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You slowly trudge out of Gen. Richards' office after getting the longest lecture on workplace etiquette and behavior, as well as respecting government property and personal safety. Your part in this little discussion pretty much consisted of "yes, sir", "no, sir", "sorry, sir" and "I'm sorry, sir." It's around 0900 currently. You're mentally exhausted, your arm is stuck in a sling for the next few weeks, Pandora isn't currently scheduled to be woken from her sleep cycle for another hour, which you're not entirely looking forward to after yesterday's awful events, and the R&D team has asked you to stop by at your next convenience for some mysterious reason. Also, acquisitions has mail for you. What do you do?

>visit R&D
>check your mail
>visit another part of the facility (write in)
>other

>>42343093
>>check your mail

>>42343093
>>visit R&D

>>42343093
Check mail

Here for just one vote

You decide you might as well check your mail. Could help take your mind off of what an awful day this is shaping up to. You head to Check-In, a rather large, flat, pink box waiting for you wrapped in a lacy, pink bow. Ah, the dress that Pandora asked for. Well, maybe it will improve her mood a bit when she wakes later. Hopefully.
What next?
>head to R&D
>visit another part of the Facility (write in)
>other (write in)

>>42343779
>>head to R&D

>>42343779
>>head to R&D
Time to get bitched at for hurting their precious, ten bucks says one of them calls pandora their waifu

Little slow tonight. Writing.

You make your way over to the R&D department, noting the distinct lack of traffic in the area. The blank, lifeless walls surrounding a rather heavy door seem a little...foreboding. You're not sure if this is the best idea, but really, what's the worst that could happen? You scan your ID badge and the door slides open with a loud "thunk", a sudden blast of warm, stale air hitting you in the face. Do they not know there's AC here or something?
As you enter, you note the distinct, almost complete absence of light, save for several dim lights overheard. It's eerily quiet. You assumed this place would be abuzz with the sounds of soldering, welding and the clanking of tools, but nothing. You'd swear you've seen this horror movie before and briefly consider making an escape when a small, female voice off to the side makes you jump. "Oi, mate. Welcome t'R&D."
You turn to see a tiny woman, maybe 5 feet tall at best, with heavy cybernetic enhancements and prosthesis sitting in a leather chair. Her eyes dark, circular lenses like those of welding goggles, the fingers on her left hand split into a small, multitude of tools delicately building something on the workbench next to her. Her jumpsuit stained with dirt, grease, burn marks and other scuffs, obviously heavily used. She rests her right hand on her cheek, smirking at you in one of the biggest shit-eating grins you've seen in a long time.
"First time's a bit of a shocker, eh?" She continues. "You'll get used to it, boss. Ah, 227." She taps the serial number on her jumpsuit. "Y'can call me Mouse, though."Everybody else is in the workshop proper, bein' busy little cunts. Make me proud, they do."
>speak to Mouse (write in)
>ask to speak to 720
>other

>>42344424
>speak to Mouse (write in)
Let her know we're glad we weren't the only one who was antsy having to watch our poor research assistants stumbling around that surprise repair job.

Not that they aren't great at their jobs in general -- they wouldn't be here if they weren't, after all -- but still.

>other
So, what's the occasion for the visit, anyway?

Captcha, that is not a donut. It is a bagel. I do not look forward to the singularity if you're going to pull shit like this around breakfast.

>>42344424
>>ask to speak to 720

>>42344750
The same bagel shit happened to me. That is not how donuts work.

>>42344424
It would be easier to make dialogue write ins if we knew more about our own character and the other characters first

>>42344799
The first thread should give you what you need to know. What else do you need? I'll elaborate more if needed.

>>42344829
I was there, all I know for sure is that he's bad at dancing and therapy

>>42345001
Well, the MC is the players in the thread, so it's kinda up to you to work out what he does.

Is there a consensus on what you'd like to do?

>>42345131
Not sure why we wouldn't be able to let her know that 720 asked to see us, and then chat while waiting for him and/or heading to find him.

>>42345196
I'm waiting for more than two votes on two separate things is all.

>>42345056
Player freedom is nice but be careful not to make things too open ended or the players won't know what to do

>>42344750
Second.

You run in a bad timeslot. Are you a britfag?

You approach Mouse and offer a hand to shake, introducing yourself and let her know you're relieved you weren't the only one panicking over your team screwing up. Mouse laughs at this, slapping your hand roughly. "I wasn't so much worried as I was sick of watching you fuckers fail miserably with our pride and joy. A precious bit of tech, that Android is. So we'd hate to see her get even more mangled." You feel a bit offended at this, but let it slide to avoid things getting awkward. Still, Mouse is kind of a dick. "Anyway," she continues. "720 said she wanted to talk to you about proper raising of Pandora. Some things you should and shouldn't do, that kinda shit. Frankly, I don't care. All this touchy-feely shit is too soft for me. Feelin's are what you drown out in alcohol to the point of takin' yer top off and dancin' on a table, yeah?" She laughs at this, possibly speaking from experience. "Anyway, she's through there." She points to another heavy door on the far wall, unmarked, but equally foreboding.
>speak to Mouse (write in)
>thank her and head through the door
>other

>>42345427
Nah, on the West coast and it is literally too hot to be at my computer until like 8PM. In the future I'll try to run earlier, but Summer is hell here. I figured tonight would be fine with the holiday tomorrow and all, but I suppose not for everyone.

>>42345486
>thank her and head through the door

>>42345486
>Speak to Mouse
Ask her what's up with all the numbered names.

Then
>thank her and head through the door

>>42345486
>thank her and head through the door

As >>42345530 said:

>>Speak to Mouse
>Ask her what's up with all the numbered names.

then
>thank her and head through the door

"The numbers," you ask. "what's with them? Don't you guys have regular...people names?" Mouse snorts at this, obviously a little unhappy. "Government regulations. We're not allowed to use or reveal our names to anyone below Class 1 clearance. S'because we're 'invaluable assets they can't afford to lose.'" She uses air-quotes for this, a sarcastic tone dripping with venom. "Just sounds like a way to keep their noses clean considering all the illegal mods and weaponry we make pretty much daily. But no worries, I gave everybody nicknames! Ask them what they are, they LOVE when you ask." A mischievous smile creeps across her lips.

You thank Mouse, who nods and continues with her work, and head through the door, another unsettling "thunk" as it opens and closes behind you. You reach a scene of four more heavily enhanced individuals working on various projects, including one in the back working on what appears to be new hands for Pandora; the touch sensors, you'd imagine. The closest one to you, a bald, middle-aged man with the same black lens eyes as Mouse and a welding torch coming out of his arm gives you half a glance, then resumes his work. 819 is stamped on his jumpsuit. Behind him is a rather attractive woman, you guess of Indian descent, with two extra arms and a small lens on her forehead, similar to a bindi, putting the finishing touches on the wig attachment you requested yesterday. Her jumpsuit reads 720. She doesn't seem to have noticed you yet. Lastly, in the back, are twins. Male, mid 20's, messy dark brown hair and pale skin, with large, metallic arms you assume are for lifting. 633 and 634 respectively on their suits.
>get 720's attention
>speak to one of the others'
>other

>>42345929
Sorry about the walls of text. Still pretty new to writing long paragraphs on here.

>>42345929
>get 720's attention

>>42345929
>get 720's attention

>>42345929
>>get 720's attention

>>42345958
>Sorry about the walls of text. Still pretty new to writing long paragraphs on here.
S'okay. Walls of text are better than a dearth of information to go on.

Although, I would think that the Head Researcher would have class 1 clearance...

>>42345929
>>get 720's attention

Guessing right now that Mouse has nicknamed her Kali.

>>42346059
Class 1 is for the people above your paygrade. Gen. Richards and a few others on-site have it, but you are simply Class 2.

Writing.

You clear your throat, prompting all four of the members to look up in unison. You're a little taken aback, but greet them formally enough. "Ah, there you are, doctor." 720 says in a smoky, soft British accent. "So glad you could come. Welcome to R&D. Please." She motions to a chair next to her, her other arms continuing their work.
"I am 720, though Mouse has...given me the nickname...Babsy..." She seems to have a bad taste in her mouth after saying it. "That is..." She sighs, pointing to the bald man. "Snowglobe, and the two in back are...Bob and Bob." Snowglobe ignores this and continues his work, while the Bobs wave, one of which you notice has a rather large scar on his throat. "Technically Mouse is our superior, but the nicknames are...ah, I digress. I need to speak to you about Pandora. It's obvious you are rather new to raising and caring for children, or in this case androids. I thought I could give you some pointers from an experienced person." Honestly, you could listen to her talk all day. There is a message ping on your PDA.
227: Her NAME is BAPC, not Babsy.
"Firstly, you need to set ground rules. Rules and boundaries are essential for raising children. You can't just let her choose whatever she wants to choose every session. Devise a curriculum, stick to your lesson plan and guide her through it.
Second, trust. You hurt her the other day, building that trust back up is a must or she may never trust you again. Show her it won't happen again, teach her about forgiveness, about regret. She is a blank slate, doctor. She needs to understand what happened and why.
Lastly, grow with her. You can't expect her to be the only one learning. You must lead by example. Learn from your mistakes and show her you're trying. Saying sorry doesn't make pain go away, you have to show her how important she is." Seriously, it is like honey in your ears. But you're able to follow. Maybe you can apply some of this to your session with Pandora today.

Cont.

>>42346362
"Oh, and here." She hands you the wig attachment, made to specifications, it's almost indistinguishable from real human hair. Soft, silky and hopefully exactly what Pandora wanted.
"Don't be afraid to ask us for help, doctor." Babsy, or BAPC says with a smile. "We're all more than willing to do whatever it takes to see our girl succeed and grow.
>Thank the R&D team and take your leave
>Ask/Speak (write in)
>other

>>42346417
>Thank the R&D team and take your leave

>>42346417
While we're here, we should ask about any recommendations they all have for hardware/software upgrades.

>>42346417
>Ask/Speak (write in)
Ask what she would recommend for today's lesson, I don't think we've really planed anything so far.
>Thank the R&D team and take your leave

>>42346417
>>Ask/Speak (write in)
Any idea how I can go about rebuilding her trust?

Ping.
227: Ask her what BAPC stands for. It's a riot!
"What should I teach?" You ask, realizing you don't, in fact, have any kind of lesson plan set up for her yet. "And what upgrades do you think would be best for her right now?"
Babsy thinks for a moment. "Well, teach her about trust, fear and forgiveness today. Abstract concepts can be tough to teach, but very valuable. Lead her, but let her set the pace. Make sure she is comfortable with how much and how fast she learns. She is unlike anything mankind has ever seen before, so she needs to be taught as such.
As for upgrades, it looks like a hardier chassis might come in handy if you plan to pursue any more dancing." Her laugh is melodic. "And perhaps something to help her with her art. A paint brush attachment, maybe? Or more nimble fingers for folding origami. Asking her won't really help you much, as she knows less about herself than you do."
>Ask about her nickname
>Ignore Mouse's obvious attempts to bait you and leave
>other

>>42346603
Stupid dropped trip.

>>42346417
>>Ask/Speak (write in)
Ask for advice WRT lesson plan and rebuilding trust.

Also, ask if 720 has a background in pedagogy or professional childcare.

>>42346603
>"It appears 'mouse' think's that I should know what BAPC stands for, should I?"

>>42346653
Damnit! I'm always too slow.

>>42346603
>>other

Ask 720 about, rather than attachments, whether patience and training can allow Pandora to become better at art on her own, for the painting and the origami; or if she may already be brushing up against physical limitations of her frame, rather than the limits of her skill.

Express the feeling that that the dawn of her life is probably not the time to get her into the mindset of overcoming all challenges with augmentations, rather than perseverance and practice.

And pointedly ignore Mouse's attempts to get me into trouble with the sweet, honey-voiced Indian-Englishwoman.

>>42346603
>Ask about her nickname
>other
At least try to be sympathetic about it. If we let this go here and now I could imagine that Mouse is going to keep winking and nudging and pinging every single time we stop by until we eventually give in, so we might as well get it out of the way right now.

Maybe ask why Mouse is called Mouse if she's the one who insisted on nicknaming everyone else. Doesn't she know that giving yourself a nickname is poor form?

"So, uh...Mouse is really insistent on me asking what BAPC is." You say carefully, not sure where this will lead. "Should I-" "No." She says coldly. "Babsy will do." You can actually hear Mouse laughing from the other room. You try to quickly change the subject, obviously hitting a nerve. "Err, so, would upgrades and attachments at this early stage be bad for Pandora?" You ask, trying to ignore the still uproarious laughter from the small Australian woman in the other room. "I'm worried she might take it as a sort of 'why practice when I could just get upgrades' view on life."
"Hard to say, really." She says, regaining her composure quickly. "It could lead to that, but then again she is unique. Perhaps she'll understand the value of hard work and dedication over that. You're of course welcome to take things slow at first. No need to rush."

"As far as upgrades go," you add. "How far are her natural limitations able to take her? What will it take to hit the wall of her frame?" Babsy smiles, prompting you to grin back subconsciously. "Well, there is both a limit on skill and physical capability. She can get far with what she has now, but if you wish for her to reach her full potential, or even surpass it, you will eventually need to install new hardware. The same can be said of humans, really." The fingers on her secondary arms wiggle in the air. "Honestly, for now, I'd say work on teaching her rather than upgrades. Let her get a feel for what she can do before showing her what she could do."
>Speak (write in)
>Leave and get ready for Pandora's next lesson
>other

>>42346893
>Leave and get ready for Pandora's next lesson
I dunno what else.

>>42346893
>Leave and get ready for Pandora's next lesson

onwards~

>>42346893
>>Leave and get ready for Pandora's next lesson

Yep. Time to get on with raising our little robot girl.

Guestimated time until this technology is being used for fuccdroids? ~5 years.

You thank Babsy for her time and the wig attachment and bid farewell to the others, their response pretty noncommittal. A chorus of grunts will have to do, you suppose. You say goodbye to Mouse, who's laughing fit appears to have subsided for the moment, she waves you off as she catches her breath. With the door closing behind you with another loud "thunk", you mull over your options. You learned a lot from Babsy's pep-talk and how you should go about things.
>put together a lesson plan of general knowledge
>put together a lesson plan of specific subjects (write in)
>forego the lesson plan for now and continue to simply go with whatever works at the time
>other

>>42347172
Siiiiigh. Trip.

>>42347172
>put together a lesson plan of specific subjects

The Arts. Visual Art, Drama and Music.

>>42347197
I may as well pick up my name if i'm the only other one here. How much longer are you going to wait?

>>42347396
Sadly, I have a feeling that tonight's not the best night for this. I apologize, and in the future will pick better nights to run Pandora Quest. Probably Friday/Saturday nights. But thanks to everyone who did play, I hope you did enjoy what little we were able to get through! Follow me on Twitter for updates on when the next threads will be. I'll try to give more of a warning next time! The quest has been archived. You guys are great.

>>42347172
aaaaaand I'm too late.
still gonna think about a lesson plan

>>42347454
It was fine man, I'm fine with the timing, coming from 'straya myself so it's currently the middle of the afternoon. It all looks good so far.

Although, as I mentioned last session, gratuitous violence is a thing I would like to see. And with the "endless illegal weapons and mods", it's apparently very possible, too.

>>42347172
>>42347471
>The Unknown
>The Uncertain
>Fear
>Trust
>Courage

if that doesn't cover a whole day:

>Needle and thread
>Limitations, and maximizing what you can do with what you have.

>>42347471
Yes, please do! Think up a good lesson plan (feel free to talk among yourselves and come up with something you'd like to teach her. If consensus is reached on that, I'll apply it to the opening post for next thread.
>>42347483
Violence is not off the table, though you may want to be careful where you seek it and when. Keep in mind, you and Pandora are not exactly combat-ready, so if you go looking for trouble, you very well might find it.

>>42347172
>put together a lesson plan of specific subjects (write in)

Start with some life lessons: like sometimes, things happen which are not in our control and they can hurt us, and that we have to move on. Also, forgiveness.

Then: Arts; visual art, drama, and music, as >>42347197 said.

>>42347513
this works.

>>42347513
>we have to move on
I think we're going to have to elaborate on this.

>>42347984
When shit happens, you have to learn to deal with it and move on, not get caught up on it, right?

>>42348228
basically this, but with more... fuck, i dunno, detail? Empathy?

>>42348257
Yeah. That's what I meant.
That was just a fit-for-4chan explanation, not how I'd tell it to a child.

>>42348306
Mesa not the best ata the whole children thingy, eh? Mesa leave it to yousa.

>>42348306
I dont think that cuts it. MC isnt good with kids, so i dont think were getting much bonuses in that department.

We need to go over the fear she feels and what it is caused by, both to define it and show we actually understand. Other choice is to have her explain it in her own words, and ground what she thinks to what could actually happen and why.

Also, why that shouldn't stop us from enjoying dog videos.

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I am NOT letting this die!

>>42352526
so am I

>>42353627
>>42352526
The threads over, though. Just wait for the next one. Or keep posting robowaifus

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>>42354325
I plan on only bumping when it hits page nine or ten.

That way OP won't have to make a new thread when this one has only hit 70ish posts.

>>42355146
Hey, sorry to burst your bubble anon, but I'll probably not be running until Friday evening. But I'm really happy that you guys like the quest this much. If you have any questions, I can answer them now.

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>>42355292
>On one hand, OP noticed me
>On the other hand no more 'Adventures of parenthood, now with 100% potential world ending!'.

What exactly is the state of the world in this quest? There seems to be a good amount of cyborging and augments.

>>42355495
I'll say imagine a little before Deus Ex: HR. No flying cars or space laser fights, but technology has shot forward by quite a large margin. Cybernetics are common, the world recently recovering from another war in the last few decades. Thus, a lot of ex-military with prosthetic limbs and such, as well as people who just do it because they like it, such as the R&D team.
Helper and utility robots are popular as well, though none hold a candle to Pandora's complexity.

>>42355700
Thanks for the clarification. I was imagining it was modern in some super secret facility; but then the R&D team member pulling a doc oc confused me.

>>42355841
To be fair, the R&D team are HEAVILY modified. Your average person doesn't quite go that far. They're just kinda technophiles.

Is this still running?

>>42358341
This current thread is not, but the quest is. I'll be most likely running in the evening (West coast time) every Friday/Saturday. Subscribe to my Twitter to get updates of when I run and links to the threads.