World Tree MUSH

    Tokyo, Japan. The year is 2040. In this specific Earth, AI and robotics have reached such a level that tiny robots, shinki, are more than just a name in every household; this is the world in which shinki originate from.
    Though crime is considered 'low' here that doesn't mean it does not exist. It simply falls through the cracks. Sometimes literally in the case of crimes against shinkis. Though technically considered digital and physical property, once activated, even the little machines have rights by law. After all, once turned on they are just as much living, thinking, beings as a person, property or not.
    Today, however, it would seem that the local law enforcement has reached out, offworld, for some help with an issue they've been having problems with. Specifically, illegal shinki fighting rings.
    It's common for shinki to fight. They are, after all, combat capable right out of the box. But normally such fights are tame and when a VR visualizer is used results in little to no damage to the shinki involved. In these off the books back alley fights, no visualizers are employed and they rapidly devolve into deathmatches and clearly cross ethical and moral lines as well as violate the rights put in place to protect the little robots.
    So here we are, at the location of one of these supposed fighting rings; an abandoned factory. Though it's quiet for now, and it looks like no one is here at the moment, is no doubt where, in the next few days, terrified shinki will be fighting for their lives for the amusement of their cruel masters.

It's odd, but there's a few things Alex *genuinely* appreciates about his body and brain the way they are now. One particular case is, after the time it took to get used to it is processing reports and the like. Say, information regarding the world that Alty originates from. What would probably take a solid hour or longer of reading and getting familiar with the information and reports available took less than seconds. 

It did bother him somewhat--while it wasn't obvious, given the advanced AI and the like, he could envision the concepts behind Shinki being adapted and-or utilized by one of OmniCorp's many subsidiary companies, if only because he could easily see how *useful* they would be. But at the same time, it did not sit well with him either, because that became effectively enslavement if they were 'full' AI as he had long since understand.

And just because the law didn't sit well with the notions of digital and physical property, did not mean he did not familiarize himself with that knowledge, particularly the rights they had. About as good as it could get, and arguably a better situation than he originally found himself in as a 'product' seen by OCP itself. 

Sorting through the information local law enforcement provided resulted in the sleek black motorcycle of one Officer Murphy arriving at the factory--during the day, because while he could see things in the dark, it wasn't necessarily useful. If someone was watching, someone was watching. But Alex *would* attempt to access and tie into what networked and not-networked cameras he could remotely. A little footage check, partially, but another to assess whether said cameras--if any--were being monitored. 

After parking his motorcycle and with the faint hydraulic 'whrr' and combination of heavy footfalls, a cursory scan and analysis of the location pretty well marks this as a 95.6 percent likely location for current and-or future illegal fights and other activities besides. Then again, he grimly notes, it always seems to be one of this abandoned factories or warehouses. Too much money to get the equipment out and clear the place out by anyone not intending to use it.

But scans can only tell one so much, after all. The steel-armored cyborg exhales slightly as the visor slides back from his face, and he goes about towards an entrance--at least, as much of an entrance as he can use without making it too damned obvious as he sought to download any other information he could from this world's networks about what this place *was* beforehand. Information was key to anything, after all.

    From the looks of things, no one is around. What cameras the factory has have either long bee put out of service or are barely servicable. What data Alex can get from them is fuzzy, but it looks like someone's taken the time to set up several 'rings' and cages of various sizes. Though whoever did so isn't here now, it's likely for the future.
    Irony of ironies, the place used to be a shinki factory that was formerly in use by a company called Front Line; known for their more famous shinki models, the Arnval and Strarf lines. Though it looks like most of the machinery has been removed; either decomissioned or taken to a much larger facility.
    Onward though, opening the facility door opens up into the wide open space of the arena in question, with its myriad cages and rings and...
    There's a squeak.
    That is the sound of someone who has just been caught where she is not supposed to be.
    And considering the tiny figure in black just a few feet away from the door that turns to look at Alex like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming mack truck, Alty probably shouldn't be here indeed.

Irony of ironies indeed. Least the cameras that were--and weren't--available pointed to the likelihood this place was used because it lacked cameras. Suggested evasion through some straight evasion of tech, which reminded him a little of how some tried to evade him in the past. 

The sight of the cages after pushing past the doors earns a slight grimace, even as he scans and documents, well frankly /everything/. Much of this is already evidence that can be used, after all. Would take the prosecutors work if it was *just* that but--then that squeak.

No one /should/ be here, in theory. Anyone here *might* indeed be say, an advanced watch or scout, depending on how well the illegal fight ring was or wasn't organized. It could be anything. And for a split second, that visor that previously shielded his face on the trip over comes back down and plating on his right thigh immediately unfolds and extends out his sidearm. But he doesn't quite reach for it. 

Fear response acknowledged, but at the same time, an equally quick assessment told him that drawing on the very obvious shinki who was here wasn't as yet warranted. A slight ~whrr~ comes from his joints as he focuses on Alty, and after a blur of faces goes through a sub-screen in his field of view to identify (but not yet send the 'hit' back to the system) he ends up with a very slight scowl. Not at Alty herself, but at the information. The connections helpfully made by the system are well in line with his interpretation of the facts so far. 

"I am Officer Alex Murphy. You, are Alty, alias 'The Angel of Death'. Apparently quite well known for being part of what I would assume are these illegal fight rings, but not someone who was a willing participant." He hopes. His gaze, his entire posture has shifted in microscopic ways, the cyborg officer's unique movements meaning that Alty has Alex's full attention. "You probably shouldn't be here. So it begs the question as to why you are?" There's many reasons--risk that she could be put into the same situation and forced to fight again, or just caught in the crossfire of possibly busting up this ring. But he leaves that question open-ended to better continue his spot evaluation. 

    An officer of the law! Precisely the last person Alty wants to run into at any given time. The Altines remains frozen. Indeed, it's true, no one should be here, not right now anyway, but here she is, scoping the place out and sticking out like a sore thumb. Clearly she had just gotten here, herself, and entered and didn't expect the doors to swing open behind her like that. All it takes is for the visor to come down and for the sidearm to come out-- Murphy doesn't even have to reach for it, and her hands go up in clear and complete surrender. And believe it or not, Alty proves that shinki can go pale when the cybernetic police officer flat out IDs her.
    "Weh!" She blurts, her initial response one of shock and awe, before she clears her throat.
    "... U-um... I was ah..." Well, there's probably no point in lying. "I was scoping the place out." She admits, kicking a pebble over like a child that's been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
    "There's supposed to be a fight night here in two days. ... I wanted to stop it."

The combined assessments--from both years of policing and interviewing and talking with people--and the software that assists it, does seem to at least play well with what he was thinking was happening here. Which is why that, when Alty puts her hands up, two things happen--one, is that the weapon extended for him to draw with his flesh and blood hand is drawn back into his thigh with a slight noise, and then the visor slides backwards and into the back of his head. Properly revealing the human side as it were.

The fact the 'robot' could go even paler would have made Alex chuckle a little had it not been such a situation they were in. 'Scared Senseless' is one of the tags that comes up in his field of vision amidst the assessment of honesty and compliance. 

"So do I. Stopping it, that is." Alex says after letting her words hang in the air for but a moment as he finishes off another scan, comparing it with the old records he brought up.

He sighs once before taking a few steps closer, the literal walking tank's footfalls that *felt* as much as anything before he actually ... well. Kneels down a fair bit. He's easily six and a half feet in height to the smaller one foot tall shinki. It's the least he can do in this situation. "You're putting yourself at risk. You probably know you're wanted, but only because you were involved, regardless of the fact you want to stop this," Alex begins at first, before switching gears. "Seven years ago. Did you wake up on your own, or were those illegal fighting rings all you were ever allowed to know?" 

    When one is as small as a shinki, towered over by even the more common man, Alex's footfalls are definitely felt. Every footfall practically making the tiny thing wobble where she stands, right up until the cybernetic officer takes to a knee. She can't help but clutch at her elbow with one hand awkwardly, lips pursing as scarlet eyes can't seem to meet Alex' gaze.
    "I know." She says at length. "I know it's risky. And I know I'm wanted for reformatting-- but I definitely don't want that-- but there's a reason I need to step in, again." She mumbles, thumb brushing along the visible joint of her elbow.
    That question, though, that is a painful and poignant question, and it makes her glance up, a stricken expression on the tiny robot's features.
    Robot or not, it's clear these shinki are sapient beings, fully capable of emotions and forming long term memories. Even traumatic ones.
    "... My master- my old master- made me fight my sister, Lene." She says. "After that, fighting was all I ever knew. And it was eiher fight or die, there was no choice." She says, taking a shivery breath.
    She pauses for a beat before continuing. "There's a shinki that's been tearing through the ranks of the back alley circuit. An Altlene Type. They're usually the sister unites to Altines Types like me. I don't know her, but I don't want her to become... Like me. Infamous and hated by all other shinki. So I was going to try and stop her."

If asked, Alex may or may not admit it--he knew that asking might well be a bit of cruelty, all told. But in asking revealed more than simply diving into the present. The past was what defined this poor girl--poor girl? Heh. Maybe that was indeed what was what had begun changing, subtly, his cognitive assessment of her. 

Then again, he damn well sympathized being basically one bad change from being full robot himself. But that didn't matter. He was sapient and sentient, much as the young girl was, regardless of the scale of age or size would bely. 

As he listens, he occasionally does a quick lookup--Altlene sounded familiar, given Altines. "MMS Type Valkyrie." he mutters a little bit to himself, looking forward thoughtfully. The part about reformatting wasn't missed--if anything, his systems were automatically combing through this World's systems, through Tokyo's networks to assess it. The explicit and the implicit aspects of it were, bluntly, troubling enough but he wasn't in a position to judge, but at the same time his own... experiences having his mind messed with? 

Yeah, he's extremely sympathetic to the young girl's plight, and it does show on the framed face of the officer. "Can't just try, then. Definitely need to. And by the look of this place... you're going to need help in two days." he starts. "The only thing the local police department has asked for help with is breaking up this fighting ring." Nor was anything explicit about bringing in a rogue or missing wanted shinki. Ideally, that wouldn't be asked of him. After a moment's more thought, he looks back down to the fighting robot in front of him.

"It's not your fault," he says, oddly gentle, given the situation and what the cybernetic augments keeping him alive tends to do to make his voice slightly resonant. "... but, you won't have to be trying to do this alone. Just keep... keep your mind open." His eyes look briefly contemplative because something occurs to him. There's any number of ways someone could react when forced to fight like that. The potential, he elects to keep to himself for now, and hopes that it won't come to pass. 

    It was a bit of a cruel question, but Alty seems to have rallied well enough to answer it. Scuffing the ground with one tiny foot while still clutching her elbow awkwardly. One hand rises, rubbing at her scarred eye as though by force of habit.
    It's not hard to simply hit up google on this world and find out the definition of reformatting. Shinki are, by law, not allowed to continue to function without an owner. Due to this, shinki that are caught without a master are sent back to the MMS corporation for reformatting and refurbishing before they are re-released into circulation. Essentially wiping their memories and returning them to the status of a product until such a time as they are purchased and re-activated, albeit with no memories and a potentially completely new personality.
    "I-... I know you're supposed to be with the police but please don't turn me in." She says in a tiny voice. "There's still a lot I need to do, and I can't do any of it if I get reformatted. I'll never remember it."
    But then. Then she blinks. Slowly at first.
    'You won't have to be trying to do this alone.'
    Slowly it sinks in.
    "Th- then you'll help me out?" She murmurs, still rubbing at her scarred eye.
    "Okay... I know someone. I'll have her enter me into the fights. I'll try and disrupt as much as I can from the inside while you and the police... Do your busting everything up thingy. And maybe... Maybe I can get a chance to talk to that other shinki and stop her."

The thought occurs and it's a rather simple one: 'confidential informant'. It's... very much not by the book and arguably part of him is very much ill at ease with it. But Alty has perhaps demonstrated more than she realizes in terms of her reactions, her nuances. His systems analyzing her the whole time is one thing but Alex the *human* knows what he senses, what he feels. 

"I'm with the Detroit Police Department, officially. On loan. Which means until I'm asked otherwise..." He lets that trail off--not quite happy about the grey area here, but at the same time he's still going to do what his personal moral code and directives give him to do: 'Protect the Innocent'. 'Serve the Public Trust'. With his robotic hand, he displays a holographic display. One part is, very directly, a phone number. Another is a credentialed bit of information that, if needed, he suspects the shinki could very easily use it to send a discreet signal regarding what she's doing. 

And him, vice versa. "I can only hope you're successful. But if you can't talk her down, you let me know. At the very least I'll make sure she can be brought in without getting you in the crossfire." he concludes, nodding once. He's already got everything else he needs here, at least. Now just comes the part about 'catching them in the act and arresting'.