Irregular Hunters earn a meager salary: most of their "pay" comes in the form of housing and amenities.
Which is a good enough deal for most, but it makes personal budgeting something of a nightmare.
Zero saves his money simply because he has a savings account. He's not a very frivolous person, and he rarely wants for anything the Hunters don't already provide. Even his room is utilitarian, filled with only the basic amenities and few personal knickknacks.
It's because of this that he is confident in his wallet's condition when he agrees to pay off the credit for whatever mechanical parts Rock needs for a personal project.
"Thank you, Commander Zero." Rock intones gratefully.
"Zero is fine." Zero grunts, holding the package Rock had been dragging back to HQ. "Don't worry about paying it back or anything," Zero adds before the child unit can open his mouth. "I don't care enough about money to need it. Instead, why don't you tell me what this is all for?"
Rock's face pinches off, expression closing on him for a second before seemingly resetting to a neutral smile. "It's a surprise." Rock replies blandly. "I promise we – er, I'll explain everything when I finish."
Zero frowns. "You're terrible at lying, just so you know." Just like X. The two are uncannily similar.
Rock's smile turns warmer. "I know. Roll always tells me that." He pauses and adds, "The project is…. I'm fixing up a few… things. Including an old project of my father's. He's very dear to me."
There's a weight in the words Zero wasn't expecting. He swallows thickly, inexplicably uncomfortable with whatever Rock has entrusted to him. "I see." Zero says in lieu of actual words. He chances a short glance at the reploid plodding beside him. This is one of the moments where Zero is certain that Rock and Roll have at least decades of function behind them.
But moreover. "…Father, huh?" It isn't very hard to tell that Rock and Roll are custom reploids – especially with their child-like frames – but this is the first Zero has heard about their creator.
Rock nods, his visual point of focus farther than the ground he stares at. "He died many years ago, and not many remember him anymore, but Roll and I try to keep his memory alive."
Zero nods, uncertain how to respond. He fumbles for words. "If… if you need anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to ask."
Rock's answering smile is blinding. "Thank you, Zero."
-ooo-
X does not expect to find Roll going over saber forms with Layer in the training rooms – especially after being assigned to a non combat role – but he does.
The two reploids are swinging through some of the basic forms and movements, and X reflects that Layer is probably a very good choice in instructor after Zero, considering the two share very similar styles (Layer having based her swordsmanship after Zero). X concedes to watching them, studying how Roll adapts to Layer's movements – too closely. The smaller reploid trips up on instances where her instructor's longer reach determines the stance, which is. Interesting.
X has known that of the two, Roll is the one with less practical experience in battle. It's obvious in their movements: Rock's forms are very smooth, with no extraneous movements. Very conservative. Roll moves according to the book: professional, no step missed or bridged over. It makes her forms beautiful, with great body balance, but not always useful or even practical. It occurs to X now that Roll has been literally copying her instructors – down to their breathing pattern and small tics that deviate from the intended form.
Layer seems to notice this too, as she stops and asks Roll to go over the forms by herself. Roll does, using the textbook movements she used to, but now with something… extra. A combination of Layer's form with the original.
X blinks. That fast? He doesn't know how long Layer has been coaching Roll, but reploids, like humans, needed some time to process newly learned material. For Roll to apply the movements she just learned from Layer into the forms – it's uncanny.
"Roll, are you applying movement data?" Layer asks suddenly, and X freezes.
That's not something reploids can use. They can download the information and review animation files, but to apply them directly to one's body is… unimaginable. That's not something viable for reploids, who learn skills like humans do: through manual accumulation of data rather than application of existing programs.
Roll blinks at her instructor, "What?" She looks to Layer, then X, and frowns. "I – "
"Roll!" Rock calls, bounding into the training room. "There you are! I wanted to show you somethi – oh X. Miss Layer." The child bows politely, caught left footed and awkward at the unexpected company. "Sorry. I didn't realize you guys were busy." Rock apologizes, smile lopsided and wobbly.
He looks anxious, X notes.
"No, not at all." Layer responds, nodding back in greeting. "We were done for the day anyways. Roll, if you need any more help, I'll be more than happy to instruct you."
"Thank you for your time, Miss Layer." Roll responds, bowing deeply. "If I may be dismissed?"
Layer nods. "Of course. I'll see you around, Roll."
X watches as the two siblings bow politely at both him and Layer before leaving. Rock reaches almost reassuringly for his sister's hand as they go, and X wonders just what has spooked them this time.
Roll looked absolutely thankful when her brother bounded into the room and interrupted the conversation. What was she about to say?
"X," Layer starts, approaching closely. The reploid chances a look back at the training room entrance before continuing, "Roll's ability to copy others' movements: it's not like Axl where his A-trans applies the reploid's DNA to mimic abilities and habits. She needs to see the movements first before she can copy them." Layer notes.
X nods. This is the navigator's background in reploid and mechaniloid analysis coming into play. For Layer to bring the topic up – there's definitely something going on here. "When you were going over the forms with Roll, I noticed she had difficulty with the stances. I thought maybe it was because she was trying to reconfigure the forms with her stature, but considering how accurately she was replicating your movements…."
"Yes," Layer agrees, frowning. "The closest analogy I can come up with is… a programmed set of action commands for a mechaniloid, or a programmer copying and applying movement sets for another unit."
X blinks. "A mechaniloid?" Actually that. Hm. He frowns. "I've heard from Zero that Rock confirmed that he and Roll are custom units built by an independent party." X adds, trying to find the connection between the two trains of thought. There's something significant here.
"An independent party…." Layer repeats thoughtfully. "I've read an article about how early reploid developers attempted to integrate mechaniloid programming into reploids to improve their learning competency. I wonder if this is something similar."
"I remember that." X confirms. "It was before we really understood how reploid learning systems and programming worked." He pauses. "But Layer, the outcome of those reploids – "
"Most went Irregular due to incompatible programming." Layer finishes, mouth set in a grim line.
Ah. X's brows furrow. "Layer, you don't think Roll has – "
"It's simply a hypothesis, X." Layer asserts. "We don't have much else to go on but the suspicion of mechaniloid-like program use." The navigator's mouth twitches in what X assumes is a try for a comforting smile. "From what we can figure about their background, both Rock and Roll have been active for quite some years. I don't think it's folly to assume they will continue to function as they have."
"I suppose so," X agrees, somewhat reassured. "Will you keep looking into this, Layer?"
The reploid nods. "Of course. I'll keep you updated, X. Let me know if you notice anything significant." Hesitating, Layer adds, "I've worked with Roll for a few days now. She approached me saying that she wanted to continue to learn how to fight so she can protect her brother." A smile. "They're good children."
Children. X nods faintly, his thoughts far away. "They really are."
Super quick update to make up for how short the other chapter is. Updates may become slower from here on out. Of course, now that I say that, it won't. But we'll see.