#39 Progeny
Execute/command-activate
"Awake my dear."
Voice pattern accepted.
Authority figure recognized. Designation: Father or "Obake."
ID Confirmation: Unit 941.6 or "Trina."
Diagnostics complete: 0 errors detected.
Execute startup sequences.
Trina, as she was called by her creator/father, slowly blinked her eyes open, adjusting to the bright white light overhead. As an undesirable situation, she logically held her left arm up to shield her optical sensors from the illumination, but the action caused her to pause, both at the fact she knew what to do and that this was her first time seeing her body. Trina examined her hand, turning it over to see both sides before raising her right arm too in order to feel the other. Many things were stored in the sophisticated AI that made up her mind, from the knowledge of robotics to speech capabilities to recognition of facial expressions, but experiencing something for herself was an urge she found irresistible; a trait no doubt given to Trina by her father, who saw it as hypocritical if he didn't teach her to see things the same way. Her fingertips grazed the soft polymer coating meant to make her look and feel human, perceiving the touch with her tactile sensors and storing the sensation in her memory banks.
"Having fun are we?"
The sudden voice made her cease her actions, reassigning priority of what she was doing to listen to the one who just spoke. Before she could sit up and determine where her creator was, he saved her the trouble by appearing over her a few seconds later, although the harsh lighting made it hard to pick out every feature. She knew what he should look like: sharp features, pale blue eyes, tall, slender, and had black hair with a red streak, but to see him in person cemented the knowledge as truth rather than something programmed into her; so strange a sensation to know so many things but never having done it before served to further fuel her curiosity.
"Time to get up and properly see yourself…Trina," Obake told her with a sly, satisfied smile as he backed away from the table she resided on.
That name. Yes. Of course. I should do as Father says. "Yes Father," the android spoke, surprised at hearing her own voice and how it felt to say her first words. She proceeded to obey as she bent her torso, allowing her to see the shiny, cold, metal slab she rested on along with her completed body and a couple scattered tools around her.
Trina saw her two legs were in a pair of grey jeans that ended with a pair of black and white sneakers. She looked further down her chest to find a pink baggy shirt, which she now understood was the soft feeling that was different from how her skin felt. The young robot looked forward now to see she was in a mostly dark room with a couple glowing blue tanks, some robotic arms situated to the floor and a large box with a clear dome that she registered as a 3D printer. She placed her arms on her lap as she finally turned her head to the right, where a pale, well-dressed man stood smiling approvingly at her.
"Good. The obedience setting seems to be functioning properly, but then again, why wouldn't it since I made it?" Obake arrogantly remarked. He then shifted to a gentler, but still superior tone as he said, "You truly are an amazing feat of ingenuity Trina. Come and let's see if everything is working."
His daughter nodded before she carefully turned herself as she avoided hitting a small screwdriver with her legs and sat on the edge of the slab. She then cautiously slid off as her feet landed on the hard floor, followed by letting go of the metal bench entirely. With Obake's eyes never off her, Trina took her first steps in small, intended motions, which her system quickly accepted the feedback and adjusted, allowing her more confidence with each movement.
Once she stood in front of her creator, he gazed at her appraisingly and soon asked, "Do you know where you are right now?"
It took her less than a second to find the appropriate answer, prompting her to nod and respond with, "Yes Father. We're in one of your labs in your base, which is located in the San Fransokyo Bay."
"Good," the tall man said with a mildly pleased grin. He then walked around her as he inspected his handiwork for potential errors. "Does everything seem to be working correctly?" Obake inquired, wanting to hear her reply despite already knowing the truth thanks to having access to her systems.
Trina understood and dutifully responded with, "All my diagnostics came back fine and if there ever is an issue, I'll be sure to let you know, even if I can repair the malfunction myself; you had the foresight to see that I should be self-sufficient in my own care, but that I can turn to you too for emergencies."
"Excellent my child," the calculating genius complimented and even looked a touch proud, although it was hard to say who it was directed at.
Child, the teenage robot's mind lingered on knowing the word's meaning but still unable to stop herself from playing the moment her father said it, like it was validation for how he saw her. She then stood at attention again as she saw the slender genius looking serious once more and firmly said, "Now you should already have some inkling as to why you were created, but I want to make it crystal clear so there's no misunderstanding." He then leaned forward and placed his left hand on Trina's shoulder, feeling the pressure and establishing she should pay the utmost attention.
"The beauty of intelligence is seeing what others cannot and knowing what's for the betterment of all in the grand scheme of things," Obake cryptically started in an even tone. "For everyone that dreams to achieve greatness, such as myself, the end goal is pointless if there's no one left to carry that drive and vision beyond that single moment of creation." At that statement, the long-haired android blinked and if she could breathe, would have stilled her breath in anticipation.
Obake now gave a small encouraging smile as he gripped her shoulder again in reassurance. "So you see, my plans for the future hinges on someone understanding what I'm trying to do and why it must be done; unfortunately, people are quite imbecilic or cowardly when it comes to actually doing it, but I know you're different. You're smart, clever, resourceful, and capable of learning far beyond mortals such as I, which is why I need you."
Trina blinked in surprise as she had barely been functioning for more than a few minutes, and yet was met with such flattery and endowed purpose. Wow, he really feels that way about me? I mean, he created me, but to receive such praise from Father…he must really see potential in me, the robotic teenager thought in wonder before her father continued.
"My plans for you Trina actually involves a fair bit of manipulation and subterfuge; however, in order to get what you want, it often needs to be done. I also know that I don't need to tell you how important my magnum opus is to me, but as long as you place success of that mission above all else, I grant you your freedom to find…hobbies that may interest you," Obake informed the other with a glint in his eye.
Tilting her head, Trina inquired, "You mean other than robotics?"
"I'd hope so my child, although I must admit that one's skillsets tend to overlap with their passions, so maybe you'll find some fun in using your abilities; either way, I want you to be able to explore without fear of judgement for wherever your drives take you," her creator answered almost firmly, like it was an order rather than advice.
His daughter nodded after a few seconds, bearing the same determined look Obake was giving her as she took everything he said to heart. "So, what do I need to do Father?" she asked in earnest.
The taller one smirked as he finally let go of the android's shoulder and stood straight once again. He then reached into his back pocket as he pulled a black phone out and placed it into the other's hand. She stared at the small device, pushing the power button and instinctively pulled the code from her data banks: 6-1-4-7-7-0-8-5-6-3. The screen unlocked, showing her the standard apps and features such as messaging, U-Watch and the internet, but there was one with a demon logo that stood out, so she pressed it.
Once it was opened, a slew of files began to scroll across the electronic panel that Trina was quickly able to scan and process; they mainly pertained to the group known as "Big Hero 6" with a special emphasis on their leader, Hiro Hamada. After the information finished its course, she looked to her father again, who held a satisfied smile as he awaited her inevitable questions.
"You've done a lot of research on this superhero team. I'm guessing they're the enemy then and they keep stopping you?" the android inquired shortly afterwards, putting the phone in her front pocket.
"For the moment they are a nuisance, but I believe at least one of them can be persuaded from such altruistic endeavors," Obake remarked with a devious smile.
"Hiro Hamada?" Trina deduced as she gave her guess.
"Precisely, my dear. He's an intellectual rarity but still can fall prey to temptation like anyone else; even more so when you consider the addictive rush that comes from proving your superiority over others or when you overcome the seemingly impossible," the slender genius replied as his grin grew from recollecting such victories.
His daughter now stood tentatively before him, briefly avoiding his gaze before she finally asked the question that was plaguing her. "What do you need me to do Father?"
A look of pure delight came to Obake's face as they arrived at the most crucial part of their discussing, putting his hands behind his back as he held an air of authority. "Why, you have the vital task of trying to persuade Hiro Hamada into seeing things my way. He refuses to free himself from the chains of societal rules and ethics, so he fails to harness his gifts to its full potential. I want you to show him you should never deny yourself what you desire and that such notions are only there to keep geniuses like us back," Obake explained emphatically, fire practically burning in his eyes now as he conveyed this order.
This Hiro must be special if he's willing to do all of this just to get him. Admittedly…he does look kind of cute, Trina's mind briefly thought to herself before wondering why she felt that and blinked herself back into focus. "Do you have a plan to ready to follow or will this be a test for me?" she inquired with a touch of apprehension.
Obake smirked and simply replied, "Both actually."
"Oh," was all the teenage robot uttered as she nodded, clasping her hands together in wait.
Seeing the display of potential agitation, the eloquent individual leaned forward and offered a comforting smile. "Fear not Trina. You may be a highly advanced creation, but you won't be summoned just yet for the mission. I'd like for you to have a little more time to fit into your role and adjust to this world. There's still much to teach you such as who your fellow residents are and proper utilization of those manipulative techniques I mentioned," Obake informed her. He then added with a touch of excitement, "I think once you hear what I have in mind to lure Hiro Hamada in, you'll find it to be a lot of fun; it involves robots and constantly one-upping some simpleminded fools."
Trina opened her mouth to ask for more details but was promptly shushed by her father. "That's enough for now. When the time is right, I'll let you know. All I want from you now is to educate yourself on how to put on a proper teenager façade and mannerism. I did the best I could with programming you, but some things just have to be learned," Obake ordered, giving a small huff at the inconvenience of it. "You can stay here for a little while longer, but I suggest you mingle with the other occupants soon; the last thing I need is for one of them to sound the alarm that a missing child got in," he grumbled, obviously thinking of someone in particular before standing up straight again and slowly walking to the doorway.
As the young android watched him leave, he then stopped and turned back towards her to say one finale thing. "Consider yourself quite lucky Trina. You're about to take part in a glorious new age of innovation and enlightenment," Obake told her, an ambitious gleam in his eye pairing with his modest smile.
As his footsteps echoed away from her, Trina finally snapped out of her transfixed state and gazed around the room once more, tentatively taking a few steps towards a few pieces of machinery. She saw the 3D printer, feeling a spark of eagerness to try it as well as ran her hand along the robotic claw in front of her. When she found herself eventually standing in front of a larger, empty chamber, the newly awakened robot caught her reflection for the first time.
Slowly, Trina reached out and touched the smooth glass, noticing every mirrored action shown opposite of herself. "Wow. I really do look human," she quietly said before tracing her fingers along her face and hair, experiencing how both felt and making her smile. She proceeded to look at her outfit, admittedly liking it but not loving it as if it wasn't complete. Yes. Maybe I'll get inspired with a little more time and find a look that's right for me, she internally remarked. Her mind then wandered to the phone in her pocket, pulling it out and gripping it with determination as she stared at the blank screen. I guess I better get started on following Father's orders. I'll do my best to make him proud and have his dream come true. She then couldn't help but smirk as she faced her reflection again and thought, And hopefully this will be a lot of fun too.
NOTES
Hopefully I managed to capture Trina well here because from what little we saw of Obake and Trina interact, he seemed driven for results above all else as usual, but still hugged Trina to likely serve as a reward/manipulation. Also, Trina certainly seems dedicated to Obake no matter what, but some of the moves she tried with Hiro appeared (at least to me) that they were real emotions going on there despite being a robot, so her inner thoughts would help showcase that. ;)
The next "Cutscenes" will be how Globby came under Obake's employ. O_O