6th Screw [Action/Video] - Backdated to the 9th

[all_wound_up]

[Action - Ichiban Market, Virgo District]

[It's been a few days since the market from home appeared in Hinoto-Ri, and Nano's taking full advantage of the convenience and familiarity of the location.  She spends a good few hours shopping around for various ingredients and household necessities, filling up her shopping bags with soy sauce, daikon radish, leeks, miso, rice, and all sorts of other ingredients common to traditional Japanese meals.  Feeling very at ease here in a place that's almost second nature to her, she hums cheerily to herself while she's collecting everything.

Unfortunately, after she's paid for everything and is carrying everything out in a large brown paper bag, her nice casual shopping trip takes a turn for the worse.  Right after emerging from the store, and completely without warning, Nano's left arm falls completely limp.  She lets out a surprised yell as the grocery bag goes tumbling from her arms, its contents spilling out all over the sidewalk.  Immediately recognizing something as deeply wrong, Nano glances around quickly and starts to scramble to pick everything up with her one good arm.]

[Video]

[Eventually Nano makes it home, and after no small amount of privately worrying and panicking, she turns on the COMP to reach out for some help.  It's not help she particularly wants to ask for, but she has no idea what's wrong or how to fix it on her own.  She's doing her best to hide the fact that one arm is completely out of commission, aiming the shot at her face only.]

U-um... I hate to impose, but is there anyone out there who knows a lot about fixing things?  My, um...

[She glances around the room briefly before returning her gaze to the camera.]

My television is broken!

Comments

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

[She nods.]

Definitely. It really looks like you just need some extra maintenance. I can't see any loose electrical connections, at least at the moment...oh, would it be more comfortable if I disconnected something?

[all_wound_up]

Um... if it would make it easier...

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

Well, no...if you trust me, I'll go ahead. I promise this won't hurt.

[She does so, concentrating for a minute or two.]

I'm sorry I didn't point out that I noticed earlier. I didn't really know how to bring it up, and it didn't really seem important...

[all_wound_up]

[Nano nods, letting her work.]

...How long did you know?

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

Well, I didn't have any hard evidence, but I've been pretty sure for a while.

Actually...a friend of mine back home is a robot who's meant to look human. She fooled us for a while, but thanks to her, I kind of knew what to look for.

[She carefully slides a gear to the right and tightens it slightly.]

Also, um...you never took your key off.

[all_wound_up]

...Oh.

[Nano blushes, sinking down into the chair just a little. It's always the stupid key, isn't it?]

Actually, um... it's because I can't.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

I figured as much. Your construction looks more like computerized clockwork than anything else, so a wind-up key makes sense.

...um, and being a robot's nothing to be worried about. Really. It makes less than no difference to me.

[all_wound_up]

That's certainly a relief. Maybe I was worrying over nothing after all.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

I never really get worked up about other peoples' backgrounds. I think that's made adjusting here a little easier...

[She checks over her work, continuing to polish.]

I think I've got this joint fixed. Do you want me to check your other ones? It looks like you just need regular maintenance.

[all_wound_up]

That could be. I tried so hard to hide what I am, that I didn't even think about that. Hakase always did it for me at home while I was sleeping.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

I think you're a little easier to maintain than a personal trooper, so I'll have a look.

If you don't mind, I mean.

[all_wound_up]

I've never been examined while I was awake before...

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

I've never worked on a robot who talked back before, but I promise I'll be careful.

[all_wound_up]

Well... all right. I trust you.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

[Latooni begins - carefully - to look at each of Nano's other joints in turn.]

...

Um, do you want to hear more about me? In exchange for me finding out about you, I mean.

[all_wound_up]

Of course! I mean, if it's all right with you.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

Alright.

I told you I'm a soldier, right? A pilot, specifically.

[all_wound_up]

Uh-huh.

[Nano nods, trying to keep her attention on Latooni's face and not on whatever else she's doing to look her over. Kind of like a kid in a doctor's office getting a check-up they're nervous about.]

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

Well...I was always a soldier. I don't remember anything before the training facility I and a bunch of other kids were in. My childhood was mostly combat simulations and exercises designed to increase my reaction speed and situational awareness.

[all_wound_up]

...What about your parents?

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

[She shakes her head, and concentrates on adjusting the next panel.]

I don't remember them, and I never did find any records. For all I know I was cloned from another girl or something.

I...well, I didn't escape so much as The School lost me, but I eventually left and Garnet and Giado adopted me, though.

[all_wound_up]

Lost you? How did that happen?

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

I crashed.

[She makes another small, precise adjustment.]

They didn't come looking for me.

After the program was shut down, I was told by an old administrator that my whole class was considered a failure. A few of my friends from other classes made it out, though.

[all_wound_up]

I'm sorry... that sounds terrible.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

It was less terrible when I left. I wound up joining the army, but a lot of people there cared about me. I never really did figure out why, but I'm happy to have them as my friends.