You can never say that I didn't try

[notglitching]

Who: Rinzler and OPEN
When: April 14th through the 24th
Where: the Hold
What: Rinzler killed some people and copes poorly. Set after this log.
Warnings: references to character death and mindscrew, glowy injuries, unfortunate assumptions. (See also: Rinzler.)


The first place Rinzler woke up in this system was a cell. He'd been locked in after a fight with his duplicate—with Tron. Not that the enforcer had been capable then of even hearing the older version's name. Rinzler had attacked because he had to, because the overrides built in his mind detected conflict and demanded he delete the source. Since then, he's shattered that if/then chain. Chipped away at the filters on his memories, even managed, once or twice, to speak.

But he's back where he started, and he knows better than to expect things to end the same way.

For the most part, visitors will find Rinzler seated on the low bench back against the wall. Circuits burn dimly in the shadows, almost outshone by the dull glint of fractured code that covers a full half of the enforcer's core. He's turned slightly to conceal the injured side, but the spiderwebbing cracks through code and armor are obvious to see, and he doesn't have the power to refresh his shell and cover up the damage.

The low rattle of corrupted code echoes through the cell and down the corridor, though it does nothing to compete with the invectives from the user locked in one door down. Rinzler approaches shutdown just once, curled up against the wall, and if the flickering lights and twitch of limbs is any sign, it's anything but restful. The program won't notice anyone approaching then, but he probably wouldn't mind being woken.

Once or twice, Rinzler rises, pacing, frustration and the need to move boiling up through the despair. There's nowhere to go, though, nothing to do, and even that much risks opening his damage further. Maybe he should. Fracture, break, rip himself apart and leave them voxels on the floor to claim and punish. Rinzler wonders if he ever tried before. If he does, he can't remember. He wonders what they'll make him into. Alan-one had told him what would happen, told him he'd correct the fault if Rinzler fought again. Now two users are dead, and if there's any hope at all, it's that they'll decide he's too worthless to salvage.


[[ooc: the duration during which Rinzler can be visited depends largely on the results of his trial, so there may be some time-wobbling. In particular, if he ends up with solitary confinement... no longer applicable; Rinzler will be visitable for both the trial period and his sentence. ETA 2: As of the 20th, temperature conditions will be improved thanks to Vision + co.

Prose and spam both welcome!]]

Comments

[warandpeace]

"It's not editing. It's teaching. Just knowledge that you give to someone. What they do with it is up to them."

And he thinks he could have taught Rinzler better.

"And when a teacher passes on that knowledge... I guess that's hard to explain, too." He closed his eyes and just frowned. There was a lot of responsibility in being a teacher. Encouraging someone to not carry on sins of the past was part of it.

"Especially when you're teaching someone about survival." About theirs. About other people's. "When you get out, if you're willing, I'll still teach you those non-lethal tactics."

[notglitching]

The correction isn't wrong. Rinzler's just not sure if any of it applies. He's written for deletion, written not just to hunt, but kill. He's done it for a thousand cycles. He might regret the situation, but he still doesn't see his own procedure as wrong. Threats are meant to be deleted.

And maybe even that much is an excuse.

The lag draws out, orange-lined fingers curling slightly as the holographic keyboard fades. He doesn't know how to tell the user that he wanted this. That he deserved it. That sooner or later, things were always going to end up this way. He's failed his user, and none of the 'teaching' Miller wants will have a chance to matter, soon. There are far more direct methods of correction, and he still doesn't know how much they'll leave behind.

In the end, the helmet lowers, shoulders hunching a little closer in. It might be a shrug. It might be agreement. At the very least, it's not refusal and right now, that's the best Rinzler can do.

[warandpeace]

Miller sighed audibly. He knew it was all a long shot. In the end.

"You've... done more for me than I can say. You didn't just save me in that hallway. You saved me from some of my fears. Find value in smaller things, down to the way kittens hunted, or how much a few lines of code can change someone.

"But you've hurt crew. It's a sticky situation."

And it was a hard decision to make, still. Unlike the one with Huey, there was the other party egging them on. Rinzler just wanted to keep himself. That was all. Normally Miller would have had a steadfast stance on someone striking out against their crew. It wasn't right. It hadn't been right on both sides. But Rinzler, he'd seen the better parts of him.

"I don't think they'll accept apologies. So I recommend you find people you're on good terms with to help you when you have to interact with someone you've hurt. And you are on good terms with plenty of people, Rinzler. I've seen that."

[notglitching]

The acknowledgement draws little reaction. The summary, a slight dip of the mask. Noise rumbles out a little louder—he wouldn't apologize, especially not to the one that's left—but it's the suggestion of help that makes Rinzler raise his head, regarding Miller for a moment's almost-silence.

Killed users.

Present company (apparently) excluded, he's not sure he's on good terms with anyone after that.

[warandpeace]

"It's not that you killed users. No. So many of us are killers, professionals even, we can't throw stones. Even some of the most idealistic.

"You killed crewmates. Even if we don't like each other, we're in this together. Maybe people forget. It was always important to remember back home. I guess I got used to that."

He tipped his head to look back at Rinzler.

"Why did you fight each other so much to begin with?"

[notglitching]

Rinzler doesn't overtly contradict the user, but it's not hard to guess by the continued stare that he doesn't see the same distinction. Or rather, perhaps, that Rinzler sees a different line as much more important. Users can fight and kill each other as they want, but Rinzler will never have the same permissions. He's a tool, and he's killed a person. There's only so much malfunction users will tolerate, especially when it comes to an assault on their own.

He doesn't bother explaining that much, though. It's clear Miller doesn't see things the same way, and Rinzler doesn't want to think about what's coming.

Clarify.

The 'you', specifically.

[warandpeace]

It wasn't just directed at Rinzler. But to Peter, Alice. People that weren't there. Rinzler just happened to be at the blunt end of a thought, of how much he missed how the base formed a family.

"You in the plural form. What instigated the rivalry between you and Peter. What encouraged Alice's involvement? We heard one side, but your difficulties with communication... or your disappointment in yourself... made your side more obscure."

[notglitching]

The helmeted stare lingers with faint irritation at that guess. He hadn't been quiet out of guilt. There just hadn't been any point. The users didn't care enough to ask for his data, and Rinzler hadn't cared what they planned to do.

Still, Miller's asking now, and if it takes far longer than it should to compile a reply, Rinzler does type up the data.

User (Peter_Maximoff) attacked on day of user's import.
User (Alice_Quinn) never encountered. Network communications indicate high probability: providing assistance to ally.

And, a short ping to Miller's MID will lead him to the network records. Let it never be said that Rinzler doesn't do his research. Or creep on other people's conversations. Same difference, right?

[warandpeace]

Miller looked at the evidence there, right out in the open. No wonder Rinzler had been prepared to fight.

"You should have brought that up at the trial. It would have been valuable to know at theirs." It didn't change what Rinzler had done, but seeing how long-standing the grudge had been, at least from the other side, might have swayed opinions about Peter and Alice. Or at least gave a more clear view of what they had done.

"The truth is important in these situations. The whole truth."

[notglitching]

There's another one-sided shrug, a little more impatient. The trial didn't have a point. Besides...

No new data.

He'd attacked the user, and the users plotted to wipe him. Everyone knew that already.