01 - A Pirate settles in for the long haul

[freearcadia]

Flotsam - Shipyard

[Harlock is likely far from the only one who is checking out the docked ships - the majority of them of course are seafaring vessels without the ability to fly. He's been on a sailing ship, but nothing to the surprisingly advanced looking tall ships and masts bobbing on the sea.

To get the Arcadia - and his eternal friend - back, he needs a ship, and to get a ship, he needs to know how to properly sail one of these, including how all the components work. After some convincing, anyone else with the same idea of checking the boat will see the one-eyed man sitting on a barrel, working a length of rough rope into knots, pursing his lips at a particularly tricky knot, or how to properly brace and load the guns so they don't go sliding all over the place. He gives a bemused grin to one of his fellow outworlders during the work.]

Seems the quickest way to learn something is when an old salt thinks they think can get a newbie to do their job for them.

[Despite the tone, one senses he's actually enjoying this]

Floating Dorm common area

[For the grunt work he did on the ships, he was given a little something, which he used to get some wood, and now he is carefully carving out into something vaguely football shape, he pauses to make circular marks, careful to get the wood shavings into the rubbish bin. What on earth is he making?]

Vault - Library time!

[Well, Astronomy is just a bit (actually quite) beyond him with his current literacy level with the native language, he's going to work on it - Harlock has a stack of fiction books meant for a younger reader, feeling a little embarrassed but pushing it down, as he sometimes reaches out and writes a word he can't seem to get from the context.

He suddenly stops, staring at the book incredulously, before giving a snort of derision]

'A good pirate never take another person's things?'

[He waves someone down]

Excuse me, can you tell me if I'm reading this bit right?

[Or wild card it, hit me up at RShini if you got ideas or just wing it]

Comments

[freearcadia]

Harlock glances up at the question - that tone, it's the machine man, no android? Was that more correct? He carefully shaves off a thin strip of wood before he answers, closing the pen knife, he's not to the point of doing any kind of carving while chatting.

"It's a way to help me focus my thoughts - doing things with my hands helps with." The pirate started. "And I do have quite a few things to consider. Why I'm carving this in particular is because I'm making a replacement for an ocarina that was taken from me when I was imprisoned."

[knowhyoucry]

The cybernetic organism watches Harlock shave off the last strip of wood before closing the knife with an expression that might almost be curiosity. "Physical activity strengthens mental focus." It states. "Why is this?" Its files on humans are almost entirely concerned with biology and anatomy, to create a more efficient killing machine. But this is an entire new set of data to consider.

Harlock's missing ocarina is familiar; the weapons it had gathered since travelling back to the past had been seized almost immediately, and the probability of recovering them was non-existent. They were tools to it, however, nothing more.

"By constructing a new ocarina, you hope to gain clarity of thought. This is correct?" It asks.

[freearcadia]

"Let's see... perhaps an analogy might help? A computer can speed up it's processes and focus on executing a specific task by shutting down unnecessary programs, correct?" He started as he purse his lips thoughtfully. "For some people, sitting and doing nothing keeps us from being able to shut off distracting or unhelpful thoughts - by focusing on a specific activity, it gives us the ability - the permission to just concentrate on one or two things at a time."

*And yes, I have some idea of what I might need to do, but taking the time to sort it out helps me to decide how to do it."

[knowhyoucry]

"Understood." The T-800 replies. It has no such require ments; it shuts down unnecessary programs and reroutes processing power as necessary as problems or data to be analyzed arise. But humans are more limited in that regard. They cannot simply reroute their thoughts the way a machine can. They need a conduit for such a thing.

Harlock is an ally, at least by virtue of them both being members of the Crimson Corsairs. It moves around where he's sitting, and joins him. "Outline mission parameters. Assistance can be offered if needed." It says. There is more it could be doing, more it should be doing to get back to its primary mission. Helping Harlock helps the Corsairs.

[freearcadia]

He watches as the brick wall of a figure settles down, noting idly it just looks a little unnatural the way the T-800, as if relaxing is not at all in it's programming, which honestly if he thought about it wasn't that too surprising to consider.

"Thank you, but unless you have some carving tools, I think I have this one - it's not the first time I made something like this." He nods, appreciating the gesture. "What are your thoughts on our current situation?"

[knowhyoucry]

"Negative." Though it does know its way around a knife if it comes to it...though probably not in a way that would be useful to Harlock in this situation. Still, it continues to observe him work.

"There is insufficient data at this time." It replies, still monitoring the carving being done. "However, I have heard plants and herbs were being gathered in large quantities around Elysium. The heightened activity suggests there will be movement there presently. A chemical attack does not seem likely, given what I have determined of the Resistance's standard operating procedures, so there must be another reason to be gathering flora in such quantities." It turns its head to one side, briefly, in consideration.

"Elysium is a pleasure district." It notes. "Perhaps there is need for poisons." More precise than a chemical attack, but not entirely without risk of spreading.

[freearcadia]

"I suspect as much, poison or drugs." He answers quietly, as he lifts a piece, gently blowing away dust and little flicks of wood.

"Normally I would not like the idea," the poison, it's just rankles at his sense of pride as a man and honor as a pirate. "But sometimes you have to do the sneaky thing to do the right thing." Much as it annoys him otherwise, and he hates a small part of him does enjoy pulling the wool over the eye of an arrogant bully or tyrant.

[knowhyoucry]

The Terminator reaches over, and runs its finger over some of the blown away dust and wood. It raises the finger to eye-level, scans, rubs the dust between finger and thumb. Trying to understand through tactile sensation alone.

"Stealth is a standard operational tactic employed by SkyNet Terminators." It replies, putting its hand down. "Though usually only insofar as it gets the target within firing range." That...likely does not count as "doing the right thing" as described by Harlock, and the orders given to it by John. But there is something to it. "If the numbers I heard were accurate however, the Corsairs intend to throw a wide net." What would the purpose be of disabling so many Imperial troops? While they could theoretically take control of Elysium, there is little chance of holding it. The Empire would easily crush any Resistance force that tried to garrison the pleasure city. So why use poison, and why there...?

It takes this information and the conclusions reached and does something that is still a relatively new experience for the machine, and forms a new conclusion based on facts.

"The poison may be intended as a feint, to weaken or draw Imperial personnel away from the real target." Which is still unknown to them.

[freearcadia]

If his hand moves, Harlock allows him to touch the surface of the in-progress ocarina. There's a certain mechanicalness to him that he's been picking up, the T-800 struck him as someone who didn't have free will in the sense that he knew it.

"Or to keep them from interfering with their real goal." The pirate suggested. The Terminator did have the point that a direct assault or siege on Elysium isn't sound, and it wouldn't benefit them even if the Empire didn't launch retribution. He'll have to keep an ear out.