wickedchouette | (no subject)

[ It hesitates. Which is weird. It shouldn't hesitate. But maybe it thinks about the kitten curled up on the couch back at the apartment, and about how Alfie would probably not keep the cat if the bot was destroyed, and it has a moment where it can't move, locked in place.

But the desire to help humans, to make sure its owner is okay - it overrides everything. And so the bot creeps closer to the door, peeking around it to try and see what's going on. ]

[The door leads to another hallway, and that hallway, too, is eerily empty. Do you dare, bot?]

[ It dares. It really dares. But it is sneaky, making its way down the hallway as quietly as it can. ]

[And, eventually, he'll start to pick up on Alfie's voice.]

-- didn't really think this would end well, did you?

[It's coming from far away - through several closed doors - and there's a weird, stuffed-up quality to it, like he's talking through a bad head cold.]

You might have had the element of surprise, but you're on my fucking terf.

[ It makes its way towards the room that Alfie's voice is coming from, cautious still. One step, and then another, and carefully, it peeks into the room it's pretty sure Alfie's voice is, trying to get a look at the situation before busting in. ]

[Unfortunately, everyone in the room is on high alert, and the second the door moves everyone whirls around to face it. An overzealous kid with a gun fires off a preemptive shot, though it goes wide and misses the bot by a mile.]

[ It just watches the bullet go down the hallway, and then turns to the room, putting its hands up, calmly. If they're going to shoot it, they're going to shoot it - it just hopes they don't. ]

[Alfie is unarmed and standing at gunpoint, along with two other men. His face is a mess of blood; it's hard to see through it all, but if the bot tries, he might deduce that he probably has a broken nose. The culprits here are a small crowd of men - ten in total, each with their own guns. The guy who's fired at the bot blinks in surprise, lowering his weapon just a little.]

Bloody hell, it's an AI. Whose fucking AI is this?

[Alfie says nothing.]

Edited (i love spotting typos literally the moment after i press enter) 2019-05-26 02:45 (UTC)

[ The bot also says nothing, for a moment, glancing from the men with guns to Alfie and then back again. In a placid voice, it says: ]

I am an RM700 model. I am here to serve. [ It doesn't move, hands still up. Offers a small smile, too. ] What can I do to help you today?

Who do you belong to?

[Barks one of the other men. He's the one who, more than any of the others, has his gun up in Alfie's face.]

I belong to this office building. [ It answers in the same placid tone. Technically not a lie. ]

[The man breaks into a wide grin.]

And now this office building belongs to us, lads. We've got ourselves an AI!

[Cheers go up in the group of invading men, and there's a distinctly mocking tone to them. Alfie doesn't comment on that, exactly, but he does let out a derisive snort. It's insolent enough to earn him a hard smack in the face with the butt of one of the guns, and he staggers back, fresh blood pouring from his broken nose and spotting the floor.]

[ It twitches, just slightly, when they hit Alfie with the gun. But it doesn't move. It looks at Alfie for a long moment, and then it turns its attention back to the man that seems to be speaking for the rest. ]

What would you have me do, sir?

Go stand over there in the corner.

[The guy says gleefully. He's never had a bot of his own to play with. New! Exciting! Fun!]

[ Technically, this man isn't its owner. It doesn't have to. But it does, making its way to the corner of the room and standing there, facing the wall. A tinge of - something crawls up the back of its spine. Something it knows it isn't supposed to feel. ]

Bend down and touch your toes.

[Prompts one of the younger men, which brings on a chorus of sniggers.]

[ Another tinge. But it does it, staying in place once it's there. Bide your time, it thinks, eyes closed. ]

[The guy's grin widens.]

Now come over here and suck Johnny's--

[Another young man, presumably Johnny, elbows him hard in the side and lets out a loud Oi!

The boss clears his throat, sobered up now. A joke and some banter every now and then is fine, but as usual, his newer recruits are trying to keep it going for too long.]

Gentlemen, that's enough. We're here to do a job, not play with our new toy.

[Alfie opens his mouth to speak, but only a wet, bubbly sound comes out. He takes that in stride, though, casually spitting out a gob of blood onto the floor before continuing.]

Can't control your own men, can you, McNair? Let me give you some advice from a professional, mate; when I've got the young ones, I--

[The boss - McNair - interrupts him with a hard, barehanded whack to the face. He goes down onto the floor this time, and he stays there. One of the men who'd been flanking him immediately goes to rush to his side, and McNair dispatches him with a bullet to the head.]

[ It flinches, at the gun shot. Carefully, it straightens, and turns, looking over at them, trying to ignore the heat in it's chest. Anger. That's what this is. It's anger, and humiliation. If the boss hadn't stopped it from happening, they would've had it on its knees.

Alfie is down, and the bot doesn't know how much longer it can wait. It has to intervene, but it isn't sure it can. Can it? It isn't supposed to harm humans. The light goes yellow at its temple, flickering slightly. ]

[The good news for the bot is that they quickly forget it's there. Alfie doesn't stir - he's clearly breathing, but apparently unconscious - and the other man who'd been standing with him stands there stoically, eyes on the invading men. If he's waiting for the right moment to strike, he hasn't found it yet - but then, all eyes are on him, too.]

Right; that's them sorted.

[Says McNair.]

Let's search the place. Turn it from top to bottom, lads, and take anything of value. Bring anyone you find into this room, and isolate them when you can. I want no less than two of our men to every one of theirs.

[ Can't hurt humans. But it can hurt anything trying to hurt its owner. It can stop conflict from happening, as long as Alfie doesn't order it to stop. The circle goes blue again, and it glances across the room to the still-standing man, making eye contact with him.

Give it a moment. When the men leave the room, it'll make its way over. There's presumably still guards, but less than the entire gang in one room. ]

[There are indeed still guards, but it's just two men, now that the others have filed out - and neither of them are the rowdy guys from earlier. They still have their guns out and loaded, but they're not actively pointing them at either the bot or the one man still standing. He's unarmed, they figure, and if he tries to rush them, they'll know just how to react.]

[ Maybe, but they probably won't know how to react to the bot coming up to one of the guards and ramming the heel of its palm up into the guard's nose, as hard as it can. Which is - really hard, actually, because scary robot strength. It turns and knocks the other guard to the ground, expressionless. ]

[To which Alfie's man responds by backing up immediately, trying to get out of Royce's range - which is hard when they're locked in a room together, but whatever. If the bot is going rogue, he's going to stay out of its way.]

[ When the second guard goes down, the bot kicks him hard in the side of the head - the goal is to knock the guy out, which... happens, but the guy is probably going to have serious brain damage, if he lives through it.

The bot pauses, looking between the two fallen guards, and then glances at Alfie's man. Calmly: ]

We should make our way out. Mr. Solomons requires medical attention.