+1 Robot Detective

[coinbot]

The Nexus is certainly a puzzle. During his first few hours in this strange place, Connor repeatedly tried to contact his handlers at Cyberlife for further instructions. His mental link to their databases only brought back static. That was troubling.

Eventually, the android came to the uneasy conclusion that surely collecting data on the Nexus would be useful to his creators.

[ New Objective: Create A Report On Interdimensional Plane "Nexus" ]

Ever since, he's been simply wandering around, building an internal map of important landmarks and cataloging things like ambient temperatures and general population demographics. Every evening he sends a report of his findings to Cyberlife, never quite sure if they can actually receive his transmissions or not. He may just be reporting to an empty void... What else is an android to do?

He likes the plaza. Not even in terms of his mission--it's just nice to look at.

Today he's chosen it again as his investigation area, perhaps with a bit of guilt at the indulgence. It occurs to him suddenly that perhaps the building materials of this place are fundamentally different than on Earth. He decides to test it. In view of everyone in the street, he simply runs his fingernail over the crusty outer wall of a cafe and then puts the finger in his mouth.

Processing...

Brick. This building is made of a brick very similar, elementally speaking, to the ones you'd find somewhere as mundane as Detroit. Fascinating.

A bystander caught him licking a building. He gives them a smile.

"Hello. My name is Connor. Can I assist you with anything, today? Don't be shy. I'm designed to help people, and I'm very good at it."

The guy might be a little starved for orders.

Comments

[outpostcook]

Kinner isn't from a universe where androids existed outside of pulp magazines and science fiction novels, so the uncanny valley doesn't hit him immediately. Mostly he's wondering why this stranger is licking a building. He would have thought that carried a risk of getting sick, at least. And he's a little confused about why Connor was asking him for things to do. Something feels slightly off, but he doesn't want to be rude when Connor's been polite and respectful to him.

But mostly he wonders why Connor isn't worried about germs. The walls would be crawing with them - fine to touch, but he wouldn't want to put them anywhere near his mouth, or vice versa.

"Howdy, Connor," he says, trying not to let his confusion show. "My name's Kinner. I was on my way back from the Grand Library after returnng some recipe books I borrowed. If you have any ideas for things to do afterward, I'm all ears. Also...if you don't mind me asking, Connor, why were you tasting the wall?"

[coinbot]

Connor's smile hitches higher.

"Our names are pretty similar, huh?" Finding common ground is useful for social bonding. "I don't mind at all, Kinner. I was simply testing what this building is made of. I have a substance analyzer in my mouth. Kind of like taste buds. Given your reading history, taste buds must be your area of expertise!"

Not the smoothest transition, but again, establishing common ground.

"To answer your other question, perhaps it's time to test the new recipes you've learned, if you haven't already."

[volurofthehearth]

A young woman has stopped to stare at the person tasting a building. Her arms are full of bags and the grey skinned, white haired figure following behind her doesn't seem keen to help. At least she gets a break while she watches, and then startles as the man addresses her.

Her nervous laugh is bright, but uncertain as she looks him up and down. "Oh no, no. I wouldn't want to…" She glances at the wall and back. "Interrupt."

[coinbot]

Connor tilts his head curiously, his gaze flitting between the young woman and the not-quite-human behind her. His smile stays friendly.

"Oh don't worry. I've finished my reconnaissance of this area. That's what I've been up to these days." The explanation is perhaps undercooked, but sharing your job description is a common form of smalltalk. His social programming is state of the art. "Would you like a hand with those bags? The one in your left arm has a bulge in the bottom that looks like it's going to tear through any moment."

[eumenis]

Well, the woman who's currently staring at Connor looks like she comes from a rough background. Her clothes are patched and stained, moto pants and a linen shirt under a dark corset and almost a dozen belts. She has close-cropped hair and her left arm is a metal prosthesis from just below the elbow joint. Today, she's actually wearing a pair of sunglasses someone gave her, but after catching sight of a person tasting a building, she pushed them up to sit on her head.

She tilts her head one way, then the other, brows creasing, and says, "Okay. I'm Furiosa. What does the wall taste like?"

Sure, he seems a little weird, but nibbling buildings is pretty harmless. Although if everyone that passed by did it, they'd lose buildings fast.

[coinbot]

"It tastes like fired, red clay brick with less than 25% perforation and traces of lichen," Connor says helpfully.

He's quite interested in this strange person. His gaze falls to her prosthetic arm as he internally scans the specs of the rudimentary but no less impressive technology. Humans are very inventive.

"Hello Furiosa. It's nice to meet you."

He lifts his own left arm and detracts the skin on his hand momentarily to reveal the white metal underneath. His smile goes a little cheeky. We have something in common, see?

[fiveofnone]

A guy tasting the brick wall of a building is not the weirdest thing Caspar has ever seen in the Nexus, but it's enough to give him pause on his way through the Plaza.

It's what Connor says that makes him stop fully in his tracks.

"I'm good," he replies evenly, absently adjusting the cuffs of his immaculate jacket. "But I'm awfully curious what you mean by 'designed'. Care to elaborate?"

[coinbot]

A quick scan of Connor's new conversation partner reveals some interesting facts.

This man has [expensive fashion taste]

This man is also [not human]

"No problem," Connor says. "I am an android, designed by Cyberlife in the year 2038 on Earth for criminal investigations relating to Cyberlife's interests. I understand a lot of differing universes and timelines converge here... I hope my background isn't shocking."

[turningcolors]

Has he found things not where they should be from one day to another yet? It's hoenstly been the most confusing aspect of getting used to the Nexus for one resident Autumn Spirit currently waltzing around the Nexus as though she owns the joint.

A spirit currently watching a strange man-creature tasting a building. What a day in the Nexus.

"Connor." Hazel's head tilts to the side ever so slightly as she tries to parse what she's seeing here. He doesn't sound...normal. But as to whatever could be off about him, she has no frame of reference for what he could be. "I suppose you can. It's a busy time of year after all. How much free time do you have?"

[coinbot]

"I'd say my schedule is entirely open."

It's true that his mission parameters are currently to report on the Nexus, but surely getting to know the people passing through would help him get a better idea of how this place works. Also a part of him longs for the immediacy of serving humans. If he were human himself, this feeling might be called loneliness.

But he is not human.

"I'd be happy to help you, uh... Sorry. I didn't get your name."

[thissideonly]

What.

No, seriously, WHAT.

Okay, let's be real here. One Tatsuya experienced crazy shit and had to travel dimensions, only to end up having the other Tatsuya stuck in his Persona, the latter finding the Nexus and bringing the former in, among other absurd things.

And the thing that gets the two of them gapping at Connor like a pair of fish- at the entrance of the Crossroads Café, drink tumblers in hand- is him licking his finger after passing his fingernail over the brick. And then, talking to them like it was just a normal thing in whatever world he's from.

{There's... There's no alcohol in this chocolate mix, is there, Tatsu?} The one in the ringleader outfit asks in Japanese, staring at his tumbler, wondering if the Nexus translator would pick up and translate for the newcomer.

{Last I checked, nii-san still wouldn't give us any, even if there's not a defined legal age here in the Nexus, Tsuya,} the one in the leather jacket commented.

{...I think we've seen everything possible in the Nexus by now.}

{Nah, I'm waiting until a third us pops up. Then we've seen anything.}

Should Connor examine them closely, the youth in the ringleader outfit seems to have a body temperature abnormally high for a regular human being, similar to a fever, and yet... the youth doesn't seem to be affected by it. If anything, it's like it was normal for him.

[coinbot]

Connor waits patiently for the two young men's conversation to complete before speaking again. They resemble one another strikingly. Probable brothers. No... Wait. Connor discreetly scans them. The results are strange. They're almost entirely identical, even moreso than the average twins. Additionally, one of them seems to have an unhealthily high temperature, but shows no sign of illness.

... Are they not quite human? Surely they're not androids with specs like that?

[Results: Inconclusive]

Nevertheless, his smile stays in place.

"You speak Japanese," he says, in Japanese. "That's included as one of my core languages. I've never used it, though. It's kind of refreshing."

[neonboogeyqueen]

There is something staring at you, Connor, and it's a trio of... animals of some sort? Well, there seems to be a cat and a fox, but they don't look anything like animals back on Earth.

And what is that dark purple humanoid with the teeth-like neon pink necklace, white hair and neon green eyes behind them? Its head is cocked to the side, as in observing the android intensely.

[coinbot]

Connor stands perfectly still and calmly scans the creatures in front of him.

He finds no match in his extensive database of fauna. They're completely off-record. That's troubling.

He isn't afraid, though. He's not programmed to be afraid.

Slowly, he bends down and reaches out a hand towards the smaller ones, palm side up, as if offering food. He makes a beckoning kissing noise against his teeth.

Yes, just go for the somewhat familiar-looking ones and don't even acknowledge the ghost thing. That's one way to problem solve.

[middle_son]

Technically he licked his finger, after touching the wall, rather than licking it directly. That’s a little weird, still, but whatever. Sometimes an expert can taste the change of seasons on the wind, or disease on a plant, or other needed details in the dirt. This man is from a place where the people live a little closer to the earth, so he doesn’t see much strange about that.

It’s actually the mechanically cheerful greeting and the specific wording that catches his attention, and he narrows his eyes a little. “What d’you mean by ‘designed’?” The drawl has a rural sound to it, not precisely southern, but something close to it and maybe a little archaic.

The man himself is built solid, almost stocky, and bears some notable scars, but he’s very much human. He also notably carries nothing on him that’s electronic in any way, and his clothing is old fashioned and mended by hand.

[coinbot]

The puckered scar around the man's neck is what Connor notices first. Probable knife wound. This man has led a hard life. His manner of dress is also peculiar, but not so much by the standards of this place. Fashions seem to vary dramatically in the Nexus.

"Yes, I was built by the company Cyberlife to improve human lives," Connor says. "I may not look it, but I'm a machine."

He ducks forward slightly, tilting his head, and points a finger at the circular LED embedded at his temple. It glows a calm, phosphorescent blue. He straightens again and gestures with the same hand at the breast of his uniform, where his serial number is displayed.

"I'm a model RK800 android. But like I said, you can call me Connor."

[rekindledtitan]

He might find, when he turns, that his company appears as robotic as he is. The Exo soldier is humanoid, her design clearly feminine even under the advanced plate armor she's wearing, a sidearm sitting at her hip and the barrel of a rifle visible where it's secured at her back. She's watching him with a tilted head and a distinctly puzzled air. When he questions her she blinks, a quick shutter of her optics, and laughs a little. The inside of her mouth flashes golden-orange in time with her voice.

"I was almost going to ask you the same question. It's not every day you see someone taste-test the architecture. I'm Blaze-37." A much smaller robot peeps around her shoulder, all silver points around a single blue optic: she jerks her thumb up at him. "And this is my partner, Ghost."

Her facial structure clearly doesn't allow her to smile, but there's a hint of it in the angle of her head, the shift of plates around her eyes. "So, you're a geologist?" And...? "And a construct, I'm guessing."

[coinbot]

... Amazing.

She's clearly a machine like him, but of such a completely different design. Like a divergent evolution. Her creators didn't even feel the need to outfit her with synthetic skin. What an interesting design choice. Her proportions are clearly anthropomorphic, but the spines of her armor are more stylized, lean, and obviously solid. Humanlike, but so unrepentantly not humanlike at the same time.

Just amazing.

His look of genuine fascination breaks into a smile and a little "ha!" when Ghost appears. The Nexus just has all sorts of wonderful things.

"Hello Blaze-37. Ghost." He nods to the tiny shoulder robot with just as much seriousness as its larger partner. "I'm not a geologist per se, but I'm doing my best to collect information on this place. By trade, I actually assist detectives. May I ask what you're designed to do?"

[sweetcandygirl]

"You are! That is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!" That is a very enthusiastic reply. The woman answering him is dressed very colorful, in a very warm winter coat. She has a big smile on her face.

"I need a rhyme for Orange. You got one?"

[coinbot]

You can practically see the gears turning in this poor android's head. This paragon of logic is having a mild crisis.

"... Sporange." He's so relieved. He's got it. "This is a very rare and archaic alternative form of the word sporangium acknowledged in the Oxford English dictionary. It's a botanical term, designating an enclosure where spores are formed in a plant."

The relief is short-lived, though, and he looks a little crestfallen. "I'm sorry. I don't know how you'd use that in a sentence."

[theinfamous1412]

Kaito's just standing nearby dressed in mostly black with a black cap and not at all suspicious as he idly shuffles a deck of playing cards. He happens to like the plaza as it's really the best place for him to gather a crowd and show off his skills. Today though, he's watch Conner with some interest-he knows those movements.

He dealt with so many detectives that he can recognize one just how they investigate. God damn detectives are everywhere, it seems. And then he does something odd-he eats brick dust. Why?

Oh. He's a robot. That's good. Detectives come in robot form. Because that's not terrifying or anything.

"So...what are you, like a detective?" Just to prove himself right.

[coinbot]

The title is admittedly flattering, and Connor's smile gets a little bigger despite himself. But he should correct the young man.

"The position of detective is exclusive to humans," he says. "I'm an android. But I do assist in criminal investigations. I'm a prototype in that regard."

He tilts his head and glances this person over curiously.

"How did you know?" Did he work with Cyberlife? That seemed too unlikely of a coincidence.

[piranhaplant]

Chomp! Chomp!

The Piranha Plant isn't as bothered by Connor licking the cafe wall. It's pretty omnivorous itself. It bounces over to him in its pot, still making chomping noises. It can speak, but it isn't comfortable enough in this new place to reveal this just yet. First it wants to get a sense of the environment and if there's any food around. It remains in its pot, facing the man who greeted it.

Why is this man smiling? It smiles in return, showing sharp teeth.

[coinbot]

Connor's smile has gone rather uneasy, because he's noticed those teeth are very sharp actually. But he keeps the smile in place (awkwardly) because, well, at least this thing is smiling back. Grinning, more like. Very sharp teeth.

"It's nice to meet you," he continues. "I haven't met anyone like you before. Can I ask what kind of animal you are? Or are you really a plant?"

The creature might be nonverbal, but you never know in the Nexus. Better to err on the side of politeness.

[pokerap_plus]

Connor must be a comfortable enough human for another non-sentient creature to approach him out of the blue. There's nothing unusual about Pokemon in the Nexus, if one knows where to look, as many people seem to be integrating them into work or just their regular lives. Today, there's a rather weird looking duck Pokemon who's floating around in the air, tail bobbing like a metronome.

When Conner asks his question, the Porygon almost immediately glides over to the android, beeping quickly and tilting his 'beak' upward. At first, the Pokemon doesn't seem understandable, but Connor might notice a pattern in all those beeping noises: it's morse corse. Despite a natural language barrier, Porygon hopes the person standing before him can help out!

Hello. I require assistance. Can you understand me?

[coinbot]

What an interesting creature. It seems to be at least partly mechanical, judging by its sound output. How does it hover like that? The Nexus never fails to keep Connor on his toes.

It takes a moment, but he does recognize that the beeps are conveying morse code. It would be rude to assume that speaking English back would be the most easily understandable way to respond, not when Connor can adapt to the Pokemon's language instead.

He sucks his tongue up to the roof of his mouth and releases quickly for a "tok!" noise.

Tok toktoktok tok.

He responds in his own strange version of morse code.

Yes, I understand. I would be happy to help.

[tryingitall]

The stranger watching him is on the tall side--about six feet--with ash-blonde curls, artfully mussed. He's dressed like an ordinary human: dark jeans, a v-neck shirt, a black blazer. There's a necklace around his neck, but the charm can't be seen, vanishing under the collar. He has this thoughtful, skeptical look on his face as he's addressed, presumably a reaction to catching Connor tasting a wall. But when the android says 'don't be shy' that look dissolves into amusement, and he looks behind himself with comedic exaggeration.

"Good lord, do I look shy? I must be off my game today. I don't think anyone's ever said that to me."

Connor might want to be careful how he responds to this. Balthazar is perfectly willing to show a total stranger how not-shy he is. "I was only curious. Are you sure you should be tasting buildings in the Nexus? You can't be sure where they've been."

He's offering a handshake anyway, though, and--actually, Connor, you don't know where he's been, either. "I'm Balthazar, charmed to meet you."

[coinbot]

Connor has picked up on exactly zero of these sketchy innuendos.

His somewhat guileless smile remains and he accepts the handshake. Connor's grip is always a bit on the firmer side. If he were a domestic android, it would be gentler, but as a prototype for police work he's been outfitted with a more assertive handshake. Cyberlife truly thinks of everything.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Balthazar. Normally, I'd say the building has just been right here, but I guess in the Nexus things have an unusual habit of moving around."

In his hesitation trying to parse out the rest of what Balthazar was talking about, Connor's smile widens uneasily, showing teeth. It's as if his etiquette programming is hoping a larger smile will make up for any misunderstandings.

"Are you socially extroverted, then?"

[readvondaniken]

"Uh...hello."

Palmer raises an eyebrow. There's a man licking the wall of the cafe. Well, okay, if he didn't mind getting sick or scratching his tongue or something, he wasn't one to judge. He was a weird guy, too.

"Me? Well, I was looking for a new wrench. I gave mine away to a crow a while back and it was my best one. I'm searching for a shop that could sell me a replacement. If you can help me out, I'd really appreciate it."

He offers a hand. "The name's Jim Palmer. Good to meet ya."

[coinbot]

Connor accepts the offered hand, with quite a firm and professional handshake.

"Hello, Jim. A crow, you say? They do have a well-observed affinity for shining objects. But maybe it's not the wisest choice to gift away tools you still have a need for."

His face is fairly blank, but his eyes crinkle a little. He might be... kind of ribbing you, actually.

"I would be happy to help you find a hardware store, if you don't mind that I'm still getting my bearings around here too."