Upon Vestia: Chapter Twenty-Four

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Dawn chuckled and shook her head a little "I don't need a party." She said softly, chuckling.

~~~
Skye looked to the door then came over to open it "Mourn? What's up?"

Mourn looked amused at the outburst. "No worry robots, we get rid of bad guy. We good and safe now." He nodded.

Esk snorted. "Yeah, till the next time you lot piss off the wrong person."

Skye tilted her head, looking at them "Ok, what exactly is this look for?" She asked them directly.

James shook Ethan off and made a face.

Ethan wiped his hands off fastidiously on his jeans. Gross. People. "Asher's supposed to explain shit, remember?"

James looked sheepish. Right, Asher was supposed to explain all this. Point taken.

"Never say yes when an buyer asks you if you want to come with them," Naomi said. "These guys are insane."

"Shhh," said Moriah to Naomi. "Don't talk that way!"

Mourn giggled.

"You're right, they are." Esk told Naomi. "Or really fucking stupid. Either way, maybe we should get this over with and get Asher." He looked up at Vestia's camera. "Tell him to make himself decent and get down here will you?"

"Will do," Vestia said.

~~
"Asher? Esk says to make yourself decent and come meet the new androids," Vestia said.

Asher made a face. Seriously, what did Esk think he and Kay did all day? "Okay, I'll heard down there." He looked at Kay, "Sorry. Looks like real life isn't going to leave us alone after all."

Kay frowned, damnit Esk.
He got up. [Seems not. Let's go meet the new guys hmm?] He looked a little nervous about that. He really didn't know how any of this would go down.

Skye chuckled and shrugged "Well, some may see it that way, but we are alive to be 'insane'." She said then showed them the rest of the rooms, just to finish that part.

Asher got back in the wheelchair. Bah, he always kind of hated having to go back to using it. Although it was a lot better than having to crawl.
"This should be interesting, at least." The prospect of this meeting was terrifying. There were so many ways it could go badly, so many reasons the androids might hate him. Starting a revolution, not obeying the First Law, dating an organic. Oh dear.

~~
The androids each claimed a room, although they were obviously more worried about wars, and why everyone wanted them to talk to an android. This was so weird.

They stayed closer together now. Safety in numbers, or something.

Skye smiled at them then glanced to the others "Shall we head for the conference room?"

Dawn watched them all then shook her head and turned to go watch this meeting.

"Yeah, let's go to a conference room," James agreed. "Come on, guys! All your questions will be answered! Well, most of them, anyway!"

He led everyone down the hall.

All the androids followed, although Ethan hung back a bit. What were the chances Kay was going to show up too? Pretty darn likely, in his book.

"Oh yeah, sure, we haven't had a meeting in a few days right?" Esk rolled his eyes and followed after Dawn.

Hewitt chuckled at Esk's remark but held back with Ethan. "Well this could go terribly terribly wrong couldn't it?" He mused.

Mourn hurried along with the others. "It be fine robots, no worry!"

"Hey, meetings keep us from doing stupid stuff," James said. "We survived the war because we had good meetings."

"Well at least the androids can't hurt any organics, so that's a plus," Ethan said to Hewitt. "I mean they might be able to dismantle us androids, but they can't touch you guys."

"We're not worrying, really," Levi said. He was totally lying.

"They won't get a chance to hurt you." Esk pointed out. "We'll put them down if they get aggressive."

"Do you even know HOW to put down an android?" Hewitt asked.

"Sure, you taze the shit outta them." Esk shrugged and tapped the various weapons that hung from his belt. "I don't think they can do much anyway with those laws in their brains. If Mourn yells stop they have to stop right?"

---

Kay walked with Asher. [What do you think you'll say to them?] He asked.

"I hope you like what he has to say." Skye said gently and looked to the new androids. She didn't like seeing them all so worried and scared like this.

"Really Esk, we want to calm them down, not make them scared" Dawn said and shook her head at his lack of tact.

Esk shrugged. "They're already freaked out." He pointed out. "Probably wondering what the hell crazy train they got themselves tickets for. I don't think making soothing noises and telling them it's all gonna be okay will make any difference. They'll just think we're lying."

When they arrived at the conferance room Mourn jumped up on the table and walked to the head of it, turning back to everyone else and spreading his arms. "Sit sit sit"

"He is WAY too happy about all this." Esk remarked.

The androids moved closer together. They seemed to be trying to protect Moriah especially. They sat obediently when Mourn told them to though.

"You shouldn't terrorize them," James told Esk.

~~
"I really don't know," Asher said uncertainly. "This isn't a situation I've ever prepared for."

"Now now, I didn't say to make soothing noises or to lie, but you don't have to talk about tasing anyone either" Dawn said with a shrug, going to a seat away from the main table.

Skye went and found a seat quietly.

"I'm not terrorizing them" Esk told James sharply. "I could show you terrorizing if you want, this isn't it."

---

Kay nodded. [Worst case scenario they don't like what you have to say, but they should understand the need for secrecy at least. Even James understands that.]

James glared at Esk. "If you're gonna be a dick, do it where we don't have to hear it."

The androids cringed. What was James doing?

~~
"You're right. I'm sure they'll be sensible about this," Asher said softly. They reached the conference room, and Asher frowned at the sight of the cringing androids. "What's going on here?"

"James and Esk are arguing." Skye said and shrugged "Just another day, but I think it's freaking them out." She said then pulled a wing around to focus on her feathers

Esk snorted and smirked at James. "Moody today aren't you?"
He found a seat. Nope, he wasnt' going anywhere, mostly because it seemed to piss James off and he was petty like that.

Also he was somewhat curious about how this was all going to go and felt like if these androids freaked out it was better to know about it and handle it now.

Kay nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose when he saw who'd gathered here. Really? Esk? Hewitt? Mourn was difficult enough with his total lack of tact but he was pretty sure the other two were only here to be irksome.

"Robot! You come, talk. We get new robot. Fives, one seven. They good robots yes?" Mourn looked at the five of them. "We help."

"Oh don't worry." Esk waved a hand dismissively. "James is just being James and these guys are cowering in terror thinking we're evil masterminds who secretly want to abuse the hell outta them." He looked to the androids. "That's about right isn't it?"

Kay exhaled deeply. Those poor androids, having to deal with THIS.
[Esk, shut up.] He wrote.

Esk glared at his brother, but he did shut up.

Hewitt settled into a chair near Ethan. He was nosy okay?

Mourn looked impatient

Ethan tensed at the sight of Kay, but told himself firmly to wait for the feeling to pass. Kay wasn't that scary, he just wasn't used to him after those weeks on the Tiger.

James glared daggers at Esk, but Asher gave him a quelling look, and he didn't say anything else.

The androids stayed seated and didn't say anything. They were really scared, but they weren't supposed to act that way around their new owner. They looked at Asher, some of them recognizing him from that day when he'd visited the shop, as of he might be able to make this all right.

"All right," Asher said, putting on his most believable calm, authoritative voice. "My name is Asher, and it looks like I get to explain to you what's happening on this ship. First of all, I want to assure you that nobody on this ship will hurt you for your species, and that you are as safe here as any android has ever been. How about you guys start by telling me your names, and what your know so far?"

The androids calmed down a little at Asher's reassurance. He really did have a very trustworthy face and voice when he wanted to.

Bess spoke for the group, introducing herself and the others, and then explaining what little they'd been told about code modification, a war, tasing, choosing to be here, and everything else. She looked pretty nervous still, eyes shifting as she watched for any attacks.

Asher listened quietly, nodding, and doing his very best to project calm. Poor androids, this must be so traumatic for them. "All right, here's what's going on." He explained about the Family somewhat vaguely, not mentioning the details of the battle, just who they had been fighting and what had been at stake. He explained that Esk wasn't really as violent as he talked, usually. And finally he explained that the androids on Vestia were free, and had no owners and no Laws, and that they could be free too. Mourn could free them.

"What?" Moriah stood up hastily. "That's not possible!"

The others went to stand near her, guarding her again. They really were protective of their younger sister. "It isn't true. Nobody's ever broken the Laws!"

Naomi looked thoughtful. "You can free us, Mourn? But why would you?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. No species deserves to be slaves." Skye said from her seat then looked up to them again. "A lot of us on this ship have been in those shoes or near enough to hate the thought of slavery for anyone."

Mourn puffed his chest out with pride, he was still standing on the table. "Can! " He hesitated. "least, can with seven and eight. Need to see five code, shouldn't be too hard no?" He was pretty confident.

"He does it because he can, but yeah, mostly because all of us fucking hate slavery and those laws are beyond fucked up." Esk added.

[You shouldn't need a program in your brain telling you what you should and shouldn't do. You can do that yourself, just like every organic being.] Kay smiled in a manner he hoped was reassuring. [But you must understand, when this is done, you must be cautious about who you tell. If word gets back to the manufacturers, it could be extremely bad for all your race.]

"You would want to free us," Naomi said. "Not just treat us nicely, but actually give us freedom." She found this hard to believe.

"Like Skye said, pretty much everyone in this room has been enslaved or almost been enslaved at least once," James said, looking around at everyone, "Seriously, we wouldn't wish that crap on anyone. And these guys here on Vestia think we're people, so they want to free us too."

"Being free isn't always easy, life is very different when you don't have the Laws guiding everything you do. But being free is something everyone should get the chance to experience. Life is so different when you aren't at the mercy of those around you," Asher said. "We want to give you that opportunity, should you wish to take it."

"We shouldn't take any part in this. It isn't right," Tobias said.

Bess looked uncertain. This seemed too good to be true.

"I volunteer. If you want to try and free a Five, I'm ready," Naomi said to Mourn.

"I'm... interested," Moriah said hesitantly.

Levi looked concerned at what Kay wrote. "Of course. If our creators thought we were a danger to organic creatures, they would kill us, no questions asked. To be free is a massive risk to all of us, and one that shouldn't be taken lightly." He'd seen the Six series recall, he knew how little regard the androids' creators had for their creations. "But I think... I think I'm interested as well." This had to be a trap, but it sure was a tantalizing one. To spend his last years without anyone having control over him, well, it was the sort of thing androids had never dared hope for.

Skye looked at the new androids and smiled softly "Asher and the other androids here are free, all of them. We know you are alive and your own people, just silicone based instead of organic. We keep up appearances when in public, but we don't when it's just us. We want to stop all slavery."She paused and shook her head a little "We know it's a lofty dream, but it's a good one to strive for."