milliways_bar | (no subject)

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The change of scenery has been nice, but Tarik knows the time to go back to Paradiso is coming quickly. As much as he needed a respite from the stress and the chaos of the Combined Army's offensive, he can't afford to stay any longer, no matter that time has stayed still on the other side of the door (He has checked a couple times, just to ease his conscience).

Thus he sits at a well-lit table, tagelmust and greatcoat folded on a chair by his side, the disassembled rifle he just finished cleaning spread before him. Nevermind what time does back home it has been a couple weeks here and he'd rather be sure all of his equipment is in perfect operational state before going back. The Paradiso jungle will see that it doesn't last long like that.

He has decided to take a break before reassembling the rifle and moving to the back-mounted environmental control unit, and though he would never admit it, he's using that time to people-watch. It's quite fascinating

[OOC: Occasional slowtimes expected.]

[Tinytag: Tarik Mansuri]

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Well, AndrAIa is probably considerably less complex than this ALEPH, since she's only a subroutine from a commercially available computer game. But the principle is the same.

"My sister-in-law," Enzo repeats, and gestures in the vicinity of his belt. A small window appears in midair with a pwing!, displaying a family photo a couple of years old.

"That's her."

Tarik looks at the photograph for a few moments, still slowly wrapping his mind around the fact that this boy here claims to come from a world where video games (and supposedly other computer programs) are self-aware. Then he looks up and nods.

"Well, there is one thing I can tell you, from what I've learn of humanity in my years... You and your people are lucky the Users don't realize you are sentient." The tone is one of honest sympathy, though there's still the slight puzzled undertone that Enzo surely has heard before in human voices when talking to him for the first time.

"What makes you say that?"

Because Enzo has very good reasons for wishing they did know.

"Well, in the long run it could turn out for the best, but at first? You'd be lucky if some higher-up didn't order the lot of you erased just in case. If they didn't, they would certainly study you, which usually involves painful and very invasive procedures... And I'm pretty sure they would outright fear you at first. Nothing personal, just... I don't think humanity in general would react well to the shock of meeting new sentient life."

Of course, in his own Universe, the first contact with an actual sentient species has been hostile and extremely traumatic, but that doesn't mean he's biased, not at all.

Enzo's face darkens.

"Even if they created it?"

Tarik frowns. He didn't want to make the young man sad, or sully his innocence about humanity, but damn well that's what he thinks would happen.

"I cannot be sure, specially since your universe and mine don't sound much like the same. As I said, I'm just assuming based on my experience."

Sigh.

Okay, try to think this through reasonably.

"Well... I don't think they'd erase us. I mean, not all of us. They'd have to destroy all their computers! They're a big part of their world, from what I've seen on other Earths. And humans and sprites can't interface directly, 'cept for here. The closest we get is in Games. That doesn't mean they couldn't do stuff to us, but... not like that."

Double sigh.

"I dunno. You're probably right. But it might be worth the risk anyway."

Tarik shakes his head. "No, you are right. It would imply too much chaos. But I think you should still be cautious about it. Your existance would make humans curious, and human curiosity can lead to very stupid actions." He smiles faintly.

"Yeah, well, so can human ignorance."

Sorry, he doesn't mean to snap.

Actually that makes him chuckle. He has a nice laugh, slightly boisterous but contagious. The laugh of a man who enjoys life.

"Let's just agree that humanity has a tendency to stupid actions, then?"

"I think I can return true with that, yeah."

Pause, then hastily add: "I mean, so do sprites, sometimes."

"Don't worry, no offense taken." He nods. "And only those that don't act are free from making mistakes, so everything sentient is going to do something stupid, eventually."

"Copy-and-paste that. Anyway, don't get me wrong, I like humans. Heck, my girlfriend's half-human."

They can't help it if their entire species is mildly insane.

Okay, that brings an arching of Tarik's eyebrows.

"Half-human and half... Program?" He pauses and shakes his head "I'm not sure I want to know the mechanics of that."

"No way, dude, I don't think that could even work. She's half-ghost."

Because that makes so much more sense.

"Half-ghost." A pause. "I assume you don't mean 'ghost' as in 'Special ops operative', right?" He'd rather not think of the possibility that Enzo means ghost as in, well, ghost.

"No-o-o-o, I mean ghost as in 'spooky; ectoplasm; usually dead people'."

"Yes, I was afraid you were going to say something like that." Tarik shakes his head, puzzled but willing to keep an open mind.

"You know I think I would need just too much time to get used to this place. And I don't think I have it. There are urgent matters to tend to back home."

"I've been coming here three years. I'm still not sure 'used to' is the right word." Beat. "Words. What's going on in your world?"

"Nothing in my world, thanks God the Merciful. But on Paradiso..." He pauses and smirks a bit. "Sorry, on another of the human-colonized worlds in my universe, we have what looks like an alien invasion in progress. They are trying to establish a beachhead and are on their way to succeeding."

The way he speaks makes it sound like a Very Bad Thing.

"Aw, frag."

He knows it; alien invasions are not uncommon 'round these parts. (You know what I mean.)

"What kind of aliens?"

"Still too recent to be sure. There seem to be at least three or four separate species, acting in concert but more or less separately. All we know is they are a bunch of ruthless bastards, and they know their warfare pretty well."

Tarik doesn't sound amused at all, no siree no.

Enzo mutters something about Combine.

"You need any help?" After barely a pause, he adds, "Of a kind that won't get me in huge trouble for going off adventuring without permission?"

"What did you just say?" Tarik's eyes narrow slightly at Enzo's muttering, one hand moving apparently idly but ending up upon the butt of the pistol holstered at his hip.

"I... asked if you wanted help."

Great, what's he done wrong and/or stupid now?