Purpose Of Meaning (Abzerute/Hiem-L)

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<sub>Power Level - 8,000

Word Count - 589</sub>

“This is turning out to be more problematic than my initial calculations had suggested,” muttered one of the engineers as he loomed over the worktable, studying his ‘patient’ in a manner that only a dedicated scientist could. Complete with the occasional ‘hmm’ and ‘ah-ah’, he seemed far too preoccupied with trying to solve the riddle of his own creation’s design. Hiem-L-01 himself lay upon said table, panels open and exposing the intricacies of his inner workings to all. Minor damages received during his stress tests had been repaired, from a few fried wires to some auxiliary engine heat stress. Somehow, the ‘Arcosoid’ had managed to overclock his systems a little, much to the confusion of the science team in charge. “At least we can dispose of that horrid representation of Lord Abzerute now.”

“So, that is definitely not the Emperor?” the android asked, still somewhat perplexed by the whole situation. The fact that he had been duped into believing such a thing was nothing short of disappointing on his half, but the intent of his inventors had been made clear. It was a test – a sort of stress test in terms of tactical capabilities – and nothing more. Regardless, the mechanical marvel’s success had been duly noted, and perhaps sparked a renewed interest among other teams of the science facilities across Yardrat.

“Indeed. The real Lord Abzerute has been sent all the information regarding your recent testing and, provided that he isn’t preoccupied with other business, I daresay he might even be on his way right now!” Ignoring the scientist’s apparent mix of giddiness and anxiety, the prototype protector remained somewhat motionless, analysing its own personal string code and algorithms from within. A quick change of priority values regarding the false liege secured an open mind in regards to the real deal, though 01 had the distinct benefit of not being able to judge based on first impressions. Still, he pondered; what kind of strengths did the Arcosian Emperor possess?

^{“I will be able to meet the Emperor soon, then?” Hiem-L quizzed:
“I shall look forward to serving his lordship.”}

“Arcose be d@mned,” the scientist cursed curiously, withdrawing from the synthetic soldier’s still form and scratching his jaw. Through the glass pane that was his façade, Hiem-L-01 observed the unusual behaviour. The minimalistic lighting display upon the black glaze was somewhat foreboding, though the engineer quickly waved a hand dismissively and proceeded to explain himself: “Don’t mind that outburst, 01. I appear to have overlooked some of your specifications when designing additional equipment and augmentations, so I’m going to have to refrain from installing some of them immediately until we can tune your systems further. However, I have installed sufficient ballast arrangements. It’s up to you to figure out how, but you should be able to use your Ki as a means of propulsion!”

^{“I can achieve aerial mobility?”}

^{“Yes, you can fly,” the answer seemed odd:
“That is to say, you can learn how to fly.”}

“Duly noted,” the machine affirmed with an oddly smooth nod. Meanwhile, the scientist finished tinkering and sealed up the assortment of panels, leaving the Arcosoid in his appropriate state of being. Taking his leave, Hiem-L rhythmically sat and stood from the worktable upon which he had been resting, once again towering above others at his rather impressive height of two metres. Lights flickered upon the facial pane, fingers flexed and his segmented tail coiled – a meeting with his lordship Abzerute was soon to be a reality. Sooner, perhaps, than anyone had initially assumed…

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_{Hiem-L-01 (40e0d0)
Scientist (eeeeee)}

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<sub>Power Level - 8,000

Word Count - 438</sub>

“So, this is your prototype?” asked a voice as of yet unfamiliar to the auditory sensors of Hiem-L-01, piquing the interest of Arcosian Android as much as it did the attentions of the scientists. With a sense of strong camaraderie filling the air, every engineer, chemist, biologist and physicist involved in the laboratory’s various projects turned, dropped what they were doing, and provided the newcomer an assortment of strictly disciplined salutes and bows. Indeed, the hectic synchronicity amongst them all was uncannily mechanical and heavily choreographed, almost as if such routine had been programmed deep into their own biological hard drives.

While the lead scientist awaited his liege’s pardon, proceeding to offer greetings and answers as soon as he was able, the focus of the Imperial’s attentions was hard at work. In a matter of milliseconds, he’d appropriately assigned an entire chunk of his internal database to the bronzed being that graced the facility with his presence – an individual that was not at all dissimilar from the artificial effigy that previous stress testing had had him protect. Admittedly, this one was most definitely a living being, not some weird synthetic construct that never spoke.

^{“My Emperor,” the scientist announced proudly:
“I present to you, Hiem-L-01 – our prototype ‘Arcosoid’.”}

“Lord Abzerute, it is an honour to meet you in person,” the synthetic solider spoke, showing the somewhat more sociable side of his artificial intelligence. Following in the footsteps of his creators, he lowered his stance into something of a traditional bow to the Emperor, offering a sharp and militaristic salute just prior to doing so. Practically every piece of sensory equipment within his steely skull was running at maximum capacity, taking in every little detail in the surroundings just to make sure that nothing untoward would occur. What was this? Some sense of anxiety – driven solely by algorithm and protocol – had taken a hold of the android’s inner workings. If something happened and the Emperor took a hit, would this not be a horrendous display of inadequacy?

“We’ve performed numerous stress tests – both through basic VR and physical courses – and 01 has proven capable. Admittedly, there are still tests we would like to perform, such as pitting him against a live opponent. The present off-world endeavours of the Empire have left us with something of a lack of capable and willing fighters against whom to test his combative abilities,” the engineer explained, swiftly but clearly so as not to take up too much time. “Some just aren’t too fond of the project’s goals, I’d imagine.”

“My purpose is the defence of and servitude to you, my Emperor,” Hiem-L added…

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_{Hiem-L-01 (40e0d0)
Abzerute (d6a60f)
Scientist (eeeeee)}

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<sub>Power Level - 8,000

Word Count - 477</sub>

“Affirmative, my lord,” Hiem-L-01 nodded. It was most unlike him to be inefficient when it came to the conservation of vital resources. Even something as simple as a salute took energy. However, a sense of urgency – perhaps even anxiety – had taken hold of the android’ innards. This first encounter with the living, breathing Emperor of the Arcosian Territories was nothing short of exhilarating. Quite simply, it could only be explained as an overwhelming need to follow strict protocol, to the point where he felt he could not be as sparing of his power reserves as he might have liked. This abnormality was quickly recorded, his liege’s words taken heed of.

“What’s the expected growth rate of its Power Level?” Abzerute asked, to which the scientist responded at first by shuffling through a series of clipboard papers and documents on his virtual console alike. Meanwhile, the Arcosoid stood ready. Judging by what had been stated, it seemed the Emperor himself was more than willing to serve as a biological test subject – the focus of 01’s entire programming and design was now presenting himself as a target against which to train. It was the most unusual contradiction of protocol, but at the same time it seemed an incredibly logical step.

“Well, our last scans clocked him in at a Power Level of almost precisely eight thousand,” the engineer answered. “That was during his most recent stress test. The exact rate of growth is variable, given his design, so I can’t say for sure how quickly Hiem-L will develop. However, he’s capable of underdoing all of the typical training regimes that we organic beings can, so I suppose it depends on how exactly we continue to train him. As for armaments, most of his abilities can be generated of his own accord – his artificial intelligence can develop and adapt as he deems necessary. We could develop and install active weapons into his body, if you believe that to be beneficial of course, my lord?”

^{“If I may?” the Arcosian Android asked:
“It would be an honour to spar against you, Lord Abzerure.”}

“Given the circumstances, that would be ideal. Having a semblance of how your Lordship fights would be beneficial both to 01’s personal data as well as any future developments regarding the project. I must admit, I’m rather fascinated that the two of you would agree to such an arrangement, but who am I to complain? Admittedly, your Power Level differences may be rather… drastic?” Scratching his head, the scientist looked to each in turn. The synthetic solider himself ignored the unusual look, not to mention the comment in regards to statistical differences. Even without the sufficient abilities or equipment to read such things as Power Levels, there was not an ounce of doubt in his artificial mind that Abzerute was far superior to him in terms of strength…

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_{Hiem-L-01 (40e0d0)
Abzerute (d6a60f)
Scientist (eeeeee)}

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<sub>Power Level - 8,000

Word Count - 543</sub>

“Of course, of course,” the scientist answered. A little flustered by his own poor wording choices, the alien engineer gestured towards the far end of the laboratory’s main bay. As far as he was concerned, the sooner he got some rest, the better. Even Hiem-L-01 had to admit silently that he had never once seen said scientist absent from the facility for anything more than a couple of hours – his dedication to the project was unmistakeable. “I must excuse myself – I have some secondary projects to attend to. 01, would you please escort Lord Abzerute to the testing grounds?”

^{“Affirmative,” the Arcosoid nodded:
“The testing grounds are this way, my lord.”}

Swiftly turning, the synthetic sentinel began to advance across the neat flooring of the facility and towards a set of sliding doors at the opposite end. As he walked, he passively observed numerous workbenches and sophisticated mechanisms – a couple of workers were busy making repairs to one of the testing automaton’s primary armaments. The bulky machine seemed anything but dangerous now, laying there upon a large table with its armour plating peeled away, circuits and inner gears on display. On another rack was what he assumed to be the endoskeleton of his own form, looking rather pitiful as robotic precision tools welded and smoothed the high quality alloys. The possibility of a second ‘Hiem-L’ was more than likely, though such things remained to be seen.

I should consider myself honoured that Emperor Abzerute himself wishes to train me in his stead… Running through various algorithms and databanks, the mechanical marvel loosely defined this sense of honour as something worth having. This was quite literally the one individual in the entirety of the cosmos that he idolised, coming to meet him in person and provide him with the exercise necessary to improve and develop in a way that scientific tests alone could not manage. Though it might have been an artificial fanaticism instilled within him from his dawn in this world, it felt very, very real.

Shwish…! The doors opened at his presence, presenting a short corridor. It was all too familiar a sight. At the far end, Hiem-L’s scanners recognised the elevator doors through which the scientists accessed the upper observation decks – that strange nest from which they could scrutinise his every movement. On the left was another doorway, this one providing access to the chamber itself. A large white cube chamber whose walls, floor and ceiling could shift thanks to the engineering involved. Though it may not have been capable of applying artificial gravity, it was nonetheless considered a state-of-the-art testing facility, and it had certainly served its purpose.

“If this suits our needs, then this arena shall serve as our battleground, Emperor Abzerute,” the prototype stated, turning to face his lordship. The arrangement of lighting on his dark glaze gave away nothing save for the vestigial representations of what might have been an expressionless façade. Emotion was – as far as scientific engineering was concerned – a factor better removed. Spacing himself appropriately from the bronzed one, 01 adopted a loose fighting stance and nodded: “I look forward to seeing what you are capable of in person – to learn from you so that I may better myself and fulfill my sworn duties.”

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_{Hiem-L-01 (40e0d0)
Abzerute (d6a60f)
Scientist (eeeeee)}

SPOILER: Click to show

<sub>Power Level - 8,000

Word Count - 369</sub>

“Time to test your mettle,” Lord Abzerute announced. Even if the Emperor mentally groaned at his unintentional pun, Hiem-L-01 did not. The poor humour was lost upon him… fortunately. Braced for his liege’s first testing, the synthetic soldier watched through dark glaze as the Arcosian leader raised a hand and – seemingly without much effort – discharged one of the most common forms of assault. A standard run-of-the-mill ‘bullet’ of Ki flew towards him; an attack type which, up until now, he had only seen in artificially generated form. This was, quite literally, a fresh experience.

Hindrun: Ready… Though presented with a multitude of options, the purpose of this little sparring match seemed to have a second layer. The speed of the projectile was easy enough to calculate and compare to his accelerative capacity, but the Arcosoid knew for a fact that dodging such an attack was not going to prove his protective power. Instead, and more readily, he opted into the deployment of one of his most refined aspects of his engineering.

^Bzzzzt!

All across the artificial intelligence’s body surged a crackling, buzzing light. Like arcs of electricity dancing between bare wires, following the crisp and clean contours of his physique, a deep blue membrane of artificially generated Ki encompassed him. One of the best ways to defend his charge from incoming and unexpected attacks was to put himself in harm’s way – a selfless act that could well end up expending his ‘life’ like some petty resource. To that end, his generators had been tuned and his algorithms determined to help counterbalance such a thing. The result was this – ‘Hindrun’.

This strength from a single Ki projectile…? It appears they were not wrong about his majesty’s power… The bolt of Ki striking him square, even through the barrier could ‘01’ feel the force behind such a seemingly mundane attack. Just what kind of strength did the Emperor have when he went all out? Ideally not having to witness such feats of formidability at any point in the near future, the prototype protector managed to resist what he assumed was most of the assault’s energy. However, he opted not into repelling the leftovers of Ki, the energy of both participants dissipating…

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<sub>Just realised that this is quite literally my first proper fight (even if it is just sparring) here on site!

Hindrun [N1]
‘Barrier’
Hiem-L-01 coats his body in a tight field of surging electrical energy for a short period, granting him protection from the next attack that hits him, up to 33% of his Power Level.

Hiem-L-01 (40e0d0)
Abzerute (d6a60f)
Scientist (eeeeee)</sub>

SPOILER: Click to show

<sub>Power Level - 8,000

Word Count - 255</sub>

“Confirmed,” Hiem-L-01 responded. The Emperor’s orders were clear – he wanted to see for himself how the Arcosoid handled as a combatant. The prototype had no choice but to oblige. In simply tasting the power that had been projected at him just seconds ago, he was well aware that his opposition outmatched him; the chance of even his most brutal offensive doing substantial harm was minimal at best. While the knowledge of that fact was somewhat disheartening, it hardly even fazed him. It just gave him a greater purpose – a more tangible and admittedly less stale objective than his programming considered.

My offensive capabilities are minimal at present, but so be it. If Emperor Abzerute orders it, then I shall demonstrate… Ki engines charged in silence, the synthetic sentinel throwing what seemed to be a straight jab despite the distance that still remained between him as his liege. Blue energy crackled briefly, arcing from his fingertips and forming a streaking bullet of artificial aura. In essence, the same attack that he had just blocked.

However, Hiem-L didn’t stop there.

In the wake of his initial attack, he bolted forwards. Swiftly, he attempted to close the gap, priming his alternate hand for a direct body blow as he closed the gap. It was an all-out assault – something that 01 would have not committed to against anything but a serious threat. A sense of duty prevailed, even so, driving him to demonstrate exactly what he was made of for the person that mattered most to his artificial intelligence…

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<sub>This is a short one. I’ve been super busy with my other sites and stuff, so my mind’s kind of wandered elsewhere.

Hiem-L-01 (40e0d0)
Abzerute (d6a60f)
Scientist (eeeeee)</sub>

SPOILER: Click to show

<sub>Power Level - 8,000

Word Count - 334</sub>

It appears that my assessment was accurate, Hiem–L–01 noted. Optical sensors observed as Emperor Abzerute effortlessly deflected the artificial energy bolt. Undoubtedly, this Arcosian’s capabilities were far in excess of what the robotic replica could manage – why would they not be? Nonetheless, the Arcosoid followed up, his strike landing hard and clean. The Emperor did not even flinch. Once again, their power difference had been made clear as crystal, further solidifying the fact that there was much for him to learn before he could even consider himself apt for his duty. Hiem–L stepped back and abandoned his combative stance.

“You’re programmed to obey the Emperor,” Abzerute stated.

^{“Affirmative,” 01 nodded.}

“Then I shall give you this primary order,” the Emperor continued. Listening intently, the artificial Arcosian registered a lot of words which it had never really heard of before. He scoured his databanks. Knowledge of the planet ‘Namek’ existed, its cosmic coordinates having been readily documented as part of his mapping systems, but ‘Dragon Balls’ were not something he could bring up any data on. However, he duly documented their power – those mystical objects were somehow capable of resurrection. He could not help but question; what else were such objects capable of?

^{“Is this understood…?”}

“I will do whatever is within my power to obey this directive, Emperor Abzerute,” the prototype saluted. He watched as the bronzed one turned and walked away, following steadily in his wake. Additional orders were dished out – upgrades of various calibre. The more technology was implemented, the more effective he would be, but armament alone did not a weapon make. How many others were there in the cosmos who shared, perhaps even exceeded his liege’s level of power? That was a question that the AI asked himself, knowing that if he could not even hope to stand against someone of that power, his chances of fulfilling those wishes were minimal at best. This was a conundrum – one which he hoped he would not have to solve…

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^END

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_{Hiem-L-01 (40e0d0)
Abzerute (d6a60f)
Scientist (eeeeee)}