Stonecrest Keep: Great Hall(#1539RFJ)

Stonecrest's main hall is a cavernous room, dwarfing those of human stature. It has the feel of an old castle recreated in plasticrete and metal, as if a medieval architect had been granted modern building materials. Electric lamps set at intervals high on the walls cast huge pyramids of light and shadow that reach up among steel pillars to meet at an unguessable height. Reproductions of old Earth and Altered tapestries break up the monotony of the walls, nearly all of them having a martial theme. Long corridors branch off from the hall, leading to other sections of the fortress. The soft thrumming of hidden machinery pervades even here, settling in on the edges of one's consciousness.

Foxfire is in the room commonly used for meeting in such, carefully unwrapping a set of crystal goblets from their packaging. A bottle of wine sits in an ice bucket close by.

Zero enters, in his armor, helmet in hand. "You called?"

Foxfire arranges the goblets on the table, one for each of the people she's invited. "Yes...I promised you that we'd have a drink together, and that I'd give you an explanation...I'm finally ready to do both."

Ssethal slithers in after Zero, looking about at the place. He's never been here before, so it merits a close inspection. He bows politely to Foxfire as he enters the room.

The Colonel and X enter, wondering what is going on.

Zero pulls up a seat then, looking at the wine and nodding "Good year..." Like he even knows this stuff.

Foxfire greets the others with a nod and a faint smile. "Thank you all for coming. It means a lot to me." She gestures to the empty chairs. "Please, have a seat."

Ssethal coils himself around the chair that looks like it'll be least uncomfortable for him.

Foxfire made sure there'd be a semi-comfortable seat for Ssethal.

Foxfire gets the bottle of wine and pops the cork. She proceeds to fill everyone's glass, Zero's first, then around the table, filling her own last. It's a dry red wine. "I know I promised some of you an explanation about my actions back on Terra...Ssethal, you are a close friend, and as such, I feel you should hear what I have to say as well."

Ssethal nods quietly. "That I ssshall do." Sensing the atmosphere, he adds, "Isss thiss not what a friend is for?"

Zero says "Fox...what happened happened, it's ok."

The Colonel acts like he knows something but is keeping quiet.

Foxfire flashes another weak smile as she set the bottle back into the ice. She sits down. "True, Zero. It's happened, but still I feel I really ought to tell someone. It's been a long time since I've shared this...too long, maybe. I know I've hinted parts of my past to you, but it's time I told the full of it. It's not that I'm ashamed of it, but many people would hold it against me, especially with the way the world's going."

Zero hrms... "Well, if you want to, it's your history."

Ssethal raises his eyeridges in surprise. After a moment, he simply nods encouragingly.

Foxfire takes a deep breath, then begins. "I am a genetic construct. A long time ago - don't ask how long, because I've lost count - I was created on a space station orbiting this little planet called Earth. It was a place not too different from Terra, except that they hadn't developed 'true' artificial intelligence yet. On Earth, someone discovered, created, or otherwise released a supervirus that was easy to catch and difficult to survive. I understand that the deaths were measured in billions. The humans who did survive were usually left crippled. They needed cyberware to replace what the disease had destroyed. So, of course, they needed test subjects."

Zero nods...

X and the Colonel nod.

Ssethal listens, his face unable to hold in his feelings at hearing this. That more than a billion lives were lost... His face plainly shows sorrow.

Foxfire's eyes focus on her goblet, which so far has gone untouched. "You can't use robots to test cyberware. It defeats the purpose. Ordinary animals wouldn't work, either. Their bodies are too different, and they can't tell you if something hurts or something isn't working right. They wanted humanlike, but not too human. So someone came up with the idea of genetic tinkering, and they created hybrids like myself..."

Zero's brow furrows...

Ssethal listens, hoping that what he hears next will not be what he thinks it will...

Foxfire continues, emotion creeping into her voice. "They did their job a little too well. They wanted us to be smarter than our animal kin, but I don't think they realized the depth of our intelligence at first. We were self-aware, sentient. We didn't have any rights, of course; we were just lab experiments, animals to be trained, to be tested, and to be culled when we outlived our usefulness."

Zero thinks idly...this sounding a lot like his early beginnings ...being just another piece of property...

X says "...."

Ssethal hears it, and his emotions swiftly run towards anger. A fist clenches tightly, and then the other one. He closes his eyes and shakes his head slowly. . o O ( A dire situation, but that kind of choice is WRONG and inexcusable! )

Foxfire clasps her hands together, hoping no one notices that they're beginning to tremble. "It didn't take us very long to realize our human creators had more freedom than we did. In time, some of us grew bold enough to ask why we were treated as we were. The answers we were given came down to this: we were not human, never would be, never /could/ be on the same level as humans. This only made us bolder, and we asked that, if we could not be equals, then would we at least one day be able to gain our freedom. Their answer was no. We were not people to them, we were creatures. Objects. Things."

Ssethal's clenched fists quiver. The word 'despoilers' echoes through his mind.

Zero remembers the three laws of robotics...and how the second law was "A robot must obey all orders,” while the third was "A robot must preserve itself, unless that conflicts with the first or /second/."

Those laws were to keep them from being used as war machines.

Foxfire says "This infuriated us. They had raised us above our ancestors, but refused to give us what they took for granted. So one day, during the night cycle, we rebelled. We rounded up all the humans, put them in the shuttles and the lifepods, and then claimed the station for ourselves. And that was the end of that, or so we thought."

Ssethal murmurs, "But it didn't end there..."

Zero shakes his head. "It never does..."

Foxfire closes her eyes, her lips curling back. "Dear gods, we were so nieve! We were created by humans, but we never truly understood them..." Her voice begins to waver. "We never noticed the firestorm we'd created until the battalion of soldiers docked outside and cut through the airlock." She opens her eyes again, focusing on the far wall, as if it were a portal to her memories. "We numbered perhaps three hundred. To my terrified mind, it seemed the humans numbered in the thousands. We had no weapons, except what we could improvise. It wasn't a battle, it was a slaughter." She pauses, then confesses, "I was terrified. I ran. Even though there was no place to run."

Zero nods. "I don't blame you..."

Ssethal bows his head for a moment, then opens his eyes, raises his head, and looks directly at Foxfire. "There can be no blame for fleeing. There was nothing else that could have been done."

Foxfire makes an attempt at a smile, but it never quite forms. All the same, her eyes reflect how grateful she is for their understanding. "The only reason I lived was because of Magius. I don't know how he was there, or why he was there, or why I trusted him. There was something about him that made me trust him. Maybe it was because he was the only sanity in that battle, or maybe it was simply because he wasn't trying to kill me." She shakes her head. "He told me, 'Come with me if you want to live.' I didn't have much choice, and I figured even if it was a trick, I was as good as dead anyway. So I took his hand, and he brought me across to Altered."

Ssethal nods, although he does wonder if Magius saved others, or just Foxfire. And if just her, then why?

Zero doesn't wonder, he outright asks. "Did Magius save just you?"

Foxfire says "Magius tried to go back, to rescue some more of us, but by then it was too late..." Again she pauses, not trusting her voice. "It's possible that some of my fellow constructs escaped, but as far as I know, I'm the only one who survived that massacre."

Ssethal closes his eyes again, feeling a wave of sorrow pass through him.

Zero nods...

Foxfire says "...I've never been able to bring myself to go back there. It's too late now, anyway...the ones I knew would all be dead a thousand years or more."

Zero sighs... "I know the feeling..."

Ssethal says "There are some places it is best to just leave behind..."

Colonel nods.

Foxfire says "Yes...but the past has to be remembered some times, if only so we can accept it and move on."

Ssethal nods again. He stares at his still-full glass.

Zero hasn't touched his either. "We're all here for you to talk to, Fox..."

Foxfire opens her hands, spreading them palms down on the table. "Since then, I've learned three great truths. The first is that you cannot judge an entire race by the actions of a few. It took me a very long time to learn that. The second is that it doesn't matter so much how you were brought into the world so much as how you act until you leave it. The third is that there will always be people like Shalaanesh, Ahren, and Sera, people who will try to take freedom and choice away from you." She picks up her glass. "And now you have some idea what set me on the path I've been walking."

Zero raises his glass. "Cheers then." He thinks for a sec, "For Fox's take on life."

Ssethal raises his own glass in response. "For the courage our good friend hasss to take that path."

Foxfire raises her glass. "And for the friends who have kept me on that path."

Zero says, "Cheers!" and downs his glass.

Ssethal smiles and clinks his glass with Foxfire's before he takes his first sip. He does a remarkably good job of hiding the fact that he doesn't much like the taste.

Both Colonel and X drink as well.

Foxfire drains her glass half empty before setting it back on the table. . o ( And to Kali, my lost sister...I hope one day you will be able to accept our past and move forward.)

Zero puts his emptied glass down. "I'm getting kinda used to this whole peace thing..."

Colonel smirks.

Ssethal holds his partly-full glass in his hand and casts surreptitious glances for a fireplace. Overly symbolic, but it'd be better than drinking the rest of that.

Foxfire says "I don't know how long it will last. The only real peace comes through acceptance." She offers Zero the bottle.

Ssethal nods. "True enough. Let us hope it doesss lassst, however."

Zero hehs, and declines. "Cross your fingers...and maybe we'll get lucky."

Foxfire says "Heck, I'd cross my eyes if it'd help..." She chuckles a bit.

Ssethal shrugs inwardly and resigns himself to finishing the glass. He drains it quickly, and keeps his face straight again. "Mmm. Yess. I'd even try to crosss my legsss for peacsse."

Foxfire chuckles again at Ssethal's words. It's as if her story has lifted some of the weight from her shoulders.

Ssethal winks at Foxfire.

Zero hehs. "I'd shave my head for peace...no wait..."

X says "I'll get the razors!"

Zero glares at X.

Foxfire actually laughs. "What, and risk Naomi's fury?"

Ssethal smiles.

Colonel offers, "We could use my saber to cut it."

Ssethal says "Well... are there any other revelationsss consserning other passstsss that ssshould be sspoken?"

Foxfire looks at Zero, considering. "Nah, Zero without his hair would look as bad as me without my fur..."

Zero hmms... "Well...actually...I've been wondering more about a future than a past...where'd Forte get off to?"

Foxfire says "Forte and Kali are off someplace where they won't cause us much trouble..."

Zero nods. "All right...and how did Dynamo get back here?"

Ssethal arches an eyeridge. "Who?"

Foxfire scrunches her nose. "I have this feeling that Zenobia has something to do with that..."

Zero hmms... "Figures," He looks at Ssethal, "Long story involving my past."

Ssethal says "Ah."

Foxfire turns to Ssethal, "Dynamo is apparently Forte and Kali's child. And now he's here instead of there. Judging from what I got out of him, Zenobia's mixed up in this somehow."

Zero says "And I want him gone..."

Ssethal says "Well, she *isss* in the area and time... or wasss."

Foxfire raises an eyebrow. "She has?"

Ssethal nods. "She visssited the Grove on ssseveral occasssions. Sssshe never ssspoke to you?

Foxfire rubs her forehead. "You would think I would have warned her about picking up strangers...when was she here?"

Ssethal says "The lassst time I sssaw her wasss about a month ago, I believe."

Foxfire does some mental math. "Which was about the same time I was on Terra, and then with Megumi...so no wonder I didn't notice her presence." She shakes her head. "I wonder if Metal Man and company's arrival is her doing, or if they hitched a ride back with us..."

Ssethal says "I'll asssk her if I sseee her."

Zero shrugs.

Ssethal says "Odd..."

Foxfire sips from her glass. "You know, for a person who doesn't have much of a lineage, I have a very strange family tree."

Ssethal says "Compensssation."

Foxfire hehs, "I suppose so. Oh well. I'm simply happy to have something resembling a family, a family of choice."

Ssethal says "...But I'm sssure you've had enough of the H'Arcona look at humor... and irony in particular."

Ssethal smiles. "In a way, you've sssomething the ressst of usss do not. The ability to choossse your family."

Foxfire considers this as she finishes off her glass. "Hm...point."

Ssethal says "Not sssoo bad, mmm?"

Foxfire says "I suppose not...four brothers, a sister, a future mate, a daughter, and a ward...can't say that I'm alone, can I?" She sports a lopsided smile. "And some very close friends."

Ssethal smiles back. "All blessings to you, I'm sssure... for you blesss usss asss well."

Foxfire says "Glad you think so..." She grins. "Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head."

Ssethal grins. "And if you did I would jussst have to knock sssome sssenssse into you."

Foxfire refills her glass with the rest of the contents of the bottle. At least she thought it was a good vintage. "And I'm sure you could enlist some people to help."

X and Colonel watch.

Ssethal doesn't have the right taste buds to enjoy wine.

Ssethal chuckles. "Could be, could be..."

Foxfire smiles, "Like the two amigos over there..." referring to X and Colonel.

X says "What?"

Foxfire says "Oh, just pointing out that you two could help keep me in line..."

Ssethal smiles and settles back in his seat. "Let usss hope we do not need to keep you in line, and alssso that no one elssse needsss to be kept in their own linesss."

Foxfire nods her agreement.

Ssethal chuckles. "An interesssting time ahead, at the leassst."

Foxfire says "At least it's the good sort of interesting...once spring's over, we'll have to have a celebration. After all, it's not every day we have so many willingly move here."

Ssethal nods. "All 1 million, forty-seven thousssand, six hundred and forty-two eights of them."

Foxfire says "Definitely a reason to celebrate."

Ssethal smiles, happy he didn't confuse her with the conversion to octal. "Aye."

Ssethal raises his empty glass in something like a toast.

Foxfire says "And I'm sure we'll be spending quite a bit of time getting to know each other..." She raises her glass in return. "To the friends we've yet to meet."

Ssethal says "To the friendsss we've yet to meet!"

Foxfire takes a sip and sets it back down. Glancing at the pair of silent bots still seated at the table, she asks, "X, Colonel, how are you adjusting to life here?"

X says "As can be expected.”

Colonel says "I'd like to get back my proper time with my unit and the renegade unit that is here.. I mean, who knows who is hitting on Iris while I'm away."

Ssethal smiles.

Foxfire can't help but smile. "I can understand that...if I knew where Thendain was right now, I'd ask for his help. I can't think of anyone better at cross-dimensional traveling. Though I'm not sure what to do about the time travel part..."

Ssethal shakes his head. "No H'Arcona knows how to reave Time."

Foxfire's expression turns thoughtful. "Maybe we can use the same trick we used to rescue Megumi..."

Ssethal BLINKS.

Ssethal says "Ressscue...?"

Foxfire says a bit sheepishly, "Yes...Aurin was able to use his magic to pull her away from the abyss, using me as an anchor...I'm sorry, I thought I had said something..."

Ssethal shakes his head slowly.

Foxfire feels like an idiot now, and it's reflected in her expression.

Ssethal says "Sssome thingsss are bound to ssslip the mind. It's all right."

Foxfire sighs, "Too many things for one mind to keep track of...anyway, I'll talk to Aurin and see if he has any ideas. But, to be honest, I wouldn't object if you and your unit stayed here on Altered, Colonel."

Both are sleeping now.

Foxfire sighs. "Guess I bored them to sleep..."

Colonel mumbles in his dreams.

Ssethal peers. "I wouldn't have thought it posssible. They need sssleep?"

If you check them, they are in a recharge mode.

Foxfire scratches the back of her head. "Well, I do know they need to recharge every once in a while..."

Ssethal says "Perhapsss..."

The Colonel seems to be having a nightmare... mumbles something about Sigma getting away from Iris.

Ssethal shrugs. "All I know isss that they aren't golemsss. That'sss the limit of my knowledge."

Foxfire goes over to check. And since she has extensive knowledge of robotics, she'll know what's going on. "Yep, they're recharging..." Her expression looks vaguely troubled as she catches a bit of Colonel's mumbling.

Foxfire says "Really, reploids aren't all that much different from organics...they think, they feel, and sometimes they even dream...maybe not in the same way as we do, but what difference does that make?"

Ssethal says "Ahhh.... sometimesss I forget you do not see asss I do. WIth organic beingsss, I can sssee the life, the aura..."

Ssethal says "Reploidsss my eyesss do not comprehend."

Foxfire nods slowly. "I can't read their minds or even sense their presence, but there is a spirit. It might not be a spirit we can sense or feel, but they are more than simple automatons."

Ssethal nods, looking at the recharging reploids. "Sssuch I am sure of. But what I meant wasss that I do not sssee how it isss that they function. It can be sssomewhat unsssettling.”

Foxfire says "I don't suppose it'd make you feel any better if I told you that I don't really comprehend how you use magic?"

The Colonel rolls over.

Ssethal smiles. "Actually, it doessss. There'sss a kind of sssymmetry in that."

X is mumbling something about Forte.

Foxfire . o (Poor Colonel...how he must miss his sister...)

Foxfire says with a hint of a smile, "Sometimes you just have to accept what you don't understand. Magic works, that much I know."

Ssethal chuckles. "Except when it doesss not."

Foxfire says "And that could be said for anything. Even the best of us fail sometimes..."

Ssethal says "Very true.... also another thing needed for balancssse."

Foxfire, Ssethal, and the recharging X and Colonel are all in one of the meeting rooms. Foxfire moves the wine goblets out of the way before they get knocked over.

A metool wobbles in and nerbs.

Ssethal looks at the metool and blinks quietly.

Foxfire glances down at the metool. "Hi there. This room doesn't need cleaning right now..."

The metool seems a little odd.

Ssethal barely knows what a regular Metool looks like or does. He couldn't notice.

Ssethal says "A kind of... janitor?"

Foxfire says "Sort of...they're mostly maintenance bots, though they can also be used for defense." She crouches down to get a better look. "What's wrong? Popped a servo?"

The metool nerps negative and makes to get over to the Colonel.

Ssethal watches the little thing and smiles.

Foxfire moves out of its way. "I think this one may be developing a personality."

Ssethal says "It wasss not sentient before? Or did it jussst not have a persssonality?"

Foxfire shakes her head. "They aren't truly sentient. They're more on a level of your average domestic dog..."

The Met nerps oddly.

Ssethal says "Interesssting."

Foxfire smiles. "I think they have the right idea...it's late."