hadriel_logs | World Log: Tundra Arrival

Entry tags:

World Log: Tundra Arrival

Who: All characters in the city
What: The log for the city's arrivel on the ice planet
Where: All around the city
When: November 21st-November 30th
Warnings: None

You all get some warning to prepare, which is great. A little time to stock up on supplies, make sure everything's where it supposed to be, call your friends in from their fishing boats. And then the city moves. It happens in the blink of an eye - one moment you're on islands, surrounded by ocean, and the next? The next you're surrounded by frozen ground, the temperature has dropped significantly, and even the sky looks different. The air has a bite to it, that familiar feeling telling you it's thinking about snowing soon. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday soon.

The city has rearranged itself back into that old, familiar shape, instead of spread out across islands like it was a moment ago. Maybe that'll make things easier for you, maybe it won't, but it also means the return of the lake and river that used to bisect the city - only now they're frozen over. This climate also means it'll be hard for any plants not otherwise protected to survive - and that you, too, will start feeling that cold if you're away from a warm place for too long.

And warm places might be in short supply, because when the city moved the gods did not. What does that mean for you? Well, whatever supplies are in the shops at the moment the city moves are the only ones left. No new food supplies, no new clothing, nothing. In addition, the power across the whole city is out, including water and heating. Anything else powered or supplied by gods (the hot springs, the mopeds, what's left of the orchard, the armory, the GPS) will not work.

You're on your own. Try not to die.

► This log covers November 21st-30th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you freeze to death, starve to death, are eaten by the local animals, fall through the ice, or find some other exciting way to die, please let us know here, and be aware resurrection will not be currently happening. You stay dead - for now.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

People will probably see them and think they're worth eating.

[He says it a little dryly, indicating how well he thinks the idea of only drilling the center lake will go over. The people here will probably take the idea of whatever these creatures might be as a challenge to try to kill them.]

...perhaps they are. Attempting to hunt one through the ice would be extremely ill advised, but I suppose that wouldn't stop people.

[ Humans, sigh. DiMA's tone is a mix of quietly fond and concerned at once, then he straightens up to greet Connor properly, unworried about their weight on the ice. It's very thick, and he's very heavy so it probably would have broken already. ]

It's good to see you again, Connor. Have you been well?

[Doing things that are ill-advised is like the main human pastime, but he doesn't feel the need to mention that. They both know it, he's pretty sure.

He watches DiMA straighten up, nodding once in affirmation.]

I have.

[It's a total lie, but whatever, he's made to lie.]

Does the cold have any sort of adverse effect on you?

[He presumes not since DiMA isn't doing anything about it, but Connor still can't believe the cold is great on exposed wires and such.]

[ Well that doesn't seem entirely truthful, young robot. But alright, DiMA isn't the type to push, just keep an eye on it.

He shakes his head. ]

It may -- the Island doesn't get as cold as I suspect this planet will, in time. Right now my functioning is unimpaired. Are you alright with it?

[Well that's good to hear, although the element of uncertainty is a little concerning.]

For now, yes; it would have to be significantly colder to have any impact on me.

[Although for androids there's a very fine line where it goes from 'totally fine' to 'dying', but hopefully that won't be a problem. Connor had expected it to be a lot colder here, so right now the worst of it--as long as he doesn't fall in the lake or something--is the emotional stress.

Talking about the temperature makes him curious--]

Do you feel cold? As a sensation rather than a temperature reading?

I believe the same is true of me. This won't be harmful just yet.

[ He considers Connor's next question thoughtfully, because the experience of sensation is different for all of them. ]

I do experience the sensation of cold, yes, but I do not... react to it, as I'm aware that I am synthetics. Newer synths who haven't yet realized what they are will suffer for cold, or hunger, and so on.

[Okay, he totally zeroes in on one particular part of that response and ignores are all others--]

Newer synthetics don't know what they are?

No, not usually. They are programmed to believe they are human -- often a specific human, meant to replace them. Though I don't know for what purpose the Institute decided to do such a thing, besides for scientific curiosity. To test their toys. That seemed to be all they cared for, creating the most realistic synths possible for the sake of it.

[ DiMA does not sound impressed. ]

[Connor's expression stays mostly neutral, which is noteworthy because the feeling of revulsion that response prompts is quite strong, although he can't quite control the small curl of his lip. Of course. The Institute sounds too much like CyberLife, and although it isn't a surprise it's still unpleasant to hear that the same kind of behavior is common across worlds.

At least DiMA doesn't seem terribly pleased about it either.]

Wouldn't they realize it quickly? Can synthetics in your world eat and sleep?

[Because those would really give away the whole not being human thing if not, although he supposes it wouldn't be too hard to program in something to counter the realization.]

[ DiMA explains with his same calm, even tone, but no, he is not pleased with the intentions. ]

They do not realize. In fact, even we do not know for certain if some among us are actually third generation synths, or humans who only believe themselves to be for some reason -- known synths still feel the need to eat and sleep. They have a very human experience of sensation and all these things are difficult to resist. The only way to know for certain is to disassemble someone, so you understand why we have not.

I was created as a prototype between generations two and three. Something between the obvious machine and something with a human experience of the world. There are only two of us.

[ He sighs slightly. ]

If we were regarded as people and not an experiment or the Institute's property and tools, I would have nothing against the Institute for creating a new form of life. But as it is, they are a great evil to me, producing synths only for their own curiosity and manipulations.

[It's difficult to imagine--if an android like Connor ate something they'd end up with serious problems very fast, for instance--but he can still understand the idea, and it's... Creepy, maybe, is the right description. Not the issue of not being able to tell from the outside, since that's something Connor's used to, but the idea of not knowing oneself what species they even are. He thinks if there was even a possibility he might be human he would tear open an arm or something just to know for sure, but then again deviant androids are not known for their great decision-making under stress.

He can guess easily enough who the second of the two synthetics like DiMA is, but doesn't mention it. That last part about the Institute once again sounds like CyberLife, and Connor's gaze flickers briefly away as he remembers what they did regarding the entire rebellion.]

The company that makes androids in my world is called CyberLife, and it seems they and the Institute have similar motivations. CyberLife may be more business-oriented, however.

[They do love making money.]

It wouldn't be hard to be more business oriented than the Institute, as they are definitively not. In fact, no one even knows where they are located. Only the coursers can get there and back, their synths programmed to hunt runaway synths.

[ DiMA shakes his head sadly. ]

I am sorry that your creators have such disrespect for your form of life, as well. It's truly a shame.

[Programming beings to hunt down their own kind is way too familiar, and Connor tucks his arms against himself in a subconscious reaction to both the cold and the thought as he focuses on responding just to the last part.]

It is, but we've... We had a revolution, and we've won. For now.

[He knows it might not last, but it's something. There's hope for their species, despite what they've had to go through to get there.]

A revolution?

[ Uprising is so often violent, DiMA is almost afraid to ask how many either side lost, but... perhaps it was necessary to establish safety for both groups. So he does find himself asking. ]

Was it peaceful, or were a great many lost? I'm passably familiar with only human history of such things.

It was peaceful on our side.

[For the most part. Connor probably killed more humans himself than everyone else did combined, but it was also still in self defense. Mostly.]

I don't know how many we lost. In our city it was hundreds, at least, from those who were already aware; across the country it was potentially millions from those who weren't, or who were too late.

[He doesn't want to think about how many might have 'awakened' just before their destruction. But there were at least fifty million androids in the USA at the time of the revolution, and the ordered destruction was country-wide.]

I see... I'm very sorry for those losses, Connor.

[ But he does believe that peaceful methods, trying absolutely everything first and only fighting to protect yourself if the other side starts it, is the way to go. This situation sounds slightly different, in that not all of the androids had free will at the time. He thinks that's what Connor means by 'aware.' And that's tragic. ]

Were they simply destroying something they did not understand, then? I'm sadly familiar with that human instinct.

[He appreciates the condolences even if he doesn't know how to respond to them, and has to firmly ignore the guilt creeping in on him for the destruction of Jericho and his own part in it. He knows, logically, it wasn't his fault, but they somehow doesn't change how he feels.

Connor isn't totally sure how to answer the question, either, because he really isn't certain that's it. It might've been, for some humans, but--]

The general population thought we were just dangerously malfunctioning machines.

[And so destroying them was, to them, logical. But the refusal to even consider that they might be wrong is where they hold blame.]

[ Oh. DiMA continues looking sad, because this is a tragic story. One he can relate to. ]

That's very unfortunate. That they could not be swayed by your words, but I am... also quite familiar. Even grand gestures of friendship have been rejected on some level, where I'm from. Far Harbor hasn't taken action to destroy my sanctuary, but I know there are many among them who think it would be best to eradicate us just in case.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

World Log: Tundra Arrival

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

cw to be safe for mentions of selfharm

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject