The Timeless Park

Dionaea sat on the bench, absorbed into the contents of what was on her laptop screen, data of all sorts scrolling across the screen. She was working overtime today, gathering the last dregs of data she needed for a breakthrough on her latest assignment.

Kati came out of the monastery with her hair free in the wind again. She looked around, then proceeded to the nearest café, ordering herself a tea and a sandwich. She was a bit hungry after her long service today. She had to sit and keep watch all night long straight into the morning until 11 AM. Opposite to her sat a young woman with a laptop and at her left a couple, seemingly newly weds. There was another seat occupied, by an old man. She took out her pad to look through her next service and when she had to be back in the cathedral again.

Dionaea paid no attention to the person who just walked in. She typed away, occasionally looking around, making sure no one was spying on the data she was compiling.

Kati looked at the woman with the laptop, seeing the technology in it working at high speed. She liked to see the things that were like her. But she felt odd knowing she was one of them, too, and that she did have a conscience. Unlike the laptop. It made her feel that the other machines were not given the right or the chance to develop on their own. She took a sip of her tea, then decided to take the gamble and walked up to the woman. 'Hey, what for a laptop is that? Looks expensive.'

The second the woman talked to her, she saved and shut the laptop, sensitive data preserved for future work. "Yes, it was a gift from my parents when I graduated. It is a state of the art system. I've programmed it myself. Why do you ask?" She looked at the woman, a look of faux pleasantry on her face. She'd grown adept at acting out the emotions she was denied as a child, having been isolated at a young age.

'It seemed to be running on full capacity. I've not seen advanced technology like that since ... Well, for a long time. But were you working on something I shouldn't know about?' She took another sip of her tea, enjoying the taste of it. Maybe they were not entirely designed to feel these things or behave like this, but she sure was glad this was all implemented.

"Indeed." She looked back at her laptop. "Or maybe I'm just paranoid..."

'I'm a nun, so I don't think there's anything on there I'll be able to use for anything bad, or divulge to any military ends. I have a vow to keep to. You can trust me not to speak of it to anyone.' She held out her hand. 'My name is Kati. I'm from the cathedral just behind us.'

Startled that someone would just hold out their hand to her, she hesitated, before grasping it. "I-I'm Dionaea..."

'Nice to meet you, Dionaea. So you have a job somewhere? Or are you really interested in technology like that laptop? If you are, maybe I could find you some things that are really interesting.' She moved her legs a bit uneasily under the table while continuing to drink a bit of her tea.

"I-I can't say who I work for...and yes...I'm interested in technology...I have been from an early age..." She looked around, nervous, not used to conversing with a total stranger.

'If you are really interested, I may have some pieces of old technology. It was used a long time ago and hasn't been used ever since due to its dangerous results. It's a secret, to be honest. But if you really want to see it, I can arrange something. Anyone who loves technology is a friend of mine.'

She looked at her, puzzled. Was this a trap? "W-we just met..." She looked down, playing electricity between her fingertips under the table. "S-surely you don't just offer these things to people..."

[color=white][b]Her mechanism picked up on the electric current that went through Dionaea's fingers under the table. 'You can use electricity? Is that how you can upgrade your laptop's power outage and it's processor usage?' She seemed to know a fair deal about the technology.

Dionaea looked her square in the eye, shocked. "H-how..." She was at a loss for words. Everyone who knew about that was either trying to keep her isolated, or afraid of her for it.

'I can see it. I'm not exactly like anyone else here. To be exact, I don't think there is anyone quite like me in this whole Sector. I can see all things that are connected to technology and electricity, such as power plants or the simplest of things, like watches or laptops. But seen your reaction, it might be best we take this to a more secluded area. How about we get a room in the Cathedral? People won't easily disturb me there.'

She loooked around, then hesitantly nodded. "O-okay..." She picked up her stuff.

'All right then, let's go. It won't take too long.' She led the young woman with her to the Cathedral. They walked through the hallowed halls, the grand architecture visible everywhere. They went through another set of halls, almost like a maze, to reach a door. She opened it, and led Dionaea in, then followed herself and closed the door, locking it. 'You won't be disturbed here. You can work on your things freely. but I'll show you the technology first. Just promise me you won't turn it in to the government, please. I couldn't bare that.'

Dionaea looked around, even more nervous than before. Unfamiliar surroundings...a stranger at her back. "Wh-what technology? I-I don't see anything here..."

'Well, it's right in front of you. Me.' She kept herself ready for reactions, ready to take her down if she would try to take a run for it. But she was afraid, too. That maybe she was gonna exploit her and take her entirely apart. She hadn't thought of this properly. The time among these humans were destroying her programs and tearing her cautious nature apart.

She nearly dropped her laptop on surprise. "Y-you!?" She looked at her. She looked like an ordinary woman...

'Yes, me. Here, allow me to show you.' She held out her right arm and pressed roughly against her skin. A little hiss escaped and her upper arm opened up, revealing the machinery beneath it. It was far more advanced than the laptop or anything nearby, but was in some need of maintenance. It was old and ragged at places. 'This is what I look like all over. From the inside, that is.' She turned around now, took off the robes she was wearing, revealing her naked back. Half of it was regular skin colored, but there were places where it looked like she'd gotten mauled, also revealing the technology that was underneath her skin. It was weird, to say the least, to see such damaged skin and then such advanced machinery under it. 'It has an explanation, off course.'

She put her laptop down on a nearby chair, and cautiously walked over to her. She'd never seen anything like this. She gently ran a finger over the circuitry. "A-amazing..." She saw every screw, every panel, from this close up. "You're in disrepair...aren't you? It's sad to see something so beautiful so ragged..."

'It's old. You know of the War that raged in these lands 200 years ago? I was one of the units used in there. My squadron was supposed to have taken out a weapon factory belonging to the Umbrians. But we were discovered before we could take our target out. Most of my team mates were destroyed by a bombardment. Me and another unit managed to escape, but the other one didn't make it. Its circuits were too badly damaged. I was the sole survivor of that mission. I went here, got the needed repairs that I could afford and I stayed in this Cathedral ever since, hiding from the world. My unit type is the Aquila Assault unit 0X-1. A classified project which was ceased the moment they lost contact with our squadron.'

"I see..." She stared into the circuitry as if it were a mirror. "Well...I was born into a wealthy family...but my powers meant that the other children were afraid of me...and rightly so...I'd shock others without meaning to...so I've been in isolation my entire life...when you showed up, taking interest in my work...I was surprised..."