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Post by Moe on Feb 5, 2024 23:23:12 GMT -6
It was a rainy day today, in Kaiser City. Not too heavy, but not too light. Just a steady drizzle, making the atmosphere gloomy. A bus came to a stop, brakes squealing as it approached the stop. A man in sandles and cargo shorts hopped out, and immediately stepped into a puddle. He sighed a long, frustrated sigh, as though he expected it to go wrong.
"Give up my title and suddenly I start rolling a luck score of ones." he grumbled, as he slung a bag over his shoulder. He looked exhausted, as though he had been traveling for a long time. And it was an even longer walk to Mark's lab, especially when he realized he did not pack an umbrella.
Mark's lab was fenced off, but nobody seemed to be guarding the place. It was still shut down, with only Apollo and Jasmine's crew still allowed inside. He figured he could get away with trying to break in, seeing as Mark would surely give him a pass. No sooner did he attempt to jump the fence, however, did a voice echo through the rain, startling Chronos and causing him to fall to the muddy ground.
"The lab is temporarily closed, and you are not authorized personnel. I made a promise to Mark that I would not terminate any intruders, but I did not promise not to shoot them." the voice spoke.
It took him a moment, but Chronos immediately recognized the voice. "Apollo??" he quickly sat up, suddenly not caring that he was soaking wet.
"You know me. Interesting. Your physical attributes indicate a relation to Mark, as well. His maldito idiota of a father, I presume? Alex's words, not mine."
"Heh, she's not wrong." Chronos stood up, and tried to fling as much mud off as possible. "I came here to see Mark. The world got a little mixed up and I need to talk to him."
"He is not here. However, due to your relation to him, I am willing to let you inside. There is a shower room for chemical emergencies, I am sure it will be able to clean the mud off." Apollo said as the gates opened, allowing Chronos inside. "I must admit, I do have ulterior motives. Mark said you were the one who created me. You know things about me that I cannot remember. You also know the key to repairing my brain, so I might be able to create a new shell. I grow tired of being stuck in one place and desire to explore, freely."
"You...really don't remember anything, do you?" Chronos said in a somber tone, as he headed inside. "Okay, let's add that to the list of things I need to talk about. Along with how in the hell my son just created a new reality, and why he saved you. Does he...know who you are?"
"No. We only recently found out that I might have similar brainwaves to the cyber-organics. If I was anyone of significance, I would like to know. If I wasn't anyone of any importance, I would still like to know. Was I always the way I am? Was I different? Was I a criminal, like Jet? A threat, like Emily? Who was I?"
"Whoah whoah, slow down." Chronos said, only just entering the building itself. "One question at a time. Let me get cleaned up, and I'll answer your questions if you can answer mine." he said, noticing several lights on within the building. "I thought you said the place was shut down?"
"It is. It is providing a temporary sanctuary for my other friends."
"Uuuugh." Chronos groaned. "This is gonna be a whole thing, isn't it?"
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Post by Banshee on Feb 6, 2024 0:00:25 GMT -6
There was a loud crash and a sound of a metallic item bouncing on the ground with a clang each time it hit. It eventually rolled and bumped into a cement wall with a dull clank. The response was quickly followed by Tex saying; “Jet, if you do not control your temper in a simple game of Oligopoly, then I will be pressured into trapping you into a containment cell until further notice. Mark specifically told us-”
“Yeah I know. I know.” Jet rolled out of his chair and scooped up his helmet that he'd thrown at Tex. “I just hate this game. I don't understand...these rules. Are you sure you're not making them up?”
Tex gave him a flat stare while Emily sank beneath the table to hide herself from the possible argument that would erupt from the two. As her head sank below the table, she quickly reached up to take her game currency off the surface, just in case the board got flipped by Jet's anger issues. She then curled under the chair to hide further.
“It's your lack of comprehension skills that cause you your misunderstanding of the simplified rules I've given you. Need I speak like you are a three year old Organic child?” Tex said to him. “I have helped raised my Mother Unit's children. It is not a foreign concept.”
Emily, from under the table whispered; “Ouch...”
Jet stared at Tex for a long period of time before he responded; “I'm not playing games with you. You make them up. I hate it.”
“It's on the paperwork.” Tex said to him. “It's not difficult to understand.”
“Well!” Jet failed to come up with an excuse and so, he slammed his hands on the table again which jostled his tokens about and sent some of his money onto the floor.
From Tex's point of view, all she saw was Emily's hand waving above the table with a fist full of money that Jet dropped. “Look! I got the jackpot! Does this mean I win?”
Tex heaved a sigh. “...Emily, I understand her inability to comprehend such vile board games as this. But Jet? I had suspected you to understand the basic conception of it. Apparently my assumptions were incorrect. So I suppose Emily wins the game, since she now has all of your money that you've improperly removed.”
“Weee! Thievery!” Emily squealed from under the table.
Tex glanced over to Jasmine with an apathetic expression. “I'm surrounded by idiots.”
“Welcome to my world. All of my siblings are probably dumber.” She shrugged as she hopped out of her chair and walked into the main room to see a stranger standing in the front door. Jasmine stuffed the remainder of her bread in her mouth and chomped down on it. Looking him down and up, she said; “Damn, son. You look like you rolled a Nat-1. Sucks for you. Hope there weren't any Gorgons around.”
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Post by Moe on Feb 6, 2024 11:21:00 GMT -6
It took a moment to process everything that was going on. The robots, the board game, Apollo still hounding him with questions like a toddler, and then Jasmine. Finally, once his thoughts caught up to him, all Chronos could say was, "Who the hell are you? Does...does Ikuki know about you?"
"She is a friend." Apollo answered.
"Is that what they're calling side chicks, these days?"
"She assisted in my termination. Then she assisted in my resurrection." Apollo clarified. "I would not be here, even in an avatar body, if it wasn't for Jasmine."
"Right. Then I guess I owe you one." he said to Jasmine. "Apollo means a lot more than any of you ever imagine. But I am too tired and desperate for a shower to tell the story, right now. Give me a minute to get cleaned up, get a hot cup of coffee because I know Mark has plenty stashed around, and to process this whole freaking situation." Chronos said as he swung his bag over his shoulder, slinging mud everywhere, before heading to the showers.
Apollo just tilted his head to the side, trying to figure out why Chronos seemed so familiar, other than simply being his creator. There was a strange sense of familiarity that didn't feel like creator-creation. It felt more like...he had known Chronos, in life. He migrated over to the others, sitting next to Tex, but not saying anything as he was still combing through his memory banks to find any sort of hint at who Chronos was, to him.
"I am beginning to think that Chronos is trying to avoid telling me the truth. I wonder if Hope would know anything? Should I contact her?" he asked, to nobody in particular. "I am going to contact her. Calling Hope."
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Post by Banshee on Feb 6, 2024 11:53:11 GMT -6
Jasmine listened to Chronos address her as a side chick. Casually, she bit into her loaf of bread once more and munched away at it. Then she waited for the perfect moment to send out a smart remark of; “The only side-chick here is you.”
And she left it at that. She knew a little bit about his negligence of helping Hope raise Mark and Alex. His lackluster emotional connection between him and his family. And his absence in their lives.
She then picked herself back up to check on the chaos that was Jet and Tex. Even though the two were on the same side, neither one of them really got along that well. Jasmine couldn’t blame Tex for her reluctance to accept him, but in all honesty, Jet seemed to have completely changed his whole persona.
“Jet, the name of the game is to buy out everything.” She patted him on the chest as she walked past him. “Relax. Maybe we will stick to Sugar World instead. Perhaps the bright colors will be easier to understand.”
Jet frowned as he looked at the children’s board game sitting on the shelf. Its brightly colored candy inspired design made him feel like no one was treating him like an adult. “You know, I’m probably older than you.”
Jasmine shrugged as she helped Emily pick up the pieces. “Clearly.”
Tex turned her attention to Apollo as he addressed his questions. “I am not so sure if that’s going to be a good idea. If Mark doesn’t know, I can only assume that Hope wouldn’t know either.”
Jet’s brow twitched. “Hey! How come is it that if Apollo is confused, you guys treat him so nice! But I get confused, it’s because I’m stupid?”
“Because you are.” Tex said to him.
Jet scoffed at her remark and clenched his fists to fight her but Emily walked in between them and said; “Tex, Jet isn’t used to this kind of stuff. Please be a little bit nicer to him. He’s learning. Just like Apollo is.”
“Right. I’ll be sure to put be nice to Jet in the queue.” Said Tex as she eyed Jet.
Jet let out an irritated growl as he threw his hands up in the air in frustration. He then walked around Apollo and Tex to leave the room. He needed to chill out before he got into a fight with Tex. This left Emily and Jasmine with the remainder of the group.
“That went well.” Jasmine said with a shrug. She then glanced to Apollo and asked; “so how did Hope take the call?”
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Post by Moe on Feb 6, 2024 13:09:40 GMT -6
"I might have made an error." Apollo answered Jasmine. "She seemed quite angry and yelled at me, in Spanish. I do not know what I did to warrant her being angry at me, but I will have to apologize when she arrives."
He noted Jet leaving in anger, and tilted his head, wondering if it was related. "Did I upset Jet, as well? Hm. Perhaps I should excuse myself before I cause further dispute." he said as he left, as well.
He found Chronos' discarded bag, still soaking wet and muddy. He took the bag to the emergency laundry, used for chemical emergencies and containing industrial washers not typically used for regular laundry. However, it would do a sufficient job of cleaning the bag and any clothes within it. Apollo couldn't say why he decided to do it, but something in him was nagging at him to.
By the time Chronos was finally out of the shower, he had a neatly-folded and clean set of clothes ready for him. Apollo meanwhile had migrated to the break room, to prepare coffee.
"You didn't have to do that, ya know." Chronos told him.
"I know. You were in the shower for a very long time however, and I had to occupy myself. I have already played all of the board games available, and have grown bored of them."
"Look, I can't teleport on a whim anymore. I've been on the road for months, to get here. That was the third best shower of my life, and I've lived a long life. It's only in third because it nearly blasted my skin off."
"I warned you that it was for chemical emergencies."
"That, you did." Chronos said as he sipped on his coffee. "So, what's with the other bots?"
"Tex was built by Jasmine. She is my friend and a great ally. The other two are like me. They are cyber organic. A living being who was copied into a robot. That is how we all learned that I was one of them, too."
At that, Chronos nearly spat out his coffee. "Wait, what?! That technology isn't available to anyone else! That's a me thing! Unless-"
"My second creator stole your technology and bribed Cornelia Corp with it. He is still alive, as well. He is called the Alpha and was using me to plan an invasion. This is why I am curious as to who I used to be, and why I was so important to Alpha."
Chronos was speechless for a moment, then chugged the rest of his coffee, not really caring how hot it was. The he took the entire pot as he left the break room and headed back toward the lounge, where the others were. "All I wanted to do was ask my son why he felt the need to screw up the entire fucking ecosystem. I was not prepared for this. I don't suppose he's got alcohol stashed around here?"
"He does not. He has a dislike of alcoholic beverages and asks that you would not drink around him or his offspring."
"Fucking shit, lame." Chronos sighed. "Alright, we're doing this sober, then. Also, tell me more about this Cornelia Corp. If they're using my tech, I can sue them into oblivion."
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Post by Banshee on Feb 6, 2024 15:05:44 GMT -6
Not having much to say in reference to Apollo assuming he had angered Jet, she watched him walk off to care for Chronos' belongings. She then shrugged and departed the same room to head into another part of the lab. With RJ not being present and her sister needing a break from having Jasmine's kids around, she had no choice but to have them within the area as well. However, there was a room they were allowed in which they had pretty much stayed there, entertaining themselves.
She leaned on the door frame, watching her two kids and Tex playing a survival game with some of their online friends. Jasmine smirked when she watched Tonka help Arrow with building something while Tex gathered plants and blueprints with one of their online friends. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that either child would be causing trouble. After all, they were about the same age as Nox was and weren't toddlers.
Eventually, Chronos had made his way out and began to talk to Apollo about various topics. At that point, Jasmine had requested Emily to join her with straightening up the lounge. Not that it was messy, but she knew that Mark liked a clean environment. So she wanted to keep it that way.
Chronos and Apollo entered the room, talking about cyber-organics and Cornelia Corp. Jasmine stopped for a moment and took a quick glance over to them as they continued to converse. She then silently looked to Emily who didn't seem too thrilled about them talking about the company. Then when Chronos mentioned suing them, Jasmine let out a laugh.
“Boy, aren't you in for a surprise?” She said as she turned her attention to Chronos. There was sarcasm in her voice as she said; “Do what you do best. Put all of your troubles on Mark's shoulders and let him deal with it. Oh wait. He's already dealing with them. So, enjoy the show.” She shrugged before turning to Emily to see her reaction. “What?”
“Is this where Tex gets her savage personality from?”
“Well, it's the truth. Isn't it?” She said with a shrug. “Guy's life has been Hell on Wheels for a long time now. It's a wonder why he hasn't decided to pull the cogs out of the clock of time and just freeze life itself.” Jasmine then took the pillow from Emily's hands and placed it on the couch it fell from.
“Good luck with trying to sue a corporation that owns 90% of a city, including all of its law regulations and all of that fun jazz.” She waved her hand a bit dismissively. “Ain't gonna get you far. And don't think about destroying them. It'll be as catastrophic as blowing up the sun.”
Emily added; “...Jet and I aren't the only Cyber-Organics either... Cornelia Corp has hundreds upon hundreds of them. All of them ranging from; desperate families to kidnapped athletes, to war criminals and beyond... It's horrible that some of them are forced into this...” She looked down at the palm of her hands. “...And they have the nerve to experiment on those they think are useful... They managed to create a God Killer...”
“Eh, stop wasting your breath Emily. He's not into the sentimentality portion of this whole thing.” She patted her on the shoulder.
“...But it's so cruel...”
Jasmine turned her attention back to him. “There's a ton of catching up you need to do. But first, I think there might be someone who really wants to see your wonderful face... And I ain't talking about me.”
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Post by Moe on Feb 6, 2024 23:20:53 GMT -6
Chronos' ear twitched in annoyance, as Jasmine defended Mark. "Lady, I don't know you well enough to be taking that kind of shit. You don't know the whole story. I never intended to leave him to deal with this shit, alone. You think I just fucked off because I wanted to? My intent was to raise him to know what he was, so he would be better prepared for accepting the role. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant for him to-"
"Attempt to terminate himself along with me, because he couldn't handle the pressure you put on him so suddenly?" Apollo joined Jasmine, in laying it on Chronos. "Damage himself? Have frequent panic attacks? Go for days at a time without sustenance or rest?"
"What? He never told me about any of that."
"Because he does not trust you. I do not remember much, before my termination, but I do recall his brother being the only reason we are all three still alive, right now. He was there for him, while you were not."
"Look, you're both already telling me shit I already know. I know I've been a shit dad. I know I wasn't there when I should've been. I didn't...I didn't know I fucked him up that bad, though. You don't have to make me feel worse, about it." Chronos shouted as he slammed the pot of coffee down on the table, and sighed heavily. "I'm not immortal, anymore. I want to spend what's left of my life, making things right and reconnecting with my family. All of them." he said as he eyed Apollo, causing the robot to tilt his head to the side, curious as to what that meant. "Please. Just let me deal with this, with my family. Not throwing it all out in the open for everyone berate me about."
"Oh. Then I should apologize. I may have made a call to your ex-wife, as you were avoiding the topic of informing me who I used to be. I thought maybe she knew something. She did not. She seemed very angry about you being in town, however. I am afraid she might attempt murder. Has she done that before? Is that the reason you left?" Apollo asked, genuinely, tilting his head to the side.
"You. Did. What." Chronos said, flatly. "Yes, actually! Except this time I can actually be murdered! I mean, she used to be a superhero so I don't think she actually has it in her, but she can sure as hell put the fear of god into you!"
"I'm aware. It works. I am afraid of her. Before Hope arrives and terminates you, could you at least make me a new brain? Mark said it has to be work like an organic one would, but be synthetic. He said you would know how."
"Just as blunt as always." Chronos sighed, and took another long chug of coffee, which was still hot enough that steam came from his mouth as he drank it. "Apollo used to be, and still is, my father. Or his consciousness copied into a synthetic brain. That's why I never went back in time to prevent him from being built. So, yeah. The destruction of the planet was my fault, because I didn't want to watch my dad die, twice. There's the story. You all happy, now?"
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Post by Banshee on Feb 7, 2024 10:15:45 GMT -6
“Mhm.” Jasmine said in disbelief as Chronos spilled out to her. With how bitter he suddenly got over her comment, she knew that she touched a nerve. Or maybe, yanked on it. Either way, she wasn’t believing his claim and only saw it as a bunch of excuses from someone trying to cover up the stone-cold truth. To her, he was just a Dead-Beat Father trying to preserve his dignity.
Then Apollo stepped in, rattling off the truths about Mark. Jasmine smirked as the two interacted. She even made a mental note to give an upgrade to Apollo, if he wished it. This was because he had instantly won some brownie points over his defense of Mark.
Then Apollo apologized for calling Hope over and told him that she was pretty much raging on the other end of the line. Jasmine then smirked when Chronos was struck by fear as the realization of him being capable of death. “Thank you for telling me that. Now I can kill you if you act like a Jackass to my friend and his family. And don’t worry, another death on my record isn’t going to tarnish it anyway.”
While Apollo spoke to Chronos, Emily hissed at Jasmine; “J-Jasmine... Be a little more...empathic.”
She brought her hand to her chin and tapped it a few times. It was as if she were really trying to think her thoughts through. When she reached a conclusion, she inhaled and said; “Nooo. And it’s empathetic.”
“What do you mean by another death? You’ve killed before?” Emily frowned.
“Probably. I’ve blown up some stuff. Wrecked some vehicles in high speed chases...” She looked to Emily and said; “Though with that said, it’s all probably nothing as bad as you and your boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?”
Jasmine flatly looked at her. “Jet?”
“But he’s just a friend.”
“Oh, I see where Nox gets it from now...” Jasmine rolled her eyes.
When Chronos finished his speech about why he didn’t want to see his Father die again, Jasmine didn’t seem too interested with his story. But Emily nodded to him, showing some form of forgiveness to him. “It’s understandable. I was in a similar situations with...my boys actually. Kind of. I just...uh...didn’t build anything.”
“Happy is a bit of a stretch, pal.” Jasmine said to him. “But I’ll keep you entertained and say that I’m ecstatic that we got through the roughest parts of our introduction.”
Emily rolled her eyes and said; “Chronos, was it? I’m sorry. Jasmine is always like this. She’s brash as she is blunt. It’s not easy to get along with her but she does mean well.”
“Oh, let the cat out of the bag. Why don’t you...” Jasmine hissed at her.
“What...cat? You have a cat?”
Before Jasmine could respond, Jet kicked open the door. This caused Emily to nearly jump out of her robotic skin and Jasmine actually flinched and readied herself for a fight. But only lowered her defenses when Jet laughed at their reactions.
“So I was outside, minding my own business. Then this angry but beautiful lady approached me and asked if I could bring her here. Or I think that’s what she meant. I don’t speak her Native Language. But here she is!” He stepped towards the side to allow Hope to make her appearance known.
“Oh...this is gonna be good.” Jasmine said as she sat down on top of a nearby desk.
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Post by Moe on Feb 8, 2024 1:59:44 GMT -6
"I like you, Emily. You're alright. Not like that one." Chronos pointed at Jasmine. "You can judge me all you want, but don't think for a second that I don't care about Mark. Alex, too. Hell, I still have feelings for Hope, despite what happened. Now, about you," he turned his attention back to Apollo, who seemed to be glitching, and unable to speak. "Guess the temporary storage couldn't process the information. I'll have to get to work on that new brain-"
"ꈵꁝꁲꌅꊿꃔ." Apollo said, clearly glitching and having difficulty speaking. "ɎØɄⱤ ฿łⱤ₮Ⱨ ₦₳₥Ɇ, ₩₳₴ .uoɹɐɥꓘ"
"Wait. You remember...how-" Chronos didn't get a chance to finish asking, before Jet came barging in with an angry Hope following behind him.
"YOU." she shouted angrily, pointing her sandal at him. "¡Tienes mucho valor para aparecer aquí! ¡Mentiroso, inútil, blasfemo, hijo de puta!"
"Oh! Great! Let's just all lay it on me, today!" Chronos threw his hands up in the air, and got up to head into the server room where Apollo was being stored. "You know what, I don't feel like this, today. I am going to go do science shit, and if anyone has anything else to say to me, save it for after I deal with my father." he started to storm off, but felt the very distinct impact of a shoe hitting the back of his head.
"No te atrevas a alejarte de mí cuando te hablo, pendejo." Hope gave him a death glare, as she pulled off her other shoe.
"Did you teach our kids that kind of language?" Chronos sighed, not bothering to turn around to face her. "Look, I know you're pissed. I know you told me to stay out of their lives. But they're adults now, and I think that should be their decision. Mark has been keeping in touch. Somewhat. He's making an effort at least and that's more than I deserve. I want to be a part of our grandkids' lives, Hope. So let Mark and Alex make that decision, okay?"
"You think you can just walk right back into their lives, and everything is going to be okay? You have no idea what you've done to him. What you've done to all of us."
"I don't think it's fair to put all of the blame on me. You're the one who kicked me out and threatened me, remember?" Chronos shot back, still not turning around.
"¿Cómo te atreves a culparme?!" Hope said through her teeth.
"I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying that it isn't fair to bitch at me for not being a part of my kids' lives, when you made it very clear that you didn't want me to be!" Chronos snapped back, finally turning to face her. "Look, I didn't come here to fight. I came here to find out why and how in the fuck our son combined two entirely different planes of existence. That wasn't in his job description. Now I have to deal with all of you berating me for being a shit dad, while dealing with my own dad. Who's technically dead, but still sitting on the sofa over there, barely hanging on to a corrupted string of code. So thanks for all of the trauma dumping, everyone. Great show. Really appreciate it."
Hope winced slightly as Chronos stormed off, slamming the door shut behind him, causing the glass to warble and nearly crack. She took a moment to soak everything in and process the moment, before taking a deep breath and breathing out, slowly. She sat next to the avatar of the glitching Apollo, and placed her hand gently on his shoulder.
"Marcus told me you used to be somebody. Did he know?" she tried to ask him, but only static and electronic pops and buzzes came out. She gave him an expression of sadness, empathizing more with him than she did with Chronos. Finally, it clicked that there were others in the room that she hadn't yet been formally introduced to. "Hola." she gave them a nervous smile. "I am Marcus and Alejandra's mama. He's told me a lot about you. It's nice to finally meet you, in person. I apologize for their cabrón of a father."
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Post by Banshee on Feb 8, 2024 9:19:20 GMT -6
Jet had no idea what sort of contents he released when he opened Pandora’s box. He stood in the back, watching the chaos unfold before him. The angry woman, screaming hispanic words at Chronos, who seemed more angry over the fact that everyone was suddenly ganging up on him. Jet slowly glanced over to Emily and Jasmine to see how they were handling it. But not much to his surprise, Jasmine seemed unbothered by it all and Emily looked a bit nervous. He had the urge to go over to Emily, but even he wasn’t sure if that was a good idea.
“What did I just walk into...” Jet questioned but got no response.
After Chronos stormed out, Emily said to Jasmine; “...Jasmine...”
Jasmine said with a shrug, “If he thought for one damn moment that he’d be entering Mark’s domain and expect to be showered with happiness and praise, then he’s more jaded than I thought. I ain’t here to worship him. Besides, after all the crap he forced that boy through with hardly any damn guidance? He doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment in my book. That’s not what a parent does to their kid.”
She held her hands out and acted as if she dropped something in someone’s hands; “I’m bored of my job, here you go kid. Have some God powers and the title. Have fun. While I screw off somewhere and you struggle.” Jasmine let her hands fall to her sides. She sarcastically said; “Sounds like a good Dad to me.”
“Everyone deserves another chance though...”
“Everyone?” Jasmine quirked a brow at Emily. “Sure. If he starts showing that he’s changing, then maybe I’ll be less hard on him. But until then, we’re not friends and will never be.”
Jasmine then turned her attention to Hope as she sheepishly introduced herself to the group. Her irritated expression quickly dissolved into a more genuine and softer appearance. Jasmine gave her a small smile and said; “Greetings. The name is Jasmine. I met Mark on a Shuttle a while back. My robot named Tex is around here too but she’s just currently entertaining my children while this fire burned.”
“I am Emily.” She said with a quick smile. “I am...Nox and Lux’s actual Mother. And that’s my friend Jet.”
“Privet.” (Hello) Jet said with a wave.
“Mark told me that you have amazing skills in making food. I’d love to try some, at some point. If that’s not too much of a bother.” Jasmine said as she walked over to see Apollo glitching. She frowned at his sight and added; “I’m...still learning about Apollo’s kind. He’s not quite like the AIs that I’m used to working with... So...as much as I loathe the idea of it, if Chronos knows how to fix him then...yeah...” She shook her head. “Take him out of the situation he was in, he actually turned out to be quite a help and a good addition to this crazy crew.”
Emily and Jet walked over to them. Quickly, Emily asked; “Is there something you’d like, Ma’am? I can get you some water!”
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Post by Moe on Feb 8, 2024 19:38:29 GMT -6
Hope scrunched her face when Jasmine mentioned Mark being a god, but she didn't want to start any more drama than what had already been started. "I believe in what I believe in. What I believe in, is not what Jay or Chronos or whatever he's calling himself these days, says I should believe in. I didn't come here to start any religious debates, though." she said as she took Jasmine's hands and patted them, in a motherly manner. "And I appreciate your compliments. I told Ikuki I would make her a big meal when she gets home. Got to stay strong and healthy for the babies. I'm sure I have enough to share with you, too."
She then turned her attention to Jet and Emily, nothing that neither of them looked quite...organic. "No, no! Don't worry about me! This is my son's business and that makes you guests. I should be worrying about you! Do you eat? I can make whatever you want, if you eat." she gently patted Emily's cheeks. "Nox and Lux are like sons to me, so that makes you family, too." she said, smiling sweetly at her.
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Chronos, meanwhile, was angrily trying to get Apollo back online all the while mumbling to himself about everyone ganging up on him. "They don't know me. They don't know my family. They don't know shit." he grumbled, just before punching one of the computers as hard as he could. "Stupid primitive....come on, Mark. You're smarter than this."
Apollo tried to speak, but all that came out was a warbled mess.
"None of this was supposed to happen. You never remembered anything, before. What changed? Why did you start remembering things, now?" he sighed, not expecting Apollo to reply.
"฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ ₥y hold from Alpha has been broken. He is no longer controlling me. I am no longer programmed to be blind to magic."
It took Chronos by surprise when Apollo rebooted, having heard everything that he was saying.
"Hello, Kharon. It is good to see you, again. How long has it been? Although some memories are returning, I do not recall anything after my death, in regards to you. My organic death, that is. Also, please do not insult Mark's intelligence. He has been doing the best with what he's been given."
At first, Chronos couldn't think of the right thing to say. He hadn't spoken to his dad, in thousands of years. At least, not as father and son. "Hey, Dad." he finally said, trying to hold back a lot of different emotions.
"Hm. I see where Mark gets it from. It is okay to feel. I am sure if my current host had efficient space to allow for more emotions, I would be feeling something more, as well."
"Yeah..." Chronos said, still trying to swallow his emotions. "I'll get that fixed, soon enough. So. Alpha's the one who's been pulling the strings, huh? Should've known. He always did try to take all the credit. You weren't supposed to be some hot new AI for everyone to use. You were my dad, and he took that away from me and marketed you. If he ever shows his stupid lizard face again, I swear I'll-"
"Can we not worry about him, right now? Mark has taught me many things about humanity and their worldviews. One of which is that the past is in the past, and that's where it should stay. We shouldn't worry about our past, and focus on making a better future for those we care about."
"He gets that from you, y'know." Chronos sighed, as he sat down on the floor and leaned his back against one of the giant servers. "He gets a lot, from you. His curiosity, his humor, his kindness. Kind of funny that he's teaching all of your morals right back to you." he laughed, before his face fell flat again. "I really screwed up everything you tried to teach me. I was as shitty of a son as I was a father."
"We all make mistakes. My mistakes were on a cosmic scale, so at least you haven't messed up that badly."
"Not from a technical standpoint, but my family is my world, and by screwing them up so bad, I might as well have screwed up the whole world."
"Then you should tell them that."
"I'm pretty sure the damage is already done. Mark's been trying, Alex wants to reconnect but won't for Mark's sake, and I'm pretty sure my ex-wife could legitimately murder me with a shoe if she really wanted to. Nah, there's no sense in opening up old wounds. My priority right now is to get you functioning properly, so you can have the capacity for emotions and memories." he hopped up from the floor, and began heading to the research portion.
"I appreciate you trying to help me, Kharon, but I should not be your priority."
"Well my kids aren't here and Hope isn't exactly happy to see me, so it's not like I have anything better to do. And for the sake of everyone else here, just call me Chronos. It was a whole thing back in ancient Greece, when Greece still existed. I kinda liked it so I started going by that name for so long that I sort of forgot what my real name was. Anyway, point is that's the only name everyone else here knows me by. So, with that out of the way, let's make a brain."
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Post by Banshee on Feb 8, 2024 21:17:04 GMT -6
Hope patted Jasmine’s hands and ensured her that she wasn’t going to go into religious debates. She could only smirk and say; “Eh, it wouldn’t be fun for you anyways. I don’t believe in practiced religion. Most of my opinions usually get ignored anyways, so it’s a good thing you’re not here for that.” She laughed a little bit. “It’s still nice to see Mark gets his kindness from you. Even if you do like to wave those uh...shoes around in a threatening manner.”
Emily rubbed the back of her head. “Well...I uh...um… You just got here! So that’s why I figured to offer it to you…” Then Hope patted her cheeks and Emily gave her an unsure smile. “Thank you. I wish I can spend more time with them but...Nox is out there helping Mark save the world...and Lux? He’s…well...”
“I haven’t heard much from that boy.” Jet said in dismay. “I really thought he’d make himself seen a lot more…”
Emily clearly had something to say about the topic but she remained awkwardly silent about it. But then decided to answer Hope’s question about whether or not they ate. “We can actually eat. But unlike you and Jasmine, food to us is a luxury and not a necessity. Our uh...power core just uses it as fuel, though it’s not as efficient as Solar energy or just being plugged in. But we are equipped with being able to taste! Though, I don’t know how accurate it is!”
“I could use a good meal.” Jasmine said out loud. “Hey, why don’t we make something together?” She offered to Hope. “I don’t dare let Jet in the kitchen. And Emily is a bit clumsy.”
“It’s okay. I need to uh...tend to the flowers outside for a moment.” Emily said as she bowed and backed out of the room rather quickly.
Jasmine raised a brow at her. “Weird...She’s normally a bit more excited about helping. Eh, whatever. I’ll show you to the kitchen, Hope.” She said with a shrug and walked away from the room.
Jet debated on checking on Emily. Her actions were a bit strange. Even for her standards. So he followed her out instead to see if she was going to be okay. And as she stated, Emily was crouched down to the ground, tending to her small vegetable garden. At first, Jet wasn’t sure if he wanted to approach her or not. But then he decided that he just didn’t care about whether or not she wanted him around.
“So, you are acting weird. Is something wrong? Do I need to punch a guy?” He pounded his hand into his fist.
“N-No...I just um...wanted to tend the garden…”
“You speak as if you have something you want to talk about but can’t. Is Cornelia Corp still attached to you?” He asked as he walked over to her.
“It’s…” She looked up at him and froze. The words couldn’t escape her mouth and she clamped her jaw shut out of annoyance. “I am fine. Just a lot of things that needs to be processed and I’m still trying to understand it all. I’m sure you understand.”
Jet paused for a moment and said; “NOPE! I usually just hit things until it makes sense for me.”
“...Brute strength won’t help this case, Jet. I can promise you.”
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Post by Moe on Feb 10, 2024 14:17:19 GMT -6
While Chronos was working on Apollo, Hope was busy downstairs making dinner for everyone. As the hours grew later and the food began to get cold, Chronos still hadn't showed himself. She sighed, not wanting to interact with him at all, but she wasn't going to let him keep working all night without dinner. If Mark was anything like him, which she knew he was, then Chronos would most likely be in the production wing already busy on Apollo's new shell.
She took the elevator upstairs, finding him exactly where she figured he would be. He was busy working tediously on what could only be described as a robotic-looking brain. It looked like an organic brain, but had glowing lights of blue firing within it, and it seemed to be connected to some kind of metallic fluid. It was a disturbing sight to say the least, but she didn't understand robotics enough to judge it.
"Here." she said, placing the plate of food next to Chronos. It was barely lukewarm, but she wasn't heartless enough to serve it completely ice-cold. "Marcus gets this from you. So focused on his work that he doesn't eat. It's any wonder how he hasn't just wasted away."
Chronos didn't say anything to her, and she didn't say anything in return. She started to walk away and leave him to his work, but Apollo couldn't stand the tension between them.
"Tell her." he spoke to Chronos.
Hope stopped and turned back, curious.
"There's nothing to tell." Chronos replied, not looking away from his work.
"If you do not, then I will."
"I said there's nothing to tell-"
Apollo grew frustrated, and began to play back what Chronos had told him earlier. "...my family is my world, and by screwing them up so bad, I might as well have screwed up the whole world." The recording played back for Hope to hear, very clearly in Chronos' voice.
Chronos grew frustrated, almost making a mistake on Apollo's new brain. "You had no right-"
"I gave you warning, beforehand."
"Nnnh...that you did." Chronso sighed, dropping his tools onto the table and leaning back in his chair. "Hope, I didn't come here to start a fight. Mark's been letting me see Tiffany, and I don't want to stop being able to spend time with my granddaughter because you and I can't put our differences aside. I know I fucked up, okay? I ruined the best thing that's happened to me, in ten-thousand years. You don't have to keep throwing it in my face. Can we please just...try to stay civil, for Tiff's sake?"
"Hm." Hope huffed at him. "Fine. For her sake. But that doesn't mean we're going to be friends." she said as she started walking off, once again.
"Thanks for the food." Chronos said to her before she left the room. "I've met a lot of chefs in my lifetime, but your cooking was always my favorite."
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Post by Banshee on Feb 11, 2024 7:20:25 GMT -6
Dinner was amazing and Jasmine made sure Hope knew about it. Then when everyone was done, Jasmine offered to clean up. While doing so, Tonka and Arrow wanted to help her out by washing and drying the dishes as they came. The three of them were actually having fun doing the dishes together as they exchanged jokes and sarcastic comments to one another.
Meanwhile, Emily had disappeared. Suspicious of what was going on in her head, Jet searched the labs for her. She wasn’t in the lobby. Wasn’t in any of the labs and wasn’t in any of the tool storage areas. But there was one room that he knew Emily liked being in.
It was a botanical lab. For some reason, the woman absolutely loved tending flowers and herbs. Jet never understood the fascination over it but then again, he didn’t know the importance that some flowers and herbs had. And so, he walked into this room in search for his friend.
It took a few moments before Jet spotted Emily sitting against the greenhouse wall, talking to Tex. And while Tex wasn’t exactly the most friendliest of robots, she did appear to be trying to talk with her. At first, Jet figured he might ruin their moment and decided to turn away but as he did, Tex caught him.
“You’re a bull in a china shop.” Tex said to him.
“Yeah? Well they make the best noises when you drop them.” Jet snorted as he decided to walk over anyway. “I saw you guys chatting and didn’t want to interrupt.”
“Jet, you’re more than welcome to talk to me.” Emily said to him.
He stood beside Tex and glanced down at her. It always shocked him with how tiny Tex was. She was a tightly packed robot filled with a lot of power. And yet, she was so small and dainty. “She alright?”
“You ask her.”
“Tex, all you could do is just answer the question.” He sighed before asking Emily if she was okay.
“I just had a pretty sad thought. That’s all. I’ll be okay. I promise.” She responded with a small smile.
Jet knew better than to believe such a claim. So he knelt before her and asked; “Come on, you know you can tell me anything.”
“Well...I’m just worried.” She said as she pulled her knees closer to herself. “Nox is in the middle of a Cornelia Corp take down...and Lux? He’s...” Her face fell.
“You still can’t contact him?” Asked Tex.
“The only way I can do it is through the Astral Plane. He’s trying. But there’s so much on his mind that keeps pulling him down...I still can’t seem to get through to him...” She buried her head into her knees. “I feel so horrible for him. Watching him repeatedly be sucked away by all of that depressing black stuff...over and over and over again... I really tried to reach him but I am just...never good enough.”
Tex shook her head. “Life cannot be simple, otherwise it’s boring.”
Jet reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Emily, you are the strongest person I know. You’ve...been through a lot. Don’t give up on the boy. I don’t know much about this...Astral Plane thing...but maybe instead of having him come to you, you go to him?” He paused for a moment as he tried to think of something else to say. “If it is like drowning in water, reach in and pull him out of it...if it works like that.”
“I’ve tried...”
“Then do what we do best!” Jet pumped his fists. “Try harder!”
She let out a small laugh. “Jet...”
He stood up with great energy and turned to Tex. “Right Tex? If at first you succeed, try it again!”
“If at first you DON’T succeed...then try again.” Tex corrected him.
“EXACTLY!” He slammed a firm hand on her shoulder and turned to Emily with a smirk. Jet didn’t see the awkward glare Tex gave him for touching her armor without permission. “See? She gets it. And she’s a baby!”
Emily addressed Tex’s discomfort by saying; “Jet, you might want to let go of Tex before she hits you.”
He let go of her and did a side hop away from Tex. “Sorry. I forget you’re anti-touch or whatever. But still!” He returned his attention to Emily and smiled. “Don’t be hard on yourself. I...know I had a huge part of taking you away from your kids before...but now you have more power than ever to help them in any way you can. If this is one way to do that, then do it. You’ve got my support. And Tex too, even though she probably doesn’t really care.”
“I don’t care for you.” Tex specifically said to Jet.
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