The death of Jake English was certainly making waves, and lots of them.
Jake English had been an outspoken man; he was against implanting tracker chips, against mandatory cybernetic modifications, against CrockerCorp's monopoly on The Web and their monopoly on space exploration. He'd created SkiaNet, the only direct competitor to CrockerCorp's megacompany. He'd gone on intergalactic television and declared that if Ms. Crocker had any guts left in her yellow belly at all she would 'fight him in a proper duel at dawn, you fishy tyrant!'
It wasn't very hard to see why Jake English had been killed. The real mystery was why it had been a SkiaNet robot that did it.
Not just any robot either, the robot was Jake English's famous sparring robot and bodyguard. Brobot was the first completely free thinking AI android that either Prospit or Derse had ever seen. Even CrockerCorp had never been able to recreate it; Brobot's design could have revolutionized worlds. That would never happen now that it had been seen standing over Jake's corpse, metallic hands outstretched and waiting to be arrested.
The scene, captured on film and broadcast intergalactically, was a damning one. And it wasn't just damning for Jake English's company but also for the man who had made Brobot in his image: Dirk Strider. He was SkiaNet's chief roboticist and the sole creator of the android.
Which was why Jane was going to talk to him first, if she could ever get a hold of the man. It felt like he had more distracting AIs than Jane had disguises in her chest. Every time she thought she had found the real Dirk Strider it turned out to be another robot.
It would have helped if the receptionist would stop being so damned cagey with her.
"Why are you even going after a guy in mourning?" The receptionist was a pretty young woman who had both a half finished martini and a distinctive slur to her voice. Jane didn't exactly have to put her detective skills to use in order to deduce the girl was drunk. Probably because her boss was dead and SkiaNet wasn't likely to survive much longer. "I'm sure Dirk is off crying his little metal heart out, give the man some peace! His best friend died."
The receptionist shook her head solemnly and then attempted what appeared to be a go at downing her drink in an equally solemn manner. Jane watched as she put her drink down and then started typing on the desk. Jane had always been jealous of people who could afford the desk computers, the technology was as advanced as it was expensive. When the woman finished she took out a shaker from under her desk and poured herself another drink.
"Now see here young lady," Jane crossed her arms, wearing her sternest look, one that came courtesy of her Dad. "I understand this is a hard time for everyone but I need to talk with Mr. Strider while everything is fresh in his mind. If you wouldn't mind miss...?"
"Roxy." The girl, Roxy, winked at her. "Roxy Lalonde."
And it appeared the mystery had begun to thicken. Jane pointedly ignored the wink, it was very silly. However it looked like the receptionist was on her list of people to talk to as well. She just hadn't known how she was going to go about it. Roxy Lalonde was the daughter of a rather well known celebrity and had famously inherited 'unreal' amounts of money. Money she had magnanimously poured into SkiaNet.
What Roxy Lalonde was doing in SkiaNet's head office acting the part of a receptionist was a mystery that needed to be gotten to the bottom to. Jane's famous detective's gut was telling her this was most definitely an important development.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Lalonde." Jane gave her an affable smile and a nod. "I would very much like if we-"
"So, you didn't tell me your name." Roxy smiled back at her. She really was a pretty woman, especially when she smiled. Her fuchsia eyes were most likely mechanical implants, but they looked nice framed by her white eyelashes and it stood out starkly against her dark skin. "I need to know who to tag on my blog." She picked her glass back up and had another long drink from it.
Jane had the urge to just pluck the drink out of her hands and tell the girl she had clearly had enough, but she was hardly Roxy's mother and alcohol was as good a tongue loosener as any. "Apologies, I'm Jane Crocker." It occurred to her that her name might not help her much here, but Roxy didn't seem to react much besides swaying slightly in her seat. "I'm a detective in the homicide department."
"Nice to meet you, Janey." Roxy put out her hand for a handshake, the movement almost exaggerated in nature. Jane took it and gave it a quick shake, a little surprised when Roxy squeezed her hand before letting go. "You were saying?"
"Just that I think we should talk." She was happy they were coming back around to business. She got the feeling Roxy was probably very good at running people around in circles. "I heard you knew Mr. English well."
"We were pretty good friends. He was a great guy." Roxy sighed and looked away. "You know, I'm surprised there's even an investigation on this. I thought they'd just melt down Brobot, arrest Dirk and be done with it."
Jane resisted the urge to wince, because that had been the exact suggestion made. The pressure from CrockerCorp to quickly close the book on this case and neatly disassemble SkiaNet had been immense. But Jane was a true gumshoe, and she never shirked her duties! "Well I just want to make sure that nothing had interfered with the robot before we jump to any conclusions. Hence why I wanted to see Mr. Strider."
Roxy turned back to look at her, her bright eyes sharp. As she leaned in, Jane couldn't help but wonder just how drunk this woman really was. "Oh something interfering with that robot alright, but it wasn't Dirk."
Now that was interesting. "Do you know something pertinent to the investigation, Ms. Lalonde?"
And then it was gone, Roxy's sobriety vanished as though it had never really been there. She was smiling and waving her hand dismissively. "Pleaaase, call me Roxy! Or Rox, or Ro-lal or anything else. Whenever people call me Ms. Lalonde I feel like I'm talking to my mother." She rolled her eyes.
"Alright." Jane didn't really understand the aversion to the name, but she did know a stalling tactic when she saw one. It was going to take more than that to trick her! "Do you know something I should know about, Roxy?"
"Maybe." There was definitely something sly about this Roxy. Jane had suspected, but this confirmed it for her. She knew more than she was letting on. "And maybe I'll tell it to you if you take me out for a drink."
"A drink?" Jane raised her eyebrows and looked pointedly at the half finished martini on the ridiculously expensive desk. "You already have a drink."
"Yes, but I'm paying for that one."
She frowned, deciding to make a last ditch effort at protocol. "You know, withholding information from the police is a crime."
"It's only a crime if you can prove I'm withholding it." Jane was graced with another wink. "Now what do you say? Will the cute detective take the hot receptionist out for a drink or should I break out my nail file and get back to work?"
Jane didn't blush, but it was a near thing. It wasn't often the people she interviewed called her cute, usually it was much nastier things. But this girl was clearly a joker, and Jane could respect that. "Just one drink. That's it." She didn't need to get sloshed in front of what could be a valuable witness.
"Perfect." Roxy smiled warmly at her and then began to type furiously on the desk. the image of a cartoon speaker showed up and she spoke into it. "Di-Stri, I'm taking the day off. I've got a hot date!"
The voice that came back from the desk was deep and familiar. Jane had heard it on the news more than once and she had been listening to automated recordings of it running her around in circles. "I don't know why you're telling me this. I told you not to even show up."
This Di-Stri was obviously Dirk Strider and quite possibly the real version of him too. She could hardly let the opportunity go to waste. "Mr. Strider," She interjected, "My name is Jane Crocker and I would like to-"
"Okay, byyyye!" Roxy talked over her hurriedly and made a slashing sign on the desk to end the call. Jane looked up at her in shock and Roxy just grinned at her, standing up. "So how about that drink? I know a great place on Derse's moon. You're gonna love it."
For what was supposed to be an open and shut case Jane got the feeling that this was going to be a very long investigation indeed.
FILL: TEAM Dave<3Terezi
---
The death of Jake English was certainly making waves, and lots of them.
Jake English had been an outspoken man; he was against implanting tracker chips, against mandatory cybernetic modifications, against CrockerCorp's monopoly on The Web and their monopoly on space exploration. He'd created SkiaNet, the only direct competitor to CrockerCorp's megacompany. He'd gone on intergalactic television and declared that if Ms. Crocker had any guts left in her yellow belly at all she would 'fight him in a proper duel at dawn, you fishy tyrant!'
It wasn't very hard to see why Jake English had been killed. The real mystery was why it had been a SkiaNet robot that did it.
Not just any robot either, the robot was Jake English's famous sparring robot and bodyguard. Brobot was the first completely free thinking AI android that either Prospit or Derse had ever seen. Even CrockerCorp had never been able to recreate it; Brobot's design could have revolutionized worlds. That would never happen now that it had been seen standing over Jake's corpse, metallic hands outstretched and waiting to be arrested.
The scene, captured on film and broadcast intergalactically, was a damning one. And it wasn't just damning for Jake English's company but also for the man who had made Brobot in his image: Dirk Strider. He was SkiaNet's chief roboticist and the sole creator of the android.
Which was why Jane was going to talk to him first, if she could ever get a hold of the man. It felt like he had more distracting AIs than Jane had disguises in her chest. Every time she thought she had found the real Dirk Strider it turned out to be another robot.
It would have helped if the receptionist would stop being so damned cagey with her.
"Why are you even going after a guy in mourning?" The receptionist was a pretty young woman who had both a half finished martini and a distinctive slur to her voice. Jane didn't exactly have to put her detective skills to use in order to deduce the girl was drunk. Probably because her boss was dead and SkiaNet wasn't likely to survive much longer. "I'm sure Dirk is off crying his little metal heart out, give the man some peace! His best friend died."
The receptionist shook her head solemnly and then attempted what appeared to be a go at downing her drink in an equally solemn manner. Jane watched as she put her drink down and then started typing on the desk. Jane had always been jealous of people who could afford the desk computers, the technology was as advanced as it was expensive. When the woman finished she took out a shaker from under her desk and poured herself another drink.
"Now see here young lady," Jane crossed her arms, wearing her sternest look, one that came courtesy of her Dad. "I understand this is a hard time for everyone but I need to talk with Mr. Strider while everything is fresh in his mind. If you wouldn't mind miss...?"
"Roxy." The girl, Roxy, winked at her. "Roxy Lalonde."
And it appeared the mystery had begun to thicken. Jane pointedly ignored the wink, it was very silly. However it looked like the receptionist was on her list of people to talk to as well. She just hadn't known how she was going to go about it. Roxy Lalonde was the daughter of a rather well known celebrity and had famously inherited 'unreal' amounts of money. Money she had magnanimously poured into SkiaNet.
What Roxy Lalonde was doing in SkiaNet's head office acting the part of a receptionist was a mystery that needed to be gotten to the bottom to. Jane's famous detective's gut was telling her this was most definitely an important development.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Lalonde." Jane gave her an affable smile and a nod. "I would very much like if we-"
"So, you didn't tell me your name." Roxy smiled back at her. She really was a pretty woman, especially when she smiled. Her fuchsia eyes were most likely mechanical implants, but they looked nice framed by her white eyelashes and it stood out starkly against her dark skin. "I need to know who to tag on my blog." She picked her glass back up and had another long drink from it.
Jane had the urge to just pluck the drink out of her hands and tell the girl she had clearly had enough, but she was hardly Roxy's mother and alcohol was as good a tongue loosener as any. "Apologies, I'm Jane Crocker." It occurred to her that her name might not help her much here, but Roxy didn't seem to react much besides swaying slightly in her seat. "I'm a detective in the homicide department."
"Nice to meet you, Janey." Roxy put out her hand for a handshake, the movement almost exaggerated in nature. Jane took it and gave it a quick shake, a little surprised when Roxy squeezed her hand before letting go. "You were saying?"
"Just that I think we should talk." She was happy they were coming back around to business. She got the feeling Roxy was probably very good at running people around in circles. "I heard you knew Mr. English well."
"We were pretty good friends. He was a great guy." Roxy sighed and looked away. "You know, I'm surprised there's even an investigation on this. I thought they'd just melt down Brobot, arrest Dirk and be done with it."
Jane resisted the urge to wince, because that had been the exact suggestion made. The pressure from CrockerCorp to quickly close the book on this case and neatly disassemble SkiaNet had been immense. But Jane was a true gumshoe, and she never shirked her duties! "Well I just want to make sure that nothing had interfered with the robot before we jump to any conclusions. Hence why I wanted to see Mr. Strider."
Roxy turned back to look at her, her bright eyes sharp. As she leaned in, Jane couldn't help but wonder just how drunk this woman really was. "Oh something interfering with that robot alright, but it wasn't Dirk."
Now that was interesting. "Do you know something pertinent to the investigation, Ms. Lalonde?"
And then it was gone, Roxy's sobriety vanished as though it had never really been there. She was smiling and waving her hand dismissively. "Pleaaase, call me Roxy! Or Rox, or Ro-lal or anything else. Whenever people call me Ms. Lalonde I feel like I'm talking to my mother." She rolled her eyes.
"Alright." Jane didn't really understand the aversion to the name, but she did know a stalling tactic when she saw one. It was going to take more than that to trick her! "Do you know something I should know about, Roxy?"
"Maybe." There was definitely something sly about this Roxy. Jane had suspected, but this confirmed it for her. She knew more than she was letting on. "And maybe I'll tell it to you if you take me out for a drink."
"A drink?" Jane raised her eyebrows and looked pointedly at the half finished martini on the ridiculously expensive desk. "You already have a drink."
"Yes, but I'm paying for that one."
She frowned, deciding to make a last ditch effort at protocol. "You know, withholding information from the police is a crime."
"It's only a crime if you can prove I'm withholding it." Jane was graced with another wink. "Now what do you say? Will the cute detective take the hot receptionist out for a drink or should I break out my nail file and get back to work?"
Jane didn't blush, but it was a near thing. It wasn't often the people she interviewed called her cute, usually it was much nastier things. But this girl was clearly a joker, and Jane could respect that. "Just one drink. That's it." She didn't need to get sloshed in front of what could be a valuable witness.
"Perfect." Roxy smiled warmly at her and then began to type furiously on the desk. the image of a cartoon speaker showed up and she spoke into it. "Di-Stri, I'm taking the day off. I've got a hot date!"
The voice that came back from the desk was deep and familiar. Jane had heard it on the news more than once and she had been listening to automated recordings of it running her around in circles. "I don't know why you're telling me this. I told you not to even show up."
This Di-Stri was obviously Dirk Strider and quite possibly the real version of him too. She could hardly let the opportunity go to waste. "Mr. Strider," She interjected, "My name is Jane Crocker and I would like to-"
"Okay, byyyye!" Roxy talked over her hurriedly and made a slashing sign on the desk to end the call. Jane looked up at her in shock and Roxy just grinned at her, standing up. "So how about that drink? I know a great place on Derse's moon. You're gonna love it."
For what was supposed to be an open and shut case Jane got the feeling that this was going to be a very long investigation indeed.