Applied Inventiontronics, Period 4 - Week 5

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

Today, Inventiontronics was in the Danger Shop. Said Danger Shop looked a lot like a rural 1950's American town. Nice, normal little town, except for that creepy floating dude, and the fact that all the people were robots in various states of disrepair.

The zipperheaded man responsible was standing under the welcome sign, notes in hand, waiting for everyone to gather around.

"Hello, class!" Gosh, he was cheery. "Today, you're going to be repairing the good folks of Milltown. They're all ready and able to tell you how to fix them. Think of it as a walk-through. Ask them whatever questions you need to, they don't bite no matter how angry they look in the icons and are waiting with tools over there."

Glitch pointed over to the main street where six robots, counting the weird floating one, were scattered on steps and porches. Each one had a toolbox sitting near them.

"You can work together, if you like, or work alone. It's up to you. They'll let me know how you did when everyone is finished. Now go on," he started to herd them towards the robot people, "start working!"

[ooc: Wait for the OCD of roboty doom is up!]

Comments

Explore Milltown (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

There's a main street, buildings to peek into, and a tin statue in the middle of town.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir knew he should probably focus on the work for class, but he couldn't help looking around. After all, this was a recreation of a bit of the O.Z., his own homeland who knew how many centuries in the future. He wandered the street for a few minutes before he got to the statue...

And he stared. Because it was--

It--

He--

He'd--

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

The statue didn't stare back. It was kind of looking up and away, as lots of statues tend to do. Very prestigious looking. The inscription read:

In Memoriam-
Nick Chopper
Milltown Founder
Friend to the Gale

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He stepped over and, even though he knew it wasn't real, he knew somewhere, somewhen it was real and that was enough for him right now.

He touched the base, rounded his fingers along the lines and curves, then stared up again.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders couldn't help being more than slightly creeped out by this. You'd think, being roommates and best friends with a guy who owned a robot dog, that robots wouldn't bother him, but . . . dog-shaped robots were one thing. People-shaped robots were something else entirely.

Especially considering that somewhat people-shaped robots had rebelled against his world not all that long before he'd been born and tried to wipe out the Colonies.

Yeah. That was disturbing.

Although there was a slightly unfamiliar vibe to his discomfort as well, and one he couldn't for the life of him pinpoint.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"You're not from here too, are you?" he asked carefully. He didn't think so.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders's forehead was still creased in mild unease as he glanced at Liir. "Very definitely not," he said. "The Cylons don't look this much like people, and anyway, they're gone."

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

He looked around again himself. The statue had been unnerving. He'd thought perhaps someone was having the same trouble.

"This is my--" so hard to claim anything, especially when you don't necessarily know if you want it "this is the world I came from. Only very very far in my future. If that makes you feel better."

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Wow," Anders remarked. "You've got more right than I do to be freaked out, in that case. Which makes me feel a little better, but dude. Sorry about that."

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He shrugged.

"What has you, er, 'freaked'?"

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Robots tried to destroy my home world," Anders said tersely. "I can't even imagine what kind of damage they could've done if they'd managed to look this close to human."

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Ah."

He didn't look at Anders.

"I don't like ticktocks for a lot of things," he said. "The Witch would talk about one that killed a professor of hers. It puts you off that kind of thing. But--"

He pointed towards the statue.

"I knew him. And he only wanted a heart."

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

The town was completely unaware of any unsettled feelings it was causing. It didn't know of other planets or worlds or evil robots that did evil things. Same went for the robots, who really didn't notice much about the students other than that they were supposed to fix them.

Oblivious to its eerie nature, the town sat and was a town. The robots were robots and didn't notice that anything at all about themselves could be seen as off.

It could probably be said that the town was peaceful because of the ignorance it held to all such things.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

And it was that peaceful atmosphere that, after several very long minutes of near-frozen staring, unwound Anders just enough to take a cautious step toward one of the robots.

This was still weird. But, he tried to tell himself, just because the Cylons had turned out to be evil frakking bastards, that didn't necessarily mean all robots everywhere had to be . . .

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

She waved and smiled, whirring as she moved.

"Hey there, darlin'. Findin' everything all right?"

Emily wasn't evil. Nurture Units didn't tend to be, and the worst you'd get from this one would be a very motherly scolding if you tried something foolish.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Oddly, the whirring made him feel a little better. Hard to mistake for a human that way.

"Yeah," Anders said, a little distractedly. "Thanks."

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

She didn't normally whirr like that. It was added for the simulation.

Emily did, however, smile at him. "Gonna get to fixin'? Don't want to get in trouble for not doin' your classwork, now."

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Probably a good thing Anders didn't know that. The whirring was juuuuuuuust enough to keep him out of uncanny valley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_Valley) territory.

"Yeah, I'll get right to it," he said, with a tiny internal meep.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[by137.livejournal.com]

Well, this was...a little different. To say the least. A.J. wasn't exactly quite sure where to start, but found his roving eye seeking out certain hints of aesthetics.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

The town was there, looking as old as the era it seemed to be from. Slightly ramshackle, almost dusty, buildings stood indifferent and peaceful.

Rusty hinges creaked on a set of swaying saloon-style doors.

Milltown would have tried to not be this creepy if it realized what it was being in the first place.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[solo_sword]

If she'd walked into a town full of robots in real life, Jaina might feel a little put off. But knowing it was a simulation, she wasn't creeped out in the slightest. She just sort of thought of it as a town full of Threepios.

...Okay, that was a scary thought.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

Milltown couldn't read Jaina's mind. Sure, it was from the O.Z., land of random copious amounts of magic, but even that could only stretch so far.

If it could, and if it knew what a Threepio was, it would probably be a little weirded out. Well, as weirded out as a town could get. Residents of Milltown hadn't been that shiny in annuals.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge can't help but look around for a few minutes before starting in on the assignment.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

The town was content to be looked at, faded paint and chipped windows and robots all together.

Doors on the buildings were all unlocked, and a few were creaking and open.

Re: Explore Milltown (2/4)

[mrodneymckay.livejournal.com]

Rodney was excited about working with the robots. He'd enjoyed the project last semester with the gay droid babies droids. Well, except for the bit where they almost exploded on him. And the thing where they couldn't get near his partner without shrieking like little mini banshees.

Actually, Rodney decided to proceed cautiously.