first shot - getting to work

[transrobotism]

I: in the vault ->

[ There's noises from a storeroom there normally aren't any noises from.
They're definitely large enough to be human. Open the door, and...

It's one of the recent rescuees, a woman whose neck still has a ring of bandages despite the time that's passed. She's got her bob pinned up in a little bitty ponytail, a dark smudge of machine grease on one side of her face, and an open crate on the floor beside her.

She pauses in her rummaging through the shelves when you come in, to look at you over her shoulder. Curious, but not alarmed, or guilty. ]

II: anywhere (feel free to fill in scene detail as you please) ->

[ This order slip had been... interesting. Copper wire, sea-salt, lemon juice, ashes, scrap metal and metal clamps - one way or another, you have a package with all of it, and you're meeting with the fellow Corsair who requested them all. The paper says their name's Pandora, though the listed ID on ethernet was for an "RPK-16."

Nevertheless, you've messaged them with a spot for pick up, and now a lady with light purple hair and a mellow smile has shown up. She sits down across from you delicately. ]

Was it troublesome? I have to admit, I'd really be out of luck if you hadn't taken my request.

Comments

[transrobotism]

"Delivery.... confirmed!"

She claps her hands together, once, in time with that confirmed. Then she opens her eyes, and pulls the box closer so she can evaluate the contents while they talk. Most importantly...

"The wire's good... I was worried what was available locally might not be suitable. I have to say, it looks like you've been adjusting well, T-800! I'm glad you're the one that picked up my request. I was looking forward to having a chance to touch base again, once we'd had the chance to really settle in. So... has your time in Flotsom been challenging, at all?"

[knowhyoucry]

"There was sufficient data to suggest these materials were for maintenance and self-repair." It replies. "I applied my own standards for such materials to the search."

It considers that. "Challenging". It has no real conception of what that entails. It simply does. "Apart from the incident with the aquatic lifeform, there have been no further difficulties." It replies. "Taking up tasks such as this keep me occupied. It is sufficient, until we begin preparations for the mission." A pause. "You will be participating?"

[transrobotism]

"That's the plan. I won't be there for the active skirmish -- my operating efficiency in combat is currently far from optimal due to various factors, so... I'm putting my skills to use in other areas."

She takes a tiny pinch of the ash between her fingers, rubs them together... that looks good, too. Not too dark, not too pale.

"Once I've gotten everything I need ready, I will be setting up a camp near the mine to monitor their operations... ideally, somewhere that the humans would find inhospitable. According to a field guide, there are briar shrubs in the area, so I'll probably be... spending a lot of time sheltering in those, in efficiency mode, until forty-eight hours before we're ready to strike. Then... I come back, give my final, full report, and rest up*! I'll really be craving the chance to stretch and defrag a little, by then.

Since I'll be there holding position, I'll be free to link up with other Corsairs as they come to the site for their own objectives, and to trade supplies, and information. Maybe we'll meet?"


_{author's note: the "resting up" she refers to here is dressing up to go distract people at a party}

[knowhyoucry]

It watches her test the ash. She had previously mentioned her power supply was more limited than what Skynet equipped its machines with. It logs her itinerary as she describes it. It will be good to have a timeline, and now it has some information about the area, and the location of a possible safe haven.

"We require information about the layout of the camp, and its troop strength, and infiltration is part of the purpose I was designed for." It replies. "My intention is to gather as much information from the inside as possible." Trade supplies and information... "Can you secure a guard uniform? It would make entering the camp less," there's only a half-second pause as its CPU makes a decision based on previously acquired information. "challenging."

[transrobotism]

"A uniform.... Yes, I'm confident I can get you one, but unless we're very lucky, it may be tight. I'll try to let it out where I can. Guess I'll be bringing a sewing kit in my gear!"

Mulls a little longer...

"If multiple Corsairs wish to directly disguise as guards, it might be good to stage a small fire where they do their washing... That way, a larger volume of stolen uniforms will be considered as destroyed, rather than just mysteriously misplaced."

[knowhyoucry]

"Discomfort is not an issue." The T-800 replies. A uniform that's a bit too tight won't bother it in the slightest. "Alterations can be kept to a minimum. It is less likely they will be noticed."

A sound plan. "There is less risk of raising suspicion." It agrees. "However, I believe it would be tactically unsound to send in too many operatives as guards. Likely records are kept of coming and going; too many incoming new personnel will almost certainly raise suspicion and draw attention." How best to counter that...the camp is large, and the T-800 doubts it will be viable for one infiltrator to fully map the entire camp in the time allotted.

"Numbers could further be obfuscated by some Corsairs posing as labourers intended for the camp work force." Slaves. It means slaves. The ones in the camp are not, at present, the T-800's concern. The camp itself is the overriding mission objective and as such, the T-800 is focusing itself appropriately based on the parameters laid out. However...

"Skynet labour camps had a high rate of attrition. A steady influx of new labour will likely not arouse suspicion."