(no subject)

[synthdetective]

"I need a break from the Wastelands so I'm going to stick around for a bit. So if anyone happens to need a detective..."

Nick is a rather somber sounding mechanical man with a trilby hat, battered trench coat, and pants. He has a slender cigarette dangling from his skeletal fingers. Nick is standing under a street lamp, and he grumbles under his breath.

"I need to ask a question, okay, I'll ask a question. What do you do when you thought someone you knew turns out to be a complete lie?"

The somberness is gone, and Nick sounds angry very angry. "I've tried to reason with them, but he has decided to show his true colors." The old robot detective rocks back on the battered souls of his shoes, as he lifts his cigarette up to his lips to take a puff as if it will literally calm his gears.

Comments

[fiveofnone]

It's not the question that catches Caspar's attention. It's the detective's appearance that has the man in the teal suit giving him a careful, scrutinizing look.

"Have you tried beating some sense into him?" he remarks dryly. "It probably won't change his mind but it might make you feel better."

[synthdetective]

Nick lets the cigarette dangle from his lips, as he tilts his head up towards Caspar. The old synth is so used to be given the look of scrutiny that it just rolls right off his back.

"I'd try that if his new friends would have me disassembled. I know he's gone through a lot, but to make a complete change like that wasn't something even I would have expected."

For a machine, Nick sounds human, almost too human even if he doesn't exactly look the part.

[fiveofnone]

That dissonance has Caspar unabashedly intrigued. Looks like a robot, but sounds human. It reminds him of the hybrids who controlled the Cylon basestars. And if he is a robot, then how is he smoking?

It'd be rude to just come right out and ask those questions, wouldn't it. Caspar listens to what Nick has to say before speaking again.

"You'd be surprised at how much people can change without showing it on the outside. What's he up to now that you don't approve of?"

[synthdetective]

The smoke does nothing, it seems to be more for effect and out of habit of the original Nick's memories.

And with the cigarette dangling from his lips, Nick doesn't hesitate on saying exactly what it is his former friend is doing. "He joined a band of raiders. And he seems to be taking delight in terrorizing the citizens I thought he was trying to help."

He reaches up to his lips to take out the cigarette, and he sighs the best he can sigh. "Boy did he fool a lot of us."

[fiveofnone]

That explanation hits a little too close to home for Caspar's tastes, and he looks away a moment, expression awkward. "You sure you knew him so well in the first place? Maybe this was always what he was meant to be, and he was tired of fighting against it."

His gaze returns to Nick's face. "Was he a robot, too?"

[synthdetective]

"I don't tend to offer my help to raiders. The first time I tried it didn't exactly go well for yours truly," Nick gruffly, says as he holds up his hand. "They thought I'd be better as spare parts, and tricked me into going along with them. You'd think I'd know better.

As for my ex-friend." Nick spits the word out. "No. No he's not like me, and he isn't a robot."

[fiveofnone]

Caspar takes an open look at Nick's skeletal hand, now that he's offering. "So this ex-friend of yours, what was he before he became a raider? Did he fancy himself a hero? Did he swear he'd never hurt innocent people? Was there something he coveted more than his morals?"

Okay, good. He assumed correctly. "Was he human? Because I've only met a few of those who stick by what they believe, even in the worst of times."

[synthdetective]

"Before we met he told me he was a soldier. That much is true, never fancied himself a hero even if people saw otherwise. At least the people he was helping. As for swearing never to hurt innocent people, never until recently did I see him ever lay a hand on anyone who didn't deserve it."

Nick knows things are rough, and it is a dog eat dog world back home. And with a shake of his head. "He's human. And even humans from my knowledge have a point to where they just can't handle it anymore. But, but, I just don't know if I should give up on him yet. His friends are worried about him, and some have even told him where to stick it and want nothing more to do with him."

[fiveofnone]

"If he was a soldier, then he hurt innocent people. Maybe not directly, but I've yet to hear about a war that didn't affect civilians."

Humans are fallible. Robots are, too, but he's willing to give this man who looks like he's stepped out of a film noir the benefit of the doubt, that he honestly didn't see his friend's betrayal coming.

"But, okay. Let's assume he was a decent fellow beforehand and not some psychopath biding his time. Did something happen right before he joined the raiders? When he couldn't handle the responsibility of doing the right thing anymore?" He gaze falls back to the skeletal hand. "And even if he could be talked back into being a good guy again, you sure you wanna try? Unless you have your own set of spare parts to fall back on, I wouldn't risk it."

[synthdetective]

"I'm well aware of what happens when society crumbles. And I also know all about the horrors of war, considering I'm living in what would be considered the end result."

Nick tilts his head, his tattered synth-flesh exposing the inner workings of his neck and some of his head as he does so. He knows all too well about robots being as only as good as their programmers. Nick is just lucky is isn't a robot, or ended up a synth without a mind of its own.

"He was the only survivor of a vault, wife was murdered, and the son he was kidnapped. The real kicker is when we discovered the kid he turned out to be an old man who was running a secret society of psychopaths." Nick's brow furrows and he mutters under his breath. "Now I can see where he may have had it in him."

[fiveofnone]

It's not a surprise to hear what Nick's world is like considering that that there are 'raiders' out an about. But it does pique his curiosity. "Post-war? What was the war about?" He frowns a little, trying to puzzle out the synth's role in all of this. "I'd like to know about your origins, but before you think I'm an asshole for asking, you should know that I'm a robot, too. A Cylon. It's why I'm curious."

Solidarity in artificiality, and all that.

He doesn't know what a vault is, but it's not relevant to the story. "Wait, what? Was the kid aged up or was your friend stuck in time somehow? Either way, that's a lot of crap for one man to deal with. He could have decided to just give up doing the right thing, if that's what he ended up with."

[synthdetective]

"It had to due with an energy crisis and the three major countries, all who happened to have nuclear weapons. Well apparently everyone forgot what mutually assured destruction, and the world as most people knew it came to an end."

Nick raises an eyebrow when he hears the man he's talking to admits to being a 'synth', and this gets Nick's attention. "We got people like you, except you aren't called robots. You're called a synthetic humanoid or just a synth. Seeing we're a lot different from a robot, sure, we might be all bolts and wires on the inside but it has to do with what's up here." He lifts his skeletal hand up, and he leans over to tap Casper's head.

"As for me, well lets just say, some nice fella was nice enough to have his memories saved somehow prior to the war and I ended up with them. As for the kid, my old friend was given a nice cold nap."

[not_the_question]

The Doctor remembers meeting Nick a very long time ago now. A trial with Davros was involved. But he has no way to know if this Nick is the same as that one.

He pulls a face at the question, because maybe he misheard it.

"What do you mean they turned out to be a complete lie? Everyone hides themselves a little when they first meet new people."

[synthdetective]

Looking up towards The Doctor, Nick removes the cigarette from his lips. "Good seeing you again." This will answer anything about if he is indeed the same battered android from the trial.

"When you seem to have a good head planted on your shoulder, only to show that isn't who you are. Though perhaps I ought to be less vague. A good friend of mine decided to go raider. And being a raider means pillaging and killing lots of innocent people."

His eyes look away from The Doctor, and they move to look down towards the ground at Nick's feet. "I know he went through a lot prior to us meeting, but I never expected to see him turn on all of the people who looked up to him."

[not_the_question]

He nods. "And you. Wasn't sure you'd remember me."

It was billions of years ago for him. And now, well, 'state of grace', but anyone's guess how long that might last. The Doctor listens to the story. It's a familiar one, sadly.

"Personally, I would wonder which is the lie. Is it the current behaviour or the first one."

[synthdetective]

Nick lifts a finger up to tap his head. "I might be old, but the ram in this old computer of mine works just fine."

Lower his hand back down to his side, Nick purses his lips. "Current. All was fine, or I wouldn't have helped him out when we first met. I know my friend has been through a lot since we first met, and maybe more than most whom I've worked with before. That or the whole cryogenic freezing thing did a number on him."

[not_the_question]

The Doctor smirks. "Lucky you."

The Doctor hums in consideration now that he has more of the story.

"Then, is there some reason why you can't help him find his way back?"

Seems like the simplest thing. Of course, he had been doing that with Missy recently, so maybe it's all projecting.

[synthdetective]

"I'd point out the son that he lost, well lets just say when he found him things didn't exactly turnout the way we were hoping for. Maybe he didn't take things as well as I thought he did."

Nick looks down to study his battered feet. "And I know just as well as anyone that The Commonwealth has teeth, and if you're not strong enough she'll sink them into anyone simply for the sake of survival."

[not_the_question]

"All very good information. Doesn't answer why you can't help him. He sounds more lost than anything."

At least to the Doctor. But, the more he changes the more he stays the same.

[synthdetective]

Nick sighs and he wishes things were just that simple. If things were simple, life would be a lot easier and then nobody would need him to find people and missing stuff.

"That there is the problem. How do you help someone who doesn't want to be helped? I tried to talk some sense into him, but he decided attacking a settlement full of settlers he originally was a better idea."

Then it dawns on him, and another sigh escapes him. "I think we could have done more to make sure he was in the right place and mind before putting on such a huge responsibility on his shoulders. Especially after all he was going through. But he didn't seem to mind, sure, there was a little sarcasm but there was no harm in it."

[not_the_question]

"It's easy to see everything you should've done or could've done after the fact. So the question becomes: what can you do now? You're clearly still worried about him and those he might hurt."

He goes quiet for a minute.

"He wouldn't be here, would he?"

The Doctor could talk to him. He's not good for much else these days, it seems.

[synthdetective]

"I wouldn't have brought it up if I weren't. Right now, I think trying to get my head back on my shoulders is a good idea, so coming here was a good idea. As for him being here? No. He doesn't know about the place."

Nick still sounds as if he couldn't believe what he saw. "And for the sake of this place, I think it is good that he doesn't. But I can't believe it. Here I thought we were going to check on one of the settlements he helped start, only to see him kill anyone in sight with his new friends. I tried to put a stop to it, but there was just too many of them. And all I know is he's operating in some old amusement park on the outskirts of The Commonwealth."

"If only I understood what drives humans to think the way that they do."

[not_the_question]

The Doctor nods again, accepting as much information as he can get. Then Nick makes his last statement and the Doctor chuckles softly.

"You're talking to the wrong person if you want to know that. I mostly travel with humans because they understand things I never could."

He's not being entirely honest. It's not quite false modesty, it's more than he's aware there are some things that he will never understand about humans.

"So he's found a new group to hang with. And they approve of his new behaviour...." He trails off in thought. "Nothing for it, use this place and this time to regroup yourself. Rest. Nothing you can do about him here, unless he shows up. But taking care of yourself? That should be done."

[synthdetective]

"I might have the memories of a human, and some things that set me apart from a Mister Handy, but I'm still a bunch of screws and wires," Nick jokingly says, about himself. "And I do understand some of the fears humans have when it comes to someone like me. But the fact humans have this way of learning to trust those who are willing to prove themselves; they're not all that bad."

Then it is back to his old friend, Nick folds his arms against his chest, and he nods his head. "That was part of my plans when I came here. I can't stick around for long, because I still got some cases that need my attention."

"And so long as things are frozen back there, I'll be able to like you said, look after Nick."

i know i'm literally 800 years too late, but i've been wanting cr with these two for ages!

[torsion]

"I'm in the business of taking care of things, myself. I'll keep an ear to the ground."

She looks like she's taller from a distance, long muscular legs and thighs and the shape of her body is deceptive for a woman that stands on the cusp of 5'5". Decked in blue and grey tones, everything compresses everywhere just as good tactical gear should. A handgun is holstered at her side, as is a knife against her lower leg; it indicates how she uses it, swiftly and likely with a running start.

Jill doesn't mean to give him a once-over that's almost dragging, like molasses dripping slowly to its destination. She's seen a lot of things, but he's very different. He's not trying to kill her, so she'd say that's a good start. She shifts from where she stands, to approach but leave a comfortable space between them.

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself of something." Need then... that switch. "In my experience? You do what you can. Watch out for yourself, don't let them turn you into a casualty."

She talks with her hands, though not terribly animated in how she does it. Jill nudges her baseball cap up so her eyes are more visible.

"You let what you had get in the way, it's likely to make things worse in the long-run." She couldn't have known. She can see it all now in stop motion frames, her life changing in twenty-four hours. "Sometimes trust doesn't run as deeply as it should. But you seem to know that with me saying it. Just need someone to remind you, I take it?"