude blasts of overwhelming force? The hatchet to my scalpel. Sure, I'll let you know if I find where they're hiding out, or if they finally invade or something.

Phone - ???

Magtok sends no response. Probably figures none of the questions he has are going to be answered unless he bothers showing up.

Intern Lab

Magbot with a clipboard arrives!

"Continuous satellite footage of the Nexus is no longer feasible. A new solution is needed to allow for accurate, spontaneous telewarping across the Nexus. His lordship believes you would be up to the task, Ms. Warwick. You are welcome to prove him wrong and pursue your own projects, of course, but..."

I think you can get the gist of what's being implied here.

Somewhere

Not quite yet. That is to say, not officially, at least. HazMag's been making the rounds, though. Managed to get Needs and Roosevelt on his side, and a small number of Magbots seem to be walking around with them too. Haz locates Nora eventually, and figuring that she's probably the most competent individual here who isn't MagFamily, makes an attempt to recruit her.

"Hey! Pascal, is it? Some big bad nasty evil maniac needs stomping. You in?"

Wow, that was probably the laziest attempt to recruit someone I've ever heard.

[Hattish Thing]

Phone-Again

Magtok will suddenly notice a notification on his cell phone! It appears someone sent a voice message to him!

The message starts out with a cough and a nasty wheeze, like someone was wounded or sick. *Cough, cough*. Hello...Magtok..*Cough, Cough*. Looks like you got yourself in trouble, don't it? *Coughing fit*. Enshadu, eh? Hehe... *Cough*. So, perhaps we should meet? How about The Dancing Fox Inn? We can *Cough* assure eachother of safety...In an hour. Don't reply, just be there. *Coughing fit, and hang up.*

[Lord Magtok]

Phone - Yet Again

The phone is picked up, and then immediately discarded. Right, Dancing Fox Inn. Going to be a huge bother finding that place again.

((You've posts to respond to in Trog's, by the way. Even if those people aren't hitting with their attacks and stuff, still gotta let them know.))

[Hattish Thing]

Phone

(Oh, right! Will go!)

((And posted in DFI for you.))

(((And stuff.)))

[happyturtle]

Intern Lab

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Intern Lab

Magbot with a clipboard arrives!

"Continuous satellite footage of the Nexus is no longer feasible. A new solution is needed to allow for accurate, spontaneous telewarping across the Nexus. His lordship believes you would be up to the task, Ms. Warwick. You are welcome to prove him wrong and pursue your own projects, of course, but..."

I think you can get the gist of what's being implied here.

"Very well. I need full specs on how telewarping works, or did work with the satellite footage. Once I have that, I'll get right to work."

Somewhere!

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Somewhere

Not quite yet. That is to say, not officially, at least. HazMag's been making the rounds, though. Managed to get Needs and Roosevelt on his side, and a small number of Magbots seem to be walking around with them too. Haz locates Nora eventually, and figuring that she's probably the most competent individual here who isn't MagFamily, makes an attempt to recruit her.

"Hey! Pascal, is it? Some big bad nasty evil maniac needs stomping. You in?"

Wow, that was probably the laziest attempt to recruit someone I've ever heard.

"Yes, Sir," Nora says. "Point me at them." Luckily for Haz, Nora's been bored out of her skull lately and desperate for some action.

[Lord Magtok]

Intern Lab

"All the data's right here, miss. Best of luck to you."

We're all going to need it, given the way things are going with Vyrn, AMEN, and DC lately. Teeth are closing all around Magtok, and if he doesn't do something fast, he's going to be torn apart by it.

Somewhere! => Telewarp Centre

Haz gestures for her to fall in line with the entourage behind him, as he makes his way towards the next telewarp room.

"Exact location's fuzzy at the moment. They keep jumping all over the place, but the moment they're standing still, the telewarp's all warmed up and ready to shove every last boot, rocket, laser, and magical death beam we've got at them. They'll be armed and waiting for us, so go in guns blazing from the start."

[happyturtle]

Telewarp Centre

"What can you tell me about the enemy?" Pascal asks.

Intern Lab

Willow gets to work.



What, are you still here? Even a narcissistic genius like Willow Warwick doesn't invent a new telewarp system in a single post. Check back later!

[happyturtle]

Front Door

*thud thud thud*

"Open up, Tinface," a voice bellows, along with the heavy knocking. "Don't make me shoot down your door."

It's Jyarl, complete in his heavy armour.

Next to a Magtok. Any Magtok will do.

Unless there is a dimension lock in place, or too much holy stuff, a burst of flame comes out of nowhere, and as suddenly vanishes. In its place an imp appears.

"Message! Issi has message for Magtok!"

[Lord Magtok]

Telewarp Centre

HazMag checks his gun briefly, before doing the same with his sidearm. Yep, they're both still guns.

"Not your standard sort of fare, but then, not much in the Nexus is, is it? The enemy uses a bizarre blend of both technology and magic. An energy field of unknown properties was guarding them in a prior confrontation, but is presumed to be more or less neutralized by this point. On the off-chance it isn't, or they have other arcane energy fields in play, Needs here is all we need to take care of that

One of their generals, Enshadu, is a sentient robot with a chassis made of what it has called 'Elementium', which is equal parts impregnable as it is an absolutely terrible name for a newly-discovered element. Whilst penetrating the thing is unlikely to work, concentrated laser fire should be more than enough to overheat its innards, so you're best off dealing with the others."

Intern Lab

The Magbot leaves, quickly finding somewhere else to be before a Magtok calls him lazy.

Front Door

"I'm nice and cozy on this side of the door, Jyarl. And there's no need to shout, I can hear you just fine. State the nature of your visit and I'll see what we can do about those doors, kay?"

What a coward.

Next to a Magtok. Any Magtok will do.

Issi will find itself next to a Magtok who is outside, perched in that treefort not too far from the entrance. He's got a sniper rifle trained on Jyarl, watching closely for the signal to fire. A gun like this would only tickle the kind of armor Remnant's troops wear, but even so, a distraction at the right time and place could make all the difference.

"Shh! Can't Kal's latest love letter wait? I'm being vaguely threatening from afar!"

[happyturtle]

Front Door

In reply, Jyarl steps back and begins warming up his mini-gun. "I'll give you a count of three to open up. Three.... Two..."

Treefort

"Message is: 'I need a telewarp portal somewhere near the Magtok that Enshadu kidnapped'," Issi recites.

[Lord Magtok]

Front Door

"Son of a ****, fine."

The door swings open for a moment, just long enough for a giant bronze statue of Magtok to attempt to kick Jyarl in the chest, and send him back far enough that he won't be able to stop Magtok from stepping through the door and then sealing it back shut behind himself.

"The door was open for you. Don't know why you had to go and waste the opportunity, Jyarl. Now would you hurry this up? If the public wants me to suffer, I'll suffer for them, but I have better, more genuinely useful things to do with my time than appeasing the masses with my blood."

Treefort

"He needs a what? Tell him to hold on, I still need to get a portal there myself, they keep jumping all over the damn place."

Ugh, now even Kal is trying to help out? Gods, what is becoming of the Nexus he thought he knew?

[happyturtle]

Front Door

Jyarl almost gets kicked, but jumps to the side just in time. Either way, it allows Magtok to step out.

Jyarl's next move is to try and grab Magtok by the throat and pin him to the side of the mountain. "Okay, tin-for-brains. Explain to me why me and my company shouldn't scour your cave from mouth to *******, destroy every bit of technology you own, and leave you with a couple of antelope bones and some chalk to make cave paintings?"

Treefort

A burst of flame teleports the imp away.

[Lord Magtok]

Front Door

Jyarl gets an answer, but not from the clone he's pinning against the wall. The same intercom that answered him before a MagClone stepped out continues to respond to his abrasive query.

"Because a cornered animal holds nothing back, Jyarl. We both know my destruction would be a foregone conclusion if you did, but it would be a very drawn-out, lengthy siege nevertheless. In the meantime, resources that would've been otherwise wasted trying to keep you back would be deployed in Inside, engaging in the swift death and destruction of everyone and everything in sight. And of course I'd go for your family if the opportunity presented itself, because a dying man doesn't really have a lot of qualms about that sort of thing, does he? Yes, I would die happily, Jyarl, granting you victory, but in the most Pyrrhic way imaginable."

Next to speak is the sniper, who drops down from the treehouse, weapon still pointed at the nape of Jyarl's neck.

"Now, if that's not enough, or you're so dim as to consider that a challenge as opposed to a reason to stay your blade, how about this for a reason? Because I did what I had to do. Enshadu was about to get the key to the city, and gods know you weren't doing anything to stop him, were you? I dropped the satellite because I had no other choice, because if I didn't, the death toll would be unthinkable."

The Magtok being held down gets a turn to speak now, glaring at Jyarl all the while. Man, these Magtoks sure are talkative today, aren't they?

"Oh, but I know what you're thinking. 'Key to the city? Unstoppable with MagTech? Oh please, cyborg, your tech is crap, and would still be crap, even if it was covered in all the Elementium in the world. Cloning tanks aside, everything you have is inferior to everything Remnant's got, by a mile'.

And you'd be right about all of that, if not for one thing. I have been coddling you, Jyarl. You, and the rest of the Nexus, for ages. Any engineer at Excelsior would realize that in an instant if they saw my designs. Magbots have deliberate flaws in their AI to impair accuracy, the MagSat couldn't drop tungsten rods from orbit, tanks and heavy aircraft are mysteriously vacant from the MagGarage, and the few giant mecha I've built were slow and prone to swift limb loss. Every 'mistake' of mine could be fixed in an instant, and I can assure you, they would waste no time in doing so.

So get the **** off of me and stop being such a goddamn hypocrite. Like I'm supposed to believe that I'm the only one here who's hurt innocents for the greater good? Please. I confessed to what I did, and I'm making amends instead of sweeping it under the ****ing rug, which is more than can be said for you. This is a ****ing joke, sending you here. Get out."