> Undocumented Features Future Imperfect
> - Symphony of the Sword -
>
> Duet for Robots in EWhahoo!!! another prologue!!! Duet for Robots? Hey, is this the grand tale of how Len and corwin got 'Handled' and rescued R. Dorothy?
> Friday, May 31, 2402
> Kane's World, Conroy sector
> United Federation of Planets
OOO.... Sure is looking like it!!!
> It was all Leonard's fault.
Heh... Such a WIDE open opening... One that bodes plenty of action, and things that cant end well for someone... usually not the heros though.
> Leonard was the one who was bored. Leonard was the one who suggested
> they hop the N over to New Avalon International Spaceport and watch the
> starships come and go. Leonard was the one, furthermore, who had mentioned
> the new automated baggage handling system that had been installed at this,
> the busiest of New Avalon's three spaceport facilities.
And knowing Corwin, the second he mentions it, Corwin HAS to know more, and wants to check it out...
> That Corwin had then insisted on investigating said system could not be
> held on his account, as any rational sapient lifeform should accept that,
> Len having mentioned it, Corwin was obliged to check it out.
Of Course not! The kid is going to grow up to become the god of mecha, and he's a born tinkerer to boot!
> That they subsequently got baggage-handled and wound up on the 11:40
> Federated Express metaspace run to Kane's World is mainly the fault
> of the somewhat inattentive gentleman who programmed the new system.
well, Sort of. Granted he wouldnt be expecting Kids to be checking it out, but the fact that it would misidentify a person as a package, AND somehow decide that even though they had no shipping tag they were supposed to go to Kane's World. I mean, sure its AUTOMATED, but you really should make allowances for what if someone needs to adjust some machinery while its running?
> Fortunately, cargo runners are pressurized.
Fortunatly indeed, since I assume its just easier to keep the hold that way than to try and sort out stuff that would get ruined if NOT kept in your basic atmosphere.
> "No," Corwin agreed glumly. He got up, slung the satchel by its
> shoulder strap, and, lacking anything else to do, the brothers went
> upstairs.
Even at eleven Corwin's showing the always prepared mindset that will serve him so well later in life. I bet he's even got a towel in there!
> Corwin rolled his eyes. "She'd be torn. On the one hand, it was a
> wicked neat hack. On the other hand, it was a stupid thing to do. Her
> maternal instinct would clash with her hacker imperative. She might
> short out or something."
A lovely summary of his mother, and spot on. Glad to see that the orignal definition of Hack (Digging into things to see how they work) has survived as well as the present day derogitive version (breaking in and trashing whatever)
> Corwin saw him. "The one walking behind the girl in the green dress?"
>
> "He's not walking behind her. He has a gun in her back. He's forcing
> her into that car."
And Dorothy makes her TRUE first appearance!
> Corwin didn't ask his brother how he was so sure about the significance
> of the car and the man in the black coat. Len just seemed to know these
> things. Instead he merely tightened up a little, readying for action,
> and asked, "So what's the plan?"
Nicely added touch; if one actually read this in 'cronological' event order, its a nice forshadowing of what the rest of us allready know, that the force is whispering to Len even at his young age.
> Corwin, meanwhile, detoured around the girl and the open car door she was
> standing next to, sparing a moment to glance at her as he passed. She was
> pretty, with neatly bobbed auburn hair, very pale skin, and the darkest
> eyes he'd ever seen - he thought, as he made fleeting eye contact with her,
> that they were genuinely black. Either that or her pupils were massively
> dilated. Her affect was surely a bit flat for someone who was in the middle
> of being forced into a car at gunpoint. Maybe they'd drugged her? Though if
> that were the case, why the gun?
Or, perhaps she's a built person who hasnt come to understand herself yet. Though again, that falls under the category of stuff WE know but He doesnt.
> He blinked. "Oh hey," he said. "You're a robot."
A first line right up there with, "No, Cleavland". Corwin, thou art Smoov...
> Corwin sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right. Though I'd rather not
> do that until I know more about what's going on." He looked back
> over his shoulder. "I don't think anyone's following us. We ought to
> find a place to hole up and get as much information as we can before
> we make the call."
And now that he's done being Smoov, his brain is back in gear.
> "We're up," said Corwin, having found the subether booster antenna
> and affixed it to his mobilecomm. "Okay, let's see if I can get on
> the local network so I don't have to set up a subether tunnel clear
> back to - ... that's weird."
And even before his asencion, we see that machines love him right back!
> Exasperated, Corwin looked up from the comm unit's screen. "Look,
> do you want me to trace this signal or noooohhhh crap."
HEH!! Vintage Corwin!!!
> "Well, how many other criminal organizations do you know of that have
> a use for giant robots? It's not like they offer any particular
> advantage to bank robbers or drug smugglers. And Big Fire's always
> fooling around with hopelessly baroque control systems." He turned to
> Dorothy. "Do you know if that has a pilot on board?"
A perfect capsule summary. I guess they figure that the stranger the control system is the less likely it is to get hijacked. Of course they seem to overlook the small fact that the system is more likely it is to escape their control...
> "No," Dorothy said. "If her control system were complete, she'd be
> autonomous. There's no place for a cockpit."
Thank goodness they're only 11... otherwise this would be the spot for a Bevis and Butthead comment. Heh. heheheheheh.
> "This bit of the giant robot's control circuitry you have in you,"
> he asked. "Is it a module, or is it integrated in your own systems?"
>
>"It's a separate part. I saw it before Fa... my creator installed it."
And we see the first chink in her 'tin toy' persona already!
> "Well... " Corwin tilted his head toward the window. "I can guarantee
> that I care about that more than they do."
White Knight mode Fully mounted!!!
> Dorothy hesitated, a very faintly fearful look edging onto her face.
> "You have a point."
Of COURSE he does!!! You can be forgiven, you dont know Corwin that well yet. but you will!!!
> I should have asked, Len remarked to himself as he entered the parking
> garage, what it is I'm supposed to do when I find this van. Ah, well.
Well, you can always trust your feelings, Luke... err Len.
> He smiled and smoothed her auburn hair with one hand.
>
> "Relax," he said, propping his satchel open. "I won't let anything
> happen to you."
And here we see Corwin's realization that R. Dorothy is People, even if it will take a few more years and Utena to get DOROTHY to realise it for herself.
> Once again there was no time to plan; once again Len's instincts
> carried him through. He broke into a run, sprinting past the noses of
> parked cars and trucks. About halfway to the van, he passed the front
> of yet another SEAT Grandee. Without slackening his pace, he reached
> out and wrenched the hood ornament from its mountings, setting off the
> car's alarm. Taking two more strides, he wound up and hurled the chunk
> of mock diamond as hard as he could.
The force is indeed strong within Len. No wonder Master Gaijic realised it almost the instant he met Len.
> It may have been a tall order for an adult roboticist, but Corwin
> Ravenhair happened to be the son of Skuld Ravenhair, the Norse goddess
> of technology. He'd grown up playing with the most sophisticated
> inventions in the universe the way other kids had chemistry sets. He
> had what his own mother had once called a weapons-grade aptitude for
> hardware. He was famous in his family circle for having been able to
> say "multiprocessor" before he could say "mommy".
Like I said a few Riffs back, Corwin loves his machines and they love him RIGHT back! This whole segment... beautifully crafted, G.
> "I don't think you're really in a position to negotiate, kid," he said.
> "Here's the deal: Hand over the gadget and the girl and maybe you'll walk
> out of here alive.
Obviously, from the generation of Intelligent Q bosses, though even HE doesnt have a clue just what he'd be getting himself into if he didnt decide to negotiate, he still knows that there is nothing to be lost and maybe everything to gain by doing so.
> Then Q-Boss laughed and said, "You got balls, kid. I can't help but
> admire that. Okay, you got a deal. Gimme the gadget and you and the
> girl walk."
I agree with Corwin. even if you have guns, you DONT mess with the guy what knows how to really use a sonic screwdriver...
> "C'mon, boys. Let's jet before the Bat - "
DONT MENTION THAT NAME!!!!
> ding!
>
> The elevator doors opened, revealing a tall man clad from head to toe
> in black armor.
>
> "... shows... up... hell!" Q-Boss snarled.
Told ya so!!!
> Corwin had heard of Gotham City's costumed champion, the notorious
> Batman, before. He knew, in fact, that this particular one was the
> third (or possibly fourth) man to hold the title, and that he'd been
> active for a little more than four years at this point. He hadn't
> really expected to see him here, though he'd certainly been hoping
> he'd show up.
Which one is it at this point? Still Dick, or has he blown his knee and given the mantle over to Terry? Oh, and does G tell stories about HIS time as the original to his kids? I mean, he's litterally got a million of them; while they may not exactly be bedtime material in the strictest sense, it also seems like just the sort of tales you spin to the kids while your all warming up by the fire after a fun day playing in the snow or summat...
> "Fine," Corwin said. "The Q-Boss has a black electronic module in
> his inside pocket. It's part of the control system for that
> terrormech outside. And it doesn't work," he added.
>
> "How do you know that?" Batman asked.
>
> "Because I broke it," Corwin replied, holding up his sonic screwdriver
> with a grin.
Like I said.... NEVER underestimate the guy what has a Sonic screwdriver!
> An hour later, Corwin and Len were standing, along with Dorothy, out
> by the still-frozen terrormech's feet, waiting to sign transcripts of
> their statements to the police while New Gotham Public Works Department
> personnel tried to figure out how they were going to remove the giant
> robot from the middle of Sloane Square.
My advice? Call either the planetary defense force or WDF and ask for a assault destroid recovery team.
> "Imagine, therefore, my surprise when I learn that you are instead
> in the Conroy sector, screwing with the local Big Fire operations."
> Kei folded her arms. "That happens to be -my- job."
>
> "I - " Corwin began.
>
> "It - " said Len.
<
> Kei silenced them both with a glare that could've split concrete.
>
> Which she was able to maintain for about three-quarters of a second
> before breaking into a huge grin.
Awww... just one more sign of why Kei's loss is taken so hard by all who know her in Requium
Great overall piece, even with Len and Corwin basicly getting dropped into Roger's role.