RuneScape Forum Archive | Collaboration

Azi Demonica

Posts: 5,600 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Aisa

Voices in one’s head often were symptoms of schizophrenia, but some voices were not caused by ordinary means. Though, everything becomes ordinary with time, something many just get used to. Training as an officer meant resistance to annoying reporters, but officers protected information, too.

People of science and reason follow evidence, and despite co-worker’s attempts to help medicate her as much as they wanted her on active duty, Aisa did not touch those bottles. Perhaps belief and faith were the best medicine? With fewer and fewer believers in the world, maybe God could listen better? Maybe the loudest voices at church was God calling?

Despite the voices briefly amplifying, her first day of work seemed straightforward. Contrary to how much she went through, Aisa was eager, untroubled unlike her two associates.

“Yeah, you’re right. Just another day,” the rather unspirited officer said. His badge had G. Gomez.

“Just get this done ASAP,” the other commented. His badge had L. Steiner.

Once the trio were equipped casually for this mission, they went to the parking lot. Amidst police cars, an armoured van hummed. A fourth officer waited for them, a short, chubby middle-aged man. His badge had D. Jenkins.

“Riot gear and other stuff is inside the van, just in case things escalate. I’ll drive!” The van beeped and the doors opened. “Ms. Mello… you feeling alright?” he asked as he entered the van.

Aisa could sit in the passenger seat or either rear seat.

* * *

19-Jan-2020 01:03:50

Azi Demonica

Posts: 5,600 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The drive was straightforward. Jenkins drove quickly but without flashing lights. Outside, people appeared gathering towards a focal point deep into the city. As the drive went on, Aisa made contact with one of the bums. He had long hair, a full beard, was shirtless, and ugly. He gave her a drunken look and waved his arm.

Aisa’s communicator beeped and a holographic image appeared over her lap:

“Hm, and what’s that about?” Gomez asked, bored.

The van’s computer beeped aloud. Dispatch’s comptuerized voice crackled into audio, “Undesignated signal detected, Code 1. Source location: Uptown outskirts. No viral threats found. Unassociated with Officer Mello’s current PM. Skywatch: send patrol bots to Uptown immediately…”

Amidst the strange occurrence, Jenkins continued driving effectively. Steiner kept semi-glaring at people they drove past, whilst Gomez nearly fell asleep in his seat.

After another rush of mysterious voices, Aisa realized that the bum she had just seen looked exactly the same as the man she was sent after, except he had a beard. The van’s systems scanned continuously, though it did not appear to detect the bum who gave Aisa the mean look…

19-Jan-2020 01:04:02 - Last edited on 19-Jan-2020 01:04:58 by Azi Demonica

Riniya

Posts: 662 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Willow stared at the image on the screen. It looked vaguely familiar. She looked up at the sound of the humming. She reached out with her mind and felt three patrol bots heading her way.

"Well, Jase, time to go. I got her location anyway."

Willow stood, turning off her computer terminal to reboot it after the freeze. She turned away and opened the door to leave her small home. The Android walked out after her and closed the door, locking it behind him.

Willow turned in the direction of downtown, and began to walk. The android followed closely behind. They walked in relative silence. Willow reached out every now and again to other electronics, stealing bits and pieces of information as they went. She felt the patrol bots stop above her home.

"She isn't here. This might not even be her home. No point of further exploration. Return to Base."

Willow spoke aloud quietly, more for entertainment on her end than necessity. She passed the information she was presenting along from bot to bot, trying to override their programing.

The android following Willow had its own search running through its head. it had decided to further investigate Jonathan. Phoenix Power hasn't been through this sector in a long time for clean up. Doing so would help the homeless by unblocking many abandoned homes for them to enter. He decided to input an alert in Jonathans Email. "Clean up Due. Lower sector. Priority...... High. Staff Limit.... Maximum"

Willow could feel her friend sending out a message.

"Who is that to?"

She could easily find out on her own but she still maintained a level of respect for androids and bots. You never know when they were going to develop a mind of their own like many did. She didn't want them to have any reason to hate her.

The android did not respond. Not completely unlike him. He had his own goals in "life" Willow decided not to push and instead focused on their journey to Aisa

There isn't one.

20-Jan-2020 13:51:44

Quick5ilvr

Posts: 1,265 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Jonathan blinked, yet the image remained. Curious.

THE RIOT IS ONE NIGHT

The android grimaced as he considered possibilities, recorded memories of Chicago riots spread out across the years of his existence never brought him happiness. Of course, few things brought genuine happiness these days. Eventually his thoughts focused and he dismissed the image to focus on his new guests. Standing to greet them, he faked his best smile as he stated, "My friends, welcome to Phoenix Tower. I am Jonathan, founder of this endeavor to provide meaningful, gainful employment to androids looking to better the world around them. I hope we can find a way for us all to brighten the world around us a little more within these walls."

Introductions, hand shaking, presentations. Standard, procedural, and boring. Jonathan feigned interest, but in truth his mind was processing many other thoughts. An errant email about cleaning a neglected part of downtown was forwarded to more appropriate parties, reports of that strange image propagating across the Tower's software systems causing a growing concern, and all these people could do was talk about money.

It seemed a very strange god to worship at times. An arbitrary value assigned to the effort of an individual that could be exchanged for necessary commodities like water, food, and shelter. And yet the majority of these people were wanting more for luxury items they would ignore within the year. It all just seemed so trivial.

A mental sigh echoed through his thoughts before expectant stares brought him back to focus. He blinked rapidly as he tried to process the last few words...was he slowing down?

"I'm sorry sir, but Phoenix Power is comfortable as is remaining in our particular sphere of energy technology. As always, I wish you success in all your future endeavors, and a pleasant evening...and please, stay safe out there."

The last bit was purely in response to the image he had seen earlier. Cower, worship, or beg. All are valid choices.

23-Jan-2020 04:07:12

Quick5ilvr

Posts: 1,265 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Honestly it caught him off-guard when the words escaped from him.

Turning his attention from the COO of AT&T, his focus settled on the Blackstone VP. Jonathan stifled a laugh at the mention of the hedge fund. "Sir, when you're dealing with a company full of employees and agents who are functionally immortal, an aggressive plan like a hedge fund just sounds, well, too risky. Wealth handled carefully will always grow, and I promise you neither myself or those who work under me are in desperate need of a quick pay day. I'm sorry, but I will have to decline."

Finally the android turned his focus to the Huron CFO. He smiled broadly, "Sir, I would love nothing more than to direct more funding towards Phoenix Power's R&D department. We can discuss more details later, and if you would like, we can have representatives from my R&D team meet with a team of your own people to discuss the nitty-gritty details of what we are working on here. I hope you are impressed by our progress, it truly is revolutionizing the future and keeping it affordable."

"Gentlemen, I want to thank you once again for your time here. Feel free to stop by our courtesy break room and enjoy some refreshments. I certainly don't need them." Jonathan chuckled, but it was one that he distinctly forced through his own programming. It was an unpleasantly common occurrence.

Upon conclusion of the meeting, Jonathan exited the conference room and began to navigate his way back to his office. A paranoia haunted his mind, almost demanding that he monitor the streets from the Tower's highest vantage point.

THE RIOT IS ONE NIGHT

And Jonathan was not going to let it surprise him. Cower, worship, or beg. All are valid choices.

23-Jan-2020 04:07:18 - Last edited on 23-Jan-2020 10:27:23 by Quick5ilvr

Inferi

Posts: 35,939 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Jenkins she had met before, and so her somewhat dampened smile to him was a bit brighter than it had been to the others. It was still subdued, but one would expect that to be the case after what had happened. Fit for duty she might be, but unchanged she certainly was not.

“

I’ve been better, but I’ve certainly been worse.

” was her response as she climbed into the passenger seat. Nobody else had appeared to take it, so she decided that she may as well. There were virtually no differences, anyways; it was only the angle of vision that would matter, and they really needed one person at each regardless.

As they drove out, moving swiftly yet without the appearance of emergency, a message in the form of a holographic image came into view on her - and only her, it seemed - communicator. It was something that, under normal circumstances, she would likely have dismissed. All of it seemed to simply be radical, paranoid propaganda, the same thing that tin-foil hat wearers would say all the time, and although it was all true to an extent there was nothing new or groundbreaking about it.

That wasn’t the problem, though: the problem was that someone had sent it to her specifically, and that made very little sense. It made little enough sense that she felt the need to ask, “

Dispatch, you have anything on this message?

”

The reasoning for the question was fairly self-explanatory: something like that connecting to her official police communicator while nobody else got anything was getting close to cause for alarm. It wasn’t problematic, exactly...but neither was it something to be ignored.

Things looked a bit strange out here, though. The city was busy, and people were moving almost in unison towards a singular point. Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

23-Jan-2020 22:44:31

Inferi

Posts: 35,939 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

An unknown like this was, in her eyes, always a cause for observation if nor concern, but since she did not know whether anyone was actually undertaking that task it wasn’t really her place to make inquiries about it, at least to anyone in command.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t ask the others in the car, though.

“

Any of you know what this is all about?

” she asked, her motions at the masses moving outside. “

It almost seems like - hold on a minute! That look like our guy to anyone else?

”

Her words cut off as she had the realization, she spun around to look in the direction of the bum she had just seen, pointing as best she could for everyone else to see. Done in by the dubious doings of destiny.

23-Jan-2020 22:44:42

Azi Demonica

Posts: 5,600 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Willow

After she studied the sudden image, Willow noticed the incoming patrol bots. Indeed, it was time to go. Doors locked, she and the android quietly took their leave. Willow used her ability to communicate with the patrol bots…

A few seconds past.

“UTL Code 1. Skywatch returning to base.” The patrol bots floated off.

Willow’s friend sent this Jonathan subject the message. He would undoubtedly receive it.

* * *

The walk to The Loop was rather creepy because vast droves of people walked in the same direction. They did not appear out of the ordinary, but it was clear that most people headed the same direction despite the busy streets everywhere.

Soon enough, though, Willow and JJ-names reached The Loop farther south. They would eventually stumble upon Aisa, the woman she wanted to help, systems working effectively and guiding her forth.

Perhaps Willow thought about Jonathan. At that moment, off in the distance dozens of blocks down, Willow saw fumes and smoke rising. More and more people also saw. Murmurs of distress, confusion and fear echoed. Willow felt people all around bump into her as they fearfully tried to create distance.

“Willow--” her android said as people swarmed amidst them. Although Willow and her friend lost each other, they were still within a few feet from one another. “The smoke and fire comes from Phoenix Tower,” he warned.

More and more people started to run past Willow, gasps and shouts gradually simplified.

“Willow!” the android exclaimed. Willow looked around and found out why people ran. Up the road, a large waste disposal truck turned against traffic, drove across the highway, and the great engine roared as it steered towards Willow.

25-Jan-2020 06:12:28 - Last edited on 25-Jan-2020 06:12:57 by Azi Demonica

Azi Demonica

Posts: 5,600 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Jonathan

The rather unexpected, cryptic message he examined amidst scanning of Chicago’s past riots. Though, how could he let that disturb his meeting? Jonathan greeted his guests--with the betterment of humanity in mind, of course--and the meeting went underway.

* * *

Amidst the meeting, Jonathan had received a message somewhere, requesting cleanup. Jonathan forwarded it and it would commence appropriately.

Of course, everything was about money. More money. More than needed. Maximising money for the sake of maximizing money--nothing else existed.

The COO of AT&T shut up immediately. He frowned but said nothing, not even at Jonathan’s words of caution, probably seething from the lost opportunity of royalties. He scanned the generic staff as if expecting them to do something, though they remained passive. He focused on his laptop and busily typed away.

A hedge fund Jonathan did not accept, either. The Blackstone Group would return empty-handed, but the executive vice president was unbothered. He quietly closed his laptop.

One of the companies shared something in common with Phoenix Power--management of waste. The Huron CFO snapped out of his daydreaming and typed away.

“Ah, excellent! I did not expect this! I just got an email, we will invest in twenty million dollars for 2080, and after five years, another fifty million will be on way.” He was quite satisfied. “I’ll have to wait before we know when we can continue talks. Thank you for your time, Jonathan.”

The meeting ended. Only the COO of AT&T did not shake hands, he just left.

The words stuck to Jonathan. How did someone manage to send him a PM like that? He stood at the top of the tower, analyzing the streets. His systems processed that a decent number of androids responded to the cleanup of Uptown. He saw them move onto the parking lot and a large semi truck acutely turned, wheels screaming.

25-Jan-2020 06:13:13

Azi Demonica

Posts: 5,600 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The truck drove across the road with increasing speed, cut-off several vehicles, smashed through a few park cars, and ploughed into several of the cleanup androids in the parking lot.

Another timely message from Harrison: Sir, seven androids sent for Uptown cleanup decommissioned in the parking lot.

The horn did not sound, the truck’s speed did not stop--the massive vehicle rammed into the tower base. With a thunderous crash that shook even the tower, the trailer broke off the fifth wheel and avalanched into the building.

FFFSHHHHHEEEWWW!

Smoke and embers billowed up along the windows. The tower’s alarms wailed, the sprinkler systems showered.

Amidst the sudden chaos, Jonathan would notice other semi trucks down the highways swerve and ram into other skyscrapers, even if people were in the way.

25-Jan-2020 06:13:40

Forums

Collaboration