(no subject)

[configuration_birdwatcher]

It's been approximately four days on their side of the Door since Bastion was last here, and the portal hasn't replaced the same door twice. Torbjörn's been muttering about repainting them, which they're not sure how to feel about. Meanwhile, they're still wondering about those ornaments shaped like themself and people they know from their world that they found in the box of Christmas decorations by the tree. They walk up to the Bar to ask if she knows where those came from; instead of an explanation, they get a napkin with a smiley face drawn on it.

"Bweeoowip." // This doesn't explain anything.

Maybe she fabricated them herself? Does she do that for everybody?

Comments

[garde723]

Izana is still crunching data and so is pretty unaware right now. They think they might have a few spots for Sidonia’s astrophysics to look closer for needed resources, so there is at least that. The beep of a robot catches their attention and looking up, they can’t help smiling. The person she assumes made the sound is very pleasing and Izana remembers their time as a robot quite fondly.

[configuration_birdwatcher]

Bastion waves to the monochromatically dressed human, beeping a friendly greeting. They're still nowhere near accustomed to humans being genuinely pleased to see them, but it's pleasant, if disconcerting.

[garde723]

Izana grins broadly in return to the friendly beep and turns to approach.

"Good afternoon. I am Izana," they say, deciding against their usual formality. "I do not believe we have met, nor that I have seen you before. Although it has been some months since I've been in Milliways, if the calendar here is anything togo by."

[configuration_birdwatcher]

Bastion returns their introduction with an upbeat voo-vwheep, followed by an arpeggio of bwip noises. // I am a SST Laboratories E54 Bastion unit; the people I know in my world usually call me Bastion. You're correct, we haven't met before.

Introduction concluded, they consider the topic of the calendar. Milliways does seem to have one of its own, since it has not just winter but mid-winter holiday celebrations to go along with it.

[garde723]

Izana smiles at the enthusiastic, at least they hope they are interpreting the beeps correctly. Unfortunately, they have no way of really understanding Bastion fully...yet.

"I hope you have been finding the bar to your liking." It is close to being rude, but Izana looks to see what Bar-san has written for the robot, and then wrinkles their forehead in confusion, for the note makes little sense. "Did Bar-san fail to give you a satisfactory answer to a question or has someone else left this for you?"

[ooc: sorry for the wait.]

[configuration_birdwatcher]

Bastion nods. "Wheeoo. Vrrr-dweet." // The first one. I've mostly enjoyed myself here, but it can be a very confusing place.

That should clear things right up.

(OOC: No big deal!)

[garde723]

Izana pauses to try and guess what the robot might have said.

"I could try to help answer anything you might be confused about, but I must admit I am not very familiar with the whole of this place and I am not certain I am understanding you very well."

Sorry, Bastion!

[configuration_birdwatcher]

They were starting to suspect this, yes. Talking to humans is so difficult!

Bastion tilts their head and holds out their index finger for a moment, whirring thoughtfully as they mentally run through their non-speech-based communication options; pantomime is too laborious, neither one of them appears to have a text-based communication device on their person, writing would work if they had a pen. Oh wait, they can just ask Bar for that, can't they? And the rewritable surface they used to converse with Cassian, too.

They beep a request to Bar, who helpfully provides them with the same whiteboard, eraser, and cyan dry-erase marker they used last time.

'I asked her where she got decorations that look like people from my world. She doesn't seem interested in explaining.'

[OOC: now it's my turn to apologise for the wait]

[garde723]

Izana claps at the robot's cleverness.

"Oh. That is not helpful at all."

Then, because it occurs to them, "You can understand me, yes?"

[configuration_birdwatcher]

Bastion writes, 'I can understand you. I know several human languages, but I can't pronounce the words.'

[garde723]

"I am afraid I do not come here frequently enough to venture a guess as to how the decorations might look like the people you know."

"How do you communicate with other robots like yourself? Are there sounds you are using that are not audible to humans?"

[configuration_birdwatcher]

Bastion shrugs their shoulders. They'll ask someone else about that later, if Izana doesn't know.

'We use short-range wireless transmissions. I think Milliways handles the networking protocols automatically, because I spoke to a family of robots from another world and their human friend last time I was here with no connectivity problems.'

[garde723]

Izana claps their hands.

"Oh, I shall be sure to bring my tablet with me next time I come then, in case we meet again. It had a variety of wireless capabilities."

[cutting_edgex23]

X slips up beside Bastion, looking down at the smiley face napkin unless the omnic tries to hide it.

"You are okay?"

It will take her a while to figure out what the beeps and boops and bips mean, but she can probably do it. Languages are a talent she has.

[configuration_birdwatcher]

That's not a question they've been greeted with before. Is it a custom they're not familiar with, or do they not look okay?

They turn to X, their head tilted in confusion, making no attempt to hide the smiley face napkin from her. "Vweee-weeoop." // I am functioning adequately. Bar does not appear to be interested in explaining where she obtained a decoration that looks like me.

Unfortunately for X, the beeps and boops and bips are only half the story when conversing with Bastion; the same beep can mean a lot of different things, and they disambiguate via short-range wireless broadcast. Unless she can hear radio frequencies, she may need to invest in an earpiece.

[cutting_edgex23]

As Captain Universe they can probably hear radio frequencies, but without that gestalt, X cannot.

Alas. Let's see how long it takes her to figure out the earpiece thing.

"You have been here before."

This part is not a question.

"Bar is not being helpful?"

[configuration_birdwatcher]

They shake their head at the second part and let out a negative-sounding bwirp. // No she is not.

[cutting_edgex23]

"You can tell me your question?"

X pauses for a moment, thinking about how difficult it has been thus far to understand them.

"Or write it down? Or Bar can translate? People tell me that works. Sometimes."

[configuration_birdwatcher]

They turn to the Bar and put in a request for the whiteboard, eraser, and dry-erase marker they've been using to converse with Cassian. This, at least, she provides.

In neat cyan lettering, they write, 'Do you know why the box of decorations for the Christmas tree had ornaments that looked like me and people from my world? Did Bar make them herself?'

[cutting_edgex23]

X leans over to look at the whiteboard, head tilting as she considers that question.

"I do not think that is how Bar works. She takes things from other places. Or the Lost and Found."

Beat.

"These people from your world are famous?"

[configuration_birdwatcher]

Bastion whirrs thoughtfully as they process this information, then writes, 'They are. They were members of Overwatch before it was dissolved, which means they were recruited for their notable achievements and then added several more during their service with the organization.'

'I don't understand why my model would be included in that set. Bastion units such as myself are primarily known for killing large numbers of humans during the human-omnic war. Even if I count as a member of Overwatch now, I'm not famous personally.'

Then they run out of room on the whiteboard.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Oh."

X falls silent, body very still as she thinks about that a little bit more.

Then --

"Time is not linear. Between here and other worlds. It could be that. Or someone in Overwatch made them."

Another pause, and she studies the Bastion unit.

"You are worried? About that."

[configuration_birdwatcher]

They erase the whiteboard, and then they write, 'Mostly confused, but slightly worried. It was disconcerting to see decorative representations of myself and my colleagues here before I knew that they could have been taken from my world, and if they were taken from my world, I hope they were made by a member of Overwatch and not someone who has been spying on us.'

Underneath this, Bastion adds, 'Can you elaborate about the nonlinear time? I did notice that it's winter here and spring at home.'

Ganymede chooses this moment to glide down from the rafters and land on Bastion's shoulder. He found some interesting bugs up there.

[cutting_edgex23]

X flicks a look from Bastion to the bird and back again.

"You are friends?"

Then --

"Some people come here from different points in their timelines. I came when I was small. But it was after I had come here later, for me. People already knew me. And I did not know them."

She shrugs, one-shouldered and quick.

"I am not the only one. And sometimes years pass here. And not in other worlds. Sometimes it is the reverse."

[configuration_birdwatcher]

Bastion whistles fondly at Ganymede, who chirps back. They write, 'His name is Ganymede. He's my closest friend.'

They take a few moments to digest the rest of what X has to say. Then they wipe the whiteboard clean and write, 'I already knew Milliways didn't follow the same spatial rules as my world. Apparently time also behaves in nonstandard ways here. Which makes sense, since it was described to me as a nexus of time and space when I first arrived.'