text; july 5th

[callamities]

[It’s unfortunate that he has to turn to the network. Unfortunate, but unsurprising. He can only go so long without energy and his handlers hadn’t provided nearly enough guidance for him to find a solution on his own. He had hoped someone would give him further instructions before he hit hard limits, but after almost four days without charge, the situation is urgent enough for him to make a general request for assistance.

Calla elects for text over video or audio. He has no illusions that he’ll pass for a Creator with the message he’s about to post, but at least he can spare anyone from hearing his audio glitch. Plus, if what he’s doing is somehow against protocol, at least no one will have a face to match with his offense.]

Hello everyone.

[He reads and rereads the opening words a few times. They seem inoffensive enough...]

I was hoping someone would be kind enough to answer a small question of mine. I’m sure it’s a silly thing to ask, but I can’t seem to find any charging stations in the Ingress Complex. Would anyone please let me know where I might find any available for public use? I haven’t been installed in my new function yet and I just need enough power to tide me over until then.

[Calla can’t detect anything objectionable in that request. Perhaps it comes across as a little slow—the lack of readily available information on the subject suggests common knowledge—but that’s nothing out of the ordinary for a Created. He thinks for a moment and then adds another line.]

Liquid energy would be acceptable as well.

[Liquid energy had been a luxury in the Gardens, a novelty reserved for those who accompanied paying Creators. But given how strange this new world is, Calla can’t rule out the possibility that it’s the norm here.]

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Comments

[notglitching]

[Familiar terminology... and a strange ID. A new import? Or did they pick up a stray?]

Identify: function, system of origin.

[callamities]

[The message Calla receives in reply is brusque and to-the-point. He can’t tell if it’s from another Created of a particularly gruff Creator. Better respond promptly, just in case.]

Localized companionship function.

[System is a little more hard to place. Calla assumes it just means “place.” “Eastgate” would be the most accurate answer there, but… the city does have laws about exporting Created. It would probably be safer to give a more general answer.]

Earth.

[notglitching]

[...

Rinzler's pretty sure that means "Siren".]

Reference ("Earth"): nonspecific.

Confirm/deny: system designated Earth-91c, recently networked through Ingress?

[callamities]

[Well, that doesn’t match any Creator texting pattern Calla has ever seen. It reads more like something from a rudimentary AI—one basic enough that it hadn’t even been programmed to mimic User conversation.

Still, Calla should tread carefully until he knows for sure. Judging by the offworld guests he’d seen at the Gardens, the line between Creator and Created can be rather more confused here.]

It’s certainly possible. I’ve only heard it referred to as Earth, but it could have a different designation here. We did have some visitors come through the Ingress recently.

[notglitching]

[...and that would be confirmation.]

Left with them.

[A guess, but not a difficult one. Unless the Ingress just happened to import a program from that world the week after they left it?]

Why?

[callamities]

[Oh. Oh shit. Did he just give away something he shouldn’t have? He ignores the sound of his tick accelerating a few beats and types a very quick response.]

It was all sorted out already. The Creators at the Ingress are installing me at a new venue.

[It should be enough that the local Creators okayed the import, right? Especially if he’s talking to another Created.]

You can ask them for confirmation, if you want.

[notglitching]

Not an answer.

[Also not creators, but that mismatch can at least be blamed elsewhere.]

text;

[seeingscarlet]

[There's something about this message that feels so painfully familiar. She imagines that if Vision could run low on energy he'd ask for help in a very similar way, and this person sounds...not the same, but a related sort of being. And Wanda's never been one to turn away from someone who needs help.]

Are they refusing to let you use one yet?

text;

[callamities]

Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. But there wasn’t one installed in my current accommodations and I can’t seem to find any others. I expect there will be a few in my place of installation, but I haven’t been transferred there yet.

[And of course he can't go looking for it alone. Apparently it's not even in the same "region" as him.

There will probably be a bus.

please tell him there's a bus]

text;

[seeingscarlet]

Have you asked the Savrii? There are places to charge devices, but I am not sure what kind of station you need.

[It's starting to sound like maybe calling Tony in for help would be a good idea. Or...if it's really an emergency...]

Will any kind of energy work?

text;

[callamities]

[Calla squints at the response, unsure if he’s understanding correctly. Why wouldn’t she be sure what kind of station he needs? Perhaps he hadn’t made it clear enough that he’s a Program?]

I haven’t asked them. Is it standard practice practice for them to install one on request?

[If it’s standard protocol, he doubts his own request would stand out too much. As for other sources of energy, Calla is even less certain. It hadn’t been a question he’d ever had to ask himself back on Earth.]

I’m not sure. The only two I’ve heard of working are electrical energy and liquid energy.

text;

[seeingscarlet]

[It's more a question of mechanics - there are stations with special surfaces that will charge any device left on them, but somehow she doubts they have the output to power a person.]

Someone probably didn't realize you needed it.

[Though one would think 'needs a source of power to function' would get carried over from the medical exam to whoever is setting up housing.]

But if the Savrii don't have anything, I know people who can help.

text;

[callamities]

[He’s beginning to get the feeling that the woman is right and he’d be lying if it didn’t annoy him just a bit. It isn’t like his circuits are well-hidden. Why wouldn’t they realize he needed a charging station like any other Program?

The woman’s mention of “people who can help” is a little worrying—but it could be innocuous and at this point Calla is willing to keep his options open.]

Thank you for the offer. May I ask who these people are?

text; locked

[yorisearching]

I'm sure the Savrii will help install one if you ask them, but they'll need to know your intake requirements. Or they can make something that taps into the station power supply at standard outlets.

[In fact Yori has something very like in her own room, which is on the Complex, but she's not sure if that's compatible with the request...or if this person is someone she wants to invite over so soon.]

No liquid energy around here. There are stored batteries for emergency use, but I don't know if they would work for you.

[She's willing to share her own emergency supply if the newcomer is as low as that, but not if it's likely to overload the unknown with the wrong kind of energy.]

text; locked

[callamities]

[The notion of asking the local Creators for resources gives Calla pause—especially for something like this. He’s only one Created after all, and he doesn’t know how long he’ll be in this location. And he’s not too keen on attracting their attention when he still doesn’t know why they’ve even kept him here this long...]

May I ask where I can find these batteries?

[“Emergency use” sounds extreme, but it sounds like the safer option at the moment.]

text; locked

[yorisearching]

[That sounds like an urgent energy need. Yori squints at the specifications for her second-largest capacity rechargeable battery, the one she bought in Kauto just in case.]

Please verify you can accept electric current with no harm. Different worlds tend to have different power standards. You might need a specific converter.

[Also, she needs a moment to figure out a safe place to let him find it.]

text; locked

[callamities]

I can accept electric current. I’m afraid I don’t know much about power standards, though. All I know is that I’m used to receiving power from a charging station.

text; locked

[yorisearching]

[Yori frowns at the response. That means she really can't leave whoever this is unsupervised for the test use of the battery, or no one will realize what is wrong if there's a serious mismatch or injury.]

Understood. You're on the Ingress Complex? Can you find the hallway right outside the security post by the Ingress? I can meet you there with a battery.

[The people working Ingress Security know her pretty well after months of working on the same station, so if she needs help Yori is certain they'll come. She just hopes that won't be necessary.]

text; locked

[callamities]

[There’s a pause before Calla responds. If there’s one thing he’s learned already during his brief time here, it’s that he’s very, very bad at navigating, not to even mention the uncertainty he feels about meeting with a stranger. Still, he’s desperate enough for energy that he’s willing to make an attempt.]

I’ll try to be there.

[Another pause.]

I apologize if I’m later than expected.

text;

[a_shadow]

Who's neglecting their duties in giving you what you need?

[ Tex might have a few choice words for someone like that. ]

video; private

[callamities]

[Calla manages to almost completely forget about the question when he sees the ID attached to it. He switches to video, hoping she’ll do the same. His expression is surprised, but not unpleasantly so.]

Tex? Is that you?

[It probably is, but he can’t rule out that she could share a name with someone else—especially as a Created. Not all Creators are all that original when it comes to picking names.]

Do you remember me?

video; private

[a_shadow]

Yeah, it's me. [ There's a hint of a smile on her face as she continues. ] And of course I remember you. How could I forget?

video; private

[callamities]

Oh, good! [Calla smiles back and it may be the first genuine smile she’s seen from him. His tone is relieved as he continues.] I thought maybe the Ingress brought you somewhere else.

[That probably means her Creator is here, too. Two familiar faces aren’t much when he’s still acclimating to an entirely new planet, but it’s better than nothing. And it’s nice to talk to someone who he knows for sure is a Created.]

I’m not sure anyone’s neglected their duties. Maybe they just put me in the wrong room; there’s a bed instead of a charging station in here.

[He doesn’t need to explain why that’s an obvious mix-up. A look of aversion crosses his features.] I really hope they haven’t mistaken me for a Creator.

video; private

[a_shadow]

There's so many different types of people here—they'll probably have to be told specifically that you need a charging station.

[ That look on his face speaks volumes. It's interesting, considering the conflict about being taken for a human she's had lately. She looks a bit wistful when she replies. ]

The line here between creator and created is a little blurrier.

video; private

[callamities]

Well, everyone does keep telling me I should just ask somebody. [His brow furrows.] But… if they did think I was a Creator, I wouldn’t want to… you know… contradict them.

[His tone suggests that the consequences should be obvious. And maybe they are. Tex may remember that there had been a law on Earth 91c prohibiting Created from passing as Creators.]

I’ve noticed. Things are a lot more confusing here than they were on Earth.