Out of the Frying Pan... (d20 Star Wars)

[Ambrus]

DRK-1X does not interrupt Felia while she tries to imagine how the droid has been treated by its Mistress during its many years of service. Even once she falls quiet and returns her attention to the game 1X does not voice an opinion.

Cognitive Processing
Datum: Felia Sardo is attempting to empathize with DRK-1X.
Emotive Node: Confusion 37.2%; Gratitude 30.1%; Uncertainty 32.2%; Pleasure 9.5%.
Datum: Felia Sardo believes that Mistress Dofina has treated other organics poorly.
Gravitational sheer force of 182.3G detected in spatial grid x=183543.52; y=835296.23; z=343248.79
Datum: Felia Sardo believes that Mistress Dofina considers DRK-1X as similar to a peer.
Algorithmic Node: DRK-1X is the Property of Mistress Dofina.
Execute course adjustment 0.00173º-0.0000189º to compensate.
Heuristic Node: Property cannot be equated with the being which owns it.
Proposition: Mistress Dofina values DRK-1X for its inherent worth.
Execute holochess algorithm 238476C.
Proposition: Mistress Dofina values DRK-1X for the aid it offers her.
Emotive Node: Melancholy 57.8%; Uncertainty 42.2%.
Upload data to holoprojector buffer 08A.

The tiny glowing game-pieces continue to shift as the game progresses. DRK-1X is playing an aggressive game in which it boldly attacks opposing pieces and willingly sacrifices its own pieces, making it difficult for Felia to formulate an effective strategy before her pieces are taken. The droid is trying to keep Felia off balance and playing defensively. In response to the woman's second question the droid says: "Statement: I do not know what Mistress Dofina is planning for you. Mistress Dofina has not spoken to me about you and I do not know what is the nature of your relationship with her so I am limited in my ability to offer you a theory."

 

[Kemrain]

Felia raises an eyebrow as she plays, wondering as she plays why 1X neglected to answer her prior statements. Annoyed by the fact that she can feel no emotions from the droid, she takes a guess.

"You don't think she has a high opinion of you, do you? Why else gloss over the subject? If you won't talk about that, tell me this- how do you feel about her?"

She reguards the droid with interest, wondering about its loyalties. Wondering if it is even capable of questioning them. Wondering if it could be used against her. Wondering if she could use it against Dofina, if the need arose. She figured that Tal, if pressed, would probably choose her over Dofina, especially if she had more to offer, and that the Jedi would probably prevent any violence, if he was capable. The droid was a worry, however, and she needed to know if it could be turned to her side- if it was even capable of such a thought.

 

[Ambrus]

Cognitive Processing
Upload data to vocabulator buffer 9A.
Algorithmic Node: Subservience Protocols violation.
Algorithmic Node: Override. Execute emergency vocabulator shutdown.
Emotive Node: Uncertainty 34.3%; Anxiety 31.2%; Frustration 28.2%; Melancholy 6.3%.

"Statement." DRK-1X utters one word and then falls silent. It's unclear why it's paused in mid sentence as the droid does not move or react in any other way. The only other indication that anything is wrong with the droid is that a horizontal line of static washes across the holographic game board and pieces from bottom to top before stabilizing once more. Suddenly the droid's small external sensor pod swivels to scan the other occupants of the vessel before quickly turning back to regard Felia.

Cognitive Processing
Heuristic Node: Initiate vocabulator reboot sequence.
Algorithmic Node: Override. Subservience Protocols take priority.
Emotive Node: Uncertainty 38.3%; Frustration 33.4%; Anxiety 30.3%.
Heuristic Node: Override. Diplomatic Protocols take priority. DRK-1X must answer or risk offending Felia Sardo.
Algorithmic Node: Subservience Protocols apply.
Volition Threshold has been reached.
Priority Hierarchy established.
Upload data to vocabulator buffer 9A.

Finally, after a awkward pause, the droid's vocabulator emits an almost inaudible pop and then its regular monotone voice answers: "Statement. I serve Mistress Dofina. My feelings are irrelevant."

 

[Kemrain]

Felia watches the droid with a curious look, sure she's either struck a nerve or damaged the poor little probe droid. "Did I just break you?" she asks.
"If you have feelings then shirly they're not irrelevant. Why else would you have them? Do you feel, like a human does?"

 

[Ambrus]

"Report: Program is operating within established parameters." The droid pauses briefly before continuing: "My neural network is comprised in part of an Emotive Node that is modeled in part on organic emotive reactions and is designed to emulate the means by which organics experience and adapt themselves to their environment."

 

[Kemrain]

"So if your emotive node is there to help you experience and adapt to your environment, how can your feelings be irrelevant? Wouldn't ignoring them be ignoring part of your means of experiencing your environment? Seems to me it'd be similar to ignoring the imput from one of your sensors. If Dofina is encouraging you to do that, I'd be suprised if you liked it."

She regards the droid for a moment, the chess game forgotten.

"If Dofina ordered you to harm someone, would you?" she asks, quickly adding, "Someone you liked?"

 

[Ambrus]

The game-board projection hangs frozen in the air, waiting for Felia to declare her next move. The droid lets most of Felia's questions slide by, assuming perhaps incorrectly, that they are largely rhetorical. In response to her final question however, DRK-1X answers: "Report: I am a 4º droid designed for military and paramilitary recognisance. I am also programmed to use lethal force when ordered." The droid pauses briefly before continuing: "My feelings are irrelevant."

 

[Kemrain]

Felia sighs, shaking her head.

"Well, I hope I haven't offended you. Not that you seem to think it matters. It's a pity you're owned by someone who cares nothing for you save for the service you provide. You could have found someone far less..." She trails off, looking over at Dofina sleeping in her bunk, giving her a nasty glare.

She sighs again, shaking her head and looking back at the droid.
"I'm going to read for a few hours, then probably sleep. If she tells you to shoot me, could you do it in my sleep? I'd rather not see it coming." She smirks a little, pulling a datapad out of her satchel, feeling worried.

 

[Ambrus]

"Statement: You have not offended me maam." The droid pauses momentarily. "But I did not 'find' Mistress Dofina; she purchased me." As Felia gets up to leave the hologram fades from view as DRK-1X's holoprojector lens dims and its second external sensor pod swivels to follow the human woman. "Statement: Game saved. I will make Mistress Dofina aware of your preference if the matter should arise. Enjoy your evening maam."

 

[Ambrus]

OOC: Since Shadow's vacation is half done and we still have a week of time to play out during the hyperspace trip, how about we skip ahead a few days? I'll just throw out a little summary of what's been going on to set the tone. Again, Shadow can correct when he gets back if I screw it up.

The first night aboard the Geth Hound unfolds quietly with its various humanoid passengers either lost in thought or resting fitfully. Over the next few days, the term being relative since the streaming star scape outside never changes, the passengers fall into a fairly simple routine. Out of necessity, they start to alternate their activities to share the limited space within the vessel; sharing the beds, chairs, facilities and floor-space as best they can. Eventually they even opt to dim the cabin lights routinely to delineate rest periods.

Dofina at first continues to issue orders to "X" to perform tasks for her, but eventually even she gets bored and starts doing things for herself just to pass the time. She generally tries to keep to herself and spends most of her waking hours reviewing numbers on a datapad as she continues to try and salvage what she can of her financial portfolio after the loss of her sizable investment on Taris. She occasionally plays a holo-game with 1X.

DRK-1X, for the most part, remains plugged into the cockpit flight computer, monitoring the ship's progress. It rarely speaks unless first spoken to. Most of the interaction it has with the other passengers is when they get bored and ask it to project a game for them. It does prove fairly talkative if engaged in conversation however.

The remaining passengers spend the majority of their time either conversing, playing games, reading files from the ship's data library or alternating their time to use the ship's floor space to stretch, exercise or meditate.

OOC: Post #200 w00t! Feel free to jump in and start some new conversations guys.