Paranoia: IC

[spineyrequiem]

'Grade 6 Stainless Steel is RED clearance, citizen Yakai-R. Did you accidentally order the wrong thing?' The Computer's voice had adopted an admonishing tone. 'If so, just send it back and re-order correctly and no more will be said. But well done for reporting your mistake promptly!'

As the Computer was speaking, a massive, six-wheeled vehicle, piled high with numbered RED boxes backed through the door, with much roaring and anxious electronic voices proclaiming its reversal. The RED driver hopped out and passed a clipboard to one of the two who had been pushing the trolley, whose arms were already laden with forms. The driver walked up to Yakai-R

'Mind signing these for us, mate?'

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai took the forms and pointed towards the steel plate.
"Do you have the revelant forms to return this? I ordered Stainless Steel, not Military Grade Steel."
He began checking the rest of the boxes as he awaited a reply, looking at the labels, the forms and the list on his PDC.
"I ordered a replacement locking mechanism which isn't here..." he began, pausing for a response from the driver.

 

[spineyrequiem]

'Military grade steel? That's YELLOW clearance at least. More'n my job's worth to touch that. I can call down the shop for some stainless steel, but you'll 'ave to deal with the armour plate yourself, I ain't goin' near it.' His companion interrupts his mutterings.

'Whatever it was, we delivered it so if you could just sign here please?' He proffers a stack of papers. 'And what's wrong with the locking mechanism you got? Worked perfectly fine back when we did a job like yours back in ROF sector.'

'Citizen Yakai-R, it is unbelievably kind of you to spontaneously offer to fix the chamber door. It's been sticking awfully for weeks!' The Computer sounds very pleased. 'You will certainly be commended for this after you complete your main mission.'

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai signs the papers with a flourish. He turns to the driver.
"Yes, that'll be good thank you."

Turning to the terminal, he addresses it calmly.
"Computer, we have been delivered Green Clearance Military Grade Steel. If you sent it to me to use it to reinforce the door, I require an explicit exception to be made, but if it was not intended to arrive here then we need a Green Clearance Crew to shift it."
"We also failed to recieve the Stainless Steel. This Red-clearance driver -" he motioned towards the driver "- has offered to collect a replacement."

While waiting for a reply, he motions towards Mike to search the boxes for the electronics required, before motioning Denarius over.

 

[Mello]

D paused slightly before moving over to Yakai, his steps were slow and deliberate. He looked down at Yakai enquiringly.

 

[Get of W'soran]

Mike shuffled over to the others and sorted through the box feeling somewhat pessimistic.

"Soldering stuff...alcohol, brush and pliers...yeah I think this is all of it." he murmured mostly to himself.

The tech looked up at the Yakai.

"I'll get started on this if that's alright Team Leader." Mike said with a false smile as he gathered up the equipment whilst still holding the ruined circuit board.

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai nods an affirmative towards Mike before turning to Denarius.
"You can use a sword, but can you use a cutting torch?"

 

[Mello]

A rare flicker of a smile passes over D's face.

"It doesn't have the balance of a sword, but I imagine you don't want me to kill people with it."

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai looked at Denarius oddly. He speaks loud enough for Mike to hear.
"No. If the Computer tells us to use the military grade steel, I want you to cut it into manageable sheets that I can use to reinforce the doors. Once Mike has fixed the electronics and cleaned the bot, I can fix the hull damage with a patch, though I'll need you to cut the bot's lock away from the inside of its access panel beforehand so we can fix that. The main door should have an access panel that I can use to look at and clean up the mechanical parts before Mike has a look at the lock."
"You hear that Mike?"

 

[Get of W'soran]

Mike had already started on his work although the prospects of repairing technology generations ahead of anything he had ever used which was in an almost utterly destroyed state.

And the lack of identification marks made it impossible to request a new piece or any information on it.

Stopping as Yakai spoke he listened to the team leader.

"Understood." he replied shortly before getting back to work.

 

[spineyrequiem]

A small screen drops from the ceiling, marked 'Thinking: Please Wait.' Suddenly, the writing is replaced with an animation of a lightbulb.

As the RED drivers laboriously ease their vehicle out of the door, a small, tracked robot zooms through their legs, a RED-and-GREEN striped box on its back swaying dangerously. It skids to a halt in front of Yakai-R and a little printer on the side shoots out a form. The label on top of the box identifies it as 'GREEN device handling implements.'

 

[Get of W'soran]

Mike worked on the electronics as best he could, feeling surprised at how easy it turned out to be.

"Boss!" he called over Yakai

"The Electronics should be good." he told his team leader.

"The lock still needs replaced and the hole fixed, think you could deal with that or do you want me to give it a shot?" he asked with a smile "After all I'm more of a software guy."

 

[Mello]

Desarius squinted slightly.

"I think I know how to fix this..."

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai acknowledged Mike's report with a nod. "Thanks for the offer Mike. A guy with Bot Maintenance will probably be better at fixing the lock on that thing. As for fixing the chassis, I've got a little experience with patching up vehicles, so when the stainless steel arrives I can fix that."
He turned to Desarius.
"Give me a second to clear something up, then you can get cracking with cutting the military grade steel."
He turned to the delivery bot.
"Computer, I am ignorant as to the usage of Green device handling implements. Would it be possible for instructions on how to use them to be passed to both Desarius-R-SHT-1's and my PDCs?"

 

[spineyrequiem]

'Certainly Citizen! The instructions will be transmitted at once!'

A buzz sounds from Yakai's and Desarius' PDCs.

The delivery bot bumps into Yakai's legs, flashing its lights insistently and flapping the forms around in its printer.

 

[The Archivist]

"PDC, transfer instructions to my goggles."
Yakai went silent for a second before nodding and turning to Desarius.
"D, can you start cutting the military grade steel? I'm going to tackle the door."
He turns to the open door and stretches.

 

[Mello]

D pointed silently at the little robot.

"The forms. Fill them in"

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai groaned slightly.
"Let's see them."
He grabbed the forms and began rifling through them.

 

[spineyrequiem]

The robot looked as relieved as something with no facial features whatsoever can and extended a small arm to take back the completed forms, the claws on its back releasing the box.

'Citizens, while I don't wish to hurry you, I notice that you've not unpacked the locking mechanism yet. Doing so will be vital for fixing that door!'

A screen drops from the ceiling, a flashing arrow pointing at the huge pile of boxes dumped by the last vehicle in.

 

[Mello]

D looked at Yakai for a moment emotionlessly before lifting up his GREEN clearance gloves with a raised eyebrow.

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai began opening boxes and examining the contents as quickly as possible.
"Right, I'll just get this lot out and then I can have a closer look at the beautiful, elegant, picturesque ideal of an alloy over on the face of the door."

 

[Get of W'soran]

Mike had knelt back down next to the bot.

"If you come across the locking mechanism please hand it this way." he requested pleasantly, the tech busy with examining the internal electronics to make sure everything had been installed correctly.

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai nodded.
"Right, it's in the first batch of deliveries."
He finished going through the last box.
"Oh for... where is that stainless steel? This is the second delivery that has neglected it."
He sighed and looked up at the door.
"Then again, I'll probably need the time with the door. Let's see what we can do."
He stretched and began examining the door, with murmurs of awe as he examined the materials.

 

[spineyrequiem]

'Citizen Yakai-R, you seem unhappy. Would you like some drugs?'

A small hatch in the ceiling opens and a little bottle of pills marked 'Visomorpain: 24: Take one every ten seconds until unhappy feelings gone.' bounces off Yakai's head.

 

[Get of W'soran]

Mike glances over at Yakai when hearing computer's voice and snickers slightly as he sees the drugs drop down.

Going back to examining the internals he calls over "How's the delivery looking?"