Kukai Foundation <KF>
The inside of the Kukai Foundation looks like someone took out a slice of a planet and bottled it up inside. This, however, is not the case, while too small to be like a planet, it has all the functionality of a habitable planet. The colony is very technologically advanced, the atmosphere and weather maintained by nanomachines on a large, yet unseen level, and even the weather can be changed at a whim. For most cases, however, conditions are very pleasent inside the Foundation. There is a very large ocean at the center of the Foundation itself, which serves a twofold function--it is where ships come to dock with the colony, as well as where the Durandal locks into place, its red spire often present as an island-like building.
The sectors that most of the Foundation citizens occupy takes up a little over fifty percent of the colony itself, from skyscrapers to apartment buildings. Businesses and indusrtial complexes are spread all over, from the Foundation's very own A.G.W.S. Shop, among other profitable businesses run by the Foundation and its members. The other half of the colony is mostly unoccupied, but it consists of beautiful forests and mountain ranges, truly giving anyone who wishes to live within the Foundation a wide variety of living options. The Foundation is truly a multi-faceted organization, from fighting off the Gnosis and U-TIC, to being on the Galactic Finance 500's "Top 10 Fastest Growing Corporations" list.
Amidst the clammoring on the radio Ziggy just shakes his head. What an arguement to come out of an innocent question about an ally. He turns it off for now, there's no need to be listening in. For the moment Ziggy is still confined to a cyborg maintence bed, as he will be for awhile yet.
When it came to people saying they wanted to kill his friends.. well, Junior tends to get irritable fast. At least he was already in the area, which makes finding Ziggy quite a bit easier and faster than might be expected. Only two or three minutes pass before the retrovirus slips into the Medical Bay, clad in his usual clothes, expression for once completely blank. "Sup, Ziggy?"
Ziggy nods "Junior." He says in a neutral tone, a neutral 'here comes a lecture' tone "I advised you before about keeping control of your emotions. I understand that you would get upset if someone were to mention killing chaos. I do not like the idea either, thankfully it will not have to come to that. I am sure you thought you were defending chaos, but you also succeeded in alienating some people at the Palace." He pauses, not wanting to make Junior turn around and walk right out the door to avoid a lecture, because hey, Ziggy can't get up to follow him. "Regardless, that isn't why I asked you to come down.."
Gaignun Kukai Jr. recognizes that tone of voice. It's not too hard to figure out what kind of lecture he's going to get either, they'd had that conversation once already. "Some people," he replies, voice completely level, "Don't deserve the consideration being polite would bring. Whether or not it's a moot point, she's seriously gotta get off her high horse." Bitter much? You betcha. But he doesn't turn and leave, however much he might be tempted. In many ways, the boy's spoiling for a confrontation of some kind, and a polite 'discussion' with his favorite cyborg would do well enough. "Yeah? What's up, then?"
Ziggy pauses again, he doesn't really want to bring this up but feels he has to. It's not often he feels embarressed about something. "The SOCE is thinking about recalling me. They say they are... dissatisifed with my performance in combat recently. They have made it mandatory for me to send back logs of my activities to them, lately I have been involved in a couple of fights, and lost all of them. They are debating whether or not to take of off MOMO's case."
The shift from irate youth to the adult he was *supposed* to be is subtle, and easily missed. "Oh." Rubedo snags a nearby chair and sits in it, resting his arms on his legs lightly, leaning forward, a faint frown crossing his face. "MOMO's case these days is quite a bit more complicated than originally expected," he says eventually, voice subdued. "Do you want to leave MOMO's case and go back?" There's no accusation, no suggestion that he's judging Ziggy one way or another. For once.
There is no hesitation in Ziggy's voice, he says this as if it were matter of fact "I do not have a choice in the matter. If they recall me then I must go." He moves to sit up a little, though it proves difficult, the sheet that was covering his abdomen slides off to reveal the brutal damage he recieved there last night for a moment, before he grabs it and slides it back up. "It is not certain yet if they are going to recall me, they are only debating it and reviewing my case. However this has never happened before. But perhaps they feel with relation to Videoland, my combat abilties are not good enough. They cannot upgrade my weaponry as it is, however, my body is too obsolete."
Junior shakes his head slightly. "Yeah, but that's not what I asked. I didn't ask whether or not you'd have the legal right, I want to know what you *want*. How you feel about it. What you think might be best. Not what orders, or laws or rules say." The accusation's still missing, but he doesn't want to accept the answer he'd been given. Blue eyes shift a little at the sight of the most recent damage done, but no comment on it is made. Not yet.
"I have lived the past 100 years without worrying about what I want." Ziggy says, as if he's struggling just to come up with an answer "...I can't answer that, not yet. But it is irrelevent." He puts some extra stress on that least word "I do not have any rights. I am the property of the SOCE. I wanted to tell Shion this first, because I knew she would have the hardest time accepting it, she is... passionate about human rights." He turns away from Junior's gaze for a moment, then looks back "If this happens, would you tell MOMO? It would be better for her to hear it from you, she trusts you as much as me, if not more."
"You know, if you wanted, Gaignun and I could, uh." Junior pauses, hunting for the right words before continuing. "Purchase you from them. Sure, you'd be under our employ instead, but then you could keep an eye on things with MOMO without ruffling their feathers." They certainly had the funds for it, nobody could doubt that. There was something wrong with offering to buy the person you're talking to, but Rubedo manages well enough. Perhaps not with the suavity Gaignun could. "And she wouldn't have to know they were thinking about recalling you."
Ziggy looks like he's actually giving thought to what Junior is offering, but after a moment he just shakes his head "I do not think you would be successful. While the SOCE has not been impressed with me lately, I have still done work for them for about 100 years, I am sure they would rather find some use for me somewhere than sell me to the Kukai Foundation." Even if use means 'being sent to an isolated military outpost at a secluded colony'. "My only real alternative would be to recieve upgrades, however my current systems are incompatible with what is on the market today for cybernetic implants. Not without compltetly destroying my organic brain could they upgrade my body." Surprisingly, Ziggy says that as if he doesn't at all mind the thought.
Gaignun Kukai Jr. spreads his hands lightly. "We can try, if you want. Personally I'd rather not have you lobotomize yourself the rest of the way. Or leave. And I'm sure everyone else feels the same way I do." There's a strange admission. "I don't think it's irrelevant, or a hopeless cause. We've fought longer odds and won, after all."
Ziggy shifts uncomfortably. This is the first time he's ever had a group of other people concerned about him. That's what makes this whole situation difficult. Finally, he says "...... I do not wish to go. ...but I do not think you could change the SOCE's mind if they decide to recall me." With how shifty that organization is, it would not be surprising if Mizrahi wants Ziggy away from MOMO.
Junior nods slightly, sitting back a little. It was gratifying in a way to have proof that Ziggy isn't the machine he kept trying to be. "Well, that's what we'll have to find out. Nothing to lose for trying, and everything to gain. At worst they'll do what they were going to anyway. I'm sure the Palace and Princess Lana will vouch for you, as will I and the Foundation. The SOCE might be full of snakes, but even they'll see the benefits of remaining on her good side."
Ziggy nods again "But for now, please wait for them to come to a decision. They tend to be fickle, and I cannot say for sure yet if they will do this." Ziggy almost sighs, almost, but he doesn't, he kinda looked like he was about to though. He is not used to relying on others, and he honestly doesn't like it. First he had to rely on Chun Li to save his behind, now he might need to rely on the Foundation to keep him by MOMO's side. As if his adequecy wasn't already in question with his combat abilities under scrutiny. "Even if they decide to keep me where I am, it still does not change the fact that my body is fast becoming obsolete, especially compared to the rapidly changing market and technologies."
"You're hardly obsolete, you know." Rubedo smirks faintly. "Especially in half the zones out there, where technology like that is so far in the future they think it's magic." Magic was only technology, after all, not some mystical allpowerful force for good or evil. "Everyone gets runs of bad luck. Hell, lookit me. I've had a phenominally bad run these past few months." From the orbital bombing of Shadow Moses to the attack on the Foundation to nearly being killed a halfdozen times at Villain hands, he's certainly not had a good record lately either. "But ... alright. So long as you *tell* me when they make that decision, or tell Gaignun."
Ziggurat 8 nods, then sits back down on the bed. "I will tell you." As comforting as Junior is trying to be with his talk about other zones, the fact still remains that in THIS zone his body is outdated. And that makes all the difference. "Perhaps it has just been... bad luck, nevertheless it has been enough to cause the SOCE to re-evaluate me. But as I said, they haven't decided yet." Fold his arms, he looks Junior in the eyes, changing the topic suddenly "If more talk about chaos comes up with the people of the Palace, I want you to try to keep a cool head. I am positive he will be fine, I am sure he wouldn't want to hear news of you arguing with the others about him."
Junior licks his lips, gaze shifting away to watch the medical staff for a moment. "I know he'll be fine. If dumb***** like Angela don't go out of their way to kill him." A pause. "Fine physically anyway." Mentally was another matter. He'd known chaos for a long time, and he wasn't sure what this would do to his mind. "..And hey, maybe with advances in technology a way will be found to upgrade everythin' without eliminating the rest of you."
Ziggy nods and is silent for a moment, it seems like he's said all he is going to say. "Thank you." Is all he says to wrap this conversation up.
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