Artificial War

[cptflint]

"They're advance sensory organs," she replied, taking one of them out. "There's a slot in my ear that they plug into and attaches them to the side of my head. I have better hearing then any bat with them on and can navigate in the dark in the same way if I need to," she explained.

Despite Lucy's distraction the conversation was dammed to continue. "I did not think you cared..." Azm replied after a few seconds of silence.

"That would've been true had you actually been one of my customers," she replied. "I think you were the only one around who... you know... never..."

"You don't have to say it. I already explained our relationship to them. I made it perfectly clear that we were just friends."

"Yes but you never said you didn't have sex with her," Marie butted in.

Azm thought over the implications of 'just friends' for a moment. "I specifically remember saying I never used her services."

Marie paused and thought about it for a second. "Oh yea..."

"Well as soon as 'whore bot' is brought into the conversation they stop thinking about anything else," she said in the same hurt tone, crossing her arms and pouting.

Azm sighed. "It can't be helped. You were built for it after all. It's not your fault... you also could've changed your body to something else..."

"That doesn't help if you TELL them AHEAD of time," she yelled. "Besides... I like the way I look..."  

[Randomly Gone Insane]

"So... You did use her services..." Lucy lightly inputted, her gaze focused entirely on Azm's systems. She could have worked without constantly looking at them. She was one of... Well, the only person now who knew his system better than her own. But she didn't exactly feel like looking at the others either during this argument.

"You just didn't use them in the same manner as others..." Lucy finished up the first project, replacing coolant tubes on Azm's right side. She took a brief break to look up at him, irritation hinting in her face and eyes.

"So... When were you two... friends?"  

[cptflint]

"NO! For the third time. I never used her services. We never had sex," Azm replied.

"Isn't that like... sticking a d***o into a fleshlight?" Marie asked.

Nurixin shook her head. "Not if the sensory organs that effect those areas are active," She replied. "We met during the riots," Nurixin answered. "We had some similar views, talked a lot about what we would do if something like this happened." She glared down at Azm. "You say that like it would've been a bad thing," she said, pouting again.

"Ug... that's not the point!" Azm replied. "What ever. It doesn't matter what I say I lose either way."

"That's pretty much how it works with a pissed of woman..."

"I'm not mad... I'm upset, and hurt," Nurix grunted. "I have feelings now you know..."

"Yes I noticed. Things are easier without them you know. I can name quiet a few times when I've had to turn mine off so they wouldn't get in the way."

"How does that even work?" Maried asked.

"Pretty much like a light switch... and I chose to not have that switch."

Azm laughed. "You will regret doing that one day."  

[Randomly Gone Insane]

"By the way," Lucy turned her attention back on to repairing Azm's body.

"You never told me why you had switched off your emotions back at the base. Did it quite randomly too. One minute, you're fine and happy, even curious as we looked through information, and the next... Well, you're off."  

[cptflint]

"I was pissed, and didn't want to involuntarily make a scene," he replied. "Lots of loud cursing is the worst that would've happened but still."

"What got you so mad?"

"Images of a friend being beaten. She was hurt pretty badly," he replied.

"She?" Nurixin questioned.

"I've been guarding the president's daughter... I failed and now we're going to go get her back."

"I heard an android was guarding her. I didn't think it was you."  

[Randomly Gone Insane]

"Small world, isn't?" Lucy lightheartedly joked. "I remember thinking the same thing. Course, I hadn't been confirmed on the whole enlistment of the daughter, but it was still a little rumor my.. father picked up on the radio waves of the enemy. She's apparently a hot topic for them."  

[cptflint]

Azm nodded. "Small indeed, and now we're going to go get her back. They're using her for some sort of moral campaign and to try and get the president to surrender, something he can't do... at least I hope he won't before we get her back."

"If she's even still alive..." Marie grunted.

"If she might not be alive then why are you going? Risking your life for someone who might be dead..."

"To try and regain my credibility. It's an honor thing... I failed and now I'm going to fix it."

"Right... that's why," Nurixin replied, rolling her eyes. "And you?" She asked looking at Marie.

"They used my families lives to blackmail me and killed them before I got a chance to finish the job. I'm going for revenge and have nothing to lose."

She nodded. "How about you?" she asked looking at Lucy now.  

[Randomly Gone Insane]

"I'm not." Lucy replied bitterly, becoming a little bit rougher with her work and Azm's body. "We had nothing to do with any of it. Just opened our door when she," she nodded her head to Marie, "needed healing from a bad accident they got in to.

"Before I know, I'm looking through an android's skull and trigger an attack on my home. And then, pop. My Dad's dead and I have nothing. And I want nothing to do with this either."  

[cptflint]

"That is probably a healthy decision," Nurixin replied. "And I'm sorry for your loss."

Azm didn't seem too bothered by her sudden roughness. His body was built for punishment and he felt he deserved it anyways. "If that's what you want to do. What will you do after I leave?" he asked.

"She could stay here. We can always use more people with technological aptitude," Nurixin.

"And I could use someone with her knowledge in programing as well."  

[Randomly Gone Insane]

"Suddenly, I'm important. But beforehand, you couldn't be bothered to even send a message." Lucy grunted angrily.

"And I'm suddenly important when your a** is in ruins and the only other person I've come to know in life is cold in the back of a vehicle."  

[cptflint]

"Your not the only one he's done that to you know..."

Azm sighed. "Do you want me to care or not?" he grunted. "You're right, I should have kept in contact with everyone I cared about and I'm sorry. I'm already blaming myself for our father's death because it is my fault. I should have never got you involved and I'm sorry. Continuing to dread and regret will not solve these problems, will not make them go away, won't bring him back. I can only be here now. That's all I can do now. Beyond that I don't know what else you could possibly want from me."  

[Randomly Gone Insane]

"Oh, so he just dropped you like a log too, huh?" Lucy looked up at Nurixin, giving Azm no acknowledgement.
"I thought we were the only ones to get ditched."  

[cptflint]

She nods. "I figured he was probably busy but a message would've been nice..."

Azm let out a sigh of defeat and stayed silent.  

[Randomly Gone Insane]

"We couldn't even get a freaking mailing point from this guy." Lucy snorted.

"You two, I figure you could message each other all ya want. Some whacky online system, I'm sure. I know I put one in him. But for the rest of us, we have to work traditionally. But we can't even have a place to send a letter for him to read once in a while. Too busy for that."  

[cptflint]

She nodded. "It's just something about him I guess. Always consumed in what is happening around him? I don't know..."