audio; un: fiona

[cachemoney]

[This pops up on the magitek a few days after the dossier for the upcoming mission; Fiona's voice is smooth and friendly, like she's quite practiced at speaking to people.]

Hey, Ophelia. Fiona here.

Looks like our next mission requires some backstory work -- and unlike last time, we can't rely on "ignorant tourist." So, because of my experience with this sort of, uh... situation, I'm willing to help everyone out, because I'd rather we didn't all get thrown in cyber-jail because one of you screwed up.

I'm also from a universe where cybernetics are commonplace, so I can help you get the lowdown on that. [Just don't ask her about technical details. It will be embarrassing for everyone involved.]

So, let me know if you need help, advice, whatever -- we're all in this together, after all. And, as you all know, I'm an altruist.

Comments

audio / un:2b

[undeserved]

[ on one hand, she feels it would be easy to blend in as an upper-class citizen, since her entire body is one big robotic enhancement. On the other hand... she's not sure she can play that role well. ]

... What about androids?

[ at least she's straightforward. ]

[cachemoney]

[HmmMMMmmm good question.]

The dossier doesn't say anything about androids, so, um... [Here's where her technological inexperience is gonna come shining through, are u ready]

Well, where I'm from, we have robots. But they don't look as humanlike as you. You might be able to pass for human?

[undeserved]

Not one with any enhancements.

[ it's kind of ironic. Maybe she can fake it somehow. ]

So... an impoverished human. What's that like?

[ she's not being disparaging or haughty about it; it's an honest question. 2B has no idea. She can make a guess based on the last world they were in - those with less money didn't have access to as many areas, and tended to be looked down on, which lined up with the history she knew. ]

[cachemoney]

[If it were anyone else -- well, nearly anyone else; 9S would get a pass, too -- Fiona's hackles would be raised right about now. As it is, she understands 2B is asking from a sociological place.

Fiona exhales sharply; a humorless laugh.] Not great. You have to work hard for everything -- food, a place to stay. Everyone around you is competing for the same resources, and there isn't enough to go around, so. Sometimes you go without. If you're lucky, you have a family to watch your back, but not everybody has that.

[undeserved]

[ she immediately senses she's hit on a sore subject; still, she listens carefully. It's valuable information, and she won't waste it - especially if it's painful to give. ]

... I see. Thanks.

[ a beat; she seems to be hesitating. ]

Sorry. It wasn't my intention to... offend.

[cachemoney]

It's okay. [She means it genuinely, too.]

You don't know a lot about humans, so it doesn't bother me. [Although --] Maybe keep the questions to a minimum when we're on mission, though.

[undeserved]

I'll try. I'm hoping things make more sense to me when we get there.

[ the mission briefing is certainly thorough - she doesn't fault Ophelia. It's simply that society - living society - is so alien to her that she doesn't have the basic groundwork most of the other cadets do. ]

This class system... It seems like it's common in humans everywhere.

[cachemoney]

[Fiona hums in agreement.] Definitely. Every society has haves and have-nots. Not every place is so stark... or so I hear. But in my experience, it's a pretty common thing. My whole planet is, uh... "lower class."

[undeserved]

The whole planet?

[ she actually sounds surprised. Maybe a little dismayed - but just a little. ]

[cachemoney]

[She doesn't need your PITY, 2B.]

Yeahhh. But -- humans have spread out among six galaxies in my... time, universe, whatever. So a couple planets out of that many isn't that bad.

[undeserved]

[ BUT THAT'S MESSED UP YO!! She doesn't know anything about this topic, and she's aware of that, but still... that has to be an incredible number of humans living in squalor and being treated poorly. It doesn't seem right. ]

... Maybe. [ still, she's not about to disagree with Fiona on the topic. ] You still have to live there.

[cachemoney]

[Welcome To Pandora, as the billboards say. It's audio, so Fiona feels free to scrunch up her face a little; it's not distaste at 2B's... empathy? Pity? Whatever this is. But rather she doesn't really know how to answer that.]

Yeah, well... a lot of people -- humans -- live in poor conditions. You'll see once we get to Drakstaden. [Or so she assumes, judging by the dossier.]

Hopefully we'll be able to change things for them, at least.