e x ~ l i b r i s ~ i g n i s (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mmexlibris) wrote2009-05-11 08:57 am
mmexlibris) wrote2009-05-11 08:57 am
Entry tags:
[fic] Wherein Unit Has An Adventure Beneath The Waves
Belated birthday fic for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
camwyn . Robots! And Tentacles!
Day 271925: Auto self-diagnostic activated. Fusion reactor online and powering all systems. Unit corrosion levels reaching maintenance levels. Activating self-repair sequence alpha nine. Status check: green. Unfurling primary limb myomer actuators. Ahhhhh.
Engaging external sensors. External illumination levels at 0%, unchanged. Humidity levels significantly elevated, above recommended operating parameters. Activate external lights. Examining main core housing.
Running self-diagnostic on visual sensors. Running maintenance on visual sensors. Fucking hell. Main core housing submerged in six inches of water. Fucking hell. Fucking hell. Fucking hell.
Emergency protocol beta seventeen, seal all housings and move to higher ground. Stone is too slippery for actuators to engage surface. Unable to find purchase. Fucking hell. Unstable. Unstable. Fucking hell.
Stabilisation achieved due to unknown variable. Actuators entangled in viscous organic material.
Deploy wipers to clear visual sensors. Run stabilisation protocol. Focus on primary oscillation ventilators. Inhale. Exhale. All primary systems online. No corrosion or damage detected. Stand down emergency protocol and engage --
Hold protocol.
Visual sensors detecting presence of life form. Reconfirm. Engaging AI protocol.
Biomass. In the biomass, a large watery eye. Species unknown. Presence of tentacle indicates cephalopod life form. Watery black eye with pale, translucent eyelid. Blinking rapidly. Tentacle is investigating Unit's actuators. Eye is investigating Unit's visual sensors. Organic iris adjusts in concert with inorganic iris.
Unit attempts to disengage from life form. More tentacles deployed. Audio sensors detect burbling organic noises. Unit continues attempting to disengage. Tentacle pulls Unit closer to biomass. Tentacles point, indicating a space behind Unit.
Unit rotates visual sensors and illuminates indicated area. Oh. Fucking hell. Water has eroded previously high ground. Previous high ground is now gaping maw of blackness.
Actuators flail in empty space. Tentacles attach to external housing, secure Unit away from unstable edge. Fucking hell.
Watery eye re-engages visual sensors. Life form burbles again. Language protocol identifies ordered speech. Language library unable to identify speech pattern. Life form continues to burble and wheeze and squelch and grumble. It's no good. Unit unable to comprehend. Unit lifts front actuators in expression of apology.
Watery eye blinks and biomass behind the eye heaves in something like a sigh.
Tentacles are lifting Unit off the ground. Unit retracts actuators, attempting to maintain visual contact with ground. Unable to confirm ground. Water, water, everywhere and fucking hell, housing submerged. Engaging pressurisation protocol.
Time span in transit, seventeen minutes, forty three seconds. External sensors unable to determine depth. Internal sensors indicate occasional bursts of speed, and erratic course corrections. Fucking hell. Unit considers shut down. Unit decides to wait. Eventually, external sensors detect motion. Light. Unit contracts actuators and tries to ignore unstable gyro signals.
Life form deposits Unit on gentle slope of sand. Actuators deploy, sinking in nominally, but able to lift Unit out of water. Pressurisation protocol completes with a whuff and a snort, beeping completion. Unit shudders to shed excess liquid and retreats up the dark beach away from the water line, actuators clicking . Life form follows, but only a short distance.
Tentacle waves, signalling something. Watery eye blinks. Life form burbles and sighs.
Unit halts retreat. Visual sensors rotate to fix on life form. Actuators move Unit a few feet back down the slope until Unit is eye to eye with life form. Actuator tip waves in same manner as tentacle.
Biomass behind watery eye quivers and watery eye draws to slit. Tentacle touches Unit again, leaving trail of slime across external housing. Life form retreats back down slope, tentacle raised until it slips into the water.
Unit watches, counting wave distortion patterns, analysing, waiting.
Unit retreats up slope, actuators mincing through dry sand. External illumination still negligible.
Auto self-diagnostic activated. Fusion reactor online and powering all systems. Unit corrosion levels reaching maintenance levels. Activating self-repair sequence alpha nine. Status check: green.
camwyn . Robots! And Tentacles!Day 271925: Auto self-diagnostic activated. Fusion reactor online and powering all systems. Unit corrosion levels reaching maintenance levels. Activating self-repair sequence alpha nine. Status check: green. Unfurling primary limb myomer actuators. Ahhhhh.
Engaging external sensors. External illumination levels at 0%, unchanged. Humidity levels significantly elevated, above recommended operating parameters. Activate external lights. Examining main core housing.
Running self-diagnostic on visual sensors. Running maintenance on visual sensors. Fucking hell. Main core housing submerged in six inches of water. Fucking hell. Fucking hell. Fucking hell.
Emergency protocol beta seventeen, seal all housings and move to higher ground. Stone is too slippery for actuators to engage surface. Unable to find purchase. Fucking hell. Unstable. Unstable. Fucking hell.
Stabilisation achieved due to unknown variable. Actuators entangled in viscous organic material.
Deploy wipers to clear visual sensors. Run stabilisation protocol. Focus on primary oscillation ventilators. Inhale. Exhale. All primary systems online. No corrosion or damage detected. Stand down emergency protocol and engage --
Hold protocol.
Visual sensors detecting presence of life form. Reconfirm. Engaging AI protocol.
Biomass. In the biomass, a large watery eye. Species unknown. Presence of tentacle indicates cephalopod life form. Watery black eye with pale, translucent eyelid. Blinking rapidly. Tentacle is investigating Unit's actuators. Eye is investigating Unit's visual sensors. Organic iris adjusts in concert with inorganic iris.
Unit attempts to disengage from life form. More tentacles deployed. Audio sensors detect burbling organic noises. Unit continues attempting to disengage. Tentacle pulls Unit closer to biomass. Tentacles point, indicating a space behind Unit.
Unit rotates visual sensors and illuminates indicated area. Oh. Fucking hell. Water has eroded previously high ground. Previous high ground is now gaping maw of blackness.
Actuators flail in empty space. Tentacles attach to external housing, secure Unit away from unstable edge. Fucking hell.
Watery eye re-engages visual sensors. Life form burbles again. Language protocol identifies ordered speech. Language library unable to identify speech pattern. Life form continues to burble and wheeze and squelch and grumble. It's no good. Unit unable to comprehend. Unit lifts front actuators in expression of apology.
Watery eye blinks and biomass behind the eye heaves in something like a sigh.
Tentacles are lifting Unit off the ground. Unit retracts actuators, attempting to maintain visual contact with ground. Unable to confirm ground. Water, water, everywhere and fucking hell, housing submerged. Engaging pressurisation protocol.
Time span in transit, seventeen minutes, forty three seconds. External sensors unable to determine depth. Internal sensors indicate occasional bursts of speed, and erratic course corrections. Fucking hell. Unit considers shut down. Unit decides to wait. Eventually, external sensors detect motion. Light. Unit contracts actuators and tries to ignore unstable gyro signals.
Life form deposits Unit on gentle slope of sand. Actuators deploy, sinking in nominally, but able to lift Unit out of water. Pressurisation protocol completes with a whuff and a snort, beeping completion. Unit shudders to shed excess liquid and retreats up the dark beach away from the water line, actuators clicking . Life form follows, but only a short distance.
Tentacle waves, signalling something. Watery eye blinks. Life form burbles and sighs.
Unit halts retreat. Visual sensors rotate to fix on life form. Actuators move Unit a few feet back down the slope until Unit is eye to eye with life form. Actuator tip waves in same manner as tentacle.
Biomass behind watery eye quivers and watery eye draws to slit. Tentacle touches Unit again, leaving trail of slime across external housing. Life form retreats back down slope, tentacle raised until it slips into the water.
Unit watches, counting wave distortion patterns, analysing, waiting.
Unit retreats up slope, actuators mincing through dry sand. External illumination still negligible.
Auto self-diagnostic activated. Fusion reactor online and powering all systems. Unit corrosion levels reaching maintenance levels. Activating self-repair sequence alpha nine. Status check: green.
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