R1 DEADLAND

[lockdownmods]

[it’s strange, for the people who were already dead, the shift in scenery is sudden and complete. For those who have just arrived? It’s like you’re back where you left?

How strange.

But if you ever need her, you can always reach out to the guardian of this place.]

LOCATIONS
Note: locations lag a week behind the living counterparts

Comments

[donotlick]

[ Kid he doesn't recognize. Hm..... ]

Nah. Just a general "what the fuck" for waking up after my death, actually.

[supportrole]

I'm not too picky, I'm fine with just sandwiches or whatever.

[ Though it's not like he won't be appreciative if you want to do something more complicated! Since that's not... really cooking.

Hm, actually... ]

I haven't had a crepe in a while, though.

[preconstruction]

Their official line is that the loss of memory has to do with the technology they used to bring us here.

[ but the way he says it, it's clear hes not really buying it 100% ]

The motives are another issue altogether. The things they did -- the hallucinations, taking feeling -- I don't know how that's possible.

[starswink]

[Yoosung doesn't buy it either, so he sighs at that.]

I'm not just talking about the losses. In the entrance exam, they dredged up some of our worst memories and made us relive them all day and night...

It just seems like all of that is more possible if they already had some kind of heavy control over our brains. If that's true, you could simulate loss of senses and feelings by just telling the brain to ignore those signals.

[preconstruction]

[ connor can definitely feel that -- it's not surprising necessarily but it's hard to know what to do with it. he doesn't want to embarrass hank by pointing out the love he feels. maybe it didn't have to be complicated. maybe things could stay as they were, different kinds of love for different people. because the truth was, connor loved hank too. not in the way he loves han, maybe, but he shares the way he'd told rebecca that hank was his home. the way he's told her just how much he cared about hank after he'd found him dead.

he may be learning human emotions, but surely that was a kind of love too, wasn't it? ]

Thank you, for sharing with me.

[supportrole]

[ Standing a little awkwardly with his own pen and notebook... ]

So these meetings were a thing you guys did?

[ In the showers, apparently...? ]

[preconstruction]

[ connor nods. ]

That would be a way to explain it. It's not an area I have much expertise in. [ obviously ] I do know that my code was fundamentally altered. They brought a doctor to "look at" the issues with the memory, but Han and I inspected my code together. The strange part was that it looked like the memory loss was set to cycle out. I think that suggests that you're correct that it's intentional. Why create such a deliberate mechanism if it wasn't?

[starswink]

[Well a burger is a sandwich so this is turning out to be a pretty simple meal schedule...

...And then he says a crepe which is somehow the fanciest thing anyone's requested so far. Fortunately, Yoosung looks a little cheerier just at the suggestion - making things he's never tried before is actually the most fun for him!]

Oh, I'd love to try making that! Crepes are so good... there can be so many types though, do you like savory or sweet kind?

[preconstruction]

Yes. They had varying degrees of usefulness -- someone in the group is a spy.

[ but either a) that person isnt dead or b) connor is out of fucks to give so he's kind of over it. ]

Between that and the constant surveillance, it made it hard to adequately exchange information.

[ also hi theyve never met so he's going to introduce himself like a good robot -- altho he probably should have done that first: ]

I'm Connor, by the way. You must be one of the students from the entrance exam...?

[donotlick]

[ Hank can't help it, the way he feels about Connor is more than just the crush he'd already admitted to. It's warm and accepting, boundless if only because it's everything he has, and every reason he had for getting better. It makes Hank's heart swell, to feel just how Connor feels about him too. It's definitely strange, feeling Connor's feeling, catching glimpses of memories and words. The emotions in those thoughts and memories make Hank tear up a bit -- certainly he's never been anyone's home before. For all that Hank knows he and Connor are partners and what that means, feeling the depth of his love for him is enough for his eyes to get glassy, tears of gratitude threatening to come through. Look, Hank's bad at feelings on a good day, it's gonna take him a while to get used to this emotion-sharing thing. He just doesn't really know what to do with someone caring about him this much.

It doesn't have to be anything more than this. If this is what love feels like, then just knowing Connor cares about him so much is enough. ]

I, uh... yeah. Thanks for... thanks for showing me how.

[ Please don't call him out, he's crying!! ]

[preconstruction]

I could repair the part even without it. I have working knowledge of the proper mechanics. But I do get the sense Vivienne wouldn't be too pleased if we just hacked our way out of her system. And given that Eve can tamper with my code...

[ oh did he forget to mention that she did that. ]

[preconstruction]

It's okay.

[ he doesn't let go of where they're holding hands, but he does reach over to wipe away some of hank's tears. ]

I can stop if it's too much.

[donotlick]

Wait, she can do what?

[ What the fuck!! ]

Fuck, I knew I didn't like that chick. She's just as bad as her so-called "mom."

[preconstruction]

[ he hums, FULL OF SALT ]

She removed a program Han and I installed. She "couldn't handle it." I'm surprised she can handle my data at all, that being the case.

[ hello have i told you today that connor is cyberlife's --- yeah, yeah, we get it. ]

[starswink]

[Yoosung hadn't been alive for any of the cycling out of memories. It all just hit him like a devastating tsunami when he came to being in this world. So hearing that just makes him laugh sadly.]

You see? [He taps his head.] Just like clockwork. AI or human... there was never a difference between the two in this place.

[preconstruction]

I can understand why that would be alarming to you.

[supportrole]

[ :(

...He doesn't have a lot to contribute here, but he'll move over a little closer. ]

[donotlick]

[ Hank shakes his head and squeezes Connor's hand. Yeah, it's overwhelming. But in a good way. The best way. ]

I think I... I can handle this for a little bit longer.

[ He manages a smile, looking right at Connor. ]

I want to. It's just you.

[ "Just" Connor. Like Connor isn't the best thing in his life. Mmmhmm. ]

[donotlick]

[ Hank scoffs. Needless to say, he agrees. ]

Well, that's fucking stupid. Shouldn't AIs, I dunno, adapt?

[starswink]

[Yoosung goes silent for a moment.]

I think the worst thing is it's actually not.

I just don't like being lied to. I don't know. I'm tired...

[preconstruction]

Alright.

[ he smiles too. this is really nice, actually. he doesn't remember ever interfacing with someone for a nice reason. ]

[preconstruction]

You would think so.

[supportrole]

Well, that's fair. Sounds like you've actually got a pretty good handle on the situation, at least.

[ ... ]

Which one were you?

[ Up until now, each case has brought someone he knew as the victim and someone unfamiliar as the culprit. He doesn't recognize either of the people who showed up here this time. ]

[preconstruction]

I don't like it either. It is...

[ hm robots can't be tired but at the same time... ]

It is very tiring.

[donotlick]

Well, that's fucking stupid. Maybe we oughta be asking Han to run this place, if Vivienne can't get her code to work with his.

[ Yeah, Cyberlife's code has to be way better. ]