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Post by The Blue Adept on Sept 15, 2018 4:39:22 GMT -5
Masuda Keisuke
Current Location: The Russian Border
In the modern era, many argued what had become man's greatest folly. In a post-war age, it was easy to claim it the weapons of war, the hatred that tore apart countries, tore apart families, tore apart the earth itself. Others might say it was the overall hubris, existing without thinking of the consequences or preserving the planet.
But, it had become quite clear that creating in it's own images was man's greatest folly of all. And so would insist the creations themselves, burdened with a likeness and an ability to feel but made to do more than it was made to just exist. The novelty of creating powerful AI wore off as soon as is it could be commodified, consumerized. What were once the children of mankind became their weapons. Perhaps the ultimate irony that androids built as close to the human likeness as possible were so soon made to kill.
Some would even argue that the creation of such androids themselves were what lead to the next great war, though it was rude to voice such an opinion out loud. Mankind had no choice but to treat their creations as equals as quickly as they reached the threshold of making them as close to human as possible. Androids, even with their rights, became heavily regulated in what they could and could not be built with, as well as whether or not they could harm humans, even in police force positions.
That brought upon the big question: what were all the countries that had made peace going to do with their killer machines? Those that simply couldn't be downgraded, those that broke all the laws specially made for them just by existing. They'd given their weapons rights, it would be unbecoming to make an exception at a time like this.
So they became diplomats. The UN countries pooled their war androids, sent them off on peace talks and global meetings, both as a means of good will and to keep each other in check.
Masuda found himself one such soldier-turned-spokesperson. Once an android built for stealth, now a friendly face to shake hands with. He had to admit that when the war ended he'd more than braced himself to be disassembled, so it came as a bit of a shock when Britain decided to keep him around in one piece. Though truly, he didn't think he was built for this sort of thing. Sure, he emulated humans as close as possible, but he'd killed enough of them to find it a bit difficult to so quickly be ordered to play nice.
It was all acting on his part, after all. He did what he was programmed to do, and this new job's loose version of free-will didn't seem to line up very well with how he operated. He skated by on pure observation, amalgamating some sort of frankensteined personality to play this game of masks. He picked apart the traits relevant to the situation, as he'd been made to do so many times before, to blend in- this time not to kill but to democratize.
Masuda was sure his creators had never intended it to be this way, as much as his AI matched those with more human-like mannerisms than he. Yet he couldn't say he was immune to that intended humanity, as he was also certain his creators had never intended for an android to be able to feel the affects of war.
It was one thing to make something kill, it was another to let it understand it. Unfortunately it wasn't a part of him he could just shut off, nor a memory that he even had permission to erase. The blood on his hands smeared with every handshake made in peaceful halls. He wasn't ashamed that he was envious of other androids, ones that could live simple, normal lives. He didn't think he had the right to decide that it was unfair, no matter how much the thought taunted him.
It wasn't a choice he had, both as an android and as a soldier. He did what the British government told him to do, there wasn't room to protest. Even when his newest assignment was to work with other old war androids.
Masuda found himself...concerned, at the thought. He wasn't really built to be afraid, nor did he particularly think he was. It was more of an apprehension. He hadn't really met many of the other androids aside from polite greeting that came with diplomacy work. Pleasantries meant nothing in the face of bots he'd been specifically ordered to kill, and had killed, and bots who'd killed his own.
Memories that still angered him only lingered painfully the closer he got to the date he'd be shipped out. It felt awfully similar to old work, temporarily guarding a UN base, once more as a gesture of good will. Keeping the dangerous weapons in one place to be watched over, and to make sure no one was doing anything shady, it did make sense. It was also incredibly dangerous, but perhaps the lesser of a few evils in terms of how to keep the peace.
His bitterness battled with his curiosity- he'd never spent time on the Russian front during the war, and had only been a few times to meet leaders afterwards. He hadn't been there, but he'd lost many of his own in Moscow. It was unfortunate that his bad impression of the place still lingered now that he'd have to stay there for some time.
As well as meet the androids he'd have to work with. He gripped his hands in his lap tightly, a gesture easily overlooked as he listened to the chatter of the Prime Minister next to him, all but drowning out their conversation, storing it for review later if he'd need it. It was his last meeting before he'd be off on a plane.
It was quite a lot like strategizing for war, he found, though in this case he was strategizing how to come off as harmless as possible. He played that role quite well, at least.
"Make sure to report back on time, okay?"
Masuda turned his head, having almost forgotten Dr. Thomas was there. She frowned a little at him, an expression he'd seen on her face many times. It wasn't often that she was happy with him. "Of course," he nodded after a moment. It was a little strange interacting with her now, now that she called him a name and not a number.
She simply tsked and shook her head, bringing her coffee cup to her mouth. "You can't afford to be distracted out there," she chided, smacking his shoulder with her free hand. "Jones will have my @ss if you're even a few hours late, you hear me?"
Masuda crossed his arms. "Have I ever been late?"
"Yes! You have! And it nearly gave a heart attack every time! So don't do it again."
Masuda tried not to feel entertained at her exasperation. It didn't really work. "It'll be fine."
"Better be. Lots of conflicts break out there, you need to be on your toes just as well as you were back in the day. The diagnostics came out fine so you should still be fit for it," she hummed, brows furrowing in thought. She'd made dozens of checks already to make sure he was in shape for it. As an android he was lucky to never become rusty, his programming sliding comfortably back into its old place. It was alarmingly akin to stockholm-syndrome to say that he missed it, even if it was true.
"Perhaps I've missed a report, yes, but have I ever missed a shot?"
"No, no you most certainly haven't."
The uncertainties of what to expect plagued him his entire flight. Masuda poured over every single possible outcome in his mind, calculated expertly how things could go wrong. Masuda knew that he would be able to cobble together once more a personality that did well in this situation, but he'd never had to use it in such lengthened proximity with another war android, and one of his past enemies at that.There really was no point in playing the game when everyone was cheating, after all.
He was more than relieved when he finally touched ground, having grown tired of ruminating over his problems and ready to just let whatever happen, happen.
Greeted by a few soldiers once he was back on UN soil, Masuda gave them a friendly smile of introduction. His name fell uncertainly from his lips, but they didn't seem to notice, shaking his hand with a curious glint in their eyes. It wasn't often that one got to meet a foreign war android in person, he supposed.
"Ah, sh*t where are the others? I guess you are a bit early...we can just show you around ourselves." The soldiers looked at each other briefly, pleased by this idea. They radioed in and waved Masuda along as they brought him into the concrete jungle of a military base.
Naturally it wasn't his first time being around one, but it wasn't often that he got to visit newly UN-sanctioned bases that had once been enemy territory. Luckily he had been programmed to be curious, and he took careful note of everything that he passed by, formulating a map piece by piece for later. It would be embarrassing after all if he somehow got lost later, not when his memory was built to perfection.
The Russian border base was stocked alarmingly well with powerful weaponry, Masuda found as they perused the halls and hangars, taking careful note of inventory he was sure to have to go over later. It had been converted not long after the war ended as it was brought under neutral jurisdiction, even as the Russian border conflicts continued around its walls. He brushed his hands idly over gun stock crates, wondering how many bullets had still been fired even after guns had long since lowered.
It seemed the base commander was just as late, and Masuda stood idly in one of the plane hangars as the soldier tour guides bickered in hushed whispers to each other about whether or not they were legally allowed to joke about their boss being late.
Masuda briefly wondered if it was polite to go into sleep mode just standing around waiting. Luckily he didn't need to wait long enough to find out.
"Ah there they are."
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Post by LโEฬแดสแดษดษขแดส on Sept 15, 2018 6:47:10 GMT -5
Artem Vasylyk
Current Location: The Russian Border
There was a disconnect for SA-0... Artem. Despite the fact that the war was long past, it made up over three-fourths of his life and he was not certain what he was to make of that and what he was supposed to do with himself. Created for war, Artem was made with a taste for violence. It came naturally for him like breathing was for humans. He was a creation of war and without, Artem wasn't certain what he was. Or what he was meant to do. Diplomacy was an entire farce that didn't make sense to him. It was just a bunch of idiots dressed up in suits and ties, parading around in some sort of clown show.
He remembered the line of androids he came from quite well, the purpose he was given when they had given him a gun to utilize. His kind were heavy duty infantry units, meant to withstand large amounts of damage and programmed with an expertise in firearms. There wasn't much room for social grace when they were literally meant to be bomb shelters, like some sort of sacrificial android shield for the sleeker and quicker Skavic models that were the bulk of their assault units.
If he was to be honest - if his programming was right - Eight - Artem wasn't quite certain if the sensation of a handshake bode well with him at all. It was light. It was loose. It was fleeting and unfamiliar in ways that the heavy weight of the sniper rifles and assault rifles he had utilized with wasn't. But it was fine. As far as he was concerned, most of the diplomats he'd came into contact with were about unenthusiastic as him. Their faces were plastered with smiles but the scanner built into him meant to read the microexpressions of a human face noted the falsified happiness easily.
Some part of him almost yearned that he had been destroyed in the war, fulfilling his purpose. He wasn't even certain if he was capable of such a thing since emotions and superficial things like want and desire weren't apart of his coding. Though he would never admit it, he had always thought there was a fault in his code though. He had evolved or at least those were the words he remembered Pavlova Katerina Borisovna had said regarding his actions taken on the battlefield. But then again, the SA line had been a learning AI and his 'evolution' had earned him a promotion into black ops. The longer they existed, the more information they took in and the more free will they gained.
Those were her words when speaking in private with General Pavlovich. They had grossly misjudged their distance however, being completely within the quarter mile range that his hearing was programmed. It was something of an anomaly because from the brief time he had known Borisovna she was meticulous, precise, and a perfectionist. She was not one to make simple mistakes.
It was something that bothered him though he was uncertain if that was the correct word to describe his thoughts on the situation, but he would always find himself reviewing the footage captured by his eyes and replaying the audio whenever he had a moment in private. Borisovna had always seemed more fond of her creations than of humans and there was a wisdom that was untapped in that mind of hers, far older and more experienced in different ways than he was. Those words were haunting, a recording played in a loop in his mind every day. "Pavlovich, the only reason you're asking this of me is because he's survived long enough to evolve and garner some semblance of free will of his own. I'm not going to do that for you."
It was just one of those things he couldn't understand due to his lack of programming to such subject matters. It made him feel like he was at a disadvantage to the newer models of AI, the ones that were meant for softer lives. The ones that were loved and cherished for their application unlike his kind who would only be remembered by the blood on their hands.
So this lapse in what had become normalcy for him following the war was something he looked forward to. He wasn't certain why it was something that made him elated system malfunction? but this was a task that he found familiar. There was nothing Artem liked more than familiarity whether it be the weight of a gun, the heat of an explosion, or the sensation of being under the drill for maintenance and upgrades. It was probably something that was not normal as far as he was concerned regarding human standards of normalcy, but then again what were android standards for normalcy? There didn't seem to be a set standard considering how humans couldn't even seem to figure out what rights to give their kind and what was pressing on too little and what was considered too much.
But this, this was something he was confident with in comparison to the fake smiles and interactions with other so-called diplomats that were just about as mechanical as he was. Some of them seemed more comfortable in their skin metal alloy? and seemed to like their new jobs well enough. It was not something that he could comprehend despite the wealth of knowledge in his data bases and his strategic and advanced programming.
He listened attentively but recorded the information regardless in case he would need to project it back to a commanding officer no. Unit SA-08 no longer has those obligations. or for his own access. It was showing of his origins as an army war android meant to be both a shield and juggernaut that he was very very good at comprehending and processing orders instructions? tasks? obligations? as they were given to him. As soon as General Pavlovich was done speaking, he was pleased to take his leave for the Humvee in the military convoy headed for the UN base.
It was strange to say that he had missed the feeling of being transported to a hot zone though this was not a hot zone it was an achingly familiar task he had performed time and time again. Protect a UN base, most likely a weapons' compound or working base for intelligence or AI production. Though they had stopped making war androids though so the last one was more than unlikely.
The handler 03, private first class. one stripe. who was stationed next to him to make sure he understood the directives and the situation he was going to find himself in spoke a lot regarding the fact that he would be with some other diplomat. The words were hesitant and he knew it was probably due to the entire android rights debacle. The soldier probably felt uncomfortable referring to them as war androids but diplomat was a stretch as far as both of them were concerned. He agreed. It was pretentious, as useful as the nation calling them war heroes and slapping some vacuous version of war medals on them except it would be magnets or something equally ridiculous. Good thing they had skipped that part. But diplomats.
That was still a stretch.
He sat in silence, idly recording what the soldier said but not really paying him much mind or attention, instead choosing to look out at the familiar terrain while noting how different it looked. Familiar yet unfamiliar. Comprehension error. It looked serene. Quiet even. Though that was not a scenic descriptor so that was probably the wrong word.
It also amused him to some degree the lengths the soldier went to converse with him, clearly self conscious with how he handled himself. He talked himself into a proverbial grave, constantly correcting himself and Artem allowed him to. It was strange that he was being transported in the same vehicle as foot soldiers of the Russian army rather than field proven senior officer who would be able to possess more command of a situation. Though he didn't voice the thought outloud.
It was just strange in ways he didn't quite comprehend due to the lack of information. As the convoy slowed to a stop, however, he decided to focus on the matter at hand and designated his attention and senses to focus on the new surrounding. He had been to this base before, he noted. It was UN Base 15 formerly Russian 231st weapons factory and his unit had sometimes been here to replenish ammo supply and receive new weaponry as the arms race became uglier and uglier.
He did not speak to any of the soldiers as he passed by them, allowing the soldier who was his supposed handler to lead the way even as he kept pace with him though staying one step behind in order to avoid collision. That was when he saw the other android. There was no saying what the make and model of the other was since it he? was not one Artem was familiar with. It He was not something that was from here though. The lack of uniform first and foremost was telling. And second of all there was a more lax human-like quality to the android than found in the stiff back stance of the soldiers which made for an amusing thought. How strange it was to find the android more human than the humans that surrounded him.
Coming to a stop before the other android, he looked him up and down with an air of pragmatism before nodding. He was of a slighter frame so he was probably not something like Artem, either light infantry, air force, black ops, or intelligence. He wasn't sure what it was, but he supposed the other android would be equally capable as him for this job.
Ah. That was right. Handshake. Sticking out his hand rather mechanically he tipped his head as he stared at the other android, "Artem Vasylyk." It was as proper an introduction as he'd ever done. The only other introduction he knew was a snappy salute and the reptition of a string of numbers that was probably unwarranted in this situation.
He smiled slightly as he said it, but years of being nothing more than a soldier man him question his own ability to project such an emotion as friendliness. He knew it wasn't perfect the way the smiles of the androids that manned jobs such as customer service was, but it was as genuine as Artem was capable of being.
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Post by The Blue Adept on Oct 18, 2018 1:32:56 GMT -5
Masuda Keisuke
Current Location: The Russian Border
It was hard to say what Masuda expected when it came to meeting the other android. It wasn't like anticipating human interaction or human contact, where it was about adjusting to the way they wanted him to be, what they preferred. His adaptability failed him, staring into the eyes of something- someone, that could see right through whatever disguise he could craft, what persona he'd take. It felt almost wrong even trying, considering how few there were in the world like him- it didn't pay to lie to them. Especially when they were no longer his enemy.
He faltered for just a second, and to anyone else it might've appeared that he was intimidated by Artem's looming height, a machine more clearly built for war than he: built like a brick wall. In reality, he felt himself unsure of how to act, but the presence of those around him forced him to keep up his casual front. It was far too easy for him to play human. Masuda glanced down at Artem's hand as it jutted in his direction. A smile made it's way onto his face, one of genuine amusement, as well as his program offered. Artem was faring better in the playing-human department than most. He took the androids hand in a firm shake, nodding. "Masuda Keisuke," he replied, words recited carefully, sounding only slightly less fake when presented to another android. It was clear they were both unused to this.
There wasn't much more of a chance to appraise Artem any longer as the base commander strode over to where they'd gathered, pulling a coat on as he conversed with the soldier that was accompanying him. He recognized the man's face even at quick glance, and through his disgruntled expression. Commander Csaba was not exactly known for his friendly visage. Patting his coat down, Csaba faced them, frown deepening as he looked them over, as if he were somehow disappointed. He turned to the soldiers instead.
"Chrissakes Pathak, you couldn't at least have them in uniform by the time I got here?"
One of the soldiers immediately straightened as she was chastised, eyes flicking around at the others in knowing glance. They were all guilty. "Apologies, Commander. They both just arrived."
"Yeah, well get on that quickly," he continued, tilting his head back towards the androids. Masuda looked up at him curiously, trying to read his expression for something useful. He found nothing but venom. "Alright you two, I'm sure you were already debriefed on why the hell you're here, so I'll keep this simple. Only thing I've got to say to you is that there's been a slight change in plans," as the man spoke, one of the soldiers passed a small digital tablet into his hand and he began flicking his finger across the screen. He began to walk, and as the others followed suit Masuda fell into step beside him. It was familiar habit.
"You two were assigned to guard this base and that wont change, but we're shipping out more than half of our firepower to a base further up the border. Conflicts been moving and there's a bigger base up by Kharkiv that's more strategic to handle. So," Csaba spoke, pausing to pat a hand down on a shipping container of unpacked ammunition. "Job's gonna be a lot quieter than you probably expected. Not that you bots care, I'm sure."
Originally Masuda knew that it wasn't part of his programming to be able to question orders, but ever since he'd been severed from active military duty and given what most called free will, he found himself in an unfamiliar position. It just struck him as odd for the plans to change on such short notice, and for such an active base nonetheless. His expression didn't change, keeping the question to himself. It was a bit too late to protest now, though it set him on higher alert. He shot a glance at Artem as if expecting the android to react, unless he'd already known this.
"But this?" Csaba lifted his arms and gestured to the large hanger they stood in, and now that Masuda was made aware he could tell now that all the boxed up weapons were more indicative of a move rather than an incoming shipment. "This will be your main priority. Make yourselves at home because you're going to be here until you rot."
Wouldn't be the first time he'd heard that- if it was ever true, he'd fallen apart ages ago. Nihilism was just just the heart of war, it seemed. And well this wasn't war anymore, but it was damn well close. Luckily falling back into his make was as easy as breathing, or rather pretending to. Even as he was capable of giving this life up, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Or was capable of, even.
"For now you keep an eye on things being shipped out- nothing leaves here that isn't authorized, you hear? And you don't move from this f*cking spot- try not to kill each other please." Csaba ordered, this time looking the both of them in the eyes to really send the message home. It was such a human habit, one that stemmed from giving respect, even to machines that most had believed didn't deserve it. Csaba passed the tablet in his hands to Artem, one that held the current catalog of everything that was scheduled to leave or stay on base. He turned and jabbed a finger to the soldier from earlier. "Uniforms, Pathak. Don't forget it."
And with that, Commander Csaba strode away, soldiers dismissed and Lieutenant Pathak looking like she really wanted to break the commander's arms. Huffing out a sigh she turned towards them, tapping her chin in thought, eyes going briefly wide as she glanced between the two androids. "Okay uh...your measurements are probably already on file I'm guessing. Be right back," she nodded before jogging off inside the base.
The space was silent, or as silent as it could be with all the work that was going on around them. Masuda blinked, something he'd almost entirely forgotten to emulate during that conversation, or of what little it was. Now that he was alone with the other android, Masuda found himself unsure of how to act, the human personality crumbling like dust. Masuda could be anyone at any moment, and that was his greatest problem- he wasn't so sure where the emulations ended and Masuda was supposed to begin, now that he was given the identity at all.
Truthfully, how was he supposed to know what emotions were real and what were just copies of human behavior, a mask to wear and discard like a bandage. Suddenly he wasn't sure, especially now as he stood next to Artem, unsure of what to say. Even when he had spent time around other android like him, it wasn't often done conversing. Now that was what was expected of them. They were both built for it in one way or another, more aware than any other machine. Why was the concept so hard to grasp?
At the very least, Masuda had an abundance of questions he could ask. Curiosity was a strong part of his programming, and as part of his new time being Masuda, he decided to let it run his life. "Gotta say," he began, the ticks of human speech coming easily to him. It felt flat spoken aloud now, almost embarrassing. "I don't think I've seen a combat android quite as big as you. Infantry?" Even with all the databases he had access to, Masuda was in the dark about androids from other countries if they hadn't made much public appearance or had been met on the battlefield. He only recognized Artem's face from a brief TV segment months ago. That was about all he knew, so he would have to rely on conversation.
His attention drifted towards the tablet the android had been handed, and moved beside him to peek at it curiously, testing any kind of boundaries that existed between them. It wasn't too long ago that their sides had been enemies, after all. The data stared back at him, extremely telling. This was to be an average job, it seemed. Better than shaking hands with diplomats on camera, at least. He looked back at the hangar around them as it was being slowly gutted. Nothing seemed out of place. He hated to wonder why they were even here when the answer as so boringly obvious. Always the political play, always playing nice. They were here to stand around and look pretty.
Seemed like something they were both capable of doing. "Did you know they were planning on moving the base? It struck me as a bit odd."
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