[ORP] MADNESS? THIS IS--UTOPIA!!

[Auric Halcyon]

It was a day like any other for the children of the Utopia colony; the peaceful watchful gaze of the computer, Mother, the tired old warnings not to test the shield-dome of the adults, the chirp of birds in the eves, the passive sunlight dappling through trees. The kind of day that makes sitting around without anything to do besides independent study abhorrent for those with too much energy and nowhere to expel it.

It was only 9AM by the planet's time when someone sent a ship-wide message to all the other young children.

DEAR ALL,
I HAVE FINISHED MY GREATEST CREATION SINCE THE FORMULA FOR TRANSMUTING IRON TO GOLD! I SHALL UNVEIL THIS MAGNIFICENT DISCOVERY IN TWO HOURS TO THE APPRECIATION OF EVEN THE MOST PUERILE MINDS! BE PREPARED FOR MY GLORIOUS TRIUMPH IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE, IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE FOR THE SAKE OF SCIENCE! THIS BREAKTHROUGH COULD BE THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF ALL TIME!

This capitol-locked note is not signed, but it sounds exciting! Why not come and see this greatest discovery of all time... trouble is, the note sender did not specify *where* in the ship he or she is supposed to be unveilling this discovery. Hm. Well perhaps someone else might know where this is happening? If this was only sent to the children, then maybe they will know the sender? Of course, the sender might be an adult, so maybe they will know who sent it and where this unveiling is? Hey, at least this is better than taking crayons to the walls in an attempt to see if you can annoy mother to a frothing rage.

-
Deck 00- Mass Hall.

Empyrean lay with his head on the table, a bowl of half-eaten cereal in front of his hand, forgotten like a sad testament to the morning. In one hand he had clutched a portable computer-pad, diagnostics and strange code running down the screen. The table where he had laid his head was covered in small bits of metal and plastic, a few computer chips and drool. The drool was mostly about his mouth, since he had crashed and began snoring. His hectic habit for pulling insane hours in the science labs had started to show in the way he would simply fall asleep anywhere.

Behind the sleeping 'genius' was a large cloth-covered object. Approximately seven-foot in height it was propped upright by a grav-disk for ease of transport. The object had a vaguely humanoid appearance, although it was humming with cables and three orange lights blinking where the chest might be, even under its cover. The object seemed to loom behind him, a little ominously...  

[Lural]

Really, what was so wrong about wanting to keep a weapon with you at all time? Sure everyone says it's perfectly safe inside the shield dome... but what proof did they have? Aside from the fact that nothing had seemed to attack them yet. That was hardly proof. It was more like... a lucky coincident. Something could still go wrong at any moment, and Argent wouldn't be able to fight because once again, he was caught trying to sneak out with a weapon. Maybe he'd have to figure out how to make one. That wasn't really his thing though.

Now he was faced with a dilemma. Return to his room and clean up after his morning training, or obey the rumble in his stomach and go eat. The loud protest in his belly sealed the deal. He headed down to the mess hall, oblivious to the message that had been sent through the ship.

It looked fairly empty in here. Argent liked that. But what was that ominous glowing... thing over there? And the body slumped before it! Had he been attacked? No. Mother would have taken steps to ensure that no one would come here if there was something hostile... right? Gripping a plate of fried bread and meat products, Argent cautiously made his way towards the boy who seemed to have been-

Was he drooling? He was! This guy was actually asleep! He was making a mess of the table... but Argent didn't know how to really... bring it up.  

[Zasshurou]

Rinya was holed up in his room, as per usual, tapping out beats on his desk and pondering what to do today. His excursions to the library were all well and good, but he actually had a craving for something... more?
There was only so much energy that reading could expend.
He pondered going outside the ship, but shuddered at the thought. As alluring as it was, he wasn't quite that brave yet.
And then, as if an answer to his boredom, a message flashed.
Even in text form, Rinya could hear the loud, blaring excitement that seemed to emanate from the words.
'Greatest discovery of all time?'

He couldn't deny that he was curious, though it would likely mean he'd have to meet more people. That couldn't be a bad thing... He supposed. Perhaps.
Still. Where should he go?
There wasn't a location mentioned. Maybe one of the other kids would know.
After a few minutes of deliberation, Rinya tip-toed out of his room and to the elevator.
His best bet for finding others would be the bottommost deck, after all, most of the major facilities were there.

Humming to himself as the elevator descended, and as he paced down the hallway to the mess hall. He stepped in quietly, surveying the surroundings, and upon seeing the other two children, his humming stopped completely.
One seemed to be asleep, the other holding a tray of food. And then there was a big covered object, hovering.
Rinya gulped, and took a few steps forward shyly.
"Uhh... Did you... The message. Is this where it said to go?"  

[Auric Halcyon]

The object behind the sleeping scientist seemed to move. The blinking light that could still be seen, even under the sheet, grew, if anything, more insistent... like... a countdown, perhaps?

Empyrean was dreaming about quantum data flows that didn't have oscilating errors from crystal input. It made the computer run so fast and so efficient; he had revolutionized the world with these data flows! Oh, Mother would be so happy to have so much extra space in her memory banks. He would have--

Someone spoke above him, causing the scientist to snort, his drool cutting off mid stream. The quantum data flow designs slipped through his brain like sand through his fingers, causing him to almost weep uncontrollably. But no... he forgot almost as soon as his addled mind roused and his face lifted from the side of the table. He had a computer chip embedded in his cheek, and a strange black smear down his chin, like some sort of tribal marking. His eyes, hooded and confused, stared at the two boys in front of him... what coul...

Oh right. "Your here with the microchip I asked Mother for?" He looked between them, one had a breakfast tray and was giving him a look like Empyrean had drool and machine bits all over a table they wanted to use for eating off-- the other looked like he was not carrying a microchip...  

[Lural]

Argent looked at the other boy who had entered the room after him. "Message?" He had no idea what he was talking about. But the other boy was roused by the question, and he appeared to be waking up.

And it took everything in Argent's power not to laugh outright at Empyrean. The kid was kind of a mess, what with the drool and the strange black goatee and the...

"Ah, you have something... on your cheek." Argent said to the boy. He had no idea what was going on, or anything about a message. "What's that... thing behind you?"  

[Zasshurou]

Rinya bit his lip to stifle a giggle at the sight of the the sleepy boy, but at the inquiry raised his open hands and shook his head. He didn't know he was suppose to bring a microchip. Had that been in the message?
... No. He was pretty sure it hadn't.

He waited until Argent had finished speaking, and than raised a tumorous finger to point at the object as well. The flashing light hadn't escaped his attention, so he felt it warranted asking.
"Is that... uh... is that safe?  

[Auric Halcyon]

Empyrean swiped at his chin as indicated and smeared the blackness further, but managed to dislodge the microchip- he startled upright at the appearance of this chip that had left a faint imprint on his cheek and held it up with a triumphant 'Haha!' before remembering he was in a discussion with his peers.

"Behind me," He gestured vaguely to the covered monstrosity that was now flashing a red warning light, without bothering to turn, "is the greatest scientific invention of the century! This device, my dear, esteemed peers, will bring us closer to all the world around us, and create an unstoppable workforce, and therefore power! It is an end to tyranny of the adults! To the clusters of cold and frightened, unexplored avenues of this world that we stand upon! It also has a button that makes muffins--" he nodded his head and thumbed his chin, gesturing wildly to the now moving 'thing' behind him-- "it is so advanced that I expect few to understand the full depths of its programming, some might say I have made life! Made the next revolution in scientific advancement of--- why is it beeping like that?"

The object was indeed beeping, this was followed by an arm raising, robotic limb tearing off the covering to reveal a metal bodied mechanoid. The data pad under Empyrean's hand was reading a continued stream of errors, mostly in relation to the missing chip. He had turned it on to charge, forgetting to install the behaviour chip. The chip that gave it instructions and voice-command recognition software.

Empyrean looked down at the chip in his hand, trying to imagine what a half finished robot with no moral or behavioural imperatives might do... then it shot laser beams from its eyes, vaporising the chip in his hand. Empyrean yelped.  

[Lural]

Argent listened as Empyrean spoke. He really didn't get these other kids. But he did like the idea of work and power, so he was willing to listen. Though was Tyranny really what this guy thought of the adults? Well, they were the ones who wouldn't let him take a weapon from the training room. Inwardly, he shrugged.

Wait...

"I don't think that's an advancement." Argent said idly, picking up a piece of food and biting into it as the thing beeped at the dark haired boy. But as soon as that laser was fired, Argent reacted...

...flinging half a sausage at the machine.