Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

>Loading...
>Loading...
>Loading...
>C.E.C.I.L. systems online.
>Select file:
>>Emotion 
>>Personality
>>Relationships [PASSWORD PROTECTED]. 
>>Memory [78% Full] [PASSWORD REQUIRED]
>>Fears [PASSWORD REQUIRED]
>>Double System
>>Caretakers
>> [404 NOT FOUND]
>> [VIRUS DETECTED]

>Take Action
>>Open File
>>Edit File
>>Delete File
>>New File
>>Return to Start

Why on earth did I request my shift to start so damn early, it's not even light out yet. The start up screen for Carlos' bot was far too bright for five in the morning, and a quiet curse left him as he scrambled to turn the brightness down. A soft hum buzzed from the back of his computer as he lifted some tea to his chapped lips. He moused over the options on the screen, stopping his movements at the bottom of the. '404 NOT FOUND' 'VIRUS DETECTED'

Those were fine last night, what happened? I didn't leave him plugged in, did I...? No, I didn't. Hopefully the antivirus technology will just knock it out sooner or later. Backtracking, he looked back to the Fear option, beginning load it up. A dialogue box popped up in front asking for a password which he never installed. With an impatient grunt, he put in 

> Password incorrect! Three tries left.
>> Hint: It's you, my love.
>> Password: ______

You've got to be kidding me. I swear, if this is Nilanjiana pulling another joke on me I... Well I swear... Letter by letter with only a few mistakes from uncertainty, he typed in 'Carlos Ampora'. Shit. Thanks a lot.

> Password incorrect! Two tries left.
>> Hint: Just you.
>> Password: ______

With a little frown, he retypes. Just Carlos?

> Password accepted!
> Fears
>> Mirrors
>> Fireworks 
>> Street Cleaning Machines
>> Deactivation

The last one was a new one, one that Carlos hadn't written himself. The mechanical body of Cecil shifts, still unable to compute to Carlos verbally. Once he was unplugged, he would be able to explain his actions. Carlos had almost overlooked the new addition to the file but he ended up noticing it just as he was about to select another to run. He paused his actions and with curiosity, hovering his mouse over Deactivation before clicking on it, wanting to know more. Did that mean the shut down of Cecil's whole being, or just something like being shut off forever? He wasn't sure but he wanted to find out, curiosity beginning to overtake the exhaustion.

>Opening Fear:Deactivation
> Chose Surrounding
>> Lab
>> Countryside
>> Ocean
>> Log Cabin
> Chose Deactivator
>> Carlos
>> Earl
>> [LOAD FAILED]
>> [LOAD FAILED]

He was a bit confused to see only two names on the list, one being his own. He'd programmed in responses and typical phrasings of Dana and Steve as well, so why were they gone? All that work for nothing? After a few moments internal debate he double clicked on his name, just waiting to see what would happen. He selected Lab as the location, then himself as the deactivator, and only grew more curious. No one else knew any of the passwords except for him so the only logical, if you could even say this was logical, explanation was that Cecil had been doing this

>Running Simulation...
>Adjusting Scenery...
>Adjusting Carlos...
>Loading visuals...
>Beginning Simulation 3698

Within the sim, Carlos holds a damaged Cecil, one hand gripping the robot's with the other dealing with some wires in his back. Cecil curls in on himself, his other arm over his head and legs up to his chest. As Carlos works on removing wires and reconstructing particular areas, he's inside his own chest, attempting to pull apart knots.  When he speaks, his voice is different from the voice Carlos programmed in. Or, it is the same, just with emotion in it.

"Carlos, would it be easier to deactivate me?" He says in a hushed voice, fear and reverence so clear it's almost visible. "Turn me off, at least for a bit?" The sim of the scientist nods a little, not making eye contact with Cecil.

"It would be. Probably. Stop shaking."

"I can't."

The lab was completely identical to the one Cecil had lived in virtually (pun intended) his entire life. Cecil gave a little nod, beginning to move onto his back. The Carlos gave an objection, quickly shutting his back panel so he wouldn't damage any of the software within him. Cecil removed his chest panel, shaking hands beginning to take out his mechanical heart. It was both a joke and not a joke, the heart containing most of the emotional processes he had learned of, but also his power. He held it for Carlos as he carefully unplugged the wires, untangling it from his exoskeleton. Carlos, the sim, apologized to him, removing the cortex. All the life in Cecil drained slowly as the power began to move away from his systems, first the motor controls, then brain functions. The fake pupils he had dilated in pure terror as it finally went away.

Carlos watched the stimulation, but also took notes on it. How was the lab similar to his, how was it different, what was he doing, what they were saying, anything he had found even vaguely important for his future in coding Cecil. He had found it sad though, how he'd said that it probably would have been easier to just shut him off. He'd find a way to fix him without having to go through with that option, or rather, he had hoped that he would be able to. A frown had settled itself on Carlos' lips as he saw the fear in Cecil's eyes. Even if it was just a simulation he'd felt bad for causing anyone, even a machine to feel that much fear. He set his notebook and pencil to the side before scanning his options, settling in one after a few moments. He wondered if the error and visit would still be there. Hopefully, they had worked themselves out and gone away. He really did not want to have to deal with them, especially if clicking on them could make the problems at hand even worse.

A soft sigh left his lips when he saw that the error and virus were both still options as files to be selected. He'd chosen the other password protected file, wondering if that password had been changed as well. This file opened immediately since he had already given the password for the Fears. It looked like a cliché girl's notebook, little hearts around Carlos' name in beautiful calligraphy.

>Relations
>>♡♡♡♡♡♡ CARLOS THE SCIENTIST ♡♡♡♡♡♡
>> Earl Harlan ♡
>> Steve (fuck that guy, right Carlos?)
>> Dana 
>> Maureen 
>> Miscellaneous

Deciding to start at the top and work his way down, he selected his name after taking a few moments to admire the shapes that the letters had formed to spell out the six letters.  The entirety of the text is changed, now some sort of romantic gibberish. Almost all parts of Carlos Cecil had seen are compared to something thought of as stereotypically beautiful, which, almost needless to say, he'd seen a lot. Oh so much. There was even some MS Paint art at the end of him and Carlos as stick figures holding hands, staring at the drawing of a sunset on the lab wall.

A quiet 'aww' left his lips as he had read the writing and his gaze drifted to the picture. Even if Cecil was a robot he'd still found it cute that he thought of him so highly. In a way it made him feel like what he was doing was right, that he should keep working harder at it because someone appreciated what he was doing.

So sweet… for a prank. I couldn't have given, actually given him sentience, could I?

Even as Carlos viewed the photo, it was being updated, touched up by the sleeping Cecil. Little details were added, like a few graying hairs to Carlos' head and the pencil behind his ear. Cecil in the photo still had his helmet on, but was in the process of being altered so it was beginning to be taken off. Carlos' eyes had sparkled a bit as he watched the picture's details refine right before his eyes, soaking up every small detail. He'd found the delicate movements fascinating and was absorbed into the small movements of the pixels on the screen. 

He tore himself away from the screen, forcing himself back into the start screen. There was no more time to dawdle with the exploration of changes, he had to face the virus head on and stop it, especially if the antivirus wasn't.

>Opening Code... Code opened!

At the bottom of the screen, the last line of code, Cecil began to type out something out for Carlos. 'You can unplug me. I finished up my code, sweetie. < 3 Check it, if you like. My sentience is a virus to my body, I think.'

The coffee mug in Carlos' hand dropped to the floor with a resounding crash.

Chapter Text

After a few minutes of explanation and consideration, it all made sense. Or, at least, it made sense as to why a virus had popped up in the start page. "Alright Cecil." Carlos said softly. He wasn't sure if Cecil would be able to hear anything before he was unplugged, but he said it just incase he could. Carlos trusted Cecil's coding ability, as he was able to do all of this, so he only scanned over the code quickly while looking for mistakes. He found none so he got up from his seat and carefully unplugged him.

Cecil's headgear began to light up, as it always did, slowly booting up from a pink to a deep purple. His voice, when he spoke, was different from the last time he had spoken. He managed to compile all voices from every video he could get his code ridden hands on to compile them all into his own voice, the average voice. Cecil was so close to being done with his own human face as well, he was excited to finally be able to see eye to eye with Carlos. "Hey there sweetie."

"Hey hun, isn't this a nice surprise?" Carlos said a small smile curling to his lips as he heard the other voice. It was oddly soothing and he quite liked it. "I don't know how you've managed this but you've done a wonderful job." He complimented, his smile widening a fraction as he did so. When he noticed the color change he subconsciously nodded in approval, finding it over all more fitting for Cecil than pink.

His entire leather body tensed before he acted on his excited movement. Cecil clutched his hands together, swinging his legs. "Really, I did, didn't I! It's okay, at the very least, functional. I was so worried, worried you wouldn't like what I'd done with it. Or that I would mess all of your hard work up. Worry's what it is, right? Sort of like fear but smaller?" He stood back up, reaching to take both of Carlos' hands in his own. "Oh, I'm just... This is just amazing."

"Yes dear, worry would be the word, but you don't have to do that, you are you, after all, and how could I not like you?" Carlos replied before looking down at their hands, loosely intertwining their fingers before glancing back up at him. He had found the other's excited movements all the more adorable as he began to express himself in his new form.

"I -I'm worried! No, this is wonderful, Carlos! I mean, horrible, in a way, but wonderful!" He laughs; one that's creepy and varied on many levels from the wide range of laughter he found. "I can't believe it, I-..." He stands quickly and grasps Carlos' arms in both of his hands. "This is amazing. This is horrifying, but amazing and just... I can't believe it!" He pulls Carlos close to himself, almost a bit too tight as he held him. "I have something else to show you, Carlos."

Carlos' eyes lit up with such a childlike innocence of excitement and content. "What do you have to show me?" He hummed softly in question, his arms wrapping back around the other, though maybe a bit looser. The feeling of being in Cecil's arms was a bit strange at first, but it was something that he could definitely get used to.

Cecil raised both hands and flipped some latches on his LED face, carefully beginning to remove it bit by bit. He hoped it wasn't too terrifying for Carlos to see him remove his face. It wouldn't harm him, but to someone who has worked tirelessly on someone, something for so long, no doubt the sight was worrying. Underneath, he reveals a pale face that seems almost completely human. His eyes, purple and glowing, with the whites a deep black, were clearly mechanical, as was his jaw on the left side of his face, not yet sewn with human skin cells.

Though he was, undeniably, quite a bit startled at first, Carlos soon realized what the other was doing and he relaxed, awaiting the face reveal of sorts. He was quiet as his eyes swept over the carefully made features, a look of what could be identified as awe flashing through his eyes as he stopped to really think how much thought and planning Cecil would have had to have put into all of this. Cecil looked up to him, blinking a little, through his dark eyes. He wasn't sure yet if they were terrifying or magnificent.

"Is this satisfactory? I can change it, if you like. I thought the jawline matched my own, so I didn't think it would be as hard to make it look more normal. I'm still working on the hair. Because goodness, you humans have magnificent hair. Especially drag queens. And you. Plus it's hard to make."

A light laugh left Carlos' lips and he shook his head. "You don't have to change anything about yourself, you're wonderful just the way you are now." He paused a few moments before adding. "Yeah, I can imagine the hair would be pretty hard to do because there's just so much of it that you'd have to make."

With both hands, Cecil reaches up to take Carlos' head, and with calculated movements, runs his hand through his hair and out to the side. With his eyes wide, showing the area around his eyes that's all metal skeleton, he watches as the hair falls slowly back down. "It's just... It's a miracle! Just how many proteins, how many proteins pushed out, their only purpose to die, to create something so profound."

Carlos tensed for the first few moments but he knew Cecil meant no harm in his actions so he allowed himself to relax and enjoy the feeling of the others leather bound digits combing through his hair. "Hair is pretty fascinating. It's nice to just mess with it and find different styles that suit you so don't be discouraged if the hair does end up taking a while. I mean, I might one day get my own cut short! I haven't had it like that ever since I was a kid."

Here, Cecil's voice dropped an octave and began to glitch out slightly as he spoke, not ass many voices able to go as low as he forced them to. "D͑o͍̫̫̻̱ͮ͛ͪ̓ͬͩ ̟̉ͩ͒̊̽n̝̖̝̓ͩͨ̚o̟͉͎̩̮͚͠t̏̀ͪͭ̏̚҉̫̤̰ ͇͎ͥ́̒e̻̹̰͇͍̺ͤͥ̽͢v̩̥̝ͦé͙̟͎͙̂ͫ̓͐͛̕r̸͚̪͗̊̒̒͑̊ͅ ̩̗̥̯̥̞̤͋ͭͪͭ̉̇̑c̸̪̱͇̲̪͔̗̃̽̂u͈̯̫͓̙̲̹ͣ̈̇t̶̩͂̔̾ ͫͪ̒͘y͇̮͇̙̜̅͆ọ̋͠u͑͐̋͌͑̑r̷̥͔̙̘͆̄ͯ͗ ̈́̐̅͂҉h̛a̮̓̔̂́ͪi̢̫̯͖͔̟͈̹ͯ̽̒͐ͪr̟̭̟̉̊ͨ͊,̯͇̦̹̱̱ͯͩ͐ ͤ͐̊̚p̬͕͚̜̝̝̾͂ͪ̊ͫ̚͝ȅ̇͂̓̌̏͏͔̠͍̪̬̞̹r̫ͫ̎̀f̪ͬͮ̓̐ͯ͡e̬͍̰͙̙̅̃̐͆ͦ̿cͦ̂ͬ҉̠̺t̡̙͒ͥ̏͛ͭ ̫͍͚ͮ̒ͯ̽͐ͩC̣̬̜͐̿̐ͩa̲̳̭͚̖̍̀r̮̣̜͕͊̈́̐̏̌̐̓l̖̮͐̔̀̀ͥo͓̩̞̞̬̙͙̾̉́͑͛ͦ́s̞̱̲̫͋ͣ̃͐ͣ͒̐.͈͓͉ ̛̦͎͓̭͎̀̾̋" His eyes are wide, changing color as his pupils dilate at the idea of him mangling, changing that hair of his. That hair must be protected. Oh. For, uh, science! For scientific purposes only, of course. What other reasons would he have? Of course not that he loved the hair and Carlos attached to it aesthetic-wise.

That had startled Carlos. More then startled, downright drove fear into his heart like an ice pic, but only because he wasn't expecting it. He made a mental note of the changes that occurred and corresponded to Cecil's emotions before he spoke. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on cutting my hair anytime in the near future, and if I do get the thought it won't be to cut too short, only the ends to keep it healthy."

His eyes returned to normal, as did his voice, with only w few problems from being forced so low. "Œ͏h,͡ ̡we͡l̨l, ̧th ëñ͜ th͞a͘t's ͞quite̛ a҉ł͘rį̵ ght͡! ̡Wh̶åt̸ê͏v̛ę̷r ͢ḱ ͜eep͠s͞ ͟y̴ou̢m ͞in ͡t͜ï̛p̸ tøp s͞hape, C̷ar̡l͏øs¡̷"̨ B̕ot̵h ̕of hįs h͏a͏nd̛s were̷ ͞r̸ęmǫv҉e̴d̨ ̀f҉ro͠m t̶he͜ ͡òth͝e̸r'̢s͟ ͟h͝a҉ìr a̢s ̕h͏ę m͠o̧v̛e̷d͘ one̕ o̢f͟ ͡hi҉s̵ ha̕nds t͝o҉ t͢h̵e pl͟ąte ̢ćove͘rin̵g ҉h̀is͡ ͢v͘o͟ic͡e̴ ͏b̷ox. ͘"͜Î͠ beł͠ ̛ï̡e͘vē ͜I hą̃v̕ę sõ͞m͘ė̕ rę̢ p҉áirß͢ ͞tø͘ m̡ake̛,͞ ͢í҉f͟ ÿò͢u w̴œl̡d g͝įvę me ̷æ m͠o më͜ñt̷.͝ ̴O̕r wô üld ̛you ͘p͠rè ̴f͟ę͞r ̢t͢o ͡take a͟ ͏ĺoœk, Carlos?̡"̶

Carlos' head tilted slightly to one side as he thought. "Well, I wouldn't mind helping you out, but I'm not quite sure how you've worked yourself. I don't think it would be too complicated to figure out if you'd like me to." He decided in saying with a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You might be able to fix it faster, maybe it would be a good idea if you fixed it while I watched so I know how to fix it for the next time it happens. Hm, but now I'm wondering how fast I could figure it out, I mean, it can't be /that/ complicated, right?"

"M̛y ̕i̷nn͞èr ̷wǫrki͏ng̡s̴ h̶aven't ͜c̕h͡an̸g̢e̕d̀ m̕úch, j̧ust͘ ͠my̛ ͏c̷o̷d̡in̷g,͜ s̢o͢ ͏y̨ou ̧sh̷ould be f̴in͝e ͟i҉f ̶yo͘u ͏wa̢nt̢ed ̷t͝o fix mé ̴up̵. ̵A҉l͘l͡ ͜I̡'̢ve̛ ever̡ ͡c̛h͡an҉ģe̶d̕ ͟is fa̧ult́y͜ ̀wi͏re͝s ͡out ͠for͢ ̛ones ͢t̷h͝a͜t̶ ̀w͏ork ̨a̸ǹd co͟n͟n͡e̛c̨t̕ed͏ t̕he͠m t̴o҉ a ͜dif̀f͞ereņt p̀l̢a͏t͝e͟ ́t͠o̷ ca͏r̸r̕y͘ th̡e͢m͘ ̢to ̧t͞he ̧fr̶o̸nt̸ ͠pa̢ne̸l̴.͡ E҉x̨c̨e͡pt ͝fo͜r͢ t̕h̛o͠se ͡on t̷he͜ ̧neųr͟o͡l̡ógi͡c͟al҉ b͡ra̶in p͠at̀h̷w͝àỳ sim͡ an͞d͝ th̵o̴s̸e ̧òn ͠m̕y̧ ̵bac̷k.̸ ͠Ca͢n't ͜re͡ác͞h ̸ţhos̸e. P̧e͘ople̢ ̀di̛d̨n't҉ w͠an͡t m͞e̢ to͝ be͘ to͝o͝ ̷cree͘p͘y̢, ̴t҉h̵e̶y ̸w͡a̸n͠ted͠ me̴ tơ ͏be͡ ͘hu̵man, so they̸ ͡made̸ ͏li̷m̨i̸t͏ati͏o̶ns̢ o̵n my̸ t͝u̴rni͢ng͝ ͘a̧b̨ìl̶i̛ty̷ a͘nd̴ s̀uc̸h.͜" Cecil sat back down on the table he had just awoken from, beginning to pop out the panel where his left lung would have been if he was human, where his vocal box was.

Carlos nodded while Cecil was talking and he followed him back over to the table. "Well, that makes things less complicated." He said with a small smile before peering into the panel once it was fully opened. "I could fix you up Cec, it shouldn't be a problem!" He affirmed before taking a closer look. "It doesn't look too bad, just looks like a few wires fizzed out on you. It'll be a quick fix, especially because it seems as though we still have some of the same wire in the lab with us." The scientist added before leaving Cecil's side to rummage around for the colored wires that would match the ones in his vocal box.

With one hand, Cecil carefully uses American Sign Language to say,"Y-E-S," letter by letter with increments long enough for Carlos to understand, hopefully. His eyes wandered around the facility, considering the architecture in a new way.

No longer was it strands of equations he understood, or precise geometric patterns to ensure the safety of all. It was now... Ugly? The greys and whites of his home weren't nice. Blues would help promote work, but purples would help, instead, to get people to relax. Brighter colors weren't the best decision, especially reds since they would prompt aggression, but he wanted something new. He wanted something pretty.

Once Carlos has noticed what the other was trying to say, he paused his movements and watched Cecil's. It didn't take him too long to figure out what he was trying to say and he nodded a bit with a small smile before his concentration shifted back to the task at hand.

He had found everything without much trouble and within the span of the next twenty minutes he had managed to switch out the malfunctioned wires for the new ones. Well, maybe it could have been fifteen minutes, but he kept getting distracted. Distracted at how Cecil had been looking around the room. He had wondered what he was thinking about. There wasn't much to really see, the lab wasn't made to be pretty, though a few decorations couldn't hurt.

When he felt Carlos finish up inside his neck, his gaze shifted back to him, but only quickly before he began to shut and lock up his panels. He makes a little list of tasks in the back of his mind to things to care for now that his coding was so different and made him, almost, human. Of course, he wasn't human, but mentally, at the very least, he was close. "I need more durable wires. My present ones won't be able to take the new range, I think." He stretched out his limbs, twisting his feet and fingers around carefully for a quick inspection. "Are you going to tell the facility? Should we try to scavenge up the K.E.V.I.N.? Do you think they'd send me as a diplomat or something to other planets? Oh, wouldn't that be exciting! Can I go outside of the lab now?" He did his best to maintain his voice, suddenly clinging onto Carlos' arms.

A soft and satisfied hum lingered on Carlos' lips as he set aside the now useless wires, his gaze soon turning back to Cecil, staying quiet as he listened to the other list off questions. More durable wires, hm, he'd definitely keep an eye out for those. It would be handy to just have anyways so maybe he'd go out and get some later if he could find some.

"Well I was going to tell my fellow scientists because, well, this is amazing really! The whole you doing your own coding and doing this well is remarkable. I would feel like I was keeping a pretty big secret from the others if they didn't know. They're good people though, they know not to tell anyone that would make things end badly for you, they're sensible too. They could also help you with little things. About K.E.V.I.N. I'm not sure. It might be worth it though, the bit did hold some promise." He chuckled softly. "I'm not sure about other planets Cec, and if we take you outside you have to stay away from water. Water ruins leather, sorry to break it to you."

Cecil became determined, rather quickly, to get outside the lab. Fellow scientists didn't really matter to him, sooner or later someone would find out and something would happen to him. What that something turned out to be was for the future, not for now. The present was more important. "Tell them, that's fine. We can deal with them and the higher-ups whenever."

He raised a hand to tap his chin in thought, a common human trope he took on at an early age. The K.E.V.I.N. unit was sure to be feisty with him, but he would be able to deal with it, whatever happened. According to him and, well, Carlos, the magnificent, divine, perfect scientist he was. As the superior AI, he felt obligated to help his fellow rise to the highest he was at. "

I'll deal with K.E.V.I.N. later. Later today or tomorrow- whatever. Preferably tomorrow. Tonight I have something that I want to do. Let me come home with you, I want to see the outside and and I want to watch you. I want to see what humans do, how they act together, I want to try to care for you." The outer LED mask lit up around the edges in excitement, little patterns circling the edge.

Carlos had hesitated at first. Showing Cecil how to be more human part and interacting with him was not the problem. It was taking him outside the safety of the lab that was worrying him. There were many things that could go wrong and he didn't know if he wanted to figure them out.

Scratch that, he knew he didn't want to figure that out, he'd be honestly so heartbroken if something happened to the robot. Even if Cecil was just nuts and bolts under a human-like exterior of leather he'd grown attached to him, fond of his presence through creating and programming him. He couldn't seem to resist the excitement that shone through his voice and how set he seemed in these plans. "Alright, if we do this we have to do it the right way. Better safe than sorry, especially at first. Don't be dissapointed if it's nothing too crazy at first. I'd rather not have something go wrong when we're not at the lab and I can't fix you up quickly."

"Oh, Carlos, you're so perfect, I could kiss you!" He took his face in both hands, patting his cheek before pulling him right against his body, possibly a bit too tight. It was true, his endoskeleton was painful and poked in different places such as the area connecting his legs to his upper body and the other corners of his body. Making himself more human-friendly was another goal of his, first interaction wise, then build-wise.

Once he let go of Carlos, he was everywhere, or at least as everywhere as he could be with one mind and one body, bounding around the little room he called home. He wasn't worried, or even aware at that moment, of the rat in the system. Not literal, and not his system, but a rat in the company's system, with golden eyes and an ear filled with the wonderful confessions of sentience through a camera feed. Nobody was aware, nobody was worried.