2013.06.18 - Close Encounters of the 157th Kind

So far the day has gone pretty well for Justin. At least, he thinks it has. The Guidance and Sensory Array Lab gave some favorable reports this morning, he may have a new business contact that could prove very useful, and the quarterly financial meeting went far better than expected. So with all that over with, the CEO decided to head over to the little family run ice cream shop that he frequents pretty regularly. The shop, a small place located near the Staten Island Mall, is pretty unassuming at first and not overly busy this afternoon, with several of the tables in the open space left empty. Hammer sits at one of the tables toward the back, by himself, eating the ice cream he bought. He has his phone out, and is scrolling through something on it's screen, likely catching up on any emails he missed while in the financial meeting. One of the plain-clothes security guards he now seems to have with him everywhere is standing against the wall behind the CEO, keeping an eye on the shop in general.

Threats guards watch out for tend to be taller than the small, oddly-dressed, quiet youth who just came out of the bathroom. Funny, since people have been in and out of there for several minutes now and he wasn't one of the ones who entered. Without hesitation, but moving at a pace somewhere between "slow as molasses" and "glacial," the strange robed kid walks directly towards Hammer, ignoring the presence of the plainclothes guard. "Confirmed: Justin Hammer. CEO, Hammer Industries. Association: military. Defense contractor. Priority observation target," he says as he nears, in slow, even, near-monotone.

The guard does notice the kid, turning to watch him for a moment. He blinks a few times, trying to remember if he saw the boy walk in, or if he had missed him completely. While he contemplates this possible failing in his situational awareness his boss remains completely oblivious, still concentrating on his phone, and his ice cream. That is, until the kid speaks. Both the guard and Hammer snap to look at the kid, almost comically. Before he can stop himself, the rather shocked looking Justin mumbles a surprised "What the hell?" as the guard takes a step away from the wall, holding out his hand. "Stop right there, kid," the big man says in a tone of authority. The guard isn't small, standing well over 6 feet and built like a linebacker.

157 stops, though in the process he /nearly/ trips--a combination of an apparent lack of physical coordination in general and a very heavy-looking backpack. He rights himself, though, and remains where he is, staring towards Justin emotionlessly for several moments before he turns his attention to the guard...and then just ignores him and turns his attention to Justin again. "Query: What the hell? Probable meaning: Request for explanation of approach of this unit. This unit identified subject designated 'Justin Hammer' as priority observation target, association: military. This unit approached to observe current actions. Subject Justin Hammer consuming energy source designated 'ice cream'. Information required: Identify flavor. Information required: Describe taste."

The look of utter confusion on Justin's face is truly priceless. It's rare that something strikes the CEO completely dumb, and this has. The effect seems to have settled on the guard too, who has dropped his hand and just taken to staring at the kid unbelieving. Finally, as if not trusting what he's seeing, Hammer looks to his security guard, then toward the front counter. Maria, the young woman who generally works alongside her sister dishing out ice cream, likewise seems puzzled and simply gives the well-dressed man a shrug of her shoulders. Well, at least Justin isn't hallucinating. His first instinct is to snap at the kid, tell him to take his games elsewhere and leave him alone, but with people watching, he can't exactly do that. So he forces a grin and a light chuckle. "Cute act, kid. You a street busker?"

"Statement: Cute act, kid. Clarification: This unit is not acting. Query: Are you a street busker? Answer: Negative. This unit is an observation and information retrieval unit created by access denied. This unit was sent by access denied to planet designated 'Earth' to observe." 157 remains standing still but for speaking. "Information required: Identify flavor. Information required: Describe taste." A pause. "This unit requires energy sources."

"You seeing this?" Justin says, waving his left hand toward the boy while hee looks up toward the guard, who's still just staring blankly. Justin shifts his gaze back down to he kid, throwing another glance toward Maria to see if she's still watching (which she is) before he responds. "Really? You're really some sort of an alien observation unit?" Another chuckle, but like the first it doesn't have any real humor in it. "OK, I'll bite. This," the man points at his dish of ice cream with the spoon in his right hand, "...is Marshmallow Pistachio. It tastes like it sounds- like pistachios and marshmallows. I highly recommend it." There, he answered the creepy brat's question, now will he go away?

"Query: You are really some sort of an alien observation unit? Answer: Affirmative. Statement: It tastes like it sounds - like pistachios and marshmellows. This unit has not tasted pistachios or marshmellows. This unit will take sample." And with that, he starts walking towards Hammer's table again. The guard isn't holding his hand up anymore, after all, so it must be okay now, right?

Well that sort of backfired, didn't it? Justin automatically pulls back from the approaching weird kid, and the side of beef security guard snaps back into reality. He holds up his hand again, warning the boy to stop. Hammer, who is now confused /and/ annoyed, looks to Maria with a look that screams 'help me'. Justin can't just loose his guard on the kid, that wouldn't look good at all in the press, but he really, really doesn't want to deal with this level of weirdness.

Maria, who is trying hard not to laugh at the situation despite the oddness of it, catches the look and devises a quick plan. She opens the case and grabs a sample of the Marshmallow Pistachio on one of the small sample spoons. Stepping out from behind the counter, she approaches the trio and holds the spoon out to the boy. "Here, sweetie, here's a bit of it you can try."

157 stops again--again nearly toppling in the process. Apparently he's not too good at sudden braking. He's about to speak again when Maria comes to the rescue, and he looks up at her instead. He looks from her face, to the spoon, and slowly reaches out to take it in hand. "Clarification required: Should this unit add 'sweetie' to recognized identifications?" he asks, and then looks back to the spoon. A few more moments of studying it, and he eats the sample of ice cream, holding it--and the spoon--in his mouth for an extended period of time before he finally swallows the ice cream and produces the spoon. He looks at the spoon again, and offers it back to Maria. "This unit requires energy sources," he says again.

Maria smiles. "Sure, you can add that," she says, barely stifling a laugh. She thinks this is cute, unlike the two men. Justin lowers his head and pushes his glasses up to rub at his eyes with his left hand. "Go ahead and get him a cup of it, on me," he says to the woman when he looks up at her again. Maybe if the weird brat gets something to eat- looks like he could use it- he'll stop playing games and go away. Hammer has to admit that it's one hell of a creative grift. Maria nods when Justin agrees to spot the boy some ice cream, taking the spoon and walking back around the counter. A few moments later she reappears with a cup and full sized spoon in hand, offering it to the boy.

"Understood. This unit will now respond to 'sweetie'," 157 says. Unfortunately, ice cream doesn't appear to be all that he is after, as while Maria is walking over to retrieve the ice cream, he turns his attention back to Hammer. "Information required: List of current military-associated projects of organization 'Hammer Industries' and description of function of each project." Then Maria's back, and he slowly reaches to take the cup and spoon from her.

That query draws a sharp laugh from the CEO. "I don't know what your end game is, kid," Justin says, his voice tinged with disbelief, "but if you think I'm just gonna tell some random tween off the street what I'm working on, you're outta your melon." Giving a quick glance toward Maria's retreating form, to make sure she's out of earshot, Hammer lowers his voice and scowls at the boy. "Seriously, you got what you wanted. Now scram, okay?" He even goes so far as to make a brushing motion with his hand, as if shoeing the kid off.

157 takes a bite of his ice cream, looking at Justin again as he speaks. Another bite, and then another, and finally he responds. "Clarification: It is not necessary for this unit to want. This unit has identified 'Justin Hammer' and 'Hammer Industries' as priority observation targets." A pause. "Explanation required: You are out of your melon. Explanation required:" And he mimics the shooing motion with the hand holding the spoon, before taking another bite.

/Oh you have got to be.../ Justin stares at the kid, dumbfounded again, for a moment. What the hell does he have to do to get the kid to go away? Besides sicking his two-legged attack dog on him, which goes back to the whole PR nightmare crap. Keeping his voice low, and mostly level, he addresses the requests for clarifications. "You're out of your melon means you're crazy, and this," he repeats the shooing motion, "means go away. Now, seriously kid, go away. I ain't telling you anything about me or my company, and you're starting to get on my nerves." The guard, who had moved to standing with his hands clasped in front of him, drops his arms to his sides.

157 takes another bite of his ice cream. "Statement: You are crazy. Statement in error. This unit is in proper working order," he says, and takes another bite. "Understood. Subject requests that this unit leave the area. Guard with subject exhibiting signs of increased potential for hostility." He looks towards the guard. "Alert: Attempts to damage or capture this unit will require defensive response from this unit. Possibility exists that response would negatively impact continued function of guard." He returns his gaze to Hammer. "Analysis: Subject will remain noncompliant when faced with direct questioning. Low probability that confrontation will permit retrieval of sufficient data. Avoid confrontation. This unit will exit area." And suddenly he's speaking very rapidly--numbers, mathematics, and words in some odd, unknown language, at a much higher pace than his usual slow speech.

It's really starting to sink in that this kid isn't acting, and that there's something seriously strange going on here. Whether or not the boy is actually some sort of alien construct is still up for debate, but he's definitely not normal. On that thought, backed by the statement about the ability to negatively impact the continued function of his security guard, Justin looks to the man and gives him a very slight nod. The guard takes a step back, though he still remains alert just in case. Hammer starts to say something to the kid, but is cut short by the stream of nonsense that pours from him. Leaning back in his chair, the CEO just stares, wide eyed and completely take off guard.

A few more moments of the nonsensical talk...and Justin gets Very Clear Evidence that the kid isn't acting. Well, at least not about being unusual. The jury could still be out on whether he's in fact an alien. There's a flash of light to the boy's right, a strange sort of sucking sound...and a hole appears in the air, through which can be seen a rooftop elsewhere in the city. The boy finishes off his ice cream, and looks from side to side, then just sets the cup on the ground in front of him and the spoon in the cup. "This unit will exit area. This unit will attempt contact at another time," the boy says, speaking at his normal slow pace again. "Subject 'Justin Hammer' is priority observation target."

/Holy shi-/ NOW Justin a bit freaked, as are the guard, Maria, and the couple of other people in the shop. The boy just opened some sort of hole to... Who knows where. Hammer actually jumps to his feet, knocking the chair he was sitting in over as he stares at the gaping hole in reality in front of him. "H-How the hell are you doing that?" he asks the boy as he watches the kid set the empty ice cream cup on the floor.

"Query: How the hell are you doing that?" 157 repeats. "Probable meaning: How are you able to create anamoly commonly designated 'portal'? Answer: This unit is capable of comprehension of the universe to a heightened extent. This unit can understand positioning information and manipulate that information by utilizing skill taught by access denied. In effect, this unit establishes a link between two distant points and temporarily allows them to exist adjacent to each other despite distance. Example: Area A is here. Area B is 50 miles from Area A. This unit establishes that Area A is immediately adjacent to Area B by replacing data in the universe. Universe resets after a short duration. However, until reset, travel is possible."

Reset data in the universe? Like, Matrix-style? Now that's something that could be weaponized, utilized in such a vast array of applications that Hammer can't even begin to imagine them all. He blinks, looking between the boy and the portal. "Y-you're telling me that, whenever you want, you can just up and rewrite data, in the universe?" Justin asks, his voice a lot different than it was just a moment ago. "Like this is one big computer program? How?" Yeah, that's a pretty deep question, that likely has an answer that isn't easily explained.

"Query: You are telling me that, whenever you want, you can just up and rewrite data, in the universe?" 157 repeats. "Like this is one big computer program? Answer: Affirmative. Subject's statements valid. This unit's actions similar to programming of software for object designated 'computer'. Query: How? Answer: This unit was taught to assume specific focused mental state which enables proper recognition of variables and interaction with universal code. This unit verbally inputs substitute code into universal code to cause universe to recognize distant points as adjacent. Construction of link requires calculations to account for disturbances and anamolies. Calculations increase in complexity based on intervening distance due to increased potential for disturbances and anamolies. Once calculations are performed, this unit inputs program code to cause temporary alteration to space-time. Warning: Statement of code without assuming mental state necessary for interaction will not permit function of space-time manipulation. Statement of code without assuming mental state necessary for recognition of variables may negatively impact continued function of subject."

That's when the little idea light bulb in Justin's brain flickers to life. Yeah, that dangerous little lamp that illuminates the path to getting himself in over his head. As he takes in the explination he's given his face cracks into a slow, slight smile. "So, if you can understand the universe on that sort of level, I can assume that you understand how things work? Advanced physics? Engineering?" The kid could be his ticket to making Stark Industries look like a team of half-bit hacks.

"Query: If you can understand the universe on that sort of level, I can assume that you understand how things work? Advanced physics? Engineering?" 157 repeats. The portal, incidentally, is still kind of hanging there open next to him. "Answer: This unit has an understanding of physics. Unable to evaluate whether this unit's physics knowledge qualifies for 'advanced' descriptor relative to physics knowledge of subject 'Justin Hammer'. This unit does not have experience in engineering. However, this unit would be capable of engineering if instructed." A long pause. "Notification: Subject continues questioning this unit. Continued questioning prevents unit from fulfilling subject's request to 'scram'." As if on cue, the portal closes with another flash--the universe resetting itself like the kid said.

The flash and the disappearance of the portal causes everyone in the shop to flinch, Justin and his guard included. Maria, who had been staring at the interaction, slowly turns and goes back to straightening up behind the counter. Hammer shifts his weight and adjusts his glasses as he mulls over what to ask next. Like working on a computer, he's starting to find that he has to word what he asks fairly precisely in order to get the answer he wants. "Is your understanding sufficient enough to, say, build a device that could make a portal?"

"Query: Is your understanding sufficient enough to, say, build a device that could make a portal?" 157 repeats. "Answer: Uncertain. Low probability of nonsentient device successfully creating portal due to inability of device to properly input data. Data input requires focused mental state. Sentience is prerequisite. However, this unit could construct device that would aid properly trained sentient with insufficient intelligence to mentally perform calculations. Once calculations are performed, properly trained sentient could input replacement code. Warning: This unit is not permitted to instruct in achieving proper mental state."

Justin's hope rise, then fall. Well, there goes his idea of building the world's first commercial portal gun. "So only a sentient being, with training, can do what you just did? Can't do it with a machine?" he asks, his voice betraying his disappointment. "What about figuring out how something works? Can you do that? If I give you, say a scanning device, could you look it over and tell me how it works?" Well, if Hammer can't have a portal gun, then maybe he can get the ultimate expert in reverse-engineering.

157 doesn't even bat an eye at Hammer's disappointment. "Query: What about figuring out how something works? Can you do that? If I give you, say, a scanning device, could you look it over and tell me how it works? Answer: Moderate to high probability that this unit would be capable of analysis of sciences behind devices. Unknown whether this unit would be able to explain sciences to subject 'Justin Hammer'. This unit does not have knowledge of subject's level of understanding of sciences. Notification: This unit may require reference material and time in order to perform analysis, depending on object submitted for study. Notification: This unit may be restricted from explanation of subjects depending on object submitted for study. This unit is not permitted to explain objects associated with access denied."

Now's we're talking! Hammer grins again, reaching into an inside pocket of his suit coat. He extracts a small silver case, flicking it open, and pulls a business card from it. "I have a few things I'd love to have you look over," he says, offering the card to the kid. "If you're ever interested in a job, gimme a call. I think we might be able to work something out." In the course of less than half an hour he's gone from annoyed, to freaked out, to plotting and scheming.

"Understood," 157 says, slowly taking the card, looking at it for a few moments, and then unceremoniously dropping it to the ground. It certainly doesn't seem intended as an insult, so maybe the kid's memory is just that good. "This unit will contact subject 'Justin Hammer' if this unit requires a 'job'. Explanation required: Benefits of 'job' with regard to this unit." A pause. "Quid pro quo."

Justin nods. Okay, so the kid understands working for a living. He can work with this. "A reasonable salary, more than enough to live comfortably on-" Hammer stops himself and his expression falters. How old is that kid? With all the strange talk he had nearly forgotten he was talking with a child. He can't legally employ him, seeing as how he's obviously a minor. He would have to pay the kid completely under the table, and if he were caught, there could be some legal implications.

One does wonder about the whole 'alien' issue, too. That has to play havoc with...quite a lot of governmental rules. "It is not necessary for this unit to live comfortably," 157 says. "This unit acquires energy sources as necessary. This unit locates area suitable for recharging procedure designated 'sleep' as necessary. This unit's mission is observation and the retrieval of information."

"That, I could make happen," the CEO offers with a wave of his hand. "A place to sleep, food, even some nicer clothes. I could certainly help you with that in exchange for looking some stuff over for me." Hammer intentionally leaves out any mention of an exchange in information. He still isn't willing to let whoever, or whatever, controls this kid-alien-robot get a hold of any details on what he's currently working on.

"This unit has acquired a reliable location to sleep from subject designated 'Miss Frost'. This unit does not require nice clothing. However this unit will be receiving new clothing from subject designated 'Miss Frost'. This unit has locations at which energy sources can be acquired. However, additional locations for retrieval of energy sources are a priority." A pause, and then 157 notes, "Retrieval of information is also a priority." Another pause. "This unit will contact subject 'Justin Hammer' if this unit requires benefits of a 'job'."

So the kid is hooked up with Emma Frost? That's worthy of note and may alter his willingness to work with the boy. After all, Frost International is a potential competitor, and if the kid turns corporate spy it could be detrimental to Hammer Industries. He nods, knowing now he has to tread carefully. "You do that," Justin replies coolly. "Hopefully we'll talk again soon."

"Understood," 157 says...and there comes that rapid speech again. Several moments of that, and there's the flash and sucking sound again, and a portal reappears, leading once again to a rooftop...somewhere. "This unit will now 'scram'," the boy says, and turns, stepping through the portal. From the other side, he can be heard speaking another word, and with another flash, the portal disappears.

Instinctively Justin and his guard both take a step back when the kid starts with the quick rambling again. The portal's appearance causes Justin to raise his arm toward his face to shield against the flash, but it's gone as quickly as it appeared. Dropping his arm the CEO watches the kid go without another word, not reacting to the closing of the portal. The whole ice cream shop falls into a deathly silence, the occupants within all throwing suspicious glances at each other. Hammer adjusts his glasses and straightens his suit coat, turning to pick up what's left of his ice cream off the table. "Well, that was interesting," he offers to no one in particular.