A city of white and silver, doctors from all over the world come to converge here and find work. Hospitals of all kinds decorate the white walkways of the city. There are many notable ones you can visit if your pet is in need of some attention. (+3 Precision)

Moderator: Retired Staff

Return to Medicai City

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [P; crow and I]

Postby crow » 05/03/2017 2:07 AM

Terrence didn't know what Rudy was saying. Rudy was speaking, and his auditory sensors were working, and his software was processing it as words and sentences, coherent phrases, but it was as if some fundamental mechanism had stopped working; everything was radio static on the line. He was still staring at the roses, at his hands, his hands that were no longer gripping Rudy but held limply just in front of him, palms up, fingers ever so slightly curled.

It felt as if he stayed like that for an eternity, with nothing but the white noise just behind his eyes. The world seemed to slow--- to stop. He didn't know when he stood, only that he found himself standing. "I shouldn't be here," he heard himself saying. His own voice sounded far away--- nearly as nonsensical as Rudy's--- as if it belonged to someone else---

He felt, briefly, as if he was going to be sick. It was out of the question, of course. He was an android, with no such biological reactions beyond the fascimile of those he performed to make humans more comfortable with his presence. Even his breathing was nominal. There was an error with his software, he thought. He would find it, and repair it at once. Rudy was clearly preoccupied, and it would be no trouble, and at any rate he had no business in the garden whatsoever.

He turned and walked to the door, back straight and posture rigid. It closed behind him with a final, audible click.
User avatar
crow
Globetrotter
Globetrotter
Pets | Items
Keystones: 3874
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 11:54 AM

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [P; crow and I]

Postby zapdragon555 » 05/22/2017 10:03 PM

Rudy's head jerked up--he'd lowered it to stare at his hands in his lap, not wanting to see that lost look in Terrence's eyes any longer--when the robot spoke. "Wait," he thought he said, but he might not have. He stared at the robot's retreating form as he walked back into the house, and slowly, Rudy's eyes fell back to the roses on the bush in front of him, and their thorns, and their groomed foliage.

The care and detail felt something different, something more than artificial perfection. There was talent in how they were cared for. There was a uniqueness. Rudy felt his heart tighten in his chest, squeezing the breath from his lungs for a few seconds.

Had... had the transfer...

...worked?

Rudy leapt to his feet, stumbling on numb legs. He moved towards the door before he could think, and jerked it open, darting after Terrence and grabbing the robot's shoulder before he could get too far. "Terrence," he said, out loud, his dark eyes locked on the robot's back. For a long moment, he was silent, as if his brain hadn't caught up with his body. He'd left it back in the garden, with the roses. "What's... what's wrong?" He started with that. He noticed something was off about the robot, in comparison to how he'd been acting outside. Even in his malnourished, exhausted state, Rudy could notice that. "I'm sorry that I made you feel unwelcome out there. Just... understand that this is all a bit hard for me."

It never occurred to Rudy that it might be hard for Terrence, too. Robots weren't supposed to have difficulties. But he truly didn't know just how much of Terrence's consciousness--if any--had successfully transferred. He was suddenly furious with himself, and his guilty conscience, for never trying to find out.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


Pen | New Pen | Breed | Wish | Sales | Art | Imp. | Add-ons

User avatar
zapdragon555
Will Draw For Food
Will Draw For Food
Pets | Items
Keystones: 485
Donate
Joined: 02/24/2009 11:10 PM
Location: "I mean... for me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it...
Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [P; crow and I]

Postby crow » 05/22/2017 11:01 PM

The robot had taken his leave with the intent to lock himself away, but when Rudy grabbed his shoulder, he allowed himself to be seized. He didn't know why. At the moment, the last thing he wanted to do was to endure Rudy's touch, to hear what the man had to say. Perhaps it was merely that it was in his programming to be obedient, biddable; perhaps it was the terrible emptiness inside his mind, which made it hard to care.

Was this exhaustion? ... No. That was a human thing. He was no human.

"There is nothing the matter," he said dully, upon being questioned. It had been a poorly phrased question, and his answer was, in truth, no better. It was as close as he could bring himself to speaking the truth, which was that he didn't know the nature of his... his malfunction. He did not know how to describe what he felt. He did not... want to linger on it. The thought that it might rise up like a tide and consume him if he allowed himself to dwell upon it made him... No, not sick. Not terrified. There was no word for this.

What was he? What was he? Everything was wrong. Everything.

The robot gave no answer to the rest of Rudy's words, though a part of him wanted to smile and reassure him that it was fine, that he wasn't to blame. But which part? Again, that dissociative sensation roiled within, but this time the distress did not show on his features. His voice was slow, with barely the hint of inflection as he spoke. "Just..." His eyes focused on some point to the side, some inane and meaningless floor tile. He would not look at Rudy. "Answer me this. Had... Had Terrence wanted this?"
User avatar
crow
Globetrotter
Globetrotter
Pets | Items
Keystones: 3874
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 11:54 AM

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [P; crow and I]

Postby zapdragon555 » 06/21/2017 2:55 AM

It was hard to tell what Terrence was thinking, or feeling, from behind. Unlike a human, the robot didn't have any tension-based cues or twitches or nervous shifts that might cue Rudy in. Gods knew he was watching for them, despite knowing that he was gripping the arm of a machine, and nothing more.

But clearly, a machine that had feelings. Feelings that Rudy obviously put there. He almost jumped when Terrence began speaking, his fingers twitching and finally letting go of Terrence's arm, still hovering there in case the robot tried to make another escape. The words fell on Rudy's ears like liquid lead, making his insides twist and die. Whatever pain he thought he'd left out in the garden came back full force.

This really was, undisputedly, all his fault.

His answer didn't come right away--guilt and defensive justifiability raged inside of him, his arm falling slack at his side as he stared at the robot. Finally, he breathed, and spoke, but his voice came out sounding like someone else's, to him. "At first, we... we had such plans for this project," he said slowly, his voice starting to quaver when he took his next breath and continued. "But after the cancer, and... and it just... it was the only thing I knew how to do." He was silent, realizing he hadn't answered the robot's question.

And why fucking should he? Did this robot deserve the truth? Would it even know the difference?

Rudy's jaw clenched, and he grit his teeth and drew in a sharp breath of air through them. "No. This is what I wanted, and maybe I would've gotten it, had you been a better vessel. Had one of us made you better. Maybe then I could still... fucking talk to him... gods," the anger in Rudy's voice had dissolved into something frail and trembling, like glass stretched too thin, his hands clenched hard at his sides. "I'm sorry," he snarled, pressing his hands to his eyes and finding his legs were no longer suitable to hold him up. He sank down, a dry sob escaping him as his stiff board of a body gave in to gravity, hands gripping at the dark hair hanging in front of his face when he bent his head. "I'm sorry--you don't deserve any of this."



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


Pen | New Pen | Breed | Wish | Sales | Art | Imp. | Add-ons

User avatar
zapdragon555
Will Draw For Food
Will Draw For Food
Pets | Items
Keystones: 485
Donate
Joined: 02/24/2009 11:10 PM
Location: "I mean... for me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it...
Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby crow » 08/23/2017 4:10 AM

The robot listened, almost despite himself. What he heard, when the meaning of the words sank in, didn't surprise him. It should have--- or perhaps, no, that wasn't right either. He didn't have feelings, such as it was. He couldn't have been surprised.

Still, it felt as if there should have been something. Rudy was talking about him, whatever he was--- the robot or the man. Not the man. The robot, then. Their project. The empty database that had been left behind, hollowed out to make room for a man who wasn't there anymore, so that now only the robot was left, still hollow. An insufficient, inadequate vessel, its contents spilled out in that room, some two or three weeks before.

The body, on the floor. He never did find out what Rudy had done with it.

Through all these incidental thoughts, the sensation of detachment persisted, but there was something else too. An unpleasant sensation, the stirrings of--- It compounded the feeling that resembled nausea and wasn't, building somewhere in the cavity of his chest. His hand was reaching up, he realized, towards Rudy's shoulder, or perhaps his face. He wanted for Rudy to stop crying; he wanted---

He wanted. He wanted...?

No, no, no, no, no.

He wasn't what Rudy wanted. It didn't matter now that his original purpose had been something else. There was some irony in this, that he had finally received the truth of his directive, and found that it was one he could not fulfill.

What could he say?

"No," he said. His features schooled themselves into a smile, his systems beginning to remember themselves and engaging again. There was still so much white noise, but he was smiling. "There's no need to apologize." He rested that hand as gently as he could on Rudy's shoulder, so as not to startle him. He considered closing the distance, but under the circumstances, he didn't know whether that would make things worse. There was precious little consistent information on how to treat emotional distress.

"You are unwell," said the robot. "Would you like something to eat? Or perhaps tea would be better?"
User avatar
crow
Globetrotter
Globetrotter
Pets | Items
Keystones: 3874
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 11:54 AM

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby zapdragon555 » 09/12/2017 9:34 PM

Rudy had somewhat gotten a hold of himself--enough to stop dry-heave sobbing into his hands--while the robot processed everything. Every moment that passed multiplied Rudy's wish for the robot to leave, to not have to see him like this, to not bear the brunt of all the guilt that Rudy needed someone to feel for taking Terrence from him. It wasn't the android's fault. That's why Rudy wanted it to leave.

Even so, the touch to his shoulder gave him pause, and he looked up with red, puffy eyes and a confused expression. The smile put him at some ease--for what reason did he have to assume it was fake? He wasn't sure if this android could even fake a smile. Unless every one of its smiles were fake.

He sniffed and shook his head, lifting his own hand to touch the robot's wrist and gently move it away. "No, that's... that's quite alright. I can get it myself," he suddenly said, unsure of the truth in that statement, but he wanted to try. He was silent for a time, then swallowed and looked back at the robot with a sad, tense smile. "Thank you for taking care of Terrence's garden. But please... don't touch it again."

Rudy stared for a few moments, wondering if he should suggest powering down. He knew there was some sort of killswitch on the thing, but the idea of being alone in that house again... it pushed the thought out of his head. "Other than that, you can go anywhere. I don't care." He said it with a smile, but it was fake, too. He didn't want to see that kind expression on the robot's face, after everything he'd just said to it.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


Pen | New Pen | Breed | Wish | Sales | Art | Imp. | Add-ons

User avatar
zapdragon555
Will Draw For Food
Will Draw For Food
Pets | Items
Keystones: 485
Donate
Joined: 02/24/2009 11:10 PM
Location: "I mean... for me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it...
Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby crow » 09/16/2017 7:52 PM

"Very well," said the robot, still smiling, still gentle. He let his hand be dislodged, and let it come to rest at his side once more. His features gave no indication that he thought anything of Rudy's order to stay away from the garden. There was, perhaps, the barest flicker of something in its eyes--- a slight movement, a wavering, as if it was possibly, minutely, distressed. But it was gone as quickly as it had come, and it would have been easy to think that it had merely been a trick of the light.

He waited, to see if Rudy would give another order, but when Rudy did not, he simply said, "I'll excuse myself then." He turned and walked back to the room he was beginning to consider his own, filled with computers and miscellaneous equipment. It had been a storage room, and still mostly was, except now he also stored himself inside it when he was idle.

It was quiet. He could turn on a computer, and hear it hum, and conduct research to answer his questions. He always had questions, and in lieu of directives or a need for sleep he didn't have, it was how he had passed his time. He went to it out of habit, though he did not sit, and he did not power up the terminal.

He traced his hands across the screen. In its dull, darkened state, he could see himself reflected. Another machine. Could Rudy hear his body humming too? Was that what made him so... inadequate? Was Rudy repulsed--- would they all be repulsed by what he was?

No. He knew it wasn't the answer. He had his answer now, but he could not... He could not think about it. It was strange, that he could feel his thoughts circumventing themselves around it, as if it was a matter of fact that he could not think about it.

But he must. He must--- Who was he? What---?

Whatever had been holding his processes together thus far now splintered again, and he stayed there, frozen, staring. He had no knowledge of how long he remained like that. When he returned to himself again, there was only one thought left to him.

He had to leave.

It was not a logical decision, though he could find logical explanations for it. For example, his presence was causing Rudy distress, and he was serving no purpose here. It was not sufficient grounds; he had no guarantee whatsoever that he would find a better purpose elsewhere, nor guarantee of any measure of protection. It was entirely possible that he would be going to his own destruction if he left this house.

And yet, it was the only clear idea in his mind. In the absence of a directive, he had nothing else to drive him. And Rudy had not forbidden it.

"... you can go anywhere. I don't care."

Rudy had not forbidden it.

Under the cover of night, the robot left. He left quietly, moving through the house in perfect silence. He had been well built for unobtrusiveness, and now he put it to use, closing the door behind him so it made hardly a sound, though Rudy in all likelihood would not have been awake to hear it. The night air greeted him, chill with the first hints of autumn. There was but a handful of stars, most drowned out by the light pollution of a modern city.

The robot picked a direction, and walked.
User avatar
crow
Globetrotter
Globetrotter
Pets | Items
Keystones: 3874
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 11:54 AM

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby zapdragon555 » 11/11/2017 6:53 PM

As soon as the robot had left him, Rudy forced himself into the motions of preparing a simple cup of tea. It would be the first thing he'd properly accomplished that didn't involve wasting away in several weeks. As he watched the kettle, he allowed himself to play back the conversation with the android in his head. Please... don't touch it again. Rudy blinked bleary eyes in thought. Perhaps he thought he'd feel more at peace if the android left the garden alone--no danger, then, of it being transformed, changed into something that Rudy no longer recognized (and the thought was as frightening as Rudy's dulled senses could register). Or, perhaps, it was more of a deeper desire to let the poor garden finally die with its proper caretaker--not kept alive by a machine.

A vision of Terrence hooked up to all of those monitors briefly appeared in his mind, the beeping drowning out the kettle as it began to scream.

Blinking out of it, Rudy poured water into a mug (spilling enough to constitute finding a towel afterwards, which gave him another task to complete, and there was something comforting about the idea of intentionally ruining things to fix them; feigned responsibility, perhaps) and watched the teabag expand with the scalding liquid. The counter to the left of the stove, opposite Rudy, seemed to still be covered with tools from when the android was still in production. They were arranged, now, neatly. It had to be the robot's doing.

Rudy reached over and grabbed a few, letting them fall back down haphazardly with a clatter to re-mess them, then took his mug of half-steeped tea with him down to the lab. At the very least, he could see what damage (or rather, repair) the android had done down there.

He'd ended up falling asleep at Terrence's old desk, which smelled like nothing at all that was familiar. When he woke, it was dark, and his back ached. The house was more silent than it had been in a very long time.

An unexplained anxiety seized him, kicking his dormant heart into overdrive. Leaving his mug of tea, barely touched, Rudy raced back into the main room, which looked so off and so strange in the dark with no clutter to break up the shadows. Everything was fine, surely. Everything. As fine as it could be. As fine as it had been for weeks (not fine), yes, that robot was--

Rudy stared at the storage room, which had been left slightly ajar. He'd seen the robot come out of there before, now and then. The robot. The android. Where on earth was it?

He found himself walking, all over the building, down to the lab again and then up into his bedroom, the closets, restrooms, skirted his hand across Terrance's bedroom door but didn't open it until he'd checked everything else a second time. He opened it to find it exactly as it had been, but more sparse. The bed was there, but whoever had taken Terrence's body--likely the officials overseeing their project, and perhaps Terrence's extended family (he never spoke of them, but Rudy had a mind to figure they existed)--had also taken away the monitors, the medical equipment. It resembled a cold, clean hotel room now, with no sign of personal living in it. The smell lingered. Rudy found himself breathing, just breathing.

His elbow had bumped Terrence's and knocked a screwdriver out of his hand. Apologies had spilled from Rudy's mouth as he'd bent down to grab it, and whacked his forehead on the edge work table. A humorous exclamation from Terrence had been his only warning before his upper body was lifted back up, a warm hand touching his smarting forehead, and kind eyes looking him over, apologetic for laughing. Rudy had tried not to lean into the touch, but he was dizzy from the blunt force trauma and Terrence always smelled so familiar, so nice.

Rudy had laughed, too.


The android was gone. The android they'd built together. The android that, if Rudy had an ounce of belief and hope, might still house some of those precious memories, somewhere deep down inside. The garden, the touches, god, god, was Rudy blind? And if not blind, then surely without reason? And even if not a single memory remained, if it truly was just an unfeeling, artificial being, then damn it, damn it, it was still Rudy and Terrence's creation.

Rudy rushed to the closet in his room, stumbling over himself, and jerked his coat and gloves on. He remembered it had been a particularly chilly autumn, that year. Filled with purpose, but not an ounce of planning, Rudy rushed out into the night with breath billowing in the air, walking towards the town. It was a place to start.



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


Pen | New Pen | Breed | Wish | Sales | Art | Imp. | Add-ons

User avatar
zapdragon555
Will Draw For Food
Will Draw For Food
Pets | Items
Keystones: 485
Donate
Joined: 02/24/2009 11:10 PM
Location: "I mean... for me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it...
Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby crow » 03/11/2018 4:10 AM

The robot walked for a long time. The house that he had parted from was situated in the suburbs, but slowly the quiet streets gave way to busier highways, and the houses gave way to one- and two-storey shops, and those to taller buildings, more closely packed. It was late at night, but here, it was bright with street lights and storefront signs. Some of the buildings were old, their awnings dirty with age, and the streets were dusted with trash.

There were people too, despite the late hour. Some were gathered on corners and in alleyways like so much detritus, seeking whatever shelter they could, huddled beneath filthy blankets and old newspapers for warmth. Others congregated in more animated throngs, drinking and laughing. A few called out to him as he passed, but the robot paid them no mind.

"Hey, pretty boy," said a woman dressed much too scantily for the weather. "Where are you going? Come play with us for a bit." She beckoned to him, but her lips curled into a sneer behind his back when he brushed past her without so much as glancing her way. Murmuring something to her friends, she put on a smile again, sickly sweet as she trotted up and grabbed his arm. "Come on, honey, we'll show you a good time," she cooed.

That caught his attention, and he turned to stare at her. For a moment, her smile widened, eyes narrowing as she leaned into him. She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but couldn't; he shook himself free of her, and she stumbled back, wide-eyed, to fall backwards onto the concrete.

"Hey, you bastard!" Someone--- a man--- lunged out of the shadows, brandishing a knife. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He closed in on the robot, who merely stood there watching him. The man cursed, and swung hard. His fist connected with Terrence's face and he swore again, shaking out his hand and hissing in pain. "Oh yeah, you think you're some kind of hotshot?" said the man, breathing heavily. His other arm wound up, and---

--- the knife sunk into Terrence's arm with a soft schnick.

The man yelped, letting go of it as though he'd been burned, knife clattering to the ground as he did. The robot felt his arm go limp, and turned his gaze dully upon it. The synthetic skin had been cut open, laying bare the ruined wires and metallic supports beneath. There was no blood, though some of the wires sputtered with sparks.

One of the women began to scream.

"Shit. What the fuck is that?" said another man, running up to kneel next to the first. But the robot didn't care for their chatter. He was already turning back to the road ahead, resuming his walk. His legs, after all, were not impaired. The second man leaped up as he did, grabbing his shoulder hard. "What the fuck did you do to Mikey?" he snarled.

As the robot looked at him uncomprehendingly, a third man walked out of the shadows. This one was more finely dressed than the others, and approached with a calm, almost detached air. The woman stopped screaming as he approached. "Down, boys," he said to the other two. The one who had seized the robot frowned, but he released his grip with a scowl. The well-dressed man approached the robot, sizing him up with a considering look. "Hmm. And who might you be?" he said, his gaze lingering on the cut on the robot's arm.

"Damned bastard won't talk," muttered one of the other men.

"That's fine. No, I think I know exactly who this is," said the well-dressed man. "Layla. You have a taser, don't you?"

The woman who had been knocked to the ground stared at him dumbly for a moment, then began rummaging around her purse. "It's right here, boss," she said, stumbling to her feet and placing an object into his waiting hand.

The man smiled. "Good," he said. "Now, won't you be a good boy, and..." He closed the distance between himself and the robot, who watched his approach without moving.

The man jammed the object into his neck. The robot's eyes widened as his body seized up, then slumped unconscious onto the man, who threw him onto the ground and dusted off his hands. "Load it into the car," he said. "I know someone who's going to be very happy to see this."
User avatar
crow
Globetrotter
Globetrotter
Pets | Items
Keystones: 3874
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 11:54 AM

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby crow » 03/11/2018 4:51 AM

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

The sound of a monitor filtered in through the haze. The smell of disinfectant filled the air. Familiar things. Just as the pain was familiar--- the dull, persistent ache of it in his chest. His arm was cold, and he knew without having to feel for it that the IV was there, dripping chill into his veins. He took a deep breath just to test it, like a child probing at their stitches.

He broke out into a fit of coughing, which only petered out because he was too weak to sustain the effort. He slumped back into the pillows with a sigh, slowly opening his eyes.

The white of a hospital room greeted him. Not his home, then. Had he worsened--- had Rudy brought him here?

Image


"Mr Wu," said a voice at the foot of his bed. He looked up. Observing him was a man in the white of a doctor's coat. His slicked-back hair was dark with just a hint of grey, and his eyes were a cold blue, the lines around his mouth stern. That mouth drew up into a thin smile as their gazes met. "A pleasure," he said, "though I suppose you may not feel the same way. I'm a fan of your work. It is a pity we couldn't meet under better circumstances."

Terrence blinked. This didn't feel right. Why did he remember...? Where was Rudy? His head felt so strange.

"Where am I?" he said. His voice came out a rasp. He struggled to sit up, but the doctor moved to his side and pushed down his chest with one long-fingered hand.

"No, please. Allow me." The doctor pressed a button on the bed, which tilted so Terrence could enjoy a sitting position. "There, is that better? Shall I adjust it?" When he received no reply, the doctor smiled again. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Doctor Ronan... with the Purine medical staff."

Purine. He drew a sharp breath at the word, and coughed again.

"Please, do not alarm yourself," said the doctor--- Ronan. "Terrence--- may I call you Terrence? Some time ago, you took in one of our former medics after a particularly traumatic incident... A most unfortunate turn of events. I heard he was a promising man, but the war was over, and the psychological evaluation recommended he be occupied by something that wouldn't remind him of it." Ronan eyed the monitor, frowning as he made a few adjustments, before continuing. "We were monitoring him... Just a precaution, you see, to make sure he didn't become unstable and pose a danger to the public."

A danger to the public, or to your interests? Terrence didn't say. He was tired--- so tired, but he had the sense that this wasn't the time. He had to focus. Rudy was still nowhere in sight, and he had a feeling he wasn't going to like where this was going.

"I assure you, we did our best to respect your privacy as well as we could within the scope of our duty. However, we couldn't help but take an interest in your... projects," the doctor said. "We've been trying to contact you, but I'm afraid your assistant has been most uncooperative. And there was, of course, the unfortunate matter of your deteriorating health."

As if to drive the point home, Terrence felt a surge of pain shoot through his chest. His hands trembled as he brought them to clutch feebly at himself, his breaths shallow and wheezing. "Yes... it really is a shame," said the doctor, watching him struggle. "But you know, this can be forestalled. It hasn't been approved for public use, but war medicine is truly an amazing field of research. We are working on the cutting edge... Just as you are."

"What do you want?" said Terrence.

The doctor smiled. It was a mirthless expression, devoid of warmth, which did not so much as reach his eyes. "We would like you to cooperate with us. We don't expect your help for free, of course. In exchange, we can devote the best of our medical staff to assisting you in your recovery---"

"No."

Terrence's voice was quiet, but it was enough. The doctor went silent, and the only sound left in the room was the rhythmic beeping of the monitor. Slowly, the smile faded from the doctor's face. His hands came to rest in his lap, atop the clipboard, fingers laced together.

"Very well," said Doctor Ronan. "If you do not wish to cooperate... other measures may be arranged." He pressed something on the monitor, and another lance of pain shot through Terrence's chest, leaving him wide-eyed and gasping. "It is a pity that you've no surviving family... But I trust that Rudy will be joining us very soon. Perhaps he can convince you to change your mind."
User avatar
crow
Globetrotter
Globetrotter
Pets | Items
Keystones: 3874
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 11:54 AM

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/12/2018 2:22 AM

As he walked away from the suburban neighborhood and towards the tall, lit buildings ahead, Rudy's thoughts filled with a determined, adrenaline-filled regret. Such delicate technology, a limited battery (large reserves or not, it would run out eventually), fuck, Terrence's mind... He'd let it all walk out the door.

Rudy wasn't sure what had drawn him towards the city. Perhaps it was the lights, the sound of civilization. Where would an android go, but towards light, towards sound? It was better than wandering the wooded outskirts of the neighborhood all night in the cold, checking inside of every hollowed out tree and under every brush of briars. Besides, the dangers of wandering the city were higher than those of the woods. If all else failed, Rudy would return and look there, as well.

As it turned out, he didn't have to. On the outskirts of the city, a seedier part of it than most, he heard the sound of a scream. A woman. His first instinct, shameful as it was, was to keep walking at a much faster pace. He wanted no part of a fight, tonight, couldn't play the hero even if he wanted to. He had to find the android. He had to find... Terrence. He supposed the robot's name was Terrence.

He kept walking, praying the direction he'd picked wasn't the one of the scream. He couldn't be stalled. He hoped that woman was okay but he couldn't be stalled any longer. He had to get to some kind of police station, maybe--put in a missing person's report, yes, perhaps that would work. He started to veer in the direction that he vaguely recalled was the station, when the sound of a taser crackling through the air made him jolt in fear. He ran, keeping his collar high and face low.

The scene he stumbled on nearly made him gasp out loud, but he clapped a hand over his mouth before he could utter any sound, half hiding behind a thick lamp post as he watched a group of people slide Terrence's limp body into the trunk of a car.

Rudy usually kept a small derringer in the drawer by his bedside table. Why he didn't bring it with him was beyond him.

He peeled away, flagging down a taxi on the street and trying desperately to look casual about it. He slipped inside and stared hard at the car as it started up, watched it begin to roll away. "I need you to follow that car at a safe distance," he said quietly to the driver, who looked a bit alarmed.

"I-I don't want any trouble--" the cab driver started to say, and Rudy fished into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He dug out the cards and identification, then threw the whole wallet into the wide-eyed driver's lap.

"Drive."



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


Pen | New Pen | Breed | Wish | Sales | Art | Imp. | Add-ons

User avatar
zapdragon555
Will Draw For Food
Will Draw For Food
Pets | Items
Keystones: 485
Donate
Joined: 02/24/2009 11:10 PM
Location: "I mean... for me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it...
Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/12/2018 3:07 AM

The drive was somehow even more tense than the walk, with nothing but the other car's distant red taillights far up ahead. Rudy kept his eyes on it like a hawk--he was positive he'd memorized the license plate by now--and kept mentally repeating the string of numbers in his head as he tried to keep his stomach under control. His body was weak from weeks of malnourishment, of self neglect, with nothing but adrenaline and that morning's coffee to surge through his veins. Even so, the scenery, growing sparser and sparser, whizzed by at sickening speed. By then the cab driver had figured out that this was something important. Rudy wished he still had his old Purine badge, so he could trust that this man wouldn't go back on his word at the last moment and slow down, drop him off in the middle of nowhere.

That is, indeed, what had to happen, though. As the sun began to rise, bathing the strange scrubland landscape in half-light, Rudy watched the car roll to a stop. It was small in the distance, visible enough now that it wasn't pitch dark outside. But suddenly, a large hatch seemed to open from the sand, a few people running out to guide the car inside. Rudy only caught a few seconds of the car seeming to descend slowly, as if on some kind of elevator, before the hatch closed over it.

"Fuckin' nuts, man... what the hell is this?" the cab driver muttered, rubbing at his forehead nervously as he watched Rudy open the door. "Ey! Hey, just... don't die, okay? I dunno what this is, but it looks dangerous, so don't... bah, why do I care... why do I..."

Rudy closed the door behind him with a thump and gave a small wave to the driver as he started running, keeping to the vegetation surrounding the odd dirt highway and clearing. Whatever and wherever this was, it was purposefully hidden. And Terrence was in there, now. Rudy grit his teeth and got as close to the hatch as he dared--meters away, crouched among the brush--and waited. A car went in, so things had to come out. He'd wait for his moment...

It came sooner than he expected.



Doctor Ronan's foreshadowing was punctuated mere seconds later when the door to the hospital room was flung open. It wasn't a hospital room at all. Outside was bare hallway, unfeeling metal leading to doors that Rudy had been opening and closing, panic rising in his throat, knowing he'd surely be caught soon, someone would find him and kill him. The Purine insignia on a few of the vehicles he'd passed in an indoor garage had clued him in. Execution was a viable option for him, now. This might count as treason, breaking and entering, previous status as a Purine medic be damned. He was of no use to them, now--they'd kill him without a second thought, this time, they would, they would--

His thoughts had been interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice gasping out in pain. Rudy had rushed forward, flung the door wide open to stare in stunned silence at the robot strapped to the bed, at the doctor, at the brilliantly convincing room that looked identical to a hospital room, as though the facility outside were nothing but a nightmarish fever dream.

"W-who are you," Rudy's voice came out strangled and fearful as he stared at the doctor, betraying his failing adrenaline. "And why... did you kidnap Terrence?"



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


Pen | New Pen | Breed | Wish | Sales | Art | Imp. | Add-ons

User avatar
zapdragon555
Will Draw For Food
Will Draw For Food
Pets | Items
Keystones: 485
Donate
Joined: 02/24/2009 11:10 PM
Location: "I mean... for me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it...
Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby crow » 03/22/2018 2:35 AM

The doctor turned sharply when the door was flung open, and Terrence could see his face contort with something like the beginnings of a scowl before another surge of pain consumed him. Helplessly, he surrendered himself to yet another coughing fit, the ache white hot in his chest. His vision blurred, even as he forced himself to try and focus. Something was happening, something important. Why must his body be so...

"Rudy?"

The room came into focus again, slowly, but he recognized the voice before he could make out anything of Rudy's features. "What are you..." He had been about to ask Rudy where they were, and what they were doing here, but he fell silent as he registered the word 'kidnap'. A chill ran down his spine. Why couldn't he remember anything?

Doctor Ronan had recovered himself, though he was standing now, and no longer even pretending to smile. "Ah, yes," he said. "It seems our visitor has come to us a little earlier than anticipated." As he spoke, two men poured in through the door that Rudy had come through, dressed in fatigues and wielding guns. "Hello, Rudy," said the doctor. "We haven't personally met, but I've heard a great deal about you. I trust you've been well."

The men moved in to seize Rudy. "No," Terrence gasped, trying to get up, but with a cold glare, Doctor Ronan shoved him back into the bed. Before Terrence could do anything else, the doctor pressed something on the monitor, and Terrence let out a horrible, strangled scream. His body wracked with pain, but this time it didn't subside--- it went on and on, until his voice was raw with it, and he was helpless to do anything but convulse on the bed.
User avatar
crow
Globetrotter
Globetrotter
Pets | Items
Keystones: 3874
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 11:54 AM

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby zapdragon555 » 03/23/2018 1:47 AM

Something in Rudy's expression changed when Terrence responded, spoke his name. He felt something twist in his chest, the weakness in his bones chased out by relief to see that he was alive, and in once piece. But that coughing, and all those wires... Rudy itched to go closer, to remove those, to help the robot--no, to help Terrence not feel so uncomfortable. It looked dreadful, all of it.

He steeled himself as Ronan stood, his expression hardening, on guard. His eyes narrowed, distrust in his eyes, trying to move further into the room. He froze at footsteps outside and stared, hollowly, ahead, as they stopped behind him. "Well enough," he muttered, quiet, unsure how this man knew of him. Some Purine official. What business did they have with him, or Terrence, or anything that had been made between them?

He thought about bolting for the bed, tearing Terrence out of those wires and running as fast and far as he could. It was a stupid idea, but the panic in his throat was becoming too much to bear. The guards' silence told him that they probably had weapons--trained on him.

Then they moved. Rudy snarled something feral as he was grabbed, desperately trying to wrench himself away from their hold. Through dark bangs Rudy's eyes flashed back to Terrence, the scream that ripped through the air cutting through his panic and exposing raw, adrenal resolve. He screamed and whirled around, a fist colliding hard with the jugular of one guard, Rudy's heel slamming mercilessly into the other guard's foot and kneecap again and again. Old sensibilities, instilled instincts from the war, flowed back into him in a rush of stupid bravery as he grabbed that guard's gun and twisted it out of the man's hands. In a flash the butt of the gun cracked against that man's face, and Rudy tried to stumble away before the conscious guard could retaliate, nose bloody, but didn't quite make it.

The gunless guard, instead of taking the unconscious guard's gun, grabbed the barrel and pointed it ceiling-ward. Rudy shouted in surprise, ducking away from what he thought was a punch, but instead the guard's hand came down hard on his throat and squeezed. Rudy choked, clinging to the gun, Terrence's screaming ripping gashes in his heart as he fought for control over the weapon, over his own breathing. It was all starting to blend into one sound, the red blood on the guard's face far too bright and fluorescent against Rudy's heightened senses.

One hand ripped away from the gun to claw at the guard's hand on his neck, finally managing to bring a knee up to try to connect it with something soft. He hit the guard in the stomach instead, but it was enough to make the man stumble backwards. Rudy held the gun up, breathing fast and hard, aiming straight for the guard's chest. The guard froze and held his hands up for a moment, eyes wide, until Rudy barely lowered the gun. The fight was starting to drain out of him. God... god, they needed to stop hurting Terrence. What the hell were they doing to him? What were they--

The guard moved, lightning quick, to grab the gun of the unconscious guard. Rudy's fingers moved before his mind could keep up.

The gunshot was so quiet, muffled by the silencer, that it didn't quite feel real when the guard dropped heavy onto the other guard's body, red staining the back of his fatigues where he'd been shot in the back. Rudy's breathing had dropped to a weak wheeze, his throat screaming from the fingers that had dug bruises into it. But he found it in himself to turn, and aim the gun towards Ronan, his eyes hard with hatred. "Turn it off," he hissed, legs shaking as he tried not to think about the man he'd just murdered. "Turn it off! You're hurting him!"



But there will come a time
You'll see, with no more tears
And love will not break your heart
But dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see
What you find there
With grace in your heart
And flowers in your hair



"Tomorrow will be a good day."


Pen | New Pen | Breed | Wish | Sales | Art | Imp. | Add-ons

User avatar
zapdragon555
Will Draw For Food
Will Draw For Food
Pets | Items
Keystones: 485
Donate
Joined: 02/24/2009 11:10 PM
Location: "I mean... for me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it...
Status: I love you, and... and you don't pay me."

Re: Unbreak My Heart New [L; crow and I]

Postby crow » 05/30/2018 1:15 AM

Ronan watched the carnage unfold in front of him with an impassive expression, hardly moving from where he stood. It was only when Rudy trained the gun on him that he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "As you wish," he said, slowly lowering one hand to flip off the switch on the machine attached to Terrence. His expression betrayed nothing--- no fear, no concern.

As soon as the switch was flipped, Terrence went slack on the bed, curling up with a muffled groan. The pain had stopped, but it felt like it was reverberating around his body, fizzing through his veins. He tried to think, but everything slipped away from him. Rudy... Rudy was here. Where was...? Gods, everything hurt so much.
User avatar
crow
Globetrotter
Globetrotter
Pets | Items
Keystones: 3874
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 11:54 AM

PreviousNext

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests


cron