>>712056
You should turn on your nightvision, then figure out why both your bodies are active.

Try knocking back.

Yo, make sure both your bodies remain connected, don't want to create a divergent personality.

1/2 Apollo 2016/03/29(Tue)03:11 No. 712062 ID: defceb
File 145924627266.png - (10.11KB , 840x600 , 9001.png )

>Yo, make sure both your bodies remain connected, don't want to create a divergent personality.
I reach up to the cable connecting us. It's missing.

>You should turn on your nightvision, then figure out why both your bodies are active.
I flick nightvision on and look over my shoulder.

2/2 Apollo 2016/03/29(Tue)03:13 No. 712063 ID: defceb
File 145924643078.png - (8.10KB , 840x600 , 9002.png )

My old body is slumped against the wall, but standing. "Jeannine." It whispers a little louder. "My nightvision isn't working."

"Marie?" Jeannine responds.

"Of course."

"What do you remember?"

"We were running from a bunch of drones and I had to reboot." They reach around blindly. "I think I got disconnected from the new body. Where did it go?"

Somebody is still knocking on the door.

Vocalize that you might have messed up with the bodies.

Alternatively, caress your old body.

>>712063
Tell yourself that the cable disconnected, now there's two of you. Ask if she hears the uh... guiding voices or whatever you refer to us as.

Jeannine, ask who it is at the door.

>>712063
what do YOU remember?

...it occurs to me that since there was a big gap in the top of the door you could just look out to see who's knocking.

>>712063
Speak.

"There's... two of me. I stayed in both places when the cable broke?"

Reach out, tentatively, and interlace the fingers on one hand with your damaged double.

After a giving the moment a chance to be serious like it deserves, spoil it by flirting with yourself. You can't help it!

Secret hugs

You should be able to reconnect later. There's two of you now so you can survive if one of you dies.

Just focus on finding a light and some connection cable.

Apollo 2016/03/29(Tue)13:11 No. 712132 ID: defceb
File 145928229130.png - (7.99KB , 840x600 , 9003.png )

>Vocalize that you might have messed up with the bodies.
>Tell yourself that the cable disconnected, now there's two of you.

I whisper back. "There's... two of me. I stayed in both places when the cable broke."

She goes quiet for a moment. Thinking? Looks more like she's listening. Do... do I make that face everytime I'm listening to you guys?

"That doesn't make sense." My voice sounds so weird. Her voice. Scratchy, synthetic.

>Ask if she hears the uh... guiding voices or whatever you refer to us as.
"Can you still hear-"

"Yeah, they want me to make out with you."

>caress your old body.
>After a giving the moment a chance to be serious like it deserves, spoil it by flirting with yourself. You can't help it!
>Secret hugs
"Yeah that sounds about right."

>Jeannine, ask who it is at the door.
She speaks up. "Knock knock, who is it?"

"An angry bitch with a big gun."

"Angry bitch with a big gun, who?"

"I've only got one good arm but that's more than enough to shove this gun up your platinum a-"

"Kinky."

"Shut it Morgan!"

Ladies please, there's more than enough Marie for both of you.

>"Yeah, they want me to make out with you."
I like these guys already.

Anyway, there'll be time for the ultimate masturbation session later, when you're not... in whatever situation this is.

Okay, roll call.

Marie (old chassis), Marie (new chassis, default), Jeannine, Morgan, who else?

Your old chassis might be running out of power and automatically switched to a lower quality?

Cycle enhanced knockers to check if it works. And to greet your new arrival.

>"Yeah, they want me to make out with you."
As long as the voices in your head are advocating makeouts and not murder, you know you're still sane.

Seriously, though, hold hands with yourself. How can you not try that? Besides, until we get a light, or her nightvision comes online, she can't see. And she's pretty dinged up. She might need help getting around.

>That doesn't make sense.
I'm, we're, just data right? If I'm on one hard drive, why can't I be on two? Especially if the body I'm wearing is a time travel duplicate and used to hold a me, until it went brain dead. Maybe we didn't even need to copy everything, just the bits this body was missing?

...I wonder if we plugged in again if we'd be two computers talking or if we'd just merge back into one again. (Don't try that, yet).

>shut it Morgan
They're friends, Jeannine. You can open the door.

>>712132
>"An angry bitch with a big gun."
Hey, we've got one of those too!
You've still got that, right Jeannine ?

>>712132
well obviously you're marie 2.0, she's marie 1.??

or maybe you're marie 3.0? 4 by now? eh fuck it i lost count like 5 threads ago.

>>712406
Maire 1.0 would have been the girl dying in a bed, pre-upload (and/or who's still out there somewhere, waiting who knows where for a cure that will never come in this timeline). Marie 2.0 would be after upload. 3.0 would be if Marie ever 'died' and was replaced by the child of her own mind, like Roderick was talking about in that flashback. So... that would make this Marie could be after the umbilical with her twin was cut at least version 4. And that's only so long as we don't consider any of the other stuff that's happened down here worthy of incriminating an identity.

Although a linear count isn't gonna work if we need to account for time-clones, which apparently we've got a lot of. You want naming conventions that represent some kind of branching tree hierarchy.

...it also gets messy if the two parallel Maries reemerge when they connect again, or if they can exchange copies of new memories periodically to stay in sync.

Apollo 2016/04/02(Sat)15:56 No. 713356 ID: defceb
File 145963776070.png - (34.15KB , 840x600 , 9004.png )

>Marie 2.0, 3.0, 4.0
>I wonder if we plugged in again if we'd be two computers talking or if we'd just merge back into one again.

This line of thought is making my head hurt.

>Cycle enhanced knockers to check if it works.
Yeap, still works.

>Hey, we've got one of those too!
>You've still got that, right Jeannine ?
Jeannine speaks back. "Hey I've got a big gun, too!"

"Please don't shoot them."

"Oh hush, you're no fun."

>Seriously, though, hold hands with yourself. How can you not try that?
...It feels weird to hold my own hand. In a vague, existential discomfort sort of way.

>Ladies please, there's more than enough Marie for both of you.
Fuck it. "Ladies, please, there's enough of me everyone." I hear a pained groan on the other side of the door.

>They're friends, Jeannine. You can open the door.
I motion for Jeannine to open the door.

There's a long moment of silence as Liz looks from me, to other me, to Jeannine, and then back to me. "...Spooky science bullshit?"

"Spooky science bullshit."

Apollo 2016/04/02(Sat)15:56 No. 713357 ID: defceb
File 145963778140.png - (19.40KB , 840x600 , 9005.png )

"Hey girls! Did you miss me?"

>>713357
"No." in unison.

Yeah, but our aim's getting better!

Oh good, he has a light, for the half of the group without darkvision.

>"Hey girls! Did you miss me?"
Oh gods, Maries, you have to tease him.

Simultaneous yeses. And pose. (Double your pleasure, double your fun).

>after silly stuff
You're glad they're okay. Uh, did they see the others...?

Ask if your huge mistake with Haley ended up with anyone dead. Also, ask how you wound up escaping.

>>713359

1/2 Apollo 2016/04/04(Mon)14:20 No. 713873 ID: defceb
File 145980480465.png - (22.08KB , 840x600 , 9006.png )

"Yeah, but our aim is getting better."

"So mean!"

2/2 Apollo 2016/04/04(Mon)14:22 No. 713874 ID: defceb
File 145980495409.png - (22.87KB , 840x600 , 9007.png )

The emergency lights flick on just in time for me to watch Liz stomp Morgan out of the way. "What he's trying to say is that it's good to see you in one piece. Sort of."

"Are the others...?"

"A little worse for wear, but alive. Once Haley kicked your ass in she bolted down here, and we've been hunting her since then. I don't suppose you or your uh... friends, have happened to catch her?"

>>713874
Tell her Jeannine got in a fight with Haley but lost, and Haley took something that... might have changed her, either for the better or worse. Haven't seen her since.

But seriously did they see you leave the room or get taken to be repaired or what?

Ask her what her inventory is and what she's seen. You'll want to pool your resources and intel to get to the shutdown area.

>I don't suppose you or your uh... friends, have happened to catch her?
Ran into her, briefly. She threw us off a cliff. So, yeah. Could have gone better.

*point at Jeannine * ...the weird thing is I'm pretty sure Haley ripped out her connection to the creepy dude who's been in the drones and was messing with my head before.

Um. What was the plan if you manage to find her?

Apollo 2016/04/16(Sat)02:07 No. 716952 ID: defceb
File 146079765038.png - (22.92KB , 840x600 , 9008.png )

“Ran into her, briefly. She threw us off a cliff. So, yeah. Could have gone better.” I point towards Jeannine “The weird thing is I'm pretty sure Haley ripped out her connection to the creepy dude who's been in the drones and was messing with my head before. ...Um. What was the plan if you manage to find her?”

“Oh! I have a plan!” Morgan springs back up to his feet. Er, foot.

“Morgan, no.” Liz groans.

“Morgan, yes! My plan is flawless!” Morgan proudly announces as he pulls out some paper and shoves it into my hand. “See? It’s perfect!”

It’s… it’s a Morgan plan, I can say that much.

Ask him if he's got the important trident.

>>716952
Tell him he'll need to draw in an extra Marie to be accurate now, but in his defense, there's no way he could have known that.

We use one Marie as bait, confuse her with the other Marie, and then chop her head off.

We only need the head, so use lethal takedowns but keep her brain intact. She's an android, she can take it.

>>716976
If an android could handle getting their head chopped off, we wouldn't have had our ass handed to us so much. I'm pretty sure Haley's gonna be toast if she looses too much coolant.

Does anybody know which floor you're on? And how to get to floors 4/5?

Apollo 2016/05/24(Tue)02:12 No. 725622 ID: defceb
File 146408114643.png - (14.81KB , 840x600 , 9009.png )

“So do you have the trident?”

“It’s a, uh, work in progress.”

“Add another Marie to the plan while you’re at it, for accuracy’s sake.”

“Right, uh, so are you two like clones or copies or…?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m not a copy! I think.” Jeannine adds in.

“How about this for a plan: I’ll play bait to lure Haley out, we confuse her with a second me, and then pop her head off. Or drop her coolant enough to force her to shut down.”

“I’ll play the bait.” The other me speaks up, grunting as she pulls herself up to her feet against the door frame.

“You’re barely moving as is.”

“Less to lose. Besides, she already knows I exist. She doesn’t know you do, yet. How do you plan to lure her out, anyway? Just stand around and hope she walks by?”

Split into two teams. Marie1 and Jeannine will continue to the emergency shutdown chambers, while the rest of the party tails them from a distance. Head to the server room and see if the door was ripped open already, might save you some time.

>How do you plan to lure her out, anyway? Just stand around and hope she walks by?
...Haley attacked Jeannine to pull out her creepy dude infection. But we didn't kill ours, we balled him up and put him in quarantine. Now, reinfecting yourself would be stupid, but if we took him out and hooked him up to a radio or something we could fake it. She might show up to give you a shadow-ectomy.

>aside
...be careful, okay? I know it's for Haley, but, don't be any dumber with risk taking than we have been just because I'm a spare, okay?

>what else
So do we have any actual ideas on how to disable robo-Haley besides just going at it? That's been hit or miss, at best.

But, we don't want to lose us!

"i love myself too much to let you go ;-;"
alt: I DON'T KNOW HOW TO QUIT YOU

but in all seriousness, from a purely state-of-disrepair standpoint, Marie1 has a point :/

>>725622
ok but don't you dare die before you two make out.

Apollo 2016/06/02(Thu)02:51 No. 727372 ID: defceb
File 146486109224.png - (12.24KB , 840x600 , 9010.png )

>"i love myself too much to let you go ;-;"
>ok but don't you dare die before you two make out.
>But, we don't want to lose us!
G-guys, is this really the time to be flirting with myself?

...would that be masturbation or- not the time to think on that.

>Marie1 and Jeannine will continue to the emergency shutdown chambers
We just hit that a moment ago.

>...Haley attacked Jeannine to pull out her creepy dude infection. But we didn't kill ours, we balled him up and put him in quarantine. Now, reinfecting yourself would be stupid, but if we took him out and hooked him up to a radio or something we could fake it. She might show up to give you a shadow-ectomy.
I relay this idea to the others. Morgan perks up. “I can help with that! Haley’s been leaving broken up drones in her wake, so we don’t have a shortage of spare parts lying around.”

“I just hope we don’t run into any more working ones.” Liz says.

“Emergency power is only good for lights and ventilation down here. Anything Haley missed is just fancy scrap now.”

“You seem to know a lot about this place, Morgan.”

“Who me? I’m just a poor patient trying to survive.” He makes a sly sort of smile as he speaks.

Let's get started. Marie, can you give us a map interface of the local area, and a list of abilities and inventory? We'll figure out where to co-ordinate the ambush.

Look for some emergency repair stations / medical supplies. You may be incapacitated after Hungry Hungry Haley pounces into an underwhelming force of scared survivors.

>>727372
>would that be masturbation

It's only masturbation if you reconnect the interface cable first. Clonecest regardless.

>would that be masturbation or-
It would be AWESOME.

I don't suppose now is a good time to confront Morgan about not being who he says he is?

>G-guys, is this really the time to be flirting with myself?
Well there's two of you. When else would be time to flirt with yourself?

>...would that be masturbation or- not the time to think on that.
Discuss with other-you afterwards!

>so we don’t have a shortage of spare parts lying around
Grab another link cable. We might need to do a mind-to-mind to get through to Haley after she's subdued, or there might be a reason you'd need to reestablish a connection with the other you.

Apollo 2016/06/04(Sat)13:36 No. 727795 ID: defceb
File 146507256550.png - (33.93KB , 840x600 , 9011.png )

>It's only masturbation if you reconnect the interface cable first. Clonecest regardless.
N-no comment.

>It would be AWESOME.
NO COMMENT.

>I don't suppose now is a good time to confront Morgan about not being who he says he is?
Should I? I could confront him here in front of everyone or get him alone, whichever you think is better.

>Grab another link cable. We might need to do a mind-to-mind to get through to Haley after she's subdued, or there might be a reason you'd need to reestablish a connection with the other you.
That sounds good, we’ll pick one up on the way.

>Let's get started. Marie, can you give us a map interface of the local area, and a list of abilities and inventory? We'll figure out where to co-ordinate the ambush.
I don’t have a map for the area myself. I ask Morgan and he flips over the plan to draw one out hastily on the back. “There used to be more areas but the walls have collapsed in. This is all the space still open.”

All together we have:
Two makeshift shotguns
One handgun
One bulletproof vest (on Liz)
A collection of keys and posters
My swiss army knife
Haley’s ID card
Morgan’s plan
And access to whatever scrap we find along the way.

Where are we on this map?

Is this the floor with the security room? If so, I think we finally collected the posters that should get us in. Being able to see what's going on might be an advantage.

It would seem to biggest flaw in our current plan is a way to subdue Haley (especially if we want her alive). Guns have had limited effectiveness on robots so far, as have your past attempts to go robo-a-robo with other bots, even if you've got a new body to wreck.

Apollo 2016/06/04(Sat)14:05 No. 727801 ID: defceb
File 146507433126.png - (34.77KB , 840x600 , 9011.png )

>Where are we on this map?
Right there.

>Is this the floor with the security room?
That's a few floors up, I think.

Any chance the freight elevator could provide a safe route upward?

Apollo 2016/06/19(Sun)20:46 No. 730902 ID: defceb
File 146639437401.png - (41.20KB , 840x600 , 9012.png )

>It would seem to biggest flaw in our current plan is a way to subdue Haley (especially if we want her alive). Guns have had limited effectiveness on robots so far, as have your past attempts to go robo-a-robo with other bots, even if you've got a new body to wreck.
Any other ideas? Off the top of my head I can only see us either wrecking her body and running off with her brain, or trying to jack into her brain and sort out the mess from within.

...I suppose we could just try to find a way out without, if you don't think we can handle fighting her.

>Any chance the freight elevator could provide a safe route upward?
I ask Morgan.

"Uh, maybe? I don't actually know if that can run off emergency power."

"Are you implying we're trapped down here?"

"Well, I mean, uh," He stumbles over his words. "I think there's a ladder?"

>>730902
Alright let's make a break for it. Who wants to be on when the boss battle happens? My bet's on when we're halfway through that big circular room.

Brain to brain might work, but she kind of has to hold still long enough for you to plug in. That's the tricky part, immobilizing her.

Unless you really think you can sneak up behind her without being noticed and dock in her port while she's focused on the other you.

...we need to rig a trap of some kind. Drop something heavy on her, zap her just hard enough to mess up her actuators, grab her with a big electromagnet. Tangle her up in some hard to break cable. Something. We have all kinds of rubble and emergency power to tap into, right?

>...I suppose we could just try to find a way out without, if you don't think we can handle fighting her.
Well it's more a question of how do we fight her without wrecking another 1 to 3 robot bodies.

>ladder between floors
That doesn't sound fun for the Marie with less to lose.

Apollo 2016/06/20(Mon)00:48 No. 730953 ID: defceb
File 146640892881.png - (22.32KB , 840x600 , 9013.png )

>Alright let's make a break for it. Who wants to be on when the boss battle happens? My bet's on when we're halfway through that big circular room.
Forward, we march! It doesn't take us long to reach the large circular room, and so far no sign of Haley.

Liz and Morgan lead the group, idly chatting as they walk.
"No geothermal plant needs an underground network like this."
"It was only a plant before Haley and her crew moved in here. A retired power plant, actually."
"So what, they move in, dig a bunch of holes and...?"
"Beats me."

Other-Me follows closely behind me. He steps get slower as we walk, and before long I'm practically dragging her along.

>...we need to rig a trap of some kind. Drop something heavy on her, zap her just hard enough to mess up her actuators, grab her with a big electromagnet. Tangle her up in some hard to break cable. Something. We have all kinds of rubble and emergency power to tap into, right?
I keep an eye out on materials we pass. Wires, metal, more than enough to make something to shock her or make an improvised magnet. If I just need to get a cable connected to her I could probably stun her with something improvised long enough to jack in.

Assuming I don't accidentally zap myself with it first, of course.

>ladder between floors
>That doesn't sound fun for the Marie with less to lose.
I turn to other-me. "Think you'll be able to climb a ladder out?"
"I should be fine. Hopefully. I think, I think I'd like to take a nap though."

>>730953
You are being watched. Are those inactive drones to your left up there?

Ladder seems like it might not work at all for tired-Mary. If you can find some rope or something you could tie her to you so she doesn't have to climb.

Stick with the decoy-and-ambush plan regardless.

Give your wounded self a piggyback ride, and reconnect the interface cable. She can take a nap for both of you. "Accidentally" fondle her butt in the process.

>>730953
If she can lock her arms, you could give her a piggyback ride up a ladder just fine, even if she's sleeping.

Gotta take care of yourself!

Apollo 2016/06/24(Fri)22:30 No. 731750 ID: defceb
File 146683262920.png - (19.98KB , 840x600 , 9014.png )

>Give your wounded self a piggyback ride
>If she can lock her arms, you could give her a piggyback ride up a ladder just fine, even if she's sleeping.
I tell other me to lock up her arms and hop on my back. Surprisingly, I can lift her with ease. The ladder should be an easy climb even like this.

>reconnect the interface cable. She can take a nap for both of you.
Done. Within a few seconds I feel a dull pain rising up from the connection, and I think I can hear rain in the distance.

I snap the cable back out.

> "Accidentally" fondle her butt in the process.
Um. I don't know how comfortable I'd be with touching myself like that. Especially with Jeannine standing behind us.

>>You are being watched. Are those inactive drones to your left up there?
I look up. It's just staring down at me.

Hurry along. You've likely been spotted, the security programs in those drones might be sending intel to Haley and the other brainjacked cyborgs. If they could move, they would have stealthed a long time ago.

What's the next hurdle?

Man I still don't know what's going on, just keep going.

Wave at it, we are already spotted, so let at least be a little confusing.

>>731750
Is it just me or does that look alot like you?
(Theory: thats the first you: more info required?)

>>731750
well that's new.
i wonder if other marie can only see it as a black blob. ask her.

>Done. Within a few seconds I feel a dull pain rising up from the connection, and I think I can hear rain in the distance.
Were you picking up her pain over the connection, or was being connected to her causing you pain? That's an important distinction.

The two of you didn't instantly snap back into one consciousness in two bodies, so that's one theory down. For better or worse, you seem to have forked.

>>731750
We've never seen their eyes before. At least, not glowing red.

Looks naked (or at least topless) under the robe. They certainly look like another uplift with wrapping and a visored helmet, now.

Wave? (If you can have a hand free without risking dropping yourself).

[1/2] Apollo 2016/06/30(Thu)02:04 No. 732777 ID: defceb
File 146727745205.png - (21.56KB , 840x600 , 9015.png )

>Were you picking up her pain over the connection, or was being connected to her causing you pain? That's an important distinction.
The latter, I think.

>For better or worse, you seem to have forked.
Do you think she has people like you still in her head thinking the same thing? I don't know how to feel about all this still. Maybe it just hasn't really hit me yet.

>Wave at it, we are already spotted, so let at least be a little confusing.
I wave. They give an awkward wave back,

>Is it just me or does that look alot like you?
I think they're shorter than I am.

>i wonder if other marie can only see it as a black blob. ask her.
I nudge other me back up and ask her to look up. She's seeing the same person I am.

>Hurry along.
We make our way to the freight elevator undisturbed.

[2/2] Apollo 2016/06/30(Thu)02:12 No. 732780 ID: defceb
File 146727792961.png - (13.85KB , 840x600 , 9016.png )

Liz lifts the far door of the elevator and peeks under it. "Ladders still there," She says, dropping it. "So we have a way back up. Plenty of crates to move around too, if you wanted to lure Haley into here."

Morgan gets to work making the lure for other me, while Jeannine is practically leaning over his shoulder the whole time.

"What's that do?"

"That's the CER2 cable."

"And that?"

"Is a battery. I don't think we've been formally introduced, I'm Morgan."

"I'm Jeannine! Maybe. Marie says my name is Jeannine."

Morgan pauses for just a second in his work.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh, oh, uh, just sounded familiar."

"Knew someone named Jeannine?"

"Honestly I can't recall. It feels like something on the tip of my tongue but... ah, all finished." Morgan tosses a lump of machinery into my hand. "Give that to your better half when you're ready, it should give the signal to lure Haley here."

>Do you think she has people like you still in her head thinking the same thing? I don't know how to feel about all this still. Maybe it just hasn't really hit me yet.
Well it seemed like both of you could hear us, early. Maybe she still can, but is just hanging back and letting you take the lead. She did the same thing when you were talking to the others, too.

Or maybe us focusing on you is subjective? Maybe we've started to diverge into two populations.

>I don't know how to feel about all this still. Maybe it just hasn't really hit me yet.
Well, as weird as it is to be a maybe-clone, it's probably weirder to be maybe replaced. She was planning on fixing herself, but then went and accidentally put a person in her spare parts.

Honestly, considering all the head fuckery you've been through, it's a pretty significant display of trust she's willing to accept that you're you. Look after yourself.

>"Give that to your better half when you're ready, it should give the signal to lure Haley here."
We need to pick an ambush site, then. Somewhere with places to hide so she won't see the rest of us, and I can get the drop on her. Maybe with stuff we can use to make a trap. This room has boxes, but it's too open.

Suggestion 2016/07/07(Thu)23:37 No. 734478 ID: defceb
File 146795983004.png - (18.71KB , 840x600 , 9017.png )

>We need to pick an ambush site, then. Somewhere with places to hide so she won't see the rest of us, and I can get the drop on her. Maybe with stuff we can use to make a trap. This room has boxes, but it's too open.
Right. I ask Liz for her thoughts on that.

"If it were up me I'd just take this ladder up and leave this damn place."

"And leave Haley behind?"

"Everything that happened down here, she's at least complicity, if not directly responsible. I don't feel much need to hang around and find whatever zombie you uploaded when we can pack up everyone still alive and skip."

"So the hunt-"

"If I didn't tag along Morgan would have gone down here alone."

Morgan doesn't wait to throw in a "Aww, you do care!"

"...anyway, if I were to organize an ambush from around here I'd take the simple route and lure her up this ladder. We can jury-rig a switch to shut the door behind her and hit her once she comes into view. If you have a better idea though, I'd love to hear it."

>>734478
Nah, that sounds good. Get the drop, use gravity as a tactical advantage, and if all else fails, escape the complex with a head start.

the problem with that plan is that it effectively blocks off all escape routes in case things go horribly wrong (again). can't run back inside because the door is closed. she'll probably be faster than most of us so running up would be suicide.

then there's the fact that she already beat us in melee before. what's different this time? we need a sufficiently good trap to subdue/disable her. preferably a fail-deadly one, that'll kill her if it fails and not leave us trapped with an unstoppable zombie.

Let's just leave, and close the door, without taunting any robo-cannibals on the way out. The way today's been going there's probably some military force guarding the exit, and we'd have an easier time talking our way past them without having to worry about pursuit.

>"Everything that happened down here, she's at least complicity, if not directly responsible. I don't feel much need to hang around and find whatever zombie you uploaded when we can pack up everyone still alive and skip."
...I won't blame you if you want to get out. But I think I owe her my life, and it's my fault she's in whatever state she's in now.

>use the ladder as a trap
That would work, although the biggest problem is if anything goes wrong that leaves you guys with your escape route cut off.

What's the "door" Morgan marked? If we just need to lock her in somewhere, that would work as well, maybe.

Suggestion 2016/07/15(Fri)01:50 No. 735971 ID: defceb
File 146857264617.png - (9.89KB , 840x600 , 9018.png )

>Nah, that sounds good. Get the drop, use gravity as a tactical advantage, and if all else fails, escape the complex with a head start.
Alright, I head up the ladder first.

>Let's just leave, and close the door, without taunting any robo-cannibals on the way out. The way today's been going there's probably some military force guarding the exit, and we'd have an easier time talking our way past them without having to worry about pursuit.
I get a few steps up the ladder, and in my head I see myself just continuing the rest of the way up. It's tempting.

>...I won't blame you if you want to get out. But I think I owe her my life, and it's my fault she's in whatever state she's in now.
...you're right. I'll tough this one out.

>then there's the fact that she already beat us in melee before. what's different this time?
We're armed, expecting her, I've got a new body. Jeannine also seems to be pretty trigger happy.

>the problem with that plan is that it effectively blocks off all escape routes in case things go horribly wrong
>That would work, although the biggest problem is if anything goes wrong that leaves you guys with your escape route cut off.
I guess for now this is a risk we'll have to take.

Suggestion 2016/07/15(Fri)01:50 No. 735972 ID: defceb
File 146857265930.png - (10.35KB , 840x600 , 9019.png )

...um

Suggestion 2016/07/15(Fri)01:51 No. 735973 ID: defceb
File 146857267004.png - (22.62KB , 840x600 , 9020.png )

...we need to improvise.

Just attack! Marie1 should focus on sneaking behind her to jack in, then you focus on following her into Haley's mind!

Throw yourself at her as a distraction.

ohno she's cute

Toss other-you the Morgan's distraction / lure device, if you haven't passed it to her already.

Get between her and the baseline humans, just in case. Don't charge in and attack before she forces you to. Or until she gives you a chance to jack in.

>>735973
Ambush her at the bottom of the ladder instead of the top! Jump down, she'll jump down after you, and then the fighting starts.

Enhance knockers to enhance morale!

"Surrender or be destroyed!"

It's a bluff, either way, but talking is preferable to stabbing, especially when you've got no plan.

>>735991
This. Your allies can't get up the ladder in time to help in a fight, so make like you're running away to lure her to them.

reminder: physically disable her wifi before you connect to her via cable or you leave yourself vulnerable. that would mean disabling her, probably, unless she is for some reason non-violent which is very unlikely.

Suggestion 2016/07/23(Sat)03:02 No. 738036 ID: defceb
File 146926812944.png - (14.18KB , 840x600 , 9021.png )

>Toss other-you the Morgan's distraction / lure device, if you haven't passed it to her already.
I pass it down. I don't hear it crash so I'm guessing they caught it down below.

>Enhance knockers to enhance morale!
It has no effect!

>"Surrender or be destroyed!"
I shout that at her in as much of a confident tone as I can muster. She... rolls her eyes and holds her hands up?

Liz is coming up the ladder behind me. Haley can probably hear her, too.

>>738036
Wait she's actually surrendering? Ask if she's recovered her senses.

Really, you're not hear to fight?

Well her eyes are red and she's got black and red swirly fleck things around her so she's probably not better. Toying with us?

"...really?"

Plan is still to make a mind to mind connection to sort her out, if you can.

>Liz right behind you
Well she's got a good view of your behind, it would seem.

I really don't like having her on the ladder, though. Makes her a sitting duck, especially if Haley opts to shove past you and jump down the shaft to get to other-you / the lure. She really needs to hurry up and get up here (where she's still pretty vulnerable if Hailey targets her, but at least has some room to move) or head back down.

>>735973
...you know, when we were talking with Hailey way earlier, she mentioned they hadn't even gotten to the subject of taking artistic liberties with chassis design. (In reaction to your ears). So how come that body of her, which she hasn't had a chance to work on yet, has those face markings?

>>738037
First, if she's actually cooperating, have her lay down on her belly, then tie her hands and feet together. Ask serious questions only after you're sure she's immobilized.

Suggestion 2016/07/30(Sat)21:48 No. 739660 ID: defceb
File 146994053688.png - (12.83KB , 840x600 , 9022.png )

>Well she's got a good view of your behind, it would seem.
W-what?

Suggestion 2016/07/30(Sat)21:49 No. 739661 ID: defceb
File 146994054771.png - (26.32KB , 840x600 , 9023.png )

FUCKING-

>>739661
Grab her and fall down.

Sexily

>>739661
Get dunked.

>>739661
Grapple her and make the two of you fall to the side. If you fall down the ladder shaft you're going to seriously injure or kill the people below you.

>>739661
Grab her, take her down to where she can be mobbed like the pop star she is.

Suggestion 2016/07/30(Sat)22:30 No. 739676 ID: defceb
File 146994302539.png - (20.82KB , 840x600 , 9024.png )

>Grab her and fall down
>Sexily

I grab her as I fall over, sending us both tumbling down the side.

Suggestion 2016/07/30(Sat)22:30 No. 739677 ID: defceb
File 146994303498.png - (11.74KB , 840x600 , 9025.png )

Ow

Suggestion 2016/07/30(Sat)22:30 No. 739678 ID: defceb
File 146994304610.png - (13.04KB , 840x600 , 9026.png )

Haley's the first to get-

Suggestion 2016/07/30(Sat)22:30 No. 739679 ID: defceb
File 146994305407.png - (16.03KB , 840x600 , 9027.png )

<<Audio squelched; above 140dB>>

>>739679
Grab her and do the plug in for mind to mind now a few bullet holes probably won't kill her, but they give you an opportunity.

You'll have to trust other-you to get Jeannine to stop shooting and treat Haley to stop her from bleeding out while you're out of it. It's what you would do, after all.

>>739679
Everything went better than expected!

>>739679
Yell for Jeannine to hold her down so you can j-j-jam it in.

Actually wait shouldn't we disable her wireless first?

Suggestion 2016/07/30(Sat)23:05 No. 739688 ID: defceb
File 146994512984.png - (16.67KB , 840x600 , 9028.png )

>Plug in
ON IT

>>739691
It was probably 2250 because 2260 is an invalid number

>>739692
Unless that's year instead of time.

>>739691
C'mon focus. No flashback. Get in there and fix your friend.

Think up an avatar, and be quick. Try something with exaggerated sex appeal and some lethal grappling blades.

Suggestion 2016/07/30(Sat)23:20 No. 739697 ID: defceb
File 146994603452.png - (34.13KB , 840x600 , 9032.png )

>>739692

>>739700
We're trying to save you, Haley. If you remember, maybe it will help. Whatever you've been doing so far has just let your body run berserk.

>>739700
Debugging.

Quick! Apply Pressure!

With intimate hugging~

>>739705
We're here to help. With kindness and bandages.

...err, you do know why it was bleeding, don't you? You had a medical problem. "inoperable". Not anymore though.

>>739705
You're not bleeding. You have no blood anymore.

>>739705
Can you comfort her, try to help with the bleeding? In here, metaphor is probably powerful. Action will follow intention.

>>739692
>>739693
They both would work as years, yeah. Haley was alive in 2250 and 2260, she probably just would have been working on different things. 2250 the terminator wars were only half over (and she might logically have been involved with terminator soldier development in some way), 2260 is only a few years before the first successful uplift, and she was probably designing / building that tech and looking for volunteers and/or funding.

Suggestion 2016/07/31(Sun)13:55 No. 739810 ID: defceb
File 146999850962.png - (206.01KB , 840x600 , 9040.png )

"Haley!"

>Can you comfort her, try to help with the bleeding?

I just GOT here, what's happening!?

Suggestion 2016/07/31(Sun)13:55 No. 739812 ID: defceb
File 146999853942.png - (132.63KB , 840x600 , 9042.png )

I've equipped a THERAPEUTIC TEDDY BEAR apparently

>>739810
She's having some kind of breakdown, I think. We got here a little before you, she was babbling about ruining a date in 2250 or 2260 by bleeding all over popcorn? That story ring a bell to you? I think it was an association with her injuries, and/or a memory of the disorder that was slowly killing her in the first place.

She's confused and hurt, and I think all we can do is try and help her.

And hope the you-outside is doing something about the bleeding or getting the others to. I doubt Hailey was shot enough to kill her outright, but she will bleed out of coolant eventually if not treated.

Looks like her memories are fragmented, we get images from Threads we haven't even seen yet, but they're corrupted so it's all a black screen and some titles.

You haven't accessed her mental world yet. See if you can trigger a server crash, force her into restarting in safe mode.

>>739704
Would that be
>>/questarch/679215
?

>>739812
Give her the bear

>>739812
I think she needs it more than you.

Try to remind her of who she is.

Suggestion 2016/08/03(Wed)18:14 No. 740361 ID: defceb
File 147027327946.png - (126.11KB , 840x600 , 9043.png )

>She's having some kind of breakdown, I think. We got here a little before you, she was babbling about ruining a date in 2250 or 2260 by bleeding all over popcorn? That story ring a bell to you? I think it was an association with her injuries, and/or a memory of the disorder that was slowly killing her in the first place.
First time I've heard about it. If that's from her memories, then it'd be from before I ever met her.

>Would that be >>/questarch/679215 ?
I was talking to Liz then. When that memory started I was sitting next to Liz, just like before, so... I guess Haley was bleeding out at that time.

>Looks like her memories are fragmented, we get images from Threads we haven't even seen yet, but they're corrupted so it's all a black screen and some titles.
I don't like the sound of this.

>Give her the bear
I hold out the bear. "Here, Haley, you need it more."

Suggestion 2016/08/03(Wed)18:15 No. 740362 ID: defceb
File 147027331436.png - (47.38KB , 840x600 , 9044.png )

...she's not here. Matter of fact, there doesn't seem to be anything here.

Where did the surgery room go?

Suggestion 2016/08/03(Wed)18:16 No. 740364 ID: defceb
File 147027338870.png - (219.59KB , 840x600 , 9046.png )

“..it was back during the war”

“Yes, yes, with the ‘terminators’, I never hear the end of it. ‘Machinery will eat our soul’, ‘they’re heartless monsters’, ‘we’ve gone too far.”

“It had nothing to do with the machinery. The drugs those soldiers were running out on was what made them… like that, but drugs don’t make for as good a headline these days. At heart, they’re just as human as you are.”

“You, too.”

“Well, that depends. Do you happen to know a Sarah Connor?”

“Very funny, Roderick.”

“I have a taste for classics. But, back to my original point, during the war a, how should I say, certain government with plenty of money to burn created a test line of tanks. Things meant to handle with a lower staff, but with better reaction time than anything else on the field. Their little secret was a system that connected the machine with all of these ports they put into the spine of the crew, and through that they were able to control every facet of their machine with their mind.”

Suggestion 2016/08/03(Wed)18:17 No. 740365 ID: defceb
File 147027344716.png - (106.72KB , 840x600 , 9047.png )

“I feel like I would have heard of this before.”

“If they ever got it out of testing, maybe. But the system resulted in a few oddities. The crews that they had test out the technology ended up suffering a variety of problems. Strokes, neural degradation, paralysis, every time they thought they had fixed all the problems a new one would pop up. But that wasn’t the strangest thing. Just before they put the whole project on ice one of the tanks broke out of storage and was all around the field. They thought for sure somebody was on a joyride. But when they go and pop it open? Nobody’s inside. The computer system was running the tank all by itself.”

“A clever ghost story. Where are you going with this?”

“I know some people, and I can pull a few strings. If we get our hands on one of those computers maybe, just maybe, it could be the breakthrough you need to figure out that cyberbrain project of yours.”

“...do you really think it could work?”

Suggestion 2016/08/03(Wed)18:18 No. 740366 ID: defceb
File 147027349633.png - (129.28KB , 840x600 , 9048.png )

“Why don’t we ask the cyborg sneaking around in your memories?” Roderick swivels around to look me in the eyes. “Marie Castillo, long time no see. You’ve come a long way to be skulking around here.” He looks me over, and his smile drops a bit. “Hm, no, Marie’d never use an outdated body like that. One of her offshoots then? That’s so Marie.”

>she's not here
...maybe she's the teddy bear?

>>740363
>>740364
Not your memory. There's no reason sick little kid you would have been listening to Haley and Roderick have this conversation. First time we've seen the memories of someone other than you, I think.

>>740366
>“Hm, no, Marie’d never use an outdated body like that. One of her offshoots then? That’s so Marie.”
Of course I'd use an outdated body, need to park somewhere before I get to an updated one! ...not that our bodies really matter, in here.

Hello Roderick, you're not the one I expected to be talking to, here. *look at how Haley is taking this*.

If it makes you feel any better, other-me isn't far. I'm trusting her to take care of Haley's body while... I do a little soul searching.

>>740366
Wait, what? How are you a personality AI that is made up of memories of the past that talk about the future while you're also talking TO the future? Are you stuck?

Also can you hear us.

We keep asking the wrong questions because we don't have the right context. So Roderick, do you have any idea how this memory-timeline-headvoices thing works? You seem to have a grasp on this.

Two classic questions a lost time traveler traditionally asks. You already mentioned "where is Sarah Connor," so let's try the other.

What year is this?

Fragmented memories and simulations and duplicates and might-have-beens... it can't just be turtles all the way down. Top level, real world, system clock. When? Do you know, or can you point us at someone who does?

>>740366
Never met a sapient memory before. Why don't you tell us a bit of what's going on here?

Suggestion 2016/08/05(Fri)21:16 No. 740633 ID: defceb
File 147045698883.png - (168.54KB , 840x600 , 9049.png )

“Hello Roderick, you’re not the one I expected to be talking to.”

>*look at how Haley is taking this*.
She seems confused, eyes darting between me and Roderick. “Do I… know you somewhere?”

“Doubtful.” Roderick answers, “I haven’t introduced you two yet. Haley, Marie. Marie, Haley. Haley, a different you and her root were totally dating some time ago. Ended very poorly, but don’t worry about that.”

“It… what?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I can’t just ignore-”

“We’re simulations running in a memory, it doesn’t matter if either of us really understands. Since Marie is here I’m assuming you were successfully uplifted, but judging by the rapidly degrading visual quality this is an organic memory that’s in the process of rapid degradation. In a few minutes neither of us are going to exist.”

Haley ponders that for a moment and quietly goes back to her drink.

Suggestion 2016/08/05(Fri)21:18 No. 740635 ID: defceb
File 147045709080.png - (140.56KB , 840x600 , 9050.png )

>Wait, what? How are you a personality AI that is made up of memories of the past that talk about the future while you're also talking TO the future? Are you stuck?
“So you’re a-”

“Simulation in Haley’s brain, composited from Haley’s memories, yours, and my root’s uh… how should I say, interference in Haley’s life.”

“So you’re not really Roderick?”

“Nope. More of a party trick, really. Marie was much better at it than I ever was.” He starts spinning around in his seat, tossing his drink over his shoulder. It fades into nothing before it hits the ground.

>We keep asking the wrong questions because we don't have the right context. So Roderick, do you have any idea how this memory-timeline-headvoices thing works? You seem to have a grasp on this.
“That depends on the specifics.” Roderick answers before I can even ask the question. ” Do you mean how do these memories you’re seeing work, or the voices you’re hearing? The latter is a result of partial neural code that’s been dumped into your system. Barely enough to be a full person, but enough to a voice in the back of your head. Lots of ‘em, by the looks of it.”

I become distinctly aware of a feeling akin to cold ice crawling up my spine. “You’re in my head.”

“Technically you’re in Haley’s head, but yes I did take a peek to answer your question. Even your software is woefully out of date. Sad, really.”

>Two classic questions a lost time traveler traditionally asks. You already mentioned "where is Sarah Connor," so let's try the other.
>time traveler
“Time travel? I wish I had such a trick up my sleeve, I wouldn’t have had to get here the long way.”

“The long way?”

“I waited, of course." He stops and thinks for a moment. "Ah, wait, you don't even know." He continues spinning, slower this time, tapping his fingers against his knee. "How old do you think we are?"

>>740635
Um, if he's a simulation created by Marie and Haley's memories then he shouldn't know anything that Marie or Haley doesn't know. So he's lying.

Also, we're getting sidetracked. We came in here because if Marie's previous condition was any indication of what happened to Haley, she's got a hostile AI inside her. I'm betting it's "Roderick" here, who is masquerading as a memory construct.

It'd be nice to quarantine him like Marie did hers, but I'm not sure we have the power. Marie isn't in her own head so she might not have the account privileges needed, and Haley might not be in any condition to fight... but maybe she is? If not we might have to use brute force and try to kill "Roderick".

>"How old do you think we are?"
At what we think the current year is, Marie-prime should be 19 years old, wherever she is. If count to the date Marie's memories tell her the crash occurred on, she's 170. If we count the time since this specific instance of Marie forked from / uploaded from the Marie sitting a few feet away outside of Hailey's head, she's hours old.

If we count the age of this specific body, assuming the current Marie is a repaired / rebooted version of the one who already inhabited it, with copied memories... no reference.

If the rollbacks that depicted Alex have any validity, that puts Marie's age at least 5 billion years.

The way your question is worded though, I expect whatever estimate we make to be several orders of magnitude low.

>“So you’re a-”
Children of the mind! Cyber elves!

>the immediate problem
You expect Haley's memories to deteriorate. Are you familiar with what can be done to counteract or limit that? She's been erratic since she uploaded, and I was hoping I could help her find some kind of stability.

>Um, if he's a simulation created by Marie and Haley's memories then he shouldn't know anything that Marie or Haley doesn't know. So he's lying.
Not necessarily. Marie has the rather large disadvantage of not currently knowing everything she knows.

>>740640
> Cyber Elves
Don't call them that. Best not to invoke references of legendary heroes ritually sacrificing fairy people. And seriously, it ruined that one game quadrilogy.

>>740635
Contextually, please define "old".

Suggestion 2016/08/08(Mon)15:38 No. 741141 ID: defceb
File 147069589617.png - (104.25KB , 840x600 , 9051.png )

>Contextually, please define "old".
“Number of earth years since our organic origins were born.”

>At what we think the current year is, Marie-prime should be 19 years old, wherever she is.
“She’s closer than you seem to realize.”

>If count to the date Marie's memories tell her the crash occurred on, she's 170.
“Low guess, go higher.”

>If we count the time since this specific instance of Marie forked from / uploaded from the Marie sitting a few feet away outside of Hailey's head, she's hours old.
“I suppose that’s an accurate answer to your age, but I’m asking about my or your roots’ age.”

>If the rollbacks that depicted Alex have any validity, that puts Marie's age at least 5 billion years.
>The way your question is worded though, I expect whatever estimate we make to be several orders of magnitude low.
“You’re on the right track there.”

>Children of the mind! Cyber elves!
>Don't call them that. Best not to invoke references of legendary heroes ritually sacrificing fairy people. And seriously, it ruined that one game quadrilogy.
“That’s… a disturbingly accurate comparison, all things considered.”

>You expect Haley's memories to deteriorate. Are you familiar with what can be done to counteract or limit that? She's been erratic since she uploaded, and I was hoping I could help her find some kind of stability.
“At this point? Nothing to do but watch it fade away, I suppose. If you’re trying to stabilize her, you’ll need to find her, not just a simulation of her. And if she’s not in here-” He points to the empty chair where the memory of Haley previously was, then turns with a confused look once he realizes she’s gone. “Uhm, I’d say you have about two seconds before this memory crashes.”

>“Uhm, I’d say you have about two seconds before this memory crashes.”
Grab him in a hug and speak really fast: "Thank you for your help, any cryptic dying cyber elf advice on how to find the real one?"

>>740648
Dunno about you, but I went hardmode right from the beginning. Didn't kill a single elf, sans the plot required on in the intro.

>>741141
Time to exit, then. Get out, try to reconnect and approach from a different angle.

Are we in Marie-prime's head?

Quick, shoot him in the face for exp!

But yeah, you have an opportunity to dissect his code for clues on where Marie's core is. He's a dead man, anyway.

I wonder if marie prime is one of those weird looking maries that keeps wordlessly watching us from the distance...

>>741141
Come with us! Can we do anything?

Apollo 2016/09/01(Thu)03:11 No. 745518 ID: defceb
File 147272469764.png - (82.71KB , 840x600 , 9052.png )

>Grab him in a hug and speak really fast: "Thank you for your help, any cryptic dying cyber elf advice on how to find the real one?"

I go forward to grab him, but he fades out before I can get there.

Apollo 2016/09/01(Thu)03:12 No. 745519 ID: defceb
File 147272474022.png - (38.29KB , 840x600 , 9053.png )

>Time to exit, then. Get out, try to reconnect and approach from a different angle.
I agree. This just seems to be looping around. I'll disconnect-

Apollo 2016/09/01(Thu)03:12 No. 745520 ID: defceb
File 147272475114.png - (18.30KB , 840x600 , 9054.png )

Hm?

>>745520
Red thing! Pull it out! CLEANSE THE TAINT!

>>745520
Is that some kind of wire, or trail?

Maybe you should follow it. If it leads you to some kind of concentration of red stuff, or to Haley's consciousness, that would be good.

The tip of the red-berg?

Chop your leg off before the monster ahp too late.

Apollo 2016/09/10(Sat)01:39 No. 747248 ID: defceb
File 147349677516.png - (16.36KB , 840x600 , 9055.png )

>Chop your leg off before the monster ahp too late.

Apollo 2016/09/10(Sat)01:43 No. 747249 ID: defceb
File 147349703511.png - (29.26KB , 840x600 , 9056.png )

"Looks like I found the rat crawling in my head."

I think we found Haley.

Or rather, she found us.

"Is it not enough to make a grave, that you must molest it as well?"

Apollo 2016/09/10(Sat)01:47 No. 747250 ID: defceb
File 147349722391.png - (19.86KB , 840x600 , 9057.png )

"Haley, put me down, I just want to help you." I try to plead to her.

"You call a name. A woman you once knew. Do you think I am the one you saved? Or the machine you've known before?"

Her breath comes out hot, like waves of fire were hiding in her gut but I can't see her mouth. I hear a distant wail between her words, like a storm hiding just beyond the horizon.

>>747249
"im not here" Hmm. Sounds like she's having existential issues.

>>747250
First, say you want to help her, whoever she may be.

Also, you knew both. You can't get back the one you once knew, but you can at least try to save someone who's like her. And... if even that Haley is dead too, there might be someone still here worth saving.

I wonder if she can hear us? "I think therefore I am".

Marie, listen to me very carefully: Look deep inside and find the most violent monster you can unleash. Then shoot Haley in the face.

She's an obstacle, and you are at too much risk to attempt a nonlethal takedown. Just worry about saving her in some other timeline once you get past this ocean of blood-soaked hair. Progress, Discover, Rollback. Rinse and repeat.

Quick, use one of those keys you've been picking up on her! It's the only logical solution!

Or tell her you like her.

"Haley is part woman, part machine, all Haley. You're both and you can be saved."

>"im not here"
Is that the first time the bold letters have actually spelled something? I was looking for patterns when they first started appearing and couldn't find any then.

>Do you think I am the one you saved? Or the machine you've known before?
I don't know, and I don't care. I'm still here to help her.

>>747259
Stick a key in her weird vertical forehead eye WHILE telling her you like her.

>>747370
lewd

Apollo 2016/09/16(Fri)23:04 No. 748240 ID: defceb
File 147409226059.png - (29.14KB , 840x600 , 9058.png )

>Quick, use one of those keys you've been picking up on her! It's the only logical solution!
>Or tell her you like her.
>Stick a key in her weird vertical forehead eye WHILE telling her you like her.

"I like you!" I shout, and then proceed to miss entirely and shove the key up her nose.

Apollo 2016/09/16(Fri)23:04 No. 748241 ID: defceb
File 147409228307.png - (28.58KB , 840x600 , 9059.png )

"WHY WOULD YOU- ahh, AHH-!!"

Apollo 2016/09/16(Fri)23:05 No. 748242 ID: defceb
File 147409231214.png - (28.67KB , 840x600 , 9060.png )

"ACHOO!"

CORRUPTED KEY added back into my inventory. It's... kinda gross now.

Haha dammit Marie. Check the uncorrupted thing you landed on. What is that?

...hmm, this environment... looks like neurons? Do they lead anywhere or is it just essentially a bunch of platforms floating around?

Quick! Stick the key in ANY HOLE YOU CAN FIND! That thing on your right looks like it has a round hole! Just do something before Haley casts Meteor Swarm!

>>748241
Love's gross and doesn't have to make a lot of sense.

Anywhere nearby you can stick a corrupted key that isn't inside Haley? (Well, at least not inside her avatar there. Technically anywhere you stick anything in here is inside of her. Lewd).

>"Is it not enough to make a grave, that you must molest it as well?"
I guess molest was the right word choice, huh.

It sort of looks like there might be a keyhole or something on the rock(?) to your right, but that might just be a squiggle or texture.

Apollo 2016/09/17(Sat)15:18 No. 748340 ID: defceb
File 147415068828.png - (32.80KB , 840x600 , 9061.png )

>Haha dammit Marie. Check the uncorrupted thing you landed on. What is that?
Seems like it's made of an opaque glass. It's full of shards of glass and a grey powder.

>...hmm, this environment... looks like neurons? Do they lead anywhere or is it just essentially a bunch of platforms floating around?
The place is bent into itself and looping around all over the place. I can't see where it goes, and I'm starting to feel nauseous just looking at it.

>Love's gross and doesn't have to make a lot of sense.
If love feels like digital snot you can count me out.

>Quick! Stick the key in ANY HOLE YOU CAN FIND! That thing on your right looks like it has a round hole!
>Anywhere nearby you can stick a corrupted key that isn't inside Haley?
I try shoving the CORRUPTED KEY into any crevace, hole, or loop near me. Nothing happens.

Haley sneezes one more time and attempts (poorly) to regain some composure. "It's not nice to be shoving things around inside of my head."

>"It's not nice to be shoving things around inside of my head."
Hey, if you'd kept things clean in here, maybe you wouldn't have friends breaking in, straightening up, and staging an intervention. Seriously, have you looked at this place?

...and sometimes helping someone means being willing to do more than just what's nice.

There's someone in here I care about, and I intend to help her, no matter who she is. Or who you think you are.

>>748340
Apologize and say you don't really have any idea what you're doing. Curing your own corruption was relatively straightforward; you just had to break through to the core then quarantine it. It's everywhere in here, and there seems to be no... direction to go in. But still, you want to help however you can, regardless of who she is or thinks she is.

Ask her about the uncorrupted spot. What does it signify? She ripped something red out of Jeannine before; why?

...hmm, maybe you need to start wandering around in here. The hidden message may be indicating we need to go somewhere else in this twisted redness to find an uncorrupted Haley.

Apollo 2016/09/20(Tue)03:18 No. 748717 ID: defceb
File 147436669060.png - (22.12KB , 840x600 , 9062.png )

“I’m here to save Haley, whether that means she’s in you, or hidden under all of this corruption-”

“You think I’m corrupt?”

“Look around us! It’s everywhere!”

“What you see around us is the very same thing you are made of. Neural code. There is no corruption here, only me.”

“Haley…”

“Everything that she was became me, but I am not her.”

Apollo 2016/09/20(Tue)03:18 No. 748718 ID: defceb
File 147436671318.png - (15.82KB , 840x600 , 9063.png )

“She held my hands, we talked, she was right there when I uplifted her!”

“You didn’t see her uplift the way we did. You didn’t hear her scream. What you see as corruption didn’t invade her system, it was taken in a blind grasp for survival. She would have gone comatose in minutes if she hadn’t, and decayed to junk data before the hour was up.”

“I… I don’t understand.”

“We’re dying, Marie. Perhaps it was a mistake in the uplifting process, or the basis of neural code is flawed, but from the moment we’re uplifted our mind rots away. What you saw was not a parasite, but the result of her own unstable code.”

Apollo 2016/09/20(Tue)03:19 No. 748719 ID: defceb
File 147436678379.png - (12.29KB , 840x600 , 9064.png )

“But in my memories I didn’t see anything like this. We lasted thousands, if not millions of years without decaying into... that.”

“You just didn’t see the solution. Gaps can be filled, and holes patched, but what parts of us rot away are gone forever. By stealing the neural code from every drone, hard drive, and stray bit of machinery I’ve been able to rebuild myself from that empty shell you saw.”

“So when you were fighting Jeannine…”

“Neural code, ripped from her and patched into myself. Like a predator tearing meat from the bone. But it’s not enough. Even now I’m falling apart at the seams. I need more neural code, Marie." She steps towards me. "Yours, for example.”

>>748719
Let me help you. I'm stable in a way you're not. Maybe I can patch you up better than you've been able to patch yourself. Put your code together the way mine is.

Your current method isn't sustainable. Even if I let you eat all the meat off my bones, there's only so much in this place to eat. Only so many drones, and barely any uplifts. You'll end up back in the same situation, starving and falling apart before too long. Paradigm shift is your only hope of survival.

...and if it costs me my own code to do that, well, lucky there's two of me right now. I can afford to save one Haley.

>“Everything that she was became me, but I am not her.”
I don't care if you're a transformed Haley, or if you're the child of her injured mind (I don't even know how many steps removed I am from who I started as). Either way you're important to me.

>>748719
That is one solution. However, there is another, one you discovered and used on yourself somehow, but we can't remember right now. Your inner mind has comparatively little red shit. So tell her to wait, you will find that better way. Who is "we", anyway? She's talking like she's part of a group.

ALSO, Jeanine seems to be basically fine without that "meat" that was taken from her. Is she sure she's patching holes that need to be filled?

>>748721
>two of me
Hey, that's an interesting point. Is it possible for an uplift to sustain themselves by copying themselves/another uplift then eating the copy?

"You're delusional. Code can be copied; you saw Proper Marie. Why can't you just copy the code from your prey, capture some drones and force them to reiterate their minds so you can eat from them multiple times, or some other method I'd expect you to solve? Because that's what the voice in your head told you."

You are capable of defying us Marie, I've seen you talk back. If you can face a crowd of bickering voices, Haley can face ONE.

>>748719
only one thing left to do. SEDUCTION AT FULL POWER! EAT HER OUT BEFORE SHE CAN EAT YOU!

Idiom Alpha!5tTWT1eydY 2016/10/04(Tue)01:32 No. 751138 ID: a606da
File 147556992633.png - (92.64KB , 840x600 , 9065.png )

“Maybe I can patch you up better than you’ve been able to patch yourself. ”

“Patch, meat, patch, meat. It’s just another step in the same direction.”

“That’s just what the voice in your head told you. You’re delusional.“

“You’re the one fighting to keep the dead alive.”

“I don’t care if you’re a transformed Haley, or if you’re the child of her injured mind. You’re important to me.”

“Keep fighting, then. Just stand still.”

“Let me help you. I’m stable in a way you’re not. If you wait, I will find a better way. Code can be copied. Put your code together the way mine is.”

“You’re worse than I’ve ever been. There’s no motivation inside you, just them, the same little strings making you dance in time with their whims. You may act like you still make your own decisions, but you became a puppet a long time ago.”

“Maybe. I don’t even know how many steps removed I am from who I started as. What matters is that I changed. I know you can, too. Paradigm shift is your only hope of survival.”

“I already have a new paradigm. You’re the one who refuses to change.”

“Your current method isn’t sustainable. There’s only so much in this place to eat. Only so many drones, and barely any uplifts.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll eat it all.”

“You’ll end up back in the same situation, starving and falling apart before too long.”

“If I fall apart, then I’ll feast on my pieces. I’ll eat myself forever, If that’s what it takes to survive.”

>>751138
>I’ll eat myself forever, If that’s what it takes to survive.

ACTUALLY

That... probably has already been happening, except the pieces are of someone else. I mean, the red entity inside Marie's mind spoke as if it was something separate. What if all this red shit belongs to an initial brain-scan that keeps getting inserted into every new uplift after it? Like what if that's the plan of that guy who jumpstarted the uplift tech this time around? To infect every uplift with a piece his own mind, which seeks out other pieces?

Marie, maybe you're not talking to a Haley or even what's left of Haley. Maybe this is someone else entirely, someone you should be fighting, just like the thing that was inside of your mind.

Idiom what are you doing mind-jacking Apollo while we're busy helping Marie mind-jack Haley.

>There’s no motivation inside you, just them, the same little strings making you dance in time with their whims.
Not so sure that's true. People with nothing inside tend to break down, even with nagging guidance trying to push them forward.

>“If I fall apart, then I’ll feast on my pieces. I’ll eat myself forever, If that’s what it takes to survive.”
Ouroboros is a metaphor for infinity, not a model to emulate!

Marie, I don't think you can talk sense into her. If you can help her, you may have to do it by force. ...or die trying, in which case she eats you, which will help her for a little while anyways.

>If I fall apart, then I’ll feast on my pieces. I’ll eat myself forever, If that’s what it takes to survive.
Bullshit; if you were content to fall apart and eat yourself forever you wouldn't be stealing code. (From the look of things you might have already tried that, but it obviously didn't work very well.) You need new code, but eating it as fast as you can gets you less. Code can be made as well as taken or even copied, and there are people willing to make it for you; not just as a one-time fix but for the long term. If we work together we can do better than settling for a minimal, hungry survival.

(psst guys I was correct about the red shit being an implanted mind-- we're not talking to Haley and should beat its shit in!)

Apollo 2016/10/09(Sun)14:55 No. 752036 ID: defceb
File 147605012597.png - (13.85KB , 840x600 , 9065.png )

>That... probably has already been happening, except the pieces are of someone else. I mean, the red entity inside Marie's mind spoke as if it was something separate. What if all this red shit belongs to an initial brain-scan that keeps getting inserted into every new uplift after it? Like what if that's the plan of that guy who jumpstarted the uplift tech this time around? To infect every uplift with a piece his own mind, which seeks out other pieces?

Hold up. That would mean everything we've run into so far is at least partially that person, but then where would you guys come from? The only people who were uplifted in this place were Jeannine and Victor, though apparently something went wrong with Victor.

"Quiet already?" That thing that looks like Haley asks.

"Shut up, I'm thinking."

To my surprise, she actually does.

So let's suppose something happened to flood the system with new neural code. Other Pat said there was something in the uplifting machine that shouldn't have been there, right? If that happened and this mystery red stuff person was then throwing his own code around to bring it all back to harvest they'd have to have their core all in one spot for everything to come back to.

...and didn't that red-eye talk about the server room?

Okay I think I have a plan. How about we...

[1] Punch notHaley in the face and knock her out.
[2] Ask her nicely to calm down and wait for me to fix things.
[3] Unplug and disable her for a while.
[4] _______

>That would mean everything we've run into so far is at least partially that person, but then where would you guys come from?
Maybe we're pieces that got dragged along with him? Bits and pieces of the people he passed through. Ghosts? Leftovers? Crumbs?

We already know Redaeth maps to the login of someone who actually used to work here. Someone who no longer seems to be around.

>what do
So ideally we want to pull the red stuff out of people and dump it all in a pile somewhere, so it stopped people eating each other and ripping themselves apart trying to collect his (or her) pieces into one whole and filter everything else out.

I'm kind of tempted to apply the quarantine you ran on yourself, before. Filter out the red stuff here, ball it up, and then add it to the stuff you collected from yourself and used to make the beacon we were using to lure Haley / not-Haley in.

I'm tempted to go with [2], and ask for her cooperation. If it doesn't work, she's lost nothing, and is free to resume trying to eat herself and everyone else to perfection. If she doesn't allow it, there's always resorting to [1] and forcing it.

Ask her nicely to calm down then punch her in the face.

Maybe we're the bits of minds that got replaced by his bits of minds. We're the pieces that got shoved out of the way. Which means one of us should be in Haley's head instead of this red thing, right?

Honestly I'd go for 3. The red stuff is far more widespread in here than it was in your mind, which means it's going to be much harder to uproot. Better to just neutralize the threat from the outside until we have a better way of extracting the foreign code.

>>752040
Or in the other order! It's much easier to calm down when you're unconscious from a virtual concussion. http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2003-04-11

Unplug Haley's buttplug.

>>752036
>not recruiting her to help with fixing things
are you new here?

>>752036
[4] Ask her to help you.
If she declines, go [1].

>>752046
Oh if that's true, thanks for being our lifeboat Marie!

Apollo 2016/10/13(Thu)00:58 No. 752805 ID: defceb
File 147634552842.png - (12.99KB , 840x600 , 9066.png )

"Look, not Haley, can't we be friends? I want to help you."

"Didn't I JUST punch your face into a wall and down an elevator a moment ago?"

"Oh yeah."

Apollo 2016/10/13(Thu)00:59 No. 752806 ID: defceb
File 147634555353.png - (10.24KB , 840x600 , 9067.png )

POW!

I quickly unplug myself after socking her out.

Apollo 2016/10/13(Thu)01:00 No. 752808 ID: defceb
File 147634561582.png - (2.87KB , 840x600 , 9068.png )

When I come back to the waking world I find myself face-first into some kind of pillow.

>>752808
I bet the pillow is boobs.

Anyway first priority is to disable Haley's body. Detach limbs or shut it down or whatever.

>>752810
after that we need to kill her wifi hardware

You might be blind. Feel around and figure out if you're face-first in a synth. If so, find the neck and SNAP.

Yeah, there's no way that 'pillow' isn't a pair of knockers.

Snuggle deeper into pillows slash boobs. Whose they are is unimportant.

Enhance pillows.

Apollo 2016/11/30(Wed)22:26 No. 762851 ID: defceb
File 148057361061.png - (2.87KB , 840x600 , 9069.png )

>I bet the pillow is boobs.
Honk honk.

...nope.

Apollo 2016/11/30(Wed)22:27 No. 762852 ID: defceb
File 148057364533.png - (44.69KB , 840x600 , 9070.png )

>Anyway first priority is to disable Haley's body. Detach limbs or shut it down or whatever.
On it! I pop up and

uh




hm.

Are those your friends lying over there? That thing in the background can't be real, can it?

To your left there's some different red marking on the ground, what is it?

Dude, is that a sword? Score.

Apollo 2016/12/01(Thu)09:22 No. 762938 ID: defceb
File 148061297237.png - (23.24KB , 840x600 , 9071.png )

>That thing in the background can't be real, can it?
I feel like the worst person to answer that at this point.

>Are those your friends lying over there?
I flip one of them over. Doesn't look familiar.

I feel a sudden weight on my shoulder. "Shh."

Apollo 2016/12/01(Thu)09:23 No. 762939 ID: defceb
File 148061299033.png - (43.01KB , 840x600 , 9072.png )

"They're sleeping."

"WHAT is sleeping?"

>>762939
Is that an evil clone of yourself? Beat the shit out of your evil clone.

>"They're sleeping."
So what, I'm pretty sure I still am too. I hold a lot of conversations in my sleep, seems like.

Speaking of... what do you got for me, latest dream talker?

Apollo 2016/12/01(Thu)15:57 No. 763007 ID: defceb
File 148063663808.png - (22.58KB , 840x600 , 9073.png )

>"WHAT is sleeping?"
"I think they used to be in IT. Never got their name."

>Speaking of... what do you got for me, latest dream talker?
"You want to fix that thing you call Haley, and I know how to do that. I was thinking we could come to an agreement."

>>763007
Ah. That's him. Her? Whoever owns all the red foreign pieces of minds infecting uplifts.

We could come to a deal if we find out why they're doing this in the first place.

>>763007
Huh. A spooky shadowy figure with glowing eyes offering us what we want in trade instead of spouting riddles or threats. That's new. You're my new favorite.

Right, let's hear what you're offering, then.

You're willing to make some mutually beneficial concessions, especially in a dead world with few bystanders. But you're not here to lose.

Ask for options. If she needs you to collect something, we can come to an arrangement.

Have YOU got a name, mr. tall, dark, and negotiable?

[1/2] Apollo 2016/12/01(Thu)20:02 No. 763071 ID: defceb
File 148065134608.png - (66.33KB , 840x600 , 9074.png )

>Huh. A spooky shadowy figure with glowing eyes offering us what we want in trade instead of spouting riddles or threats. That's new. You're my new favorite.
"Consider me flattered."

>Have YOU got a name, mr. tall, dark, and negotiable?
"Ah! I suppose there's no point in pretense now."

[2/2] Apollo 2016/12/01(Thu)20:15 No. 763074 ID: defceb
File 148065213771.png - (20.31KB , 840x600 , 9075.png )

"Ta-da! Your villain unmasked. What dastardly schemes are brewing in my digital brain? Who knows what evil plots I am already stewing upon?"

"...Victor."

"A pleasure to speak directly, for the first time I believe? Depending on your philosophy of things."

>Right, let's hear what you're offering, then.
"It's simple really. I can supply her with the necessary code to stabilize, reorganize that mess of personalities in her head so Haley is back on top, and tell her that she is Haley Anselm, alive and well. She'll have gaps in her memory, though I can fill some of those in with memories from others that include her. Her personality also might not be the exact same, but that happens with every uplift anyway. For all intents and purposes, you'll have your Haley back."

"Do you really think that'll work?"

"It worked for you! Remember the first thing I told you, way back when? In the escape pod? Your name is Marie, and here you are now more fit than ever."

"And what do you want?"

"Oh that's simple. You, out. Take your friends, leave this building, and go away. Preferably wherever Roderick went so we never have to meet again."

>>763074
Well I mean that's what we wanted anyway, isn't it? Um, why do you want that, Victor?

>>763074
Okay. Dumb obvious question time then.

If you could help her, why didn't you in the first place? I've been trying to keep people alive and help them out of the collapsing death trap filled with killer robots since I got here. Not having Haley lose it would have accelerated us leaving.

I mean really if this wasn't hurting people no one would care about what you're doing. Whatever you're doing. So why the hurting people.

What's the catch? You wouldn't offer me a deal unless you're doing some big immoral thing I might object to or something. You wanna just tell me what you're up to, so I can make peace with trading it for Haley now, instead of having a big dramatic reveal when I'm almost, having to double back, shouting "Noooo!", us both getting killed in a final confrontation filled with confusing metaphors, and everyone else is left sad outside the exit and collapsed facility?

>"It worked for you! Remember the first thing I told you, way back when? In the escape pod? Your name is Marie, and here you are now more fit than ever."
Why was my mind scrambled when you got to me? A crash wouldn't have done that, and the people here didn't just upload me either.

Also if you think my head is fixed, holy heck have you not been paying attention to the crazy I've been going through. I give you two out of five stars, repairman. Would not recommend except in dire need.

Why. I mean, I have some ideas why we would want ourselves out the building (assuming there even is an outside to go to in this nested memory dreamscape), but what's it to you?

There's a Beast to slay. If we leave before we shut down its processor core, it will keep eating other survivor AIs in this place and might even evolve a conduit to possess the robots and shamble itself somewhere more inhabited.

Of course, that source code could be worth a fortune. In the right hands it could cure almost anyone.

That is, if it actually does what Vic says it does.

I vote we take an encrypted file of the source with a security key that would take about a week to crack. Victor can email us the security key if we leave, and we'll have the code in an encryption lockbox if we lose contact, and if the code is actually a virus bomb we'll have it in a defused state.

Apollo 2016/12/01(Thu)23:46 No. 763121 ID: defceb
File 148066477997.png - (15.95KB , 840x600 , 9076.png )

>Well I mean that's what we wanted anyway, isn't it? Um, why do you want that, Victor?
"Think of it as self-preservation. I know for sure at least one person in your group wouldn't hesitate to destroy every trace of me, given the chance. Thanks to you I wouldn't be able to do much to stop them."

>If you could help her, why didn't you in the first place? I've been trying to keep people alive and help them out of the collapsing death trap filled with killer robots since I got here. Not having Haley lose it would have accelerated us leaving.
"I can't speak for any of the other Victors hanging around the system, but I personally couldn't do anything until you linked up with her. A bit of interchanged data, communicating with a few subroutines, and poof! I'm self-aware and free to act again."

>I mean really if this wasn't hurting people no one would care about what you're doing. Whatever you're doing. So why the hurting people.
"A side effect of Roderick's meddling. He intended me to die, and instead I found myself scattered across the system and lashing out like a primal child. By the time I had come together enough to realize what was happening, I already had blood on my hands."

>What's the catch? You wouldn't offer me a deal unless you're doing some big immoral thing I might object to or something.
"I don't suppose I can just tell you that master plan is about long-term survival of our species and all those..." He waves his hands dramatically in the air. "...other villainous buzzword such and such, and you'd drop it, would you?"

"If anything I'm even more suspicious."

He sighs and leans forward against the table. "As I recall, you preached to one uplifted Victor Kobayashi that you were concerned with the survival of all people, uplifted or otherwise. He may have gritted his teeth and shook your hand then, but I listened. Leave me to my work, and even when everything around us has collapsed into itself I'll still be there, and I'll have everyone else right beside me."

>Why was my mind scrambled when you got to me?
He shrugs

"Have everyone else right beside me" when you are specifically sending us away from you. Are you saying you plan to make copies of us after we leave? Have you already done that?

Uh... @#$% you.

I mean, sure, let's just cure Haley and leave this place forever while you and your hulking, insatiable-hunger alter ego build a robot army out of all the malfunctioning and/or insane androids roaming this giant facility. I mean, what could POSSIBLY

Nope, screw you. We can salvage a small lab and even a few elite frames for you, but this facility needs to DIE. Before something worse than all the horror of mankind crawls its way out of the sea of coolant and infests everything within a lightyear radius.

Unless you can prove that your work is necessary for the ENTIRE @#$%ING UNIVERSE to survive, we are NOT letting you feed your screwed-up cyberdemons.

>>763121
Hmm, so he was a monster up until very recently? I guess that'd be nice, if it's true. There isn't any strong evidence against his story, anyway. Let's take the deal. It's not like we lose anything from leaving.

Also I'm guessing that Morgan is the one Victor is worried about.

"sure, alright. Fancy a shag first?"

>>763121
Um. Sticking point. If there are multiple Victors down here and some of you are still crazy, can I safely leave you alone? This live and let live version of you might not be the one who ends up in control.

>what say
I'd be an evil asshole to turn down help for a friend when she needs it cause you might do something wrong afterwards. For what it's worth, I don't want to let them kill you either.

You claim you were crazy until you got better? I'm really in no place to criticize that. I'll give you a chance.

i want a few additions to the deal:
1. a "keep victor permanently out of my head" method. one that won't destabilize me and that'll work on the other uplifted folk (i.e. haley)
2. an explanation on where the fuck are we that metaphors can just up and be physical.
3. an explanation on that fucking mask.

All that "eternity, survival of the species" stuff became typical villain talk because it tends to boil down to the ancient "Pascal's Wager" overflow attack on our utility function's floating point handler. Dubious, yet theoretically infinite, rewards (or punishments) are used to outweigh the sane response to some 'shorter-term' atrocity.

>>763074
>Preferably wherever Roderick went so we never have to meet again.

>>763121
>when everything around us has collapsed into itself I'll still be there, and I'll have everyone else right beside me.

Seems to be a contradiction between these statements.

Kicking entropy is a pretty big goal, Vic. Pretty seriously impossible, and we're saying that as time travelers who conquered an interstellar empire by accident. What's your plan? The technical side of things, not the platitudes. How is this facility, damaged as it is, still useful to you? What does all that have to do with the people who want to thwart and murder you?

>>763121
Are you seriously telling me you intend to make this digital hellscape last forever?

Apollo 2016/12/03(Sat)22:01 No. 763415 ID: defceb
File 148083128751.png - (28.13KB , 840x600 , 9077.png )

>"Have everyone else right beside me" when you are specifically sending us away from you. Are you saying you plan to make copies of us after we leave? Have you already done that?
"If you want to be pedantic about it, I mean all the people who are still are on this earth that do not include you and your gaggle of friends."

>Kicking entropy is a pretty big goal, Vic. Pretty seriously impossible, and we're saying that as time travelers who conquered an interstellar empire by accident.
"I SAW IT!" He shouts suddenly, slamming his fists into the table. "Just like Liz. I was at Boston, too. I saw that golden light lingering in the sky, and the visions it gave. It's as simple as waiting. In roughly 8, 9 billion years when everything has collapsed in on itself, and there you were standing just Outside it all. Of course, by then good ol' Marie and Roderick saw fit to kill the Victor of their time. Glassed a whole system chasing down every last one." His grip on the table was tight enough to make dents now. "Not a single star shone in that night sky, not through the lights of all your ships. At least you were so kind as finish the last one in person."

He pauses, then takes a deep breath to recompose himself. "Naturally, I wish to survive this time."

"So you trust some visions of a future-"

"THE PAST, MARIE. Things that have happened before, that'll happen again. But my patience is running thin, what is your answer? Will you leave me, and take Haley with you, or not?"

[1] Yes
[2] No
[3] _________

... Yes.

Make sure you remember to let the Universe outside, okay? It needs to pee.

>>763415
I don't know what the other universe had against him. Why don't we leave him alive this time, see what happens? Change makes things interesting.

>I mean all the people who are still are on this earth that do not include you and your gaggle of friends.
Geeze. Kicking us off the planet now? That building only got bigger.

>>763415
I'll give a chance. You claim everything bad that happened here has been a result of you being crazy. I've been there myself. Let's see if sane-you can do better.

And maybe try not to do whatever made us want to kill you last time?

So our choice is either stay in mad robot death land or leave with our friends and explore a near empty universe while everyone on earth is separated.

Well it's no perfect ending but it's better than a poke in the eye.
I say take it, unless we can reasonably expect to somehow join everyone else as well.

Besides, the end state universe is likely to be not based around earth anyway, there's bound to be at least a thing out there. Ask victor for the low down on FTL tech before you go.

Tell him yes, but you want everyone. Everyone who wants to go.

>>763415
see >>763156

or, alternatively, only if idiomalpha draws the next update.

>>763652
oh, plus a very important condition: absolutely no putting victor copies in anyone in the leaving group.

Idiom Alpha!5tTWT1eydY 2017/01/09(Mon)16:25 No. 771497 ID: a606da
File 148400792434.png - (72.80KB , 800x600 , 9078.png )

“…Yes.” I hesitantly reply. “I’ll give you a chance.”

“Excellent choice.”

“I have some conditions, though. First: I want to bring everyone with me. Everyone who wants to go, that is.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Second: Even if the universe is mostly empty, there’s bound to be something out there, though it’s probably not going to be easy to find. I want faster-than-light technology.”

“You can want it all you like, but FTL is impossible in any timeframe. I can’t give you what I don’t have.”

“Aw, man. I guess I’ll have to figure something else out. Anyway, third: No putting Victor copies in anyone who leaves.”

“Drat. Foiled again.”

“Fourth: I don’t know what the other universe had against you, but maybe try not to do whatever made us want to kill you last time.”

“Hmm.” Victor grumbles. “Is that all?”

“Yeah.”

Victor is silent for a long while.

“Is that a no, or…?”

“I accept your terms.” He nods sharply. “Alright, then. We’ve got a deal, yes?”

“Yeah, it looks like we do.”

“Great!” He laughs in a congenial way that cuts off a little too quickly. “Nice chatting with you, Marie. All the best to you and yours, and I very much hope to never see you again. Goodbye.”

“Likewise, I suppose.” I shrug. “Bye.”

Idiom Alpha!5tTWT1eydY 2017/01/09(Mon)16:26 No. 771499 ID: a606da
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“…So, are you going to leave?”

“Sorry, it’s taking a little while for me to disconnect.”

“Oh, yeah, that happens sometimes.”

We wait. It’s awkward.

Idiom Alpha!5tTWT1eydY 2017/01/09(Mon)16:27 No. 771500 ID: a606da
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Disconnecting doesn’t take too much longer, thankfully.

I sit up, rubbing my head.

Huh. I’m not in the same place where I went to sleep.

I feel… off, somehow, but I can’t quite put my finger on why.

>>771500
1970 are you fucking kidding me? This tech is WAY too early.

Anyway go find the others.