RWBYFanon v5
RPG World of Remnant => Amity Colosseum => Topic started by: Dr. Gustave on July 02, 2017, 01:45:28 AM
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Malina smiled and nodded, wishing Juno luck as he walked away after having handed her his belt. She made a note of it's surprising weight as she walked away from the arena floor and toward the hallway leading to the stairs to the stands surrounding the floor. A hardlight generator being used as a weapon was certainly creative, she thought as she closed the door behind her and moving onto the stairs, though that certainly wasn't what had interested her when she was looking over the student files the day prior.
The woman stopped on the first landing of the steps and held the belt up in the air, backlighting with one of the ceiling lights, and began to look over the edges of the belt. She scrunched her mouth up, finding little in the way of a display or labeled buttons, and lowered the belt down and let it rest in her arms.
Malina looked around for a moment, looking down the hallways for any wayward janitor or sightseer before returning her gaze to the belt and speaking.
"Hello?"
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To say Phi was disappointed that she couldn't participate in the weapons swap would be a bit of an understatement, but it was understandable. The OSIRIS generator was a complex piece of machinery that took Juno months to become adept with and much longer to master. Someone picking it up for the first time wouldn't have the slightest clue what to do. And while she could trust someone like Malina to be careful with her rig...
Phi wanted to protest once Malina snuck into the hallways of Amity Coliseum, but that could have started a scene. Not that her existence was a secret to begin with, but she really wanted to see how Juno did without her, and her protests would have fallen on deaf ears, anyway, as it seemed Malina had wanted to get away from the students with Phi as soon as possi-
Wait, was she being stolen? Oh, no. Nonononononononono. She wasn't just gonna let herself be taken away from Juno to be disassembled or sold on some black market or whatever. She was gonna fight back. All she needed was an opening, a time to surprise the huntress and get out of the-
"Hello?"
Phi paused as Malina spoke, taking a moment to think over the situation. The TA seemed to be addressing her, and given that she had looked about the area before hand, there is a possibility Phi might have misinterpreted Malina's intentions. Cautious as she projected her avatar atop the generator, Phi looked the TA in the eye as she sat down, her legs hanging off of the edge of thr generator. "Hello." She replied, a cold, cautious edge to her voice.
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Malina smiled softly, hiding her own slight surprise despite having read the file. "You're smaller than I imagined you'd be." She said almost matter-of-factly as she finally took her gaze off of the belt and began making her way up the stairs. "I'm not sure how much you're aware of down there in the belt but just in case you didn't know, my name is Malina. And you are Phi... Of course you knew that." She glanced down toward the small blue avatar as she reached the second landing and moved her head just a bit closer to her, lowering her voice slightly. "You know, the file also describes you as AI-like. Tania seems to think you're more than that though and after reading some of the missions reports, I'm inclined to agree."
Malina lifted her head back up and began making her way up the stairs again. "The be blunt, I wanted to know more about this- about you."
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Oh, these two were going to get along swimmingly, Phi could already tell. Letting out a light sigh as Malina voiced her intentions, Phi looked the Teacher's Assistant in the eye. "So. What you're telling me is that you basically kidnapped me and dragged me out into the hallway just to ask what I am?" Phi questioned, giving Malina very little time to respond before continuing. "You'd think someone of your caliber and experience would have a bit more tact, instead of putting me through this bullshit just to know what's already obvious." With her tirade out of the way, Phi stood up onto the generator and walked up Malina's arm, stopping at her shoulder and motioning for her to lean in. "You wanna know what I am?" she whispered, looking around their general area as if to ensure that the coast was clear.
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Malina chuckled softly as she turned her head slightly to look at Phi. "I wouldn't call being given the belt to keep the other student from breaking it kidnapping, you know." She said flatly before glancing ahead once more as she rounded the final landing of the stairs and made her way towards the exit leading to the stands. "And yes, if that wasn't clear already."
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"I AM AN A.I.! Artificial Intelligence! What part of that is under any sort of question?" Phi all but yelled into the huntress' ear, huffing as she took a seat on the woman's shoulder. "I'm just a really smart, really complex A.I. Like a conscience in a computer chip." she continued, gesturing to her head as she mentioned having a conscience. "Juno's file should already state my directive, so I don't think I need to explain that to you."
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Malina winced slightly as she was berated in the middle of sitting down before actually being seated and leaning back into the backrest. She was silent for a moment, observing the fight from the stands and watching the two students move with unfamiliar weapons, before turning once more to Phi. "I already told you what Juno's file states." An annoyed look crossing her face for just a second before falling back to the neutral face she'd had on before. "If you're as smart as you and the file claims than you should know that you're not..." She paused for a moment, looking for the right wording. "You're not common. The most advanced combat AI I've had the pleasure of facing in combat was the AK-200b and that thing was no match for a hunter. Hell, a student could beat that."
Malina turned back to the fight below her and watched Juno just barely dodge a barrage of bombs. "He seems to be handling himself pretty well against a fourth year. Are you worried about him being in the fight without you?"
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"An out-of-shape mall cop with a taser could beat a 200b." Phi replied with a chuckle, turning her attention to the fight. As the first and fourth year traded blows, Phi fell silent, awkwardly shuffling about as she watched Juno and Acero's bout. Whether or not Malina noticed Phi's growing frown, the AI was still somewhat surprised when asked if she was concerned. Taking a moment to mull over the question, Phi eventually spoke up. "Well... Yeah. I know I shouldn't be, we've fought together for a long time. I am well aware of his physical capabilities, as well as his strategies, both preplanned and improvised... But... He doesn't have me watching his back now. He's on his own, fighting someone who is probably leagues above him in terms of straight power, and I can't help." After stealing a glance at the huntress, Phi let out a long, drawn out sigh. "Just... I know he can do well without me, but I know I'd feel better if I was out there with him, yknow?"
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Malina nodded silently as the fight continued. It was an understandable sentiment for sure. "I think a lot of us feel the same way when our teammates or friends are out on the battlefield. Not wanting to see them hurt is basic instinct." She said calmly before returning to silence, watching Phi shuffle from the corner of her eye. She let the silence sit a moment longer as Juno and Acero continued to trade blows and dodge each others attacks before turning her head fully to face Phi. "How do you think he'll do? Without you, I mean. As far as I can tell from the records, you've never been apart on a mission, he's always had you to back him up." The girl paused, looking directly into Phi's artificial eyes for a moment before turning her head back to the fight.
"Not everyone gets that privilege."
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"Hmm... I honestly don't know." Phi started as she focused her attention to the fight, eyes narrowing as her gaze turned to Acero. "Physically, the two are more or less evenly matched. Acero's enhancements would provide an edge in terms of raw power output but he is also hindered by his inability to use any form of weaponry within his enhancements. However, in terms of skill and experience... Acero is leagues above, no matter how long Juno and I spent learning the suit. He is just toying with Juno. He has to be. A fourth year wouldn't just let a first year get this far if they were taking the fight seriously in the slightest." Phi reasoned, glancing up at Malina once she had thrown out her analysis of the fight, awaiting her response.
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Malina nodded silently once more and responded without so much as a glance at Phi, keeping her gaze locked on the fight. "I glanced over most of the students files on the ride over here... well, the ones I had access to anyway. atlas can be pretty stingy about their student records... regardless, most of them were just glanced over, others I read a bit more into, as you know by now." She lifted her hand and trained her finger on Acero as he tossed out a set of bombs. "Many students go through their four years without changing up their weaponry and focusing only on what they have, either by choice or because their weapon is quite literally part of them, and he fits into both those categories. I'll admit, having three forms and a backup weapon is better than a lot of the students that come through here, but it's been four years of just that. He's gotten good at it, sure, but looking at his file, he didn't train with much else, and certainly nothing intensively. So now he's got gauntlets with a grappling hook and bombs..." She paused for a moment and lifted her finger to her chin.
"I mean pretty much anyone can throw a bomb." Malina said, shrugging her shoulders. "But there's still some finesse in how you use them. Now, Juno..." She took her finger from her chin and pointed toward the other combatant. "He's even less versatile." Her voice dropped slightly and her face had a more stern look about it. "He's got you and a gun. A gun is fine, you won't be able to pick up any other gun and immediately understand how to use it perfectly, but you'll have the basics down, it wouldn't be too difficult to find a different firearm... but you..."
Malina laid her hand down on the belt that rested on her lap and turned to look to Phi. "We already know you're not common. Hell, I could go as far as to call you unique for all I know. If Acero was separated from his weapons, he can find a sword, greatsword, or polearm and have a pretty good idea on how to use them well. If his laser was disabled, he could still use that arm to do some pretty good damage... if he lost the arm... well.. I wouldn't fault anyone for retreating after losing an arm, cybernetic or not. If Juno loses you, he can't just pick up another weapon are start swinging it around. Hardlight isn't training him for the weight of a real sword or the weight of any weapon for that matter. He losses you, and all he's got is hand to hand training, and that won't help against an opponent in the real world that has a weapon they know how to use and it sure as hell won't stop many Grimm..."
Malina stared into the AI's eyes for a moment longer before looking away with an exasperated sigh. "Right now, we've got someone with bombs and hand to hand power through a prosthetic and four years of combat experience up against someone with a hand to hand prowess. The odds are in Acero's favor, but if Juno plays it smart and defensive he might be able to pull it off."
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As Malina spoke, an increasing look of worry crossed Phi's face, the realization of how outclassed Juno was finally sinking in. Her operator was far out of his league, and there was no way that she could help him. No weapons, no suggestions... She could only sit there and watch. So there she sat, biting her lip and clenching her fists as she watched the fight continue.
She tensed up as Juno lost the weapon again, only able to watch as Juno taunted and dodged, hoping to bait his opponent into range. Maybe... Maybe Malina was right. Years of training with hardlight had not prepared Juno for much else. Sure, he got a lucky shot off with the sniper rifle, but now, even that was gone. All he had was his fists and his wits, against someone with stronger fists, faster wits, and actual weapons. "So... You're saying I've been holding him back?" She started, her voice trembling a bit as she looked up at the TA.
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Malina was silent for some time, watching the two students exchange blows. She sighed quietly as she leaned back against the seat rest, running her fingers through her hair before slowly shaking her head. "No, not holding him back." She glanced to her side once more and looked toward Phi. "Maybe making him complacent, but not holding him back." She chuckled quietly. "Hell, if I had someone watching my back 24/7 I'd be much better off in the field... that said, I would suggest some time apart. Maybe not literally, maybe just have sessions or a low risk mission where you just don't assist him, have him train with a real sword more often, or just have a backup weapon. Keep doing what you are now and he'll get dependent on hardlight and you to back him up."
Malina paused for another moment, trying to find the right words while she looked back toward the fight. "... Everyone loses someone in this job. I don't think there's a hunter in history that hasn't lost a friend or family member out on a job. Worst come to worst and you're kidnapped, disabled... whatever... Juno'll be back to where he was before he got you to help him out, albeit a bit smarter."
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"I guess... I could lay off a bit... Let him train with Calesvol." Phi trailed off, pursing her lips as she avoided eye contact with Malina. "I know he's capable, and he's definitely strong. His standing in the tournament is a testament to both. I just... I need to be with him, but I don't want his progress to be impeded by me. And I don't want him to outgrow me or see me as obselete..." Phi trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut as she mentioned the possibility of being seen as unnecessary.
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Malina looked toward Phi for a moment before looking back away. She furrowed her brow as she thought to herself, staying silent as the only sound in the arena were the grunts and hits from the fight, the sound of explosions echoing throughout the large structure. "How..." She began before cutting herself off, and raising her hand to her mouth, covering it in thought.
Finally, she sighed and took her hand away. "How old are you?"
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"Four, almost five years old. Why?" Phi replied, her eyebrow cocked in confusion. She wasn't any older than the others, and Anki was definitely using the same architecture for any more AI that might be developed in the future. "Hypothetically, we can last upwards of seven years without hardware updates, but technology will progress, and those will become necessary to keep us compatible with whatever they develop for us."
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Malina stayed silent and continued to stare at the fight below them. She leaned forward, interlocking her fingers and resting her elbows against the seat below her. On the outside, she was sure to look like she had for the rest of the conversation, neutral. A complete lack of emotion other than interest in the fight below her showing on her face. It wouldn't have been a leap of logic to think Malina hadn't heard Phi, being too wrapped up in the fight.
But she had heard. She had heard the "we" that Phi used when she mentioned life and length. It was... unexpected, to be sure. She had only wanted this talk for the sake of her own curiosity over Juno's file, but this... this was big. Big enough to tell Titania, absolutely... but at the same time, big enough to keep quiet.
She sat in silence as the fight below her raged on, thinking quietly and quickly. 'She wasn't lying about being an AI, that much is certain. A program might be able to replicate those emotions, but... not that air about her, that air of personhood, no. No, that's real..." Her thoughts swirled within her, she needed to know more, but seeming too obvious might make the thing... the girl... nervous. This wasn't Malina's first rodeo, however, she knew how to deal with these sort of things. You don't become a hunter without dealing with information problems, after all.
Malina let out a light sigh as a soft smile crept onto her face before she finally broke the silence between herself and Phi. "You're still young..." she said as if remembering a lighter time. "You have plenty of time to make sure you aren't obsolete. Even if you get to a point where you can no longer learn, upgrade, improve, or whatever and Juno surpasses that... Well, a second opinion and a friendly voice are never obsolete." She said reassuringly as she looked at Phi from the corner of her eye, showing only the slightest bit of regretful pity. "Are the others as young as you are, or are they older?"
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Phi couldn't help but smile in response to Malina's kind words, leaning back against her shoulder as she listened. For a teacher's aid, she seemed somewhat wiser than expected, which, admittedly, was her own misconception. It seems she had underestimated the TA. However, the case of underestimating Malina was a pleasant surprise rather than a potential danger. "The others and I are the same age, yeah, though I wouldn't put it past them to make more." Phi replied with a shrug, turning her attention to the fight.
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Malina nodded with a simple, "Why's that?" before quickly answering herself with, "Well, I guess an AI would be pretty useful to have, right?"
"Them" wasn't entirely unexpected, but it was still a concerning confirmation to say the least. It was entirely possible she was overreacting over the whole ordeal and there was some major technological breakthrough recently with AI being released publicly. Possible, yes, but not likely. So why did Juno, a kid from Atlas, have an extremely advanced piece of technology that was extremely open about its true nature and that there were others. It didn't make sense. There had to be something she was missing.
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"Definitely. You said it yourself, there is nothing like having a second opinion." Phi replied, returning her gaze to the huntress. "Not to mention the weaponry we're designed to run. You've clearly seen Juno and I fight, now imagine that, but with your degree of expertise and power. The generator alone is already a force to be reckoned with in the right hands, and the ANUBIS suit..." The AI trailed off, deflating a bit upon remembering the destruction of ANUBIS, the loss of her suit. It was definitely something she would need some getting used to, like losing a limb. In combat, there were no more background processes or hydraulics management. Just maintaining a HUD and controlling the generator.
"ANUBIS was powerful, but we weren't ready to make full use of it. But... We'll handle ourselves with the generator just fine. I'm sure of it."
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"Sometimes powerful weapons are better left behind." Malina said sullenly as she leaned back and tilted her head upward to the sky. "Those kind of things, they can change people, even if it's as simple as a suit and hardlight." She paused a moment and tilted her head to the side to look toward Phi. "So I'm guessing all the others have suits and hardlight as well? Or was that just your thing?"
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Phi thought a moment before turning to Malina. Were the others active? Last she heard, SEKHMET was still offline and RA was still undergoing testing, but a lot of the key components were done. Not that she was supposed to... tell... anyone... Goddammit.
Biting her lip, Phi glanced around, her eyes lingering on a familiar navy-haired figure in the stands, not too far from them. RA's future pilot did have a habit of dropping in and checking on her and Juno, it was likely that she was just there to see how the boy was progressing. A moment of awkward silence passed before Phi cleared her throat and turned to Malina. "Uhm... Not that I recall. ANUBIS was the closest thing they got to a functional suit." she replied, holding her breath for a response. She didn't like lying, but she also didn't want to get in trouble, too. Malina didn't need to know what she did, nor did she need to know anything further.
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Malina crossed her arms and raised an eye brow as Phi spoke. Something was off about her after she'd asked about the suits. The only suit being destroyed, Juno having an advanced AI, said AI suddenly getting visibly anxious at mentioned the destruction of the suit... it was beginning to point toward something, but... Malina didn't necessarily like what it pointed it.
"And..." She began to say as she glanced across the same area she saw Phi look to, passing over janitorial staff, electricians setting up for the final match, and several other civilians and students watching the fight proceed. "... They're fine with losing a powerful suit like that?"
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"Well... The fact that we're even talking should be enough proof that they're more or less fine with it. Juno took the suit, and me, years ago. If they wanted it back, they could have very easily taken it within that time." Phi reasoned, her eyes flicking back to RA's pilot before returning to Malina, hoping that her explanation had appeased the huntress. "Besides, it's not like Juno had destroyed the schematics, too. They could have built another."
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Malina's head slowly returned to Phi, her eyes narrowing at the small girl. She took in a deep breath and let it out with a long sigh, closing her eyes for a moment as she thought to herself. She sat there, silent and still, before finally opening her eyes and looking down toward Phi.
"You what?"
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"What do you mean 'I what'?" Phi asked, her focus returning to her handler as he rushed his opponent. "I needed to get out, he helped me get out. He needed the suit, I helped him get the suit. It was mutually beneficial."
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Malina paused a moment, staring at Phi, then straight ahead, then back to Phi. "So what you're telling me... You're saying that you are a fully functional AI that... enlisted the help of some kid to break out of what was probably some high tech lab. He succeeds, somehow, makes it out of the lab, again somehow, and is let go." The girl runs a hand through her hair and lets out a deep sigh. "And... and then you and him, you come here, to Beacon."
Malina's stares directly into Phi's eyes and furrows her brow. "And you just openly talk about that. Do I have that right?"
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"For the most part, yes. Though I would like to add to your previous statement. I am openly talking to Juno's superior, who has questions on who and what I am. As his current superior, you hold some power over him, and by extension, me. I see compliance to be a necessity in this instance." Phi replied, her eyes still trained in the fight as she continued. "Besides, do you think I would simply trust anyone with this information? I'm not dumb."
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Malina did not break eye contact with Phi as she spoke. "I am grateful for the honesty, but if I were in your position, I would keep my mouth shut about things like that. There're others here that wouldn't be as kind as I am." The girl stood up suddenly, looking down toward the fight silently for a moment.
"Looks like the fight's winding down, come on." She said simply as she picked the belt back up and made her way back toward the access stairs.
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Phi, quite frankly, didn't know what to say. Malina was right, she had said too much, and was better off not talking much, if at all about herself, her state of being, her existence... People would take interest, and people could try to hurt Juno for it...
The thought alone made her hang her head in shame as Malina picked up the belt. As the TA stood up to return Phi to Juno, the AI looked back, her eyes meeting with Rho's handler, and her heart sinking when she saw the girl shake her head. A light sigh escaping her lips, Phi then dissipated, her form scattering into millions of tiny hexagonal particles that dissolved into thin air.