11-03-2015, 03:26 AM
(11-03-2015, 02:03 AM)Umbra Wrote:(11-03-2015, 01:52 AM)Ehksidian Wrote: Wurg nodded, and followed after Umbra. The cybernetics clinic really was quite close by - only a ten minute walk from the spaceport. A small, modest sign above an entryway marked it out from the other buildings. The inside was clean and white, and certainly looked like a clinic.
"Yeah, this is it. Uh...thanks, Umbra. We should probably stay in contact...though I assume you live in that town we were both in, right? We can talk later, hopefully. Maybe...work the dream thing out."
"Yeah, of course. You shouldn't have a problem finding my house... It really stands out. Well, I better go... That report won't file itself... See you later." He waves goodbye and heads off to the guards' department.
"Mhm...later, then." Wurg stepped into the building, and walked up to the receptionist counter. Of course, the counter was a lot taller than Wurg's standing height, but that didn't matter too much much. Wurg balanced on her tail, and knocked on the desk. "Uh, hello, I'm here for my appointment?"
The receptionist, who only just then realized that there was someone there, peered over the counter. They were an average-looking human of indeterminate gender, and their left eye was glowing a faint green color. Most likely cybernetic. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Name, please?"
"Right, right, sorry. Ah, Owurgedt Coppergaze should be the name it's filed under." The last name felt foreign to her, but it felt correct at the same time. Whatever.
"Ah, Owurgedt. Down the hall and to the right, your mechanic is waiting for you. You shouldn't have kept him waiting so long, you know."
"Sorry, I barely caught the shuttle and almost didn't know where to go. Just...I've had a rough few days."
The receptionist simply nodded. Wurg dropped back to her feet, and headed down to the room she was instructed to go to. She looked inside, and saw another Jakkai waiting for her. As soon as her head came around the corner, the other Jakkai's face lit up. "Ah, you're here now! I'm glad, I'm glad. Nice to see you once again, Copper."
"Ah, yes, a pleasure to see you too. Uh, so...this is my..."
"Two month checkup, yes. I need to make sure your recovery is proceeding correctly. Though, considering how wel you're walking around I'd say you're doing fairly well!"
Wurg nodded, and gave the other Jakkai a small smile. "Yeah, everything still feels a bit off, but I'm still getting used to it. The AI is helping."
The other Jakkai's face fell immediately at the mention of AI. "Uh...what do you mean AI? You aren't supposed to have one...in fact, you don't have the capability to have one. There's no AI chip in your brain, and what runs your cybernetics isn't strong enough to support an AI."
Wurg's face expressed how she felt: Confused. "But...it's there. Are you sure? It's supposed to help me adapt to the cybernetics..."
"Oh! That's not an AI, honey, that's-"
"Don't call me 'honey'."
"...Er, that's just a small reminder-slash-interface program. It's nowhere near as sophisticated as a true AI. They can't do much more than say prerecorded messages. I was worried that you were hallucinating, which is a very bad sign."
Wurg nodded shallowly. Just from her few conversations with Ehks, she knew it wasn't just a small program with pre-recorded messages, but that didn't matter. She could talk with it about that later. "Anyways, shouldn't we start the examination now?"
"Oh, yes, of course!"
---
An hour or two later, Wurg slipped her shirt back on. It was...awkward, to say the least. Of course, "Doctor" (Cybernetic engineer?) Hardpaw had to confirm there were no infections where Wurg's cybernetics were. Everything was properly calibrated and fully functional. His scans of the software turned up nothing suspicious, and everything checked out.
"It really does surprise me how quickly you've recovered, Copper! It normally takes people half a year to fully acclimate to such a drastic change in their body, especially after what you went through...but you're doing amazingly well!"
"Ah...thank you. I'm just glad I have someone as capable as you working on my cybernetics."
Doctor Hardpaw beamed at the compliment. "Anyways, thank you for your time. Your insurance'll cover it perfectly well. You might be able to go back to work soon enough as well! Probably just one more month, though..."
Wurg nodded. "I understand. Really, it is getting kinda boring just sitting around at home...having a job again will be nice."
"Just...uh, stay safe this time, okay? It's still dangerous on 17..."
Wurg sighed, and nodded. "I know, I know. Thank you." She turned around, slipped on her hoodie, and left the clinic. It was almost time to go back home, after all.
#FREEDOMFROMPANTS
Heir of Mind