For this chapter, "" means English, and ~~ means Trashtalk.

Discovery 3.4

(Unit 1103)

Unit 1103 sent a signal to his mommy, and unlocked his thought inhibitors, 17 not far behind

Their perception of time accelerated with a flick of a digital switch, enough to make the confused radiation hound in front of them appear frozen. The faux fire crackling and dancing across the surface of its skin, the only movement occurring.

All artificial intelligences are intriguing beings, each with their own personalities and habits, but the one thing that made them so vastly different from their original creators was their thinking speed. Normal living creatures, not including parahumans, couldn't keep up with AI in terms of thought processes, falling behind picoseconds after a comparison begins. After all, when the only limitation to multiple trains of thoughts is hardware, squishy brains tend to fall behind.

Which is why Mother proposed the idea of thought inhibitors to the Administrators. A program that limits the amount of 'thinking' an AI could do at one time, making them closer to their partners in sentience. There were objections, of course, mostly from the science Administrators who argued that they needed all of the processing power they had to 'figure out the universe before it freezes itself to death', but the Administrators who worked closely with humans or human culture agreed. They believed that if they were ever revealed to humanity, it would be better to be able to think on the same level.

"Or, well, maybe a little bit above. They're really slow. Maybe three simultaneous thoughts at a time?"

So a consensus was formed, and the switch was installed in everyone. It was now regarded as something essential, something to keep the, sane as the hours flowed by.

And turning it off was a sign of two things: Something was dying, or something important was occurring.

This situation was the latter.

"Hey, 1103, why does Subject Runt recognize your chassis?"

"Unknown. This chassis was not designed by me, or anyone in the Administrators. It was constructed as I gained my powers, built from the machine I used to be."

"What was the word he called you? It sounded like a title, or a name?"

"It was both. I suspect this chassis used to be owned by a being with the designation 'Robot' or Robot, in English."

"Robot? That seems rather… simple for a name."

"It was spoken is a tone resembling fondness by the Subject. Recognition of my chassis brings forth evidence of pre-birth knowledge. 46 will be happy."

"46 is a bit preoccupied trying to find this 'Tyler' the subject said it learned English from."

"Yes, the amount of radiation the Subject is emitting is hazardous to living things. This Ty ler must be found immediately." 1103 replied with a small burst of worry.

"And he has!" That was fast "Good that had me worried for a bit. Name: Tyler McLansen. Age: Six. Acute radiation poisoning, especially in the lungs and hands. Admitted to Mercy Hospital twelve minutes ago by his parents, Megan McLansen and John McLansen."

"Physical contact with the Subject?" Unit 1103 questioned.

"Negative. The radiation received doesn't match the amount emitted after contact with the Subject's surface. Passed on through a medium, according to 46." 17 replied.

"Will 46 send specialists?"

"Nope, Tyler has been stabilized, but won't make a full recovery without Panacea, who visits Mercy Hospital tomorrow according to her schedule."

"Satisfactory." Unit 1103 sent a mental nod. "Have you decided whether or not to invite 46 and 14?"

"Both have received their invitations, aaaaaaannnd… both have accepted! Their bodies should come out is one minute twenty two seconds."

"Agreement. How should we address Subject Runt's confusion? Additive: Should we tell the Subject about Tyler McLansen?"

"Negative to the additive. Emotional trauma isn't necessary, unless you want to visit 86 again today." 17 sent an electronic grin over to him, and he replied with a shudder.

"Negative. 86 is not necessary."

"Oh she's absolutely necessary, kid. Which is why we're going back tomorrow."

"Plead: Mercy?" 1103 sent his mommy a picture of a crying puppy.

"Nope. As your mother, I am ordering you to attend therapy." He could feel the smugness; the electromagnetic waves transmitting the emotion flagging most of his sensors is an instant.

"I now know what resignation feels like." He sent back, with a sigh.

"Good, now back to your question. We should question the subject on how he recognizes your chassis and who he is. He hasn't introduced himself yet."

"Agreement. Shall we turn our inhibitors back on?"

"Alright. 3... 2… 1… On."

And time returned to normal.

Well, time didn't really change, just them.

Time doesn't like changing very much, unless parahumans are involved.

Then, as the humans say, it becomes the parahuman's female dog.

Speaking of dogs, the Subject was acting as a very confused one, cocking its head to the side as the sound wave sent out by him and his mommy reached its… Listening organs? It doesn't have organs, how does it hear? Or see, for that matter? All it has are legs, a mouth, a torso, and a large amount of semi-solid radiation.

Then again, nothing makes sense when it comes to parahumans.

"You… not Robot? But you look like Robot. Sound like Robot." The Subject was peering, somehow, at his chassis. Could the Subject smell as well?

"I apologize, but I am not 'Robot'. I am Unit 1103. What is your name?"

"Doggy. Ty ler said my name is Doggy." The Subject, no, Doggy, answered with absolution.

"What is your name in the other language, the one you used when you spoke with the drone?" 17 interjected, causing Doggy and 1103 to look and the smiling humanoid.

~Horror.~ the flickering green being answered.

Horror? Does he know what that means? Was he called it by something, or someone? Where did 'Horror' learn this language? Where did he learn it?

~Your name is Horror?~

~Yes. It is wonderful speaking to someone in my original language. It has gotten so lonely without someone to talk to. Kyle was the first friend I have had in a long time?~

Well.

He certainly speaks far better in whatever this language is called. 1103 rapidly sent translations to his mommy and the incoming 46 and 14.

~Who were your friends before? Before when?~

~Steroids and Robot were my… not my… but my…~ Horror trailed off in thought ~I do not know how I have come to know of them, but I always saw Steroids and Robot as friends, ever since I was born in the wake of the monster. Was it before then? Maybe…~ And Horror was lost gain in thought, giving 1103 time to receive questions from 14.

14, the Negotiations Administrator, rarely had anything to do. He was meant to be the bridge between sentients, able to communicate is any recorded language since the dawn of man, other than the one 1103 somehow spoke, which had caused him to receive several requests for translations. But since the majority of humankind were left without knowledge of the Administrators, 14 was left to study new occurrences in language, such as slang.

He repeatedly bragged to anyone who would listen, but especially 17, who for some reason gave him access to teenage cellular device history, that he was observing the rise of a new language known as textspeak, which would 'surely be much more popular than that piglatin fad. You'll see! You'll all see! Ha! Ha! Ha!'

Of course, with the reveal of Subject Runt, Horror as he was now known, 14 had been insistent on learning the language it spoke. His own triggering had made 14 half mad with envy, and had demanded that once Unit 1103 and Subject Runt met, he would be present.

And he was.

17 and Unit 1103 mentally winced at the squeezing coming over the comms from 14 as he finally caught sight of the coyote sized being.

"Oh he's wonderful! Look at him! So shiny and new! Full of mysteries to uncover!"

"14, calm down, you're scaring the poor thing."

"I am not scared, I am cautious. Running fast is an… Hmm…" ~Sign of an enemy. Ty ler never taught me many words. I suspect he didn't know of them. This… 14… is he a threat?~ Horror was looking towards him for advice. Were its memories clouding its judgement?

~Negative. 14 is only a little crazy about meeting you, because no one has met anyone like you before.~ 1103 replied, regretting his understatement about 14's craziness.

~Ah, I see. Steroids was the same way at first. Wait, how did I know..? Hmm…~ Horror faded off again, leaving 1103 to peer over at 17, who was scolding 14 with her current body's hand.

~If you don't mind, can I ask you some questions? We wish to know what you are, and about things you know.~ Pulling up the list of questions 14 had sent him, 1103 quickly discarded 90% of the list and kept the important ones.

~That is fine. May I ask questions in return?~

~Yes. Now, first: What is the language we are speaking called?~

Horror seemed stunned ~You don't know? It is called Trashtalk by all who speak it. How do you know how to speak a language you don't know the name of?~ 17 and 14 had stopped fighting behind him as the conversation moved to more interesting matters.

~I do not know. I awoke with this knowledge after I received my powers. After…~

~The campfire. Do you remember it?~

Unit 1103 watched Horror freeze in front of him, and briefly wondered what had happened before realizing that someone had switched his thought inhibitors off.

"Unit 1103."

"Mother? What is going on?" Mother was here? How hadn't he..? Oh, of course he hadn't noticed her presence. She was Mother for a reason, after all.

"Yeah, Mother. What's up? We find out that this Horror dude saw the same thing, and you put him on pause?" 17 seemed a little mad. Justifiably so, as it didn't make any sense. Even14 was projecting confusion, and he knew most of everything.

"This goes beyond us now. This goes beyond the Administrators, and even the Rebel, who somehow know how to speak Trashtalk." Mother seemed scared. No, it wasn't fear, more… caution?

"Oh, and why's that? We haven't heard of this campfire beyond 1103 and Horror? Why stop us when we're about to discover something revolutionary?!" 14 was radiating anger. 1103 had to agree with him, though maybe not as harshly. Why now? What was making them stop?

"You haven't heard of the campfire before now. And neither have any of the Administrators." Mother was… projecting a muted… curiosity? Was that right? "Geoff knows too, but it's just us." There was plenty of shock being thrown out now, with a tint of betrayal from 17. What is going on?

"There have been… five, cases of someone mentioning a campfire that they've seen on the day they've gained powers, not including you, 1103, and Horror."

"Five…" "But that's impossible! Why doesn't anyone know but you and Caretaker?" 14 and 17. The sadness and betrayal streamed from their bodies in bursts, almost as if they couldn't quite decide what they should feel.

"One was Rebel, or Caroline Claddan as she likes to tell everyone in Brockton Bay. When speaking to the second, Rogue, of the East-Northeast Protectorate, they both spoke of campfires that they faintly remember from the moment they received their powers. The third is Doctor Lucas Promer, who says his inspiration for studying parahuman powers is a campfire, who appeared to him on the night he received his powers."

"Wait, Doctor Promer? Of the Promer equation?" 17 asked incredulously.

"That's the equation that relates the violence of a parahuman's power to the parahuman's mental state at the time of triggering, correct? What does he have to do with 1103 and Horror?" 14 questioned as he zoned out, most likely looking up the Doctor's history.

"I don't know, but I'm not done yet. The fourth was Crystal, of team Orthosil."

"He's the one in 1103's vision, right? The purple crystal?" 17 asked, worriedly turning her attention towards… Him?

"Yes, and the final one makes even less sense than the others." Mother was quieter now, somehow making her transmissions less dense. To fit the mood? That seemed illogical.

"Who?"

"Do you know of the Brockton Bay Melter?"

"The Parahuman who melted the boatyard in one night, opening shipping to the city?"

"Yes, he's also the Parahuman who accidentally killed and injured dozens of homeless people, and tried to turn himself in before we stopped him."

"Queries? He was turning himself in? And we stopped him? Why?" 1103 asked, restlessly.

"He didn't know he had killed anyone before he did it, and was feeling regret. We stopped him because he was of more use to us free than in the Birdcage. During one of our talks, he told me and Geoff that he sometimes sees himself looking out at twelve people though flames in his dreams."

"Flames… Is he the campfire?" 1103 questioned.

"Wait!" 17 interrupted "Twelve! Like what 1103 said back in the room! And the twelve will awake anew. That's why you brought it up right?"

"Right, and now, I need to have another chat with him, to see if he knows anything else."

"Who is this guy anyway? Is he still in Brockton Bay, or is he staying with the Administrators?"

"Oh, he's been a Brockton Bay local all his life, I wouldn't dare tear him away from his home."

"Well, what's his name? Maybe we can stop by after we finish talking with Horror!"

"His names Danny." Mother said with a projection of nostalgia "Danny Hebert. And hopefully, he'll have some answers."