Memory: The Range (+1 Light Weapons)
Finding himself in the range yet again, Skyler stared down at the target feet away from him. He found that he couldn't focus however— he was still rather solemn, and gave the target a glare. "Fucking… vampires." He muttered, getting the Markov ready for shooting. "People need to learn to keep things to themselves." His glare turned into a scowl, and he aimed menacingly at the target.
"Look at you. You're not like us. You're disgusting. The son of a man who couldn't afford a decent whore, and settled for what, some alien? Get out of here." Skyler winced, hearing a voice he hadn't heard in years in his mind. "You're grey. You look like you're sick— you don't belong. Why don't you run back to the slut of a mother you have, and your disgusting litter of a family. I bet you have what, 20, 30 siblings? You disgust me."
"Shut up!" Skyler yelled, shaking his head. "I don't… I don't care!" He stared down the range again— suddenly finding himself no longer in the Razorwing's shooting range, but instead at the one he'd trained at as an AEC cadet. Even his clothes had changed— he was in the uniform he wore while training, the name "A. Scryer" emblazoned on his breast pocket. Tunnel visioned into a sudden return of memory, his anger turned into fear. Why was he here?
"Listen to me." Another voice said. He nearly dropped the gun at hearing it. Turning his head, he found himself staring at a Male Lurk— easily a foot or two taller than he was. He was slightly stocky, and dressed in the same cadet's uniform that Skyler suddenly found himself in. K. Evvans. "Why can't you focus today? Take a calming, deep breath in, focus, aim, exhale, and fire."
"It's… nothing. I just…" Skyler started, shaking his head. "Riviera's been getting on my nerves again." He lowered his gun, and just looked to the ground. "Fucking racist prick."
There was a soft hand on Skyler's shoulder, causing him to look up. The hand clenched slightly, as if a fit of anger washed over it, and then it let the shoulder go. "Listen. You already know that Riviera's one of those guys. You can't let him get to you."
"He called my mother a whore! He spoke down about my entire family and I can't do shit about it because I'm still in training! Goddamn, Evvans, I know he's just an inane blockhead but— " Skyler grit his teeth, and stared at the ground again. "I've been dealing with this my whole life. These spines on the back of my head and neck… this grey skin— these eyes. Just being who I am made life so hard…"
"We all have our trials and tribulations, Scryer. And there are going to be people who won't like us for who we are." The black-toned lurk calmly took Skyler's hands, and aimed the gun up. "Focus. Breathe. Aim. Exhale. Fire. "Anger is going to get you nowhere, Scryer. You need to learn to focus the anger. Place all that hatred in your bullet, and let it go." A bang. "Besides… there are going to be people who think that you're beautiful, that you're desirable— that will be able to see you for what you really are." The lurk reached up and pressed a switch, the target coming in range. The target in question was a generic black outline— but Riviera's face had been taped above it's shoulders. A bullet hole was right between the picture's eyes. "See? That wasn't so hard now, was it? Empty the rest of the clip, now." The target had already been sent back to where it hung before.
Skyler took a deep breath, and then with a furious cry, began to unload the pistol in his hands mercilessly. Eventually, he was met with the "click click" of the empty magazine. Setting the gun down slowly, and heaving panted, heavy breaths, Skyler peered down the range. It was no longer the AEC training range— but back in the Razorwing's hold. He reached up and pressed the switch, the target coming closer to him.
Every bullet hole had gone through the target's head. He smirked. Doubtful he'd be able to do that again, Skyler simply took off the ear muffs.
Memory: Power Supplies (+1 Science:Weapons Research, +1 Mechanics (Robotics))
Sitting in his room, Skyler stared down at the information he'd accessed. How the hell had he remembered what the Xenon Power Core was? He racked his brain, head in his hands— there had to be some logical explanation for this. Had he seen one before? Sold one? Bought one? Used on—
That was it.
"Hey, is this going to work?" That familiar voice said. Skyler found himself sitting at his workbench, suddenly in what seemed to be a large warehouse of sorts. "I don't really know what you wanted from back there." Skyler just giggled at what was held out to him, and he shook his head at the tube-like object.
"No, Evvans. That's a Xenon Power Core. They're usually found on newly colonized worlds for farming machines, or harvesters. They've got an incredibly long life span, but they don't have the power output I need to get what I want working. Nice try though." Skyler said back, to the Lurk (who just grumbled, and stared around). "Sorry. I know my workplace is messy— but you're the one that offered to help."
"I know I did— and you know why I did." The Lurk replied back, sticking out a good portion of his snake-like tongue. "Still, it'd help if everything didn't look the same! I mean, I know what you told me was kind of precise but you're trying to talk to someone without any sort of experience in this field whatsoever. What are you even making, anyway?"
"Nothing big, really. Just a small security bot. Something that'll be mostly idle, unless someone breaks into the room it's guarding, or attempts to get at whatever I choose for it to guard. It'll go on patrol, compile reports, record video 24/7, but otherwise it's just going to look like a small tower. It probably won't even reach up to your waist." Skyler said, showing the Lurk some schematics (though, he already knew that Kadan had lost interest the moment they had been unfurled). "It can also uh… warn us if someone's about to… interrupt."
"Is that so?" Kadan asked, his grin growing even more. It even took a slight sadistic touch. "So what'll it have? Small mini cannons or turrets? High voltage taser?"
"Maybe. It's not meant to be a very aggressive bot, but it'll defend what it has to. More utility defence though— electric jammers, radio scramblers, maybe a couple tasers, some high concentration cycloproane jets. Y'know things that'll ward off intruders, rather than kill them. You know me and my code, Evvans. I don't create things with intention to kill."
"Doesn't mean they can't." The remark came, playful in nature. Skyler rolled his eyes, and just took the Xenon Power Core from the Lurk, standing up to put it back. While he was up, he figured he'd be able to get what he needed— rather than send Kadan in and out the back spaces of his workshop. "Where you goin'?"
"Getting what I need, since someone can't seem to give it to me." Skyler said, in a mocking tone. He began to walk away, leaving the Lurk rather surprised at the biting remark, though he was soon followed after.
"Oh yeah? I dare you to bend over and search those bottom shelves… you'll "get what's coming to you", I'll make sure of it."
"Is that a promise?" Skyler grinned, using a beckoning finger as he headed towards the back of his shop, the Lurk already eagerly at his heels.
Memory: Why Marxis was Made(?) (+1 Mechanics (Robotics), +1 Science: Weapons Research)
"So, this thing is it? Are you sure that this will be able to—" The voice belonged to someone who was dressed in a heavy cloak and a Captain's Hat, though it was plain black and simply the style it had been made, rather than belonging to an actual Captain.
"Yes. I'm the one that created it, after all. He's more than what he appears to be."
"I still don't like this whole mess." The cloaked person looked towards the dark corner he was speaking to, the only thing telling him that he wasn't alone was the faint glimmer of a watch in the darkness.
"I don't think anyone does— but what has been agreed on has been agreed on. He's a utility bot at heart— he'll be able to do anything from fix up parts, to even possibly take control of the Scheusal— only if necessary. His protocols don't allow him to do so, unless you give him the order to."
"That's not what I mea— he can control the Scheusal? Up to and including all systems?"
"Yes. Well… potentially. If he establishes a link within the ship's computers, and they stay online, he'll have full access to whatever the ship can do. He's also a recorder and database, and he can access information pathways so long as he's connected to one. Very reliable."
"So tell me again why I have to keep him, and not you?"
"I'll be giving reports to… my organization. Every report I record on this watch, however, will also be linked to Marxis. It's a one-way connection; you'll receive everything I make, but nothing you record on him will go to me."
"Why don't I trust it? Besides, what if they hack him?"
"He's set to self detonate the moment he is breached. And… you don't trust what I make?"
"I didn't say that. I'm just saying if Marxis falls into the wrong hands—"
"Nothing can happen. Even if they know the proper pass-codes to access all the locked files, Marxis will still need retinal scans, a voice match, and confirmation on a special question. He won't even ask what it is— you just need to give him the answer."
"What's that?"
"I'm taking that to my grave."
"Sk…Scryer. If I need to access this information—"
"You'll get it, but only when I'm around. It's to ensure that nothing happens to it all."
"… I still don't like this all."
"Defection is… a difficult thing. You're not meant to like it. It's bad."
"Don't say shit like that. That's not funny."
"Just don't forget me, okay?"
"… Scryer…"
"…" With that, the cloaked one was suddenly left alone. He stared down at the sphere that had been given to him.
He already had an idea for the first recording he was going to make.
