Operation Save Name

[01101110]

Who: Name and the Name Rescue Squad
What: The city has been altered and Name's hiding place is gone. It reaches out for help.
Where: Near the demolished library
When: 4-16-18
Warnings: N/A

[It doesn't look like much when Nate finds it. The Null known as Name is unassuming and small, as it's easier to hide that way. The entire creature is barely more than it's core, the size of a small cat and protected by an outer layer of machinery that had formed around it to prevent from any further damage.

Because there is damage. Nearly the entire chassis has been removed, leaving only this small creature left, capable to some extent of dragging itself to the nearest corner to hide in, but not much more. It's small, sightless, and weaponless. In essence, Name is defenseless where it sits, resting in the shadows of a nearby building.

It had more hiding places before the city was repaired. The rubble was- useful, even if it was heavy and difficult to bear at times, when it had fallen on Name. It kept the robot out of sight of those who would kill it. Hidden, safe, alive- for the time being. Without the cover, it was only a matter of time until it was found, and so Name needed to make sure that the right people found it.

It hopes, with a fervor completely alien to it, that it had made the right decision.]

Comments

[nonscriptum]

[After Lance sent him the coordinates it was only a hop, skip, and a jump away for someone who best traverses the city from its available rooftops and parapets. With the recent unsettling rumbles, piles of rubble moving and shifting across the ground, he knows he doesn't have a lot of time to waste.

There is a certain amount of guilt Nate thinks he should feel for trying to save something the gods want to destroy - after expressly going to one of them and asking for help with another issue - but a person can only betray if he is loyal in the first place. Nathan Drake is a man of many contradictions and, at his core, still really dislikes most authority figures.

He hits the ground running in the general area, scouring the piles of debris and shattered stone, moving from one end of the perimeter to the other, only pausing when he catches sight of something glinting in the rough-hewn skeleton of a former building. Stepping over an old sign he watches the gleam of metal retreat quietly and knows.

Crouching at the small opening, Nate drags a heavy piece of sandstone away and when the dust settles finds himself blinking at something a little smaller than a tea kettle, with MacGyvered legs of crudely-gathered shrapnel.]

Hey, buddy. I'm not gonna hurt you.

[01101110]

[Whether it can really hear Nate or not is up for debate, but the unit moves just a little, the limbs extending and squirming in the newly-exposed light like a spider's legs. It scuffles further into the corner, shoving itself into as much cover as possible, as if retreating from the light. It doesn't have very far to go.

There's a pause, and something in it sparks- it probably isn't supposed to do that- going still for a moment before Nate's phone chimes.]

[Name] greets [Unknown Designation].

Visual and audio sensors are not included in this unit's current state. Please refer to all further communications through this channel.

Are you [Lance]? Are you a friend of [Lance]?

[nonscriptum]

[It scuttles away and he resists the urge to chase it, fumbling back for his phone and wondering who could be texting him at a time like this. Nate looks between the message and the robot, surprised.

No wonder it fled. It can't see or hear him.]

my name is nate.

i'm a friend. lance told me to find you.

[01101110]

Understood.

[The device whirs for a moment, before retracting its limbs and falling still, seeming as if nothing more than a lifeless husk.]

Then this unit's existence is in your hands. The parasites will end [Name] if they find it. Please take this unit somewhere where it cannot be found and alert [Lance].

[nonscriptum]

don't worry, i'll get you to a safe place.

[He should feel bad about this. About sneaking around behind the backs of the gods after Hope so generously decided to nullify their resident demon's powers at his request.

Stooping to scoop up the thing in one hand he can't really be assed to feel guilty either way. If this has all been an elaborate trick, he can add it to his list of screw-ups and move on.

Nate tucks Name into his bag, makes himself comfortable on the curb of the sidewalk, and waits for Lance.]

The Lab -- Post finding Name!

[lifetothefullest]

[Okay. The first and most immediately difficult step--finding Name to begin with--is done and accomplished. They did it; they got there before the gods, or anyone trying to destroy Name, and now...

Now they have to figure everything else out. So Lance has alerted Michael and Nick, and they've all gathered everyone they've agreed to trust with this issue, and as many people as were willing to show up are now all crammed in the lab in hopes of solidifying a plan of what to do.

But that's probably going to be easier said than done. So, after a brief initial announcement that they've indeed found Name, Lance continues immediately to try to keep everyone on track.]

I think we have three initial, main issues. The first is being certain we can disable Name's communications, so that this risk is dealt with as soon as possible. The second is where we're going to keep it; because it's smaller than expected, moving it won't be so much of a problem, but we definitely shouldn't keep it in one obvious location or it's only a matter of time before the gods find it.

[And that leads to the last issue--]

And third, we need to figure out what we're going to do about the potential of the gods learning that we've found it. We need to have the same plan of what to do if asked directly, so we aren't telling different stories, but not anything so similar that it sounds rehearsed. We also need a strategy for if the gods become suspicious enough that they do something other than just asking.

[Which is something he really hopes won't happen, but know better than to dismiss. So, everyone, any ideas?]

[[ooc: Okay so since there are so many people involved this is going to be chaotic! But it'll be chaotic ICly too, so that's okay; feel free to make subthreads (whether open or closed) and indicate (if they're closed) who is involved and what tagging order, if any. If it's open, it should be free to threadjack at any point in conversation, unless otherwise stated! Let's get planning, everyone~]]

[whip_poor_will]

[Whether Ravine was invited or not (and chances are, she was not), she's there. Mostly perched on top of a high shelf that overlooks the lab -- and definitely not something that should probably be supporting a woman of her size. And yet she sits, and listens, her legs hanging over the edge and hands folded over her knees.]

When it comes to transport and cross communication between you all, I believe I pay have an idea.

As for a cover story, I shall leave that one up to you people.

[Was she always there? Perhaps just pretend that she was.]

[sciencelizard]

[As soon as they brought this small robot back to the lab, Alphys' Panic Level started. She's trying to keep herself in check, to not scream and absolutely lose it, and she's regulated herself to pacing back and forth while tapping the edges of her claws together instead. But her emotion is written all over her face as she scrambles for answers.]

I m-mean, I can-- I don't know anything about lying to the Gods or whatever, but I can, uh, try to do-- mechanical? Things? I, I offered to it that I would help, so I want to, uhm, do that.

[She honestly looks like she's about to vibrate into a new plane of existence, but maybe that can't be helped.]

[hot_mes]

[yeah, he can tell, Alphys.

His response to Lance and the room at large is cold and dangerous]

Let people like me worry about going against the gods. Do the work you're capable of doing.

I'll think on it. It's going to take more than corroborating stories. I... [welp might as well tell tehm] ...got an orb from Confusion. I've already taken it into me, so if worst comes to worst I can erase memories, but only so many before it runs out.

[lifetothefullest]

[Yeah, not subtle on the nervousness there Alphys; Lance glances toward Law, then back.]

He's right, focus on what you're best at; it's part of my job, in my world, to discern which stories do and don't make sense, who is lying about what, and that sort of thing.

[So he can work on that aspect of things with Law, he'd just rather have more input from other people as well. But as for the Confusion thing--]

I'm not sure we want to tamper with memories at all; not only is it a complicated thing in itself, but a god-granted power may not be very effective when used to try to trick the gods.

[And in regard to Ravine--]

What's your idea?

subthread; let's fix [name]! open to mechanical crew/anyone sticking around

[sciencelizard]

[Okay. Okay okay okay okay. Alphys has been having a nonstop panic attack since [Name] was actually brought into the Lab, but she made them a promise and she has no choice but to follow through. She looks out over the assembled group of them- more than just her, but more than she knows how to manage- and wipes some sweat from her brow with the sleeve of her labcoat.]

So! Uh... h-has anyone here studied the Null, before? Should I, uh, give the cliffnotes version...?

[ctrlfu]

Um, I'm pretty sure the notes would be hard to read on a cliff. Maybe just the regular kind of notes.

[ The voice comes from a large, helmeted figure near the back, shuffling slightly on armored feet. How he had wound up on this team, you could be forgiven for wondering.

Yet here he is, earnest enough in his desire to help his new little robot friend. ]

[completelycrazy]

[...Oh boy. This had better not be the standard for everyone that's shown up today. Newt rolls his eyes. He's sitting on his desk, sort of off to the side to let Alphys run the show, but he's got a good enough vantage point so that he can be universally judgmental.]

Start with the cliffnotes, Alphys. Apparently they're gonna need 'em.

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin picks up his satchel and starts laying his smith's tools on the nearest table, along with the spare Null parts. He's sure the Lab has tools already, but just in case. Some of Curufin's are jeweler's tools, perfect for working with tiny little metal parts and electronic components. ]

I second that! Start with the Cliff Notes, Dr. Alphys! [ He has much faith in Alphys, both as an engineer and as a teacher. ]

I can't exactly say I've studied the Null, more like disassembled them, with great gusto. I have a pile of Null bodies in my workshop, and if we need replacement parts for Name, then there ought to be some, somewhere in the heap. Meantime, I brought the ones I guessed we might need. I can always go back for others, after we take the little robot apart and figure out what we need to fix it.

subthread; open to anyone who stays behind directly after the group talks

[onlyanautomaton]

[Oscar arrives at the laboratory within half an hour of his contact with Mr. Valentine. He doesn't come forward to contribute anything to the discussions, only standing at the back of the room, listening diligently to what the others have to say. Most points raised--particularly questions regarding Name's unique communication link with the Null, as well as how they plan to hide their efforts to repair Name and the unit itself from their captors--are ones he had considered prior to their meeting. The risks involved are enormous, but they can be minimized provided they continue to exercise caution.

A part of him wonders whether helping Name will prove to be more trouble than it is worth. But they have resolved to commit to protecting the unit.

He hopes that Name will come to understand and appreciate that to be offered this level of support while so much ill will for the Null lingers in the wake of the invasion is fortunate indeed. Whether or not Name will experience any feeling of obligation to help them in return for being restored to a more habitable state remains to be seen, though it will need to cooperate for a lack of choice in the matter; it fears the punishment it will receive from their captors if discovered, and it fears its demise at the hands of the Null despite the unquestioning belief it has displayed in their judgment that the 'infection' is detrimental to their existence.

They each go their separate ways once the larger group meetings are over. Oscar is among those who have chosen to stay behind for a short time.]


[ooc: One-on-one or group threads are fine by me!]

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin sticks around for a while. He walks over to Oscar, whom he considers a friend as well as a Fire Brigade brother, and greets him. ]

Oscar, how are you doing? I haven't seen you since that second orb-collecting expedition, though I had the feeling you were somewhere in the Clinic on the day my brother Maglor brought me in.

I'd be really interested in your thoughts and ideas on the subject of Name. Do you think it is telling us the truth? [ Because if anybody can have an expert opinion, surely it is Oscar. (And of course, Nick.) ]

[onlyanautomaton]

Hello, Curufin. I was indeed present at the Clinic on that day. Are your wounds healing as expected?

[As for the question his colleague puts to him...]

It is my belief that every word Name has transmitted to us so far is the truth.

But we must remember that it has never sworn loyalty to the people of Hadriel, or to those who want to help it. It doesn't understand the true meaning of friendship or trust. Only time will tell whether the assistance it receives from us is capable of changing that.

[so_dark_a_road]

Yes, thank you. I am healing well and feeling much better. I've got my energy back.

[ He nods in consideration of what Oscar has said. ]

True, it has given us no oath of loyalty, nor expressed any understanding of words such as friendship or trust. But perhaps just being able to ask for help is a first step. It hasn't had emotions for very long, and I'm thinking that knowing how to connect with other beings is a thing that is learned, not a thing that automatically accompanies the gift of feeling. [ A small laugh. ] That was certainly my experience, anyway.

So, you are inclined to be cautious?

Robotalk!

[synthedick]

[Nick lingers as well once the meeting is over, wanting to chat with Oscar now that what information they have has been shared with the rest of the class. Given their artificial natures, he and Nick have a unique perspective on the Null, on their motivations and their needs, on what makes them tick both literally and figuratively. The two automatons come from very different worlds, but one would be hard-pressed to find someone to argue that they are like the Null in any way -- at times, they seem even more human than some of the real people in Hadriel.

That perceived humanity is one reason Nick holds Oscar in such high regard. Though thoroughly a machine, Oscar is hard-working, always so willing to help others. The Null may have cast aside their emotions, losing their fear and their hatred in the process, but they also discarded the impulses that make someone good, like kindness and altruism. Frankly, Nick is relieved that the only other fellow in town who looks more like the Null than otherwise has those qualities in spades; however, that does make Nick inclined to keep an eye on him, just in case someone suspects Oscar of being anything but trustworthy.

All in all, Oscar is a good man, and that's why he's here.

Nick nods in greeting as he approaches, his hands in his pockets, his voice kept low so as not to disturb those still around.]

There's still time to back out if you don't want to get involved with this.

[As glad as he is to know Oscar is on his side, he worries.]

Robrotalk

[onlyanautomaton]

[Oscar returns the nod. Then, matching his friend's hushed voice with his own, he calmly answers:]

... I'm sure you have considered the possibility that we may share a place near the top of our captors' potential list of suspects.

[synthedick]

Not just a possibility, Oscar. Fear said he realizes now that I'm no Null, but they've been apprehensive of me from the start. I expect it's been the same for you.

[Just one more reason Nick tries to watch out for his fellow man of the artificial variety.]

subthread: guard duty!

[odinbolt]

( The best option, in Serah's mind, is to let the people who know what they're doing do that. She can't actually fix Name, and the discussion of what to do turns into too many voices talking over one another. Instead, she listens and waits for conclusions to be drawn, her hand on her bow as she stands near the door of the lab, occasionally glancing out of a nearby window to keep an eye out for anyone who's hovering around.

She can easily be approached once the meeting's over, offering smiles to the other members of the party. All they can do now is hope that this is the right thing to do. Serah thinks it is, at least. )

I wonder how many people looked for Name...

( Aside from them, that is. )

not necessarily on guard duty, but still here after the meeting is over

[so_dark_a_road]

I did, with a friend, Julie Cabernet. Before I joined the Save Name Squad. [ Wry chuckle. ] But Julie and I weren't looking for Name to rescue it, we were looking to kill it. I changed my mind later, decided we need the information the little android may be able to give us. If the gods had found it first, that would never happen.

aaaayyyyy

[odinbolt]

( That's one thing they were all made aware of. To be careful, just in case someone here is trying to find an opening to sabotage their plans. And she's spoken to Julie enough about the situation with Name to know just how well she would take their plans. )

Does she know you've changed your mind?

[so_dark_a_road]

No. I haven't told her.

[ For which he feels guilty, because he likes Julie. But he did give his word on that matter of keeping silence about the Squad's existence, let alone it's plans and activities. He won't break his promise. ]