>>623611
Well that's not a good sign.

Look around. Are you in a flashback again? Where and when, this time?

Apollo 2015/02/05(Thu)01:39 No. 623614 ID: defceb
File 142312914611.png - (23.24KB , 840x600 , 3001.png )

"I really do adore you cyborgs."

"There's so many things different about your kind. The constant constant hum of machinery, so quiet but still there. The cold touch of your synthetic skin. Your unchanging faces. Just different enough to be strange."

"But still so similar. You eat, drink, sleep as you did before. You still move as if breathing, despite having no lungs. Just the other day Haley told me you still have a heart, though now it pumps coolant instead of blood. It seems to me like you cyborgs still think yourselves fully human. As if you're growing, aging, and rotting away like any other organic person."

"Every cell of your old body has been scraped away, and still the mind acts as if nothing changed. I think it incredible. But my favorite part, oh my favorite part. Can you guess what it is?"

>>623614
...Enhance knockers?

Memory? That it can be changed?

That you think you're still normal?

That cyborgs put on the best show when they die?

*Flick* The ears?

Seriously though, if this is an attempt at flirting, it's coming across as really racist. Well, not the right word for a cyborg, but you get the idea.

...you know the idea of a cyborg is just a normal person who has had a few part replaced with mechanical ones. We act human because we are. What you're saying is like saying a cripple isn't a person because they can't walk but you find it cute when you see them try.

but yeah for the question, the eyes?

I suppose this is the kind of guy we can't afford to just slap, or we'd have already done so, right?

>>623651
Hmm. If you DO slap him, I have this feeling like he'd catch your hand, movie-like...so be prepared to almost simultaneously punch him with your other hand. :P

Apollo 2015/02/06(Fri)00:03 No. 623732 ID: defceb
File 142320980741.png - (19.16KB , 840x600 , 3002.png )

>"We act human because we are. What you're saying is like saying a cripple isn't a person because they can't walk but you find it cute when you see them try."

"When someone is disabled they are still a person, wounded yes but the brain is still there, as are the organs. Your kind are made from fake organs and fake limbs. For all we know even your mind is faked, a copy of someone long dead now. Can you really say you're still a person when everything has been replaced?"

>"If this is your idea of flirting, it's kind of racist."

"We all have our faults, some more than others."

>"So is it the ears?"

"No."

>"The eyes?"

"Not quite."

>"Our memories?"

"Getting there."

>"....enhance knockers?"

"Ha! Sometimes, but not the answer I'm looking for."

>"That we think we're still normal?"

"Not quite."

>"Cyborgs put on the best show when they die?"

"So close! You see, it's not the way you cyborgs die..."

Apollo 2015/02/06(Fri)00:05 No. 623733 ID: defceb
File 142320992067.png - (41.88KB , 840x600 , 3003.png )

"...but rather that you don't."

it's a sad day when you get tired of your own dreams you know. time to wake up.

I suppose now is the point where we wake up instead of getting any answers out of him. (If it isn't, ask what is up with the eyes.)

>Can you really say you're still a person when everything has been replaced?
For the record, yes. A digital abacus can perform the same calculations as a physical one; similarly a digital brain can perform the same thoughts as one made of meat.

If sleep is the little death then you'd better wake up because what you're doing isn't allowed.

Slap him, *then* wake up.

>Can you really say you're still a person when everything has been replaced?
Yes, easily. Atoms move in and out of you constantly-none of the atoms left in your body when someone dies are the same that were in them when they were born. Cells die and become dust and new ones grow and replace them. Personalities change over time- memories are edited as you remember them inevitably. To rebuild and renew is to be human.

If there is something that differentiates cyborgs from humans it isn't that they've changed, it's that they've stopped changing. Memories are stored reliably, in a way that the act of remembering doesn't change the memory itself. The cycle of renewal of cells are replaced with fabricated exteriors that ideally do not need replacing.

>When someone is disabled they are still a person, wounded yes but the brain is still there, as are the organs. Your kind are made from fake organs and fake limbs. For all we know even your mind is faked, a copy of someone long dead now. Can you really say you're still a person when everything has been replaced?
The parts aren't important. The pattern is.

Even the earliest of peoples recognized that they were more than meat. Just like you're more than metal. Where do you think the idea of soul comes from?

>If there is something that differentiates cyborgs from humans it isn't that they've changed, it's that they've stopped changing.
Well, not necessarily, even. From what we've seen they seem both capable of mental growth (charging opinions, outlooks, learning) and physically modifying themselves.

>>623746
So much this. I'm sick of this annoying sadist messing with our heads.

>>623733
Cool story bro.

Apollo 2015/02/10(Tue)23:31 No. 624644 ID: defceb
File 142363987426.png - (48.85KB , 840x600 , 3004.png )

"You really think so then? You really think you can just swap everything out and still be the same person?"

"I really hope you are right. I really truly hope you are right."

Apollo 2015/02/10(Tue)23:32 No. 624646 ID: defceb
File 142363993836.png - (38.38KB , 840x600 , 3005.png )

<<Administrator override. Rewinding audio.>>

"Ii really hopee you aree rightt-

<<Administrator override. Rewinding audio.>>

"I really hopee you aree right. I really trulyy hope you are rightt."

<<Administrator override. Rewinding audio.>>

"I really hopee you are rightt. Ii really truly hopee-

<<Administrator override. Rewinding audio.>>

"I really hopee you aree rightt-"

<<Administrator override. Rewinding audio.>>

"I really hopee you aree right. I really trulyy-

<<Administrator override. Terminating audio.>>

Apollo 2015/02/10(Tue)23:32 No. 624647 ID: defceb
File 142363996250.png - (22.09KB , 840x600 , 3006.png )

>Slap him *then* wake up

Ummm...figure out where you are, and how to get to the medical bay with what's-his-bucket, then do so.

>>624647
Great, you just slapped him. This is why I was not recommending violence during the "dream". Considering your strength you may have killed him. See if he's unconscious or lethally wounded by the slap. If he's awake still tell him you're really sorry, you were having a flashback. If he's just knocked the fuck out then I'm afraid you'll just have to carry him to a medkit or whatever. Call up that girl on the radio and ask her where the nearest medical station is. If he's dead then fuck it, just leave him there and get moving, investigate the water.

Also double-check those firewalls, and find out what was going on with that administrator override.

Aw shit, we slapped the mook. Shit buggery cocks.
Ok, let's try and get him to medical after we wrap that puncture wound i guess.

Shit. Timestamp. How long were we out of it?

Note to self: don't react violently during the visions. You don't know what's going on in the real world, and the thing messing with you could be trying to goad you into something bad, just like this.

Quick, check Rudy, apologize. Can we do something about the bleeding? How bad is he?

>>624647
><<Administrator override. Rewinding audio.>>
>"I really hopee you aree right. I really trulyy hope you are rightt."
what in all fucks was that about.
was that someone you knew? was that a memory? something that happened?
who even has administrator privileges other than you?
why is your left eye still all glowey?

...well fuck. See if Rudy is ok.

Check logs to look up "administrator's" IP address, and reclassify input from that source as spam. Zero out the biochaunivist's read/write/execute privileges on your system.

Apollo 2015/02/13(Fri)01:25 No. 624955 ID: defceb
File 142381955498.png - (29.40KB , 840x600 , 3007.png )

>Check Rudy
He appears to be dazed by the slap, but is otherwise fine. He rubs the growing red mark on his cheek, smearing blood over it. "Was it something I said?" He stammers weakly.

>"I'm sorry! I was having a dream. Or flashback. Or something."
He looks perplexed.

>Treat the wound
You tear off some parts of your cloak to act as improvised bandages. In the process of treating his wounds, you spot several short metal rods sticking out of Ruby's chest at the edges of his skin grafts.

>What the fuck was that?
It was a memory. Sort of. There was a party, you vaguely remember some rich asshole being there. It's all out of focus now, you can only really recall that thing where the memory was.

>Radio
You try calling over the radio but only get silence back.

>Timestamp.
>Check logs

re-upping w/ text of bandaging wound

>>624955
Can you ban admin.Manaus? Also examine the data that's been downloaded. Maybe track what's been uploaded too. If you can't ban admin.Manaus, disable your wireless connection entirely.

Ah, thinking a bit more about this, you should probably leave him here for now and run off to find a medkit or something. He needs stitches and/or proper bandages. He would slow you down considerably, meaning it would take longer to find medical aid.

Gather all notes and pictures from the board and then lets get this guy to the security booth and hopefully that medkit.

Try pointing out the metal rods to Rudy.

>He looks perplexed.
It's the grid, I think. Someone or something has been using it to try and fuck with my head since I got here.

...you really are sorry. You're supposed to be helping!

We'll have to remember not to let ourselves be provoked in future incidents. Since there's no telling what we might be doing in the real world.

>In the process of treating his wounds, you spot several short metal rods sticking out of Ruby's chest at the edges of his skin grafts.
Skin grafts don't require metal anchors or anything. Maybe it's related (crushed and burned on one side?) but normally when you put metal rods in a person they not externally visible.

>what do
Need to get back to the stairs, where we're off grid and safe from immediate pursuit. And so we can get him to medical.

Which way to the security room?

I see flooding, down the hall.

Five hundred petabytes!? Disk allocation check. How big is your mind, Marie?

Over a hundreds-of-megahertz radio... given eight distinct amplitudes, that download took two solid weeks even under an implausibly generous assumption of perfectly efficient protocols and zero interference. Sixty-four distinct amplitudes, two bytes per carrier wave, cuts it down to one week. If it was much faster than that, you've got evidence of an undocumented comm system using higher frequency EM... like, say, visible light. Through that eye. Which you should be covering with something opaque, not because eyepatches are awesome (though they are) but as a legitimate security measure.

If banning another admin proves infeasible, just throttle all remote connections down to single-digit kilobytes per second. Duels may be finished by a single masterful stroke, but in an all out war it's more common to drag your enemy down by cumulative inconvenience.

does the name Manaws mean anything to you. Also why is he an admin twice and why does that take up 1108 TB when you're admin access only takes up 20MB?

Apollo 2015/02/25(Wed)00:08 No. 626538 ID: defceb
File 142485168435.png - (26.32KB , 840x600 , 3008.png )

>Disk allocation check

>Does the name Manaus mean anything to you?
It doesn't seem to ring any bells. Maybe Rudy knows something.

>"Hey Rudy, do you know anything about Manaus?"

"I think it used to be a city in Brazil. Don't quote me on that though, never been there."

>Point out the metal rods to Rudy.

He suddenly seems embarrassed and tries to cover his chest. "Oh, those, it's a uh... a long story. I don't think we have the time to talk about it right now. Uhh... yeah. No time."

>Ban admin.Manaus
>Throttle/disable wireless
Error message again, looks like no luck in that regard.

>To the security room!

"It's just around the corner, I'll show you the way. Could you give me a hand? It really hurts to move right now."

You pull Rudy up and proceed down the hallway.

Apollo 2015/02/25(Wed)00:09 No. 626539 ID: defceb
File 142485175822.png - (15.62KB , 840x600 , 3009.png )

"That door should lead straight to security."

>"Looks pretty nondescript."

"Leave them a note, I'm sure they'll change it."

>>626538
What where did all the stuff on the wall go? Also what the heck is going on with that data transfer? Manaus downloaded something, but it's not there. Was it immediately uploaded again then deleted? What's the MISC stuff?

>>626539
There might be something around the corner. Do we have a shiny thing we can poke around the corner to see around it without exposing ourselves?

>>626543
[[I'm tired as fuck and missed writing in that prompt. Marie took the stuff per Redaeth's suggestion.]]

I'm surprised you don't have administrator access to your own body.

Can you make an admin account?

Wow, most of your memory storages are completely full. This can't be good.

>>626538
errrr sudu Ban admin.Manaus ?

>Admin account required
How are you not an admin in your own head. How are you not the only admin in your head.

I think it's something of a massive understatement to say information security has been badly compromised.

You need access to people you trust with white hot logic probes.

>soda machine
...is that the same picture as before, only now flipped vertically? Who keeps changing the orientation of those, and why? I wonder if someone is hiding something in them, or using them as a message system?

>security
I see a panel next to it, do we need an access code or something, or can we just get in?

Be careful, a security booth is useful place, there might be a baddie inside.

You can at least compile and run code in ring 3, right? And use your internal radio to ping the grid? Start scripting up a fork bomb, let's call it quit_touching_me_there.exe and make it something like this:

>1:If user(admin.Manaus) is logged in
>2:run quit_touching_me_there.exe
>3:If pingtime(random IP address)>1000 milliseconds
>4:end program
>5:else goto 1

So it waits in the background until Manaus the Hangs of Fake logs in, then suddenly spawns infinite copies of itself and screams nonsense at every accessible network node until the routers choke or he logs back off. Elegant as kudzu.

>>626559
You mean sudo, not sudu.

>>626612
err yes.
would you believe me if i said it was a typo?

Let's see if the future kept up on bugfixes:
env x='() { :;}; zfs set dedup=on tank/Host\ Server ' bash -c "echo this is a test"

Uses shellshock to gain root privileges, then attempts to deduplicate the main server to concatenate duplicate data and free up some space

Apollo 2015/03/04(Wed)16:01 No. 627777 ID: defceb
File 142551370416.png - (8.80KB , 840x600 , 3010.png )

>Compile quit_touching_me_there

>Why aren't you the only Admin?

You should be! Admin access is supposed to be baked into the uh... it was called the... hmm....

"The neural code?"

Yes, that. Thanks.

>Do you have a shiny thing to peek around the corner?
Current inventory is:
Emergency cookie supply
Swiss Army Knife
Morgan's ID card
Cloak (torn)
Cassette Player
the Key
Movie Poster #1
Screwdriver
Prosthetic Arm
Book
All the stuff from the board (unsorted)

>Security panel, do we need a code?
You take a closer look. It springs to life at your approach.

>Shellshock bug
Using a known bug on yourself... are you sure this is a good idea?

>>627777
>shellshock bug
Your software is future tech, that bug has to be fixed by now. Attempting it will probably do nothing.

Key in the code on the sticky note. See if you can peek down the corridor that's now behind you to make sure nothing is about to rush up and gut you. If there is, maybe try to get both of you in the door before it does so?

Check whether Manaus is logged in right now, and if not, launch quit_touching_me_there. Fail-deadly won't work if it's not running.

Maaaybe confirm that you set it up correctly first. Y'know, if there's enough time.

>Using a known bug on yourself... are you sure this is a good idea?
Maybe not. At least not when we're trying to get someone injured to safety. Experiments with your brain can wait till we're relatively safe and in the company of others.

>code
Hmm. There's six spots. but only 3 digits on the sticky. That's not enough. Do the months take up more than one?

142 could mean the 142nd day of the year. And, uh, 2262 isn't a leap year, so that would be may 22nd.

Obvious thing might be to ask Rudy if he knows how the code works.

Apollo 2015/03/04(Wed)22:19 No. 627803 ID: defceb
File 142553637187.png - (11.58KB , 840x600 , 3011.png )

>Try the code on the post-it note.
You punch in the code, but nothing happens.

>Maybe Rudy knows something?
"I think Simon was in charge of security codes. He was a huge movie guy, maybe the codes related to them?"

>Check if Manaus is logged in

Apollo 2015/03/04(Wed)22:20 No. 627804 ID: defceb
File 142553642946.png - (10.73KB , 840x600 , 3012.png )

>Take a peek down the hall

>>627803
Ugh, time to check those notes that were on the billboard.

>>627804
Looks clear. That blue stain is foreboding but we can check it out later.

Why do you have so many guests logged i- Oh hey that's us, hey us! Please don't block us.

>You punch in the code, but nothing happens.
Delete and try months, instead. 1 4 2 would be Jan Apr Feb (this probably won't work either, but I want to see if the months take one _ or two, as they look long enough for).

>movies
Maybe that movie poster you found earlier >>618831 is part of the clue?

It's got a date of june 6th, and the number 1 written on it.

"142, jun 6, 1" gives us 6 entries, and there are 6 underlines. Although the intended order isn't clear.

>"The neural code?"
Who... who said this?

wait, blue blood? as in coolant? I haven't seen a single drone who uses coolant, the fuck?

Blue stain out from under the door means there's most likely a damaged container of coolant inside that room. If we're lucky, it might even be a 55-gallon drum that was punctured halfway up, so twenty gallons are on the floor and more than enough for your purposes is still safely contained. (Less lucky, the 'container' used to be alive.) Go check it out before meddling further with password guesses and triggering some five-attempt lockout.

>>627817
I assumed Marie was talking aloud to herself again and that was Rudy, but good point.

Apollo 2015/03/08(Sun)19:14 No. 628318 ID: defceb
File 142586729634.png - (89.04KB , 600x840 , Poster4.png )

You sift through the notes off the board, finding another movie poster in the pile.

>Who... who said this?
That... wasn't Rudy's voice.

huh there's a number written in what looks like coolant on this movie poster too

>>628318
It's Manaus. He can read your thoughts. Demand to know what the fuck he's doing in your head. How is he even doing that? If you don't like the answer, turn on the program you just made.

Okay, the last poster was labeled number 1, and is dated Jun 6. >>/questarch/618831

This poster is labeled number 4, and dated Nov 9. And that's excellent panty quest fanart.

If the password is 142, we need the dates from posters 1, 4, and 2. We're missing poster 2, which means right now we only know part of the password. (Jun 6 Nov 9 _ _). We gotta find poster 2.

>that wasn't Rudy.
Um. Panic execute stop_touching_me_there.exe?

Apollo 2015/03/12(Thu)23:17 No. 628892 ID: defceb
File 142622742408.png - (23.34KB , 840x600 , 3013.png )

>"WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU IN MY HEAD!?

Apollo 2015/03/12(Thu)23:20 No. 628895 ID: defceb
File 142622762966.png - (18.85KB , 840x600 , 3014.png )

You're alone. Of course you're alone. Just you, Rudy, and the soft ambiance of ventilation. Alone.

>"s-Sorry about that, I thought I heard something."

"...do you usually hear things and yell at them?"

...no. This is new.

Please realize that if someone was in your head, it's likely remote access. Ask if he's seen any other movie posters around.

This guy is enjoying making us crazy, isn't he.
...I wonder if he's a hacker with strong anti-cyborg thoughts or something? Or he wants to play with our sanity for whatever reason...
What was it that dream said? The fact we can't die?
Ehhh, dunno if I like the thought of being rendered helpless or whatever he's driving at...

If it is in the neural code, ie. unhackable, that the owner of the brain has admin, is it conceivable that you're connecting to this body from the outside?

>"...do you usually hear things and yell at them?"
"No. I didn't used to. It's becoming an unfortunate new normal here, though.

"The usually cool cyborg uplift thing is apparently a disadvantage in the underground cybernetics facility where something has gone Very Wrong. I can be hacked, and someone or something is literally messing with my head."

Be honest, here. I know it's unsettling to think of yourself as mentally compromised, or admit it to others. But your best bet of countering whatever's messing with you is to trust the people it can't mess with. You need people who can cover for you or help when you slip up.

I mean, when you actually do have radios in your teeth, you need to admit someone is talking you through them, and not worry it sounds crazy.

>What else
"Sorry, I know that isn't very reassuring. Do you know where any other movie posters are handing around, here? I've found numbers written on two of them, and I think if we can find the third, that'll be the passcode for this door. Did, uh, whoever have a thing for movies?"

Apollo 2015/03/13(Fri)22:26 No. 629020 ID: defceb
File 142631077664.png - (17.02KB , 840x640 , 3015.png )

>Is it conceivable you're connecting tot his body from the outside?
It's... not impossible. But this is YOUR body. Why would you be the one using remote access on yourself?

>"NO! I mean, no, I didn't use to. It's this place. This person. I'm getting hacked, they're messing with my head."

The words stumble awkwardly out of your mouth. It all sounded much more eloquent in your head.

"Clearly we're both under a lot of stress right now. I think it's best we find a quick way into security and sort it all out in there."

>"Have you seen any movie posters around here? I've found these numbers written on them maybe if we find another it'll give us the passcode to get in. You said the security guy had a thing for movies, right?"

"Yeah, he put up posters all over the floor there should be at least one nearby. You go on ahead, I'm feeling tired and don't want to slow you down. Do you have a book or something to read while I wait?"

he man stay awake, I'm not going to put you down until we find something to fix you up.

I think he's starting to suffer from blood lose so we may want to hurry up and try to find something to help with sooner rather then later.

>Why would you be the one using remote access on yourself?
Maybe because remote access is safe and sensible if you're doing time travel experiments?

That or because someone crazy cut you out of your body to hold you as an unwitting hostage.

No real information to go on, though. Nor do we have a direct means to test it available, right now (if you tried jamming the area around your body and lost contact, that would be proof). For now, put the idea aside.

>Do you have a book or something to read while I wait?
You... do have a book in inventory. You could leave him that. And maybe some emergency cookies? (Getting some sugars in him might provide some short term relief for the blood loss. They give cookies when you donate blood).

Help him to sit down, or lean against the wall, and tell him we're gonna check for posters nearby. You'll try to be back fast, yell if anything happens. You got good ears, you'll probably hear.

>>629020
I guess we get to investigate this hallway then.

Apollo 2015/03/15(Sun)22:38 No. 629348 ID: defceb
File 142648429010.png - (20.38KB , 840x600 , 3016.png )

You hand Rudy the book and some cookies before helping him sit down.

>"Yell if you need anything. I should be back soon. I hope."

You proceed to the next hallway. A muffled tapping sound emanates from behind the door.

You may want to nope the hell away from that, just my own opinion.

The wall is made of glass, so you should be able to walk to the side a bit to look at what is on the other side.

>>629348
Oh hey it's the other you. Open the door, look in, but don't enter the room. There's something in that room that looks like it caused that stain.

Lick the floor stain to confirm that it's coolant (and identify impurities, possible clues) before opening the door.

Apollo 2015/03/16(Mon)12:28 No. 629422 ID: defceb
File 142653411554.png - (15.05KB , 840x600 , 3017.png )

>Check the floor stain.
Yeap, that's coolant. It's still warm, too.

>Take a peek through the door.

>>629422
HAHAHA NOPE

Check the next room.

Um. Is that an android heart, ripped out on the floor there?

There might be a body behind the panel the coolant line runs to. One of your fellow future uplifts? Or if there is really a time travel nightmare, it could be an alternate you.

Where in the room is the tapping coming from- the other side of the 'one way' glass that's turned off? (The coolant points to a button that turns it on?).

...wait, we don't need to get any closer if that's a component of an uplifted individual. Simply stand where you are, use enhanced vision to scan it for a serial number, and then run it against your database.

Give that heart a tug, see if anythings still attached.

Apollo 2015/03/17(Tue)22:42 No. 629732 ID: defceb
File 142665736989.png - (21.42KB , 840x600 , 3018.png )

>Enhance
No luck, you can only spot part of the serial number from here.

Apollo 2015/03/17(Tue)22:43 No. 629733 ID: defceb
File 142665740895.png - (23.18KB , 840x600 , 3019.png )

>Give it a tug
A small tug wouldn't hurt... right?

Apollo 2015/03/17(Tue)22:44 No. 629734 ID: defceb
File 142665747774.png - (22.59KB , 840x600 , 3020.png )

-kathunk-

Check it out, then maybe press the button the coolant arrow is pointing at.

Be quick about checking it out. That sounded loud-ish.

>>629736
Look into the box, but stay out of the field of the glass. Stay behind the wall next to it.

>>629734
What is your serial number?

Apollo 2015/03/17(Tue)23:39 No. 629744 ID: defceb
File 142666077936.png - (20.53KB , 840x600 , 3021.png )

Looks like some IV bags and... some sort of injector?

Right, looks like you have something in case you need to fight again. Gather it up, inject some into your system and press the button!

>>629744
Oh my god... I want that. But if you put your arms in that box the box could KATHUNK back into the wall. This could be a cruel trap. I say break the one-way mirror first so that you can be sure nobody is on the other side about the push the button to take off your arms.

Considering the heart, I'm guessing your benefactor is... that dancer in your dream, who is also inside your head... I no longer know who the enemy is.

Wave at the window. Do you recognise the handwriting?

If you're feeling paranoid there's a box on that table - wedge it in there so the box can't close while you are grabbing the precious coolant.

Stick in inventory. Don't use yet. We'll want to test if it's safe, first. (Run an oral chemical analysis on a small sample, while we're back in medical, in case it does something bad, or is contaminated / trapped).

Is that a piece of tape with writing on it, to the right of the bags? What's it say?

You didn't answer before. Is that a heart?

Can you get the serial now that you're closer? If not, how many partial matches are there against the fragment? (Is the serial a match and/or partial matches for your heart?)

Yay lunch!

only a fool would eat from a plate full of cookies that has a flag stuck in the middle that says "with love, from your enemy"

Remove a skull from your belt and use it to prop the drawer open before reaching inside.

Recognize the heart's serial number from anywhere?

Grab that box on the table and chuck it through the one-way mirror.

Apollo 2015/03/23(Mon)00:03 No. 630417 ID: defceb
File 142709419330.png - (18.44KB , 840x600 , 3022.png )

>Prop the drawer open with the skull clip, then grab the goods.

Apollo 2015/03/23(Mon)00:05 No. 630418 ID: defceb
File 142709432136.png - (23.53KB , 840x600 , 3023.png )

>Heart's serial number

It looks like it's KHI-HT-0028-10-05-2413.

>Press the button.

Apollo 2015/03/23(Mon)00:06 No. 630419 ID: defceb
File 142709440455.png - (32.50KB , 840x600 , 3024.png )

>Is it a match for YOUR heart?

No, your heart's code is-

-click!-

...is...

...it's....

I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango

>>630419
What's up? Is there a dead YOU behind the mirror?

some kind of entity in the static, get moving.

Hey, your eye's not red anymore.

>it's it's...
Complete sentences, please. Does the serial match anyone you have on record?

>reaction
What do you see? What's beyond the glass? (Is it someone sans heart? An unwilling blood donor for that coolant)?

I like those mood-indicating ears~

Anyhow, what is it?

>KHI-HT-0028-10-05-2413
Wait, 10-05-2413 is May 5, 2413. That's the day you crashed. That's kind of odd if we assume they include manufacture date in the serial.

>>630463
...may 10th, derp. Still the day of the crash, though.

Apollo 2015/03/24(Tue)22:54 No. 630871 ID: defceb
File 142726284498.png - (18.12KB , 840x600 , 3025.png )

It's... probably time to go.

>>630871
HAND. Spin around ready to fight!

It's probably Rudy even if it doesn't look like it from this point of view. No need to frighten the guy again.

Rudy is not wearing gloves.

Is that our own hand? Marie is wearing gloves. Although that would require twisting her arm around rather unnaturally.

>body
Between the heart serial number, and the visual on the body (and any other serials you can see from here), can you identify the remains? Was that one of your peers?

>>630871
That outfit is consistent with future-Haley, but there's really not enough recognizable questions, nor is trying to identify someone by something they wore 100+ years isn't very rigorous, either.

A more pressing question: how do uplifted humans handle... hard power down? You can't really turn an organic brain back on once it's been shut off. But hard drives survive power cycling.

Can an uplift be rebooted? Can 'fatal' injuries be repaired, so long as the central memory storage survives?

Because whoever did that, they still have the head.

>>630419
don't change the subject!
can you or can you not remember your own heart code?

Apollo 2015/03/30(Mon)02:49 No. 631724 ID: defceb
File 142770895806.png - (16.38KB , 840x600 , 3026.png )

>Can an uplift be rebooted?
As long as the brain itself is in one piece, they should be able to. Should, as in nobody has been brave enough to find out yet.

>Can you ID the remains?
They seem... familiar. As if you'd seen them recently.

>Don't change the subject!
Sorry!
>Can you or can you not remember your own heart code?
It is KHI-HAU-01

Apollo 2015/03/30(Mon)02:51 No. 631725 ID: defceb
File 142770908342.png - (55.34KB , 840x600 , 3027.png )

>Hand!

Aah! You spin around, raising your fists to fight off whoever is behind you. They grab you by the wrists.

Apollo 2015/03/30(Mon)02:52 No. 631726 ID: defceb
File 142770913099.png - (58.54KB , 840x600 , 3028.png )

>"Stay away from me!"

They give a forceful shove, pushing you down.

"Marie! Calm down already!"

Shit, back to the past . Chill out I guess?

>sol.31Dec2999AD
I have no idea when we are, but I'm pretty sure it's not one day short of the year 3000.

So, yeah. Just chill out and hope this doesn't last too long, I guess.

>>631729
Can you run that anti-hack program you made? I'm pretty sure every flashback like this is caused by a hacking attempt.

Apollo 2015/03/30(Mon)03:20 No. 631736 ID: defceb
File 142771082468.png - (22.39KB , 840x600 , 3029.png )

"It's just me."

>>631734
It's supposed to be 2299. Fixed that, thanks.

>>631736
Ah, so we're remembering one year after the landing of the human colony ship(s).

Chill out, and... ask what her heart's serial number is.

>Should, as in nobody has been brave enough to find out yet
Huh. I figured in 100 plus years there would have been at least one serious accident where we found out the hard way.

>Really simple serial
Oh, right. Patient zero. Basically anything of yours you haven't replaced or upgraded will be serial 1.

>31Dec2299
New year's eve, turn of the century, a year after Mars. And you spent it with Haley, it would seem.

That's a skyline. Are you back on Earth, or did mars build up that quick?

>It's just me.
Hi, Haley. What's going on? *weak smile*

>Flashback again
Remember, no violence. You don't know what's happening real world, and you don't want to hurt anyone like when you slapped Rudy.

>>630871
>>631724
>They seem... familiar. As if you'd seen them recently.
Wait, shit. That body matches your last dream. The spike in the neck, the dress, the hole in the chest cavity. That's what you saw here: >>623733

I don't know what this means. He dumped a memory from the uplift he killed into you? He customized an image in your head to match the real world? Made a prop in the real word to matches something he saw in your head? (You had that vision recently, but the prepwork could have started earlier).

If nothing else, this is evidence there's some actor capable of both action in the real world and your head. Just in case you didn't believe it before.

1/4 Apollo 2015/03/30(Mon)23:00 No. 631911 ID: defceb
File 142778163639.png - (25.48KB , 840x600 , 3030.png )

>"Hi Haley, what's going on?"
You smile weakly.

"What's going on? What's going on with you? I just got here and you were acting hysterical." Haley speaks, but not with concern. Frustration? Exhaustion? She lets go and paces about the room. "We don't have time for this right now. Can you keep yourself composed tonight? There's supposed to be a lot of important people there. Leave it to the rich to thing a great new year's party is to spend months flying to Mars for it. It's not even the martian new year!" She taps her forehead at a quick pace. "But still, that Kobayashi guy is going to be there. He invited us by name, I can't just say no..." she trails off, muttering to herself for a long while.

"I'm... sorry I pushed you by the way."

Apollo 2015/03/30(Mon)23:01 No. 631912 ID: defceb
File 142778168891.png - (107.10KB , 840x600 , 3031.png )

"I wouldn't want to hurt you."

3/4 Apollo 2015/03/30(Mon)23:09 No. 631915 ID: defceb
File 142778215068.png - (30.24KB , 840x600 , 3032.png )

>Are you back on Earth, or did mars build up that quick?

The first martian city practically burst out of the ground following the colony ships. They spoke endlessly about making a new place, a better place, that once they were done with construction everything would be worth it.

"I'm going to go get ready for the party. I suggest you do the same. And please do something with your hair, you look like you just got out of bed."

4/4 Apollo 2015/03/30(Mon)23:11 No. 631916 ID: defceb
File 142778226646.png - (11.03KB , 840x600 , 3033.png )

What should you wear to-

"Here, I already got you a nice dress for the occasion."

Oh.


...okay.

>>631912
Great, you're dying while in the middle of a flashback. Fucking hacker. Hell, it's probably Haley hacking you and killing you. She has issues with the humans, and I'm guessing either you did something that let the humans do something awful which made her seek revenge on you, or you stopped her from doing something awful (and again, revenge), or you wound up sending yourself back in time to try to stop her from doing something awful, ala Terminator 2. Or hell, maybe I was right and it's a copy of yourself that's hostile.

How about you punch the shit out of the air in front of you? Last "flashback", you slapped the hacker in the middle of it and actually slapped someone outside of it. My theory is you can still move. If you have even a moment of lucidity, run that program. Lock the hacker out so you can see clearly. This is no time to dream.

Alright, tricky double-vision maneuver time.

Abruptly hold the box with the dress way out in front of you, as if punching someone in the solar plexus, and then rip it open as if knocking a pair of arms away from your throat.

When Haley comments on your bizarre spastic movements, acknowledge that you've been having some problems with ataxia, probably malware-related, which is why you're so worried about embarrassing yourself at the party. Ask her to send you a clean copy of the diagnostic suite.

emergency reboot.

If this is a playback, can't you just skip forwards until it ends?

>Here, I already got you a nice dress for the occasion
Hold it up. It's not the same dress from your last vision, and the headless body you found, is it?

>fight thing in the real world
The problem is, we don't know that the hands we're seeing in the real world are real, either. The being strangled could be a hallucination as easily as this Haley scene. So flailing around won't necessarily make them go away.

That, and our opponent is an opportunistic sadist. If we manage to make real resistance that way, we're going to wake up to find he walked us in front of Rudy, or someone else, again. And tricked us into attacking them.

Be careful when you can't tell what's going on. Don't let yourself be goaded or manipulated.

The problem here is if we're playing the memory strait or not.

Playing it straight, I would say something along the lines of...

>sorry I pushed you
>wouldn't want to hurt you
It's okay. You haven't.. (More general than she didn't hurt us this one time).

>Haley speaks, but not with concern. Frustration? Exhaustion?
Ask if she's okay. It looks like something's bothering here, besides your antics.

Not playing it straight? Tell her you're having issues with some kind of memory fault. Flashbacks. Any idea how to fix that? (Metagame. Ask the memory of the women who should understand our tech how to fix it. Maybe we can trick our brain into providing the info, that way).

>>631918
>blaming Haley
That seems extreme, and premature. She's resentful there was a backlash to her work, and that she was murdered over it. A little trauma there is understandable. And she listened on Mars. I don't see that going to these extremes.

1/4 Apollo 2015/04/08(Wed)00:13 No. 633352 ID: defceb
File 142847720346.png - (98.75KB , 840x600 , 3034.png )

>"It's okay. You haven't."

>Abruptly hold the box with the dress way out in front of you, as if punching someone in the solar plexus, and then rip it open as if knocking a pair of arms away from your throat.

>Hold it up. It's not the same dress from your last vision, and the headless body you found, is it?

It seems similar? The torn dress was too damaged to make a clear comparison.

2/4 Apollo 2015/04/08(Wed)00:14 No. 633353 ID: defceb
File 142847725016.png - (23.32KB , 840x600 , 3035.png )

"Whatever are you up to over there?" Haley asks.

>"I've been having some problems with uh... ataxia? I'm worried about embarrassing myself at the party with it. Could you send me a clean diagnostic suite?"

3/4 Apollo 2015/04/08(Wed)00:14 No. 633354 ID: defceb
File 142847728737.png - (135.54KB , 840x600 , 3036.png )

"Didn't you get your last tune up done by Roderick? He should have the latest software for you, try asking him."

>Run quit_touching_me_there.exe

4/4 Apollo 2015/04/08(Wed)00:15 No. 633355 ID: defceb
File 142847733611.png - (27.92KB , 840x600 , 3037.png )

>"Are you okay?"

"I've been... forgetting things. Memories from before I was uplifted. It's like a fine line, on one side everything I've seen is still crystal clear but on the other..."

"It's all hazy now. Out of order. I'm losing details, moments, days. I reread an old journal of mine. The day after your uplift we-" She pauses, uncertain. "It was unprofessional of me."

Why is there an arrow in that image?

>>633354
Fuckbutts. Leaking again. We just got some coolant so maybe it'll be okay but still, FUCK. Looks like the enemy is in about the same location. Try to kick out to trip it. Since you're on the floor there's not a lot of coordinated stuff you can do. It might be a good idea to curl up into a defensive posture until the program stops the memory-lock, as well.

Tell her it's fine. The heart wants what it wants. Also, that you're forgetting... everything. There must be some flaw in memory storage. Ask if she knows anyone called Manaus.

You know, I think at this point we should stop worrying about playing this memory straight.
Explain that you are experiencing your own memory problems of a different sort, to the point where you are experiencing both this and an alternate internally consistent sequence of events simultaneously and it is unclear which is the hallucination or memory. Because of this we are avoiding anything too risky in either sequence, and right now that means fighting off an attacker in the other one. If Haley could get us some diagnostic help asap that would be great.
By the way, do you currently have access to memories later than this one? Being able to bring up relevant future knowledge could be useful.

>>633366
I have to agree with this. I mean, we already considered time travel as a possibility. Think about it, if you have traveled in time to the past somehow, you could be actively changing the future- and your memories are essentialyl of the future. Haley might be forgetting events because they're, right at this moment, becoming overwritten, and because your memories are of the future they are changing to reflect that.

Maybe that's why your system keeps showing them to you- not because you're being hacked, but because cyborg memory (hell, maybe memory in general) simply does not play well with time travel.

I move that we treat you as acting both truly in the "present" and in the future/your memories simultaneously. Approach the problem from both directions. Worst case, one of the two is just a hallucination but at least the others that may be able to help you in the "true" world at least have all the knowledge they need to help you.

Oh! I have an idea. Ask Haley to spar with you. If we're lucky, the memory will match Haley's movements with whoever's attacking you while you're in this trance. You won't be killing the enemy probably, but you will be able to fend off its attacks.

>"It was unprofessional of me."
Laugh. Honest and genuine.

Haley, you saved my life. Trust me when I say nothing that happened between us wasn't something I wanted. Whatever happens, don't doubt that.

>pre-uplift memories fading
I wonder if the whole digital processor / memory storage has problems with playback / long term storage of analogue memories.

(You currently have access to a pre-uplift Haley via time travel. I wonder if you could restore the memories of future Haley if you copied a backup from the past one? ...assuming we survive, find a way to copy that kind of thing, and find a way back to the future).

...but you know the feeling. Your head's all jumbled out of order lately, only it's not just pre-uplift.

>>633357
Points to the two way mirror in the real world.

ctrl+shift+esc

>spar
I'm not sure that will make sense to Haley in-dream. And more importantly, that's really dangerous if our brain hacker puts us in the room with a human, again. Violence while mostly blind is bad.

If we're looking for actions that make sense in both worlds, hugging Haley could also serve to restrain / pin our attacker.

>>633376
If we ever get off this base, we might have access to a pre-uplift Marie, too.

>>633377
Yes, let's open task manager, or it's equivalent.

Tell Haley you feel like you've lost admin privileges in your own head.

Ping Roderick with some kind of distress call and try to plug him in to where the diagnostic interface should be for your off-spec eye.

Apollo 2015/04/13(Mon)23:54 No. 634339 ID: defceb
File 142899446605.png - (31.67KB , 840x600 , 3038.png )

You laugh. A deep, honest kind of laugh that catches Haley off guard.

>"Haley, you saved my life. Trust me, nothing that happened between us wasn't something I wanted. Whatever happens, don't doubt that."

"...still, I feel I acted irresponsibly. I was your doctor, after all. Not that I didn't want to, well, I did want to but. Uhm. Apparently I was quite overcautious at the time as well. Maybe I was overeager at success or emotions were running high and-"

It's almost cute to see her so flustered for once.

>"Relax, would you? I wanted you too. I've also been forgetting things as well. Not just pre-uplift memories though. It's like I'm skipping around in time, all the information is jumbled up and I don't even know what I'm forgetting. I think.. I think I've been hacked. Or I'm stuck in some time bullshit."

"Or you're falling apart."

>"Or that!"

"...or what?"

>"That, you just suggested maybe I'm falling apart. That's kind of morbid but I guess I can't rule it out."

Haley remains quiet for a long time, the gears in her head quietly clicking through all her thoughts.

"I didn't say that."

>>634339
Point.

Then ask who the hell are they, anyway.

Alright, what has happened since you last met? What's the general plan?

>>634339
>4028 instances running
...shit.

>It's almost cute to see her so flustered for once.
I'd be tempted to make some kind of naughty doctor crack if the conversation hadn't already moved on.

>I didn't say that
*Sigh, sad smile* See, that's exactly what I mean. That kind of thing isn't supposed to be happening.

Aaand that's what I mean.
SOMETHING screwy is going on with me. Like, I just got...You could say chrono-warped? Here from the future where I was getting choked or something?
Whatever, I'll snap back to 'normal' and then I'll deal with that jerk choking me.

Explain to Haley that five minutes ago you were a hundred and thirteen (earth) years older, in a haunted ruin in Idaho in the year 2262, being strangled by an individual you have not yet been able to conclusively identify, and you just pulled the pin on a fork bomb.

>>634373
>>634375
Careful what you say, there. If you sound too crazy or unstable, it becomes internally conistent for dream-Haley to hospialize / instatutionalize us before we hurt ourself or someone else in our delusions.

We need her to think something's wrong, but we need her giving us information we can use to help ourself in the present, not locking us up or ending the flashback.

Apollo 2015/04/14(Tue)21:41 No. 634513 ID: defceb
File 142907290096.png - (32.89KB , 840x600 , 3039.png )

>"See!? It's not supposed to be happening! It's... it's..."

You point.

>"Who the hell are you!?"

"...the closet? Marie, you're pointing at the closet."

Apollo 2015/04/14(Tue)21:42 No. 634514 ID: defceb
File 142907292170.png - (12.03KB , 840x600 , 3040.png )

"There's nobody in there."

Apollo 2015/04/14(Tue)21:43 No. 634515 ID: defceb
File 142907298859.png - (15.53KB , 840x600 , 3041.png )

"Don't you see that?"

"No!" then rush for the gun.

>>634515
Acquire gun.

Go for the gun. Not the person because, again, we can't trust what we're seeing.

>"Don't you see that?"
*Shake head* Yes and no, Haley. That's the problem with not being able to trust what you see. Stuff overlaps.

Can you help me? I don't know if you're real, or in my head, but if there's something in my head that could help, I'd like to think it was you.

>>634519
...you know what? Yeah. Go with this.

If she has auto-targeting, Marie is screwed. Considering that you'd expect hand-to-eye coordination to be a top priority for augmentation research in a world where the only thing better than an unrelenting body is the precise gunfire that can destroy it, I'd say that's a fairly reasonable upgrade for any assassin.

Attempt to parley with the assassin. If she fires, throw something at the gun and take her down.

>>634520
I mean at captain menacy-redeye there.
What's his game? Is he trying to help? Is he trying to shock us awake? Does he even have a reason?
Talk to him.

1/6 Apollo 2015/04/15(Wed)23:59 No. 634716 ID: defceb
File 142916758952.png - (63.11KB , 840x600 , 3042.png )

>"Help me?"

Apollo 2015/04/16(Thu)00:00 No. 634717 ID: defceb
File 142916764726.png - (32.95KB , 840x600 , 3043.png )

<<Audio squelched; above 140dB>>

Apollo 2015/04/16(Thu)00:01 No. 634718 ID: defceb
File 142916766512.png - (36.21KB , 840x600 , 3044.png )

<<Audio squelched; above 140dB>>

Apollo 2015/04/16(Thu)00:01 No. 634720 ID: defceb
File 142916769773.png - (53.17KB , 840x600 , 3046.png )

<<Audio squelched; above 140dB>>

6/6 Apollo 2015/04/16(Thu)00:02 No. 634721 ID: defceb
File 142916775878.png - (32.50KB , 840x600 , 3047.png )

<<Could not create process>>
...
...
...
<<Could not create process>>
...
...
...
<<Could not create process>>
...
...
...
<<Could not create process>>
...
...
...

>>634717
Wow. Confirmed: eyesight is HEAVILY compromised. We were almost the subject of a snuff film! I wonder... does the new "compromised" eye actually see past this nonsense? Have we been going about this the wrong way all along?

>>634721
Um. Turn off the antihack exe file, and edit it again. Put a cap on it at 100k instances. This can be done by having a global variable- uh wait it's an exe file not a java file I don't know how to track that. It looks like we started properly seeing the camera and shit at just past 80k but that may have been due to our benefactor shooting the killbot. Is it possible to program this thing to not eventually hog all processing power? Because apparently the ping time will never be exceeded.

Also apparently when we're in those memory things, time slows down. A lot. That's easy proof that they're memories, I think. This is reality.

Wow, holy shit. Spooky red might be benevolent like I thought.

We... really need to get you better security Hailey. Something more then the stopgap program we made.

We didn't even see those cameras. That means they could have killbots walking right next to you and you'd never even know.

Well. That was different.

Real time sensory hacking was in effect- the camera, sound boom, and assailant were edited out of your perception. And they were probably being used to record data being used for the edits.

Red-eye's interference suggests there might be someone else messing with you, and they're at odds. That, or he just doesn't want you dead yet.

...you might as well kill your jamming process. It's not working. And your vision is completely compromised. You might as well unquarantine the other eye and see if it makes a difference.

>>634758
> might as well kill your jamming process.

Can't be done. It's a fail-deadly fork bomb, new instances will spawn faster than they can be singled out and terminated. Only way is for Admin_Manaus to log off.

>>634721
...wait. That's an English translation of Lorem ipsum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum#English_translation

The bit quoted is about people not choosing pain for it's own sake, but for some other reason. As a means to an end.

If that was hacked there deliberately, that could be seen as an apology or justification. That he's saying he's not doing this for the sake of hurting us.

...well, that, or he's saying he hurts us because it brings him pleasure.

Apollo 2015/04/16(Thu)21:46 No. 634903 ID: 7df7d1
File 142924596467.png - (45.46KB , 840x600 , 3049.png )

"Theseus' syndrome, we took to calling it. A person forced to replace body parts with machinery begins to have doubts about their identity. Feels like less of a person, like they've lost an important part of themselves. Often they'd slip into depression, have an existential crisis, do something stupid and end up back in my office again. Some of them would turn violent, act irrationally, you've probably seen those in the papers. Stories of augmented people going bad sell well these days."

>"Is there any specific reason you're telling me about this now, Haley? 'Cause I don't feel particularly existential."

"No, I'm convinced you're emotionally invulnerable at this point. But not everyone can be as... rational? ss you are about it."

Apollo 2015/04/16(Thu)21:46 No. 634904 ID: 7df7d1
File 142924599660.png - (32.72KB , 840x600 , 3050.png )

"I just figure if I'm going to die alone and a failure down here I may as well talk about myself for once."

My name is Morgan and I am not prepared for this kind of conversation.

>>634904
Ask her if she thinks maybe that's happening to Marie. Except like ten times worse because she replaced her entire body.

So when did things go from "some psychological issues" to "cyber-zombies everywhere"?

You're not going to die alone! You've got me! Worst case we die together.

Maybe if you're worried about death and failure you should have asked the Martian time traveller what happens to you. Maybe she knows. And hey, isn't she sort of proof your idea will work? She's a whole robot person without being crazy. Mostly.

well, that's the human condition issue, it's normal. we go to sleep and wake up a slightly different person. that's like dying and becoming a new person with the old person's memories and certainty of being the old person.
you're ok, haley. you're still as much you as anyone is themself.
if it'll make you feel better, try to make an identity for yourself; things that are important to you, your values, music that characterizes you. anchor points. remember those and reference them later.

Apollo 2015/04/18(Sat)23:56 No. 635243 ID: defceb
File 142942661551.png - (108.34KB , 840x600 , 3051.png )

>"You won't die alone! I'm here!"

"I'm so reassured."

Haley takes the ball and goes back to bouncing it against the wall. Again and again, she's been at it for at least an hour by now.

>"But that whole thing is just the human condition, isn't it? We're always becoming a new person as time goes on. You're still you Haley-"

"I wasn't worried about myself."

>"The Martian invader?"

"No, by her recollection she's been a cyborg for a long time. Are you familiar with how the brain processes memories? It's not really a thing that you have, like an limb or- that was poor choice of words, sorry. It's a process, where the brain revisits the neural pathways from the original event. But the memory itself is more of a... re-imagining, of the original event. The details are fuzzy, later suggestions get mixed, it's all a mess. Computers on the other hand- have you worked much with computers? Like fine details, not just excel sheets."

Apollo 2015/04/18(Sat)23:57 No. 635244 ID: defceb
File 142942664620.png - (90.00KB , 840x600 , 3052.png )

...the important thing is that technically speaking, it's not a war crime anymore. Besides, all you have to do is push the buttons. Our employers are the ones who have to catch all the flak.

Apollo 2015/04/18(Sat)23:58 No. 635245 ID: defceb
File 142942669325.png - (124.52KB , 840x600 , 3053.png )

>"...Can't say I have."

"Well with computers they store information more-"

The ball bounces off the wall and into Haley's forehead.

"Ow, fuck that stings. Does it look okay?"

>"The doctor is asking me for a diagnosis?"

"Oh shut up and tell me how it looks."

>"I can't do both."

"You know what I mean."

It's a bit red, I'd be more worried about how the pupils of your eyes aren't the same size and the bags under them. Both indicate a severe lack of sleep. You need rest doc.

>>635244
You got any BEAR CLAWS?

>>635243
So, does that mean when you try to uplift someone... the memories from when they were flesh will be foggy? All their clear memories will be from their life after the uplift. Then if the memory system does cleanup and removes "unimportant" memories based on how often they're used and how clear they are... they start to forget their life before the uplift.

>>635245
One of her eyes looks dilated compared to the other.

>Does it look okay?
You got a little red mark. It'll be fine.

What's less fine is your right pupil is much more dilated than your right. Is that what happens when you don't wear your glasses?

Also you've got bags under your eyes. I know your bed got burnt up, but when did you last get any rest?

>memories
So computers pull up exact recordings of what they remember, people simulate a re-run in their head where it happens again, maybe a little different.

I get it. Where are you going with this? If she's not worried about herself, or the martian, or the you... is she thinking somehow this explains what went wrong down here?

>>635244
Suddenly volunteering for experimental medical tech makes a whole lot more sense. Guilt and/or trying to lose himself.

One pupil is dilated, you may want to see a doctor or something.

>you may want to see a doctor or something.
Oh look! We have a mirror! You can see a doctor in there.

Apollo 2015/04/20(Mon)02:38 No. 635434 ID: defceb
File 142952271841.png - (110.11KB , 840x600 , 3054.png )

>"It looks fine, but one of your pupils is way more dilated than the other and you've got bags under your eyes. You should really get some sleep Haley."

"I can't sleep."

>"We could cuddle."

"I'd rather hold the teddy bear some more."

>"Aww, when will it be my turn again?"

"When I'm not being crushed by anxiety."

>"So never, got it. What were you getting at with all the memory talk?"

"I think I made a mistake. I figured that with the uplift process that organic memories would be reinforced upon integration with their neural code. But after talking to our martian friend... I had a patient. Have a patient. Very sick girl. Was very sick. We were already ahead of schedule when she arrived, but having a willing person in her condition it- I may have been a little overeager."

Haley's step falters as a dizzy spell washes over her.

"I'm sorry, did you say one of my eyes was dilated?"

>"Very noticeably so."

"I need to.... take a nap. Yes. A nap. I'm going to go lie down and catch a little sleep bye."

Haley walks briskly back into her office, muttering obscenities under her breath.

Apollo 2015/04/20(Mon)02:39 No. 635435 ID: defceb
File 142952275632.png - (121.10KB , 840x600 , 3055.png )

Haley is officially weirder than usual. Not much I can do now though, so back to MY nap it is.

Apollo 2015/04/20(Mon)02:40 No. 635437 ID: defceb
File 142952284876.png - (267.76KB , 840x600 , 3056.png )

I'm Jeannine. Jeannine Lyotard.
You're french? I can't hear an accent at all.
t-thanks? I'm not french but my parents were. It's an adoptive kind of family. They're doctors too. Red Cross type, you'd probably like them.



...you really think I don't look weird?
Everyone looks weird, but I don't think you look bad.
The doctors think I look weird. They talk about things like apoptosis and organ failure like I'm not there. They don't think I understand what they mean, but I do. Mother used to worry every morning if I'd wake up, and now I know why. I wish I hadn't asked her to stop, I miss her.



I... I don't know what to do from here. I've never- nobody's ever been interested in me like-
We can stop if you want. We don't have to do this.
No, no, I want to. I don't know if I'll still be here after tomorrow and I don't want any regrets. Are you uncomfortable?

Apollo 2015/04/20(Mon)02:41 No. 635438 ID: defceb
File 142952289205.png - (101.34KB , 840x600 , 3057.png )

Shut up brain.

>>635438
Think of something pleasant, take your mind off it. Like gelato, no memories involving gelato can be bad because they involve gelato.

>>635438
Wait, someone's here.

>>635434
I really hope Haley's not having second thoughts about uplift after meeting Marie. It would suck if we accidentally caused a paradox where she never saves our life. We've been through hundreds of years of wear and tear, a time travel accident, brain hacking and who knows what else. We're really not very indicate of the immediate consequences / side effects of the process. ...and even if you can attribute 100% of her problems to the uplift process, Haley still gave Marie hundreds of active years, when she should have died in bed in her twenties. That's a massive quality of life improvement any doctor should be proud of.

>>635438
See if you can get your guest to talk to you. Maybe they'll be better company than your brain!

Haley has a concussion. Not 100% sure on this, but I think proper treatment for a concussion involves keeping the patient awake. I think there actually is something you could be doing about that.

>>635437
Brazilian flag on the shoulder patch. Huh.

>Brazilian flag on the shoulder patch. Huh.
That would fit with the South American war they mentioned back in thread one.

Apollo 2015/04/20(Mon)14:05 No. 635502 ID: defceb
File 142956393426.png - (112.80KB , 840x600 , 3058.png )

Someone's here? Who the ffffffffffffffffff-

Apollo 2015/04/20(Mon)14:07 No. 635504 ID: defceb
File 142956405592.png - (111.06KB , 840x600 , 3059.png )

"Fix it."

>Marie's here
Oh no! Rudy got left behind! He's gonna bleed out before Marie wakes up and gets him back to Haley now. :( (Not sure how we could have avoided that. Stayed clear of that room as soon as it became clear the last piece of the passcode wasn't there, and kept looking? Maybe if we dodged the vision entirely we could have avoiding being incapacitated).

>Fix it.
Fix her.

And uh, if you want her to get help sooner rather than later, you wanna go pound on the doctor lady's door. I'd do it myself, but I've got less legs than you.

...is mister creepy shadow dude a girl now?

"Didn't you stab her earlier?"

>>635506
...although I was kinda high at the time.

>>635505
Well *I* noticed it was a trap. But everyone else was like "LET'S INVESTIGATE THE BLOODY ROOM :D"

>>635504
Tell them you'll uh, try. Also ask who they are.

Ask her to be more specific; she beat the perfunctory senses out of your brain.

Also, you'd like a gun.

>>635502
WAIT A MINUTE

I RECOGNIZE THAT MIDRIFF

FUTURE HALEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE FUTURE

Apollo 2015/04/22(Wed)01:51 No. 635814 ID: defceb
File 142969268090.png - (151.46KB , 840x600 , 3060.png )

>"Fix her."

"Fix it."

>"...Didn't you stab her earlier?"

"Pierced, stabbing implies close range."

>"I'll try but uh.. I am a little short handed if you know what I mean."

"It had this. Use it." They drop a mechanical arm into my lap.

>"And I need tools to-"

"Use this." They drop a laptop and some cables into my lap.

>"Hey! Careful with this stuff! Besides, shouldn't you go ask Haley? She's really the one in charge of all this stuff."

"I know you."

>"Me? I'm just a patient here, I'm nobody really-"

"I know you."

>"....I don't suppose you're planning on leaving her here when I'm done, are you?"

"It's mine, and I'm taking it with me. Now fix it."

>>635814
Didn't they also kill a bunch of your friends with a crowbar? Tell them to apologize or you won't help. See if you can get that arm on, and turn on the laptop.

>"I know you."
...do I know you? Pre-not-stabbing, that is.

Can I ask for Haley's help? I know her, and I'll vouch for her. (Maybe if you keep asking they'll drop Haley in your lap)!

>what do
Worst case, see if you can attach an arm on your own.

Apollo 2015/04/22(Wed)22:35 No. 635975 ID: defceb
File 142976733971.png - (157.57KB , 840x600 , 3061.png )

>"Didn't you kill a bunch of my friends with a crowbar? I'm not helping until you apologize for it."

"..."

>"c'mon, ellipses are just poor writing."

"..."

>"...can I at least have Haley's help? I can vouch for her!"

More silence. Of course. They turn and walk into Haley's office.

"Not now Morgan, I'm actually trying to sleep for- you're not Morgan." I can barely hear Haley's voice behind the door. The sound of struggle follows. "Help!" She shouts. "Morgan! Anyone!" A dull thud, and then silence.

They come out the door, dragging Haley behind them. "Fine! Fine! I'll follow, where the hell are you- Morgan what is going on here!?"

Apollo 2015/04/22(Wed)22:36 No. 635976 ID: defceb
File 142976736939.png - (185.41KB , 840x600 , 3062.png )

They forcefully drop Haley into my lap. Oof, she's heavier than she looks.

>>635975
Note: That helmet is not the same as the helmet of the RedEye that had the bloody crowbar. Is this a different person? Is there more than one shady helmet person running around?

Tell Haley she gets to help you with repairing the cyborg. Also putting on your arm so you can repair the cyborg.

Okay, mister shadow their definitely has tits. Either we've been missing that the whole time, there's more than one of them, or he/she can jump between multiple bodies (an infection personality? Would kind of fit with the implants taking control of bodies).

>what do
Greetings Haley, ask her to give you a hand.

Explain that the shadowy interloper brought her favorite patient back and is insisting we fix her.

>>636016
>ask her to give you a hand

Also grin sheepishly/dorkishly as you ask this.

>>635975
Hey. Can you tell if those two sets of horns... or are the lower ones exaggerated elf ears like Marie's got?

Apollo 2015/04/24(Fri)01:37 No. 636162 ID: defceb
File 142986464720.png - (156.63KB , 840x600 , 3063.png )

>"Hey Haley, I need you to give me a hand."

I try my best to make a dorky grin as I speak. She seems very unamused. "You mean to tell me I was just punched, dragged out here, and thrown onto you for a pun?"

>"Well our new best friend also wants us to fix our ol' pal too."

"Why is- I'll ask later, take your shirt off."

>"Haley, we haven't even gone on a date yet!"

"Can it, you're not my type."

>"What, ~suave~ male?"

"No."

>"Organic?"

"Not answering that!"

>"That's not a no!"

If looks could kill.

"Just... just shut up and hold still."

Are those... bandages on her arms? I can't recall having seen them before. Wouldn't make sense to hide any sudden injuries around here. Then again, she IS always wearing that lab coat.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I haven't ever seen her wear this little.

"Morgan, I'm flattered but please stay focused."

Uh oh.

"Your old joint should work with this model. Assuming I don't get some of these wires crossed. This should take a minute, I suggest using that time to think up a plan."

Haley's right, I should focus.

Apollo 2015/04/24(Fri)01:38 No. 636163 ID: defceb
File 142986471074.png - (210.84KB , 840x600 , 3064.png )

Those were chemical weapons! How are they possibly NOT a war crime!?
That's none of your concern. You just fly the drones and tell them when to drop cargo.


While the loss of your arm is regretful, you did sign a contract and we still expect you to follow through on it. See this doctor, they'll have you outfitted with a replacement and ready for work again ASAP.


Promise to keep a secret? My parents always told me to say it was from disease. Apparently the border isn't kind to people like me, and they didn't want to risk having to leave me behind. They said to tell nobody about what really happened, or who I really am. I don't like having to bury my identity. What if I forget it?


Look kid, way I see it, as long as we still got two good eyes we're stuck working here 'till the contract is up.



...as long as we have two good eyes, huh?

Apollo 2015/04/24(Fri)01:39 No. 636164 ID: defceb
File 142986476806.png - (64.31KB , 840x600 , 3065.png )

Damnit brain, not helping.

"By the way, I found some soporifics in back and took one or two. Or three? So whatever you need me help with, I suggest getting it over with quickly 'cause I can feel them kicking in."

Damnit Haley, that doesn't help either. She's still sitting on my lap too.

That thing is tapping their fingers now. Bored, maybe impatient. I need to clear my head fast.

Think about Marie's enhanced knockers.

>So whatever you need me help with, I suggest getting it over with quickly 'cause I can feel them kicking in.
Give me an arm to work with, and diagnose what's wrong with Marie, if you can. (Or failing that, help me get set up). If I know what I need to fix (or at least where to start), and I have the means to do it, this will go better than me poking around in the dark.

Stay awake long enough to be a doctor so you can give the soldier some orders.

>what else
Start writing a text file, explaining what happened. Upload to Marie while the laptop is plugged in so she knows this happened when she wakes up.

>Are those... bandages on her arms?
From the blood stain, that looks like a cut along her forearm. ...like if you'd tried to open a vein lengthwise.

I really hope that wasn't a suicide attempt, but I see how this place could inspire one. Also no time to push it, now.

>>636163
so, did you do it?
did you drop chemical weapons on your girlfriend?
or rather, were you a part of the war effort that dropped chemical weapons on your girlfriend's country, but the implication is the same.
were you in any way responsible for what happened to her? to people she knew? to where she was born?

ponder that as you check on marie. check out the new guy, too. we're gonna need to find a weakness, a distraction, a way out. you're no fighter, i don't think, and neither is haley. i doubt marie can take him as soon as she gets up. a weapon maybe? he's obviously mechanical in part, is hacking someone a thing?

Oh, wait. We're off grid in this room. We haven't actually seen shadow guy(s) off grid before, even if we found those doodles.

>>636162
She's cutting herself. Fresh wounds on one of her arms, even. Considering her tattoos I wonder if she has a fascination with opening up her skin to look at the muscles underneath. Ask about her tattoos.

>>636163
>Manaus. A city Morgan bombed.
SON OF A BITCH MORGAN IS MANAUS. He takes that name later to remind himself of what he'd done, and that's how this cyborg knows him.

>>636164
Pinch yourself or bite your lip or something. Then start up the laptop with your free arm.

Apollo 2015/04/24(Fri)21:39 No. 636285 ID: defceb
File 142993678888.png - (95.77KB , 840x600 , 3066_1.png )

>So... did you do it?

I'd like to think about something else please.

>"Please stay awake long enough to put this arm together, at least. If you've got any ideas for how I'm supposed to help fix her I'm all ears too."

"One second..." She mutters, fiddling with some wires. "Don't bite your tongue." A searing pain shoots up the arm, my arm, as it connects and powers up. A wave of pins an needles washes up from the fingers right after. Vague gargling noises rise up from my throat. Morgan, you're supposed to be cooler than this! Keep it together!

>Did you drop chemical weapons on your girlfriend?

I'd really like to think about anything else now!

Spasms take hold of my body. Fuck. It hurts. Fuck. "It... may not be calibrated right for you. You may have some sensitivity issues until we fix that."

>Or rather, were you a part of the war effort that dropped chemical weapons on your girlfriend's country? Were you in any way responsible for what happened to her? To people she knew? To where she was born?

I don't know! I was just a kid! I didn't know what I was doing!

"Morgan, I need you to take a deep breath. You're reacting poorly to the artificial nerves. It'll pass. Breathe."

I was a different person back then! I just pulled the trigger! I'D VERY MUCH LIKE TO THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE NOW.

I break into hyperventilation and a cold sweat. The arm is heavy and throws off my sense of balance. I feel lopsided. The arm, my arm, feels too much.

Apollo 2015/04/24(Fri)21:41 No. 636286 ID: defceb
File 142993688212.png - (123.87KB , 840x600 , 3066.png )

Haley grabs my shoulders and guides my breathing. Deep breaths. Deep. Breaths. Calm down.

>"...that wasn't very cool of me, was it?"

She lets go and sits back. "No, you goof. Usually the reaction isn't that bad though. Are you going to be okay?"

>"I think so. Maybe. It'll pass."

She seems unconvinced.

Apollo 2015/04/24(Fri)21:42 No. 636287 ID: defceb
File 142993694795.png - (169.34KB , 840x600 , 3068.png )

>"So uh... what's with the tattoo?"

"I had a phase a few years back. Which is way more than you need to know already. Not that it matters, we're walking dead already in here. I had depression, a sense of uselessness, thought I had wasted my whole life up to that point. Years upon years of studying brains and, and, and I had done nothing else. Made a lot of stupid choices, stupid nearly suicidal choices but I figured if I was going to be out soon it wouldn't matter. That consequences didn't mean anything to a person in my position." Her pace picks up, but her words slur. Wild gestures start to lag behind her speech more and more.

"I don't even know why you think I can help with Marie, I don't even know why she thought I could help her either. I mean, clearly I'm a failure here and I was a failure then and I'm just fucking useless I couldn't even stop whatever happened down here from HAPPENING." She yawns. A deep, slumbering type of yawn.

"The funniest thing to me, is that I spend all this time studying brains and I... I get... I remember what the doctor said, he said Inoperable..."

She blinks lazily, eyes unfocused. She's wavering unsteadily now.

"...did I just say that all out loud?"

A moment passes.

Followed by another.

"I'm taking your pillow." She mumbles before flopping over onto it.

>"Haley, wait! How can I help Marie?"

"try checking the neural code there sshhould be software to do the thing" She's out like a light.

>>636287
Well, assuming the timeline hasn't already been knocked off course, Haley won't be a failure if we can keep her from dying down here.

...and sounds like she'd have needed uplift to survive herself, even if she hadn't been shot up. Funny that affected future Haley as much as it did if she already thought she was dying.

>"I'm taking your pillow."
Hey, maybe you get to cuddle, after all! Assuming the shadow crazy doesn't kill you when you're done.

>what do
Pick up the laptop and find yourself some kind of cable or connector. And then examine Marie and start looking for a port to jam it in.

Then see if you can find any icons on the desktop that look like they have anything to do with robot brains.

And start writing a text message to upload to Marie.

>>636287
Boot up the laptop. Also take a look at Marie's injuries.

...wait a minute is your arm similar to the cyborgs'?

>>636287
yeah, that's what i feared. brain damage. she's got a brain tumor. cover her with your blanket and get to work on marie.

while you work, leave her messages about what happened at your end. tell us what you see in there.

Apollo 2015/04/30(Thu)21:45 No. 637195 ID: defceb
File 143045550067.png - (130.03KB , 840x600 , 3069.png )

I always dreamed of being surrounded by women.

Didn't expect it to happen like this.

>"So how exactly do you expect me to fix her?"

"It has a jack hidden on their back, near the spine. Connect the wire there."

>"....and then?"

"Fork bomb, wipe it. Keep it from happening again."

>"Is that it?"

Silence. Yay. I connect the wire and boot up the laptop. It's a simple machine, compared to the martian next to me. There's a mess of icons and stray files floating over the desktop. Security files, mostly. Couldn't even get one of the lab computers, those have all the relevant software. Or even my bag. If I had my bag right now I could-

Won't do me any good to dwell on the things I lack. I'll start with a note.

>>637195
See if you can investigate the laptop while fixing Marie. Maybe there's something useful on it.

Apollo 2015/04/30(Thu)21:52 No. 637201 ID: defceb
File 143045593240.png - (2.87KB , 840x600 , 3073.png )

"How does someone even manage to lose a spaceship?

>>637201
Well, space is pretty big, so...

Apollo 2015/04/30(Thu)22:42 No. 637212 ID: defceb
File 143045896846.png - (28.31KB , 840x600 , 3074.png )

>"Well, space is pretty big, so..."

Your name is Marie, and now funny looking people are looking at you funnily.

"Who is that?" They whisper amongst each other.
"That politician I think."
"A cyborg? In politics? I didn't vote for her."
"We don't vote here, this is Mars."
"Nonsense dear, we have money we vote anywhere."
"Not here we don't. Because of people like her."
"How did she even-"
"She made decisions and people just let her keep making important decisions."
"Do you think it'll try to bite us?'
"That's superstition. I'm sure they're harmless. Mostly."

This party is nothing like the parties you used to go to. Everyone is standing around drinking expensive wines, wearing expensive masks, and flaunting their wealth to each other. The music is some new-post-re-modernist remixes of post-renaissance orchestral music. Or should be, it all sounds like noise at this point. Few uplifts like yourself even showed up.

"Hey! What did you say?" One of them speaks up.

>"I said space is really big. There's uh... lots of it."

Awkward.

>"...I've been there. In space. Out there."

Awwwwwkward.

>"...it's pretty cool. I think."

Where did Haley go? She knows how to handle these people.

>>637212
Well no wonder it's awkward, you're at a masquerade with no mask!

AMEND THIS.

>>637212
"Also, you know, I'm right here. I can hear you talking about me like I'm some kind of monster. That's really rude."
Stare at them with the same lack of expression you have now as you say this.

Apollo 2015/05/01(Fri)02:03 No. 637234 ID: defceb
File 143047098674.png - (28.28KB , 840x600 , 3075.png )

>"Uh... I'm right here. I can hear you talking about me like I'm some kind of monster. That's really rude."

They go back to whispering to eachother.
"Do you think it's the ears?"
"They are rather large."

>"You know what, I need to go. Find a mask, or something."

Apollo 2015/05/01(Fri)02:06 No. 637235 ID: defceb
File 143047119205.png - (26.57KB , 840x600 , 3076.png )

You wander around the party until you find one of the waiting staff. They appear to be wearing some sort of bunny(?) mask, and an all white outfit.

"Looking for a mask? There's no better way to lose yourself at such an occasion."

>"Actually yes. Do you have a spare?"

"Only the one. Others find it a little too peculiar(?) for their tastes. I recommend you try it on before making judgement about it."

They hand you the mask.

Manaus 2015/05/01(Fri)02:07 No. 637237 ID: defceb
File 143047123970.png - (17.47KB , 840x600 , 3077.png )

You equip the peculiar(?) mask!

It's quite comfortable.

>>637237

That mask is spooky.

Spooky awesome.

Sneak up on the bigots, then jump out and use some distorted animal sound clips to scare them. They deserve a good bit of freaking out, after all that rudeness.

Is this supposed to be symbolic if we accept the shadow guy's messing with us?

Say it's nice, but you like her bunny one better. People already seem weirded out you're an uplift, maybe you can put them at ease with a cute mask instead of a scary one. Want to trade?

(Also, name field changed, aaah, bad).

>>637237
I wonder if you can talk to Manaus now. Ask why they're in your head. Why didn't the fork bomb hit a limit, anyway? How much bandwidth do you have?

>"That politician I think."
You were in politics, Marie? Can you remember what you did? Are you the governor of mars now, or something? (If the uplifts claimed ownership of Mars, cause they were there first, they would have to put forward one of their own as a leader, even if they didn't need that kind of formality when they were living all spread out on their own).

>"Do you think it'll try to bite us?'
Honestly, it's really weird for upper class people to talk to any kind of politician like that. You'd think they'd be trying to curry favor, or buy you off, not blatantly making enemies by treating rudely like a non-person.

Apollo 2015/05/01(Fri)18:05 No. 637329 ID: defceb
File 143052872535.png - (27.64KB , 840x600 , 3078.png )

>You were in politics, Marie?

If you could call it that. It was more like-

“A glorified desk job, telling people when and where they can land, and how to integrate to the martian colonies.” The waiter speaks up. “It’s just a mask, by the way. You’re looking for meaning when answers are already in front of you.”

>”What?”

They lean forward and speak slowly, enunciating each word with pained precision, "Connect. The. Dots."

The music cuts out as a live band marches out to perform.

“And that’s time. You’re about to be asked to dance by a very opinionated individual. Don’t be too rough with them.”

>>637329
It's the waiter. Manaus is the waiter. Ask the questions.

Do you already remember who the dancer will be? Should we bother with the formality of going along with the memory, or can you turn him down and try to talk to Manaus instead? If Manaus shoos you along just give them a glare and go dance.

>A glorified desk job, telling people when and where they can land, and how to integrate to the martian colonies.
Geeze, complete control of planetary immigration / air traffic control seems pretty powerful to me.

>You’re about to be asked to dance by a very opinionated individual. Don’t be too rough with them.
Yeah, we've met. I had that dance once already, tonight.

>>637329
...ask them why they're helping you.

Apollo 2015/05/02(Sat)14:08 No. 637576 ID: defceb
File 143060088254.png - (27.67KB , 840x600 , 3079.png )

>”Why are you helping me now?”

“Best interests, Marie. We’re all following our own best interests.”

A man walks briskly up to you and swoops his arm under yours. “It’s a dancing song, not a wallflower song.” His breath smells heavily of wine. He practically carries you away to the dance floor.

>”Wait, I needed to talk to-”

“They’re the help, they’ll still be here later.”

>”No, you don’t understand, it’s actually kind of important-”

“It’s a party! Important work things can wait until tomorrow. Or the day after, if your kind still get hangovers.”

>”Gah! Fine! One dance!”

“Wonderful!” They spin you around in a sudden twirl, grabbing you by the waist. “You know, I really do adore you cyborgs.”

…it’s this asshole.