Living Corporations wrote:Potted Plants United wrote:Something fairly big but low on the ground, with many, many legs under its segmented body, scampered into the Bar, aiming for the two men. On its back was a small green snake. When the multilegged monstrosity, which the hivemind had dubbed "arthrosylvan", stopped next to Johan's barstool, he bowed down to pick up the snake. As he set it on the bar counter, it turned its head to look at Ahume, and very dark green writing appeared on its scale-like leaves: WOULD THIS WORK?
LaPointe peers over at the multilegged monstrosity, then reaches across her table to take the magazine out of her fellow corporation’s hand. When the man protests, she points over at the pair of plant-based lifeforms.
“That is just bizarre,” says the man, after a moment.
The machine swivels the sensor cluster atop its mast toward LaPointe, still shining several other sensors in Johan's direction. It reverses, turns slightly and drives toward the two corporate entities, stopping again uncomfortably close to LaPointe. The mast extends to get a better view of both LaPointe and Roth. The only communication the machine offers is a single soft, high-pitched chirp, followed by the very quiet hum of a cooling system inside its shell.