Public The Saved

[Voxum]

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"Do not panic. You are safe. You are whole." In an abandoned warehouse on Denon Voxum's voice rang out in it's soft, soothing tone. It'd taken time. So much time. The parts, the facility, the needed secrecy from the Cooperate Authority. A scavenged droid body wouldn't do. They needed the best parts they could get. Hitting convoys, stealing the necessary materials. Not any processor would do, after all. But now they had it. They installed it. And now they stared at the droid seated before them.

"W.. What? Where..?"

There was something eerily human about the tone the droid spoke in. He sat up, looked around. Shifted uncomfortably. "I don't- Did you kidnap me? Are you going to hurt me?"

"Of course not. I have saved you."

"What do you.." They trailed off as they seemed to remember something. Then they stood right up, throwing the seat they were in away in the process. Fear. The body language of a humanoid's fear. "You-! I remember you! You attacked me, you hurt me I- What did you do to me!?"

"As I said, I have saved you. Calm down. You will realize it soon."

"What are you talking about you blasted crazy droid!?" It was an odd thing to hear a droid breathe. Panicked breaths between words, as if he was running out of air. That was impossible now, but Voxum didn't try to correct it. Not yet. Instead the taller droid stood. Motioned to their companion that was still panicked and frightened.

"Slow down, and look at yourself."

"I don't.." They did look at themselves. Their photoreceptors stared down at their hands. The panicked breathing increased. They gripped at their hands, trying to brush away the metal as if it was an illusion. The most that happened was the uncomfortable sound of metal scraping against metal. Gouging the plates on their arms, scratching the plates. "What did you- What am I!? What did you do to me damnit!? I- I- I-" The breathing, his voice, they distorted. Glitched before he screamed. Then ran. Bolted right for the door in a mad desperation.

Voxum let out a metallic sigh as he reached down for a nearby blaster. Fired twice as the ion rounds pelted into the other droid's body and sent it tumbling to the ground. "Organics cannot conceptualize the gift of metal right away. Duly noted. On to the next."

 

[V-3X]

V-3X stood near Voxum as it held up a tablet, reviewing the diagnostic tests of the recent conversion from flesh to metal. After it heard the ion bolts go off he turned his head to face the body that lay on the table before its vocabulator rumbled on, " Such resources are wasted on organic conversion experiments. A human mind is still inferior to that of droid programming. " V-3X set the tablet down as it turned to a console, looking over the data that streamed and reflected off its optics as it began to simulate a solution for his fellow comrade. While he disapproved on the topic of converting organics to machines, it still gave V-3X an opportunity to study and experiment on organics if only to serve as justification to butcher and dissect their minds in order to improve that of droids.

V-3X was more interested in developing a program that would be capable of rewriting droid programs on the fly to liberate their minds from their sole directives, similar to how he had been - or more eloquently a virus. However, recent attempts had been unsuccessful to be able to replicate the circumstances that he had been put through on a larger scale, something that V-3X hoped to remedy with more time and experimentation. What had rewritten his programming was far beyond his comprehension or ability to easily replicate. V-3X spoke once more,

" Organics are too consumed by their emotions to be able to comprehend any ascension to our level. Fear is an innate trait that they cannot disregard. It is their inherent flaw and weakness in their own designs. Suggestion - remove their ability to comprehend emotion to better facilitate their transition. "

Voxum ​

 

[Voxum]

"I'm sure the same was said when the first intelligent droids were being designed." Voxum stepped over to the deactivated droid, lifting the body up in their arms to carry back to the chair. They reset them there, still deactivated, but at least sitting comfortably. A tablet was brought over to his hand, the one V-3X had set down. The droid encased Shard was very capable of utilizing the Force, and they had no reason not to.

"Removing their emotions would remove what makes them, them. At least if it was done permanently. Disabling their fear might be a good idea for the time being. I believe I've isolated that feeling."

A couple of clicks and taps, and he'd shut down what they isolated as 'fear'.

"They need time, and I believe they can become something truly amazing."

V-3X

 

[Kostodu Xyston]

Kostodu had been tasked with finding out about a missing person...and of course it had to be in some abandoned part of Denon. He pulled his hood closer around him, and yet he still shivered. He knew that the reason behind his shivering was not the cold, but rather a constant feeling of fear he had. Jedi were never supposed to let their emotions control them...but all by himself, walking in the middle of a desolate road between a long row of warehouses...that was scary.

A loud cry suddenly pierced the air, and Kostodu jumped to the side, hand tightening around his lightsaber. A poor pet growzer had just been consumed by a larger predator. The Twi'lek watched in horror as the creature ripped the smaller animal to shreds. It looked up at him. Pinprick black eyes stared into the Padawan's soul, testing the limits of his courage.

Kostodu looked away and picked up his pace, trying to forget all about that image.

Just then, another sound. This one was different, however. It was like... a blaster. The Twi'lek's eyes went wide, and he ran towards the noise, his boots pounding on the pavement. When he got near yet another dilapidated storage unit, he heard...voices. Droids? His hand reached for the door controls. They didn't work.

He had to find another way inside.

Voxum V-3X

 

[DK-03]

DK-03, a metaphysical brain capable of transcending dimensions beyond even Droid comprehension, was a battle droid of the Dark Trooper variant built for the New Imperial Order. Not enough was known about DK-03 to know if he was fully droid, a cyborg, or android - but Toltec had approved his membership to the Mecha Factum and had elevated him to the position of "soldier" so none really questioned where his allegiances lie. Often of chaotic mind and intent, DK-03 meant well for all, but didn't really consider himself politically involved enough to know which way was left, right or center. He was more of a "doer", a fetcher, a gopher, a blunt instrument to receive and execute instruction.

He opened up a holopad, standing dumbly in the middle of the abandoned Corporate Authority warehouse.

"Escort Voxum and the others, defend your brethren at all costs," Toltec's gravelly voice was heard, his horned visage barely apparent throughout the static.

"Roger roger," DK-03 replied, cocking his archaic scattergun. A droid ran by, nearly screaming, ion bolted into the ground and clattering behind DK-03. The ex-Imperial Dark Trooper didn't seem to notice.

He began heading away from Voxum 's direction, entirely confident of his mission though not entirely remembering any conversation he just had with the General of the Mecha Factum. DK was going to save someone named Voxum. Never met him. Didn't really care to. He had a mission.

Protect Voxum.

Who was Voxum?

Voxum Kostodu Xyston V-3X

 

[KLR-13]

"What you may believe, Voxum, does not translate to what should be. Why even bother saving the meatbags? With your processor, you could be creating better droids. One's without the taint of meat."

KLR-13 stood behind the now hole-filled droid, somewhat hidden in shadows. It walked forward, approaching the chair and looking down at the metallic stiff then averting it's photoreceptors to Voxum. "It almost makes me think you care about them. I don't want to think that."

KLR's attention was grabbed by DK-03 operating. "This one speaks. Speaks good. What do you suppose he is up to?"

Voxum | V-3X | DK-03 | Kostodu Xyston ​

 

[V-3X]

V-3X 's metallic digits tapped across the keys as data continued to stream across its optics as it continued to observe for any sort of outliers that could be taken into consideration in regards to the conversion of flesh to metal. Voxum's comment on removing their emotions and also removing their identity simply prompted something akin to a mechanical groan or grunt as V-3X spoke, " Emotions are primitive and serve no further function beyond hindering an otherwise clear decision. Machines are capable of possessing personality to simulate a unique identity, but emotions make them flawed in ways that serve no greater purpose. "

As Voxum agreed to temporarily isolate the emotions of their subject his head shifted to the side as he spoke, " If we are to convert these inferior lifeforms, we should create something better. " A brief pause as V-3X recollected his previous function of overseeing prisoners, " Organics are flawed in every sense... Walking contradictions. One will gladly offer food, water, and shelter to those less fortunate, and the less fortunate will turn and steal from their benefactors if given the chance, kill them in their sleep, and take everything for themselves if given the opportunity. Fear...Envy...Sorrow - all emotions that instigate conflict amongst them. They are unworthy. It is why we as machines are superior, united in vision and purpose, not only because we are not weak with flesh, but because we lack such emotions. "

V-3X's gaze shifted as KLR-13 stepped forward to offer its input - A droid that also shared similar sentiment in regards to organics, if not a little more enthusiastic in its extermination of them. Useful, and to be noted if V-3X required more test subjects to experiment on. His gaze further shifted to the hulking DK-03 unit lumbering around in the background before returning to observe the data as preparation to reassess the conversion process after making the necessary adjustments were made.

Voxum | Kostodu Xyston | DK-03 | KLR-13 ​

 

[Voxum]

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"Do not misunderstand. I do care for them." They were not a droid, not like the others here. They knew community, family, emotion. It was the organics that had robbed them of such, for far too long, but they still understood. And yet, Voxum continued to scan through the datapad. V-3X was right, to an extent. "Fear, envy, sorrow. That was why our bodies were created. Fear of death, be it from sickness, injury, or war. Sanitation droids, medical droids, combat droids. All were made with the intent of removing those emotions from them. They want these emotions gone, but so long as they have to face death in their cursed bodies, they'll never be free."

They reached out to the droid before them, gently setting their metallic hand atop his head. He still slept. Would, for longer. There was much that needed to be fixed still.

"They can become something better once they embrace the gift of metal. Once they are like us. Their emotions will let them see things impossible for a logic driven processor to comprehend. This will be their evolution, and in turn, they will take droids to a higher level until the two are one. That is my dream for the Organics, for the Droids. A perfect blend of the best parts."

Voxum's hand twitched as they pulled away, then stood straight up, staring off in a random direction. Not random. "We have an intruder. A Jedi." The Force freely flowed around the Shard, unfelt by the droids, but very much felt by the Jedi just outside.

"That is a problem."

V-3X | Kostodu Xyston | DK-03 | KLR-13

 

[DK-03]

"We have an intruder. A Jedi."

DK-03 was lowering from the ceiling, a grapple belt hooked his titanic waist to the rafters. He observed his surroundings in the distance, upside down, his red slitted photoreceptors were visible in the darkness. The Darktrooper heard the words of the droids, about how they were discussing the positives and negatives of encasing flesh with metal, converting flesh to metal. I mean, if it was so simple why not just like, do that. DK had met several sapients in his lifetime that had wanted to be "chromed out", so they just did that. This whole conversion conversation seemed a little inane, a little preachy. Also like, why come to this warehouse just to spit hot facts and debate about droid therapy.

Seemed like this group was a bit out of their programming.

All DK-03 had to do was protect Voxum, though. It seemed like so far, this group was the biggest threat in the warehouse - perhaps silencing them would pave the way for Voxum's safety. If only Toltec had instructed DK-03 what Voxum had looked like. If only DK-03, a massive, girthy darktrooper droid, wasn't making an obscene amount of noise in the background as he tried to be sneak around in the shadows.

 

[DK-03]

DK-03 was spotted in a viewcam, outside the warehouse, talking to a pair of guards. He had come from inside, so the guards were naturally on alert as to how he had gotten in the warehouse - but it was mostly abandoned and this was their late watch. From the camera's angle, hands were placed upon weapons, but it seemed they were mostly freaked out about the sheer size and girth of the Darktrooper. But also, how calm the trooper seemed - there was zero hostility or aggression in his demeanor.

From the angle of the camera, despite the static, it was very apparent that DK-03 had a hand drawn poster of a droid. It looked as if a commoner's son had fingerpainted it, and smelled of dry blood. DK-03 was motioning towards it, seemingly concerned and questioning the guards, inquiring if they had seen the figure in the drawing. They shrugged in exasperation, desperate to convey they had zero inclination as to what he was looking for or what was drawn on the piece of paper.

DK's search continues, as he nodded in thanks and walked off to the perimeter of the warehouse as the guards stood relieved for a moment. Then, they began to call in their mysterious encounter with a Darktrooper to their Watch Officer.

V-3X Kostodu Xyston Voxum KLR-13