UPON VESTIA: CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

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Ethan nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Do they execute the ruler, or do they have to keep them alive?" He probably had too many questions.

~~
"Oh, I know that feeling," Vestia said sympathetically. She watched Amari snooze. Aww.

"I guess it's sort of like a cage," Asher said. "I hope it's not too uncomfortable at least."

"Much nicer then my last one, is it perament?" Amari innocently ask with a hopeful look, "this one doesn't have those nasty bottles.." he was refering to the evil bubble bath.

"For now you'll be staying here," Asher said, "You'll probably have to move at some point, but for now this is your room." He frowned at the mention of nasty bottles, he hadn't heard about the bubble bath incident, so he assumed the remark must have something to do with Amari's old master. "Nasty bottles?" he asked warily.

He nodded with sour look, "other rooms here had pretty bottles, bottle lie. Bottles had nice yummy smelling liquid, liquid nasty tasting. got bottle stuck on tongue." Amari pouted, perhaps Vestia could kindly translate that.

"He found some bubble bath, tried putting his tongue in the bottle, and didn't enjoy the flavor," Vestia explained.

"Oh dear. That must have been a terrible experience for you. I'm glad you're all right." Asher tried not to laugh at the mental image of that.

"Nasty evil lying bottles." He hissed, his unnaturally long tongue flicking out in disgust.

"I'm sure the bottle didn't mean you any harm," Asher said. "The flavor must have been a nasty shock though. I can't imagine what bubble bath tastes like, but it must be terrible."

Mourn shrugged. "Can only do so much without robot brain, simulator not as good as real thing. No do if no think could help and no make useless. " He nodded grimly. "No want hurt robots."

----

Armin went to speak to Starr.

----

"Very disgusting." He shook his head, "Not tasty at all."

Starr was in her room, crooning to the egg, she was sure it would be a girl by now.
(How long until hatching now?)

Tobias frowned, but then nodded. "I guess so. It's risky."

Levi smiled. "I only have three years left, and there's a ninety percent chance Mourn can lengthen that. Those odds sound pretty reasonable to me."

"I guess so," Bess agreed. "How did you ever become so interested in robots?" She asked Mourn.

~~
Asher looked amused. "I'm sorry to hear that." He hesitated before asking, "Amari, has Marcus ever hurt you?"

~~
(Starr's egg's hatch date is in the calendar, I think it's July 12. Today in-game is May 30. That math is too hard for my brain today, haha)

"N-no." Amari shook his head, "Not yet anyway..." He was obvious thinking of his previous owner and experience. "He, taught me things to be 'civil', no pain though... sometimes water but no pain." He was refering to the squirt bottle.

(33 days ?)

Mourn tilted his head at the android, then tapped at the metal plate in his head. "sixty percent robot." He told her. "Robot better than organic anyway, organic stupid, do stupid things like build robots then labotomise them when they act too much like organic." He made a face. "Very very stupid. "

--

Armin knocked politely. "Miss Starr?"

Starr looked up at the knock then went to open the door "Hello Armin" She said with a smile.

"Good, I'm glad he hasn't hurt you," Asher said gently. "Water?" He asked. He hoped that didn't mean anything ominous.

~~
"Hey, he's not wrong," Naomi said, laughing. "What they did to the eights was pretty dumb."

"How can you even have a brain that's sixty percent robot? That doesn't seem possible," Bess said.

Amari flushed, "F-for bathing and to..break me of habits." Vestia would probably guess he was refering to the scent marking.

Asher frowned. Breaking habits? That didn't sound good to him.

"I think he's talking about scent marking," Vestia said helpfully.

"Oh." Asher said. "Is that what you mean?" he asked Amari.

"You want see?" Mourn grinned at Bess. "It big mess, lots of mistake. All other ones die. I survive though, I strong." He nodded. "I have way fix eights!" He laughed. "It not so hard, they got same code under barrier. In theory, have same potential once block removed."

---

"Good morning Miss Starr." Armin bowed his head to her. "How are you this morning?"

Bess blinked. "Your brain is a mess? All the others died?" That was confusing.

"You can fix the Eights too? Is there anything you can't do?" Tobias asked. This felid was a miracle worker!

Mourn cackled at Tobias' question, completely ignoring Bess. "I good fixing robot." He boasted.

"Apparently you are," Tobias said. He shook his head. "So do you know about Asher's plan?" he asked. He wasn't sure how publicized Asher's odd ideas were on this ship.

Mourn nodded. "I write code free robots, of course I know plan."

"I guess that makes sense you'd know," Tobias agreed. "If it works and all those androids are running around," he drew quotation marks in the air, "'free'," I guess there are going to be a lot of people who will need your code."

Mourn nodded. "Yes yes, and we get it to them, as well as code to unblock 8s and let not be stupid docile." He made a face, yeah the 8 situation he found really sickening. "and we get other code too, make live longer! Yes yes" This excited him, a lot.

"You're going to end up being recognized as some sort of religious figure someday if you're not careful," Moriah joked. "That wasn't your plan, was it?"

Mourn snickered. "If want build statue, I no object." He grinned. "Come come, test program!"