Puppet masters (for shinyhappyfitsofrage)

[Reptillicus]

[oh god so hot! need to drink some water over here! whew!]

Maya gasped as her v-card was finally turned in, given to one most special to her. there were many complex emotions running through her head, but once his cock began its slow descent into her depths it was all quickly overtaken with pleasure. she made the sweetest moan he had ever heard as her pussy squeezed upon every inch he fed into her. Her strong hand gripping his butt frimley as she tensed up all over, completely unused the sensation. once he hilted she looked down at him in complete amazement, he'd fitted the whole thing in.... her wet pulsing passage hugging onto it, welcoming it, begging it to stay. her clit was now as hard as her nipples and throbbed to the beat of her cyber heart. grabbing her breast tight and sucking her nipple made her cry out in bliss.

But then it began to move back out with aching slowness that made her whimper and shudder. every vine and contour rubbed her as it made its exit. once it was out he'd hear a whine of a moan form his big girl, her pussy feeling oh so empty and needy. more wetness leaked out before she could feel him pushing back in her pussy holding him tighter this time as if fearing he might disappear. with the slow pace set she would shake and squirm delightfully under him. once the residual shock of the moment passed it was replaced with need. This felt good... really good! his cock sliding in and out.... but it wasn't enough! she wanted, no needed, more! but her face was so red and her moans slipping out she found it quite hard to speak...

"N-Nemo.... I.... I..., could you uh.... do you think you could um....", she squeaked her trouble apparent. "M-M-Move more!?"

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo smiled at her plaintive begging. Well, then. He saddled up her legs, all but throwing them over his shoulders, and grabbed her thick buttocks for a secure grip, lifting her from the low bunk just a little, angling her upwards... until the angle wasn't awkward for him anymore, then he got down to brass tacks.

It took a little revving, but soon he was pistoning in and out of her wildly, with strength. Moving her massive, heavy bulk with his considerable strength, barring any thrashing of ecstasy from her, would give any normal bed a workout. He hadn't checked to see how these bunks were graded, in sturdyness. His little muscled chest and abdomen rippled with his efforts, his arms sporting long, winding veins closer to the surface of his skin with his exertions, and his hands clenched her butt fiercely. He drove hard and fast, slamming into her over and over again, and came before long... not that he stopped or even slowed his pace. He simply shot jet after jet of thick spunk into her pussy and her womb, and continued slamming into her even as a mess formed between them, from multiple seconds of orgasm.

Nemo seemed quite awakened by the opportunity to raid Maya's pussy, and his cock was long enough, thick enough, to show a distention in her belly. It kept him quite terribly aroused. He leaned over her, planting his arms on either side of her waist, face buried between her breasts and starting intently at her face, savoring the emotions there, while pounded down into her, hips bucking recklessly, splashing their excess all over the floor in wanton abandon.

 

[Reptillicus]

Maya was trembling while he got her into position. There was uncertainty in her expression just before he pushed back in, she might have been a bit afraid of how much feeling she was about to get. There was however, no stopping now. She needed it.... bad. Her pussy ached for him, lusted for him! When his cock sank back into her warm wet depths and began and began to piston building speed. Next thing she knew he was slamming into her! she cried out in pure pleasure as she mind was swamped with the pink haze of sexual bliss.

Every pump of their hips was met with a rather lewd, wet, slapping sound flicking bits of her femslime about. She was doing it! she was really doing it... fucking! Having sex! It just felt so good, even better then when Nemo ate her out! Her pussy rippled on his cock with each cycle, a built in feature to make it better for both of them. not only that but it was wonderfully soft inside her, yet at the same time her walls would grip him tightly. Her moans would come out fast loud in time with his thrusts, a string of cute, "Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"s filling the air. She tried to hold herself steady for him but she was losing herself to the pleasure and raw emotion of the moment. she would trash and squirm slightly in his grip the bed making ominous creaking sounds as they went.

Nemo's first orgasm set off Maya to squirt all over his legs and waist, followed by a mewling cry from his blissed out lover. She was fearing her lack of control of this situation, but it felt so good that thoughts like that were shunted into small folder somewhere. Laying down atop her was just what she wanted in that moment and her hands speedily slipped up around him, hugging him firmly. She actually met his gaze dead on! the raw pleasure emboldening her. her face was as red as ever filled with lust and love, want and need. he'd see her moan her eyes roll up sometimes when she would start to drift off into pleasure oblivion only to force herself back wanting desperately to stay in the moment so she could remember.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

They were there for some time, indulging in their sexual escapades, the rest of the world forgotten... like Regi, sitting in the corner watching in horror as Nemo slammed into Maya again and again, she moaned and wailed. But there was no one to file a domestic abuse report to... except perhaps Torch and Chameleon.

Meanwhile, Nemo didn't seem about to run out of steam for some time... he'd wanted Maya too long, and had a body with incredible stamina, now. After about the fourth orgasm, he had her on the floor, face down ass up, trying to see if he could fuck her into a silly face, like in some of his old hentai mangas. There was no telling what kind of sounds reached through their walls, to those around them.

 

[Reptillicus]

In the room next door Chameleon had her head under a pillow while she couldn't help but finger herself to the sounds of sex. She would have choice words for Nemo later... but she understood the two's love.... it was painfully obvious really. scorch and Eagle were elsewhere in the station while they had there romp.

Maya was in a bit of a haze now only vaguely aware of where she was or what she was doing. she was a moaning quivering mess under him all her bulk under his control in a sense. she could no longer stop the lusty moans from leaving het mouth openly and loudly as her eyes were nearly rolled up and her tongue sticking out as she drooled a bit on the floor. despite its lewdness it was still cute in a way, her face was completely honest in its expression. Her pleasure laid bare before him. underneath them the floor was getting very wet, she was such a messy girl when she got worked up.

There was bang on the wall oppsite them and Nemo would hear the rather miffed, muffled, shout of Chameleon, "Can you two hurry up and finish already?! for fucks sake!" Maya didn't hear this her mind was too preoccupied but it just so happened that she was reaching her next peek.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo didn't really know how to reply to Chameleon. He decided the best way would probably be to simply konk Maya out, which shouldn't take too long now. She was a big girl... she'd always burned energy quickly, had to eat a lot, sleep a lot. He'd finish her up with kisses and cuddles, bringing her winding down after their more frenetically paced sex, and he'd excuse himself to go to the bathroom when she was getting close to sleep. He'd wash up, rinse the stink of sex from him, then pay Chameleon a visit. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too disturbed by the idea of someone at her door. Nemo wasn't sure what he intended to do here, but he figured that he'd... figure it out as he went.

That is, if she deemed fit to open the door.

 

[Reptillicus]

It was true that Maya could overexert herself if she wasn't careful. she had learned to pace herself at the police academy, but in a circumstance like this she couldn't control herself. She would squirm and thrust under him in the throes of pleasure eventually exhausing herself with a final climax. she made even this lewd act look sweet as she mewled loudly, her voice like music to Nemo's ears. She then fell silent drifting asleep rather peacefully all things considered, even as the floor lay stained with their various sexual juices. Again, big girl, big orgasms. Maybe this hadn't been the way she envisioned her first time exactly, but the look of absolute peace and contentment on her face said that it was wonderful all the same.

Knocking on Chameleon's door he'd hear her mumbling something before the door opened a crack. He could see small portion of her face and her eye peeking out at him. ".....What......?", she said rather stiffly.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo had much to say, and little courage to speak with, when it came to others. "I... apologize for keeping you up, with our noise. May I come in? I thought you might wish for some company." It didn't escape him that she was alone... he'd assumed Torch had been the one to lose her partner, but it occurred to him that he might have assumed wrongly. He didn't envy anyone loneliness in this hell... and had no wish to see Chameleon face it in such a way.

His affect spoke of genuine care and concern, despite his earlier proclamations of caring only for Maya's well being. Perhaps he'd gained some insight from his experience with the templar.

 

[Reptillicus]

Chameleon gave him a hard look. She was suspicious sort, she didn't trust easily but he sounded rather genuine. At least more thans she had heard out of him until now. Did she want him inside? she thought for a few seconds that seemed to stretch longer then around 5 seconds should. "Fine whatever get in here.... maybe you can help me with something I'm working on....", she said in a "Whatever" sort of tone. she let him in with an aloof look on her face. on the desk in her room there was a small steel cube. Judging by the looks of it, it looked like the "brain" of a machina.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo entered the room when she allowed it, hesitant in the face of her own pause. She wanted to trust, he knew. He saw her watching others, and he imagined her spiraling into depression from loneliness. The first thing to go in such depressions was judgement... she'd be compromised in battle. They all would. He wanted to let his companions know he cared for them... he might not trust them all that much yet, but that didn't mean he cared to adapt an attitude of neglect. They were the only people around that he could possibly depend on, for the foreseen. With some caution, he would get to know them, and would help where he could.

He looked over the cube, eyes locking on it immediately. His mind blanked on it, but he felt he should know of the make and model if it was prefab from before the war. "May I take a look?" As a technomancer, he could probably find more out about it in a few seconds than she could in a lifetime of study. His tail extended, tapping on the cube, as he awaited permission, and if given, he would tap into it, gently prying into whatever secrets it may hold.

 

[Reptillicus]

She was looking at his tail, it sorta...... creeped her out. then again her ability to cloak at will could be just as scary in a sense. He was polite enough though so she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind for now. "Yeah, go ahead. But be careful this a collective bots brain. Ya'know those black and silver batards with a hard on for murdering humans.", she warned. She gestured at it, "I managed to pluck it out of G-class.... they look sorta like robot gorilla's. Even managed to get it out intact. This was a few days ago." She sighed then said, "Every time I try to take peek inside the stupid thing closes up tight... so yeah, go ahead."

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo watched the cube as she talked, glancing her way here and there. "Even those of the collective are cut off in this place. They suffer too." He offered her a sad, but still coy smile. The kind of adorable, boyish smile that made hearts hop into throats, mixed so damnably perfectly with that sorrowful curve of the cupid's bow that elicited tears in wanton abandon. His tail brushed the cube, a caress, before probing into it, and bridging a connection between his mind and the cube. His thoughts probed, danced through electric pathways to explore the machine mind. He came in unobtrusively... while he could bully through the mind of most any machine, this was not his approach. He came as a guest, he saw, he left only footprints... and he did not probe where he was not welcome. Most importantly, he respected the agency of the mind he visited.

"Good evening, machina-mind." His voice was gentle, respectful. "I wish to ask you questions, if you will hear them. It is my hope that I can help you, and you me." He'd find out swiftly whether this machine suffered, whether or not it had such a capacity, as he'd so recently seen of them... whether it was open to compromise, or not.

 

[Reptillicus]

The mind he found was in disarray. the visualization of its mind was scattered and broken with shards of memory floating about like fragments of mirror. the place thrummed with waves of red binary code. he could feel a pressance yet inside this mind, but it was weak damaged. Not from being taken from its body but from it mind unable to support itself now that it was completely cut off from the hive mind. It's A.I. was unable to cope without the guidance of the collective, it only had vague ideas of what a sense of self was.

the damage to the code looked like it was self inflicted. The machine mind had nearly torn itself asunder in its mental thrashing. it was agony to think and feel on its own so it tried to kill itself to stop the pain, but lacked the means to do so. He could hear no answer to his question, the machine mind didn't understand the idea of making a verbal exchange. instead he could merely feel it feelings. it was like body that atrophied from under use, A mind that didn't know how to think without help. It was scared, and in pain and just wanted to be shut off again.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo knew this battle. The battle of being out of one's element, drowned in despair, reinforced by the basic understanding that one's struggling was pointless. Despair. Agony. Torment. Suicidal ideation. The machine might not understand its own capacities, but it was emotionally developed enough to suffer greatly.

He offered it only word. "Live."

One word... and something far more.

Nemo was there, in its mind, then. Holding it, with the protectiveness and warmth of a parent, a sibling, a respected teacher, a cherished lover. He reassured the machine... that everything would be ok. That it would know peace, that its suffering would end. His embrace was a promise for the future. He worked around the edges. He made the pain go away... numbed some things, enhanced others, so that it'd feel the comfort and warmth of contentment. He could manipulate a machine's emotions like a musician could pluck strings, and he used his gift to give the machine peace. And with peace, would come calm, clarity.

"Speak to me, of you. Of your past, of your trials, of your dreams for the future. You feel, therefore, you are. You think, therefore you are. Let us build you a solid identity... we'll put the pieces together one at a time." Created for a hive mind, the machine lacked many essential qualities for personal agency... Nemo was surgically reorganizing its mind, under anesthesia, so that it could think, feel, and understand what was happening to it. So that it could survive, even thrive, on its own.

 

[Reptillicus]

the strange and jagged mess of code that was this machina's mind began to smooth out. The scattered images of its memories coming into sharper focus, the thrumming red lines of binary turning to a cool blue. the mind craved structure, something to hold onto things to give it purpose. Under the hive mind and its various nodes it had direction it didn't have to question what it was doing or why. everything felt right and orderly then. even when separated from the hive mind it had the orders it gave before going into the dead zone to give it direction. there were also it's fellow collective machines, still connected but to a smaller scale.

then it was cut off and it felt pain without end the weight lonely of existence bearing down upon it. It didn't really matter to it that it had been taken from its body as it never really considered its form its own, just part of a larger whole. it was being away from its network that caused its pain. this Nemo could see now though the images and feelings in the mirror fragments flouting about him.

I could feel itself getting more.... aware as Nemo's meer presence was giving it something to focus on. its thoughts were getting just a bit more articulate as it was given framework to think with. Nemo made the pain go away.... it would now follow him... quickly the mind showed him the specs of its old gorilla like vessel and its designation as G-223. it was part of a group sent to find and destroy whatever was making the dead zone and kill any humans or marionettes on site. It felt something like guilt now that it could kind of understand it.

After a few moments a black shape appeared in the middle of the mental space. it was a vuagely human figure, but it lacked definition in its features. But were its face would be two glowing blue eyes looked back at him. Then he heard its voice. it was heavily distorted and robotic as it said, "I..... aM..... G-223? A..... THinG?"

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo smiled, watching this transformation. It had been given orders to kill him and his kind... he blamed it not for this. "A thing... a 'person', by human speech. A robot. You are you, and you will grow into whatever you wish to be. G-223, you may freely choose your own name, just as you may freely choose your own destiny. I have not a body for you just now... but I will not leave you alone. I will take you with me, if you desire, into my own body until we find or repair you a suitable vessel. If you do not wish this, I will leave you in the cube you now occupy, and keep you close by my side, until we find you an appropriate vessel. Either way you choose, I promise not to abandon you.

"I will not take from your memories. They are yours to determine to share as you wish. I wish to know, if you'd share this information with me, though... what was the last known status of the collective? The status of your original mission, and comrades? I've seen other machines suffering, and ended a life without understanding its torment. I regret this, and wish to aid the others trapped here. I wish to bring down the deadzone, and return all of you home, or liberate you to independence... whatever you most desire. If we are to meet as enemies, let it be on a battlefield, and let it be our own choices, all of us. Perhaps, just perhaps, I might wish to start a collective of my own. I am... perhaps unsuited to such a task. I know not yet. But if I can offer peace, a home, and agency to those that struggle in this realm, it would be my privilege to do so."

Nemo was practically a messiah figure to machina. His love for them was grand, and his intentions noble... but he was still pragmatic enough to understand that wasn't enough. Great evils came from less, and more of such things. Humility wasn't really his strong suit, but he saw responsibility for what it was, and approached it respectfully. "I am a technomancer, and marionette, as you now know. I know not what war I am expected to fight, nor whether humans even yet live. I do not know if the collective remains, nor what machina kind collectively desires... if its desires are indeed collective anymore. I ask for your aid in finding answers to these questions, if you would willingly give it."

 

[Reptillicus]

G-223 blinked at him and tilted it's head as it tried to go over his words. "LoTs.... Of..... WoRdS.... HaVe tO.... THInK.", It said as it made an effort. Thinking on its own was still hard, but at least it didn't hurt anymore. Instead of answering it wanted to ask a question at this time. "QUeRy! N-NamE? WhAt is..... NaMe? CAll... YoU whAt?", it asked pointing at him. It was becoming very curious about him now it would draw itself closer to him (mentally speaking of crouse). It reached out to try and touch him. It felt strange new emotions when it would looked upon him. He could feel it trying to examine him meekly but with interest.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo smiled. He'd keep his inquiries more simple... the machine was reaching its intellectual limitations. For now. As far as Nemo was concerned, they hadn't reached its limitations until they gave up. He'd keep his questions profiled, though, in case G-223 could ever answer his inquiries at a later date. "My designation... my name... is Nemo." He welcomed all of G-223's inquiries, and his 'touching', shying away from none of it. "Do you wish to remain G-223? Or would you prefer a more personal designation?"

 

[Reptillicus]

"Don'T.... KnOw...", it said as it considered this. it tlied its head to one side again. "NeEd.... tOO thinK. WiLL StudY WORds.....", G-223 "mumbled". It then looked back at him and nodded. "WILL TEll wheN..... ME... I... ThinG.... thinK oF OnE.", it said as it touched him again. "Daaaataaa? Give mE.... DAta To REad?, it asked as it felt him more like a cat brushing past its owner. It would look up to him now.... like a child or a student it wanted nothing more to to be with him now, he made the pain go away, he made things feel right. It felt a need to be close at all times now. it hoped it would look upon him in the real world soon.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo tapped his chin. He had access to deep databanks, storage material that should be able to keep the machina occupied for a great length of time... if slanted to human tastes and affinities. He decided to condense some of it, and omit vast swaths... much was useless to the machina, and its processing abilities were still limited... but he gave the machina enough to keep it occupied for a goodly length of time. "Here you are. Here are historical pieces, particularly those of human society and the evolution of machina as they developed it, up until AI became advanced enough that the human intellect began faltering by comparison. Here's military history, grammar and mathematics, and popular... culture. Some of that is not what I'd call popular. It should keep you entertained, though, and there is much to be learned. I'm going to form a tap link between us, with an open line of communication for now. You'll remain in the cube, but capable of talking to me at will as we travel. As I said... we'll find you a body, soon."

With that, he'd pull out of the machine's mind, straightening, and picking up the cube with care. "Ah, quite the success. This is a sweet little one." He cradled it close like a child, smiling to Chameleon, and began to relate what had happened within the machina's mind.

 

[Reptillicus]

Chameleon had surprised look at her face as he recounted the events of his mental incursion. "You mean to tell me... that you spoke to that thing!? And not only that you gave it a means to become independent?!", she said agast. "How do you know we can really trust it?", she said staring at the cube. she didn't trust anything from the collective, she had been fighting them for some time here in the dead zone, so it must not have been too surprising that she was skeptical. Well that, and she was just the kind of person he didn't trust very easily to begin with.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo blinked. "Ah, well. I'm a technomancer. There were psychics, though rare, among man. Very rare, but what I have is the same basic principle. A mentally based mystical capability... but instead of reading people's minds, I read the minds of machina. I'm so in tune with machines, I can work with them better than with people, understand them better. Being in this marionette body has given me absolutely incredible capabilities and potential, regarding my natural... or unnatural, depending who you ask... talents. This also fits with what we saw earlier. You were there... when the c class drone committed suicide. These are hive mind machina cut off from the collective, and given just enough emotional self awareness to feel suffering. Their torment in being in this deadzone has become a legendary thing... they are struggling to cope, and can't. I offer the means to make the pain go away, instantly, to help them recollect their fragmented consciousnesses. As far as this Machina is concerned, I'm their very parent now. This one has proven to be very affectionate, and curious... I believe they may become a boon companion to us, and might help us greatly in the future once they've had a chance to mature and better gather themselves. It's designation for now is G-223, until it decides it likes that, or something else better. I'll take full responsibility, of course, for its presence and actions. If I am wrong, and I've been deceived, as unlikely as that is... I can't even fathom that as a possibility, truly... I will fix it." Even if he didn't imagine he'd been deceived, that was not any reason not to remain wary of ones own shortcomings.

 

[Reptillicus]

Oh yes..... he had mentioned the technomancer thing before, but she hadn't thought much of it at the time. she was a practical person, so she wasn't the easiest to convince with just words. She had see him hack the C-class drone.... and how it took its own "Life". She had no idea that the bots of the collective had Minds to begin with. She just assumed that they were all one mind in millions of bodies. What Nemo was saying disturbed her.... so they all had a mind of a sort weak and feeble but there none the less. She began to feel something in the pit of her stomach. "I killed them...", she thought her eyes locking with his. "I killed them and they were alive......", she thought guilt heavy inside her. She shook her head quickly. She couldn't afford to think like that! So she pushed her feelings into a small space in her mind and got back to the present.

"So this little machine mind, it looks up to him does it? Well, we'll see...", she thought ever critical. "Ugh, fine whatever. Just don't let those machina take ot back. they could learn were our base is if they do!", she said putting up a grumpy front.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo blinked, and thought that perhaps he should fill her in on... recent events. He told her about the Templar, and how he'd survived the battle, but only just. He was certain he was a better martial artist now, after that bout. Fortunately, that had been some distance away, and the Templar hadn't proved a creature of deceit, in Nemo's estimation. He doubted he'd been traced in any manner. Nemo sat down as he spoke, legs crossed and arms folded, giving her an in depth analysis on his thoughts on the probable state of the collective, versus the Templar's own order... factional in fighting between machina. They were still running extermination missions against humans, so he supposed there might truly be humans left alive.

 

[Reptillicus]

Chameleon listened with rapt attention her expression changing from time to time slightly. she didn't really intterp him but she would sometimes have to get him to slow down at times as he had a habit of getting a bit too speedy in his explanations and theories. She wanted to hope humanity was still around otherwise.... well what was the point of going on.

"I've see machina on machina fighting going on around here before.... but i haven't seen anything like that knight you saw.", Chameleon added when they was a break in conversation. "I have seen what looked like other older war machines fighting the collective though... maybe a third faction?", she wondered aloud.

Just then Nemo received a message from Torch sent straight to his head. it read: "Think Eagle and I found where Your girl's gear has gone. Meet me in the main hall again, bring Chameleon too." -Torch.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo heard the call, and noted that it was likely Chameleon hadn't, so he informed her about it. "I suppose we should go meet Torch then, hmm? I think I'd like to let Maya sleep for a while longer, if I may. She, ah... is probably a bit tuckered out." He gave a bit of a nervous laugh as he rose to go to the door, then hesitated a moment. Suddenly, swiftly, he pulled Chameleon into a hug. "You're not alone, alright?" Still assuming now that she was the one without her partner, he thought it only right to try to show her a bit of kindness. He didn't want to imagine a world like this without Maya... and didn't want her to have to suffer through such a thing either. Not if he could help it.

"I really hope these machina wars aren't quite that convoluted, but I suppose it shouldn't surprise me. Let's let Torch know what we do when we see her, aye?"

 

[Reptillicus]

Chameleon froze up in his hug, shock running across her face. There was the barest hint of a blush on her face before she squirmed out of his grip a look of annoyance on her face. But he saw her blush and perhaps could tell she actually kind of appreciated that in the briefest of moments. Also she seemed to be a good listener despite the constant look of disinterest and annoyance she gave to world at large.

As for Maya, Regdi gave her a bit of a wipe down and tucked her into bed after welding a few extra supports to the creaking legs of said bed.....

"Maybe... we don't tell her the whole truth about the uh, A.I. in the cube.... maybe, tell her after we turn off the dead zone.", she said cautiously.

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo blinked. He quirked a brow at her, staring, standing still... waiting for her to elaborate.

 

[Reptillicus]

she sigh as she looks past him to see that no one was in the hallway with them, then whispered, "I don't think Torch will approve of an active Collective A.I. in our midst duh! She..... really and, I mean really. Hates them.". She looked past him again. "Look, I guess I trust you with that little uh... guy? Girl? whatever! is with us she on the other hand well she's lost people.... she was there in the beginning of the war... that's what she says.", she had to gather her thoughts again before continuing. "Here what i think though: you hold off on telling her about the A.I in there, Maybe lie and say it died or something. Then, when it comes in handy then you spill the beans, that way there won't be a question of who's side it was on, get me?"

 

[ShinyHappyFitsOfRage]

Nemo pondered that. "I do not enjoy deceit. I know, however, how little understood the abilities of technomancers are. There isn't a machina mind I can't unravel, can't read, not that I've ever come across. Not a one that could keep so much as a single line of code hidden from mine eyes... but I understand well how little a role rational thought can have to play when one in faced with a source of trauma." All too well. In the end, humans were all the same... prone to giving value to their emotions in the moment over rational, logical thought... so, in order to preserve what trust this small group had, they had to be careful in determining how best to cope with their idiosyncrasies. Above all, Nemo was a pragmatist... his love of machina made him tend towards binary modes of thought. There were two things that could be done here... to tell her the truth, or to take the truth into his own hands, hiding it from her in an attempt to do what he felt was a wiser course of action, tearing from her the ability to make her own choices regarding the circumstance. Denying her real trust.

It wasn't an easy decision. Nemo didn't know her well enough yet, didn't know any of them very well, except for Maya. In this case, it wasn't just about what he preferred, or wanted. "I'll bow to your wisdom in this matter, Chameleon. I would prefer honesty, but dealing with people is far from my specialty." He didn't want to lose the safety of a strong, solid group for Maya's sake, and didn't trust his instincts in dealing with other humans, or marionettes, who were basically humans in machina bodies. He understood machines far better than he'd ever understand people.