D: October 31 2178 - Tumblr Posts

cvairo:

date & time : october 31st, 8:20pm  location : masquerade ball; ballroom   status : with @curiouscalculations

Once, Cairo would have taken to the ballroom floor and danced until her shoes felt every inch of the polished floor. She would have dressed in flowers — warm, approachable colors that brought out the roses in her cheeks — and smiled and drunken red wine late into the night. This, after all, was the way of her people. Seen and heard, glittering and loud, because they had wealth to boast and a lot to say. But Cairo was changed, and a little bit off. She could still fit in with these people, lithe and deceptively powerful, like a bouquet of fireplace matches in a neat, glass bottle. But she attracted a different kind of attention now, and Cairo could only take so many blue-blooded Synthetics sharing glances with her, smiling knowingly as if to say: we’re better than them all. 

And so, Cairo did nothing to disguise the raging tempest behind in her eyes. She was black hole incarnate and it wasn’t safe to stare. Her dress full of stars was no longer charming, but horribly intimidating, like the feeling of gazing into the mouth of the cosmic unknown. Wisely, people turned away, and Cairo was left on her own to survey the throng of dancers and drinkers, all herded into one extravagant cage where their hands and bodies came together in stupid bliss. She was only waiting to leave. 

Her gaze stopped suddenly on a pair of outlandishly decorated synthetics, thin-bodied, purple-eyed, and tall. They were talking very quickly amongst themselves and prodding the Concord’s young android with nosey fingers that Cairo suddenly fantasized ripping from their sockets. One of them grabbed DATA’s arm painfully and lifted it to show their companion the mechanism of his elbow. “It’s so fluid,” she heard them say. “I’ve never seen such an efficient joint system, notice its rotation.” 

Cairo was upon them in an instant. “Fascinating,” she said, “How exciting it can be to play with things that don’t belong to you.”

Their eyes met hers sheepishly, and DATA was released. They didn’t deserve her thanks, so she offered them none, only nodded and ushered Theon’s pet to her side before walking away. At a safe distance, she spoke to DATA. This time her voice was soft. “Don’t feel as though you have to please strangers, alright? You’re made for more important things than that.” 

It unnerved him to be surrounded by so many strangers.

Separated from the comfort of his creator and the reassuring presence of a close friend, both distracted by various patrons attending the party – DATA was left on his own. In a sea of strangers whose only credibility was tied to that of the Benefactor, being alone was the last thing the android wished to be. However, he did not want to bother Theon with his uneasy, and Eretria was no doubt off to find the fellow crewmember that had stolen her affection – a scene his presence would be unwelcome in. Still unfamiliar with independence, DATA did his best to blend in with the crowd. When people sent skeptical gazes and curious glances his way, he met them with a learned smile filled with polite friendliness. It did not take long for one of those he had made awkward eye contact with to approach him, a woman trailing in the wake of a confident gate of a synthetic man. Panic shot through his frame, but DATA could not find the courage to move under the watchful gaze of the decorated synthetics approaching him.

“My, my, my,” the woman said, her gaze roving over his tense form. “He really wasn’t lying when he said you looked so… organic. Not something you typically expect from an android made in a shut-in’s basement.”

Confusion overtook his expression at the stranger’s intimate knowledge of his creation. What had the Benefactor told them – and how did he know such information in the first place? Before he could voice any inquiries or attempt an introduction, their cold hands were prodding his form. Unwilling to cause a commotion with his own discomfort, DATA allowed them to maneuver his limbs as they gleefully awed over the pristine condition he appeared to be in.

“It’s so fluid,” the man exclaimed as he lifted DATA’s arm to demonstrate the elbow joint Theon had only repaired days ago. A painful wince brought clenched teeth and a sharp glare over his features. Quickly swallowing the sour expression under the persuasion of an unwillingness to appear rude, DATA allowed the pair to bend his arm in various directions as their excitement grew. “I’ve never seen such an efficient joint system, notice its rotation.”

Before the synthetics could continue their invasion, a savior in the form of the ship’s cook appeared. He fled to her like a lost child, eager for the comfort and safety of her strong embrace. Unable to look back at the grumbling pair with anything short of shame, DATA simply shifted closer to Cairo and allowed her to lead him away from the still growing crowd inhabiting the ballroom. Although he refused to meet her eyes – too ashamed at his own helplessness – DATA nodded along with her words.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I didn’t – I don’t understand these people.”

date & time : october 31st, 9:05pm location : masquerade ball, multiple rooms  status : closed @augustustullett

DATA would admit that, in hindsight, it was unwise to allow Cat to leave the ship. Despite the careful calculations that allowed for him to assess the unwise risk that accompanied taking an animal off of the Concord without the preliminary consideration for some type of leash or harness, DATA had taken one look at the lonely eyes of a guest uninvited to the ball and quickly scooped up Cat. Hidden beneath the bulky coat he had no need to wear, DATA had smuggled the cat back to Theon’s apartment and now to the masquerade ball.

Unable to keep Cat quiet as the animal fidgeted with frustration at being confined to the small space shielded by his jacket, DATA fled to the bathrooms at his first opportunity of independence. Anxious to allow Cat the freedom the animal so desperately desired, DATA didn’t both locking the door before allowing the cat to drop to the floor.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, reaching out his hand to give Cat a forgiving pat. Still growling with something akin to anger, Cat ducked away from his touch and quickly skittered toward the door. A low sigh left his lips as DATA slowly moved toward the animal again; but before he could reach down to scoop Cat up into the safety of his arms, the heavy wooden door slid open with the entrance of the party’s many patrons.

Cat didn’t waste a moment, darting through the closing door to escape to the ballroom. Panic shot through his form as DATA lunged for the animal. Wide eyes and desperate hands, however, were blocked by the suit-clad legs of the stranger still standing in his way. “Move! Move! Move!” he yelled up at the man, only recognizing after he had shouted that the masked face staring down at him was one that held the familiarity of a crewmember. "Gus, Cat escaped."

alyxwen:

theonwyndham:

LOCATION: a room - basement DATE: october 31st, 10:15PM WITH: @curiouscalculations & @alyxwen

Alyx found them, both Data and Theon, in a hidden corner, lips dangerousely close. Theon moved away first, slowly letting his hand go of Data’s arms. Blaming his previous alcohol consumption, once again, too close to the edge. The look on urgency on their friend’s face made the adrenaline rush clear some of the buzz going on in his head. That meant she had what was needed to access the door, probably.

They all got the information a few minutes later, Theon watching as the map in his armlet updated, a little red dot flashing. It came with hearing confirmation from Cosima. He wondered if the security was disabled, but left that to the expert hacker. If he had to evaluate her in regards of her performance in the last mission, the engineer did not have any difficulty admitting she was the best at what she did. If he had not known her previous actions to wield such destruction, Theon would have considered her an artist. But enough of that. They needed to focus on the task at hand, which was to get in and investigate the content of that secret door.

Next thing he knew, everything was pitch black.

Door locked behind them. No way out, no way in. Only the smell, pungent in every way, coming through the cloth plastered on their face let them really know where they were. Down the staircase that seemed to never end, the smell was even more horrifying. The muffled sounds of screaming above their heads let them know they needed to act fast. They were not the only ones needing to deal with the sudden death of lights. Theon was suddenly remembered of those moments when younger, visiting the museum. All those security alarms, the darkness that could enveloped all the place if one misstep was made. It was probably a similar procedure, but instead of a room, it was the whole manor. Turning his head to Data, his hand touching lightly the android’s hands. “You need to find the switch. They’ll know we’re here.” It was a simple trick, all lights going out everywhere, including upstairs, meant that the owner would know something was up. If they had more than one room like this one (he hoped not), hopefully the intruders wouldn’t be found too easily.

Making sure that Alyx was still close to him, the last thing he wanted was a repeat of the previous mission, for both his companions, he made his way tentatively. Even their armlets did not seem to be enough to light some kind of path. They needed to get the lights up as soon as possible.

Though her task was urgent, Alyx had to hide an immediate smile at the dazed, soft look on Theon’s face as she joined him and DATA. It was undoubtedly irresponsible to become overly intoxicated during a mission, but she trusted him to be safe, and it gave her joy to see him carefree – a change from his usually worried self. “Orion,” and here she blushes softest pink, only hints of it showing beneath a mask that she is very grateful for at the moment, “gave me the DNA. You have the voice, I believe?” 

The group moves quickly into the room, unlocked thanks to what the other groups had collected and Cosima’s expertise. Speed was of the essence, and Alyx was truly happy to be paired with those she worked extremely well with. There would be no squabbles over minutiae with Theon and DATA, only a cohesive accomplishment of what they sought to do.  ( It would be different if she were paired with, say, Seneca or Fox, both of whose perspectives differed greatly from her own. ) As the door closed behind them, the lights flickered once, before shutting off, leaving the trio in total darkness. It swallowed them up, and as Alyx took a single, deep breath to combat the claustrophobia that threatened, she became aware of a vile smell all around them. It was familiar, sickly sweet but rotten, and though she was immediately put in mind of a species of flying creature who fermented their meat before eating it, it nauseated her, the close and air-tight quarters making the smell much more vivid than it had been in a wide cave. And there remained the concern of its origin – as obviously no batwing kiros lived inside this mansion. Deal with the problem at hand, she thought to herself.

Nodding at Theon’s suggestion, and following his train of thought, she tapped out a message to Raven, letting her know of the cause of darkness. Stepping forward gingerly, silver boots brushed against something on the floor, something that squishes rather unpleasantly, and she shudders. “DATA – listen for any humming noises, something electronic like a control pad. There has to be some way to turn the lights back on if this is intended as a trap.”

@curiouscalculations

A drunken smile, stumbling footsteps, and the slightest swaying posture were gestures DATA never thought he would find himself of the receiving end of from his creator. But he knew it couldn’t last. Their moment of peace, only awarded in the absence of everyone else, was quickly shattered by the approaching form of their fellow crewmember. Bearing news of a mission DATA would rather forget if not for the urgency it required, DATA watched as she delivered the items needed to continue with the task at hand.

DATA allowed himself to be led through the motions of opening the door and shepherded into the room, taking note of the various lock mechanisms that littered both the hinges and the frame of the door. Whatever was placed under the security of the cold metal door and the cramped concrete walls was not to be disturbed by curiosity. Calculating eyes watched the heavy metal swing shut when suddenly the lights began to flicker before plunging them into complete blackness. Darkness, for DATA, had never been a hindrance. His vision adjusted accordingly with an ease evolution had never granted humans. He watched as Theon reached for his hand, moving his own to meet his creator halfway.

Looking around the room, DATA ignore the vile smell and graphic image of decaying bodies tinged green in the darkness of his night vision. They could not be helped now as any semblance of life would have left them long before the crew’s arrival, and so they could not call for any of their concern. Instead, he searched for the power source or any type of switch that could be engaged in order to return the mansion to its previous well-lit glory.

“This way,” he ordered, slowly leading the group through the maze of decaying flesh and broken bones. Without blueprints or plans of the mansion’s design, DATA would be forced to follow the suggestion Alyx provided and listen for the familiar hum of electricity.

The further they ventured into the room, the more suffocating the mixed scent of death and decay became.  DATA had the ability to hold his breath with little consequence; however, the other two would not be so lucky. Turning around to assess their wellbeing, DATA allowed his fingers to move up the soft flesh of Theon’s arm with the soft touches of concern. “If either of you is made unwell by the scent, I can continue alone.”  

ervtreia:

date & time: au! matrix with: @curiouscalculations where: somewhere in open space

Stars peer from the window, the vastness of the sky jumping out in front of them – where there was once static, there is now clearless. Eliana tightens her grip on the controls, ready to fight or flight should they encounter enemy forces, but with no one on sight, she lets go. There is no one, nothing around. It’s just her, the stars and the planet below them.

And, of course, DATA. “We’re clear.” She speaks to the microphone and sets the ship on auto-pilot, a piece of metal looming in the open. Finally, she leaves the control room and walks to meet her Android, the only company she can rely on when she’s this far away from home and land. And yet, he is just an Android, no matter how much she sometimes forgets it, no matter how much she wishes that was not all he was.

“Do you have the mission plans?” She looks him in the eye, partially as an habit, partially to see if the hue of his synthetic eyes changed at all since last time, before dismissing that thought altogether. If there was something there, it was out of reach, at least for now, and now wasn’t the time to dive into philosophical debates. They had a mission to do. “Let’s go over them one more time.”

DATA rested in the space provided, his empty gaze consumed by a continuous analysis of the ship’s functions. Vulnerable in the vastness of the stars with only two members manning a ship advanced enough to be considered still functioning by the military, DATA knew that numerous threats loomed beyond their sights.

A voice, familiar in its designation assigned to his frequent partner Eliana, rang over the speakers. He paid no mind to her interruption, choosing instead to maintain the blank composure of his default settings when preoccupied with a task only he could see in his code. It was not until she physically approached him that he was forced to bring some form of alertness to his previously blank eyes.

He nodded as an answer to her inquiry. This mission was not complex in nature; in fact, DATA would dare to classify the directions as simple if he was awarded the ability to do so. They were to approach a planet Wrotham had yet to obtain diplomacy with and retrieve a sample of a chemical element that thrived in excess beneath the planet’s surface. Such an element, experts within various research departments had touted, would allow the government to enhance their efficiency in the building of their weapons. DATA did not concern himself with the government’s intention for the mission, only the orders that commanded him to complete it.

“The planet’s coordinates have already been sent to the control room,” he said, his voice empty of any emotion concerning their mission. “Defenses of the target planet remain unknown; but we are not to alert the local planetary authorities to our arrival, classifying this mission as covert. Upon arrival, we are to locate the mines housing the target element.”

“The chemical we aim to extract has not yet been classified by the government. They require you, a hybrid, wear the required safety gear when extracting the new element.” His gaze danced over the various suits lining the wall of the ship; some with the intention of war and some with the intention of safety – this mission would only require the former if everything went according to plan.