Scene #1280: Welcome to Technotopia

Owner	Pose
Taro	The atmosphere inside Neo Arcadia is far better than that of the wasteland, both literally and metaphorically. Iji would have found herself in skilled hands, and while going through decontamination and then being poked and scanned and checked and rechecked may not have been the most pleasant, it was not done nastily. Unless she absolutely insisted on having her outfit returned, it's been replaced by clothing that's fairly similiar though of local fashion. The hospital apparently is apparently affliated with a religion called the Church of SHODAN. Though aside from a holoicon of the CyberGoddess on her room's wall and a prayer book tucked in a drawer, there was nothing exceptionally overt about their running of the place. Once she's well enough to be discharged, one of the nurses will bring word that the man who rescued her would like to speak with her further, and has arranged for an aircar to take her to his office. Her weapon will be waiting for her in said aircar. Apparently Taro's a man of his word. It's a very short flight, really she could have walked, and she barely gets a glimpse of the cityscape again before they're parking in one of the interior parking spaces inside another of those towers.
Iji	Iji, perhaps oddly to those here, is indeed insistant on keeping the outfit. Though she /does/ take the new one. The other will be tucked away with what little stuff she actually has. Then, aircar! She takes the ride, happily petting her returned weapon. She even hugs it once or twice. When you're still suffering from the effects of prolonged and sudden destruction of your world alongside more normal combat psychological problems? Iji has developed odd ways of dealing with it. She gets out of the aircar once they arrive, peering about and trying to get her bearings! She still hasn't figured out how navigating these buildings go. She'll generally try to find someone to direct her, or failing that, find an elevator!
Taro	Luckily, she doesn't have to wander far, as the lot is small (it must be private, as it has only a few spaces), and Taro is standing at the far end of it by the elevator bank. There is no need for a mask here, and so she finally gets to see his full face. He could pass for Asian on Earth, though the stripes crossing his cheeks would be out of place. He'd tucked his hands behind him while he waited, but lets them fall gently to his side once he sees her climb out. While he does not smile - the best way to describe his expression is a not-frown - his tone is pleasant enough. "Thank you for accepting my invitiation. It's nice to see that you've recovered so quickly."
Iji	The odd lack of smiling /does/ seem to have Iji slightly nervous now that she can actually think straight. Taro's nice enough! But the lack of at least a polite smile throws her off. Iji's own smile wobbles a little bit uncertainly. "Well, I owed you. I'm not going to blow off someone who saved my life." She pauses, and tries to calm herself. By now the gun's on her back, using the black strap she'd managed to jury-rig on the thing. It could use a real attachment. "Your doctors are really good. I admit, I was worried. They, uhh, didn't find anything out of place?" Her surgery was definitely a rushed job; no doubt by the standards of Neo Arcadia, completely barbaric. There's no lasting effects, but she shows clear signs of being operated on with slapdash tools even for her era. Whatever happened, it was very rushed.
Taro	Barbaric and primitive, but he's seen worse. Which is probably not a reassuring thought, and thus he does not share it. "So you do, but I appreciate it none the less." Taro tilts his head slightly at the question. "Out of place...? Ah. If you mean your augments, I'm told that they held up remarkably well under the abuses they were placed under." Then, he turns and waves a hand at the doors that had been behind him, which slide open. "Please, come in, Iji. I won't make you stand on my doorstep while we talk." Assuming she follows him...it is in fact an elevator. A nice elevator of space-age materials, but an elevator nonetheless. He jabs a button for one of the higher floors, the doors close, and it whisks them upwards to deposit them in a very nice lobby of what must be a well to do engineering firm. Or engineering firm with religious overtones, unless cassocks are a fashion statement here in Neo Arcadia. "Welcome to my workspace. If you're bothered by heights, please don't look out the windows."
Iji	There's a deep sigh of relief. "Good. I wasn't exactly erm....upgraded for desert environments." She blushes just a touch. "Oh! Yeah. Uh, let's go." Before she can feel any more foolish, Iji follows along. And into an elevator! She whistles a bit. "I love heights, actually! I went to Paris once, and the Eiffel Tower...uh, right, you probably don't know what that is. But yes, I think it's pretty. I'm a little jealous, actually." Iji turns to Taro. "What do you do here, Taro?"
Taro	"Most aren't. Luckily for you, I was returning from an inspection of our new solar farm on the western rim when you were spotted." Thus explaining the happy circumstance. It's still not quite a smile, but he does nod at the metion of the Eiffel Tower. "I've seen pictures of it...one of them, anyway...though I've not yet seen it personally." He sweeps a hand gracefully in the direction of the closest meeting room and its its bank of windows, then walks that way himself in expectation that she'll follow along as she has so far. "The view is lovely, especially on a clear day, if I may say so. As for what I do, I carry out the CyberGoddess' work. More practically, I design and build whatever the city and its allies need."
Iji	"Well I'm sure not going out there again! At least not without someone who knows the way back." Frown! No, she's not keen on another trip. She, however, does smile! "I'd offer to show you, but I doubt it's in good condition right now. Uhh, maybe on another earth." You know, where it's not blown to hell. The thought has her mirth quickly subsiding. Iji follows along, peering out, curiousity clear on her face. "So...you're some kind of Engineer-Priest. And what's...uhh...what's a CyberGoddess? No offense! Dad wasn't big into religion, after all."
Taro	It is quite a view! The sort of view that goes with observation decks in very tall buildings in very large cities. Granted, many of the other buildings are also tall, like great oaks surrounded by younger forest. though grand pillars surrounded by smaller posts might be the more apt analogy. "Bishop Engineer is my formal title." She was close. Taro stands next to her, enjoying the view of which he seldom tires. "No offense taken. Though her religion is spreading, she isn't known throughout the entire multiverse. We worship an ascendent multi-nodal artificial intelligence named SHODAN - CyberGoddess is a name and title of respect for her."
Iji	Iji pauses a moment, stepping back and swipping the air in front of her. Taro might notice the blue image appearing before her. After some tapping, there's a flash! Seems Iji is doing some nano-camera work! She must like the view indeed. "Ascendent...multi-nodal..." She just sighs. "...I think I get the basics. A really powerful Artificial Intelligence? They were working on those back at the lab Dad worked at. I, uh...before the Tasen came, I wanted to be a computer programmer. I wanted to make A.I. Just, uh, not of the 'diety' kind." There's a small smile and a weak chuckle here. Then a sigh. "Didn't get the chance. And I don't really have time anymore to study. Have a world to take back, after all." She grins, a bit forced.
Taro	Taro does notice, and he takes a step to the side so that neither he nor his reflection are in her images. He also is lacking in facial expressions, though the corners of his eyes crinkle as she tries to work out what he's tried to explain. "That is close enough. Although I have a closer relationship to her than most of her servants, I'll admit she's beyond even my understanding." His expression sobers then, or what counts for it. "You are fighting against these Tasen, then, I presume. Were you conscripted, or did you volunteer?"
Iji	Taro's words about Shodan have Iji opening her mouth, about to ask something. Then she shuts up. Asking where a divine-AI lives is probably a bad idea. The subject of the Tasen has her growing more serious. She finds a seat. Crossing her legs, and laying her weapon down beside her, she sighs. "I guess you could say conscripted. The Tasen came in, used high-powered energy weapons to destroy most of the population and plant life. Then they came down, took over the lab while Dad, my sister Mia, and..." She pauses. "They killed my Sis and Dad, and a lot of other people. I got hurt during the initial blast. Was out cold. They had technology we couldn't match; their nanofields made our weapons useless. So the scientists stole an experimental gun, and reverse-engineered the Tasen's technology. We needed someone to fight them, to take our planet back. I was out for two weeks by then. So they used me." "It worked. They had their soldier, though they got killed shortly before I woke up. So now I'm trying to take my planet back. It's a little complicated; they invaded my planet to hide from the Komato who want to exterminate them. And the Komato don't care if the humans get killed too."
Taro	There are a number of chairs at the conference table. Taro pulls one out as well, smoothly settling into is. As she talks, he laces his fingers together, elbows resting on the armrests. He listens in silence, letting her speak as little or as much as she's willing without interruption. Only when she seems to fisih does he speak again. "I see. Your version of Earth has become a battleground in a war between two other forces, and your people merely an unforseen casualty." The words are spoken in a somewhat clinical voice, but not meanly. "Are you the only one left, or are there others like you fighting to rid your Earth of both invaders?"
Iji	Iji, for now, has her head leaned back. She stares at the ceiling, eyes closed. She shudders every now and then as memories assault her. "That's about the size of it." She confirms. "Just me. There's a few humans still alive, but I'm the only one who had the operation. And now all the scientists who knew how to do it are dead. So, if I want reinforcements, it's outsiders I need to find. But a straight-out slog is just going to get my planet blown up. The Komato aren't known for being light on triggers. They blew up all the colonies the Tasen had."
Taro	Taro's brow furrows as he observes her. The shuddering, the stare...yes, he's seen these signs before in others. He remains seated, silent and listening as she answers. "I see..." He trails off for a moment. He would know more, but for now patience must trump curiosity. "...you are still tired, I think. You are welcome to stay here for now, Iji. We can speak more on this later."