War Week

[mockmods]

[A week has gone and past, as has the first of your number. The Researcher revealing himself, more or less, by punishing Patches, the Trusty, for pushing an unclear boundary.]

[And yet, routine seems to have returned. The Researcher makes morning and evening announcements as if nothing has happened. Meals are served in the dining hall. The copies of Oregon Trail in the computer lab now have a text-only mode for some reason? Penny has not been seen since Friday, and attempts to access the Security Room have been fruitless.]

[But overall, life in the Facility has remained unchanged. But the atmosphere is getting tenser - sooner or later something is going to break.]

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Thursday

Comments

[in4apounding]

[Penny nods, listening intently.]

Yes, I- I know. ...I was given extended versions of the public profiles, so. I already know some details. Sorry.

[She looks a little guilty at this intrusion into Meredith's personal life.]

[windowsexplorer]

[HAHAHA... YEAH... INTRUDING ON SOMETHING PERSONAL... THAT'S KIND OF A BAD THING... SOMETHING TO FEEL GUILTY ABOUT...

BUT this is not the time for Meredith to dwell on such things.]

That picture, though... I've been going over it again and again. You could see how the joints worked, and there was nothing that could be a control mechanism. The open spaces didn't have any places to mount internal components.

[She pauses for a moment.]

And I've been thinking about other things. We're the only advanced AI where I come from. Nothing else even comes close. A-and I shouldn't always look like this, usually when I'm upset about something I start looking more obviously mechanical.

[in4apounding]

...so you're worried you were made with more magical elements to to your construction than you'd thought?

[Which would be bad, question mark? But it's definitely upsetting Meredith, so. Bad, regardless of whether it's actually a "bad" thing or not.]

[This may be slightly above her paygrade as an Assistant. Which is technically nothing.]

[windowsexplorer]

Not magical elements, exactly.

[Meredith takes a deep breath that she doesn't actually need to take. Probably.]

More like narrative elements.

[in4apounding]

[Well, narrative, magical, po-tay-to po-tah-to, in this case.]

[But Penny can see the issue, she thinks.]

...like the things you were made to fight.

[windowsexplorer]

[Nod.]

We already knew we were archetypes. I guess none of us ever thought about how the "robot that wants to be human" is an archetype, too.

[in4apounding]

I see...

[Sort of, at least. Enough to understand that this is obviously a pretty big thing.]

[After a moment of silence, Penny reaches across and takes Meredith's hand.]

I don't- know that I really understand everything, about what that might mean. I'm not a scientist or- I guess a writer or anything- but. Um.

I think. It probably shouldn't matter, what you actually are, or how you were made. And if it does, I don't care. Just because you've got magic and- narrative tropes instead of nuts and bolts doesn't mean you're not still Meredith. And you're my friend.

[windowsexplorer]

[Penny is holding her hand aaaaah? This actually does help a little, and she gives it a little squeeze.]

...thank you.

I think you're right. Really, I know you're right, it's just... it's big, and I don't know how to feel about it.

But thank you. I'm glad to be your friend.

[in4apounding]

[This is how you comfort friends right.]

I guess I don't know how to really feel about it either, if that helps? I mean- besides being upset that you're upset. But I'll be here until you figure it out. I'm glad to be your friend too.

[Given everything the past two weeks have been, it feels pretty good to have actually helped someone.]