Lost Carnival Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ringleaders) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
lostcarnival2018-03-21 03:33 pm
ringleaders) wrote in lostcarnival2018-03-21 03:33 pm
⇨ SPACE OLYMPICS
Who: Everyone!
When: Day 30 - Day 44
Where: The carnival, Zargon, and Olympic Spaceship
What: Things return back to normal as the carnival performs for aliens of all sorts at the Space Olympics. Or at least, as normal as it can be when you've got an underfunded and falling-apart spaceship hovering over a deadly planet.
Warnings: Sports and people's inability to do them.
When: Day 30 - Day 44
Where: The carnival, Zargon, and Olympic Spaceship
What: Things return back to normal as the carnival performs for aliens of all sorts at the Space Olympics. Or at least, as normal as it can be when you've got an underfunded and falling-apart spaceship hovering over a deadly planet.
Warnings: Sports and people's inability to do them.
REACH FOR THE STARS↴ At first glance, the Space Olympics seem marvelous. Aliens from all over the universe, of all shapes and sizes have joined together in an intergalactic display of teamwork and sportmanship. What could be more inspiring than that? It's only when you hang around for a bit that you notice things aren't exactly in tip-top shape. ► OLYMPIC SPACESHIP: This is where most of the events are held. It's a massive spaceship spanning hundreds of miles and consisting of multiple floors. Teleportation discs and space public transport can take you anywhere on the spaceship in a blink of an eye. It has almost every amenity an athlete can think of: multiple gyms, practice arenas, saunas, etc. Likewise, there are plenty of things for civilians and spectators: merchandise stands, shopping malls, grocery stores, and television screens everywhere so people can watch the event. Shuttles to and from Zargon arrive on a regular basis. ► ZARGON: Facility wise, Zargon itself is less impressive than Olympic Spaceship. The carnival and the athlete's village comprise most of the habitable areas. Both are concealed underneath a large biodome, the main thing making the area livable. Enterprising Zargonites have set up stands that let people explore outside of the biodome. Rent a spacesuit and you too can enjoy Zargon's natural wonders, such as the distant red plateaus and the stunning solar winds. Just try and stay away from the toxic mold, naturally occurring pockets of hallucinogenic gas, and ten foot tall Zargon Death Flytrap. ► 1980s TRAINING MONTAGE: Since carnival members can only attempt to medal in one event, why not try different sports to see what that one event is? There's equipment for all sorts of sports: gymnastics, swimming, biathalon, snowboarding, etc. They've even somehow brought space horses up here for Space Dressage! There's also equipment for sports that carnival members might not have even known existed: Space Gymkata, Space Pooh Sticks, Space Limbo Skating, etc. The sky's the limit! ► A BIT OF A BUDGET SNAFU: The Space Olympics is kind of falling apart. After performance week, the carnival is drafted to help out and keep the Space Olympics running as smoothly as possible. This means fixing buildings, breaking up fights, helping in the kitchen, trying to sell merch, etc. If there's a feasible problem, the carnival members will be drafted to help fix it. The biggest problem of all is the multiple mechanical failures: artificial gravity stops working, temperatures on the ship rapidly shift from hot to cold, and the snow machines for Space Slopestyle won't turn off. ► PERFORMANCE: Performance week will start early this stop, to try and get everyone back into the swing of things after the chaos of Wismuth. Athletes from the village roam the carnival, taking in the sights and sounds. A lot of them haven't ever seen anything like the magic of the carnival and it's workers and will proceed to ask question after question about how all of this works: turns out that sci-fi and fantasy don't crossover as much as one would think. Still, don't be alarmed when you turn the corner and there's a Hutt trying his hand at test your strength. |
no subject
9S' expression twists into disgust. How could they do that? The idea of him turning against his human creators and exterminating every last one of them is unthinkable!
"But they had enough intelligence to create the machines, so they can't be underestimated."
no subject
"'Boring'? You spoke of them as if they were mindless before, the machines. But they rebelled over a judgement of their intelligence?"
That sounds... well, either like the machines weren't mindless in the first place, or they developed enough of it to have that sort of will. "Do you know anything else about why they turned on their creators?"
Freedom, perhaps?
no subject
"They are," he insists, folding his arms. "Mostly. But the latest evolution of the machines started mimicking androids," not humans, "so they can at least hold a conversation."
Though Adam and Eve were hardly capable of stringing a sentence together when they were 'born'. They had 'evolved' frighteningly quickly...
9S' tail lashes behind him, cat ears twitching. "Like I said, they got bored of their alien creators. So now they have their sights set on mine."
no subject
"That was before they eradicated the aliens that made them for being too limited?" Something doesn't quite settle with the way 9S claims them to be, however, and Syrlya's expression briefly twists with uncertainty. "What do you mean 'have their sights set on yours'?"
no subject
9S rubs his chin, thinking. "I don't know for certain," he admits. "But they way they spoke about it... It sounded as if they killed the aliens during the period us androids believed the aliens were in hiding. So... very early in the war."
The machine network growing so rapidly that its intelligence surpassed its creators... Adam had said they would be surprised at how quickly it had happened. Is it really a surprise that they could have quickly decided to turn against their creators when the machines have demonstrated such frightful ability to evolve and adapt?
He huffs.
"Before I came here, one of the machines I spoke with expressed interest in meeting my human creators. Not to talk, but to dissect and analyse them." Like they were some kind of machine. He'd never allow that to happen! "The machines can't understand humanity!"
no subject
He won't debate with their ability to understand humanity. He's never met or spoken to them, but the revelation that they're actually so adaptive and aware makes him more curious in another side of 9S' war. "You spoke with one. Have there been any attempts on either side to talk between machines and androids? If they have developed the ability to reason, as--essentially new forms of life, perhaps there is the chance to achieve an understanding to put an end to the war over your home."
His expression twists in a bit of a wry smile as he considers it. "They grew under a poor example, but perhaps your people and your humans can teach them a different way."
That all depends how receptive they are to it, of course. Maybe they're as set in their ways, but Syrlya thinks with what 9S has said that they might be open-minded and curious enough for it to work.
no subject
9S scoffs folding his arms while his tail lashes furiously behind him. "Teach the machines? Impossible. They're not interested in understanding. They want to take humans apart, as if the essence of humanity can be studied like an animal!"
Teach a machine? Unlikely!
Pascal and his village might be alright. But they're not part of the machine network the way Adam and Eve are. And Pascal's village aren't the ones causing the trouble, anyway.
"It doesn't matter, anyway. Even if I wanted to teach them," which he absolutely doesn't, "I'm not going back home. The war will end when us androids exterminate them and then we'll have peace."
no subject
And if peace is a faster, more effective way to end the war, why not pursue it? Why not put an end to that suffering when future generations are inheriting an old problem anyway?
Those are questions that would probably matter more, but... "Why aren't you going home?"
no subject
After all, the Sylvari has asked a question.
"Because the Commander will order my execution." 9S kicks at the ground, tail curling. "...It won't even be the first time they've killed me."
no subject
"Oh, I'm--sorry." What else does he say to that? "Why do they... continue to order your execution?"
He mentioned something before about his mortality, and his ability to 're-upload' his memory into other bodies. In that case, isn't killing him inefficient? Especially if they have to keep doing it.
no subject
It makes the praise for his performance from the Commander received via Operator 21O ring hollow. They increased production of his model, for what? Or is it something every 9S before him heard, too? After all, he had felt a swell of pride upon hearing the news... maybe it was just a way of manipulating him into staying in service for longer.
He doesn't know.
It doesn't matter. It shouldn't matter.
But he can't stop thinking.
9S taps the side of his head, the corners of his mouth curling upwards even as his ears droop. "At this point, I have more memories of the Carnival than I do of home. So... I... well. Seeing what humans are really like makes it clear us androids can't compare."
no subject
He folds his arms, fingers digging slightly into his arm. "That's--that's terrible." Even if 9S still agrees with their cause... well, he's already decided he's not going back and Syrlya can't call it the wrong choice.
He gives his ire a second to subside, tilting his head slightly as 9S changes the subject slightly. "You needn't compare. Even if you are made in the image of humans, you are unique to them."
He gestures to 9S with a slight smile. "Have some pride on being an android, as it makes you capable of things even humans are not."
no subject
"We were made to serve on behalf of mankind. To fight where they couldn't." To be disposable, to not matter if their numbers were lost in the war to return Earth to humanity. His voice is matter-of-fact as he folds his arms. "Of course I can do things humans can't."
Rita had said she doesn't consider him lesser.
But it's so hard to accept.
"But without mankind, we're..." Nothing. Without humans, their lives are meaningless. "...We're just a shadow. An imitation. Our actions, our creations, they're all attempts to be like them." 9S looks down. "If we were ever to lose our human creators, I don't know if we could continue to exist."
no subject
"You exist in the carnival, far away from your humans and your war, aren't you? And now you plan to leave it behind entirely, so obviously that isn't true." It doesn't matter where 9S chooses to go, if he doesn't plan on going home... well, he really disconnects himself from all of that just the same.
"If you are by yourself, you won't have a culture to cultivate... but your origin is not your end. You have the ability to grow, at least as a person. And you can choose to be whoever you want. Don't take that for granted."
no subject
Is it possible for an android to grow? Is it possible for them to really change? The Carnival has had an influence on him, that's certain. But can he really go beyond what his programming would allow? Could he truly live without the touch of humanity in his life?
He was only able to survive the idea of leaving behind his humans and his war because of Rita's offer. If she hadn't... when his contract was over, he'd be alone and adrift, unable to handle the gaping emptiness in him.
"I'll try." His tail slowly swishes from side to side. "Us androids... I don't know if we have the ability to grow. We're defined by how we're programmed. But... maybe there's a way we can. I mean," his voice quietens, "If I don't believe it, then what hope is there?"
no subject
Having free will is, after all, something precious that should not be taken for granted. And 9S is already making choices of his will--if he really was only the programming of his creators, Syrlya has doubts he would be able to come to the choice to leave them behind at all.