Shit. It was fucking Eric.
Weird bit his tounge, and was thrice thankful that the heavy black pvc impregnated gloves he had on were 100% opaque, because he was using what little magic could permeate across the plastic barrier to help regulate blood flow through the damaged tissue, and to build fibronectin scaffolding in the injury. His hads would be lit up like searchlights inside. He couldn't really heal the injury through the glove. Awareness of the bone, and subtle, but weak influence over bloodflow and clotting was all he could manage without direct skin contact, which the gloves prevented. He was glad eric couldn't see it.
G-7 and G-9 returned hauling sutures, alcohol, sulfur, a set of splints, plaster, and several surgical tools, while G-8 and Gizogin continued to consult. He heard Gizogin laugh when G-8 relate his earlier threat to turn him into a toaster oven. The 2 surgical androids adroitly zoomed around, grabbing his hands and moving where he was applying pressure wordlessly, while they splinted, washed, sutured, and plastered hugo like a mummy. He would have to heal hugo later when nobody was looking, and at this rate, that would be much later. Most likely, the androids would kick him out once his usefulness as a field nurse had been expended....
G-8 led Eric back out of the surgical theatre and back to his room in the recovery ward. Weird felt better for that. Then he noticed something. Gizogin was walking ...oddly. he tried to split his attention away from magically obliterating contaminants on the fractured bone that had gotten there from air exposure, while maintaining local pressure, so he could evaluate closer. Gizogin moved into the room, and washed his hands in a way no dwarf would. Full submersion in formaldehyde, followed by ethanol and distilled water. His hands would be squeaky clean, but an organic would risk severe liver damage doing that regularly. Realizing he was surrounded exclusively by androids, he motioned what was clearly Gizogin-X closer to him with a twitch of his neck.
"X,.." he started.
"How did you know?" Asked the android, sparkling with inquisitiveness. Weird evaded the question.
"X. How good is your ethical programming?"
"Why'd you want to know something like that? Don't you trust me?"
"Just answer the question." He said curtly.
X looked at him with a troubled expression. It was impossible to know exactly what heuristic analysis was being run inside the robot doppleganger's head. It was designed to mimic dwarven emotions and mannerisms perfectly, but deep down, it was as different from the real gizogin as oil was from water. Mechanoids followed their programs. That was one definate, complete truth about them. The word could be falling down around them, but they would always follow their programming. Gizogin had poured his heart and soul into X, almost literally. X was a masterpiece of strong AI, and as such his program was self-modifying. That's what made him special from the other G bodies. X was as close to a person as an android could conceivably be made. That's why weird needed to know, exactly, how deeply the ethical protections ran.
"I will not willingly harm any living thing, except to save another, or where such harm is absolutely needed to save a life." X finally said, after a long moment of introspection. "There are some exceptions, but.."
"How good are you at keeping secrets?" Weird cut him off.
That odd, puzzled and probing expression came across his face again.
"Weird..." hugo rasped. "What are.."
"Shh!" He shushed, then resumed his interrogation.
"I have free will." Said X. "I can keep or tell a secret, based on what I deem the most ethical."
"Good enough." Said weird sharply. His head was throbbing. "Get over here and hold this while I scrub."
"You don't have any medical.." started X, but weird cut him off, yet again. X looked irritated.
"I have more medical experience than you realize." He said gruffly, as X took hold of the compression points on Hugo's wing.
Weird tugged the gloves off hurriedly, and layed them on the side of the wash basin, then commenced an aggressive cleaning of his hands, arms, and fingernails.
"Is that what you want me to keep secret?" Asked X, examining hugo's tractioned wing.
"Not exactly." Said weird, holding his hand out; a bright yellow glow pulsing into existence just above the metatarsals in his wrist.
"Weird, no!" Coughed hugo.
Weird made a pained expression.
"Sorry hugo, but I won't watch a friend bleed on the table, if I can help it." He said, then grabbed hold of the limb.
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Topic: If Bay Forum were a Mountain Hall, continued... FULL DISCLOSURE (Read 265578 times)