Friday, January 27, 2023

Live A Hero Lost Ancients in Blue Episode 5 (Abridged)

Long, long ago, on planet Tronesion, the machine lifeform's planet at the end of Orion's Arm, Andrew was made by the highly intelligent system known as Mother.
Flashback!

Man: I hate these scrap iron freaks! Oh right, Andy! You okay!? (looks around after kicking a mech)
"Andy": Yeah, I'm good. I was looking around on the surface. (closes the manhole covering to the safehouse)
Man: ...don't go out on your own if you don't want to die soon. The machines are crawling everywhere up there. This place ain't safe anymore.
Andy: Thanks for telling me. I'll try to survive as long as I can. We still have food?
Man: ...yeah, but not much. Supply line difficulties. All we have is in that box, just rations. (glares at box in the corner) There's you and me, Badog scouting, comm officer Paril, my son Zudo. And there's Ise, Machia, and Rossi on the front lines. Enough for three days for all of us...if they all come back alive.
Andy: I see. Well you can have mine, I'm not hungry.
The man is briefly surprised by this before looking stern again.

Man: Don't say that. Just eat your food, or else you won't have the energy to move if we're attacked. And it'd be a waste of what you already ate. If you hate the machines, then cling to life.
The man pulls out a map and marks on it. There's already a bunch of red Xs on it.

Andy: ...hmm. Can I ask why you hate them?
Man: What? We're at war with them. There's plenty of reasons for that. You'd hate them too if you saw them kill your dad with your own eyes.
Andy: ...
Man: ...you're weird. Whatever, just focus on living. I'll contact another safehouse about our situation. You stay here.
The man leaves the same way Andy came in from. Andy makes sure the cover is totally shut before speaking.
Andy: Quick scan, no reaction. He really did destroy you.
Andy looks at the mech that the man had been kicking, then sorts through the supply box.

Andy: It really is just rations. I thought they might hide secret documents here...whoops!
Andy gets his sleeve caught on the box and tears it, revealing mechanical bits underneath his torn clothes.

Andy: I messed up. I hope there's spare clothes. I need to get that map first since I have to prioritize my spy work. (rolls up map and takes it)
Andy: ...I don't understand, even though I need to understand them as their attack target. Human frames are simple, but the concept of the heart is too hard. (stares at hand)
Andy: ...I was ordered to learn their behaviors, their weapon tech and battle abilities. I do not understand hate and such negative emotions. I never had them. (thinks)
Andy: He didn't realize I was a machine spy, but I need to act more naturally. What do people say to people they won't see anymore? I have to ask them that.
Andy then leaves the safehouse too.

And so Andy continues on doing his spy work like this. Countless days to organics passed until after plenty of casualties on both sides, the war suddenly stopped. When Andy goes back to Tronesion, Mother has new orders for him.
Andy: Factory reset? Well okay, the war is over and all. The order I had before was connected to a lot of other planet classified info, so it'd be a problem for Tronesion if those memory logs stayed.
Andy doesn't blink an eye at all this and speaks in an unconcerned tone. Mother communicates to him electronically.
Andy: I'll be deported from Tronesion after that, right? No objections...oh, but I do have a request. (looks up to the sky)

Andy: Won't I likely pick up an error after I leave if my order is leaving the planet? Based on the reset method I--oh, most of my programming basics will remain. In that case, can you give me a different order after the reset? Something not easy would be good to keep me from coming back.
Beep boop.
Andy: ...a new codename? Well I was Andi this whole time as short for Android Infiltrator...oh right, I won't be a spy anymore. Well if I'm being Rebuilt with a Wish, how about I be Andrew next?
Beep boop.
Isn't Andi a Feminine Name?: ...thanks Mother. Huh? Am I smiling? The organics must have rubbed off on me after so long. I'm going back to base now. Factory reset can start after I connect to the core system. (starts walking)
Andy: ...oh right, I found out what people say in times like these: Goodbye, me.

Program Reset
Code: ANDI
Order: Spy/Guerilla Fighter
Action: Awareness of Enemy Organics

>>>

Code: ANDREW
Order: Detroit: Become human
Action: Awareness of Organics

Later
Andrew: Hello Mother. Beginning startup syscheck.
Beep boop.
Andrew: Okay, so that's my order. Any conditions? ...oh, these weapons and battle functions can be used to protect others! Mother, where can I find people? There's so interesting!
After leaving Tronesion, Andrew has been wandering around the Earth Sphere territories for about 70 years before being hired as a miner for Archimedes Inc. and moving to the moon.

Andrew: Understanding emotions is hard...so many simulation errors. My body may look similar to humans, but what critical differences are there? How do I get a human heart and become human?
Beep!
Andrew: Oh it's almost time for work! I better change clothes. People need to earn money to live as a cultural trait. Where's the new work manual...? Oh right, I can't input the data like a machine. I need to act like a person as much as possible...okay, I can do this job. I can buy a guitar with my wages this month! I hope I can become even more human!

Title Card: Dreaming of the Day I Change

Day 2 of the security job, and the party is out on patrol. So far so good. Now the sun's starting to set.
Gaius: ...the lake's calmer than yesterday. So are the fish.
Melide: Wow, you can tell how the fish feel?
MC: He's that in tune with the lake / Really...?
Gaius: Not like that...it's just that yesterday felt different from usual. I thought it was because of all the people patrolling, but it was the Monster and thieves.
Hisaki: Small, weak things are observant to danger, so maybe you saw their signs.
The party approaches the area they fought the thieves from yesterday.

Melide: ...the robots from before are gone.
Andrew: Yes, even if there was a lot of them.
Hisaki: Oh yeah, they recovered them yesterday. I was watching up to that point from nearby.

Hisaki slows down and looks over and thinks back to when the bomb space roombas were picked up.
Hisaki: ...I've been thinking about to handle what happened yesterday as an engineer. Andrew, you said you want to protect the bonds between man and machine, right?
Andrew: Yes, I think I'll learn more about the human heart that way.
Hisaki: (nods) I've been thinking about that bond in my own way too. It's hard though. I've started thinking about how to we can build better relationships and whether we need to confront one another.
Digivice noises!
MC: ...hey my phone just glowed. Like yesterday...

Hisaki: I don't have an answer, but I've thought about it all night and made this thing.
Hisaki pulls out a fish bot that starts swimming around him.

Melide: ...a fish robot? Cute. What's it for?
Hisaki: More drone than bot, and it does scouting. With sound based radar.
Gaius: It's not gonna bork up like the one from yesterday, will it?
Hisaki: It's optimized for underwater work, and I tested it earlier...figured I had to do that to make up for my mistakes. I know I'm not convincing, but please believe me.
MC: ...Hisaki / I believe / Well if you're going that far...

Gaius: (thinks) ...well even if it does flip out and a Monster appears, we can just beat it down again.
Andrew: Yes, we can't leave Monsters be if they appear. Also, Gaius you're kind. Does this mean you trust Hisaki?
Gaius: W-WHAT!? No, I just don't want to disturb the lake.
Andrew: O-oh...it looked that way to me. I learned a while ago that people like you are the type that aren't honest but kind.
Gaius: ...you're gonna sink if you don't swim straight.
Andrew: Oh, thank you! You really are nice.
Gaius: ugggggh
Hisaki: Tee hee... hm?
The fish bot has pinged something and is swimming in circles in that direction.

MC: Cool.

Melide: Oh that's cute. It's like a real fish the way it's calling you.
Melide holds her hand out. The fish bot sits on her palm.

Hisaki: Thanks you two. Now what's this message...? (looks at phone)
Hisaki: ...huh. Inside the building? No way...
Gaius: What? You figure something out? (looks at buildings)
Hisaki: Maybe! Can we get near the unopened entrance?
Gaius: You mean that building? Well our patrol goes by it so why not. We'll need to get closer anyway.
Andrew: Change of routes then. MC, Melide are you okay?
MC: I'm good! And curious.
Melide: I'm okay too. I've gotten a little more used to swimming.
Hisaki: Let's go then! Future past space tech, here I come!
And so the party hurries on. Cetus is nearby.

Later
Hisaki: It should be up ahead. Okay, ping check again...
Hisaki reactivates the fish bot and waits for it to get data.

Andrew: That reminds me, what did the fish bot see earlier?
Gaius: Yeah I was wondering that too.
Hisaki: (doesn't look away from his phone) Oh, it got an idea of what it was like inside the building. If it's right, the inside is divided into several areas. This will move the research forward in a flash!
Melide: ...but isn't there supposed to be jamming stopping that?
Hisaki: Well yes, if these were normal sound waves. My fish bot is using Monster detector sound waves, totally different and a make up for yesterday's flop!
The fish bot pings.
Andrew: Thank you, fish drone!
Hisaki: ...I knew it. There's definitely some sort of residential space inside the building.
MC: Wait, someone's inside?

Hisaki: I can't actually tell if there's living things inside, but it's possible. Now we just need to open the door somehow...
Hisaki knocks on the wall. It's a pretty thick thud, so it doesn't seem to be opening.

Melide: Hmm...there's a panel, but no clue on how to open it.
Hisaki: Yeah. It looks like it needs to scan ID or something...
Gaius: (stares at door)
Andrew: What is it, Gaius?
Gaius: Nothing, I'm not brainy like Hisaki... But I feel like I've seen this door and panel before.
Coming off in the distance...
???: eeeee
Melide: I sense Cetus...behind us!
Andrew: The guardian god's voice. He came to see us again!

Suddenly Cetus!
Gaius: What is it, Cetus? You don't usually come out at this time--
Cetus starts shining faintly!
Hisaki: W-what!? Gaius, is this fine...?
Gaius: I've never seen this happen before either!
Gaius reaches out to Cetus. The moment he touches him, Cetus's body blurs into the water.

Hisaki: Wait...is that an ether body!? T-then Cetus is...
The pale light converges into a smaller mass and fades away to reveal Cetus is some octagonal robot!

Melide: ...a robot? But why...?
Andrew: Hmm...is it the guardian god?
Gaius: ...yeah, it probably is. I don't know what just happened though.
Gaius stares at the robot. The robot stares back at him.

Gaius: ...this bot feels the same as Cetus did. And...I feel like I've seen this bot before.
Gaius reaches out to the bot again. The bot flashes its light and folds up.

Hisaki: W-what? What made it move again?
Cetus folds to palm size and sits on Gaius's hand. Gaius then starts faintly shining too.

Melide: Gaius, your body!
Gaius: The lines are shining...why do I know what this is...? Ugh!
Sudden headache!
MC: Gaius, you okay...?

Gaius: Y-yeah, I'm fine...just a headache, nothing big... It's just...some weird sense of nostalgia. Can't explain it better. (stares at Cetus)
Gaius: These marks shine when I'm with Cetus...? I think I might know what's going o--
The door panel starts lighting up, and the door slowly opens up automatically.

Hisaki: Oh, it opened...wait WHAT? Gaius, how did you do that!?
Gaius: I-I don't know, I can't keep up with all this! But...
Gaius's head hurts again as he stares into the dark passage.

Gaius: ...I don't know my past, but I might find a hint in there. I have to go in, sorry to the investigation team.

Hisaki: Gaius...right, you have your reasons. I'll go too then. I'm also on the investigation team, and if it's open I ought to look inside too!
Andrew: I'll come too. Other thieves and Monsters might show up.
Melide: ...right, better to be together than split up if we're looking inside. Marfik might be happy if we tell him as soon as possible.
MC: Yeah, he'd come running. I'll go call the investigation team.
Hisaki: Right, we probably won't get a signal once we go in. Thanks, MC!
Gaius: You guys are coming too? ...well okay, Cetus accepted you all. Let's go then, I'm not waiting that long.
MC: O-one sec! Text...and sent.
The party goes on in. Yes, of course there are thieves watching this happen.

Inside
Gaius: Dark. I don't see a light anywhere.
Andrew: Oh, Hisaki! Watch out, the wall is sticking out above your head there!
Hisaki: What!? (bang) Ow...hard.
Andrew: The jamming has disabled most of my sensors, but part of it is still working. I can at least see where things are in the short distance, so I'll lead.
Hisaki: Thanks, Andrew. Do I have a bump on my head...?
Gaius: ...oh right, if Cetus opened the door earlier, then... (puts Cetus on the ground)
Gaius: ...Cetus, wake up. Can you turn on the lights?
Cetus beeps up and works on something...several seconds later a pale blue light turns on.

Hisaki: OH MY GOD THE SUPERTECH
Cybertech tron lines and floating ether bodies light the place up.

Hisaki: Hey wait, the jamming stopped and my phone's working again.
Andrew: My sensors are too! Maybe the guardian god did this!
Melide: Are these really ruins? They're really clean...ah! (points)
More bots like Cetus!
Andrew: So they were inside! ...oh, there's more of them too.
Gaius: So Cetus wasn't alone...do they live here?
Gauis looks around and slowly walks in.

Melide: !! No, Gaius! Get back!
MC: ...careful, I sense Monsters!

Wild Monsters appear! Gaius manages to dodge their attack!
Gaius: Whoa! Thanks you two.
Hisaki: Gaius, you okay!?
Andrew: MC, Melide! Transform us!
Melide: R-right...MC, let's open the Path.
MC: Here we go! Execute!
The party transforms and readies to face off against the Monsters.

Hisaki: We're so close to that new tech! Nobody's getting in the way!
Andrew: Engaging combat systems. I'm ready! We can't let them destroy the guardian gods' home!
Gaius: ...I'm busy here, dammit. Get lost!
Melide: ...the Monsters appeared all of a sudden. Be careful everyone.
MC: Live's on! Wave battle, ride on!
BATTLE START

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