milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Mouse is outside, relaxing under a tree. If she were a mostly-hairless mammal like the majority of Milliways patrons, she'd be uncomfortably chilly, but computer sprites enjoy the cold. It makes them run faster.

Not that Mouse is making productive use of the cold right now. She's just basking.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It might be a bit less relaxing when a nine-foot-tall combat droid comes KATHUNKing past.

"Whoa!" Mouse yells, sitting bolt upright as the ground shakes beneath her. It takes her a moment or two to figure out that the disturbance is D0G's fault. "Hey, ya big...whatever y'are! Keep it down, huh? Some of us are tryin' ta take a nap over here!"

D0G skids to a stop, then turns toward the source of the shout. Whurp?

Irritation subsides as curiosity takes over. "What are ya, anyhow?" Mouse asks. She pushes herself off the ground and approaches D0G, trying to look non-threatening. He seems friendly, but he might be skittish, and Mouse is firmly against panicking anything that's that much bigger than she is.

D0G stays put, eying Mouse curiously. She reminds him of Enzo, just a bit, but he's never seen a creature with a glowing head before.

Sentient giant robots - or beings that resemble sentient giant robots - are not unknown in cyberspace. But this particular creature doesn't look like he comes from cyberspace, in the same way sprites (even those with User coloring) don't look like they come from the physical world.

But it's got a name straight out of cyberspace written on its chassis. "D0G, huh? That yer name or yer format?" Mouse asks.

D0G holds up one finger.

"Okay. Nice t'meet ya, D0G. Name's Mouse."

Bwoop! says D0G cheerfully, and holds out one massive hand to Mouse.

Mouse has to take a moment to figure out how to do a handshake (and decide whether it's safe) because of the significant difference in size between D0G and herself.

She settles on laying her right hand on one of D0G's "fingers" and letting him do the actual up-and-down shaking movement, since she's pretty sure that she's nowhere near strong enough to move any of D0G's extremities if he's not in the mood to cooperate for it.

D0G gently grips Mouse's hand in his 'thumb' and 'forefinger' and gives it a delicate shake.

"Okay then. This might sound BASIC, but did someone build ya, or are ya just kind of...naturally occurring?"

D0G makes a strange noise at that, but holds up one finger again.

"Huh. Well, it probably ain't someone I know. If it was, I'd've known about ya already."

D0G shrugs. Whrp.

"Does the person who built ya hang out around here? 'Cause if so, I'd like ta meet him." Pause. "Or her."

Booweep! D0G nods eagerly and KATHUNKs back toward the door to the Bar proper.

Mouse shrugs and follows the large kathunking thing. (At a bit of a distance, because should D0G decide to backpedal she really doesn't want to be in the impact zone.)

D0G disappears through the door and returns a few minutes later with an olive-skinned human woman in tow.

"Okay, D0G, what is it that's so important?"

Beewrp! D0G says to her, gesturing toward Mouse.

The woman blinks. "...huh. You wouldn't happen to know a green kid named Enzo, would you?"

"Yeah, actually, I do. I work fer his big sister, ya see. Name's Mouse."

"I'm Alyx. Alyx Vance. And I see you've already met D0G?"

Mouse nods. "He's a pretty impressive...whatchamacallit."

"He's a combat droid," says Alyx. "My dad built him to be my bodyguard when I was a kid. I've been adding onto him ever since." She gives the robot an affectionate pat on the 'head.'

"He's awful friendly for a combat droid."

There are combat droids in cyberspace, but their functioning is pretty limited. They certainly can't manage "friendly."

"Well, yeah, you don't want a combat droid to attack everything, right?"

"'Course not. But this is the first time I've met one that shakes hands, darlin'."

"Well, then they weren't very good ones."

Mwoop, says D0G smugly.

"Not at all. An' on most models the control signal encryption is so easy t'hack that a kid could...ahem."

"And that," says Alyx firmly, "is why D0G doesn't have any wireless functionality. Too easy to break in."

"Yeah, well, most folks go fer convenience over security, which is why a lot of systems've got so many holes in 'em."

That used to make Mouse's job easier, before she switched teams.

"Well, I'm not 'most folks.'"

Most folks don't have a pet combat droid, for one thing.

"Don't think anyone in this little way station is, sugar. But still, it's nice t'see a User who knows what she's doin'."

"Thanks." A beat. "So, what exactly do you do for Enzo's sister?"

"Security. Mostly."

Raised eyebrow. "What's 'mostly'?"

Mouse chuckles. "Well, for the most part I make sure we can't get sneak-attacked by a virus or suchlike. But I also do some experimental things. Mostly stuff t'do with the Games."

"Games..." Alyx frowns. "Remind me what that means in this context?"

"Games," Mouse repeats. "When the User fires one up, a big purple cube drops on the system. If the User wins, everythin' in the cube gets nullified, includin' sprites. One'a the things Guardians do is play games t'beat the User. Any questions?"

"...yes. What kind of nutjob came up with that system?"

"Well, technically the Users did. We used'ta think they had some weird inscrutable reasons for doin' stuff like that, but those of us who came here know that users just got no idea what's going on." Mouse shrugs. "'Cept for the ones who've met us, of course."

Alyx lets out a long, slow breath.

"You've got your work cut out for you, then."

"Yeah. 'Specially since our User's not all that bright, an' his little sister goes for games like Happy Easter Bunny Egg Hunt." Mouse shudders. "It's not pretty."

"Happy who what now?"

"You kinda have to experience it t'get the full picture. And you don't wanna. Trust me on this."

"I'll... take your word for it?"

Mouse nods. "That's for the best, hon."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only