>No, seriously, Jim. You wanna go kill your kid for me? Because honestly, granting him death before he becomes something beyond our control is about all we can do right now.
Though not directed at him, the sentence still makes Anton turn his head.
"
Kill him? We spent near a damn year in the company of things no more messed up than he is, far as I can see - courtesy of you, I might add. Steve. Don't tell me this planet is so small that you can't allocate a space for a single being like him." He starts gesticulating and pacing as his speech gradually becomes louder. "
When he came to fight that damn wheelchaired space wizard, I gave him a rifle! I could have sent him away, I could have prevented him from being killed in the first place, but I did not! I am not going to condemn a child to death, for becoming... an abomination, against physics - just because he tried to become useful! Not any more than..." Anton looks around, trying and failing to find Xan in the room. He passes his gaze over the various people in the room instead, the assembly of robots, synthflesh constructs, and modified humans, settling on Lyra. "
...not any more than I would condemn any of us, for trying the same."
He turns to walk out of the room, but pauses in the doorway.
"
If anyone else feels or thinks that way... feel free to start coming up with ideas to save him. I'll go see what I can see."
Head to the gangway, keep the drone flying after Grate. Try to keep him in view of the drone, but remain at a safe distance.
Message AM.You must have been already notified of the issue with one of our rank. The effects seem related to a manipulator malfunction, therefore must be grounded in the same principles. You have been around here probably longest of every other Sword crewmember, and you have the best knowledge of the manipulators, as far as I was able to gather. Over the years, the UWM must have come afoul of powerful users of this technology, and must have found ways to counter. Not dampen the effect, but suppress the operating principle of the manipulator itself.
We could very much use one right now.