Colin's posts

"....huh. Language banks. Nice one." Leo said to Lunet after a pause.

"...those seem a bit... form-fitting, but at least they fit." he then muttered.

"Regardless, when do you want to discuss... whatever it was involved me?" he asked Hal.

"Let's all go downstairs to talk about it." Hal suggested.

"Chloe, that means you, too." he then said to Chloe.

Hal thought for a moment about that little predicament.

"Hm." he muttered.

"I might have an idea." he said.

"But we'll need Leonard's approval on it." he said further.

"My approval for what?" Leo asked, having just returned with clothing. A pair of jeans, some socks, underwear, and a plain white shirt.

"We'll discuss it later." Hal told him.

"...all right then." Leo responded with a shrug, before bringing the clothing over to Chloe.

"Hm." Hal muttered.

"And there would be claims of nepotism, as well." he said.

"Tell you what." he went on.

"If Chloe here works out, then when you're old enough, you'll have a job." he told her.

"How's that?" he asked.

"Chloe will be your test, your interview, essentially." he continued.

"That sound fair?"

"See, that's why I said give you a shot." Hal responded.

"You're old enough for part-time work." he told her.

"So let's get you an entry-level position in the tech lab area, and we'll see what happens." he continued.

"Those that work there will let you show them what you can do." he assured her.

"I mean, unless you don't WANT that..." he added, shrugging an in an exaggerated manner.

"We CAN just drop the whole thing..."

Hal seemed to be stunned for a moment.

He then crossed his arms over his chest.

"That settles it." he said.

"Remember how you said you've been wanting to work at the Unit, in my tech department?" he asked.

"And how I kept saying 'we'll see', and 'you'll need to prove yourself'?" he asked further.

"You just did." he said.

"I'd say this confirms your talent and abilities." he went on.

"Enough to give you a shot, anyway."

Hal looked at Chloe first.

"You may not be human, but you DO look like one." he told her.

"As such, you should probably learn to cover your body up, in order to blend in better." he continued.

"Artificial or not, clothing is important." he insisted.

He then looked at his daughter, and sighed.

"Options." he said.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Is there no way for her to develop her OWN personality?"

Hal just sighed, and draped a blanket over Chloe.

"This is extremely awkward for me." he admitted.

"However, I can see what you were trying to do." he went on.

"I understand it, and I even commend it." he continued.

"So I'll give her a trial run, see if she can prove herself." he said further.

"Is that acceptable to you?" he asked.

"...one would think so." Hal muttered.

"Admittedly, I DO like how Chloe rolls off the tongue more." he then said.

"Fair." Leo admitted.

"...." he was then silent, before clearing his throat.

"I'm going to get her some clothes." he said.

"I'll be back in a bit." he finished, before leaving the room.

"....." Hal was silent, before looking at Leo and putting a finger up to Lunet, as if to say 'hold that thought'.

"You have something to say." he commented.

"Er... well, not... I mean... I don't really WANT to..." he admitted.

"Out with it." Hal insisted.

"Well... the design of her... how she functioned... and everything inside her... it was unlike anything I've ever made or built before." Leo responded. "I seriously think that she's my Magnum Opus of technology, even though the programming and software is all Lunet." he continued.

"...so I secretly started calling her 'Maggie'..." he admitted quietly.

"Hm." Hal mumbled, turning to his daughter.

"What do you think of that name?" he asked her. "And you as well." he added, looking at Model 2.64.

This made it clear to Lunet that Hal was not about to reject her, or decline this... if he was already thinking about an actual NAME for her.

"So I see." Hal responded.

He then sighed and shook his head.

"All right, both of you, inside." he told them, as they all entered the room.

"Sorry about that." he apologised to the one that was there.

"You say you don't have a name." he said.

"Do you have ANYTHING? Even a designation, or serial number?" he asked her.

"Did THESE two..." he continued, gesturing at Leo and Lunet, "...give you ANYTHING?" he asked further.

Leo, meanwhile, just looked sheepish and awkward, as he looked away slightly.

"..." Ryker was silent as he saw this.

'...really wanna fight.' he thought.

He then sighed and shook his head.

"Stay on target." he mumbled, before going into the cave.

"Gotta find the crystal." he said, closing his eyes, concentrating for a moment, and then going deeper in.

'Yeah, it's this way, kid.' the demon inside him said.

"You manipulative little scamp." Hal said to her.

"And you got JUST the right people to collude with you on this." he commented.

"Just one more question." he then said.

"And that is?" Leo asked.

"WHERE are her clothes?" Hal inquired.

"....surely you exaggerate." Hal responded.

"She does not." Leo piped up.

"If those organizations pooled their resources, and dedicated all their time and energy to trying to crack her, and hack into her, I'd estimate their chances of success at being less than 1%." he told him.

"So she's not impenetrable." Hal summarised. "However, for practical purposes, she's close enough?" he added.

"She is." Leo confirmed.

"And how did you think this would hel-" he started to ask Lunet, before freezing mid-question.

"...when I was ranting about my tech team being run ragged... before the vacation..." he realised.

"You were already formulating the idea, weren't you?" he asked his daughter, an unmistakable hint of pride in his tone.

Hal just looked at her.

"And any other accomplices that may be there as well!" he added loudly.

A few seconds later, Leo slinked into view sheepishly.

"Eh-heh." he chuckled.

"...I shouldn't be surprised that you colluded with my daughter on this." Hal commented.

"Now... my dearest daughter..." he then said to Lunet, his tone... almost disconcertingly sing-song. "...mind telling me what is going on?" he asked.

"And where there appears to be a female robot ripped straight from a Japanese anime in my room?"