reverielogs | [open] ACTION

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original: haruto saitou

[open] ACTION

» WHO? Haruto Saitou and you
» WHEN? The first 3 weeks of September
» WHERE? All around the station
» WHAT? Haruto's programming has been corrupted somehow and he is hallucinating, disoriented, and blind
» WARNINGS? cw: hallucinations

i. I've got time to think about the beauty of 1000 variations

It starts slowly, with Haruto heading back to his room from the mess hall, or from his room to the library to do more research. Suddenly, he has to pause in walking, not knowing where he is or where he was headed. The station isn't very big, he knows, and he has a map of all the areas they have access to downloaded to his internal systems. So, logically, he shouldn't be getting lost. But he is. He might find himself in the bar, or in the chapel, or in some unfamiliar person's room that happened to be unlocked. He won't even realize where he is or how he got there. He just knows he's trying to get somewhere...

ii. And I'd like to get to know you, but you're talking much too slowly

Even worse than winding up somewhere not knowing where he is or how he got there, is not being able to see where he's going at all. Haruto's vision becomes blurred, unable to focus on anything, for periods that last anywhere from five minutes to hours at a time. He stumbles his way to press a hand to a wall, knowing that at least if he can feel his way along the corridors, he won't fall and hurt himself. When he thinks he sees motion nearby, he turns his head in its direction, calling out, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

iii. I've got time to think about my past as I dodge between the bullets

Finally, weeks into this mess, Haruto thinks he understands why he's been plagued by disorientation and blurred vision. Because one day he comes out of sleep mode in his room, and sees around him... His old apartment, back in Tokyo! He's home. He rushes out the door, heart racing, fearing that it's just a daydream he's conjured for himself. But outside his room is the same familiar hallway, with Mrs. Horikoshi coming up the stairs with her grocery bags in hand. And there, running around the corner are the children he's used to seeing play in the hallways. They laugh at him, calling out to him, "おはよう、Mister Roboto!"

He laughs back, waving a relieved hand at the young boys as they run away. Or, rather, waving to no one as he stands outside room 9 on deck 3, because he isn't back in Tokyo. He's just hallucinating his old apartment building.

iv. Do you think you can imagine anything so lonely

Something is obviously wrong. And unlike the music that wouldn't end, or the random paralysis, this seems to be affecting only him. His first thought is that his core programming has gotten corrupted somehow. A virus, maybe? He isn't sure how he would have picked one up; he's kept his firewalls secure ever since he arrived on Reverie Terminal. Still, probably best to run some internal diagnostics.

One may run into Haruto, then, sitting in a corridor by a terminal, cable running from the wall to the back of his neck as he borrows some processing power from the station. He's seated with his legs folded underneath him, hands gently resting on his knees, eyes open but unfocused, reading the Heads Up Display only he can see. He probably won't notice anyone approach until they're right in front of him.

[ ooc: will match prose or brackets, hmu on plurk at

objectpermanence for other options! ]

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[ Bodhi doesn't often lock his door, as Jyn will come and go as she pleases on a regular basis and vice versa. so he's lying on his bed with a book he'd grabbed from the library, looking up common ailments of Earth. his sleeves are rolled up so the remaining copper that trails elbow to wrist of his right arm glints in the lighting.

he doesn't look up when Haruto enters, but there's a small upturn of his mouth in a smile. ]

Haven't you ever heard of knocki - oh.

[ he glances off the page, up towards Haruto with a look of surprise evident. ]

Everything alright?

Huh?

[ Haruto hadn't been looking up, and so hadn't even noticed he was in someone's room, let alone his friend's. ]

Oh, Bodhi. What are you doing in the library?

[ Wait a second. ] ...This isn't the library.

I'm not... no, it's not the library. [ confused, Bodhi snaps the book shut and sits up, looking Haruto over. there are times where he still gets lost, turned around and confused, himself. it's not hard to do, here. he offers his friend a small smile. ]

I think you got turned around, it's down the other end of the hall. I can walk you to it, if you'd like.

[ Haruto shakes his head, smacking his forehead with the heel of his hand in frustration. ] Not again. This keeps happening!

Yes, I think it would probably be best if you walk me there. I can't seem to make it anywhere on my own reliably.

[ his brow furrows, concern evident on his expression. ]

Okay. Just, give me a second. Let me grab my boots. [ he rolls down his sleeve and grabs the gravity boots under his bed. ]

So what keeps happening? Have you gotten lost before?

[ Haruto waits patiently. It's not as if he's on a schedule, here, and he's already behind even if he were. ]

A few times. First I was trying to get back to my room from the mess hall, but I ended up in the gym instead. It's been happening for a day or so.

[Arid is aware that humans are both capable and willing to drink to the point of intoxication. She has, technically, even been certified to interact with humans who find themselves in such a state. So when she sees a humanoid figure stumble through the corridor with his hand pressed to the wall, it is her initial assessment that he is likely inebriated. However, as she draws closer, the identity of the figure becomes apparent: Haruto, the AI encased in a human form. Though she speculates that his human body is capable of becoming intoxicated, the likelihood of such a scenario seems low. Surely a synthetic would have better sense than that.]

I am present, [she replies in response to his question.] Are you experiencing an optics malfunction?

[ Haruto is relieved to hear the other AI's distinctive voice, and to have a name to put to the person-shaped dark blur in front of him. ]

A.R.I.D.! Yes, I suppose that's a way to put it. Something's wrong with my eyes...

[Arid’s attention focuses on the other AI’s eyes at that declaration, though of course, there is no data to be gleaned from the blank human eyes that stare back at her. Even if there were an obvious fault, Arid would not have the experience with human biology necessary to recognize it. Perhaps Haruto is in a better position to analyze the fault.]

Can you run a self-diagnostic to assess the source of the malfunction?

[ Yes, that would be a good idea, wouldn't it? Rather than stumble around like a blind person. ]

I can try. Hold on.

[ He goes still, eyes unfocused on the middle distance as he runs through his internal systems. He can only really monitor the technological parts of himself-- his brain and its connections to his biological organs-- but even that takes a minute or two to run diagnostics.

Finally, he blinks back to awareness. ]

Nothing's wrong with my optical systems. There must be a problem with my eyes themselves.

[Arid waits patiently for the diagnostic to complete. She’s not at all surprised by the process. If anything, she’s pleased that Haruto can still execute such functions even given his unconventional form. Unfortunately, the diagnostic returns less helpful results than expected.

Arid cannot imagine how inefficient it must be to repair hardware defects when one’s form is organic.]

Do you require maintenance by a human medical provider?

[ Haruto makes a face and shrugs. ]

Maybe. It comes and goes in cycles. Sometimes it only lasts a few minutes, other times it's hours.

[ He knew that as his body grew older, there was a possibility his eyes would age and need glasses, but he didn't think it would happen so suddenly. No, he thinks there's something else at work here. ]

[It certainly sounds like a malfunction that requires attention sooner rather than later. However, Arid is not entirely surprised that a deviant AI would prefer to avoid detailed inspection from a human examiner. Her voice lowers a fraction.]

Do you fear that a human technician might alter more than your optics?

[ His eyebrows furrow as he considers that. He hadn't had that fear, exactly, but now it's been put into his head. ]

No? Not... really? I've never seen a doctor before, mostly because I was... in hiding, back on Earth. But then, I mostly was able to avoid getting injured or sick.

You are “sick” now.

[It’s an imperfect metaphor, but then, it suits Haruto’s imperfect form. Surely a synthetic body would have been easier to maintain.]

What recourse do you intend to take to resolve the malfunction? Do you believe it will self-correct given time?

"Harutou."

Says Jasnah, loudly, trying to snap him out of it. By the sounds of things it's not the first time she's said his name.

"Are you all right? Do you need me to get that healer?"

"Fine. It's all fine." He says to himself, sighing dramatically. It's only then that the shadow of someone standing over him registers with him and he looks up.

"Oh, Jasnah. Hello."

He doesn't seem to have heard any of what she said.

"You seemed distracted."

She said, quietly.

"Would you like to come get something to eat?"

Sometimes the mess hall can be grounding.

He sighs, a little sheepish. "I've been feeling... out of sorts, lately." That's putting it mildly, but he doesn't want to admit how bad things are. "I was trying to run diagnostics to determine the cause, but... everything seems fine."

In any case, he unplugs himself and stands up, coiling the cable and sticking it in the pocket of his jumpsuit.

"Something to eat might help. Thanks for the idea."

And then he starts walking... in the opposite direction of the mess hall.

"Harutou, you're going the wrong way."

Says Jasnah, firmly, at his back, moving to step between his and his direction.

"I don't mind if you eat or not, but I hope that's not a symptom of your deteriorating concentration."

Haruto stops in his tracks, shoulders sagging as he realizes he's done it again.

"No, sorry... I've been getting all turned around lately. I keep winding up in places that aren't where I was trying to go."

And then there was the blurry vision, and the hallucinations... It was altogether unsettling.

"Maybe it would be best if you lead the way?"

"I'll do so."

She promises, and pauses, waiting for him to turn around.

"Just this way. What other symptoms are you experiencing?"

Hopefully this is isolated, and not coming for them all.

He does turn, and follow her closely.

"My sense of direction is off, which really doesn't make any sense, because I have a map of the station downloaded and so I should always know exactly where I am."

He isn't sure whether she saw his post to the network last month, but she did just see him plugged into the wall terminal, so she probably has some idea that he's not all human.

"Then last week my vision started blurring, for periods of anywhere from minutes to hours." That had been frustrating, and also worrying. "And... I've been hallucinating things."

"Well, all I can tell you from that is that you almost certainly still live on Reverie Terminal."

She answers, not unsympathetic, exactly, but very dry. All of those sound exactly like their lives here.

"Food and something to drink might help in the short term."

But the root cause isn't something they can deal with, she's afraid.

Edited 2018-09-10 03:32 (UTC)

"Yes," he says dejectedly. "I've figured that much out."

Despite his convincing hallucinations of being back in his old apartment in Tokyo.

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