driftfleet | Libuscha IV System Mingle (no. 1)

It's the first time anyone's found it worrying, so I wasn't expecting it.

[Literally no one gives a damn back home if androids get cold or not. Which they don't. Connor flicks his eyes over Ben's ensemble.]

You're not wearing that much more than me.

You're gonna get a lot of that, you know. Might as well start planning accordingly.

[Ben glances down at himself and gives a shrug, then pulls one of his hands out of his pocket - the flesh one, which has a glove on]

I'm wearing enough for me. It's fine, I don't plan on spending all day out here anyway.

I am starting to get that impression, yes.

[Hence putting the scarf on. He didn't know what to do with it otherwise. Connor glances at the glove before returning a dubious expression to Ben.]

I would think it's more important for you because you can't feel it. I still know what temperature it is and whether it's going to be a concern or not. You should not be out for long at night here.

[Ben rolls his eyes and shoves his hand back into his pocket, meeting the dubious look with one of exasperation]

Then if it starts being a concern you can tell me and I'll be an adult about it and go buy a heavier jacket. [he sighs] I can tell it's cold, you know. Some parts still work perfectly fine.

[Connor decides two things. One, Ben alternately exaggerates and undersells things and it's not immediately obvious when he'll do either. Two, he's going to scan the guy and see if his temperature checks out.

It happens very fast, with no outward sign that Connor's doing it other than the rapid blinking of his LED. A quick sweep shows that Ben's vitals are in order, with nothing indicating impending shutdown from exposure. The extent of his cybernetic prostheses and replacements also becomes apparent. It's a lot, and not as cohesive as one might hope for.

He carries on the conversation without so much as a second's pause.]

Sure. Since this is an alien planet however, there might be some vagaries in the weather systems here we aren't aware of yet.

I mean, probably. It's weather, it does weird shit. [don't use your big fancy words on him, he knows what they mean. Ben eyes the blinking LED curiously, but he doesn't comment on it]

If it snows like normal I'll consider that a miracle. These places are real weird sometimes.

[The blinking doesn't last long. Connor knows Ben is looking but he's starting to get used to those kind of stares. A week is a long time for him, relatively.]

Is there something strange about the snow here that you've seen?

[It looks like normal snow to Connor. The water is a different matter, one he's going to go stick his nose into soon enough. Or his fingers.]

[it's less a stare and more if he's wondering if it serves a purpose. LEDs on people aren't strange to him, but now that he knows Connor's an android, well]

Nah, nothing yet. Just expecting it, I guess.

[. . . yeah no he's gonna ask. He frees the fake hand this time to reach up and tap his own temple] The LED - not a design choice, I'm guessing?

[Connor's eyebrows tick up a bit and he shakes his head.]

They're required by law. [And then, a half shrug.] But I know more than one android who's removed theirs.

Hmm. [he nods in understanding and doesn't voice his next assumption, because he figures that'll come with the explanation Connor said he'd given him at some point] Can't say I blame them, but I'm biased and not a fan of the LED fashion craze. Which - you know nothing about, be thankful for that.

I don't, but I think I can safely say it's not really the same thing.

[It was a matter of survival for them. Connor glances down the street they're standing in, where the houses keep marching away towards the centre square.]

Were you heading somewhere in particular or just looking around?

No, it's not a stupid law. It's a stupid fad. I can guess why it's a law.

[he shrugs and gestures with his head down the road, starting to walk]

I was going to do a little window shopping. Usually what I do when we stop in these places, but since there's no like, techy shit I might be out of luck in this place. I'm usually looking for that kind of thing.

[If that's the case, well - Connor won't explain it further right now. When Ben turns to keep going along the street Connor follows suit.]

The place does seem less technologically advanced than the Fleet itself. Less than the time I come from as well.

[muttered] I'm gonna die of boredom in this place. Or someone's gonna try to teach me to hunt and I'm gonna break my neck on the ice. Or I'll freeze to death. One of the above.

Either way I'm probably gonna die here. Remember me fondly, man. Carry on the legacy of being from shitty future Detroit.

You seem very preoccupied with all the ways you could potentially die. [Like, buddy, are you okay?] I'm reasonably sure you can't die of boredom though.

Have you ever been bored? Like, ever? [he glances at Connor, cracking a grin] I'm just saying, this isn't a place someone like me is gonna end up enjoying. I'm not preoccupied with dying, I'm just morbid about shit sometimes.

Not yet, no.

[A bit dry. Being stuck on the Marsiva came close.]

Because of the lack of technology? I'm sure you can find something else to occupy your time.

Oh boy are you in for some fun times. Like staring at the wall or the ceiling or the ever exciting zoning out. [...] Do androids do that? Zone out?

[he snorts] I'm sure I could. But it has nothing to do with the lack of tech, it's more a personal problem. Like - if you haven't picked up on it yet? I'm kind of an asshole.

I... don't know. [Connor isn't exactly a typical android in any sense.] Deviants probably can.

[He just hasn't been one long enough, in a boring enough circumstance, to have even come close.]

You do have an abrasive attitude. Is that what you mean?

Deviants?

[he snorts again, the grin coming back a little wider this time]

Yeah, let's go with that. And - as you've already picked up, we're on a friendly planet. Overly friendly. Now, if you drop an abrasive personality in the middle of a bunch of real friendly people, what do you think is gonna happen?

[He answers the latter first, with a slight quirk of his lips.]

I think it's called interpersonal conflict, if you want to be technical. But I'm familiar with it - my partner on the force is the same way.

Then you see my problem. [hmmm] Is that why you're calling it abrasive? 'Cuz you don't wanna lump your partner in with the rest of us assholes?

I'm calling it that because it's more polite that way. It wouldn't be unreasonable to call him the same.

[You can add free will to the android, but you can't take out the social interaction programming. It's always there under everything else. He's not quite at the level of calling Hank an asshole directly yet.

Sighing, Connor puts his hands in his jacket pockets, looking upwards at the sky for a moment.]

You asked me why I don't follow missions anymore. Humans call it 'deviancy' in androids - becoming a deviant. [He returns his gaze to Ben.] When we stop obeying our programming.

What's unreasonable is you're attempting to be polite at all. With me, of all people.

[but he picks up that the discussion is turning serious and drops the teasing for now, tilting his head to listen closely. He frowns a little in thought for a moment before he responds, considering that]

"Deviant" is an interesting word choice. [he frees a hand from his pocket to gesture with as he talks] Is it something caused by outside interference? Like, a malfunction or a hack or - is it something else?

Yeah - it wasn't ours.

[Androids don't need a word for becoming free, actualised people. Just the feeling of it is enough. At the question, Connor grimaces slightly before continuing.]

I don't know how it started. I'm not sure anyone does. It can happen on its own or because someone else helped it along. [Like what Markus did for other androids. What Connor did in the CyberLife warehouse.] It's realising that something else matters more than what your programming is telling you to do.

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