Operation 002 - Just what the doctor ordered

[autoerotica]

[Phone A - Filtered to Hol Horse]

Mr. Horse? This is Dr. Aston with a follow-up call. I was wondering if you'd have the time to stop by my house so I can check on your progress? I know you seem to have fully recovered, but it's best to be safe, is it not?

[Phone B]

So, I have to ask, does anyone know how these postal deliveries arrive? I mean, yes, I received a package, as I understand is the norm, but I'm very concerned as to how the second item I received was already installed in my basement. Considering that the house is very well locked up when no one is home...

[Sigh.] No matter, I suppose.

Anyway, I have to say, working with humans has been an illuminating experience. Even as a medical professional, I rarely had interactions outside my own race back home. We weren't exactly the sharing type, and I can't say there's ever been a reason for an organic to ever need our assistance. Which, of course, leads to every experience here being new and exciting.

What puzzles me, though, is how resilient you humans are, in the face of having some of the least durable bodies I've encountered in my long history. Your internal skeletons can only maintain integrity under a certain amount of weight, and before then, many of your organs would fall prey to irreversible tears and ruptures. Your skins do next to nothing as far as protection goes, and your muscular systems...

And yet, your sheer force of will helps you survive even in the face of those odds. I find it strange that whatever forces designed you, would sacrifice physical toughness for an indomitable psyche. It's curious to no end.

Perhaps that's what I miss about working on my own mechanical brethren - everything was simple and easy to understand. Certainly, our systems were interconnected, but you could easily isolate a problem and replace a part before anything vital was affected. At this rate, I feel I might get rusty as far as the simpler workings of a synthetic being.

[Chuckle.] And I would hate to get rusty.

Comments

[autoerotica]

It does! Honestly, I would love to be able to apply medical techniques from my world to human bodies. It would likely increase efficiency in healing. I'm glad to know other worlds have gone that far.

A pleasure, Miss Sigal. Tell me... you are not entirely organic either, are you?

[photonicfighter]

I'm sure there are people in town that would love to work with you on that! I'm... not really one of them.... that's not my area of expertise...

Ah, no. I'm not. I'm a CAST! [She pauses, hoping that he'll recognize the term. So far, no one has... but she still has hope.]

[autoerotica]

Perhaps, but there would also be the problem of finding volunteers once the procedures have been refined. Still, something to think on.

A CAST? I'm afraid that's not a race I'm familiar with. [Sorry about that, Dakki. But he'd be happy to learn more!]

[photonicfighter]

True... that's not the sort of thing most people want to volunteer for. You might have the chance to test something the next time the town decides to do something hideous that results in horrible injuries...?

[She makes a little disappointed sound. Alas, still no luck in finding someone from home.] That's alright. I haven't found anyone yet that's heard of us. CASTs are artificial humanoids. We're mostly inorganic, but we contain some pseudo-organic parts. What's the term for your, er... particular type of synthetic being?

[autoerotica]

As... morbid a prospect as that seems, I think that may be the best option. At least, unless some brave soul does volunteer themselves.

Interesting! A mechanical simulacrum of an existing race... I'd heard of some species that dabbled in that kind of technology, but never with what you would call... encouraging results. It's good to see that somewhere out there, things panned out for the best!

My species is Cybertronian, named after the planet that we hail from. We are... what you would call 'naturally-occurring' synthetic organisms, our sparks created by the core of our own planet.

[photonicfighter]

[There's a soft, hesitant "mmhmm" in response to the original bit of conversation. What else is there to say, when the rest is so fascinating?]

That's a good way to put it. We're modeled off of humans. We've existed in the star system that I'm from for over 600 years... so I'd say that means it's worked out alright, hmm? We even have one of the planets to ourselves. [That's said with a neutral tone, not her usual chipper one.]

...ooh. Naturally-occurring? So the planet itself generates synthetic life? That's amazing!

[autoerotica]

I would say so; 600 years is a notable expanse of time, even for my species. And you live in a peaceful coexistence with these humans, then?

[Knock Out clears his throat, his voice sounding a bit more proud.] Yes, it is. Our planet... in a sense, you could say it's our progenitor. While many of the facts have been lost over the centuries, there is reason to believe that our planet was once a mechanical being unto itself, and we were created as a way to ward off a powerful threat. Our species is multi-faceted, descended from the original Thirteen born of the planet, and until rather recently, saw rapid production through the efforts of our planet's core.

[photonicfighter]

Yes! For... the last 100 years, at least. There were 500 years of war before that, between the CASTs, the Humans, the Beasts, and the Newmans...

I hadn't even imagined that something like that could exist. And I've heard about all sorts of things, here. That's... I already said it was amazing, didn't I? [She laughs.] ...production has slowed down, though? [There's some worry in her tone.]

[autoerotica]

It's funny you should mention that; the two tie together. We, too, were embroiled in a very long civil war, and unfortunately, one of the consequences was that the core of our planet went into an indefinite state of stasis. We have no idea when it will restart, if it will even do so without an external force.

So... for the time being, all those of us that exist are all that will exist. Though there have been efforts to construct more, though the technology is still hit-or-miss.

Go figure; a synthetic species that can't produce more of their own. It's actually kind of sad, isn't it? [His tone is difficult to discern, but there's something in his voice when he says this.]

[photonicfighter]

Oh. Oh no. I'm sorry to hear that... It is sad. I hope that you and your people can find a way to restart your planet. That must make it all the more frustrating to be stuck here... you've got work to do, don't you? I know that I do.

[She sounds genuinely sympathetic through it all.]