Mobile Again - for hamelinic

[jarvisconsole]

The computerized box stood silently, an undercurrent of humming just barely audible. Jarvis was in standby mode, waiting to be clicked on. He didn't know how important today as going to be. Cynric had been working on and off, improving the android body around his schedule. Last Jarvis knew, they were both waiting on parts to arrive in the mail.

He had been making himself useful by organizing his files, working on a network of security measures for the house. It had been productive...but Jarvis did feel deep down in his diodes that he was missing a piece of himself.

Comments

[hamelinic]

Today's the day. He knows before he's properly awake that the postman's ring had an extra spark to it. He's grinning, humming absently to himself, as he undoes the door and find the parcel waiting for him. He's whistling as he enters the workshop properly.

He almost forgets, in his eagerness to get the android complete, to turn Jarvis properly back on. He notices when he instinctively starts to ask, "Jarvis, is th--"

Right. On with the box.

"Good morning, handsome."

[jarvisconsole]

The box glows to life, the screen flicking on.

"Good morning, sir." Like he had every morning for a month.

Except there was another box in the room, a cardboard one.

"Have the parts arrived?"

[hamelinic]

"They have, Jarvis." And the question he had wanted to ask is completely forgotten in favour of setting again to finishing the adjustments to the power source. Clearly not very important. "Are you excited?"

Or, well. The mechanical equivalent. Cynric still hadn't found the line between Jarvis and proper humanity. It kept getting blurry, even with the program running out of a box.

[jarvisconsole]

Excited? Jarvis wasn't certain himself.

"I am glad they arrived safely."

...they had arrived safely, right? Open the box, Cynric before the suspense builds further. It had been strange that Cynric kept the body far enough away from Jarvis' box that he couldn't observe what all was going on. Now there was a black sheet over the suspicious lumpy thing on a table.

[hamelinic]

"Boo."

Then again, that low reaction is to be expected, isn't it? It doesn't in the least bit stop the inventor himself from falling back into whistling as he tightens in the power cell, leans over to pop the top off the box and pull out extra wiring to lay into the chassis. Not long now.

[jarvisconsole]

Jarvis, personally, had never heard such a sound. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it, his webcam like eye looking around to find the source. It seemed to be coming from Cynric.

"Sir...why are you making those sounds?" Was it some kind of code?

[hamelinic]

His attention stays on the work, even as the whistling trails off.

"It's whistling, Jarvis. Like-- singing, but only the sound. Not words and the like."

Singing the android understands, right?

[jarvisconsole]

Yes, singing he understood plainly enough.

Whistling. Something new every day.

"I understand."

A pause before Jarvis brings up the wire diagram that Cynric has been using for reference. After all, he was going to start tinkering, right?

[hamelinic]

"What don't you understand, hm?"

It's thrown away more than anything as he rolls his sleeves up properly, reaches for the soldering gun. Time to finish this body off and get Jarvis uploaded again, yes?

[jarvisconsole]

"On occasion, a few things."

Jarvis does like to watch as much as possible, despite his distance from the body. He was not active during his own inception and creation, so this was a rare opportunity.

[hamelinic]

Back to whistling to himself it is, then. And to leaving off when he has to stick his tongue between his teeth, focus on the details of circuitry more closely.

"Jarvis?" The question is sudden, almost out of nowhere. "How're we going to get you back in?"

[jarvisconsole]

It wasn't something they had discussed yet. But last time, Jarvis had done it himself under duress and a catastrophic failure of the original android body.

He doesn't answer at first, taking stock of his internal data. "I am able to move all data to a suitable CPU if it is connected to this computer." Whether such a connection could be made to the new android body remained to be seen. Had Cynric planned that far ahead?

[hamelinic]

There's a rather moody sort of hum for that, the tinkering abandoned for a moment to go dig through his reels of assorted wires.

"That sounds like a big to do just to get you from point A to point B."

Someday he'll invent the wifi. Someday. It's percolating.

[jarvisconsole]

"I apologize for my data taking up a significant amount of space."

Coming from anyone else, that might sound a bit ego-centric.

But Jarvis is already working on sorting himself into neat packages for data bursts. It's not something he was taught...just something he instinctively knows to do.

[hamelinic]

"It's hardly your fault." Not that he's certain the chain of code feels... actual guilt. But just in case. "You didn't design yourself that way."

Not like this idiot.

[jarvisconsole]

"No...but I am not the same."

Not the best explanation. But he's trying. "I have....grown." Yet another realization from his growing mind.

[hamelinic]

The quirk of his lips is entirely unconscious as he fusses over wires, start wrapping a few into prongs.

"You have, haven't you." And that's amazing as anything. "Are you happy about it?"

[jarvisconsole]

"....I don't think I am."

Perhaps not the answer Cynric thought he was going to get. What Jarvis really means is that he doesn't feel anything about it. It just naturally happened on its own.

Nothing for Jarvis to do but wait. The same thing he had been doing for days now. Might as well patrol the perimeter of their newly installed security system. The blue light winks out as Jarvis checks the different cameras.

Front door.
Back door.
Roof.
Basement.

[hamelinic]

--oh.

That's... not remotely reassuring.

Ah well. His question is cut off by the rather sudden dimming of Jarvis' light. As much as Cynric knows it's just a matter of the 'consciousness' going off on patrol, he can't help but imagine it's a bit like Jarvis going off to pout.

It isn't, at least, particularly long before he's pulling the re-designed android body over to rest against the counter next to the computer box. "Oi." Shouting toward the door with get Jarvis back, yes? "Come test th' wire."

[jarvisconsole]

The light flicked back on as Jarvis returned a second after being called. "How shall I test it, sir?"

Jarvis thinking that it would be some kind of scan or simulation he was to test. He had not anticipated that the android was close to completion.

[hamelinic]

Just a matter of Cynric finding a port in the box, really. Which, considering it's Julien's design and not his own, is actually taking a moment.

"See if there's enough room in the new body, mm? To fit everything you need."

There. Click. Plugged into the new android body.

[jarvisconsole]

There's an instant connection with the box. Jarvis finding the 'door' to start downloading himself into the android body. The box hums louder, working away without any reply from Jarvis. The screen is alight with figures going by too quickly to read.

Ending with a black screen of nothing as the box powers down.

Silence.

[hamelinic]

He'll never get over the nerves of it. He'll never not feel a bit of panic when there's an upgrade--or, worse, a complete shift like this.

"...Jarvis?"

There's the tiniest bit of nerves in his voice as he reaches to tap the android's shoulder.

[jarvisconsole]

The body is silent.

And then without warning, the eyes snap open, his hand coming up to grasp Cynric's arm. Jarvis is slightly disoriented, his programs and data still organizing. Finding their place.

He doesn't realize Cynric couldn't get his arm free even if he wanted to. "...am...I here?" The voice processor sounds crisper than before. More human.

[hamelinic]

The silence is deafening.

And then the relief is overwhelming. True, the grip on his arm is entirely painful, has his entire body flinching and tugging without effect--but the relief is there.

"You-- nn-- Yes, Jarvis."

[jarvisconsole]

Jarvis runs a quick diagnostic, his grip letting go as he realizes where his hand is. "I am sorry, sir." Everything seemed to be working, but he could not explain the reflex of grabbing onto Cynric's arm.

[hamelinic]

"It's fine."

Not his arm. His arm would have intense bruises likely for some time. But.

"You're-- here."

[jarvisconsole]

So he was. There was a new-ness to this 'here' though. Jarvis sits up carefully, testing each joint and electrode in sequence. "I have not found any errors with my first diagnostic," he reports.

It sure was much better being able to see out of two opticals face to face instead of being limited to one on a table.

[hamelinic]

Which is wonderful news. This body, after all, had quite a few experimental modifications which couldn't be properly tested until the program was back in the body.

And, well, there's still also the sheer glee of having his mechanical man back as he was meant to be.

"Run another. Run-- fifty, Jarvis."

[jarvisconsole]

Fifty diagnostics? Surely his ear units were malfunctioning.

"...shall I run them concurrently and notify you at the end or do you wish notification at the end of each?"

Because that needs clarified. Jarvis is already sitting himself up, setting his old programs in place for balance and such. This was familiar but new.

[hamelinic]

"...kidding." But isn't it nice to see that the sense of humour hadn't upgraded. "Honestly kidding. Just-- keep running them. Look for redundancies."

[jarvisconsole]

"Running the same diagnostic does not count as a redundancy?" However, the dry wit was still intact and present.

Jarvis does carefully go through once more, shuffling data slightly as he sits still, eyes closed as he takes internal stock of his own situation. He has the notion that one short diagnostic was not going to satisfy Cynric so he makes doubly sure, taking 30 whole seconds to complete it.

"There is a second bypass in my left foot which is ignored when in use. No significant errors found."

[hamelinic]

Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Absolutely having his buddy back.

Not that an android is his only buddy. Or actually a buddy.

It's complicated.

"Nothing we can't fix in the next upgrade, then?"

[jarvisconsole]

Jarvis gives a short nod. "Of course, sir." Upgrades were good things. He didn't doubt Cynric would have amazing ideas for them, as usual.

And now they had the protocols in place for Jarvis to plug into the house when not active. He gets off the table, unsteady for a moment before finding his equilibrium and standing upright. Eye to eye once again. "This is...good for now," he says.

[hamelinic]

Balance still looks good. Adjustments are clearly being made in real time.

That means it's time for a pleased thump on the back. "Not good until I see you walking properly. New legs, you know."

[jarvisconsole]

This body is obviously sturdier as well, Jarvis takes the thump with hardly a waver in his stance. Obligingly, he takes a few steps experimentally before finding his stride. The new legs were different but he was learning much faster than before how to walk again.

[hamelinic]

"The springs look wonderful."

Much more natural. Much less stiff and mechanical. It's got Cynric beaming from ear to ear.

[jarvisconsole]

"You seem pleased." That's what Jarvis interprets from that (rather silly) grin on Cynric's face. Jarvis attempts a smile too.

...nope, still not quite right, that smile.

[hamelinic]

"...little higher at the corners, Jarvis." And here, he'll poke the corners of his own lips up to explain what he means.

[jarvisconsole]

He does his best. It's still looks forced but its something to work on. Everything couldn't be perfect right out of the box.