Curiosity
Watchpoint Gibraltar armoury
"I thought I told you not to touch anything."
The Bastion looked towards Torbjorn, tilting its head to the left. Torb had recently found the Bastion in northern Sweden and it had been following him around ever since. Torb had originally gone after the Bastion with the intention of destroying it. However, this Bastion was different. Instead of attacking on sight, it was peaceful, curious, almost like a child. This was completely against its original programming.
Since then, Winston had recalled Overwatch and Torb had brought the Bastion along with him, intending to work out how it had broke its programming. At first, the other agents were very wary of it, worried that it might attack at any given moment. As time went on though, everyone began to relax around it. The Bastion even brought along a bird, which Lena had decided to call Ganymede, for whatever reason that Torb didn't understand. Torb had given in to Lena and reluctantly bought it a cage, something the Bastion seemed to respond well to.
Despite everything though, The Bastion often managed to find a way to annoy Torb. At first, he was just following him and watching what he was doing. As time went on, it became more confident and began investigating the base, both with someone and alone. When it first walked off alone, it caused a slight panic at the base and everyone was quickly out searching for it. Winston eventually found it, investigating the mess hall and working out what was contained inside.
Since then, everyone had gotten used to it wandering off to some random part of the base and occasionally bothering someone, as they went about their daily tasks. In all honesty, everyone preferred it doing this, as it meant no one innocent would end up hurt. In the end, it seemed as if Genji and Lena were the only two agents who could keep up with the Bastion, often stopping what they were doing to check that it wasn't in any trouble and sometimes helping it out of the trouble it found itself in. Thankfully, it never tried to leave the base, much to everyone's relief. It seemed to understand that people were still scared of seeing a Bastion walking around.
Today was no exception to its curious behaviour. Right now, Torb had the Bastion connected to a computer using a long cable and was checking its systems to see what was causing it to act the way it was. He'd told it to sit still at the side of the armoury while the scan took place. However, the Bastion's curiosity had gotten the better of it. While Torb was searching for something in one of the storage rooms in the armoury, the Bastion had stood up and walked over to one of the many shelves in the main room, which was full of equipment. The sound of crashing equipment was followed by a loud sigh from Torb, knowing exactly what had happened.
Now Torb stood with his arms folded in disapproval, while the Bastion simply tilted its head and let out a few quiet bleeps, clearly meant to be some sort of apology.
Torb looked to the equipment on the floor, rolling his eyes. "At least nothing's damaged. Can you please sit back down while the scan finishes?"
The Bastion complied, stepping back towards the side of the room and then falling back into a sitting position. Ganymede now flew down from his cage, since the door was left open and landed on Bastion's hand. With Bastion distracted, Torb walked over to the computer and looked at the results of the scan, making a copy as he analysed what he saw.
"What? That can't be right..."
According to the scan, the Bastion's systems were all functioning correctly. However, somehow it's original programming wasn't active and some of the code seemed to be missing. After some further investigation, he found out that the code had been edited shortly after it came back online, something that concerned Torb greatly. Annoyingly, this scan didn't tell him exactly what he wanted to know, leaving him guessing at how the code was changed.
He looked back towards the Bastion, seeing it still watching Ganymede and began theorising how exactly the code had been changed. One theory was that without a God Program controlling it, the Bastion was able to think more for itself and managed to change its own purpose. It was also possible that the long period of deactivation meant it rebooted with different priorities. However, Torb honestly didn't think this theory was correct.
The second theory proved much more viable and also far more worrying. Someone, or something, had hacked it's way into the Bastion and then proceeded to alter its code, removing the original programming that made it attack on sight. This meant that either a God Program was still out there, or someone else had activated this Bastion for some other purpose. It also meant that someone could have a method of turning any deactivated Bastion back on, something Torb wasn't comfortable with. Having Bastions turn on at any given moment would likely lead to innocent lives being lost, whether intentional or not.
With no other way of telling what had fully happened, Torb made a mental note to have a word with Winston and see what he thought, before he walked over to the Bastion and pulled out the cable.
"Okay, I got what I need."
The Bastion nodded, followed by a tune of happy bleeps, before its attention returned to Ganymede. Clearly it was too interested with what the small bird was doing to move, so Torb simply left it alone, while he cleaned up the mess it caused.
Winston's Lab- 3 hours later
After Torb had finished cleaning up the armoury, he decided to work on a few upgrades he needed to do before paying a visit to Winston. He knew that Winston was also wondering how the Bastion reactivated and why it was acting in the unusual way it was. However, once Torb began to explain the situation, Winston thought it best to get everyone into the lab, so they could also hear what Torb had to say. Even the Bastion had come along, though it sat at the back of the lab with Ganymede, watching it fly around and land on it. The only exceptions were Lena and Angela, who were currently on their way back from Egypt. Once everyone was standing around the holographic table, on the lower level of the lab, Torb explained his findings.
"So, you're saying that you don't know why the Bastion is acting the way it is." Reinhardt said, believing he understood Torb's lengthy explanation.
"Pretty much." Torb replied. "All I know is that the coding that should be there isn't. For whatever reason, it's been removed and I don't know how or why."
"Does that mean it's dangerous then?" McCree asked, now a little weary of the hulking war machine sitting nearby.
"It's a Bastion, of course it's dangerous. The thing is, it's not acting like a Bastion. It's acting more like a child. Too curious for its own good and always ending up causing trouble."
"Perhaps it wishes to learn more about the world it lives in?" Genji suggested.
"Maybe. Even then, no Bastion showed any sign of doing this before. Why is this one doing it now?"
"The God Programs?" Winston suggested, trying his best to come up with something. "Maybe without one active, the Bastion gained free will."
"While it's possible, I don't think it would have been able to. Its original programming is gone, completely overridden. It may have free will but a Bastion should not be able to override its own programming. If this one managed to, something is very different about it."
"Newer model?" McCree offered, though the idea was quickly dismissed by Torb.
"There weren't any newer models."
"Maybe we cannot solve this ourselves." Genji said, looking towards the Bastion as it continued to watch Ganymede. "Perhaps we need another perspective."
"What do you have in mind?" Winston asked, sensing that Genji had thought of an idea.
"I believe that my master, Zenyatta, may have better luck understanding our Bastion friend and may be able to work out why it is acting as it is. I know that he is currently in Nepal, near the Shambali monastery. I suggest that I take the Bastion over to him and ask him to see what he thinks."
"Talk about dangerous Genji." McCree replied, within seconds of the suggestion. "We've all seen what that thing can do and you're talking about letting it go freely out of the base? What if it escapes?"
Before Genji could answer, Athena spoke up.
"Attention. Mercy and Tracer's dropship is approaching the watchpoint. ETA, two minutes."
"Thank you Athena." Winston said. "Please tell them to make their way over here once they've landed."
The dropship landed near the hanger a few minutes later and the two passengers made their way towards Winston's lab. Everyone turned to the door as they entered, seeing them both still dressed in their combat outfits and Angela holding her staff.
"Heya guys." Lena cheerfully said, totally unaware of the conversation that was taking place. "You won't believe the story we have... What's going on?"
"Torb doesn't know what's causing the Bastion to act the way it is. We're discussing what to do next." McCree replied, summing up the meeting as quickly as possible.
As Lena and Angela walked over to the table, Ganymede flew over, landing on Lena's arm. She gave the small bird a stroke. "Hey there little guy. So, you lot have any ideas?"
"Well, Genji suggested that we take it over to his master and see what he thinks. Other than that, no." Reinhardt answered.
"Actually, that probably isn't a bad idea." Angela said, placing her staff down against the table and joining the conversation. "Genji has told me a lot about Zenyatta and he may be able to see something we don't. However, letting the Bastion out of the base is extremely dangerous."
"Do not worry. After watching this Bastion for some time, I do not believe it will attempt to escape. I believe it has become something new and I think my master will be able to help discover what has truly happened."
Winston thought over the situation for a few moments, weighing up the pros and cons. In the end, he decided to trust Genji's judgement.
"Very well. Genji, contact Zenyatta and ask him if he can take a look at our Bastion. If possible, have him come to the watchpoint. Otherwise, escort the Bastion to him and keep an eye on it."
"I understand."
Everyone nodded at the decision, trusting that Winston knew what he was doing. With that out of the way, Winston turned to face Angela and Lena.
"So, what happened in Egypt?"
Angela thought for a moment, trying to work out how to best explain the situation. In the end, she decided there was no easy way and to just say it as it was. "It was Ana."
"What do you mean? Did Fareeha find something about her mother?" Reinhardt asked.
"More like she found her mother." Lena replied, interrupting Angela before she could explain.
"Wait. You mean... Ana's alive?"
Angela took back control of the conversation. "She is Reinhardt. Me and Lena both saw her. She wanted to show herself to Fareeha and start to make amends. Turns out we were also right about Soldier 76 being Jack, Ana confirmed it. Right now, she's travelling with him, keeping him covered while he does whatever he does."
Everyone went silent, taking in what they'd just been told. It was Reinhardt who finally broke the silence.
"All this time, we thought she was dead... Where has she been?"
"I don't know. All I know is that she felt like she failed... She saw Widowmaker and couldn't take the shot... It clearly affected her a lot."
"How's Fareeha?" Winston asked, knowing that Angela was close to her.
"She's fine. A bit shaken up by finding out Ana's alive but she's happy that she now knows. I think seeing each other and talking through what happened has helped them both move on. I just hope that Fareeha can grow closer to her mother again. She's been away for so long."
"Do you reckon Ana will come back to Overwatch?" McCree asked, hoping for a positive answer.
"I don't know. She might, though it will probably take some persuasion. She didn't seem completely against the idea, unlike Jack, yet I think she still has doubts... She needs time, maybe then she'll consider it."
The next day
Since that group meeting, Genji had contacted Zen and he'd agreed to see the Bastion. However, he did not agree to come to the watchpoint, saying that he was currently busy in Nepal and preferred the environment here for the meeting. Since it was a quiet area he was in, Genji and Winston agreed to fly the Bastion over to him.
Now Genji and Bastion were preparing for their trip, along with Ganymede, who had been flying around Bastion for quite some time, almost like it knew where Bastion was going.
"Are you sure you don't need any backup?" Winston asked Genji, as they approached the dropship.
"I am certain. I know the area my master is at. It is a peaceful place and there will be no need for armed agents there."
"I'll let you be on your way then. Good luck Genji."
"Thank you Winston."
Both Genji and Bastion boarded the dropship and it soon took off, heading towards Nepal. The trip was uneventful and Genji spent most of it meditating, while the Bastion simply sat, once again watching Ganymede and various screens inside the dropship.
The trip gave Genji time to observe the Bastion and he picked up on a few details. Firstly, it seemed like Ganymede and Bastion had formed some sort of connection. The two were almost never apart at the base. Secondly, it was naturally curious about everything. Even the smallest of details would be enough for it to investigate. Even now, the Bastion was watching Ganymede fly around as well as looking up and analysing the information on the screens. It even stood up and walked to Genji, sitting itself back down next to him. It clearly wanted to learn about the world.
Once the dropship touched down in Nepal, Genji wasted no time tracking down Zen, who was waiting for him in a small village, a short distance away from the Shambali monastery. It wasn't unusual for Zenyatta to be here, as he was still welcome at the monastery. Despite their differences, the Shambali still considered Zen a friend and always welcomed him back.
As Genji entered the small village, he was greeted by a number of familiar faces. This place was like a second home to him and no one judged him because of how he looked. He felt at peace here. After a few minutes, he found Zenyatta, who was floating in the centre of the village.
"Genji. A pleasure to see you again."
Genji bowed. "Hello master. I trust you are well."
"I am, thank you for asking. I notice that the Bastion is not with you."
"Indeed. I considered it too... risky to bring it along. A Bastion is not a common sight in the world. I did not want to cause a panic."
Just then, a group of young children ran into the area, running over to Genji with fear in their faces. Genji had passed by this group of children as they were playing and they all stopped to say hello to him. Something must have happened if they'd ran to find him.
"What is wrong, young one?"
"There's a Bastion! It's coming this way, towards the village!" A boy said, speaking on behalf of the group. People in the area began to talk amongst themselves, concerned by what the boy had just said.
Genji let out a sigh. He had told the Bastion to wait in the dropship and at first, it appeared to listen. Evidently, it had not.
"It seems fate has other ideas, my student." Zen said, slightly amused by this.
Genji now spoke to the villagers in the area. "Do not worry. This Bastion is with me and I assure you it is not to be feared."
"Are you sure?" A young girl from the group asked, not fully convinced.
"I am certain. Let me show you."
Genji walked towards the location of the Bastion, followed by Zenyatta. As he approached the edge of the village, numerous villagers watched as the Bastion came into view. It stopped short of entering the village, as it saw Genji walking towards him.
"I see you did not wait in the dropship then." Genji calmly said, which was followed by some bleeps from Bastion.
"It says it is sorry but it was worried something had happened to you." Zenyatta said, translating for the Bastion.
Genji chuckled, humbled that the Bastion was worried about him. "Do not worry, my friend. There is no harm done."
The Bastion bleeped again, as Ganymede flew from behind it and landed on the side of its arm.
"Perhaps we should take it into the village. It would show the villagers that there is nothing to be afraid of and give me chance to speak with it." Zen suggested, something that a few villagers, mostly the young ones, agreed with.
"Very well. Follow me Bastion."
Baston nodded its head, as it followed Genji further into the village. They stopped in the centre of the village, as numerous people surrounded them, all wanting to see the peaceful war machine. A few of the children, that were terrified earlier, were now running up to the Bastion, waving and smiling at it. They were rewarded with a wave in return from Bastion and the tone of the bleeps made it clear that it was happy that people weren't scared of it.
Zen sat himself down, followed by the Bastion, who leaned itself back and landed with a loud clunk. Genji sat himself nearby, watching as Zenyatta placed an orb of harmony on the Bastion. A number of children also walked closer, some sitting down next to the Bastion and watching as Zen went to work.
"How interesting. There is no anger present within this Bastion. In fact, I can sense its curiosity and want to learn about the world. This is very unusual... Tell me, how were you reactivated?"
The Bastion replied with a number of bleeps and robotic noises, which only Zenyatta understood.
"What did it say?" A young girl asked.
"It said it does not know, only that it happened. It also said that it's original programming activated and had it walking towards a city. However, something happened and it deactivated, letting it roam the world without a goal. It also has no idea how that happened."
Zen now turned to the children, which had sat down to listen to what was happening.
"Do any of you have any ideas what may have happened?"
The children all turned and spoke to themselves, before some told Zen their answers.
"Maybe a bird caused it to turn back on."
"Maybe someone else turned it back on."
"Maybe it was having a nap and it was disturbed."
Zenyatta let out a small chuckle upon hearing the third answer. "The mind of a child is truly wonderful. They are all indeed possibilities. Perhaps a bird did land on the Bastion and managed to start up a dormant system. Perhaps someone started up this Bastion for another purpose. Or maybe it was indeed just sleeping."
It was at this moment that Ganymede flew over to Zen, who held out his hand and let the small bird land on it. He began to gently stroke it and the bird responded with a few chirps.
"I can also sense that this bird and the Bastion have formed a connection. This creature feels safe around it... How intriguing. This is not what someone would normally expect from a Bastion."
"That would explain why it's always flying around it and why it's never left it's side." Genji said, as Ganymede flew back over to Bastion.
"Does it have a name?" A girl asked, watching the small bird as it chirped away on the Bastion.
"We call it Ganymede."
"A wonderful name." Zenyatta added, before removing the orb of harmony and returning to the matter at hand. "I can confirm that this Bastion has gained free will. During the crisis, the God Programs took them over and forced the other Bastion's to be bound by programming. However, this one does not have any programming present, letting it do as it wishes. This is... unexpected."
"Can you work out how this happened?" Genji asked.
Zen shook his head.
"Unfortunately, I cannot provide a definitive answer to your question Genji. No other Bastion's are currently alive, meaning there are no other examples to compare this one to. We are in uncharted territory. While I can give possibilities, I am sure you have already worked them out. I will need to spend more time with this Bastion before I can fully understand what may have happened... May I make a suggestion?"
"Of course."
"Perhaps this Bastion should spend some time traveling with me. I can continue to investigate what is going on in its mind, while also teaching it about the world. I was not planning to visit any major cities for some time and I was considering staying in this general area. There would be very little risk involved."
Genji turned to the Bastion and then back to Zen. In all honesty, this wasn't a bad idea. It would keep the Bastion out of trouble and they may find out what was truly going on inside it. However, Bastion had been at Gibraltar long enough for it to become part of the Overwatch family. He decided that this wasn't a decision he should make.
"I need to contact Overwatch before deciding."
"Of course. I am in no rush my student, take your time."
Genji stood and walked away from the group, moving towards the edge of the village again. When he was sure no one could hear him, Genji contacted Winston.
"Genji. How goes your mission?"
"I've encountered a problem. My master has confirmed that the Bastion has gained free will. However, he cannot determine exactly how this has happened."
"Does he have any idea?"
"A few. However, they are more or less the same ideas we came up with. He did give me a suggestion to overcome this obstacle."
"Which is?"
"He suggested that the Bastion stays with him for some time and travels around with him. This way, he can continue to investigate the true cause as well as teach it about the world it lives in."
Winston was silent for a few moments, clearly thinking over the proposal. "It would keep it out of trouble...What do you think?"
"I believe it is a good idea. As you just stated, it would keep it out of trouble. In the end, I believed your judgement was best in this situation."
Winston went silent again, thinking over the idea in great detail. After a couple of minutes, he made his decision.
"If Zenyatta is okay with it, then I think the Bastion should stay with him for a bit. Zen may very well be able to help it adapt to the world and may be able to answer our questions."
"Very well. I will inform my master. Genji out."
Genji ended the call and began to walk back towards the centre of the village. As he arrived, he saw that more villagers had come to see what was going on, yet most remained at a distance, still cautious of the Bastion. Genji pushed through a small crowd and saw that more children had sat nearby, all clearly interested in the Bastion. The parents were all clearly worried, yet they trusted Zen and Genji to keep them out of harms way.
"Ah Genji. I sense that you have made a decision." Zen said, as he noticed Genji return.
"Indeed master. Are you sure about having the Bastion join you for a while?"
Zen chuckled again. "Of course. I am curious to find out how this Bastion came to be here today and it is equally curious about the world around it. It makes sense for it to join me while I travel. What do you think Bastion?"
The Bastion turned its head to Zen, not expecting the question. It looked to Genji, then back to Zen, before communicating its answer.
"It also considers this the best idea. Though it does not want to abandon Overwatch, in case it is needed."
Genji nodded, moving over to the Bastion and placing a hand on it. "Do not worry my friend. If you are needed, I will contact my master. Does this put your mind at rest?"
The Bastion nodded.
"Very well. I will take my leave. Until we meet again."
Genji bowed to Zen and Bastion.
"Goodbye Genji." Zen placed his hands together and bowed in return. The Bastion bleeped a low tone and waved to Genji. As Genji turned and began the journey back to the dropship, Zen turned himself back to the Bastion.
"So, tell me about your adventures my friend."