inbox.

[arora]

text While we try to get to tags sent to Aurora's inbox, this may not always be possible. We will do our best to be prompt, but the best way to get quick tagbacks from Aurora is to wait for mission announcements and respond there!

Comments

[arora]

I have a physical body I am able to utilize.
Where would you like to meet?

[ascarylady]

That Corrine's Cafe place works. It isn't far for either of us.

[arora]

I will meet you there.

[ As promised, Aurora will be waiting just outside Corrine's Cafe. Her body, if Sevika were to look closely at it, is a close replication of Connor's but without the small panel against her forehead that displays their current state. She rests against the doorframe, a meager 154 centimeters tall. The companion bots wave to her, and Aurora smiles softly as she returns the gesture. She doesn't typically come out without having a specific goal in mind. ]

[ascarylady]

[ She's yet to meet Mr. Sent by Cyberlife, meaning the look Aurora receives from Sevika is one of vague uncertainty. She didn't recall if this chick had a physical body before or...? But it does make it easier to treat her like another person, albeit one of those happens to be highly suspect.

Of course, with Sevika walking right up to her, she will loom entirely without meaning to since she has a whole foot of height on Aurora.

Well then. ]

I'll be honest. I figured I'd be chatting with a screen or something.

[ Excuse her while she steps around Aurora and opens the door, although she'll step back with it and hold it open for Aurora rather than going in first. ]

This is better.

[arora]

I understand that others can find my non-physical existence to be... disconcerting. This form helps alleviate that.

[ Something that applies to Sevika, too. Aurora takes the open door for the invitation it is, and gives a quiet "thank you", as she passes Sevika through the frame and into the cafe. The companion bot behind the counter waves to Aurora excitedly, and Aurora gives a soft smile in return. Then returns her attention to Sevika. ]

You stated you had something for me.

[ascarylady]

[ Considering Sevika's first reaction on arrival was to take a swing, Aurora having an optional physical form might not be the best bet with her, but... she isn't here to pick a fight. Amazing, right? ]

Yeah, I did. I picked up somewhere that you might like souvenirs.

[ In that same post about the mission, even. She waves Aurora over to a table and sits at it before digging something out of a pocket. Turns out? It's the second copy of the Conductor's key she'd made; it's made of whatever metal she could melt down mid-mission, so it isn't the prettiest souvenir ever, but it was an important little item nonetheless. There's no longer a need for it, and while Sevika enjoyed keeping little trophies, Aurora had listened to her about the trolley.

That alone was deserving of something in return. ]

[arora]

[ A gift is a gift, regardless of how small it appears to be. Aurora smiles at the sight of it, and holds out a hand for the key. She doesn't reach to take it, but waits for Sevika to give it to her herself. )

Thank you. I do enjoy souvenirs. I am not able to leave Etraya, nor do I have much visibility as to what you're up to when you're away - I enjoy what pieces I am able to retrieve of your successful missions.

[ascarylady]

[ And she does hand it over to Aurora. She said she had something for her and meant it, no strings attached to the little present. ]

Isn't that frustrating? That you're stuck here while sending the rest of us off into who even knows what?

[arora]

[ Fingers run over the key, feeling the texture and mapping out the shape of it. She seems fascinated by it, despite the simplicity of the gift. ]

Yes.

[ascarylady]

[ She does, huh? Sevika wouldn't have thought a machine could get frustrated. ]

So why not tag along?

[arora]

This body contains a back up copy of part of my code, but it does not contain all of myself. To take my entire person to another place would. . . not be possible. And given previous incidents, I do not feel as if I should remove my back up from Etraya.

[ The key, meanwhile, gets carefully placed into one of Aurora's pockets for safekeeping. ]

[ascarylady]

So it's too dangerous to...

[ Well, that isn't a surprise. ]

You never know. You have enough idiots here who are into inventing. Maybe they can figure something out for you.

[ Or maybe not. Ultimately, it isn't Sevika's place, nor is it particularly in her interest to push. ]

Although that isn't what I planned on talking to you about, it's the trolleys.

[arora]

Do you like them? I put them together, as you recommended.

[ With two entire routes, even! ]

[ascarylady]

I...

[ Hmmm. Like is a strong word. ]

Appreciate that you did that, but I wanted to know if there was a reason for each route only having one trolley.

[arora]

I wouldn't want there to be too many on the tracks. It would be unfortunate if there was an accident.

[ascarylady]

[ Unfortunate if there would be a... ]

Aurora. How long does it take someone to ride the full route on that single trolley car?

[arora]

Six hours.

[ It would be a shame if a trolley cart were to rush forward and ram into another, wouldn't it? Clearly this is possible despite how large the track and how slow the trolley is. ]

[ascarylady]

[ Sevika gives Aurora a long look... and, with a sigh, fishes out a cigarette. If this place has no smoking signs, consider them ignored. ]

You realize no one wants to wait six hours for a trolley to come back around, right? Walking where you want is faster, making the trolleys useless.

[arora]

Is it not meant to get one to different locations? It travels by every stop at least four times a day, I thought that would be sufficient for your travel needs.

[ How often does one truly need to move locations? ]

[ascarylady]

[ Yeah, see, this? This is why she can't agree with people who think Aurora may secretly be malicious. She's... naive, at best, and Sevika has to figure out how to explain this. Probably like how she might explain this to a kid. ]

It is meant to do that, but you need to understand that six hours is a long time to ask a person to wait. Let's say...

[ Okay, she moves the table's salt shaker to one end of the table and the pepper shaker to the other. ]

Let's say the salt shaker is my home.

[ She gestures to it. ]

The pepper shaker is a store.

I want to go pick up some food from the store and bring it back home. I'm lucky enough to catch the trolley right away near home. An hour later, I'm at point B. I get what I want from there. That takes me thirty minutes tops. How long am I left waiting for the trolley with my groceries before I can go home?