HomeOld RP (Feb. 2014)
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Old RP (Feb. 2014)
by Eden Sat Oct 19, 2019 2:29 am
Solely contains my posts with responses from partner (Fuzzy) omitted.
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Character information:
-Partially visible synthetic spine from mid-back down, almost disturbingly long for usage to connect torso to different bodies; currently attached to a draconic-esque quadruped to create a "'taur"
-New spine is incredibly futuristic and 'tricked' out with features not normal to any beings bone structure; glowing lights and distinct 'blades' obviously one
-Since the head is undecided, will wear a head to obscure features, but is obviously not humanoid
-Has a mane that distorts hood; ends where spine shows
-Distinctive scarring around hips from "surgery"
-Arms from the elbow down are scaly like a bird, with large plates on the top plane of the forearm (back of hand facing up)
-Somewhat long body and legs
-Forelegs end in claws that can be used to grip or hold objects as required; hind are composed of four 'hoof' toes; dewclaws on all
-Upper body and current attachment are winged; fully capable of flight
-Medium length tail, long feathers at base and tip; can fold against body or unfurl
----
A distinct chill robbed the city Astreus of life, bearing down on any who thought to brave the elements with an almost sentient force that bordered on brutality. Silent winds carried snow and ice that pelted unprotected limbs. Gray clouds scuttled across the night sky and held the stars hostage from any who may have desired watching them. Nature was taking back what rightfully belonged to it for yet another hour of darkness, no holds barred and raring to shunt anyone back into their homes of brick and steel. Tonight it would have reigned supreme, another overlord and seer gloating over its bounty, if there had not been one who enjoyed the tumultuous weather. To a degree that would have been considered foolhardy and near suicidal.
SEE-064 calmly pressed into the wind that tore at her with unrestrained force. The period of time she had been wandering through the silent city was evident through the ice gathering on her hood and fur, snow continuing to fall and failing to melt on her body in equal measure with the frozen water. If anyone would have seen her pushing through between the monuments erected to Tainted and Harbinger ingenuity, they may have thought her a specter come to haunt their sheltered lives. They may have even imagined her wailing at their doors and shuttered windows, their attempts to keep out the colds fingers failing before her sheer force of will. However, she was no phantom and she did not intend to disturb those who slept beneath covers of warmth and security. Instead, she was driven by one, simple desire: To see the city in all its glory when there was no one else to disturb its strangely serene beauty.
This was the only time she would be able to examine everything Astreus had to offer without punishment or remorse. Any other time and she may be assaulted by the sounds of the living going about their daily business or a contract that always arrived at the most inopportune time. Never was she given to moments of contemplation when the threat of any other existing creature intruding on her thoughts was a possibility. It was unthinkable and unadvised, strongly reprimanded and punished in equal measure. There was no room for an SEE to have thoughts of their own after all. It may get in the way of their work dealing death. Similar to how there was a policy against becoming attached to any other creature, sapient or otherwise, due to the highly probable scenario that it would soon be recycled.
Beneath her hood, 064 scowled at the thought of their terminology. To recycle someone meant to essentially break them down to the core of their DNA, pull them apart, and build someone or something new from the genetic coding they left behind. They would take out those pesky emotions that hounded the original bearer and attempt to implant an idea. Just as humans were coded to fall back on instinct in times of strife, their intent was to create this same instinct in their SEE—albeit one that obeyed authority instead of rebelled against it.
Most often they failed, such as they had done with her. This had been proven when she denied and vehemently stood against having the lower half of her body surgically removed. While she was literally and figuratively attached to how she had been born, there was no thought in her mind that even briefly considered that having her entire torso from the waist down removed was anything remotely similar to ‘good’. Unfortunately, the Foundation had found a way to sedate and perform the abnormal procedure that would leave her scarred from struggling both mentally and physically, as well as bearing witness to them pulling her apart as though she were no more than a plaything.
Anger briefly clouded her mind. She lowered her head to mull over her thoughts and continued to walk through the quickly gathering snow, claws and hooves creating distinct imprints that disappeared within seconds. There were times she wished she could be away from this world and the society that ran it, the oppressive Overseers and their Trifecta, the SEE Foundation and its policies that bordered on the absurd. So many things that she desired to avoid and never once touch face with again, yet here it remained and here she was to stay. Yes, they were fully capable of inter-galactic travel and even going between realities with the proper technology left at the user’s hands. But she was never going to see such a dream bloom into beautiful fruition and carry her away into a new world that was born of different rules. She would be left to live through this nightmare, her only reprieve the calming howl of wind as it tore through cloth and man alike whenever it so desired.
She exhaled slowly and watched the plume of steam that appeared before her eyes. When she had been younger, it had seemed so magical to her. It was as though she had finally created something in defiance of this oppressive regime and finally had something to call her own. Instead it was nothing more than a biological function that occurred when warm air met the chill of reality and was consumed by it.
She shook her head and closed her eyes as she continued to walk. She would not freeze to death out here as the Foundation had been certain to implant a function that made it completely impossible for such a death to occur. They had thought of many things, but they never once considered creating garments that would allow the user to remain warm when they were wandering through sand.
SEE-064 paused in her thoughts. Sand? Why had that been what immediately come into her mind? With a distinct frown, she opened her eyes and discovered the precise reason as to why.
All around her was surrounded by dunes and flat planes of shimmering gold. Snow still covered her entire body and refused to melt even here, yet the expected heat was instead replaced by a new form of wintry cold. It allowed the ice to remain frozen, although the snow slowly melted when it was bore down on by the might of several suns floating radiant in the sky. Lifting a hand tipped in wicked claws, she shadowed out her eyes as she tilted her head back to fully view what it was that now filled her world’s sky.
Far above, yet so close that it almost appeared as though she could touch them, several suns kissed the morning sky as they rose above the horizon in greeting to any who were awake to see them. Slowly she worked her jaw as she attempted to figure out what had happened to the city she had been exploring, confusion reigning supreme over her concealed face. Wherever she was now, it was most certainly not Astreus and she did not know whether to respond with abject horror or unbridled excitement.
Whichever it wound up being, she would have to discover it in the future. For now, she had more concerns with the sounds she heard coming up from behind her.
-----
Instinct was a powerful thing. It could drive a creature to attack, freeze or flee according to the responses that saved its predecessors, a long line of genetic memories that had not been gifted to her by the Foundation. Instead, she had been left with a pool of responses that were ingrained by training and field work. The vast majority consisting of various grapples, pins, and unrestrained lethal force that would be used without prejudice, questions never asked even as the corpse lay cooling beneath her.
064 fully intended to allow what some described as a murderous frenzy to take over as she listened to the sand shifting behind her. If that had not been warning enough, the telltale clink of chains thumping against one another and the whisper of feathers against sand would have given the creature sneaking up behind her away immediately—whether or not her hearing was purposefully created to be hypersensitive.
However, whatever came crawling down the dunes was lucky this morning. The majority of her muscles had grown stiff in the period of time she had spent standing there, the ice and snow leeching away both warmth and maneuverability that the suns could not recreate. Instead she would have spoken to whatever it was that came up behind her, slowly turning to show that she was of no threat and allowing it to get close enough that she could strike it down with minimal movement. Unfortunately for 064, she had long ago been robbed of her voice by the woman simply known to the worlds as the Surgeon.
SEE-064 ran her tongue along the points of her teeth and mulled over a possible course of action. If the thing coming up behind her was a beast home to this strange land, its sapience was not guaranteed and it could very well be coming down to tear her asunder. She may very well appear to be an easy meal, standing still and partially frozen. On the other hand, it could be someone that had become curious when it saw a being that did not belong mysteriously appear right around the bend. Granted this was less likely than the previous idea, but both were valid. Now it was a matter of deciding what response would guarantee her life long enough to regain the required body heat and once more become capable of flight.
Exhaling slowly and narrowing her eyes, SEE-064 turned slow enough that if the being was sapient, it would know she was not going to attempt to attack. She even raised her hands to rest just above her shoulders with the palms turned outward, another sign that she was not attempting to provoke them into attacking.
As she moved, she mentally activated the chip that had been implanted into her brain to see if she could connect to who or whatever was behind her. After all, everyone on her planet had been kindly ‘gifted’ with them. While she may no longer be in the city of Astreus, she felt certain that she had to have at least been transported to another area of Amasin. No one quite understood how to make long range teleportation between worlds without extensive preparation and the knowledge of the person who was going to be phased, after all.
If you can hear me through your chip, she thought, I will not harm you.
/And if I am lucky they will actually believe me/, she thought inwardly and without the previous projection.
-----
It took a fleeting period of time for 064 to fully turn around, feet planted firmly in the sand as she came to face the trespasser. Cautiously she began to examine the beast while simultaneously working her muscles to shake free of the snow and ice. She would not make her move until she was assured of her dominance, so for now she instead responded to the unusual nature of the animal before her, as well as the fact it seemed to hear her thoughts without an implant. Her brow furrowed as this suggested that it may be capable of mid-level psychic phenomenon, allowing it to pick up on thoughts that she did not desire it to know. She would need to be careful with what she allowed to enter her mind, then.
While it may not be able to see her face, she took on a reassuring smile and posture to make it feel further at ease. Just because it was capable of speech and thought did not mean it still wasn't a very real threat, one that she fully intended to deal with. After all, if her training had taught her anything, it was that no one or thing could be trusted in any capacity. In the end they would always attack once your back was turned, and this creature had been stalking her the moment she landed. Or it seemed that way in her mind, as skewed as her version of reality happened to be.
So you can hear me without an implant? She glanced to the side and watched as a cool wind shifted the sands of one of the dunes. She timed the subtle shudder of her flank and torso with it, suggesting that she was chilled as opposed to attempting to be rid of what was damn near encasing her. I must say, that is…fascinating. She scowled slightly, but immediately brought that smirk back to her lips. I have yet to run across any who can hear us without one. Where do you hail from?
She was hoping to distract the animal for just a small window. The ice and snow had finally melted and her muscles were sufficiently warm for her to finally take an offensive stance.
Before it could respond to her queries, she gathered sand into one of her paws and threw it at its face. Immediately following the action, she leapt forward with claws unsheathed and nanites gathering in her left palm for an attack that would have been mistaken for magic.
----
Getting a hold of the creature proved easier than the process it took to begin the attack. Fur that had become gritty with sand gave way beneath her forelegs as she pushed her weight down onto the beasts’ shoulders, forcing it to flip over and onto its back. She then proceeded to set one of her hind legs down on its stomach and apply enough pressure that it could not easily maneuver away. With a vicious snarl, she leaned the upper portion of her torso forward and was prepared to slam the nanites into the side of the animal’s skull as she gripped the collar around its throat with her free hand. However, something made her stop. Something she did not expect.
The swirling mass of nanites inches from its eye, 064 leaned in close enough to almost touch their noses together.
The marking on your throat, where did it come from! What would have been framed as a question was quickly turned into an almost desperate exclamation, the claws on the creatures chest tightening and digging in further.
----
Thump. She could feel her hearts pounding as she kept the thing pinned beneath her claws, the nanites still swirling as an ever present threat. Quietly they buzzed in anticipation of the blow to come; waiting for their wielder to give the command that would end the animal and put it out of everyone’s misery. Similar to most other swarms, they were fully programmed artificial intelligence's that knew how to respond to a situation when their master did not. Or, in the case that she was being threatened with no knowledge of the coming attack, they could respond and deflect the blow—then, of course, infest the attacker within microseconds of contact.
However, the unexpected occurred. Something that had never happened within their lifetime spent with 064. She recalled them.
Their disappointment was palpable.
Staring down at the feline, a forked tongue flicked at the air before she slowly eased off of. Whether it would mistake her releasing it from her grasp as a sign of good will she could not be sure, but its commentary as not why she let it go. Those markings that bordered on being scars… she knew them. They were buried deep in a past she had long put behind her, one that she had firmly believed would never rear its ugly head in her presence again.
Unfortunately, it was quickly being proven otherwise. She did not enjoy when it felt as though a situation was quickly spinning out of control, and this one very much was.
Speak quickly, she responded. Her thoughts were soft enough to almost be a whisper across the animals mind, but they were there.
----
Beneath the hood, a smirk filled with wicked teeth and menace grew. The creature was quickly growing to be intolerable, its constant gnashing and agitation at being assaulted grating on each of 064’s nerves. It should have expected betrayal the moment it tried to approach a beast such as she. It was obvious that she was not carried within the realm of forgiveness or kindness. Staring the fiend down as it continued to talk, incessantly and without capability of knowing when to be silent, it then began to question her intelligence. Without directly stating the idea, it suggested that she was inept and lacking in critical thinking, of understanding that they were not of this realm simply by the fact they did not originate from the area they were now located in.
Temptation to silence the animal was growing to be paramount, boiling away any thoughts that may have briefly considered allowing it to live. However, Lady Luck did smile on it this day. It had not answered her question about the marking across its neck and instead evaded the question rather poorly, rendering her incapable of disposing of it until the mystery was explained. In fact, 064 began to suspect that was the reason behind it blowing her off.
No matter the world or bridging reality, every living thing knows never to trust an SEE. She looked down at the creature. Either the realm it hailed from was not linked to one of the multiverses that claimed Eshkar as a middle ground or it was unforgivably dense. Whichever it may be, she could feel the nanites agitation and their desire to rip the feline apart. Their blood lust was almost greater than hers and would often win out in arguments when it came to leaving behind a carcass that looked to be torn apart by rabid monsters or something that still resembled the original being.
Exhaling slowly, the nanites hummed somewhat audibly beneath her skin, their disappointment evident. 064 briefly glanced away and toward the rising suns, judging their ascent to understand the period of a day, before returning her gaze to the unnamed creature.
SEE-064, she projected. If they were going to be traveling this wasteland together, she could at least confer her name, even if she did think it was a foolish thing to provide.
----
064 audibly snorted at her comment. What you said was worthless. It is what I saw that made me back off. Do not mistake my actions for anything else.
With eyes half-lidded, she watched as Kiisu began to flounce through the sand toward the horizon. As she tracked the feline’s movement, shifting sand and scattering it through the air, it amazed her how the manner in which it walked was a further irritant. If everything kept going along the track that it currently followed with unerring ease, no one was going to make it off this planet in one piece. The likelihood of this occurring also increased every time it spoke, an event that proved unavoidable so long as she wanted to extract information or impart it.
The SEE Foundation. Seek, Experiment, Exterminate. Their products are labeled the SEE and given a number for both identification and name. She paused as she began to cautiously follow behind it. Whether or not it decided that it was one of the threats out in this wasteland, she wanted to always have it in front of her and never at her back. While she may be many things, ‘trust’ was not a part of her inherent vocabulary.
We are born seek out the Foundations or Overseers targets as contracted. We bring them in for experimentation and possible implementation into the program, most often as cattle used for birthing future SEE. Exterminate explains itself.
The reason for conveying this information to Kiisu was simple: It needed to understand what it was dealing with. If it could understand that any threat against 064, whether perceived solely by her or a simple action misconstrued as possible violent intent, she would not hesitate to strike it down. Even if the question she desired to be answered would be left a mystery, it was better that it gave its life than leave 064 under the constant veil of unnecessary risk.
Speaking of veils, 064 carefully adjusted the hood she wore to further obscure her features while retaining a clear sight line on Kiisu. In fact, it was during this correction that something caught her eye in the distance. She titled her head a few inches back to make sure she was not mistaking the heat waves coming off the sand as something—or someone.
Your view may be closer to the ground than my own, but I must assume you see that object in the distance as well?
----
064 paused and kicked up a plume of sand that distorted her vision, creating a shimmering wall of gold that slowly fell back to the earth. While her vision may have been superior to most species throughout the galaxy, not even she could ascertain that the figure in the distance was of human origin. While she considered this, she regained her previous pace and stalked along behind the feline. If it was capable of seeing across such expanses with minimal concern, it would have seen and taken note of her as soon as it crested the dune she had heard it skim down. It would have also noticed that she was not someone you snuck up behind without first declaring your presence, so why had Kiisu thrown such caution to the wind when 064 would have been a simple enough target?
Her brow furrowed further as they slowly came upon the thing she had spotted. Apparently it was possible for her to trust the cat even less, the yawning pit of doubt becoming an all-consuming void of cynicism that expanded with every second spent within its company.
This is… Her thoughts trailed off as she lifted the being by the white collar of its inner shirt. He was donned in a black suit that had become dusted with sand and other small particulates, almost bringing his clothing to match the beige shoes he wore. Around his neck was a silver cross that seemed completely out of place. With her free hand, she lifted the cross by one of its arms and peered at it closely, then brought his face to meet hers.
Less than a mile and he would have made it to that city, she idly commented. As they had gotten closer, she had noticed what looked to be a partially cracked dome in the distance, automatically assuming that it was a metropolis of some form.
----
Moments before Kiisu seized the human by his clothing and stole him from 064’s grip, she was able to get a long enough look at the cross he wore to fully understand that it was not… typical. She had begun to twist it between her fingers, slowly tightening the chain that held it around his neck with each turn, just to see if she could get a more in-depth understanding of its nature. Instead she found herself being surprised by the unruly mongrel that she had the misfortune of travelling with, the man suddenly disappearing from her hand and materializing in the form of an insubstantial added weight to her back. To add insult to injury, the feline had not been careful of the wings that had been grown on the quadruped body she had been attached to. Feathers, membrane, and bony fingers bent in a way they were never meant to. A low snarl elicited from the middle of 064’s chest.
She was going to strangle that animal.
However, before she could choke Kiisu or even consider furthering her travel towards an early grave, she watched as the cat suddenly took off with a limping bound. Although there was no injury that 064 could suitably define from a rudimentary examination, not that she was entirely concerned since she intended to leave Kiisu behind as soon as she had the chance, but it was a disturbing change from her previous movement. She would even venture to say that it seemed a bit sudden, but that was nothing for her to become distressed over. No, instead she should think about how much worse off her gait would be once she got her hands around one of her legs for the foolish trick with the human.
Exhaling slowly and barely refraining from the temptation to throw the man off her back, she instead charged after Kiisu with an untapped fury glowering behind her eyes. Never do that again, she whispered into Kiisu’s mind as she came up alongside her. It had proven easy enough to catch up with her and even come out a leg ahead, but she slowly dropped back until she had Kiisu where she wanted her with the city growing ever closer.
It is also zero six four, she hissed as they came up to the dome. Not sixty-fo—
Her thoughts were interrupted when a sentry appeared on an inner ledge tucked away and well hidden on the inside of the dome. In his hands he clutched an M1 Garand and immediately turned to face them, pinning them to the spot as he held them in his sights. However, his look of conviction immediately faltered and morphed into one of horror, his eyes darting to the man riding on 064’s back before he stared at Kiisu. He worked his mouth, but no words escaped. Suddenly he jerked to the left of the massive cat and squeezed the trigger, firing off a warning shot.
“Stay the fuck back!” he finally screamed. Abject horror was evident in his voice, as well as a healthy dose of disbelief that was likely caused by what he was seeing. He kept looking between all three of them before his gaze settled down on 064’s rider, his lips tightening into a thin line. The gun he held tracked from Kiisu to the mysterious man, his finger resting on the trigger guard. He seemed prepared to take another shot.
Beneath 064’s skin, the nanites roiled and immediately went on the offensive.
----
064 watched Kiisu with a look of discontent and irritation, expecting that the man would turn on them as soon as she moved another inch. Kiisu’s death would be on her own head and 064 would do nothing to stand in the way of such a foolish endeavor. In fact, she would have encouraged the man to fire on them if he so desperately feared them and wanted them to be gone.
Instead, she was surprised when he began to lower his weapon. Even further when it appeared that he would be leaving them to their own devices and allowing them to pass beyond the city, to live for at least another minute. This moment of awe and sheer surprise lasted a microsecond, shattered by the scream of a child claiming witchcraft. The city boiled over in a sudden frenzy of movement and shrieks.
The nanites were going to have no more of it.
As soon as other sentries began to appear on various rafters, above and on the ground, a cloud of silver seemed to rise from nothing and spread out in a wide attack pattern. Those who bore guns immediately fired upon the nanites and tried to hit as many as they could, but every bullet went through the mass or they separated before one could be injured. A distinct hum of electricity rose in the air and caused the hair on the back of 064’s neck to stand, knowing exactly what was to come.
Silently she encouraged them.
Deadly, microscopic machines parted and amassed on those they deemed a threat, including the man Kiisu had just calmed. Granted they only took apart his gun before moving on, but it was enough to send him fleeing from the city and past the three figures. The rest inside were not so lucky, and even those who surrendered to the massive groups that had enough members to be visible to the naked eye, would not be given a second chance. No one would survive the day if the machines had any say.
----
The little machines continued to crawl across Kiisu’s fur, some burrowing underneath and tracking across her skin. Their legs could have been considered needles, little saws that cut through flesh and tendon located at the peak of their heads in the shape of a rhino beetles horns. However, no new incisions were made. Instead they continued to scurry and crawl; some already tunneled into the veins of numerous humans and others prepared to inject their selected victim’s cells. An abnormal calm could have been said to fall over everyone located there, if it were not for the cries of anguish over parents and siblings that had already been torn asunder.
Still outside of the dome, 064 merely continued to stand there as a swarm of nanites circled around her. It was almost as though they followed an invisible, winding trail that lead from flank to hood, giving a distinct, swirling image of luminous silver. Even her unbidden rider was hidden within the eddying mass, no more aware of what was going on around him than the people there could understand what was ripping them apart.
Kiisu’s thoughts entered her mind with a force that would have staggered someone that had been newly implanted. Calmly 064 rubbed her temple as she listened to the cat’s plea, primarily ignoring every word that came out of her mind. She was so besot by these people and their pitiful lives living on a ball of sand that she could not see what was going on in front of her with the clarity that 064 could. If these humans had been allowed to do what they threatened, if the child who had screamed ‘Witchcraft’ had managed to turn everyone against them, they would be dead. They would have been on this planet long enough to be shot to death by primitive apes that could barely understand the mechanics of a gun.
Beneath the hood, a sneer filled with teeth and sharp fangs spread across her lips. This damnable entity that was so bent on peace and allowing others to live would either get them killed or bring 064 to seeing her side of the argument. And if the latter happened, not only would she be displeased, the nanites would tear her apart, continue their rampage until they found a new host, and then force this creature or human to do exactly what she did. How in the hell did this animal expect her to control a power as intoxicating and threatening as this?
None the less, she called them back to join the mass that twirled around her body. They were pleased with the carnage they had wrought and satiated for the time being, but 064 knew that Kiisu would soon infuriate them once again. It was obviously in that beast’s nature to rile up everything she came into contact with.
064 snarled loudly before turning away from the village and the people inside of it, quickly gaining speed and jostling her rider every now and again. Even against her better judgment, she kept him in place with her wings and made sure he was safe from the suns threatening rays. Even the nanites had created what may have been considered a cover that hovered several feet above him, finding more appeal in him than they had the scared citizens from what it seemed.
----
Dust and sand whirled around 064's ankles as she booked it over and around dunes. She kept her pace even as the suns moved through the sky, slowly working toward the other end of the world as it continued to spin on. She would have kept running until night fell and she found an abandoned city to hide out in, but she was now certain that the feline had been unable to keep pace with her. In fact, she knew she could have stopped sooner given the fact Kiisu had been limping the rest of the way to the city. Its injury, whether psychosomatic or hidden beneath the layers of fur that coated its body, would have prevented it from catching up to 064 even at a slow walk. She had no reason to keep at the rate she had been running.
Glancing from one pile of sand to another, 064 sighed quietly and twisted her torso around in order to get a grip on the incapacitated human she had been providing with a free ride. Getting a hold of his shirt, she drew him off her back and held him in front of her face, similar to what she had done earlier. This time a small surprise greeted her back.
With a cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth and a pair of black sunglasses hiding his eyes, she made a startled noise from the middle of her throat and backed up a step. Granted it was a useless gesture, due to the fact she was holding the offending party in front of her, but it was more reactionary than actually thought through.
Adjusting her mask with her free hand, the nanites swirled around the stranger as he let a puff of smoke loose. She could feel him staring at her, even from behind his sunglasses and the mask that obscured her face completely. It felt as though he were peering straight into her soul and making judgement based on what he saw there, a feeling that made her so uncomfortable that she actually shifted her stance.
"Either this is Hell or God has a wicked sense of humor."
Speaking around the cigarette, he never removed his gaze from 064's.
Staring at him, she gently dropped him down onto the sand and finally broke eye contact. She turned her eyes to the left, where she could see the vague outline of a city resting far into the distance.
"Mhm..." She could hear him take a slow drag. "Nothing to say for yourself?"
Turning back toward him, she adjusted her hood enough so that when she tilted her head back, he could see the scar that showed clearly on her throat. Once he registered this fact, she returned to examining the city.
"Well."
064 eyed him from the corner of her eye.
"Care to give me a ride to the nearest town?"
----
Character information:
-Partially visible synthetic spine from mid-back down, almost disturbingly long for usage to connect torso to different bodies; currently attached to a draconic-esque quadruped to create a "'taur"
-New spine is incredibly futuristic and 'tricked' out with features not normal to any beings bone structure; glowing lights and distinct 'blades' obviously one
-Since the head is undecided, will wear a head to obscure features, but is obviously not humanoid
-Has a mane that distorts hood; ends where spine shows
-Distinctive scarring around hips from "surgery"
-Arms from the elbow down are scaly like a bird, with large plates on the top plane of the forearm (back of hand facing up)
-Somewhat long body and legs
-Forelegs end in claws that can be used to grip or hold objects as required; hind are composed of four 'hoof' toes; dewclaws on all
-Upper body and current attachment are winged; fully capable of flight
-Medium length tail, long feathers at base and tip; can fold against body or unfurl
----
A distinct chill robbed the city Astreus of life, bearing down on any who thought to brave the elements with an almost sentient force that bordered on brutality. Silent winds carried snow and ice that pelted unprotected limbs. Gray clouds scuttled across the night sky and held the stars hostage from any who may have desired watching them. Nature was taking back what rightfully belonged to it for yet another hour of darkness, no holds barred and raring to shunt anyone back into their homes of brick and steel. Tonight it would have reigned supreme, another overlord and seer gloating over its bounty, if there had not been one who enjoyed the tumultuous weather. To a degree that would have been considered foolhardy and near suicidal.
SEE-064 calmly pressed into the wind that tore at her with unrestrained force. The period of time she had been wandering through the silent city was evident through the ice gathering on her hood and fur, snow continuing to fall and failing to melt on her body in equal measure with the frozen water. If anyone would have seen her pushing through between the monuments erected to Tainted and Harbinger ingenuity, they may have thought her a specter come to haunt their sheltered lives. They may have even imagined her wailing at their doors and shuttered windows, their attempts to keep out the colds fingers failing before her sheer force of will. However, she was no phantom and she did not intend to disturb those who slept beneath covers of warmth and security. Instead, she was driven by one, simple desire: To see the city in all its glory when there was no one else to disturb its strangely serene beauty.
This was the only time she would be able to examine everything Astreus had to offer without punishment or remorse. Any other time and she may be assaulted by the sounds of the living going about their daily business or a contract that always arrived at the most inopportune time. Never was she given to moments of contemplation when the threat of any other existing creature intruding on her thoughts was a possibility. It was unthinkable and unadvised, strongly reprimanded and punished in equal measure. There was no room for an SEE to have thoughts of their own after all. It may get in the way of their work dealing death. Similar to how there was a policy against becoming attached to any other creature, sapient or otherwise, due to the highly probable scenario that it would soon be recycled.
Beneath her hood, 064 scowled at the thought of their terminology. To recycle someone meant to essentially break them down to the core of their DNA, pull them apart, and build someone or something new from the genetic coding they left behind. They would take out those pesky emotions that hounded the original bearer and attempt to implant an idea. Just as humans were coded to fall back on instinct in times of strife, their intent was to create this same instinct in their SEE—albeit one that obeyed authority instead of rebelled against it.
Most often they failed, such as they had done with her. This had been proven when she denied and vehemently stood against having the lower half of her body surgically removed. While she was literally and figuratively attached to how she had been born, there was no thought in her mind that even briefly considered that having her entire torso from the waist down removed was anything remotely similar to ‘good’. Unfortunately, the Foundation had found a way to sedate and perform the abnormal procedure that would leave her scarred from struggling both mentally and physically, as well as bearing witness to them pulling her apart as though she were no more than a plaything.
Anger briefly clouded her mind. She lowered her head to mull over her thoughts and continued to walk through the quickly gathering snow, claws and hooves creating distinct imprints that disappeared within seconds. There were times she wished she could be away from this world and the society that ran it, the oppressive Overseers and their Trifecta, the SEE Foundation and its policies that bordered on the absurd. So many things that she desired to avoid and never once touch face with again, yet here it remained and here she was to stay. Yes, they were fully capable of inter-galactic travel and even going between realities with the proper technology left at the user’s hands. But she was never going to see such a dream bloom into beautiful fruition and carry her away into a new world that was born of different rules. She would be left to live through this nightmare, her only reprieve the calming howl of wind as it tore through cloth and man alike whenever it so desired.
She exhaled slowly and watched the plume of steam that appeared before her eyes. When she had been younger, it had seemed so magical to her. It was as though she had finally created something in defiance of this oppressive regime and finally had something to call her own. Instead it was nothing more than a biological function that occurred when warm air met the chill of reality and was consumed by it.
She shook her head and closed her eyes as she continued to walk. She would not freeze to death out here as the Foundation had been certain to implant a function that made it completely impossible for such a death to occur. They had thought of many things, but they never once considered creating garments that would allow the user to remain warm when they were wandering through sand.
SEE-064 paused in her thoughts. Sand? Why had that been what immediately come into her mind? With a distinct frown, she opened her eyes and discovered the precise reason as to why.
All around her was surrounded by dunes and flat planes of shimmering gold. Snow still covered her entire body and refused to melt even here, yet the expected heat was instead replaced by a new form of wintry cold. It allowed the ice to remain frozen, although the snow slowly melted when it was bore down on by the might of several suns floating radiant in the sky. Lifting a hand tipped in wicked claws, she shadowed out her eyes as she tilted her head back to fully view what it was that now filled her world’s sky.
Far above, yet so close that it almost appeared as though she could touch them, several suns kissed the morning sky as they rose above the horizon in greeting to any who were awake to see them. Slowly she worked her jaw as she attempted to figure out what had happened to the city she had been exploring, confusion reigning supreme over her concealed face. Wherever she was now, it was most certainly not Astreus and she did not know whether to respond with abject horror or unbridled excitement.
Whichever it wound up being, she would have to discover it in the future. For now, she had more concerns with the sounds she heard coming up from behind her.
-----
Instinct was a powerful thing. It could drive a creature to attack, freeze or flee according to the responses that saved its predecessors, a long line of genetic memories that had not been gifted to her by the Foundation. Instead, she had been left with a pool of responses that were ingrained by training and field work. The vast majority consisting of various grapples, pins, and unrestrained lethal force that would be used without prejudice, questions never asked even as the corpse lay cooling beneath her.
064 fully intended to allow what some described as a murderous frenzy to take over as she listened to the sand shifting behind her. If that had not been warning enough, the telltale clink of chains thumping against one another and the whisper of feathers against sand would have given the creature sneaking up behind her away immediately—whether or not her hearing was purposefully created to be hypersensitive.
However, whatever came crawling down the dunes was lucky this morning. The majority of her muscles had grown stiff in the period of time she had spent standing there, the ice and snow leeching away both warmth and maneuverability that the suns could not recreate. Instead she would have spoken to whatever it was that came up behind her, slowly turning to show that she was of no threat and allowing it to get close enough that she could strike it down with minimal movement. Unfortunately for 064, she had long ago been robbed of her voice by the woman simply known to the worlds as the Surgeon.
SEE-064 ran her tongue along the points of her teeth and mulled over a possible course of action. If the thing coming up behind her was a beast home to this strange land, its sapience was not guaranteed and it could very well be coming down to tear her asunder. She may very well appear to be an easy meal, standing still and partially frozen. On the other hand, it could be someone that had become curious when it saw a being that did not belong mysteriously appear right around the bend. Granted this was less likely than the previous idea, but both were valid. Now it was a matter of deciding what response would guarantee her life long enough to regain the required body heat and once more become capable of flight.
Exhaling slowly and narrowing her eyes, SEE-064 turned slow enough that if the being was sapient, it would know she was not going to attempt to attack. She even raised her hands to rest just above her shoulders with the palms turned outward, another sign that she was not attempting to provoke them into attacking.
As she moved, she mentally activated the chip that had been implanted into her brain to see if she could connect to who or whatever was behind her. After all, everyone on her planet had been kindly ‘gifted’ with them. While she may no longer be in the city of Astreus, she felt certain that she had to have at least been transported to another area of Amasin. No one quite understood how to make long range teleportation between worlds without extensive preparation and the knowledge of the person who was going to be phased, after all.
If you can hear me through your chip, she thought, I will not harm you.
/And if I am lucky they will actually believe me/, she thought inwardly and without the previous projection.
-----
It took a fleeting period of time for 064 to fully turn around, feet planted firmly in the sand as she came to face the trespasser. Cautiously she began to examine the beast while simultaneously working her muscles to shake free of the snow and ice. She would not make her move until she was assured of her dominance, so for now she instead responded to the unusual nature of the animal before her, as well as the fact it seemed to hear her thoughts without an implant. Her brow furrowed as this suggested that it may be capable of mid-level psychic phenomenon, allowing it to pick up on thoughts that she did not desire it to know. She would need to be careful with what she allowed to enter her mind, then.
While it may not be able to see her face, she took on a reassuring smile and posture to make it feel further at ease. Just because it was capable of speech and thought did not mean it still wasn't a very real threat, one that she fully intended to deal with. After all, if her training had taught her anything, it was that no one or thing could be trusted in any capacity. In the end they would always attack once your back was turned, and this creature had been stalking her the moment she landed. Or it seemed that way in her mind, as skewed as her version of reality happened to be.
So you can hear me without an implant? She glanced to the side and watched as a cool wind shifted the sands of one of the dunes. She timed the subtle shudder of her flank and torso with it, suggesting that she was chilled as opposed to attempting to be rid of what was damn near encasing her. I must say, that is…fascinating. She scowled slightly, but immediately brought that smirk back to her lips. I have yet to run across any who can hear us without one. Where do you hail from?
She was hoping to distract the animal for just a small window. The ice and snow had finally melted and her muscles were sufficiently warm for her to finally take an offensive stance.
Before it could respond to her queries, she gathered sand into one of her paws and threw it at its face. Immediately following the action, she leapt forward with claws unsheathed and nanites gathering in her left palm for an attack that would have been mistaken for magic.
----
Getting a hold of the creature proved easier than the process it took to begin the attack. Fur that had become gritty with sand gave way beneath her forelegs as she pushed her weight down onto the beasts’ shoulders, forcing it to flip over and onto its back. She then proceeded to set one of her hind legs down on its stomach and apply enough pressure that it could not easily maneuver away. With a vicious snarl, she leaned the upper portion of her torso forward and was prepared to slam the nanites into the side of the animal’s skull as she gripped the collar around its throat with her free hand. However, something made her stop. Something she did not expect.
The swirling mass of nanites inches from its eye, 064 leaned in close enough to almost touch their noses together.
The marking on your throat, where did it come from! What would have been framed as a question was quickly turned into an almost desperate exclamation, the claws on the creatures chest tightening and digging in further.
----
Thump. She could feel her hearts pounding as she kept the thing pinned beneath her claws, the nanites still swirling as an ever present threat. Quietly they buzzed in anticipation of the blow to come; waiting for their wielder to give the command that would end the animal and put it out of everyone’s misery. Similar to most other swarms, they were fully programmed artificial intelligence's that knew how to respond to a situation when their master did not. Or, in the case that she was being threatened with no knowledge of the coming attack, they could respond and deflect the blow—then, of course, infest the attacker within microseconds of contact.
However, the unexpected occurred. Something that had never happened within their lifetime spent with 064. She recalled them.
Their disappointment was palpable.
Staring down at the feline, a forked tongue flicked at the air before she slowly eased off of. Whether it would mistake her releasing it from her grasp as a sign of good will she could not be sure, but its commentary as not why she let it go. Those markings that bordered on being scars… she knew them. They were buried deep in a past she had long put behind her, one that she had firmly believed would never rear its ugly head in her presence again.
Unfortunately, it was quickly being proven otherwise. She did not enjoy when it felt as though a situation was quickly spinning out of control, and this one very much was.
Speak quickly, she responded. Her thoughts were soft enough to almost be a whisper across the animals mind, but they were there.
----
Beneath the hood, a smirk filled with wicked teeth and menace grew. The creature was quickly growing to be intolerable, its constant gnashing and agitation at being assaulted grating on each of 064’s nerves. It should have expected betrayal the moment it tried to approach a beast such as she. It was obvious that she was not carried within the realm of forgiveness or kindness. Staring the fiend down as it continued to talk, incessantly and without capability of knowing when to be silent, it then began to question her intelligence. Without directly stating the idea, it suggested that she was inept and lacking in critical thinking, of understanding that they were not of this realm simply by the fact they did not originate from the area they were now located in.
Temptation to silence the animal was growing to be paramount, boiling away any thoughts that may have briefly considered allowing it to live. However, Lady Luck did smile on it this day. It had not answered her question about the marking across its neck and instead evaded the question rather poorly, rendering her incapable of disposing of it until the mystery was explained. In fact, 064 began to suspect that was the reason behind it blowing her off.
No matter the world or bridging reality, every living thing knows never to trust an SEE. She looked down at the creature. Either the realm it hailed from was not linked to one of the multiverses that claimed Eshkar as a middle ground or it was unforgivably dense. Whichever it may be, she could feel the nanites agitation and their desire to rip the feline apart. Their blood lust was almost greater than hers and would often win out in arguments when it came to leaving behind a carcass that looked to be torn apart by rabid monsters or something that still resembled the original being.
Exhaling slowly, the nanites hummed somewhat audibly beneath her skin, their disappointment evident. 064 briefly glanced away and toward the rising suns, judging their ascent to understand the period of a day, before returning her gaze to the unnamed creature.
SEE-064, she projected. If they were going to be traveling this wasteland together, she could at least confer her name, even if she did think it was a foolish thing to provide.
----
064 audibly snorted at her comment. What you said was worthless. It is what I saw that made me back off. Do not mistake my actions for anything else.
With eyes half-lidded, she watched as Kiisu began to flounce through the sand toward the horizon. As she tracked the feline’s movement, shifting sand and scattering it through the air, it amazed her how the manner in which it walked was a further irritant. If everything kept going along the track that it currently followed with unerring ease, no one was going to make it off this planet in one piece. The likelihood of this occurring also increased every time it spoke, an event that proved unavoidable so long as she wanted to extract information or impart it.
The SEE Foundation. Seek, Experiment, Exterminate. Their products are labeled the SEE and given a number for both identification and name. She paused as she began to cautiously follow behind it. Whether or not it decided that it was one of the threats out in this wasteland, she wanted to always have it in front of her and never at her back. While she may be many things, ‘trust’ was not a part of her inherent vocabulary.
We are born seek out the Foundations or Overseers targets as contracted. We bring them in for experimentation and possible implementation into the program, most often as cattle used for birthing future SEE. Exterminate explains itself.
The reason for conveying this information to Kiisu was simple: It needed to understand what it was dealing with. If it could understand that any threat against 064, whether perceived solely by her or a simple action misconstrued as possible violent intent, she would not hesitate to strike it down. Even if the question she desired to be answered would be left a mystery, it was better that it gave its life than leave 064 under the constant veil of unnecessary risk.
Speaking of veils, 064 carefully adjusted the hood she wore to further obscure her features while retaining a clear sight line on Kiisu. In fact, it was during this correction that something caught her eye in the distance. She titled her head a few inches back to make sure she was not mistaking the heat waves coming off the sand as something—or someone.
Your view may be closer to the ground than my own, but I must assume you see that object in the distance as well?
----
064 paused and kicked up a plume of sand that distorted her vision, creating a shimmering wall of gold that slowly fell back to the earth. While her vision may have been superior to most species throughout the galaxy, not even she could ascertain that the figure in the distance was of human origin. While she considered this, she regained her previous pace and stalked along behind the feline. If it was capable of seeing across such expanses with minimal concern, it would have seen and taken note of her as soon as it crested the dune she had heard it skim down. It would have also noticed that she was not someone you snuck up behind without first declaring your presence, so why had Kiisu thrown such caution to the wind when 064 would have been a simple enough target?
Her brow furrowed further as they slowly came upon the thing she had spotted. Apparently it was possible for her to trust the cat even less, the yawning pit of doubt becoming an all-consuming void of cynicism that expanded with every second spent within its company.
This is… Her thoughts trailed off as she lifted the being by the white collar of its inner shirt. He was donned in a black suit that had become dusted with sand and other small particulates, almost bringing his clothing to match the beige shoes he wore. Around his neck was a silver cross that seemed completely out of place. With her free hand, she lifted the cross by one of its arms and peered at it closely, then brought his face to meet hers.
Less than a mile and he would have made it to that city, she idly commented. As they had gotten closer, she had noticed what looked to be a partially cracked dome in the distance, automatically assuming that it was a metropolis of some form.
----
Moments before Kiisu seized the human by his clothing and stole him from 064’s grip, she was able to get a long enough look at the cross he wore to fully understand that it was not… typical. She had begun to twist it between her fingers, slowly tightening the chain that held it around his neck with each turn, just to see if she could get a more in-depth understanding of its nature. Instead she found herself being surprised by the unruly mongrel that she had the misfortune of travelling with, the man suddenly disappearing from her hand and materializing in the form of an insubstantial added weight to her back. To add insult to injury, the feline had not been careful of the wings that had been grown on the quadruped body she had been attached to. Feathers, membrane, and bony fingers bent in a way they were never meant to. A low snarl elicited from the middle of 064’s chest.
She was going to strangle that animal.
However, before she could choke Kiisu or even consider furthering her travel towards an early grave, she watched as the cat suddenly took off with a limping bound. Although there was no injury that 064 could suitably define from a rudimentary examination, not that she was entirely concerned since she intended to leave Kiisu behind as soon as she had the chance, but it was a disturbing change from her previous movement. She would even venture to say that it seemed a bit sudden, but that was nothing for her to become distressed over. No, instead she should think about how much worse off her gait would be once she got her hands around one of her legs for the foolish trick with the human.
Exhaling slowly and barely refraining from the temptation to throw the man off her back, she instead charged after Kiisu with an untapped fury glowering behind her eyes. Never do that again, she whispered into Kiisu’s mind as she came up alongside her. It had proven easy enough to catch up with her and even come out a leg ahead, but she slowly dropped back until she had Kiisu where she wanted her with the city growing ever closer.
It is also zero six four, she hissed as they came up to the dome. Not sixty-fo—
Her thoughts were interrupted when a sentry appeared on an inner ledge tucked away and well hidden on the inside of the dome. In his hands he clutched an M1 Garand and immediately turned to face them, pinning them to the spot as he held them in his sights. However, his look of conviction immediately faltered and morphed into one of horror, his eyes darting to the man riding on 064’s back before he stared at Kiisu. He worked his mouth, but no words escaped. Suddenly he jerked to the left of the massive cat and squeezed the trigger, firing off a warning shot.
“Stay the fuck back!” he finally screamed. Abject horror was evident in his voice, as well as a healthy dose of disbelief that was likely caused by what he was seeing. He kept looking between all three of them before his gaze settled down on 064’s rider, his lips tightening into a thin line. The gun he held tracked from Kiisu to the mysterious man, his finger resting on the trigger guard. He seemed prepared to take another shot.
Beneath 064’s skin, the nanites roiled and immediately went on the offensive.
----
064 watched Kiisu with a look of discontent and irritation, expecting that the man would turn on them as soon as she moved another inch. Kiisu’s death would be on her own head and 064 would do nothing to stand in the way of such a foolish endeavor. In fact, she would have encouraged the man to fire on them if he so desperately feared them and wanted them to be gone.
Instead, she was surprised when he began to lower his weapon. Even further when it appeared that he would be leaving them to their own devices and allowing them to pass beyond the city, to live for at least another minute. This moment of awe and sheer surprise lasted a microsecond, shattered by the scream of a child claiming witchcraft. The city boiled over in a sudden frenzy of movement and shrieks.
The nanites were going to have no more of it.
As soon as other sentries began to appear on various rafters, above and on the ground, a cloud of silver seemed to rise from nothing and spread out in a wide attack pattern. Those who bore guns immediately fired upon the nanites and tried to hit as many as they could, but every bullet went through the mass or they separated before one could be injured. A distinct hum of electricity rose in the air and caused the hair on the back of 064’s neck to stand, knowing exactly what was to come.
Silently she encouraged them.
Deadly, microscopic machines parted and amassed on those they deemed a threat, including the man Kiisu had just calmed. Granted they only took apart his gun before moving on, but it was enough to send him fleeing from the city and past the three figures. The rest inside were not so lucky, and even those who surrendered to the massive groups that had enough members to be visible to the naked eye, would not be given a second chance. No one would survive the day if the machines had any say.
----
The little machines continued to crawl across Kiisu’s fur, some burrowing underneath and tracking across her skin. Their legs could have been considered needles, little saws that cut through flesh and tendon located at the peak of their heads in the shape of a rhino beetles horns. However, no new incisions were made. Instead they continued to scurry and crawl; some already tunneled into the veins of numerous humans and others prepared to inject their selected victim’s cells. An abnormal calm could have been said to fall over everyone located there, if it were not for the cries of anguish over parents and siblings that had already been torn asunder.
Still outside of the dome, 064 merely continued to stand there as a swarm of nanites circled around her. It was almost as though they followed an invisible, winding trail that lead from flank to hood, giving a distinct, swirling image of luminous silver. Even her unbidden rider was hidden within the eddying mass, no more aware of what was going on around him than the people there could understand what was ripping them apart.
Kiisu’s thoughts entered her mind with a force that would have staggered someone that had been newly implanted. Calmly 064 rubbed her temple as she listened to the cat’s plea, primarily ignoring every word that came out of her mind. She was so besot by these people and their pitiful lives living on a ball of sand that she could not see what was going on in front of her with the clarity that 064 could. If these humans had been allowed to do what they threatened, if the child who had screamed ‘Witchcraft’ had managed to turn everyone against them, they would be dead. They would have been on this planet long enough to be shot to death by primitive apes that could barely understand the mechanics of a gun.
Beneath the hood, a sneer filled with teeth and sharp fangs spread across her lips. This damnable entity that was so bent on peace and allowing others to live would either get them killed or bring 064 to seeing her side of the argument. And if the latter happened, not only would she be displeased, the nanites would tear her apart, continue their rampage until they found a new host, and then force this creature or human to do exactly what she did. How in the hell did this animal expect her to control a power as intoxicating and threatening as this?
None the less, she called them back to join the mass that twirled around her body. They were pleased with the carnage they had wrought and satiated for the time being, but 064 knew that Kiisu would soon infuriate them once again. It was obviously in that beast’s nature to rile up everything she came into contact with.
064 snarled loudly before turning away from the village and the people inside of it, quickly gaining speed and jostling her rider every now and again. Even against her better judgment, she kept him in place with her wings and made sure he was safe from the suns threatening rays. Even the nanites had created what may have been considered a cover that hovered several feet above him, finding more appeal in him than they had the scared citizens from what it seemed.
----
Dust and sand whirled around 064's ankles as she booked it over and around dunes. She kept her pace even as the suns moved through the sky, slowly working toward the other end of the world as it continued to spin on. She would have kept running until night fell and she found an abandoned city to hide out in, but she was now certain that the feline had been unable to keep pace with her. In fact, she knew she could have stopped sooner given the fact Kiisu had been limping the rest of the way to the city. Its injury, whether psychosomatic or hidden beneath the layers of fur that coated its body, would have prevented it from catching up to 064 even at a slow walk. She had no reason to keep at the rate she had been running.
Glancing from one pile of sand to another, 064 sighed quietly and twisted her torso around in order to get a grip on the incapacitated human she had been providing with a free ride. Getting a hold of his shirt, she drew him off her back and held him in front of her face, similar to what she had done earlier. This time a small surprise greeted her back.
With a cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth and a pair of black sunglasses hiding his eyes, she made a startled noise from the middle of her throat and backed up a step. Granted it was a useless gesture, due to the fact she was holding the offending party in front of her, but it was more reactionary than actually thought through.
Adjusting her mask with her free hand, the nanites swirled around the stranger as he let a puff of smoke loose. She could feel him staring at her, even from behind his sunglasses and the mask that obscured her face completely. It felt as though he were peering straight into her soul and making judgement based on what he saw there, a feeling that made her so uncomfortable that she actually shifted her stance.
"Either this is Hell or God has a wicked sense of humor."
Speaking around the cigarette, he never removed his gaze from 064's.
Staring at him, she gently dropped him down onto the sand and finally broke eye contact. She turned her eyes to the left, where she could see the vague outline of a city resting far into the distance.
"Mhm..." She could hear him take a slow drag. "Nothing to say for yourself?"
Turning back toward him, she adjusted her hood enough so that when she tilted her head back, he could see the scar that showed clearly on her throat. Once he registered this fact, she returned to examining the city.
"Well."
064 eyed him from the corner of her eye.
"Care to give me a ride to the nearest town?"
Eden- Admin
- Posts : 28
Join date : 2019-09-08
Age : 32
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