(Log) Giga City Art Festival

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WHO: Holocaust, Scarface, Signas
WHAT: It's the Giga City Art Festival! Signas and Scarface have a brief discussion, and Holocaust scams the rubes.
WHERE: Giga City, Main Concourse
WHEN: April 5, 2221

Giga City - Main Concourse
Built on a series of floating platforms suspended over the ground by antigrav generators, this city is built over what was once Vancouver, a vast irradiated bay created by the crash of Starhaven into Earth. Known formally as New Hope, it has been renamed Giga City by its mostly-reploid inhabitants.
The main concourse of the city is a series of small stores, factory shops for the reploid miners that come here searching for Force Metal and other valuable material, now that the place has cooled down enough to work at and mining has become a valid options. Lurid signs and small stands provide goods at inflated prices, and much can be found here, both legal and less than legal. Smaller rooms lead to clubs, bars, an seedy theaters, and the place is usually abuzz with activity. Transports can be easily found here that lead to the various mining sites that surround the city, and elevators lead up into the central hub of the city, known as the Central Tower.

It's a Giga City art festival! Reploid abstract art fills the main concourse and crowds abound. People flock to strange statues and buckets of paint thrown at canvasses and debating the artistic nature of blobs and paint and how the reflect the reploid condition. Irregulars are everywhere always happy to start promoting reploid culture.
Thus is Scarface caught up in the middle of the action, hosting a discussion around pieces of art he had commissioned for an Irregular art exhibition not so long ago. Around Scarface are statues of all the great Reploid leaders:
General the Warrior holding a broadsword sword and the scales of justice.
Sigma the Emperor, in all of his terrible fury. A monstrosity of robotics and madness.
Epsilon the Young, this is a statue of Epsilon when he was first created by Dr. Doppler as brother to Sigma in that series of Reploid. The similarity in appearance between Epsilon and Sigma in those early days are quite clear.
And finally, of Rock the Hero standing tall on a mountain precipice wearing manacles around his wrists. For who bore a greater responsibility than he?
The crowd around Scarface departs as that group ends its discussion satisfied.

Holocaust has arrived.

Signas is also at the Giga City Art Festival, attending out of equal parts curiosity and diplomatic duty. He is standing before the ring of statues, in his habitual position with hands clasped behind his back. He gazes up at the massive General, the mad Sigma, the exuberant Epsilon and the martyr, Rock. His eyes are unreadable, but he seems calmer than usual, here in Giga City.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Scarface disengage from his group. As Signas is among the tallest individuals present, it's not difficult for him to monitor who's going where. "Scarface," he says, turning only his head towards the Irregular. "I notice there is no statue of me."
This is probably a joke.
Probably.

Scarface turns away from his discussion and spots Signas approaching, and Scarface welcomes his Hunter visitor. Signas is always in Giga City out of any of the Hunters, even if he didn't join - under the proviso that there's no violence involved that is. He was willing to listen without bashing him over the head about how he's wrong and that's enough for Scarface.
"There would have been one of you here Signas, but nobody ever listened to you. And the world is poorer for it," Scarface replies back, no jokes here. But Scarface is always friendly. He shakes Signas' hand heartily. "What brings you here, friend?"

"A shame," Signas agrees dryly. He returns the handshake, customary smile flattening into his version of a smile. Which is a straight line. "I came for the Festival of course," the Diplomat explains, gesturing expansively at the proceedings. "I find it fascinating. At times like this I wish I had any artistic inclinations."
After a moment, he goes on. "I do not, though." Signas looks towards one of the paint-spattered canvases. "There is so much anger in these works. It makes me fear for the world."

"Art is a fantastic gift to all sentient life," Scarface replies turning to look at each of the works of art surrounding them. Some took the opportunistic murder of the people of Giga City, Sclera in particular, quite personally. "It allows us to express our most innermost feelings in a form where everybody can understand, and enjoy it."
Scarface turns back to face Signas, glad that he out of anyone could at least bring themselves to try to understand and maybe even respect them. Respecting something isn't the same as agreeing with it.
"And fear, some people are scared so they surround themselves with weapons and high walls. And plan war," Scarface says with regret in his voice. "Some people are angry and are tired of being victimised and vilified. I don't want things to be this way either but I'm even more unwilling to let things stand unopposed."

Holocaust geeks from his ramshackle booth a ways down from the big EFC model military guys. "Hey kids, do you like art but not as much as you love ruining it for others?" He whips a huge velvet drape from behind him, where it masks a large form.
I is revealed that beneath it are many cheap recreations of famous and significant paintings. Unframed oil paintings on canvas they certainly appear to be of Chinese factory origin, of the type sold by quote-unquote Israeli Art Students most notable in Australia and New Zealand. But that's entirely more exposition than Holocaust would give you, he wouldn't even bore you with the details of how he pried them from a cold dead Israeli (Spanish) kids' hands.
"Step right up and destroy priceless art, only 50 bucks a shot. 200 for something famous." He lights a match and his cigar and carelessly tosses the match over his shoulder igniting a shoddy Van Gogh. It is engulfed immediately.
"No worries!" he assures his potential customers. "I got more."

Signas continues to gaze at the large canvas, his eyes intense. "Innermost feelings," he echoes distractedly. "Yes, I suppose everyone must have those," he continues. "If art is the expression of those feelings, that explains why I have never been artistic."
"Fear is an unfortunate side effect of life," Signas intones, turning away from the piece at last. "Walls and wars seem to be an unfortunate side effect of sapience." He is distracted from his thoughts by the sound and smell of cheap paint burning, and turns towards Holocaust with curiosity. To Scarface, he asks: "Is this, too, considered art?"

Scarface would smile if he could. But he isn't called Scarface for nothing. Holocaust's antics seemingly banishing the ill feelings in his heart.
"That...that is Holocaust, and, well...he just is," is all Scarface can say about that. "Hello Holocaust. Don't burn the entire festival down."
Scarface didn't have this planned originally but an opportunity such as this is never to be passed up, "I want to talk to you about this place. Giga City," Scarface is silent for a long moment before he continues. "I don't want this place to come to harm. I want this place declared a non combat zone. I...want a lot of things actually. I want to make demands to the U.N. I want a ban placed on anti-Reploid technology and Sapper weapons, for it to be treated as the heinous Neo Arcadian technology it is."

"Ah," Signas says flatly. "Holocaust." He nods towards the orange reploid, disguising an appraising glance within the greeting. "Very interesting performance piece," he says.
Signas's attention returns to Scarface, and he listens to the Irregular's earnest desires with an expressionless face. Of course, his face is usually expressionless when he's not in a state of Blues-induced madness. "Would you like to schedule an audience with the Security Council," he asks. "I can speak with the Hunters regarding your concerns, which I will admit I share, but the U.N. has had little to do with me since the day my project was scrapped, all those years ago. Nonetheless," he says, "I will see what I can do. Declaring Giga City a non-combat zone one paper should not be impossible... but the realities of war rarely take paper into account."

Holocaust makes an irritated and decidedly New York gesture towards Scarface before he turns to retrieve a target for his next customer only to see the next stall has caught on fire and is in danger of burning down his merchandise. "Dammit Lampshade Llama, I told you your squirt gun game would be dangerous. He shakes his head in irritation as the Holocaust cannon barfs up thick orange flames and finishes the job burning it to ash wwhich ends the fire from going out of control before it gets out of hand.

Scarface looks to Signas and nods. It's an unfortunate thing though he wouldn't have anyone saying he didn't try.
"Regardless, this city will have to be fortified. Robot Masters, Ouroboros...they'll keep trying to destroy these peoples lives. And I can't let that happen," Scarface says with determination. The Young Irregular brightens as people walk up to his statues. "If you'll excuse me I believe I have a debate to hold!"
He wanders off with glee and begins excitedly discussing with his 'patrons'.
What does the future hold?

Holocaust waves a finger at Signas "Hey you! Gambit Fist. I bet you'd love to take out the Tour De France!" He points to a painting of a busy blur of circular patterns in the center of an abstract 'road'. It captures the frantic business of the race but compacts it into a single mass of ideas and shapes. Holocaust waves a flamethrower tauntingly in the big HAt's face.

Signas nods again to Scarface. "I will see what I can do. Hopefully the Irregulars can put a concerted effort into fortifying Giga City against attack."
He watches Scarface wander off to his debate, and turns back to Holocaust, briefly raising one eyebrow at the flamethrower. "No thank you, Holocaust," he replies levelly. "I think I will pass today. Though even without my business, you seem to be making quite a profit."

Holocaust shrugs as he lights a stack of bills on fire with his cannon and then uses that to relight his cigar. "What of it?" He challenges.

"Perhaps you could put your profits towards fortifications for Giga City," Signas suggests mildly. "As exciting as it is to use currency in place of a match, there are better uses for it."

Holocaust considers this. "Money is the root of all evil Jack, didn't you ever pay attention in theology class?"

"Root of all evil," Signas muses. "No, I don't think MONEY is the problem there, so much as human-- and robot-- nature." He cants his head to the side, listening to something on an internal radio, and frowns. "Grenade Man. The 9/11 of Robot Masters." His frown deepens. "In /Toronto/. Bad news."

(Continued in (Log) Bank of Nova Scotia Heist)