LET'S [test] DRIVING

[cava]

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN, YOU KNOW THE DRILL. Here's a few options, all stolen shamelessly from previous iterations.

> The Park. Man, what a nice day out. Why not enjoy it? I'm sure -- shit, yep, there's some echo monsters or whatever they're called.
> The Mall. Exactly what it says on the tin! Dodge the hordes of teenage mallrats or take part, whichever suits your tastes.
> Rainy Day. Agh, it's fucking awful out. And is it raining those vermilion things?? Now you've got an Echo to contend with on top of everything else. Find some shelter, quick!
> Arts and Crafts Fair. WILL THE KITSCH OVERWHELM YOU


or make up your own whatever this is basic and just for the purposes of getting a new test drive up.

Comments

[amajin]

[He raises an eyebrow but he's vain enough that he has a few pairs of his favorite shoes.]

All right, all right, Doc Martens. Those are supposed to last forever, or something, aren't they? So you better not ask for another pair next week.

[He laughs]

C'mon, my robots save lives, that's pretty cool.

[sucrosity]

[Day saved by dad's ego, hell yes.]

Yes! [She shrugs.] They're supposed to. I'll wait until your next paycheck!

[Said with a smile.]

It is, but when do you built the terminator?

[amajin]

[He rolls his eyes. But he's also well aware of his weakness to begging.]

I'll just sell the old ones on Ebay the next time you want new ones.

[He shakes his head]

From my own child... Skynet built the terminators. And the guy who built Skynet blew himself up to stop that from happening. Do you want to see that happen to your dear old dad?

ECHOES, ECHOES EVERYWHERE

[sucrosity]

No! [):<]

I know, I know! You could make the not evil kind.

[Thinking about Jin dying makes her blanch, and she stops in her tracks, looking at him for too long to pass off.

She wants to cry, suddenly. Her voice is thin when she speaks.] No, I guess not.

[She turns on her heel to walk forwards.]

[amajin]

[He pauses, looking after her with a confused tilt to his head. What's wrong? Is she really afraid of that? Poor bun...]

Aw, bun, don't worry about it. Your dad's too selfish to sacrifice his life, right! I'd have weaseled out of it somehow.

Plus, I'm not gonna make Skynet. Stuff like that results from trying to make something absolutely perfect. You have to give your programming room to grow and change, right? Especially if it's an AI.

[sucrosity]

[I'd have weaseled out of it somehow--that cold, heart-stopping feeling again, then:

What'll happen to you if we do this? I figure, I come up with some kind of last second genius--He lies!

She whips around, lifting her hands to grab at his lapels. She searches his face, looking for that wannabe casual expression. She doesn't find it, right away. Don't say that.

[Her grip loosens, and she tilts her head down to stare at his tie. She scrounges up something a little less weird.] Everything's better with some imperfection, right?

[amajin]

[He just blinks at her, bending over to be better able to see her face.]

Bun... I...

[Something about her expression, this fear for his well-being... It resonates somewhere. He knows he's mortal, he knows - or hopes... prays maybe, that she will outlive him. But this seems more immediate. Some part of him feels that sword of damocles hanging over his head, and it's lower than he would have thought... He puts his hand on her head.]

I'm not goin' anywhere, if I've got anything to say about it. I got way too much stuff I wanna do.

[He kisses her on the forehead, despite them being in public.]

Yep, yep, yep! That's why I try so hard not to be the perfect dad. It's tough!