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"-ent... Jacent!" He caught a few breaths- enough to look up, realizing that he'd hit the floor almost completely limp. Widget had run back into the room. "I'm okay," he said breathily, grabbing her hand. "I just had-" She gasped, as did he, and they both shared a moment of silent unease. "You... you're cold." He frowned, standing. "And firm." He clenched his teeth in an angry sneer. "And I know why your voice was throwing me off." "AH!" Widget cried as she was slammed up against the wall. "I t-told you not to touch me!" The facade faded, her holographic skin crumbling to dust. "The game is up, Nhiloid!" he accused, and sure enough, the girl was as artificial as he suspected. However, as the illusion peeled away, he didn't behold the stoic, mass-produced robotic stormtrooper he was used to. The metal shell had been replaced by some sort of padded plastic, the insides of her hands a smooth gel-filled cloth. Her hair- the fact that she had it novel enough for her kind- was a breathtaking array of silky optic fibers that refracted brilliant blue. But it was from her black polished front panel that her face lit up onto the display: two solid blue eyes and a similarly simplistic looking mouth, along with small freckle-dots where her cheeks would be. The effect wasn't unlike an inkling, in a way. The hologram was almost like what she might have translated into if she were indeed real. "D-Don't smash me!" she urged in her now fully digitized voice, holding her hands out in front of her. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't!" he dared her, pressing her against the wall. This one was made to resemble a young girl, which only made him angrier. What a horrendous lie. Tears welled graphically in the solid blue representations of her eyes. "B-Because it'll kill ya." Jacent backed away, staring helplessly at her, his mind straining against all of the information and emotion it was trying to process. "... What?" She seemed to plead with him, despite knowing full well he couldn't use his powers. "Please, the virus won't matter if you give yourself an aneurysm, so just don't." She frowned deeply. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I didn't know any other way to stop you from running right off the bat." He blinked several times, slowly backing away, looking around and seeming dazed. "But I... what is the meaning of this? Why pretend to cry? Machines don't have emotions..." The robotic girl gestured plaintively. "I do." He stood, silent, confused and conflicted. "... I need to rest." |
