Twila@M3 - Sunday, September 16, 2001, 7:19 PM
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Medical Bay <Hunter HQ>
This room is kept immaculately clean and organized, from the polished tile floor to the bright exam lights and walls painted with soothing colors. Several repair and medical beds for robot and human patients line the walls, monitors above them indicating the status of the patient's vital signs. There are no windows here, as this is in the center of the floor and heavily reinforced against possible attack. It is here that the Maverick Hunter medics patch up the wounded.
Plasma Azor is sitting around in the medbay, looking at lil' Oko doing all sorts of cute tricks to cheer him up. That doesn't exactly work for the Reploid, but he fakes a smile, if anything to not let him down as well.
Soon after the young woman enters the medical center...although it's only to visit. Since Azor was involved in the departure it wouldn't do well for her to be the one to check over him. Not to mention the fact if any of the higher ups feel to need to restrict her access or responsibilities in the light of what happened...she'll have to give them time to do so unless there were an emergency. "Hey, Azor..." she greets softly.
Plasma Azor wavies, and looks around before replying, "Hey, Mom..." It's not like Oko would mind that sort of compliment addressed to her, and the place's basically all empty by now. "How are you doing? How was the talk with the high ups?"
Twila Peterson leans against one of the tables, feeling it best not to get too close to the reploid. Not due a lack of concern...but because of it. "Well...the only one I talked with was Dr. Light. He...went through the list of concerns that I orginally sent before I...we left. And apparently is trying to do what he can to act on them."
Plasma Azor hmms. "So... you mean to tell me that if he had looked a bit more over them, we could've avoided needing to leave and..." He looks down, "...having you threatened?"
The young woman blinks. Apparently the events of the last couple of weeks have weighed heavily on her. And whether or not she handled the matter correctly weighs on her even more so. It will probably take her a little more time to contemplate on the matter however. Although right now, it's not hard for one to see she's been thinking on it alot. "At this point...I don't know. With all that's been going on lately, I wouldn't think it's normal...more like the climate was bad enough something was bound to happen."
Plasma Azor still curses himself for being unable to help at that one critical moment, and it shows. Unfortunately, when he needs it most, the Reploid is a terrible actor. "You know, I was downloading some historic info from a nearby terminal... if aanything to kill time, then I got past some 'news' of the world's situation back 200 years ago. It's strange to see how humans killed themselves every so often without having the Mavericks around... "
Twila Peterson hmphs as she offers an almost too casual shrug of the shoulders in return. "Yeah...I know. Us humans have somewhat of a habit of trying to destroy each other every now and again."
Plasma Azor says, "When I readed those over, I just kept thinking of how odd some humans are. They kill people yet all wish peace..." He looks down a bit more. "We Reploids are human creations... I wonder just how different we are."
Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Twila? This is Zero."
"Probably not by much," Twila states, "Although there's diffences in---." She stops right there and blinks, surprised at her comlink, then moves to respond.
You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Zero: "I'm reading."
Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Good.. look, we've been having our differences, and stuff, but I decided to sit down for a think. I want you to do something. Something that I can't do, that you're probably the only person that can."
You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Zero: " What...would that be?"
Plasma Azor doesn't look away from the ground, suddenly taken by a slighht burst of depression. Nothing serious, but it just doesn't feel good.
Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Pray. For Rock. For me. For the Hunters. For Solidarity, and a united front. I can't do that, since I'm not human, and all. But you can. Will you?"
To say that Twila's features register surprise would be somewhat of an understatment. Her brow furrows. But she listens none-the-less.
Plasma Azor DOES notice her sudden silence, however, and casts a glance up again, asking, "What's going on?"
You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Zero: "*meek* That's one thing I don't think I ever really stopped on...even though the rest of me was trying to."
Twila Peterson looks up from the radio, strangely subdued, "It's Zero. He's asking me to pray for the faction."
Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Well.. don't. In the coming days.. weeks, months, things are going to get worse. I can sense it. And we're gonna need everything we have to offer. And that includes you bringing in your big guns."
Plasma Azor frowns. "Odd coming from him. Asked for any details?"
Twila Peterson raises her hand to stem of questions for now.
Plasma Azor just waits.
You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Zero: "I'll do my best to keep at it then...and not running and hiding like what I just did."
Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "And I'll try not to jump the gun. I saw Psalms 46 on TV, and I thought of you. And if anyone can carry the faith of a faction.. it will be you. I'm just the bully with the sword."
You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Zero: "*sigh* You don't have to be though. Any type of command isn't easy. I've seen it with Rock. There are ways of being firm without others misinterpeting your intenions."
Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Yeh, well, I'll see what I can do. But it won't be easy. You do your part, and I'll do mine. Alright? Oh.. and if you can sneak the Repliforce into your prayers.. I know Iris can use the help about as much as I can. Thanks. Goodnight."
You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Zero: "Night. And rest well..."
Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "One miracle at a time. *chuckles*"
You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Zero: "Ok...sleep without dreaming?"
Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Naw, if I have to do that, then I miss out on Iris being near me."
You send a tightbeam radio transmission to Zero: "I think I'll just leave it at 'good night' then."
Zero sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "I'll keep it at that too, then. Night."
Twila Peterson shifts her weight, still somewhat perplexed by this. But she seems calmer than what she had been in the past few days. "Maybe Rick was right. Maybe things will get better."
Plasma Azor finally asks, "What was that all about?" He seems curious.
"Well," Twila responds, not wanting to go into detail about a private radio convo, "just as I said...Zero was asking me to pray for this faction, for Repliforce, and those in it."
Plasma Azor raises a brow. "Wonder what's got into him for changing so suddenly.... My first impression was that he was sincerely a jerk for life."
Twila Peterson shakes her head slowly. "I...dunno. Although I've known him for almost 2 1/2 years or so. He's been better at sometimes than others. Just not recently." She doesn't add to it she wonders if it's something to do with his mis-matched programming. It's not like her to delibertly cause problems anyway...regardless if she does so inadvertantly.
Plasma Azor says, "Though for all I've known, it might just be a trick. Not like I know much though..." He tries to cheer up, "So! done anything nice lately?"
Twila isn't fully sure what to think really. So, she'll have to see what happens with it really. "Hmmm...me? Been in my room unpacking and such, and thinking." Alot of thinking. She somewhat would be surprised if she wasn't boosted back down to "private". Course, with how her thinking has been, despite what justification she may have had, it's really hard to sat.
Plasma Azor asks, "Anything you'd like to share? Any spare thoughts, any dreams... anything?"
Twila Peterson hmmms in question. "Other than what's been a major topic for the lats little while...not really. Yourself?"
Plasma Azor says, "The usual... wondering if giving -my- best is really enough. I don't think I've ever had too much of a reason to fight... Sure, some of it's in my programming, Mavericks are bad so you gotta defeat them, but.... other than that, I've never had a strong reason to do it."
Twila muses on that. "So...maybe come up reasons why you have to fight." .oO(Certainly had enough to think on about my own as of late.)Oo.
Plasma Azor says, "I can't. I don't really know any good reasons to fight."
Twila Peterson taps her chin. "Well..." she begins. "What is it the things that you love most about being here...being alive?"
Plasma Azor blushes at the question. "Well, er, um one of them is... um..." His face goes from 'albine' to 'heavily blushing human'.
Twila's eyebrows shoot up, his response being enough. "Ooooooookay. Uh...any others?" she asks...sparing him.
Plasma Azor shakes his head. "No...... not really, I'm afraid. I guess I don't love anything else enough."
Twila furrows her brow and idly wonders why is it Azor was in the Hunters in the first place if that truly be the case. "Well...you were allowed into the Hunters for some reason." She omits the "there and back" too...feeling it's not needed.
Plasma Azor says, "I was built for them. If anything I'm their -property-. I'm amazed my programming didn't go nuts with warnings when I decided to join you."
Twila Peterson certainly didn't force him...or his hand. "Azor...you're not property, you're a living, feeling being. And I wish oyu could somehow see that."
Plasma Azor states, "Maybe you can help me."
Twila Peterson offers a helpless shrug. "That's...something I can't do for you, Azor. I know everyone questions their worth sometimes. I know I did rather recently. But that doesn't mean it's not there because you can't always see it."
Azor shakes his head slowly. "Blind trust..?"
Twila Peterson feels badly for that. She never even asked for Azor's blind trust either. She emits a small sigh, pondering if she should have adressed this earlier. "I admit, shouldn't have left as I did. But, I should have tried to convince you to think more for yourself. Don't follow me blindly, Azor. You need to work on things to see where you stand...not where someone else does."
Plasma Azor says, "That wasn't an act of blind trust. In a way, you were right. I just knew -- knew you'd need someone by your side at first, and even THAT I couldn't do well." He looks further down. "You were right in being concerned, and by now you should know that your leaving made them realise how wrong THEY were."
Twila nods slowly, still not sure of that herself. And not certain what her own reprocutions will be. But, it accomplished something good...perhaps. Although she wished it was somehow in a differnt way. "Can...only hope anyway," she says softly.
Plasma Azor says, "Hope is a precious thing it seems. And it also looks like only humans can attain that. I really envy you."
Twila confides, "I almost lost mine...or it went down so deep I couldn't even see it anymore." She pauses and looks to the reploid. "You must have had some hope in me...or you wouldn't have bothered with this at all."
Plasma Azor says, "I think it was more like trust. Besides, you're my only true friend... I just couldn't..." Friend? Well, he feels much more than that, but before all, she IS his friend. "...couldn't bear to let you embark in this alone."
"Trust and hope are somewhat intertwined though," the young woman points out. "Can't have one...without the other."
Plasma Azor says, "You may be right. But I guess somehow my hope is deep somewhere in you. It''s like you actually give me hope to keep going."
Of course...as she's speaking, Twila is forced to listen to herself as well...and nearly wants to kick herself for it. She falls silent for a little bit before commenting, "I thank you for that."
Plasma Azor says, "That's my line, Mom."
Twila Peterson offers a small smirk, looking innocently guilty. "I can barrow it now and then can't I?"
============================== Maverick Hunter ===============================
Message: 10/44 Posted Author
Solidarity Sun Sep 16 Zero
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Pronunciation: "s-l&-'dar-&-tE - noun
Date: 1841
: unity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards
That's one of our foundations.. compassion. Courage. Solidarity. Without those three, there is no victory. And it's a hard lesson to learn, and it's something I needed to realize quick. Earlier, I asked Twila to do something that probably no one else in this group could. Pray for us. Pray for our solidarity, and pray for an eventual victory. The warning signs are there. This is going to get worse, before it gets better, and Twila, whether or not she wants to admit it, carries more faith in us, and herself than almost anyone else. Solidarity is precious and fragile. Twila and I exchanged some words in the last couple of weeks that nearly destroyed that unity, but I am prepared to repair that bridge, rather than allow it to burn completely. And with her faith, and our skills.. we may eventually pull a victory.. and our own solidarity out of the fire yet.
- Zero out.