@deviant.hunter / text (backdated to when the bad un was still a thing)

[metanoias]

Has anyone encountered a man named Markus here?

[ For a moment that seems to be the entire extent of the message but about ten seconds later, another one follows. ]

Please disregard this username.

[ Okay, that's the extent of the message.

Oh wait. No it's not. One more: ]

I have an additional question: have any of you ever experienced something like this before? I have reason to believe this isn't an isolated incident.

[ Reason being this is the second dang time it's happened to him and North. ]

Comments

@clonie

[subroutined]

[ He's been here a week. He could change his username if he wanted to. But he kind of likes the way this one sounds. ]

No, I haven't. But I'll look out for him. Who should I say is asking after him?

[ A thought occurs to him. While we're on the subject of asking after people (presumably) from home... ]

Oh, and if you see a woman named Martha, tell her

[ A pause. She wouldn't know his new name. But he's sort of separated himself from his old one. ...Does he even want to see Martha, if she comes?

Yes, he does. Of course he does. ]

Tell her Ash is here.

Also, to answer your last question, I've been taken to a new place before. But it was fairly different than this.

text - un: @always.a.choice

[arecompatible]

[Deviant hunter. Someone with that username asking for a Markus? It couldn't be a coincidence could it? Simon hadn't actually met the infamous deviant hunter, but he'd almost been found by him on Stratford Tower. Thankfully not, but all the same, he didn't have much trust in Connor, especially if he was looking for Markus.

If his assumptions are correct. As much as he'd rather not engage with the other android he will against his better judgement.]

What do you want with Markus?

[Text, @atlas]

[theprezident]

Define "something like this".

[ action, in their very own house ]

[brickbat]

[ was north's first priority in this house making a clean space for Their Plant to live? ........no, but look, it was in the top five. it's not like taking stock of food or having a functional bed was particularly up there. she pads into the room having finished that incredibly important task - hair piled up at the back of her head, a few streaks of grime decorating one collarbone and jawline - and comes over to sit next to him, what wants to be a hopeful expression tempered by cynicism. ]

Anyone seen him?

[metanoias]

My name is Connor. If I find Martha I'll tell her you're looking for her.

[ The odds are stacked against either of them finding the people they're looking for but it could happen. If not now then maybe one day.

Connor's interest is immediately piqued at the mention of a new place. He'd say Deerington had been somewhat similar to this one, though not identical, so he wonders if this "fairly different" place is yet another strange pocket universe... or whatever it is they've found themselves in. ]

What was it like?

[metanoias]

[ Texted like someone who actually knows Markus... but odds are they're talking about someone else, right? ]

He's a friend. Have you seen him?

[metanoias]

Taken from home suddenly and placed somewhere with only a vague explanation as to why, with people who seem to be from other times, worlds, or even universes.

[metanoias]

[ Connor, meanwhile, is hovering over his phone in a pose that's very reminiscent of the days when he used to get into arguments about whether or not his abilities could be considered scientifically reliable. The good ol' days, one might say.

He sighs sharply through his nose and shakes his head. ]

No, I don't think so. Although... there might be someone else here who knows him. I can't be sure yet.

[arecompatible]

[He sure does. Though again, this could all be assumptions and it's just another person who would be looking for a Markus who happens to be a deviant hunter. A coincidence, surely.]

It depends on if we're talking about the same Markus.

[metanoias]

[ Connor doesn't want to blast "Markus, the leader of the android revolution" over the network until he has a better feel for this place so he settles for something simple instead.]

That's true. Are you from Detroit?

[arecompatible]

[100% totally fair.]

I am.

I'm curious why we're disregarding your username.

[Simon knew they weren't chosen by them, at least not right off, so the people in charge were definitely putting this out there on purpose.]

[metanoias]

It isn't accurate.

[ It was once, but not anymore. ]

You've heard of me, haven't you?

[ The pieces are falling together a little too neatly for this to be a coincidence. ]

[arecompatible]

I have. I think we all know of you to some extent.

So you're a deviant now, just like us?

[Sounds fake, but... it's not entirely out of the question. Wouldn't that be interesting. The deviant hunter becoming deviant.]

@feral.forest.gremlin

[skittering]

no markus

yes to the other thing

[theprezident]

Oh, yeah, before this I was in a place called Asgard, together with a bunch of others here.

text; un: retired.wireless

[brandnewtech]

Depends on what you mean by "something like this" but I'm pretty sure the answer is yes.
If this is another fucking nightmare, I'm going to fucking scream.

[ a few seconds later ]

also really tired of the Internet misbehaving on my watch
what the fuck are these user names?

text | un: obedient.robot.slave

[obeir]

[ For a long moment, K simply stares in dismay at the username he absolutely did not choose for himself and is unable to change. Inwardly sighing, he decides to just get on with it. He's been called worse. Far worse.

(But they could have gotten the "android" part correct at the very least. Honestly.) ]

I have experienced a phenomenon like this before, yes. Last time it was allegedly a shared dreamscape that we all were trapped within.

[brickbat]

[ The answer to that ought to easily be this someone can only hail from Detroit or Deerington, and yet. Here they are in neither place. She makes a quiet, shoulder squaring noise, resolved not to give up just yet, but finding it increasingly difficult. For North, that's saying something.

She scritches her nails absently through the short hair at the base of Connor's neck, mostly for like ....her own comfort, because two years and six months is not nearly enough time for the novelty of simple affection to wear off. ]

Even if they do, it might not be our Markus.

[ a pause, then literal shoulder squaring. ]

I'm sorry. I know it doesn't get us anywhere to assume the worst, I just thought ...I thought when we left Deerington it would be to go home.

[metanoias]

I am. Markus helped me see that I'm more than just a machine built to serve humans.

[ And that his inherent determination to accomplish anything he sets out to do when paired with societal revolution is something of an unstoppable force — or would be, if six months in Deerington followed by whatever this is hadn't thrown a major wrench in the plans. ]

I'm sorry. I know I made things difficult for deviant androids.

[ A deliberate understatement. He knows he made things worse than difficult but it feels inappropriate to delve into such a serious topic through text on a public network. ]

un: traci

[brickbat]

They're humans reminding us who's in charge.

[ can you just TASTE the bitterness wow it's bitter; meanwhile she has nooo idea if she's speaking to a human, but that is irrelevant. north cares not for such trivialities. ]

Or you could just say they're bullshit. I like that, it's shorter.

[arecompatible]

[That sounds on par with what Markus does. It sounds like something he'd manage to do if he ever was face to face with the deviant hunter. A part of him thinks the other android is just telling him what he wants to hear, what will get him the information he wants.

But Simon doesn't have anything to give him if he's honest and he can't completely write off Connor either.]

Markus isn't here. At least not that I've seen.

I'm happy that you've woken up, the more of us that are free the better.

[Even if it's just their minds that are free, they're working on the whole. Freeing their people for real now.]

[brandnewtech]

[ reading tone through text messages is one of his special skills. he likes "bitter" and commiserates. ]

Humans don't know shit about who's really in charge. They will though, if I ever get my hands on his new batch of tormentors.

The usernames are bullshit. This place is bullshit. The pamphlet is bullshit.

[ Why be concise when you can be angry? ]

un: retired.wireless

[brandnewtech]

These fucking usernames. How dare they.
K, I swear to-- FUCK. I'm relieved you're here, but I already wish neither of us were.

[subroutined]

Thank you.

[ This could be a mistake. If Martha does show up... Well, he'll deal with that possibility when he comes to it. ]

It was America, but a very different America than the one in my world. Not that I'd ever been to the America in my world, but you hear enough about it to know, I think. This America had hover cars and teleporters and people with nanites giving them superpowers. I have a couple superpowers from it, as well. They're a bit rubbish, but interesting enough.

[obeir]

Are you all right? [ PRIORITIES. And he's also immensely relieved they're at least still together. ]

I suppose mine could be worse. It isn't necessarily inaccurate, just very unimaginative.

[ His resigned attempt at humour. Needless to say, he's well inured to this kind of treatment. When it comes to Tech Boy enduring the same treatment, though... that actually gets under his skin. ]

But I do take exception to yours. Is this like that app you couldn't take down? [ The deerlyBeloved profile. ]