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[video] i am not synthetica
[ Those who know Tex have probably noticed she's been gone for some time, and that she didn't participate in the last round of missions. Before she left, she was often to be found in the training rooms and workout facilities, even though she doesn't have any muscles to work out and can't gain any strength. Tex gains satisfaction in life from being sharp and a good fighter and even though most of her abilities require her systems to be in good working order and calculating her opponents' moves, she likes to stay in practice.
But not long ago, researching the UP and the government's role in the Legion, she discovered something that she felt required more personal investigation. This situation is the conflict between Colu and Robotica, and how the former world attempted to block the latter from being accepted to the UP. In fact, she was intrigued when she learned how the UP in general treats citizens of Robotica, because she herself could easily be considered a similar lifeform.
It's the things she learned on this trip, as well as the changes the Legion has gone through in her absence, that have led her to decide to make this post. Tex isn't typically one to engage the video function, but that's what she chooses to do this time. She sets the omnicon on a desk in her quarters and stands across from it to film herself. ]
This is Lonestar and I just got back from a pretty informative trip. I know I left pretty suddenly, and I'm sorry I missed the last round of missions, but getting back and learning about the stuff you all accomplished, I'm just thinking about what might be done about what I learned.
I don't know if you're familiar with the planet called Colu, but they pretty much consider themselves to be the smartest and the best in the whole galaxy. They think they're so great, but the interesting thing is they can't stand the possibility that mechanical sentience might be rising on other planets. In fact, they went out and tried to stop this from happening on a planet called Robotica. Robotica got into the UP through the Legion's intervention, eventually, but Colu has attacked them even since that happened.
Now I don't want to be too presumptuous, and I don't want to question the way we run this organization, but I'm wondering—why would we support Robotica getting into the UP and not sanction Colu for treating them the way they have? It's not like we're not willing to help arrest corrupt politicians when we see the crap they cause going on. In fact, from what I've learned, Colu is essentially responsible for attempted genocide of the life on Robotica. That was a long time ago, yeah, but people on Colu live so long some of the ones who tried it are still around.
And yeah, before someone says it, I have a bias. That doesn't mean I can't see this garbage for what it is.
But not long ago, researching the UP and the government's role in the Legion, she discovered something that she felt required more personal investigation. This situation is the conflict between Colu and Robotica, and how the former world attempted to block the latter from being accepted to the UP. In fact, she was intrigued when she learned how the UP in general treats citizens of Robotica, because she herself could easily be considered a similar lifeform.
It's the things she learned on this trip, as well as the changes the Legion has gone through in her absence, that have led her to decide to make this post. Tex isn't typically one to engage the video function, but that's what she chooses to do this time. She sets the omnicon on a desk in her quarters and stands across from it to film herself. ]
This is Lonestar and I just got back from a pretty informative trip. I know I left pretty suddenly, and I'm sorry I missed the last round of missions, but getting back and learning about the stuff you all accomplished, I'm just thinking about what might be done about what I learned.
I don't know if you're familiar with the planet called Colu, but they pretty much consider themselves to be the smartest and the best in the whole galaxy. They think they're so great, but the interesting thing is they can't stand the possibility that mechanical sentience might be rising on other planets. In fact, they went out and tried to stop this from happening on a planet called Robotica. Robotica got into the UP through the Legion's intervention, eventually, but Colu has attacked them even since that happened.
Now I don't want to be too presumptuous, and I don't want to question the way we run this organization, but I'm wondering—why would we support Robotica getting into the UP and not sanction Colu for treating them the way they have? It's not like we're not willing to help arrest corrupt politicians when we see the crap they cause going on. In fact, from what I've learned, Colu is essentially responsible for attempted genocide of the life on Robotica. That was a long time ago, yeah, but people on Colu live so long some of the ones who tried it are still around.
And yeah, before someone says it, I have a bias. That doesn't mean I can't see this garbage for what it is.
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The Great Maker excluded, most Coluans aren't exactly the friendliest of people. They hate us for what the Computer Tyrants did to them and want to punish us for the sins of those that came before. However, I look towards the future and see a world where machinekind and organics, especially those on Colu, embrace one another. By turning the other cheek, constantly showing that, despite their provocations, we're in no hurry to conquer the universe, we can strike Coluans where they're most vulnerable. Their younger generations.
Once they see the truth of things and realize that the teachings of their elders are flawed, they'll turn their planet around and accept machinekind.
Besides, I've always kind of wanted to be kissed by a cute Coluan right in front of their ambassadors.
video
[He protests politely, at least. He knows the place where it's coming from is ever so earnest, but it's still always so awkward.]
I wish I could be as optimistic as you, but my people are very set in their ways. There are quite a few things they haven't changed their minds about over the last thousand years -- or longer.
[Look at that entire concept of having a Brainiac line. That had lasted for close to a millenium, before...well. Him. Brainy knows it's highly doubtful they'll ever encourage him to have offspring of his own to continue the family line, and even if he did, he certainly won't let Colugov get their hands on them, but it'd taken them quite some time to stop trying for a Brainiac they could control to their liking.]
As for being complicit in the Great Shutdown, Agent Texas, unfortunately, five hundred years is more than enough time for a technologically advanced race to conceal their culpability. Hard evidence of a centuries' old digital crime is difficult to come by; extant digital records left by early AIs is considered too "biased" -- easily manufactured and manipulated.
It's ridiculous, naturally, but the enmity directed at Robotica because of the war is a significant hurdle in the way of justice, despite the Roboticans' innocence due to Computo's control.
[He has trouble figuring out how to explain the rest, how to explain why they don't just trash Colu on the daily. It's...delicate. Largely, because it's so personal.]
The Legion may not be overly vocal in our...discontent with Colu, but that's largely due to our role as UP law enforcement: we must serve the entire UP without bias. When Colugov releases bigoted statements, we condemn them, certainly, and when they take actions that are suspicious and possibly indicate attempted harm directed at Robotica, we investigate it. But further provocation would be counter-intuitive to our cooperation with my people when it's at least occasionally necessary -- and quite honestly, they don't care what we think.
[If it sounds like someone just giving lip service, it is, but not because he disagrees with the Legion condemning his homeworld. It's just that his relationship with Colu is...complicated.]
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Even when they were defeated in a rebellion led by one of my ancestors, the Computer Tyrants caused further damage to my species by engaging in the widespread deletion of data and historical records. To this day, Colu hasn't recovered the entirety of its history and culture, though archaeology and data-archaeology have led to promising reclamation of small portions of what was lost.
My people were only freed within the last thousand years, which is a short time for a long-lived species, so they still hold a deep and abiding distrust and loathing for machine life. They refuse to acknowledge that the Roboticans are an entirely different species variant of machine intelligence and cling to their hatred.
The second reason is sheer pettiness. Colu's place in the galaxy as a broker of technology and scientific progress, which my species holds as its source of greatest worth, is only secure if Coluans can continue laying claim to being the most intelligent sentient beings in the galaxy. Machine life is a threat to that; my people don't want to acknowledge that they have been surpassed and made obsolete.
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[That never ends well.]
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[He makes an uncomfortable noise in the back of his throat, that maybe sounds like shame. It's not shame, but it sounds like it.]
...quite frequently unpleasant.
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[Perhaps a bit more than he'd like to.]
Unfortunately pride usually becomes a downfall.
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Look, I ain't gonna sit here and pretend I know the entire history of Colu-Robotica relations other than what lean-and-green-with-the-scheme explained, but it doesn't sound like a story I ain't heard before.
Omnics damn near ruined our planet. Didn't take no prisoners or slaves like this Robotica garbage did, nah mate, they were quite content ta paint entire cities with our blood. Humanity didn't so much as win as ta just make it stop and yet we were still expected ta hand over our land to 'em so they could reproduce.
Even aaaaalllll this way across the stars: faces change, story doesn't. Thankfully for you I consider scrappin' bots ta be killing, so ya don't need ta worry ya rustin' little heart out.
[A beat. He's not been real keen on Coluans either so far, so...]
'Bout that figjam thing though, ain't nothin' doin' about that except a lesson in humility.
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[It's logical to him.]
Roboticans are more descended from the second wave of artificial intelligences. The ones that started to go mad five hundred years ago, then willingly shut themselves down so that Colu could find a cure. The ones that Colu started destroying instead of curing during The Great Shutdown. The survivors of that fled into space, were united under COMPUTO's rule to form Robotica. Which lead to the control chips and... other unfortunate things.
Robotica has only ever been a victim. We know what it's like to be surrounded by people who hate and fear us, it's all we've ever known. That's part of why we work so hard, so that mechanophobes like you will some day realize that there's nothing to fear.
[He pauses for a beat.]
Besides, if I really decided to 'return to form' and kill all meatbags, the only person with a hope of stopping me would be Kid Quantum. The rest of you wouldn't have much of a shot at slowing me down.
[That's, uh. Supposed to be comforting there. Judging by the cheery little pip in his voice.]
I'm sorry your world had to go through so much unpleasantness, but I'm as related to your 'Omnics' as a car is to a spaceship.
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Yeaaaaah, so....
[Blah blah blah. Not all robots are created the same. Sure. Whatever. Junkrat flicks his pinky finger.]
We're battin' fer two out of three silicon-based lifeforms that want ta make us organics inta ground beef and the third one just assured me that there's only one person on this bloody orbiting tin can that can stop ya from doin' the same.
[Junkrat rests his elbow on whatever surface his omnicomm is sitting on, boredly resting his chin in his fist.]
Doin' wonders fer me trust issues, mate. No, really. Please, do go on.
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[ Perhaps not how anyone would expect Grif to respond to a conversation about Roboticans, given his most recent display, but here he is.
Maybe it's just that he likes Colu less. ]
[video]
Even if it's necessary for peace... it's impossible to ask someone to forgive those that nearly destroyed them. Anger can last for generations, festering into contempt...
Gears-... no, the Roboticans understand what's happening here. If we were to interfere in this process, we'd be taking away the right to decide their own destiny for themselves. Even if that destiny... is to be forever subject to punishment from those who still hate them for things that happened so long ago...