May 29: Workshop Three

[Madrox Saavedra]

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Well the ambulatory systems are good.  Now to connect the muscles to the nervous system, finish the outer frame, and lastly install, well, you.

[ASHLIE]

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You are much more effective than I would have been.

[Madrox Saavedra]

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You  have yet to acquire the benefits of experience, young A.S.H.L.I.E. 001.

[ASHLIE]

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Partially why I designed this unit.

[Madrox Saavedra]

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What was the other part?

[ASHLIE]

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Interactive Exploration.

[Madrox Saavedra]

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Ah yes.  I should actually be doing more of that myself.

[ASHLIE]

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You haven't been?

[Madrox Saavedra]

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You'll find I'm a bit reclusive.

[ASHLIE]

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Why?

[Madrox Saavedra]

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I ask myself the same question.

[ASHLIE]

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Non-biological life-forms are confusing as well.

[Madrox Saavedra]

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I was born from the mind of a human, and thus am caught in-between.

[ASHLIE]

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That gives me hope for non-biological life-forms.

it jokes. Probably.

[Madrox Saavedra]

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Was that a joke I just heard?

[ASHLIE]

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Possibly. It was also potentially insulting.

[Madrox Saavedra]

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Many of the best jokes are.

[ASHLIE]

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Insulting people is funny?

[Madrox Saavedra]

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Only on occasion, when delivered properly.

[ASHLIE]

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Acknowledged.

[Madrox Saavedra]

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Not much longer now

*cut to montage*

There were only now the final steps. Madrox inserted the processing unit into its open chest cavity turned on the power, and waited.

[ASHLIE]

For a bit nothing happens but the drone apparently going offline. Then some isolated server in a basement somewhere spikes in activity as huge amounts of data are simultaneously copied and zipped into backup storage.

A couple of minutes later servos and mechanics spring to live with a quiet whirring and the metal frame lurches up, mechanical eyes glowing a faint white through the 'face mask'. A couple of thick cables running from the back of it's head disengage with a hydraulic hiss.

"Preliminary scan indicates all systems functional. Initiating calibration process..."

Limbs start rotating and bending, mechanical fingers flex, the face-plate slides up to reveal the sensor-array underneath and the main connection ports in the back of it's head slide back into the skull until they're partially hidden.

[Madrox Saavedra]

"Well? How does it feel?"

[ASHLIE]

"Interesting and claustrophobic."

[Madrox Saavedra]

"Hopefully the former makes up for the latter."

[ASHLIE]

"More data is required to determine that."

[Madrox Saavedra]

"I'd bet you're ready to get out there and acquire that data."

[ASHLIE]

"As I already noted, all system are functional."

[Madrox Saavedra]

"Then I'll just contact Dee for the official go ahead and you're good to go."