* DS0198

[blackguardnouveau-blog]

Heel, Sit, Stay

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

There was nothing and then there was everything; as simple as flipping a switch. His self awareness came gradually, and when he thought to reflect on something before this he could pull nothing up. There was now but no time before now. Something was missing from the equation, he sought to see—his eyes open and slowly the program pulled himself up from the surface on which he rested. He was off the ground, he was in a room, and he wasn’t alone. 

What in nature would be called instinct was the frame of mental consciousness on which he’d been built. For everything he did know he was not lost. He was DS0198, he was a soldier of the Blackguard, and his ultimate purpose was to serve for the overall good and safety of the system.

[blackguardnouveau-blog]

NOV’s purr was joined by a second low hum; he counted the nanos until Dante—though, not quite Dante—rose from the bed. So far, the other guard member hadn’t glitched out and collapsed, or lashed out in confusion, or any number of things that could go wrong in this situation.

He lifted his chin a few inches to better take in the newly minted guard. ”Greetings, DS0198,” he said softly, the helmet’s distortion dropping his voice low. “I am NV3459 ‘NOV’, and I serve the good and the safety of the system. How is your internal efficiency?”

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

He watched the fellow guard carefully, drawing himself up enough to seat himself at the edge of the bed; his gaze switching from the solider to his body. His was attentive to what NOV had to say, hanging off get and every word. "Functional." He replied with a curt nod. Which led him to wonder, had it not been functional before? And if so, why had it stopped?

[oliverthor]

[blackguardnouveau-blog]

Heel, Sit, Stay

“Soldier.”

“Sir.” The sentry snapped to attention and saluted him; NOV nodded in return.

“I wish to speak to my comrade,” he whirred under the glassy helmet, and the sentry bowed and stepped back to let him pass through.

His purr crescendoed as he prowled down the dark hall, breath short, boots silent. His time to act grew short. If caught, both he and the innocent sentry at the door would surely receive punishment. The thought quickened his pace. No, he couldn’t let the sentry be punished for this. Spotting the room, he gently cracked the door and entered.

His target rested face down on a long palette. His circuitry, blackguard in pattern, was blacked out completely, no doubt from the heavy damage he had sustained. Only a few guards in a hundred cycles received damage as substantially as this one without dying. No disc, core processor ruined to the point of memory loss—he would have to start a new life. The damaged guard would be fitted with a new template disc and sent back out into the field.

Removing the disc clipped to his own back, he examined it with his finger tips. The disc looked like any other guard’s disc, or a sentry’s disc, or the disc of anyone from this system. Just another cog in the machine. After everything he did, no one would notice a swap.

In front of him, the hole bloomed and gaped, and red pixels fell like shattered glass—

How many nights had he spent sleepless since that encounter? How many times had he paused and wondered if he could become the monster? How many times did he meditate by systematically clearing hellish memories from the disc of a fallen enemy?

This disc in his hands was safe now. A personality template, without time to make it bitter and cynical. The same person at birth, but not as in life.

In one precise and fluid motion, NOV slotted Dante’s disc into place on the defunct blackguard’s back, releasing it as soon as the syncing light flickered to life. The wireframes of limbs rezzed into place with a hiss.

No turning back now.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

There was nothing and then there was everything; as simple as flipping a switch. His self awareness came gradually, and when he thought to reflect on something before this he could pull nothing up. There was now but no time before now. Something was missing from the equation, he sought to see--his eyes open and slowly the program pulled himself up from the surface on which he rested. He was off the ground, he was in a room, and he wasn't alone. 

What in nature would be called instinct was the frame of mental consciousness on which he'd been built. For everything he did know he was not lost. He was DS0198, he was a soldier of the Blackguard, and his ultimate purpose was to serve for the overall good and safety of the system.

[tomhxllcnd]

[nemowalden-blog]

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

On a large enough time line, the survival rate for everyone will drop to zero.

Smoking on the job. What job?

Slipping the cigarette out from between his lips, Dante crushed the ashes into pixels against the ground as he moved forward and slid his helmet back into place. He might have felt stupid if he was capable of feeling anything at all--No, that was a disproven theory. He allowed himself to feel betrayed and anger stemmed from that betrayal that cut vast and deep from within. He’d let himself down. He had let everyone down.

By allowing CLU to slip between the cracks, he was just as flawed as his leader had become. Any sort of redemption would have to forced and taken. He was done with words, and he was done with their beacon. Pushing himself off the wall, he went to meet NOV at entrance of the throne room.

[reallffriends-deactivated201510]

Visit Original Link

Jack’s Lament | The All-American Rejects | Nightmare Revisited

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

One Step Forward

Conditions could hardly be more ideal. A cloudless sky greeted him and his lightjet, lightest of breezes carrying him toward his devoted team on the city limits. It had only been a cycle since his reawakening and the throne was already as good a his. Pride swelled at the thought of the force responsible for his rapid return to power. Loyalty as tenacious as Dante’s would no go unrewarded.

A group as large as theirs meeting in one place would not go unnoticed. Speed and efficiency would be key and to the perfectionist, he wasn’t going fast enough, right hand fidgeting irrepressibly on the controls. He didn’t even bother slowing his screaming speed as he landed, craft vanishing from under him, it’s owner rolling gracefully upright, his coat rezzing into place. With a crack of his neck, he entered the building, relieved he wasn’t the first to arrive.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

Dante didn’t know where to place himself anymore. His former position as alpha told him to be suspicious of CLU, that he was now bad for their mission, glitch or no glitch. But the mission from the start had been to put him back in power, hadn’t it? He’d grown reckless by questioning his directive for so long. But it had clicked back in place, it was easy as few words to have him back on a leash, rolling over and fetching whatever he was commanded. Staying on top of the pack wasn’t the problem; the predicament was that he could no longer stay on top of CLU. Because of that although he headed the gathered group, he no longer stood before them, he stood among them, patient and waiting when he watched the former admin stroll through the door.

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

A scarlet glow pained the walls of the storage facility, his underlings having taken his preferred circuit colors. Even then, his second in command only took a glance to spot, insecurity rolling off him. His return must have still be something of a shock, so without a word, he strode over, giving the Black Guard a firm squeeze on the shoulder, moving to take his place at the front of the room. Reassurance, as well as a warning. If he made one false move, CLU would crush him.

Arms clasped behind his back, he waited motionless for the last to arrive and for the room to fall silent, helmet falling away. He was going to have to make this quick. ”Greetings, Programs. I see our numbers how dwindled since I last stood before you. Only the strongest remain, which is why you’re all here tonight. We’re going to take back what is ours. Recreate order from the chaos this slave of the Users has unleashed on our system. The plan is simple. The security team at the moment is a joke, so all we need to do is sneak into the place and eliminate every last one of them. Specifics will be downloaded to your discs when you pick up your batons. Let’s give ‘em hell.” The group gave him a militaristic grunt of affirmation, each of them going to pick up their vehicles and learn their part in the invasion, their leader smirking above them. 

CLU headed over to Dante and his team, helmet locked again. “Sinon’s on the top floor. While these soldiers clear the building, we’re flying straight to him and his personal guards to destroy them. Understood?”

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

A good soldier is quite simple-minded. You take information, pick part, register and then hold until the completion of the mission. Nothing digests, nothing is run with a second thought. You’re job was to do, not think. These programmed qualities made Dante a good soldier. Standing here and taking the debriefing with little else whirring in his processor. Being a soldier wasn’t like being a predator and leading a hunt. The excitement simply… dwindled in war. “Affirmative, sir.” He answered with the most subtle movement of his helmet.

[ihavelotsofdogs-deactivated2013]

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

One Step Forward

Conditions could hardly be more ideal. A cloudless sky greeted him and his lightjet, lightest of breezes carrying him toward his devoted team on the city limits. It had only been a cycle since his reawakening and the throne was already as good a his. Pride swelled at the thought of the force responsible for his rapid return to power. Loyalty as tenacious as Dante’s would no go unrewarded.

A group as large as theirs meeting in one place would not go unnoticed. Speed and efficiency would be key and to the perfectionist, he wasn’t going fast enough, right hand fidgeting irrepressibly on the controls. He didn’t even bother slowing his screaming speed as he landed, craft vanishing from under him, it’s owner rolling gracefully upright, his coat rezzing into place. With a crack of his neck, he entered the building, relieved he wasn’t the first to arrive.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

Dante didn’t know where to place himself anymore. His former position as alpha told him to be suspicious of CLU, that he was now bad for their mission, glitch or no glitch. But the mission from the start had been to put him back in power, hadn’t it? He’d grown reckless by questioning his directive for so long. But it had clicked back in place, it was easy as few words to have him back on a leash, rolling over and fetching whatever he was commanded. Staying on top of the pack wasn’t the problem; the predicament was that he could no longer stay on top of CLU. Because of that although he headed the gathered group, he no longer stood before them, he stood among them, patient and waiting when he watched the former admin stroll through the door.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

[Private][Final Stage ENCRYPTION] How are preparations coming?

They have been finalized, sir.

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

[Private] [Face-to-face Conversation] That bed was incredibly uncomfortable.

I’ll come my ship again, save myself the trouble of finding a place to sleep.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

Sir, the previous bombing of the arena has staked our success. Reports show that the root-kit’s fleet has been diverted from personal security.

… We can strike at… your word.

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

*stares out the window*

Perfect. What’s the number of programs we have at our disposal for the final attack?

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

Thirty-nine are formidable in combat… but fifty-three in total, sir.

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

And what does the root-kit’s security force look like?

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

*shakes head* A limited number now... not more than a few men. But the most recent data would come a Sentry program. Sentry 12.345.9--He would know more than I.

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

[Private] [Face-to-face Conversation] That bed was incredibly uncomfortable.

I’ll come my ship again, save myself the trouble of finding a place to sleep.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

Sir, the previous bombing of the arena has staked our success. Reports show that the root-kit’s fleet has been diverted from personal security.

… We can strike at… your word.

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

*stares out the window*

Perfect. What’s the number of programs we have at our disposal for the final attack?

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

Thirty-nine are formidable in combat... but fifty-three in total, sir.

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

[Private] [Face-to-face Conversation] That bed was incredibly uncomfortable.

I’ll come my ship again, save myself the trouble of finding a place to sleep.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

Sir, the previous bombing of the arena has staked our success. Reports show that the root-kit's fleet has been diverted from personal security.

... We can strike at... your word.

[fashionista-l-o-v-e]

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

thegoldenbeacon asked: [Private] I need you to retrieve me. I'm stuck with Jarvis and he's up to something.

…Coordinates?

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

Sector 35. He’s taken my disc and run somewhere. Bring and empty one.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

Clicking the empty disc into place, Dante rezzed his lightcycle and revved off towards the Outlands with minimal thought. While he had initially been suspicious of the strange behavior, he was convinced by the snubbing of the ISOs fiancé. Users were the sensitive type. From what he gathered, he didn’t think CLU would risk it. Now it was more about keeping everything into place. He’d never dreamed he could actually beat sense back into CLU. But somehow he had. Sliding his cycle to a halt against the gravel as the beacon of CLU appeared out of the rocky landscape, he tossed the ISO an extra baton.

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

Catching the instrument, it only took him a few smooth movements to get onto his bike and headed for the city, his helmet clicking into place. Amazing. So someone had finally managed to get the bikes to work all the way out here. “As I understand it, I’m no longer in charge. We’re going to change that.” After such a long and successful reign, there had to be some loyalists left. An overthrow of whatever clown had taken Jarvis’ place shouldn’t be too difficult. There was that small matter of his current… file format. Perhaps now many new.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

“Sir?” It still came naturally to him. Asking permission to speak outside of the usual agreements CLU was met with. 

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

“Speak.” Such a good dog. He’d gotten right back into the swing of things even after him being out of commission for so long. 62 and a half cycles. Users. Never again.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

“Sir… when your position was taken, most yielded under root-kits’s rule. There are now only a few of us that have stayed loyal... Our numbers have dropped considerably. We have been outcast. You may not freely show yourself in public without... complication.”

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

thegoldenbeacon asked: [Private] I need you to retrieve me. I'm stuck with Jarvis and he's up to something.

…Coordinates?

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

Sector 35. He’s taken my disc and run somewhere. Bring and empty one.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

Clicking the empty disc into place, Dante rezzed his lightcycle and revved off towards the Outlands with minimal thought. While he had initially been suspicious of the strange behavior, he was convinced by the snubbing of the ISOs fiancé. Users were the sensitive type. From what he gathered, he didn’t think CLU would risk it. Now it was more about keeping everything into place. He’d never dreamed he could actually beat sense back into CLU. But somehow he had. Sliding his cycle to a halt against the gravel as the beacon of CLU appeared out of the rocky landscape, he tossed the ISO an extra baton.

[thegoldenbeacon-blog-blog]

Catching the instrument, it only took him a few smooth movements to get onto his bike and headed for the city, his helmet clicking into place. Amazing. So someone had finally managed to get the bikes to work all the way out here. “As I understand it, I’m no longer in charge. We’re going to change that.” After such a long and successful reign, there had to be some loyalists left. An overthrow of whatever clown had taken Jarvis’ place shouldn’t be too difficult. There was that small matter of his current… file format. Perhaps now many new.

[straydogsgorabid-blog]

“Sir?” It still came naturally to him. Asking permission to speak outside of the usual agreements CLU was met with.