we read the signs completely backwards

[rigging]

Who: Jesse Finch and YOU
Where: Exploring the city buildings. Anywhere!
When: Day 31
What: Jesse's decided he's done skulking around. He needs to figure out what and where he's living in now, and he doesn't mind company.

He's situated, now, and he finds it's much easier to concentrate now that he has everything settled. There are good people here, and he's watching out for Galen, and everything will be okay. So he picks through the city in search of all sorts of things. Food, weapons, cigarettes, those are important - whatever he can find and possibly use to barter for things later. He knows how it gets when supplies get low.

He checks out everywhere, from the cemetery (where he feels like he's going to spend a lot of time) to the bar (which, he decides, is going to be his secondary most-time-spent-in area) and gathers things as he goes. He's not paying much attention to any others who might be out, but throwing rocks at him and shouting should generally be good ways to get Jesse's attention, right? Right.

Comments

[thezerothlaw]

Daneel is still trying to make himself useful, and today that means haunting the library and looking for useful information in the stacks of books. Shouting, however, very quickly diverts his attention, and even if he doesn't believe it's a shout of alarm or fear or danger, it's still something he feels it necessary to investigate.

He emerges from the library, puzzled, looking for the source.

[rigging]

It was just one little shout! Just to see if anybody was in the library. Which there was someone! So he was successful, then.

When the dude comes out of the library, Jesse grins widely, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Sup." Nice and simple.

[thezerothlaw]

Daneel looks at him a moment or two. It's a funny sort of greeting, and he's not entirely sure what the acceptable response to 'sup' might be.

"I'm not clear what the reason for your shouting is, but you appear to be unharmed. Did you require assistance?"

[rigging]

"Nnnno, I was just seeing if there were any signs'a life in there," Jesse replies, still grinning. "Which there was, namely you. Uh, so - who are you? Ain't seen you afore."

[thezerothlaw]

Does Daneel count as a sign of life? Partner Elijah thought so, but he's not sure himself. He exists, he functions... does that necessarilly mean life? He'll leave the philosphy for someone more qualified.

"My name is Daneel Olivaw. We haven't met, no, but I have been here some time. Are you a recent arrival?"

[rigging]

Counts to Jesse! He's not really aware that Daneel is a robot, unless there's wires poking out or something.

"Daneel. That's a weird name," Jesse remarks cheerfully, scurrying closer so he can lean and peer curiously at Daneel. "I just got here a few days ago, so yeah, guess I'm new. How long does 'some time' mean?"

[thezerothlaw]

"It's an Auroran name."

Peculiar. This individual looks... familiar, though Daneel is well aware that he's a very different person; minds don't lie, even if faces might.

"I've been here for thirty days, which is as long as anyone I'm aware of has been here."

[rigging]

"A what name?" Jesse makes something of a curious face, mouth rounded. Nosy, nosy. As for the thirty days bit, Jesse stores that away for now; he'll come back to it, but he wants to know what Auroran means.

[thezerothlaw]

"Auroran. My creators were from the planet Aurora. To be perfectly accurate, they were from near the capital city of Eos."

Daneel doesn't mind nosy. He'll answer whatever questions he's asked.

[rigging]

"... What?" Jesse hasn't heard of either of those. Or - there were a lot of confusing things about that sentence. "Where's Eos? Your creators?"

[thezerothlaw]

This conversation is going a little backwards.

"My apologies. My full name is R. Daneel Olivaw. The 'R' stands for 'Robot.' I'm a humaniform robot created by Dr. Han Fastolfe and Dr. Roj Nemennuh Sarton. Although I was created on Earth, both my creators were from the planet Aurora, and that is where I've spent most of my existence."

Daneel hopes that clears things up a little.

[rigging]

"... So your middle name's literally robot." Sorry, Daneel, Jesse finds this hilarious. It's like an action movie! "Wait, wait, okay, you... what's humaniform? Where's Aurora? I never heard of there."

[thezerothlaw]

"Humaniform. I am a robot designed to replicate the appearance of a human being as closely as possible." Daneel inclines his head politely, not in the least offended by Jesse's amusement. "Aurora was the first planet colonised by Earth settlers, though that was several hundred years ago now. I would indicate the star for you, but I'm not entirely clear on the placement of Aurora's sun in the sky from other planets."

[rigging]

Wow, that's way advanced. "... Okay, so you're a robot." Jesse's just getting it straight. "From the future, because we ain't settled nowhere where I'm from. And your name's Danielle?" No, Jesse.

[thezerothlaw]

"I do seem to be from the future when compared to most people here, yes."

Danielle was, he believed, a female name. It wasn't very accurate, but at least he wasn't offended by this, either. "My name is Daneel, to be precise."

[rigging]

"Daneel." Oops. He thinks he gets it right this time. Shrug. "Uh, alright. I'm gonna explore that building. You can come with if you want."

[thezerothlaw]

Daneel looks, and then back to Jesse. He's not sure if he's being invited along or not.

"I can certainly accompany you. Might I ask your name?"

[rigging]

"Oh, shit, right. Name's Jesse, and yeah, come on. Be my tour guide or something. Ain't ever spoken to a robot before." But he's eager enough to. He's a science fiction nerd if there ever was one.

[thezerothlaw]

Daneel moves to follow, perfectly calm and unbothered at being pulled away from what he was looking at.

"Robots are very common on Aurora. Most households include several dozen robots, although the exact number varies according to the need and desire of the owner of the estate."

[rigging]

"S'kinda cool. We don't got robots, exactly, except for the kind that do like... toothpaste and stuff. And real creepy prototypes, I guess, I seen the videos of lifelike robots, but I ain't a fan. No offense." He peers at Daneel. "The ones we got back home ain't anything like you is what m'saying."

He runs his hand along the wall as he walks, feeling his way through. "D'you... got an owner? Or is it not like that?"

[thezerothlaw]

"I take no offense. I'm certain early robotic prototypes were very crude, but innovation must start somewhere."

Daneel doesn't often use the word 'owner,' but he can't deny the accuracy of it, either.

"I did have a master, yes. Most recently, I was the property of Lady Gladia. Before that, I was with Dr. Fastolfe, who created me. At present, I seem to belong to no one."

[rigging]

Jesse doesn't like the word owner, and he thinks he'll avoid saying it again. It just feels gross, to him. Things that talk and walk and act human shouldn't have owners.

"Well, good. Y'don't have to belong to anybody, yer a person." Jesse says it firmly enough. "Maybe made of wires, but still a person. You hang out here often?"

[thezerothlaw]

"You're not the first one here to express that sentiment. I admit, it's not one I'm accustomed to, but I'm finding myself to be, perhaps inappropriately, pleased by it."

It is, after all, slightly unseemly for a robot to want any sort of freedom. Even now, it's more the way he's treated that he likes rather than his apparent change in status.

"I sometimes come here in search of information, yes."

[rigging]

"What kinda information?" Jesse asks, pleased by Daneel's response.

[thezerothlaw]

"Anything that might be potentially useful. Techniques for first aid using the materials available to us here. Primitive agricultural techniques we might be able to implement if our food supplies continue to not be replenished."

Honestly, the food situation is something that worries him greatly, even if he's not personally affected.