maskormenacelogs | Everybody wants to rule the world

You may not.

[Defensive off the bat, sharp teeth carving out few words. He was boiling in the seconds following that recognition -- the heated flush, the buzzing pulse.

Recovery was a beat slower: he pulled up his shoulders, broadening them, and relaxed his jawline. The tension diffused into a smile, one cold but pointed in all the right angles.]

I'm not looking for any assistance, you see. Simply getting my bearings.

[The memory of their last encounter reeled behind his pupils.]

[ no doubt the memory of that encounter lingered with danger as well, though the significance for her was likely of a different kind. whatever she thought, whatever she was dwelling on, it showed much less obviously on her face-- that constantly passive face, concealing most emotions save her annoyance, which was beginning to subtly show. her lips thinned briefly, pursing before she finally looked up to see him. ]

Acknowledged.

[ she eyed him a moment before going on. ]

You're displeased to see me.

I'm surprised to see you.

[The correct came slowly, with every syllable savored. He drew upon his most paternal, condescending tone; it was all the better to annoy his company. His ego still stung from those days ago, and Chilton communicated that in every way except the most explicit.]

Of all the people I could have possibly run into -- you, of course, you would statistically top the list. [A beat followed, his mouth twisting.] And that is certainly not an invitation to reel off the actual probability, mind.

[ as he intended, that particular tone grated on her nerves. her studying effectively interrupted, danger sharply closed the file in her hand, rising from where she had been seated. the other hand came to rest on one hip in a gesture she'd seen other women use to display their annoyance, especially with a man. ]

It is not purposeful. [ her tone was pointed. ] I have not been following you, Doctor.

No, I'm sure you've dedicated these early hours to finding an appropriate place in this new system, haven't you?

[Chilton was, of course, projecting. He feared drifting, feared losing any footing that he had worked so hard to attain. Torn from his original ecosystem, then torn again from the surrogate one, this was now his third opportunity to create a steadfast sediment for himself.

It was a terrifying prospect, and he wanted to ensure his suitable place as soon as possible.]

You've gotten a file too, yes? [He glanced down at his own, his hand still firmly gripping the material. Probationary, but still a psychiatrist. His doctorate was recognized, but his patients were... falling short of his preference.] No doubt they haven't a mental hospital you can terrorize in the same manner, you must be out of luck.

I have been assigned to Homeland Security. [ she answered him clinically, not so much bragging as informing him with a hint of condescension. ] To be frank, I will be performing many of the same functions.

[ she tilted her head up slightly, considering him a long moment before she spoke again. ]

And you, Doctor? What place have you been given?

Homeland Security?

[His jaw dropped with the words, making his agape speech somewhat slurred. Perhaps reflection of this moment would cause him regret, or force in questions of his own composure, but at this time he could do little to swallow his despair.]

That's -- that's insane! Do they even know what you are?

[SO aghast was he, Chilton neglected to answer her query.]

[ his opinion on her new duties hardly fazed her. the man resented her and she resented him--- there was no love lost between them. if he felt discomfort at knowing what her job entailed, it wasn't something that would trouble her. if anything, she would be satisfied at the idea that he disapproved.

but that question. the way he worded it.

her eyes narrowed. ]

And precisely do you mean by that, Doctor? [ an edge of threat sharpened her quiet words. ] What am I?

You don't need me to spell it out, do you?

[It was a coy refrain, one he grasp only when he controlled his temper once more. Composure was necessary, in order to compose. He adjusted his tie, straightening the Windsor knot quite unnecessarily, subconsciously engaging the motion because Danger had a chance to -- as she had demonstrated as an intimidation technique before.]

Perhaps they have ways to properly contain your... Abilities. Perhaps that's it.

I'm certain you enjoy entertaining that idea, Doctor. That they have some means to control me.

[ she folded her arms across her chest, staring at him in that judgmental, disdainful way that she reserved especially for this man. her attention followed his hands as he adjusted his tie preemptively. pointedly, she went on: ]

Particularly since it is obvious that you have no such means yourself.

Excuse me? [He dared that initial step forward -- but its echo, the second step, died with hesitation. Danger's statement, in her action and wording, provoked Chilton with only minimal effort. He found that quality so much more infuriating, that he could be so easily pulled.

It was undoubtedly her unspoken point.

And if that was true, then it was time for a tactic with a more delayed expiation date.]

Well, it isn't for me to control you, is it? Your function is to restrain the individual, not vice versa.

[ truthfully, it was probably more an issue of personality than a real function-- though one might blame programming for whatever homicidal inclinations she harbored-- but she didn't point out the difference, especially not to him. they had, after all, discussed her own need for control before, and she disliked him nitpicking at it as much as she disliked his dissection of her other personality traits.

through her assignment, controlling others had more or less become her function anyway. another fitting opportunity, perhaps, not unlike her previous occupation as a warden.

It is something I am adapted for, yes. As our overseers have apparently recognized. I assume whatever role you have been given is similarly suitable.

I remain a psychiatrist.

[But his stiff response didn't elaborate; he didn't mention how it would be, at first, probationary. He didn't mention how he wasn't Chief of Staff (as the former implied). He didn't mention that his primary purpose was not to analyze psychopathic murderers (the real fun stuff), but rather he needed to rehabilitate drug addicts and other mundane substance abusers.

None of this information passed his tongue.]

Maybe you'll soon be having a session with me?

[Wishful thinking. But he lingered on the hypothetical, his expression musing with self-applied satisfaction. He kept her eye contact, as if trying to transmit the imaginings of Danger on his couch.]

[ her response was to tilt her head at him in a considering way, eying him with the ever present judgment of her attention. even the implication of him ever treating her conjured up an instinctive swell of annoyance-- despite whatever he thought, the machine herself hardly found him qualified. being human-like was, in her opinion, certainly not the same as being human.

and yet, she'd always craved understanding. and places in which to share her thoughts and feelings. acknowledging that in this moment and this context, she surprised herself a little. ]

I would hate to impose on your undoubtedly busy schedule. [ that was her answer, when it finally came, frigid through every syllable. ] As much as I enjoy conversations with just the two of us, I'm sure you would be hard-pressed to find time to be personally humiliated by me again.

[The smug crescent grin on his face slowly slid downward as his color burnished red. Slinging around such memories, such humiliation, drew the fangs out along with the venom. A retort curdled in his throat, his emotion running too sharply in his veins. He felt adrenaline flood like a man boarding a plane; the resfeber shaking anticipation down his shoulders.]

I -- [He cleared his throat, that first syllable cracking.] I am not some slave to my emotions. [His curled fists shook momentarily.] I'm not incapable of treating you, even considering our lurid. Past. Together.

[ the words were admirable, in any case. truthfully, she would have expected a response laced in more insults, more condescension, perhaps with some accompanying jab towards her. she dwelled on that a moment-- and the look on his face, always that-- before answering, her voice still quiet and sharp. ]

And what, precisely, do you suppose you would be treating me for, Doctor? [ pointedly: ] As unnerving as you might find my nature to be, you cannot cure me of not being human.

Any behavior can be learned. [A leveling look.] Or unlearned. With the proper encouragement. [And punishments, but he didn't go as far to say the word. Implication would suffice.]

From my experience with you, Danger, it's clear that you yearn for definition, which your current state defies. You are neither human nor fully artificial -- and yes, perhaps you were the latter initially. But you seemed to have evolved since, and therein lies the questions to your artifice.

What I would propose would be to encourage further evolution with behavioral experimentation.

Edited 2014-01-30 09:06 (UTC)

[ her eye contact remained steady, though her words-- formerly utilized as an obvious weapon against him-- took on a subtle, almost imperceptible shift in tone when she replied this time. ]

You cannot train me like a dog, Doctor. Though I can assume that you certainly associate treatment with control, this will not be a way you can control me. Other men before you have tried and failed.

[ but he wasn't wrong. hadn't she always been the in-between, the nothing in the spaces? designed to become whatever her masters most needed, and yet being no more than a tool? it was a constant frustration, that despite escaping her enslavement-- and being defined by her oppressors-- she had yet to find an identity of her own choosing. ]

If we were, hypothetically, to engage with experimentation, my cooperation would be on a strictly trial basis.

A trial basis, you say?

[It was more than he had originally anticipated. He restrained his curiosity, however, not wanting to expose too much of his emotion; it was better to play with a poker face.

Chilton's poker face, however, was better made for playing crazy eights.]

And what sort of terms or conditions would apply? [A beat, and he leaned back on the heels of his feet, as if to observe Danger more fully.] Or, should I be asking what you'd like in return?

Hypothetically.

[ she was quick to reassert that word. her own poker face failed slightly, as the corners of her mouth began to turn steadily downward. she despised the idea of having to work with the man in any capacity ever again, especially in a situation that tipped the power balance in his favor, even a little. at the same time, she wondered: was he capable of understanding her? did she want that?

finally, she answered: ]

I suppose asking for your cooperation and respect would be unrealistic. And I hardly trust you enough to simply accept a debt. The question then might be this: What do you possibly think you could do for me, Doctor?

Cooperation and respect are certainly out of the question. [He grinned a little at that, thinking the terms of negotiation somewhat humorous. Surely it was an odd clause to include.]

However.

[What she inquired gave him pause. His talents, of course, rested with what he was offering to do for Danger: manipulate her humanity, analyze its progress, coax it to further actualization. His tactics were apt, and had worked on Abel Gideon until Alana Bloom had interfered. It was a presiding assumption that no one would intervene on his and Danger's special deal, so the opportunity seemed even more explicit.

There was little he was otherwise willing to imbibe.

But.]

Of all the things you crave, what's the sharpest?

[His notions reflected on their rawest encounter.]

Human submission, wasn't it?

[ human submission. now there was something danger dwelled on often. she was vengeful by nature, and thus resented the humans for what she considered to be a systematic and cruel enslavement of machines. but even more than that, she craved acceptance-- to be considered equal among the humans that had made her, instead of just a mere tool to be used and discarded.

of course, admitting to that thought process would be far too much. ]

That is a fair hypothesis. It could be. Barring cooperation and respect, of course. [ her tone was not remotely friendly. ] What are you proposing, Doctor?

What if we had a role reversal? Part of the grander experiment, perhaps, to explore how you would function as a human being over the utility of a machine. A system of equality, maybe, seeing the system through the eyes of the "oppressor".

[Perhaps unknowingly, he echoed the thought process she wouldn't admit to. His neutral voice evaporated any tone of scorn, save for that last word.]

It's part of why you pride yourself in your self-control, isn't it? Because only you deserve the control of yourself? Well, Danger, what if you had control of other things, too? Other. Beings.

[ she pursed her lips at him, answering with silence at first. it was more tempting that she wanted it to be. perhaps he already understood her too well-- now there was an irritating prospect.

finally, in her sharp, but quiet way: ]

Perhaps this discussion is better saved for a proper session, Doctor. I rarely make my desires and motives a subject of conversation publicly.

Of course, an individual like yourself, so privy to the privacy of others, would value your own dearly. [He nodded, as if this observation confirmed some unspoken analysis boiling in the back of his mind.

Chilton took a step back, spreading apart his hands; palms flat and showing, as neutered a motion as was feasible for the man.]

Name the time and place. And subject.

Everybody wants to rule the world

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