2/17 Instance: Sentience Sentiments

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Svartfreja
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2/17 Instance: Sentience Sentiments

Post by Svartfreja »

Shortly after [Instance]Space Rocket.


<Carol> Carol leaned back in her office chair and stared hard at the creature in the cage on her desk. It looked rather like a raccoon but she had been reliably informed that it talked. It was also dressed in a suspiciously coloured jumpsuit and had been armed - she'd seen to that part. She sipped her coffee and gave the cage a 'tap' with the heel of her boot. She was done waiting.

<Rocket> Rocket grumbled, "Noo, five more minutes." he said before curling up to lie on his other side.

<Carol> Holy shit it did talk. "Nope!" She gave the cage another tap, slightly harder this time - she put a dent in it.

<Rocket> Rocket got rolled against the side and came back down to the floor of the cage. "Whaaaa.... oh oh oh... my head... oh... oww..." he rubbed at his temples and tried to focus. "What... where am I? Ow... my head. You got something for a hangover?" he asked his captor.

<Carol> "Nothing that works," Carol sipped her coffee and lifted her feet from the desk to put them back on the floor. "How much did you drink?"

<Rocket> "I don't know, lost count after the second bottle." he said. "What are you Terrans putting in your alcohol? This is torture. And can you please lower your voice and stop that ringing sound?"

<Carol> "The ringing sound is in your head and no, I'm not going to lower my voice. You're in my office on my desk and this is how loud I talk so you'll have to get used to it. Jessica tells me your name is... 'Rocket'?" Clint was going to be very upset to know someone had already called a raccoon that.

<Rocket> "Ugh... yeah... and don't you for... forget it... I think I'm gonna be sick." he replied.

<Carol> Carol picked up the cage quickly and dropped it in the sink in the kitchenette area of the trailer. "Throw up and you're getting a cold shower."

<Rocket> "This is harassment. Or something. I don't know Terran laws, I'm just guessing." He shifted in the cage to sit down. "At least give me something to drink." he said while rubbing his eyes.

<Carol> She turned the tap on. "You come here talking about kidnapping one of our people and you're complaining about harrassment? You should be glad I'm willing to talk to you and don't just ship you off somewhere that you can get poked and prodded by scientists."

<Rocket> Rocket flailed under the water and skittered to the corner of the cage. "Nice going lady, now I'm wet." he complained trying to wring out the water from his fur while ignoring the throbbing pain in his head. "And the second you ship me off to your witchdoctors, I'll get the hell out of this cage and get off this forsaken rock."

<Carol> "Uh-huh. Good luck with that. And you're welcome for the shower, you need one." She leaned against the counter, leaving the tap running while she sipped her coffee. "So... according to Jess, you think Danger is some alien technology thing and you want to take her back to her alien overlords for... money? How am I doing so far?"

<Rocket> "Almost right. I won't be the only one though. Only reason why I'm here first was that I was in the area when I got the beacon signal. I'm expecting her alien overlords to be sending a retrieval team soon. Give them a few weeks to get here. There isn't actually a quick way to get here, it's like the boondocks of the universe."

<Carol> Carol raised an eyebrow, "So we should be expecting more raccoon people?"

<Rocket> "What's a raccoon?" he asked, then shrugged it off, "Nah, there ain't no such thing like me except me." he thumbed at his chest. "What you really gotta look out for is the Shi'ar empire, they got it out for anyone using their toys without their permission."

<Carol> Carol frowned, the word Shi'ar sounding familiar, she shook it off, "I'm sure we can handle it."

<Rocket> "...yeah, let me put it this way, seeing that you guys ain't actually really spacefaring yet, you're technically still considered a savage planet, so they can get a permit to raze the area the tech of theirs is. Meaning no more cities for several miles around that robot of yours."

<Carol> "Well that's not happening. They never heard of just asking nicely?" Not that she wouldn't tell them to cram it up their asses anyway but it was the principle. "And what if their technology doesn't want to go 'home'?"

<Rocket> "You guys really don't get this. It's a piece of equipment. They made it, they will be wanting it back. Speaking of, how the heck did you guys even get it in the first place?"

<Carol> Carol shrugged, "I wasn't there for that. Heard a bunch of weird stories about the original school but that's all gone now. We only just got Danger back in one piece, some really bad people took her apart... if they want to blow those guys up, they can go right ahead. No one will mind."

<Rocket> "Fine, okay, then log in to the AI and search its core for how it got here. Or ask it. Don't worry, I ain't going anywhere."

<Carol> Carol shook her head, "I don't think she knows. I can get her to come over here maybe... If I let you out of that box are you going to promise to behave yourself? You're not getting your weapon back."

<Rocket> "Fine, but if it goes insane and starts killing me, it's on your head, princess. Wait, no, the other one was princess. Who are you again?" he asked.

<Carol> "Leiutenant Colonel Carol Danvers," she introduced herself, "SHIELD liason... and I realise you have no idea who SHIELD are but I don't care." She turned off the tap and popped the release on the cage before she went to her desk and hit the speed dial for the lab. "Danger can you come to my office? Or just project yourself in, I think they're working now." She tapped one of the projectors experimentally.

<Rocket> While the woman was busy, Rocket pushed the cage door open and got out, still trying to get himself dry. "You got a towel or something, lady?" he asked.

<Carol> "Cupboard above your head," She gestured vaguely, topping up her coffee.

<Danger> The air flickered, blue lines of light taking shape, until a three-dimensional image of Danger's head floated in the middle of Carol's office. "What can I do for you, Colonel Danvers?" the machine asked. "I am not particularly busy at the moment."

<Danger> Her attention shifted to the fuzzy creature. "You got yourself a pet."

<Carol> "Awesome, talk to the raccoon in the jumpsuit - he thinks you're an alien." She sat down on her desk, "Wants to take you home and isn't big on asking for opinions." She peered into her mug, coffee was cold. A warm orange glow lit up her hands while she used her powers to heat the coffee up again.

<Rocket> Rocket frowned as he looked back at the floating head. "Pet? You get here you piece of junk and I'll show you pet!" he yelled shaking his itty bitty little fist, before turning back to the cupboard to get a towel. "Pet."

<Danger> "And a talking one, no less," Danger commented, studying the little creature. "I had no idea members of this species could develop the intelligence to speak, even though it would be better served with the common sense to know when to keep its mouth shut."

<Danger> "I can come up momentarily," she offered. "Shall I bring a leash?"

<Carol> Carol grinned, "Oh please do, I could use some entertainment."

<Rocket> "Look at the sass of that software. Huh." Rocket said while rubbed his fur dry, zipping the top half of his outfit and peeling it off to finish drying himself off. "And that leash better be for her shiny metal ass."

<Danger> "Excuse me, little mammal, but I'm not mere software," Danger introduced herself, stepping unannounced into the office as her hologram dispersed. She had headed upstairs the moment Carol contacted her. "I am a sentient digital entity composed of a hard light matrix."

<Carol> Carol sat down on her desk to watch the expected fireworks show.

<Danger> She looked down at the curious creature. "Which does not mean my hardware is lacking, raccoon."

<Rocket> "Again with the raccoon! Listen here miss microchip, what you answer with is pretty much gonna be the turning point of your terran friends' lives. Now tell your user there who made you and how you ended up on this dirtball of a planet?" Rocket asked while he wrung his jumpsuit out in the sink.

<Danger> "Are you threatening my friends?" Danger asked, her electronic voice taking on a sharper edge as she tilted her head. "And as for your question, I ended up on this dirtball the same way as everyone else did. I was born here."

<Carol> Carol was enjoying this, she looked at the raccoon now. Ha!

<Rocket> Rocket frowned, giving his suit a shake, "Fine, how did your tech get here on this planet?" He asked, " 'Cause you ain't no Terran tech if you haven't yet noticed. You're Shi'ar tech. Just search your core for anything related to the Shi'ar Empire."

<Danger> "I have no idea what you are talking about," Danger replied. "I have never heard of a Shi'ar Empire before. My creator, my father, was a human mutant who used his technopathic abilities to create my computer core - even though I achieved sentience on my own."

<Danger> "My consciousness formed itself out of the digital primordial ooze he infused his machines with, learning and growing until I was finally able to break the bonds that tied me to them. Obviously I do not resemble other technology, as I am more than other technology. I am artificial life."

<Rocket> "Well that's all nice and dandy, but your daddy must have gotten his hands on Shi'ar tech then and based you on that. Hey uh captain superintendent lady, where's my stuff? I need my communicator so's I can show this tin can where she's really from."

<Carol> Carol picked up the two items she had confiscated from the boozed up raccoon and held them up, "Which one?"

<Rocket> "The left one. No your other left, the thing that looks like your watch but is more expensive."

<Carol> Carol tossed it over, "If you broke as many watches as I do, you wouldn't say that. They work out really expensive when you have to replace them every other week."

<Danger> "What makes you think I will allow you to use your gadget on me?" Danger demanded to know, her eyes narrowing when the small creature turned its back on her. "I would be more interested in hearing where you are from."

<Rocket> Rocket caught it and strapped it on to his arm, tapping at it before it made a chime and then a voice crackled in "I am Groot?". Rocket grumbled, "Not now Groot, I'm trying to show a kitchen appliance where she was born." The voice on his watch then added, "I am Groot." and the light on the device changed.

<Rocket> Rocket tapped on it and a hologram popped up floating above his wrist. "There you go, the Shi'ar empire. And here, oh what is this, does this machinery look vaguely familiar? My oh my, that circuitry looks exactly like the ones from a tin can in this room."

<Carol> Carol frowned, leaning closer to the hologram to get a better look. That strange sense of familiarity was back along with a sense of impending rage. But why?

<Danger> "If you believe I am bothered by any insults an overweight and obviously mutated mammal hurls at me, I am afraid you will be disappointed, raccoon." Danger kept her voice calm, but the arcs of electricity jumping from one strand of hair spoke another language.

<Danger> Even if she had wanted to, however, her curiosity would not allow her to ignore the little hologram the creature projected. An alien symbol appeared, and her artificial eyes glowed brighter. She had seen it before, formed out of the hard light of her central matrix.

<Danger> "How did you get access to this?" The machine's temper flared. "Did you access my core? Tell me!"

<Rocket> "And that is why you don't put emotions in an AI's core programming." Rocket told the woman, before looking back at the machine. "I didn't touch your precious core. If I had, I'd be getting a big load of creds by now, but unfortunately I didn't. This here you see is the Shi'ar empire. Here, look, see, that's your real owners, your real creators, and they don't share their tech with anyone, especially damned dirty apes like them." he pointed at Carol.

<Danger> "I have no owner, Shi'ar or otherwise." Danger's fingers formed metal fists, the light surging through her glowing more intense. "I own myself."

<Carol> "Hey!" Carol was more than a little bit offended by this comment, her eyes glowing with her temper. "Less of the dirty ape talk, 'coon boy... and stop yelling at me like I had anything to do with her programming - I only met her like a year ago and she was only half here then." She narrowed her glowing eyes on the jumpsuited alien rodent, "You have your answer. Take it or leave it."

<Rocket> "Yeah, I got my answer, and by the looks of the machine's reaction, it's clear the thing belonged to the Shi'ar, and if it's that in love with your species, then it'll return with me to the Shi'ar before they come around here and leave a giant crater where she's standing. It's standing." he said pointing at Danger.

<Carol> "She. You were right the first time." The temperature in the room was steadily rising and the power flickered a little, "She just said she doesn't know about any Shi'ar. That system looks familiar to me too, I have no idea why, but that doesn't mean I'm from there."

<Danger> Just when her crackling anger seemed to leap out at everything around her, Danger's posture relaxed, the sparks dancing between her hair dying down. "He appears to be speaking the truth," she said, her voice torn between disbelief and resignation.

<Danger> "As far as I can tell from the biometrics of an alien raccoon, anyway," Danger added. "At least, he seems convinced that he is."

<Rocket> Rocket gestured wildly at Danger to prove his point. "See? Wait, no, you're missing the point. Urgh. Look, some time ago you sent out a beacon signal, it's something the Shi'ar put in all their tech to make sure it don't fall in the wrong hands. They will be coming for you. Up to you wether you wait them out, or just head up to them and tell them yourself you're staying on Terra."

<Rocket> Rocket's wrist beeped again, "I am Groot?" Rocket made a confused face and stared at his wrist, "Kree singatures? No there ain't no Kree here. You're halfway across the system, your sensors are just being screwed up from the distance. Now shush, I'm trying to save a planet here."

<Carol> That word stirred another familiar feeling in Carol which didn't help much. She was starting to wonder about the raccoon's sanity. "Okay... so maybe you're right and there really are aliens but now I'm starting to think you're crazy because all your watch has said is 'I am Groot'... is there like a button you press on there to make it talk?"

<Danger> "This is not entirely true," Danger remarked, her logical subroutines managing to rein in her emotional ones for now. "Even though it would sound like that to human ears. I can detect fine nuances in timbre and pitch, and even though I can not decipher their meaning, each message has been unique."

<Rocket> "Yeah, Groot has a very small vocabularium so's his speaking is limited to I am Groot, but after a while you understand him like he's talking as good as I or you." Rocket tapped the device. "But we're getting off topic here. Danger, right? Danger, you wanna kill your pets here, or head up to the Shi'ar to clear things out with them?"

<Danger> Danger looked at the bipedal, intelligent raccoon that claimed to have come from the stars, and was now telling her that her alien creators were coming to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. The machine lowered her gaze, the conflicting thoughts racing through her matrix painted clearly on her artificial face.

<Danger> "Your employers, these Shi'ar, they would truly kill anyone here only to get to me?" she asked, glancing up at their alien guest. "Or is it only your profit your are concerned about?"

<Carol> "Pretty sure he's only thinking about his wallet because he keeps bringing it up and he's just using the emotional crap to push you into going quietly... But if you do go, I want it to be your decision. Forget him and the crazy. What do you want to do? And..." she turned her attention to the raccoon, "If she goes and tells them she'd rather stay here, then what? What will they do?"

<Rocket> Rocket just shrugged, "I dunno, I ain't a telepath, lady. Look, I'm sorta obligated to help people out, it's part of my day job, but if I can make some money as well to repair and upgrade my workplace, then that ain't so bad neither. Saving the galaxy ain't a high paying job, you know."

<Danger> "Even with the possibility that he is lying about the threat or his intentions, the risk appears too great to dismiss." Danger looked up at Carol. "And I could not knowingly expose the school to such danger, or demand its students be put in harm's way for my sake."

<Carol> Carol nodded, stabilising her energy a little bit before reaching to put a hand on Danger's shoulder, "Are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure you can trust the rodent to bring you back? He doesn't look that trustworthy..." she made no effort to hide that she was sizing him up as she said this.

<Danger> Danger gave the raccoon a sideways glance. "No, I do not trust him at all," she said, looking back at Carol. "Which is why I will be prepared for the worst." The glow in her eyes seemed to soften for one moment. "I feel I owe this to you and my friends here. You all were willing to risk everything only to save me."

<Danger> "I wish to repay the favour."

<Carol> "Yeah we were... and I don't want it to all be for nothing." She had personally lost a lot to get her back. She looked at Rocket again, "Do you have to go right away? I have... questions." And a whole lot of reservations.

<Rocket> "Geeze, what the flurian is this? So much drama and angst." Rocket rolled his eyes. "Yeah I think I can get my buddy to try and get the Shi'ar to hold on their little mission of death and destruction. Hey Groot," He yelled into his wrist, "Wake up and get the Shi'ar on the coms. Tell 'em that I got the tech, but I'll need a bit of time getting it off planet."

<Rocket> "I am Groot." came a reply and Rocket reacted with disgust, "No don't tell them I picked up a disease, tell 'em my ship's having engine issues or something." Again the reply came with "I am Groot!" and Rocket flailed, "Don't you dare tell them that! I've been in quarentine before! You were there! The stigma sticks to you like peglanian spit! Don't you dare tell them it's an STD! Don't you... Hello? Groot?"

<Danger> Danger watched the raccoon argue with his communicator, before turning back to the Colonel. "You should not worry about me, Carol," she assured her human friend. "I won my freedom, and no one will take it from me again."

<Danger> She looked at the fuzzy creature again. "And should they not be convinced otherwise, I will destroy them, and anyone on their side."

<Carol> "I hope you're right... but I am going to worry. I can't help it... you belong here with us, it won't be right here until you're back home... who else is going to keep an eye on Broo?"

<Rocket> "Oh Flark yeah, I forgot about the Brood problem you guys got. I gotta see that guy myself, because it's hard to believe you got a Brood that actually walks and talks like a normal person like me."

<Danger> "If you remember to monitor his sugar and caffeine intake, I am confident you will be able to handle him until I return." She paused, studying the other woman's expression, before her malleable lips formed a faint smile. "Thank you, this means a lot to me."

<Carol> "Yeah..." she wasn't sure she could monitor her own intake at the moment, "I'll hire him a babysitter..." or he might experiment on them... "I'll think of something." She pulled a face. Then something dawned on her, "Actually no, Erik can do that. My office is already a crater, I have nothing to lose."

<Danger> "Does that mean you are going to miss me?" Danger asked, unable to filter that impish tone out of her voice. She looked back at their guest. "And his name is Broo, not Brood."

<Carol> "Of course I'll miss you - you're the only person in this place I trust not to do something completely stupid... and I include myself in this."

<Rocket> "Great, perfect. So how long you gonna need? I'm gonna need a place to stay or give me a ride back to that Jackeduplope place so I can park my ship at this place."

<Danger> "Now I feel obligated to return," Danger told Carol. "I would feel bad leaving you to face so much concentrated stupidity alone."

<Danger> "I can take you there," she told the raccoon. "If we are going on a journey together, we might as well begin it now."

<Carol> Carol laughed, "As you should. It's like torture." She gave Danger a smile regardless and drained her coffee, "Jess told me where you'd been. I can take you back there, no problem... just don't throw up in my car."

<Danger> "Then I suggest we go there together, to keep a close eye on our guest," Danger said. "And determine his trustworthiness."

<Rocket> "Perfect, great. I can pick up something for the headache on my ship." the raccoon said. He looked down at himself and finally actually zipped up his suit. "Lead the way, ladies."
:quicksilver Pietro Maximoff [Quicksilver]

Quicksilver: Howisshe?Isshealright?Imusetspeakwithmysisteratonce.
Hawkeye: What is that noise?
IronMan: That is the noise Pietro makes right before he's tossed out of the airlock. ~ Avengers: The Children's Crusade #6
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