Chapter 10: Greenill Section ID Day?

[nanocerancowboy]

[ACTION - A (BACKDATED TO MARCH 17, Anywhere in Mayfield, Morning to Evening, OPEN TO ALL)]

[See that six-foot android covered head to toe in some sort of armor, going about his business?]

[He's not wearing green. At all.]

[Try to pinch him. Go on, try it.]

[ACTION - B (BACKDATED TO MARCH 17, John Doe Park, Afternoon, OPEN TO ALL)]

[That same android now seems to have a couple of drones following him, even hanging on to him, desperately trying to pinch him—on the hard, armored parts of his body. Suffice to say, they're not having much luck—and the android looks a little annoyed as he tries to brush some of the drones off of him.]

What in th' hell are ya'll on about?

[ACTION - C (BACKDATED TO MARCH 17, Olney's Tavern, Evening, OPEN TO ALL)]

[Gat's noticed the sizable amount of patrons heading toward the tavern, both droned and undroned alike. Curious, he's come to the tavern himself, though judging from the way he carries himself and rubs the back of his helmeted head as he scans the tavern in a manner not unlike the Terminator, he's a little perplexed.]

Comments

[nanocerancowboy]

Halloween was ... one of th' less awful ones.

I reckon it's a measure of how bad this town gets when even th' most mild of incidents involves a potential mass murder.

[keep_smiling]

Mass murder? [Elmer looks around at the currently serene town, blinking.] That would explain some things, why some people are unhappy... But a lot of people seem okay. And I don't mean those fakers, the drones. Maybe those people just got here recently, like I did?

[nanocerancowboy]

I'd chalk that up to willpower. Not lettin' th' town break 'em, findin' reasons to carry on in spite of all th' harm it does.

[Gat rubs the back of his neck in consideration of the one big thing that separates Mayfield from probably most of the places from which its "citizens" are kidnapped.]

It does help that death ain't permanent 'round these parts, though.

[keep_smiling]

That's great! One thing that will get them through this is to stay positive and smile.

I've heard that. Still, even if death isn't permanent, it still hurts. [Said like a man who knows all too well.]

[nanocerancowboy]

That it does, no doubt about it.

[Gat picks up on the ease—at least a sense of familiarity—with the way Elmer says it.]

I take you th' town took you while you were dyin' back home?

[keep_smiling]

Oh no, quite the opposite. Don't tell anyone, but I'm an immortal. Well, I was, but it seems Mayfield has made me fully human again. But, I've died plenty of time, or gotten very close to it. [He says this all nonchalantly, as if it doesn't bother him much at all.]

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat scratches the back of his head.]

You can't die, an' yet you've done plenty of dyin'? Not here, I reckon.

[He sounds too new for that, at least ...]

[keep_smiling]

No, not here, though I hear you resurrect here too, after some time. Back home, if I died or got hurt, I was back to normal within seconds.

Freaky Friday tags are winding down, I can get back to this!

[nanocerancowboy]

Huh. So it ain't so much bein' invulnerable as it is nothin' folks do to you will stick. You'll regenerate from it all?

[keep_smiling]

Yeah. Everything, as far as I know. I've already gotten hurt a few times here, it's a strange thing getting used to. I mean, it's not like it still doesn't hurt or anything, but you still recover from it fast.

[nanocerancowboy]

[Gat picks up on the whole "getting used to" bit, looking more directly at Elmer after a beat.]

You weren't born that way, I reckon.

[keep_smiling]

If I was born immortal, I'd have to have popped out of the womb looking like this! [He laughs.]

[nanocerancowboy]

[That gets a nervous chuckle of realization from Gat as he rubs the back of his head again.]

Reckon you're right! Well—there's still th' possibility you were "born in a tube," as they say. If'n your world has biotech advanced enough, that is.

[The hint of awe in Gat's voice implies that neither of the worlds he's called home does.]

[keep_smiling]

There's a lot of interesting things you can do with alchemy. [A sly grin shows that this guy knows more than he should about that subject.] But I was born the old-fashioned way, and became immortal later.

[nanocerancowboy]

Alchemy, is it? Then it ain't jus' biotech at work ...

[Gat thoughtfully rubs his pointy chin with a thumb and forefinger.]

[keep_smiling]

"Biotech"? Sounds like something that might refer to you instead of me. Unless that's some kind of cool suit...! [Elmer cranes and tilts his neck at Gat, trying to get a good look and figure it out.]

[nanocerancowboy]

Well—

[After a beat, Gat looks down at his body for a moment. holding up his hands—as if considering his own physiology.]

I ain't quite organic, but most of my systems're designed to replicate th' same functions of a human body. When I go in for a checkup, I don't see an engineer or technician; I see a doctor.

I reckon that fits th' bill in some ways. Mimicin' bioprocesses.