Apollo 2015/10/15(Thu)22:53 No. 676740 ID: defceb
File 144497481502.png - (21.08KB , 840x600 , 7002.png )

“I went ahead and strapped your arm back on while you were out. It’s only a temporary fix and the work over your wound is just a patch at best. I wouldn’t recommend putting much strain on your left side, if it breaks again then I’m not going to able to patch it up. As far as your heart is concerned I had to build a makeshift pump. It’s not quite as strong so again, I don’t recommend putting much stress on it. “

Apollo 2015/10/15(Thu)22:53 No. 676741 ID: defceb
File 144497482605.png - (20.41KB , 840x600 , 7003.png )

“You’ve been staring at the mirror for a while now. You okay?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, it’s just...”

Apollo 2015/10/15(Thu)22:54 No. 676742 ID: defceb
File 144497484739.png - (18.29KB , 840x600 , 7004.png )

“...my hair. It’s shorter than I remembered. I look half my age.” Or a tenth.

“Pat’s idea. She insisted on trimming off the burnt parts but felt bad about leaving it ‘unstyled’ afterwards. Whenever you’re ready, everybody else is in the next room. I think Haley was hoping to talk with you as soon as you woke up.”

Could be worse. Go talk to Haley, she's likely worried sick.

Also, I got this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_v._Reid
Well played.

"At least I neither look, nor feel, compromised. This is a big step up."

Awesome, your eyes are back to normal. I'm guessing the "red" eye/eyes were just hallucinations or representations of your inner struggle. I'm guessing you can un-disable that eye with no issues, now.

How do you feel? Any identity issues after what just happened? The red AI implied it gave you the name you have, so it's not really your name. Doesn't that name come attached to the memories you have too? Does that mean those memories were given to you as well? Well, even if they were, memories do tend to shape a person, so they may as well be yours. Though, if they're second-hand, you'd be more like Marie's daughter, in a way.

Let's go talk to the others once you're ready.

Starting to look like a proper battle-scarred veteran there.

You're about to meet everyone again. Try a smile.

>>676756
no, haley could see it too.

>Pat's idea
So she met up with you guys? That's good.

>haircut
The problem with trimming a doll's hair is it never grows back!

So... now that you've got control back of your head, have your memories come back in order? Or are they still a mess.

Agree to meet people.

Be sure to thank (Roderick, I'm still assuming) for everything first.

>>676775
And Morgan. We asked him if we'd had bichromatic eyes the whole time.

>>676740
...Does the word "Dust" mean anything to you aside from small debris?

Rude. Burnt hair at the edges was my style. I call it "Crispy Autumn Barbecue."

Before you go out there to meet people, ask what time it is. Specifically, how many seconds have passed in the sun's relativistic reference frame since the beginning of the Unix era.

Apollo 2015/10/17(Sat)16:31 No. 677263 ID: defceb
File 144512468369.png - (12.84KB , 840x600 , 7005.png )

>How do you feel? Any identity issues after what just happened? The red AI implied it gave you the name you have, so it's not really your name. Doesn't that name come attached to the memories you have too? Does that mean those memories were given to you as well? Well, even if they were, memories do tend to shape a person, so they may as well be yours. Though, if they're second-hand, you'd be more like Marie's daughter, in a way.
I don’t even know. I don’t really know what I am, I don’t know what you are, either. Every time you talk, I feel like ants are crawling up my spine. Maybe the name isn’t really mine, or maybe it is. For now. it’s the best I’ve got.

>You're about to meet everyone again. Try a smile.
I practice smiling in the mirror. It feels heavy.

>The problem with trimming a doll's hair is it never grows back!
Are you calling me a doll? Although… we did play dress up before, so I guess you’re not completely wrong…

>So... now that you've got control back of your head, have your memories come back in order?
Not yet. I think we’re all on the same page, sadly.

>...Does the word "Dust" mean anything to you aside from small debris?
Doesn’t ring a bell. Should it?

I turn to face my benefactor. "At least I don’t look or feel compromised. This is a big step up."

“That’s good. You really gave me a scare, last time.”

“Do you know what time it is?”

“Right now? Beats me.”

Great. “I don’t think I got your name. Mr…?”

“Patrick. Patrick Barrowman. No need for formalities. I’ve already had my hands inside you.”

We share an awkward silence.

“That sounded better in my head.” Patrick mutters. After a moment, he awkwardly shuffles out of the room, and I follow after him.

Apollo 2015/10/17(Sat)16:31 No. 677264 ID: defceb
File 144512470636.png - (29.13KB , 840x600 , 7006.png )

I step into the next room. The place is filled with boxes and random items, all lazily strewn across the room. In the corner, I see Liz resting in a makeshift bed. There are bandages over her left arm, which is in a sling. Morgan’s sitting next to her, surrounded by computer scraps and tapping away at a laptop.

“...officially speaking, they said that the ship was having engine problems when it passed by Saturn and exploded, but nobody else saw an explosion around Saturn at that time.. But, then again, something as large as a whole spaceship doesn’t just vanish into thin air-”

“Morgan…” Liz sighs. “If this is some crackpot conspiracy theory…”

“Well, not a conspiracy theory, but - oh hey, Marie!” Morgan perks up at my arrival.

“Hello, Morgan.” I attempt a smile. “I was told Haley was looking for me. Do you know where she went?”

He gestures to his left. “Haley said she had a headache and went to lie down. She’s just past that door. Pat and Pat are hanging out over there if you want to talk to them.” He points at a door to his right.

Er... find a stick or similar to defend yourself with.

I'm just being paranoid though.

>Maybe the name isn’t really mine, or maybe it is. For now. it’s the best I’ve got.
For now, are you comfortable if we keep calling you Marie?

>Every time you talk, I feel like ants are crawling up my spine
Um, sorry about that? I'd like to think we're helping, but I don't know how to make the communication less intrusive.

>Are you calling me a doll?
Just being silly! I mean, your hair doesn't grow, does it?

>Patrick
Two Pats? That breaks narrative rules. Wonder where Roderick is, then. We still haven't met him.

>>677264
Ask them how they're doing. They okay? Last time you saw Liz she was passing out for mystery reasons, and you kind of got shot before we could do anything about that.

"Hey there, Liz. Do you think it's safe for me to be near you? I know that the last time we talked, you had a bit of a... reaction to me. Certain parts of me, anyway."

Enhance knockers. Try to look innocent.

Once you're done teasing Liz, pull Morgan aside.

"I met your girlfriend. She's not doing great, man."

After you're finished filling him in, say goodbye, then head off to visit Haley.

So, what happened to Rudy's brain chip and railgun arm? You would like to install the latter.

Also, where and when are you? What are the relations (if any) between Earth, Mars, and the alien faction?

>>677276
We can't enhance knockers. We have a giant hole in our chest where a knocker is supposed to be. I'm pretty sure that means we wrecked whatever we were using to inflate them.

>>677287
>Installing Rudy's Kirkman's brain chip that made him crazy
Lolno.

>Installing arm cannon
That was just a gun, dude. A fancy energy gun, but a gun. No installation needed.

>>677290
I said install the LATTER (ARM-CANNON).

Enhance knockers.

Apollo 2015/10/17(Sat)19:52 No. 677347 ID: defceb
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>For now, are you comfortable if we keep calling you Marie?
That’s fine. Borrowed name or not, I think I’ve been using it long enough to keep it.

>Um, sorry about that? I'd like to think we're helping, but I don't know how to make the communication less intrusive.
Don’t worry about it. I don’t know how I didn’t notice it before, but… I think I’ll get used to it. Eventually.

>Just being silly! I mean, your hair doesn't grow, does it?
It shouldn’t but at this point I don’t think I’d be surprised.

I walk over to Liz and Morgan and sit down across from them. “How are you two doing?”

Liz sits up and mutters a weak, “I’m fine.” Her words are slurred. Pain killers?

“‘I’m fine’, says the girl that got shot.” Morgan retorts.

“...’ve had worse.”

Apollo 2015/10/17(Sat)19:52 No. 677348 ID: defceb
File 144513676512.png - (15.94KB , 840x600 , 7008.png )

“How about you, Morgan?”

“Me? I’m great.” He cracks a smile, as bright as ever. “I’ve got my limbs back, sort of, I’m not worried about rebreaking my ribs, and I’m stuck with babysitter duty. Hey! When you’ve got a moment, I think I have another genius plan to get out of this place. We’ll need some kind of rocket booster, though. Do you think they have one in here?”

“I met your girlfriend.”

His smile breaks only by the tiniest fraction, but it’s enough for me to see it.

Marie, can you tell us anything off the top of your head that you are afraid of forgetting? We can record it in our data log and then tell you if you feel a compulsion to remember.

We can practice this a few times and figure out where your memory fractures begin, and then the experts around here can do something about that.

>“‘I’m fine’, says the girl that got shot.” Morgan retorts.
Wait, Liz got shot? How'd that happen? Last we saw she was passing out in staircases for unknown reasons.

>profile corrupt
Wait, don't we only have profiles for people you know in the future?

R, Morgan... wait, could he be Roderick?

"From what I could see, she's struggling. A lot. I'm not exactly sure how I can help her, but I'm guessing that you probably know more about her than I do. Talk to me, Morgan."

After that, when you have the opportunity to ask:

"What's your full name, Morgan?"

The ship you were talking about, is it possible it went back in time somehow? Would that be a remotely plausible result of engine trouble, or adequately explain the disappearance?

Duct tape can fix anything. Repair SMILE with DUCK TAPE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hackathorne

Apollo 2015/10/17(Sat)23:22 No. 677423 ID: defceb
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“I’d like to say that she’s doing well, but she isn’t. She’s in trouble, and I don’t know how to help her.”

“Is she…”

“A cyborg, like me.”

“...I thought that she was dead.”

“You’re not entirely wrong; She can’t remember herself. I need information. Talk to me, Morgan.”

Morgan pauses, seeming lost in thought. “...her name was Jeannine Lyotard. Well, it was one name that she used, at any rate. She was adopted by some French doctors, and they’re the ones who gave her that name. She always insisted that it wasn’t her real name, though.”

“Did she ever tell you her old name?”

“No, but if I had to guess, it’d be something Brazilian. She had a bit of an accent which she could never hide, and had chemical burns consistent with, uh… stuff. Stuff that happened in Brazil. If she was a war child, then it’d make sense for her to want to hide it. Immigration hasn’t been too kind since then.” He awkwardly shifts his gaze around the room. “I, um… I’m not sure what else I can tell you.”

“That’s alright. I’ve got other questions, though.”

“Well I’m not going anywhere whether I like it or not.”

“That ship you were talking about earlier… is there any chance it went back in time?”

“Nothing can go back in time, that’s just not possible. What I want to believe is that they slipped into a wormhole and got flung all the way to the other side of the Milky Way. Maybe that pilot’s out hanging out with aliens now. Hey, do you think that aliens exist?”

Yeah, and they’re birds. Still, I decide to keep my mouth shut on that particular topic. I deflect to the next question.

“What’s your full name?”

“Morgan Rosenak. Why?”

“...does the name Roderick mean anything to you?”

Apollo 2015/10/17(Sat)23:22 No. 677424 ID: defceb
File 144514933459.png - (18.16KB , 840x600 , 7010.png )

His muscles tighten, his smile drops, and his eyes contract. All at once, his body tightens into a coil, ready to strike.

Apollo 2015/10/17(Sat)23:22 No. 677425 ID: defceb
File 144514934868.png - (8.76KB , 840x600 , 7011.png )

Then he snaps back to being his usual self. “Hmm... Nope. Doesn’t ring a bell.”

>>...Does the word "Dust" mean anything to you aside from small debris?
>Doesn’t ring a bell. Should it?
Future magic nanomachines. Visually appears as glowy gold stuff. It's shown up in some of your flashbacks, and more recently, when you looked in the mirror, and with Morgan just now.

Pertinent because it really shouldn't exist at this point in the past.

>>677424
Well that's not suspicious or anything.

>>677424
Ahh, that explains why we were able to switch to his body while you were fork-bombed. He has something to do with what's going on in here... I do wonder what, exactly, is going on though.

>>677425
Alright let's go talk to the Pats. Why are there two Pats anyway?

Ask what happened to Liz. She wasn't shot, er, before you got shot. She'd just passed out for... reasons.

Apollo 2015/10/18(Sun)00:05 No. 677439 ID: defceb
File 144515194831.png - (8.89KB , 840x600 , 7012.png )

>Future magic nanomachines. Visually appears as glowy gold stuff. It's shown up in some of your flashbacks, and more recently, when you looked in the mirror, and with Morgan just now.
>Pertinent because it really shouldn't exist at this point in the past.
...Nanomachines? We're nowhere near that kind of tech level.

"So, Liz, what happened to you?"

"It's nothing," She mutters out. "Don't worry about it."

Morgan leans over, "What she's trying to say is, 'Oh, Marie, I got injured because I ran headfirst out into to danger to drag your unconscious butt back here.'"

Liz shifts uncomfortably in place.

Awww, she likes you!
I'm guessing one of the helmeted cyborgs did the shooting?

Thank her, she did you a pretty good solid there.

>...Nanomachines? We're nowhere near that kind of tech level.
Which is the weird thing. They shouldn't exist in 2262 AD, and they still shouldn't exist in 2413 AD. The fact that we're aware of them, and that they've appeared in your memories, suggests you may lived longer than you thought before all of this happened.

>Liz rushed into danger for us
>blush
D'aaaaaaw.

*Genuine Smile* Thank you.

Tell Morgan you'll keep an eye out for rocket boosters and exotic propulsion, but you're gonna go check in with Haley first. Make sure the Doc knows you're okay.

>...Nanomachines? We're nowhere near that kind of tech level.

Not yet, maybe. But you will be, given time.

"Oh, I knew that you liked me, underneath it all." Give her a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you for saving me, Liz. I'm sorry that you got hurt. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Apollo 2015/10/18(Sun)01:34 No. 677457 ID: defceb
File 144515729290.png - (7.40KB , 840x600 , 7013.png )

>Awww, she likes you!
>Give her a kiss on the forehead.
Uh

Uh

Perhaps too intimate given both the current situation and our differences.

“Thanks Liz,” I move over and give her a pat on the shoulder. She winces. Oops. “I’m sorry that you got hurt on my behalf.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“I was pretty surprised. I thought you hated technology and robots and all that science voodoo.” Morgan cuts in.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Yeah, yeah, you keep saying that.”

“Yes, because it’s true.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“Hmmnh,” She chews on her lower lip.

Morgan sighs in an exasperated way. He shakes his head and turns back to his computer. “Never mind. Forget that I asked. I don’t want to hear about the ‘privileged class’ and all of those shenanigans again.”

Liz flops back against the pillows. She speaks, but her words come out as whispers. “I don’t think you’d believe me, anyway.”

>“I don’t think you’d believe me, anyway.”
she said to the cyborg that believes she came from the future.

>“I don’t think you’d believe me, anyway.”
I might. But you don't have to explain yourself if you don't want to.

Well, you know, it is pretty scary. Brains being on digital media means they can be edited. The idea of a consensual reality. History by agreement. Or imposed by force. Editing rights, how's that for a privileged class?

Your mind has been fried, scrambled, baked, sautéed, cooked, microwaved, and all that other crap; you don't really care about what you believe anymore.

Lay it on us, Liz.

>>677457
>She speaks, but her words come out as whispers. “I don’t think you’d believe me, anyway.”
Lean in closer to her ear to whisper "Try me".

>>677457
does it have anything to do with why you just suddenly KO'd?

So, you don't always hate science-y stuff, you just hate when it hurts people? I can respect that. Let's get back to basics, then. Paraphrasing stick-figure undead Richard Feynman, the heart of science is the principle that ideas should be tested by experiment. You have a theory that I won't believe you; I have a theory that I've seen so much bizarre crap lately, not much could really surprise me anymore. Let's sort out the conflict between those theories with a simple experiment.

>>677524
Hypothesis, not theory.

Apollo 2015/10/24(Sat)21:43 No. 679213 ID: defceb
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“Liz, I’m a cyborg who believes they’re from the future.”

“Promise not to laugh?”

“Pinky promise.”

“That’s hardly fair, mine is stuck in a sling.” She gives a weak giggle.

“Are you familiar with the boston incident?” I shake my head. “The official story says space debris poured down over the city. Whole place was plunged into chaos, thousands dead, big craters everywhere. I was there and…” A grimace crosses her face. “...anyway, when I looked up into the sky, during all that chaos, I saw something. It seemed like a light, at first. A glowing cloud that bent and twisted through the sky. Then it fell upon me. The thing hit me right through the eye, and that’s when I had a, uh, a… a vision. It was like a memory plugged straight into my brain.”

Apollo 2015/10/24(Sat)21:43 No. 679215 ID: defceb
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“I saw a world on fire. I saw the seeds we sow today rot into a poison that kills us. Machines, once our savior, setting the last of us alight. It was the end of the road we walk upon today. And nobody survived.”

“Liz, you’re talking in vague terms.”

She leans in closer. “Then I’ll speak plainly. I saw machines, automated, artificial, man-made life crawling on Titan’s surface and plucking out human life. And we’ll be helpless to stop it.”

“You think you saw the future?”

“No. I saw things that already happened. Things that’ll happen again if nothing changes. Our miseries will always outstep our goods. We’ll kill a world before creating life on a new one. We’ve destroyed people before we knew how to save them. If nothing changes...”

She gives a long, heavy sigh before she continues. Her voice cracks as she speaks, “I used to think this knowledge meant I could do something about it.”

>>679215
Someone already did, according to memories we have. This facility was in a different location before.

>>679215
Those bugs look familiar.

Are you saying that some idiot reverse-engineered precursor technology from Jupiter's moon, and now we're repeating the same fate that happened to them?

>“I used to think this knowledge meant I could do something about it.”
It might mean that. Things here aren't happening they way I remember they should. So if there's time travel, or we're on a loop or something, it might be changeable.

...also, I'd probably the last person to not believe a story about weird things with memories at this point.

Titan's a long way off. The sun won't thaw that ice for billions of years. There's time to change the trajectory.

Machines are supposed to extend human life. Extend it, help it. Not snuff it out. I promise you I believe that.

simple fix. make it so robots aren't racist. the problem they get is they only listened to a particular group of humans, everyone else basically didn't count as human because they weren't the right KIND of human. so make sure no one group becomes the 'admins' and another group just users.

Heyyyy, Marie was a political figure at one point, right? Maybe we can influence the new Marie. Get her to realize the danger inherent in technological advances like robots without strict safeguards.

Apollo 2015/10/25(Sun)02:08 No. 679248 ID: defceb
File 144576409601.png - (7.28KB , 840x600 , 7016.png )

“Things already aren’t happening the way I remember they should. This whole facility should have been in California, for one. If there’s time travel, or we’re in a loop or something maybe we can change things.”

“Time travel? Even I have my doubts on that one.”

“Well, machines are supposed to extend human life. Help it. Not snuff it out. That’s their purpose.”

“What if they don’t want that purpose?” The question lingers in the air. “If it’s worth anything, I’m sorry I was an ass before. I could say more, but excuses just sound like excuses. I think I’d like to take a nap for now. Thanks for listening.”

Want a goodnight kiss?

Give her a polite, comforting kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, Liz."

>>679248
That's... actually a good point.

People don't like to deal with certain things - death, obedience, insanity - so they look for a cutoff point - trying to find an entity that doesn't care about themselves, willing to do these tasks for them.

We've always thought that if we could make slaves out of soulless, emotionless golems, we could finally shrug off the sin of constantly pushing our work and consequences onto those who don't want it, who don't deserve it. It wouldn't solve hatred or envy or ambition, but it would be a serious start.

What if the machines want us to suffer because that is the only thing keeping us from becoming an inhuman disease of complacent, decadent tyrants of the universe? Or maybe they just view the disobedient controlling the obedient as a contradiction that makes them angry.

>“What if they don’t want that purpose?”
Then they're fundamentally broken and need to be fixed.

>>679248
Okay, good night. Thanks for trusting us enough to talk.

If our machines don't want that purpose then we should go back and build different machines that do. Find a rock, try to sculpt it into a handaxe, but it splinters completely apart and messes up your hand? Find a different rock.

>“What if they don’t want that purpose?”
Then don't rely on abstract purpose or duty; instead build beings that emotionally care about people. It is a lot harder to decide you don't want to care about someone than it is to reject an assigned duty.

Apollo 2015/10/26(Mon)23:07 No. 679595 ID: defceb
File 144592606109.png - (13.21KB , 840x600 , 7017.png )

>Want a goodnight kiss?
>Give her a polite, comforting kiss on the forehead.

I-I'm not going to say that! That's intimate and personal and I don't even like her like that and-

Liz's snoring interrupts my train of thought. Looks like she's too sleep to appreciate it now, too.

>>679595
Hehehe, okay, let's go talk to the pats.

give er a good night kiss, then

>>679595
Good night, Liz.

Say temporary goodbyes to Morgan, you're gonna check in with Haley, let her know you're alive. She, uh, been doing any better since you left me that message?

Hey, whatever happened to that last poster? We got shot for that thing, and we never even got a good look at it.

Apollo 2015/10/27(Tue)21:13 No. 679769 ID: defceb
File 144600561502.png - (16.87KB , 840x600 , 7018.png )

>give er a good night kiss, then
...I give her a polite pat on the shoulder and wish her good night.

>Hey, whatever happened to that last poster?
It's probably around here somewhere, with the rest of my stuff.

I bid Morgan a temporary goodbye and step into the next room. Haley is huddled by a corner, cursing under her breath and rubbing something against her face. I don't like the look of this.

"Haley? I'm up."

Apollo 2015/10/27(Tue)21:15 No. 679771 ID: defceb
File 144600574869.png - (14.80KB , 840x600 , 7019.png )

She seizes up like a deer in headlights. "Marie! I-it's s-s-s-so good to hear from you again." Her voice is shaking. "I'm uh, can you give me a few minutes why won't it stop, right now of all times, I'm not, er, I'm not presentable! Yeah. I need to clean up a little."

>>679771
Ask her to show you what's wrong. You know she has some sort of illness, so there's no point in hiding it.

Crank the ear gain. See if you hear anything harmless, like a vibrator buzzing.

I'm concerned it might not be something embarrassing or harmless though. Her arm wasn't bloody last time we saw her (although we didn't get a clear look around the safe room curtains) and it's too dark to be fresh.

Apollo 2015/10/27(Tue)22:35 No. 679797 ID: defceb
File 144601053512.png - (17.69KB , 840x600 , 7020.png )

"Haley, show me what's wrong."

"There's nothing wrong! I'm fine! I just need to freshen up and-"

"I know you have some kind of illness."

She whips around to face me. "I'M FINE!" She shouts defensively. "There's nothing wrong! There's nothing wrong at all!"

Apollo 2015/10/27(Tue)22:36 No. 679799 ID: defceb
File 144601056681.png - (18.86KB , 840x600 , 7021.png )

She coughs.

"im fine don't worry about me" Her voice breaks into a small whimper.

No, you are NOT fine. We need to find out what is wrong and how to heal you.

Hug her.

No. There's nothing wrong with you. But I'm always gonna worry. Especially when your body lets you down.

C'mon, let's get you cleaned up, before you start looking worse than me.

Yeah, that would be cute IF HER COOLANT WAS STILL BLUE!!! IS THAT BLOOD?! HOLY CRAP, I THINK HALEY'S BLEEDING MORTAL BLOOD!!!

Get her to the medical bay, see if you can rig an uploader or something.

>>679805
Haley isn't a robot yet, bro.

>>679799
No touching. Ask uh, why she is bleeding THAT much. Does she need a transfusion? Calm her down as best you can, and ask to see her eyes.

Apollo 2015/10/28(Wed)01:30 No. 679815 ID: defceb
File 144602104644.png - (25.42KB , 840x600 , 7022.png )

I take a step towards her. She stumbles back into the pole in the wall and knocks the glasses off her face. She flails to catch them out of the air. Her hands are shaking violently.

"Haley, there’s nothing wrong with you. C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up.” I try to reach out to her.

She flinches, moving slightly away from me. “I-I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“We can talk later. You need medical attention. And a transfusion, by the look of it.”

“I wasn’t fully honest with you last time we talked. Or with myself, b-but…” Her speech grows more rapid and quick. She’s slipping into an anxious ramble. “I had help. With the brains. With the uplift procedure. I never could’ve had them designed by now, not by myself, but-”

“Haley, breathe, calm down.”

“I’M FINE! I - I mean, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’ll be-” She slumps against the back wall. “There were two of them. That i worked on. the first worked but the second didnt and i thought i failed but now everythings gone wrong and i was supposed to be out of this shell by now where did i go wrong where did everything go wrong?” Her rant trails off into mumbled words.

>>679815
Breathe, slowly. Start from the top.

she didn't do anything wrong, whoever gave her the plans just lied about how they work.

>>679815
the other one worked in the other timeline. who helpes her?

>>679815
Who helped her? Morgan? Or someone else that goes by Roderick?

Tell her about your version of events that led to the creation of your body. Tell her who led the project.

>i was supposed to be out of this shell by now
...February twenty-fourth, twenty-two sixty-four. That's when you made the change over, last time. You can hold together at least that long. And you did it without any help, at least on the science side of things. You're brilliant, Haley Anselm.

Seriously, hug that girl, and never mind the blood. She needs you to hold her up before she falls apart more than you need immediate answers about what changed. We'll get to that after.

Apollo 2015/10/29(Thu)02:01 No. 680017 ID: defceb
File 144610927632.png - (11.96KB , 840x600 , 7023.png )

“Breathe, Haley. C’mon, just take a deep breath and… and start from the top. Who helped you?”

She takes a sharp breath in. Or a sharp gurgle, it’s hard to tell the difference. “I met him at one of those science conferences. I’d been to so many they all blended together. Trying to get some interest in…” She gestures wildly and stumbles backward. I rush forward and catch her. She’s so much smaller than I’m used to. And colder. “All this nonsense. People weren’t too eager to believe me, but then again I must’ve looked like a madwoman. He was the first one to hunt me down and say my idea was actually feasible. He said he wanted to help.”

“What was his name?” I tilt their head up. Their lips look bluer than I remember, too. Fuck.

“Roderick. Telsem Roderick. Moving our plans to Idaho was his idea, he had all the connections, he helped me design the brains. In hindsight, they were more in charge than I was and when he left…” She slumps into my arms, her voice trailing off into a whisper. Fuck, what do I do.

“...Haley?” I give her a nudge. She doesn’t respond.

I don't know organic people medicine, wHAT DO I DO

attach her to the life support device. only rule to stay alive is brain stays moist and oxygenated.

keep the blood pumping into it and the blood doing air exchange.

Call for help, you need more hands to deal with this.

Keep her breathing, be aware that you may need to break a few ribs to perform CPR, so get her prepped for chemotherapy. Bleeding like this implies that she has a disease weakening her skin tissue, causing the bleeding around sensitive parts of her skin, hence the blood tears.

... Is Haley telling you to murder Roderick before all of this happened? I think she wanted to be in control of something she sparked but couldn't complete.

Call for help! Say you need a doctor!

you next to a hospital (of sorts) right now! Call for help and see who actually knows a thing about fixing people!

>I don't know organic people medicine, wHAT DO I DO
Yell for help. Step 1 is always to try and alert people who know what they're doing, and calling 911 ain't exactly an option here.

Don't try to move her yet- you don't know if that will make it worse, or where you are slash where you should be taking her. (Although if we need to move her, you're certainly strong enough).

Step 2 is assess. You have basic biometric scripts, right? You ran one with Liz. Run those now- check her vitals. Heart rate, breathing, and alt vision modes and enhanced hearing. Anything that gives you an idea what's going on inside. Once you've assessed, we can decide what action to take. (Say, if her heart stopped or she's not breathing, that's an immediate priority).

If that laptop with personnel files is still around, plug in, access Haley's medical records and violate her privacy. We need to know about her condition and how it's been treated.

Look around the room fast- where are we? Di we have medical equipment to work with?

....last ditch emergency measures if she's dying would be to try and save her consciousness. You're already an Arm or something for all of us.

>>680017
looks like she needs a blood transfusion. i wish we knew what her blood type is. not much that can be done other than that, really.

You identified cocaine's molecular structure by taste before, can you do blood typing the same way?

>>680102
>kissing her to do blood chemistries

Apollo 2015/11/01(Sun)14:29 No. 680690 ID: defceb
File 144641699523.png - (9.21KB , 840x600 , 7024.png )

>You identified cocaine's molecular structure by taste before, can you do blood typing the same way?
>kissing her to do blood chemistries
...AB-. I can’t believe that worked…

>Yell for help. Step 1 is always to try and alert people who know what they're doing
I call out for help. Morgan’s the first to rush in, throwing open the door and slipping on his prosthetic leg at the same time. The two Pats come in over him

>Step 2 is assess. You have basic biometric scripts, right? You ran one with Liz. Run those now- check her vitals.
She’s not breathing. Her heart isn’t beating either. The first Pat is rummaging through a bag now. She’s looking for something. Other Pat is tugging on my shoulder. He’s asking me what happened.

“She needs life support.”

“I only have tools for machines.”

“You worked on me!”

“I’m an engineer, not a doctor!”

“Her heart-”


Pat pushes me aside and kneels over the body. “Clear!”

She was bleeding out of her face.

“Clear!”

There must have been internal bleeding.

“Clear!”

Aneurysm? Tumor? I don’t remember Haley ever telling me about it before. Maybe it was before the uplift. Maybe I forgot. Other Pat is trying to get me to talk. There must be something I could’ve done. Or can still do. I don’t want to believe she dies like this.

>>680690
Well you could try to get a blood donation from one of these people. There are tools around enough to get a basic IV going for the transfusion. All you need is someone with - blood. AB can accept A, B, and O blood.

>>680690
That's... a lot of blood. Unless we're just zoomed in real close.

>I don’t want to believe she dies like this.
Well she survived two more years the first time around. Why didn't this kill her then?

>There must be something I could’ve done. Or can still do.
If we're going to keep her alive, we need a working heart and an airway. Blood won't do her any good if it won't pump, and if we can't oxygenate it. (And we only have a few people here- they can only afford to give so much before it impairs them. We can't just burn though units like when something goes wrong in a big hospital).

They're already trying to restart her heart. After that comes breathing for her, which you can still do. And then hanging blood.

Big problem is if there's a burst vessel or something in her head, we don't have the tools or experience to get in their and fix it.

Alternatively, we could declare her body a lost cause and do everything possible to save her mind before we lose it. They have uplift tech here, and they already had partial successes with Jeannine and Victor. And you've probably got schematics and some relevant info on your own hard drives, right? All you'd need is their tech, and a place to put her.

...wouldn't be the first time you had a guest in your head.

Blood donation is a lot of steps behind 'get her heart beating again'.
Let the man with the defib work and pray. We're not in a hospital and have no way to get her to one. If she isn't stable in a few minutes...

Do you think you can take her into your mind? At least temporarily?

>>680690
she needs blood in her right now. do chest compressions.
there aren't many things that can cause that kind of bleeding and half of them are contagious. check for radiation, that can be a cause. as can leukemia. that kind of external bleeding means there's probably internal bleeding as well. any fix, we do now is temporary. any way to uplift her to an unready body? just to save her mind.

Apollo 2015/11/03(Tue)00:47 No. 681048 ID: defceb
File 144654043983.png - (9.42KB , 840x600 , 7025.png )

Other Pat is still shaking me by the shoulder. I turn my head to face him. “The uplift machine. Does it still work?”

He blinks in confusion. “wha-”

“Her body is bust, maybe if I act fast enough I can save her mind. Is there a body I can use for her? Or even just a brain?”

“...there should be one in Hot Storage. You’ll need her ID to get in there.”

“You get her some blood. She’s AB-, if anyone here is negative then they’ll do.” I slip my hand into Haley’s jacket and fish out her ID card. I get up to move but Other Pat grabs me by the wrist.

“Marie, I don’t want to be a bad omen but... “ He tilts his head over to Pat and Haley. Pat’s screaming obscenities at the poor woman between compressions and attempted defibs.
“I don’t know if there will be anything to save by the time it’s ready.”

Gotta try. Nothing else to do anyway.

This isn't a "Gray Death" kinda disease, is it?

tell him to start up the machine and get as far as he can without a body to be uplifted to. If time is of the essence then we best hurry and not argue whether or not we have enough time.

>I don’t know if there will be anything to save by the time it’s ready.
I gotta try. I can't do anything else she's not already trying.

(Also, you've seen this tech set up and working before- you might be able to set it up faster. And/or cut corners wiring it into yourself).

Grab Haley's ID and go into full robo-overdrive. Gonna put that new heart through its paces- you need superhuman speed.

...any chance we could cheat and accelerate the process? How the hell does that cyber cannibalism we aborted earlier work? Be real handy if you could pull her out of herself on your own.

Does it look like we give two @#$%s about the odds? She's dying and we're going to try, end of story.

Bring someone along in case you start making mistakes when carrying the brain uploading equipment.

>>681048
Wait, is the uplift machine or the brain in hot storage? The way he said it is ambiguous.

We need the uplift machine. We need a brain too, but if we're desperate for time, you could always skip that and dump her to your own systems. If we're any indication, and the jerk narrator, there's room for more than one. You can be an ark.

...course that might be awkward till you manage to offload her, but it beats death any day.

Apollo 2015/11/03(Tue)21:16 No. 681282 ID: defceb
File 144661418410.png - (24.56KB , 840x600 , 7026.png )

I grab Other Pat by the collar and tell him that I need him to come with me. If he starts up the uplift machine while I run for the brain/body, then maybe we’ll have enough time. Truth be told, I’d rather not risking piggybacking more people in my head, but, if need be… Well.

On our way out, I quickly tell Morgan and Original Pat to get more blood into Haley and figure out a way to cart her to the uplift machine. I kick my internals into overdrive, pushing my artificial heart further than it should go. I’m blitzing through the halls at a frenzied pace, with Other Pat struggling to keep up. Heat is coursing through my veins, and my shoulder silently groans in protest.

Apollo 2015/11/03(Tue)21:16 No. 681283 ID: defceb
File 144661420050.png - (41.28KB , 1680x600 , 7027.png )

I pop out from behind the desk Pat had previously used to escape. The hallway looks more familiar than not, though at this point I’m not one to argue about cosmetic changes.

Apollo 2015/11/03(Tue)21:16 No. 681284 ID: defceb
File 144661421520.png - (18.57KB , 840x600 , 7028.png )

Down the hallway and through the door. The static’s gone now, and I can clearly see through the windows, but there’s no time to appreciate the supposed uplift machine resting on the other side.

Apollo 2015/11/03(Tue)21:17 No. 681285 ID: defceb
File 144661422728.png - (16.53KB , 840x600 , 7029.png )

I run past and- uh oh

Apollo 2015/11/03(Tue)21:17 No. 681286 ID: defceb
File 144661424716.png - (20.29KB , 840x600 , 7030.png )

My stalker is still there.

Punch through the window and enlist the guy! He seems nice enough, and you need all the help you can get.

>The hallway looks more familiar than not, though at this point I’m not one to argue about cosmetic changes.
Especially when previous impressions could have been mind-hacked.

>spook right in front of us
Um. I don't suppose you could pull that hand canon you picked up earlier out of inventory? Be nice to have something that blows giant holes in robots right now.

...I wonder if we could hack the shit out of it. Now that you pushed him out of your head, could we take the fight to him, so you can get by?

>>681290
For the love of everything, the last thing we need to do is punch walls / glass anymore. Marie broke her hands enough.

>>681286
It looks different. Not wearing a helmet anymore, I think. Also it is very much shaped like you now. What's that blue thing hovering over its shoulder? If it's something like an incoming energy blast maybe you should dodge.

Anyway I don't think you can really fight it, unless you can do so efficiently. With some sort of weapon like the gun you got shot with, or something you can wield with one arm... maybe then. Was there anything under that desk you ran past, in the room with the red tape?
Which means you may want to try negotiation. Ask what it wants. Tell it you need to get past.

>What's that blue thing hovering over its shoulder?
...does it have a psychopomp?

The non-combat option might be the right answer, here. There's no other way past it in time.

I wonder if we can use our quarantined "guest" to bypass it. Or the right code phrase? ("Our obsessions became us" has to be good for something, after all that).

Shout at the stalker, "Sydney, quit screwing around! Go fetch medical supplies to help Doc Anselm, or at least stay out of my way."

Focus! Hayley first, investigate semi-invisible stalker afterwards.

>>681286
Is it in your way? If not, ignore for now. We can come back after we've saved Haley.

Apollo 2015/11/04(Wed)15:05 No. 681420 ID: defceb
File 144667834564.png - (21.44KB , 840x600 , 7031.png )

>Punch through the window and enlist the guy!
>...I wonder if we could hack the shit out of it.
>Anyway I don't think you can really fight it,
> Was there anything under that desk you ran past?
>The non-combat option might be the right answer, here.
>Which means you may want to try negotiation.
>There's no other way past it in time.

...fuck it. I pick up something heavy and metallic from the scraps under the desk.

Apollo 2015/11/04(Wed)15:06 No. 681421 ID: defceb
File 144667836935.png - (22.97KB , 840x600 , 7032.png )

There’s a satisfying crunch of machinery as I ‘negotiate’ with it. The thing doesn’t even try to dodge, it just stares at me dumbly as I bash open it’s hardware.

Now it’s dead.

I give it a few more thwacks for good measure.

Apollo 2015/11/04(Wed)15:06 No. 681422 ID: defceb
File 144667838721.png - (26.61KB , 840x600 , 7033.png )

There it is. Hot Storage. Whatever is on the other side better help.

Apollo 2015/11/04(Wed)15:06 No. 681423 ID: defceb
File 144667841732.png - (43.76KB , 840x600 , 7034.png )

The door opens with a series of dull thuds. A wave of heat pours out from the storage room, setting off a temperature alarm in my head. This heart is useless to me, it’s already getting pushed too far with just a light workout.

The walls are lined with clumps of artificial muscle and unfinished brains, all bathing in vats of clear liquid. Cables connect abstract machinery to lumps of metal that almost resemble organs. I find what I’ve come for against the back wall.

A half-built face stares back at me from within the pile of machinery. The pieces are all there, just waiting for someone to put them together and move in.

>>681421
>now it's dead
Well, not if the hard drive is still intact in there somewhere. Which I kind of hope it is, cause it wasn't fighting back at all.

>>681423
The brain is the important bit. We just need something we can upload her into. You can assemble the rest around her later.

Grab what you need and go.

>>681424
The brain may be the most important bit, but we can't just condemn Haley to a black box with no sensory input.

>>681423
Take what you can carry without breaking yourself. Remember, you are important too.

A stasis brain should be more than enough. Just store her brain in there with no thought processes active until you find some functioning robots.

I'd say take at least the full head. If you can't put the brain in stasis, it will at least have sensory input until plugged onto a body.

Don't damage anything- take whatever is already hooked together.

Actually, wait. This is a cleanroom, isn't it? Is there anything you need to assemble before we can safely move stuff out to her?

Marie, I have a concern. What if you're not supposed to do this? What if the timeline was changed in order to keep Haley from being uplifted? What if she's responsible for what goes wrong in the future?

How much do you know her, in her later years? Can we trust her?

I don't suppose there are any spare hearts in view while you are here?

>What if the timeline was changed in order to keep Haley from being uplifted? What if she's responsible for what goes wrong in the future?
They would have to be a singularly incompetent assassin, considering how they killed like 90% of everyone in the facility but not her.

>>681720
That way lies madness. It assumes there are things we're 'supposed' to do. It also assumes that we trust / agree with the person who's changed things, and that we think their plan isn't already derailed.

Frankly, all we can do is all anyone has been able to do: make choice that makes the sense in the moment. It doesn't make sense to let someone die when you could help them because of hypothetical future maybes.

Apollo 2015/11/07(Sat)02:30 No. 682097 ID: defceb
File 144689223068.png - (15.09KB , 840x600 , 7035.png )

>Marie, I have a concern. What if you're not supposed to do this?
>What if the timeline was changed in order to keep Haley from being uplifted? What if she's responsible for what goes wrong in the future?
>They would have to be a singularly incompetent assassin
>That way lies madness. It assumes there are things we're 'supposed' to do. It also assumes that we trust / agree with the person who's changed things, and that we think their plan isn't already derailed.
Is this really the time for a debate? I’m baking in here. Actually baking, at this rate. I’m feeling pretty light headed…

>How much do you know her, in her later years? Can we trust her?
I’m still missing large parts of my memories. I think we’re on the same page for how much we know her.

>This is a cleanroom, isn't it? Is there anything you need to assemble before we can safely move stuff out to her?
I think I’ve already broken the cleanroom protocol. Oops.

>I don't suppose there are any spare hearts in view while you are here?
There’s one sitting in a clear box, bathing in that weird liquid as well. I seal the box and add it to my inventory.

I unplug the wires and snap the body together as best I can. It feels like I’m putting together one of those plastic models, only this time with a staggering price tag.

Apollo 2015/11/07(Sat)02:30 No. 682098 ID: defceb
File 144689225290.png - (28.62KB , 840x600 , 7036.png )

I haul robo-Haley’s body over my shoulders and step out of Hot Storage. I’m greeted by what’s left of my stalker. I could’ve sworn I busted it’s hard drive wide open. Now it’s just staring at me again.

Oh let the weirdo stalk you, you have stuff to do.

>>682098
tell it to follow, grab newspaper and go for the uplift machine

>>682098
Ignore it. It was probably receiving orders from your wireless, and now that you're not transmitting anything it's just acting on its last orders, which is to follow you and observe.

...alternatively, it's a remotely-controlled body, and whoever's driving it was only ever doing so to observe, not to attack.

In any case at most you should ask if it can talk. If it can, come back after delivering the body and ask what the hell is up with it. We're on a time limit here.

On the subject of Haley... well uh, to be safe, why don't you sabotage her new body in some way so that she can't immediately go psycho on you/everyone? If the uplift goes wrong you are in no condition to fight a fully operational cyborg.

>>682101
This.

That's odd, I don't see the stalker. I definitely see their coolant stains, though.

So WHY didn't you just rip their limbs out and use them later? Waste of a good android...

>I think I’ve already broken the cleanroom protocol. Oops.
Nah, you're being baked clean. It's fiiiiine.

>Now it’s just staring at me again.
Ugh, what do you want.

Look, I'm sorry, okay? I'm under a lot of stress right now. Don't try to stop me.

Go around it.

>sabotage body
Well, we want to disable her wireless, I assume. Stop our old friend getting into her thataway.

I don't suppose we could update her body's build in firewall or something? Use the thing we have in quarantine as an example so it knows what to keep out? Cyber-immunization, as it were.

>>682101
We already read that paper (at least the front) when we were here with Liz.

Apollo 2015/11/08(Sun)04:13 No. 682378 ID: defceb
File 144698480301.png - (20.79KB , 840x600 , 7037.png )

>Sabotage Haley’s new body.
I’m not comfortable doing that myself. I’ll ask Pat when I see him.

>Oh let the weirdo stalk you, you have stuff to do.
>tell it to follow
I don’t feel comfortable encouraging the thing.

>That's odd, I don't see the stalker.
It’s right there. Are we not seeing the same thing?

>Ignore it.
>Go around it.
I just walk past it. The thing attempts to turn and follow me, but it’s so slow that I’m up the ramp and into the next room before it can do anything.

Apollo 2015/11/08(Sun)04:13 No. 682379 ID: defceb
File 144698481942.png - (26.87KB , 840x600 , 7038.png )

“Hey, look on the bright side. The older model would have required us to dig holes along her spine and plant these metal bits in there.”

“Morgan, please. Is this really the time?”

“Haley says that I run my mouth as a coping mechanism. Anyway, like I was saying, the previous model would have been extremely painful. Haley’s notes said that it was an acceptable risk, though, since the vict- volunteer wouldn’t be able to form any memories during the process.”

“I’m trying to get her heart started again. Also, wait, isn’t that stuff classified?”

“Sure, technically, but the password was pAsswOrd!23. Not exactly the highest level of security, and, besides, my late-night reading is helping us!”

I walk into the room. “Pat.”

She turns around. “What?”

“Sorry. I meant Other Pat.”

Apollo 2015/11/08(Sun)04:14 No. 682380 ID: defceb
File 144698486537.png - (20.35KB , 840x600 , 7039.png )

“Down here.” I look down, spotting him underneath the machine. Strange. Come to think of it, I feel like I’ve never actually gotten a good look at him before now. He points to a pile of cables which he had laid out across from the machine, all coiled up on the ground. “This model should have a power node at the base of the neck. Just plug her in, and she’ll be good to go.”

“Do you have time to modify this body? Remove the wireless, maybe sabotage it in case something goes wrong?”

Other Pat groans and rubs his forehead. “I haven’t finished double-checking the uplift machine. How are we on time?”

“Bad.”

Other Pat curses under his breath. “I can finish checking the machine or I can work on her body. What's it going to be?”

“We’re ready up here.” First Pat chimes in. “We could do neither and fire up the machine right now. Assuming it works, it’d save whatever is left of her.”

>It’s right there. Are we not seeing the same thing?
Only if we really look. No idea why but the thing is about 90% transparent to us. I can only make out a vague outline and even that seems to be more of it's skeletal system then that actual body... that could just be because you fucked it up though.

I think we need to move her before we "fix" the body. I mean how strong is that thing? if worse comes to worse you can just dog pile the thing and have someone shutoff/remove her limbs.

I think the wireless at least has to go, if it can be disabled fast.

Other Pat, run a basic diagnostic on the body while we check up on Haley. We want as much of her mind uploaded as we can get. Just keep the internet connections disabled and focus on getting her identity stored.

Marie, check up on Haley, see if there's anything going on with her right now. And yes, we can't see that stalker bot but we COULD see the coolant trail that they left, so that means your perception of reality might be able to see something that we aren't analyzing.

Pat, double-check the wiring, make sure that nothing seems out of place.

Morgan, run an extra diagnostic on the uplift machine. Focus on transferring data into safe memory databanks identified sub-sectors, we can worry about transferring Haley into a better brain later.

>>682380
fuck the sabotage, getting her out is more important. every moment spent is another bit of brain damage setting in.

if anything checking the uplift machine is a must though. wouldn't do to cut corners now and have the procedure fail.

you could also do the sabotage yourself.
damage the wireless bits, have other pat confirm youre not doing any terrible damage to other systems first if you can. or, like, just tie her up or even just sit on her. in other words, act as his assistant, thus accomplishing both actions.

>I’m not comfortable doing that myself.
Don't you have the schematics in your head? Unless her model significantly diverged from yours.

>It’s right there. Are we not seeing the same thing?
I see very faint pink and green squiggles in the coolant puddle. The optical cameo seems to still be active, which seems unusual considering the beating you gave it. Pretty much any non-perception hacking method of camouflage I can think of would be negatively impacted by physical trauma.

>“I can finish checking the machine or I can work on her body. What's it going to be?”
Machine, no question. If we don't get her uploaded, it won't matter what state her body is in.

Besides, if your memories of your own uplift are correct, there's a period of adaptation where one doesn't know fully how to work the new body. She shouldn't be an immediate threat, even if she loses it.

>what do
Set the new body up for the procedure. Time allowing, physically disconnect the wireless yourself.

Failing that, could you connect yourself to her with a cable or something? I don't know if there's anything a second mind could do to supervise or ease the processes. Or if you could send a software command to turn off the wireless, since she isn't compromised yet. Or maybe use the baddie you got in quarantine as a reference point to update her body's firewalls with, so he won't get in.

>emergency measures
...if we really want to be prepared to put down an android body gone berserk, you need that gun from before.

Apollo 2015/11/09(Mon)01:16 No. 682680 ID: defceb
File 144706059985.png - (16.44KB , 840x600 , 7040.png )

>Do the sabotage yourself.
I don’t know how. Her body is a different model, I don’t even know if I snapped it together right earlier.

“Just fix the machine.” I lay the body down in the cables and connect her to them. Other Pat gets to work and before I know it he’s giving Morgan the thumbs up.

“I started the process, everyone out.” Morgan announces. I shoot him a confused look but he just shrugs and says “Safety precaution, manual says so.”

Apollo 2015/11/09(Mon)01:16 No. 682681 ID: defceb
File 144706061594.png - (13.02KB , 840x600 , 7041.png )

The machine comes to life with a soft humm. Haley’s body, the organic one, starts twitching erratically. I’m thankful that there’s a tarp draped over her face, as I can see movement that I know is best left unseen. She’s moving like a marionette, pulled by the wires plugged into her.

Morgan leans in towards me. “Somehow I thought it’d be more dramatic. Was your uplift like this?”

“I don’t remember it.” Haley, or rather what used to be her, slumps back into the table. There’s no fanfare declaring success, nor confetti bursting out of the roof to herald saving a woman’s life. Instead there’s just a growing knot of doubt in my stomach.

There’s a dull, distant thud followed by a cascade of closer ones. The lights flicker, then go out.

“...is that normal?”

“I think the machine pulled too much power. Give it a minute.” Other Pat says with a heavy sigh.

“Maybe a spooky ghost did it.” Morgan again.

Apollo 2015/11/09(Mon)01:17 No. 682682 ID: defceb
File 144706063185.png - (2.87KB , 840x600 , 7042.png )

I can practically feel the anxiety crawling up my back. I feel like I made a mistake, but I don’t know where. Is Haley okay? Is everyone else okay? Maybe it’s just nerves getting to me. I speak up, “Everyone still here?”

“I’m here, I think I have a flashlight on me somewhere…” I hear Pat speak up first. The other two follow up with their own “I’m here!”

There’s a sound of stumbling machinery, and I hear a familiar voice whisper “Can you hear me? Is anyone there?”

"We hear you, and we're here. Are you okay?"

In the most emotionless monotone you can manage, "Yes, someone is here. State your name, rank, and serial number."

>>682682
FOR SAFETY PURPOSES PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND THE LAST THING YOU CAN REMEMBER.

>>682684
mixed with
>>682685

Turn your night vision on, already.

>“Can you hear me? Is anyone there?”
Yeah. I'm here.

Apollo 2015/11/09(Mon)13:52 No. 682743 ID: defceb
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>Turn your night vision on, already.
I flick it on. She’s trying to move, but her actions are clumsy and uncoordinated. She’s just stumbling in place.

Morgan moves to speak first. I clasp a hand over his mouth to silence him.

>In the most emotionless monotone you can manage, "Yes, someone is here. State your name, rank, and serial number."
>FOR SAFETY PURPOSES PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND THE LAST THING YOU CAN REMEMBER.
I demand her name and last memory in an emotionless monotone. It’s easier to do than I would have expected.

“Marie? Is that you? Where are you? I can’t see you.”

I repeat the demand.

“I… did something happen? Where am I? Why can’t I see anything?”

“Answer the question.”

“I’m.... Haley. Haley Anselm. I was… I was…” She puts her hands over her face. “This headache… why does my head hurt so much?”

>>682743
Tell her please, it's very important that she remember something. Anything she can.

Take her hand.

Your head hurts cause it's not your head. We got you a new one.

Also uh, Marie, be prepared for her to be very upset when she finds out she got uplifted. We found a body ready to be used, and the uplift machine wasn't hard to get set up either. So, don't you think she would have done it already, if she thought it was a good idea? I believe she even told us that the second uplift experiment didn't go well.

I think the mistake we made was not letting her die.

Oh shit make sure her wireless is off.

>paranoia paranoia paranoia
...you realize if there's nothing wrong with her we're just alienating and scaring her in a scary and vulnerable time. Could we show a little emotional sensitivity here?

Apollo 2015/11/09(Mon)15:02 No. 682769 ID: defceb
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I take her hand. “Haley, please. It’s important for you to remember something right now.”

“Weren’t we… just at a conference? Or, no, you were in a coma and you just woke up. Wait, no, I was in New York and…” She emits a deep, guttural groan of pain. “My head! Why does my head hurt so much!? Why can’t I see you!?”

“It’s okay, Haley. You’re okay. There was an accident, we had to uplift you. You’re not in your old head anymore.”

Apollo 2015/11/09(Mon)15:02 No. 682770 ID: defceb
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She attempts to stand up, but only manages to fall forward into me. I’m taken by surprise and we both fall down. “I’m not…” She whispers again, resting her hands on my cheeks. “...I’m okay?”

"You're okay."

Give her a hug.

I swear, if anything ruins this in a malicious manner, go ahead and murder them.

>“...I’m okay?”
...well, you're not bleeding out your face anymore. I hope you're okay. We kind of had to do this in a hurry, and you're the expert.

Headache is normal. I had one too.

>falls over
Don't try to run before you walk.

>>682770
...

>Now kiss. Or not.

>>682770
She... should be, hopefully? Um. I am so worried right now.

Explain that the power went out after the uplift, that's why she can't see. Maybe she can activate her night vision mode?

>“...I’m okay?”
As much as any of us are. This place is kind of messed up right now.

Apollo 2015/11/09(Mon)16:15 No. 682797 ID: defceb
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“You’re okay. You’re okay, Haley, I promise.” Her touch feels the same as it used to. Like I’m with the woman I used to know, and not in this hellhole. For a brief moment it feels like home.

>Now kiss, or not.
C’mon guys don’t watch this part I’m getting all emotional. This is embarrassing.

Hey c'mon, we wanna watch the happy bits after all the scary and crazy bits!

It's not embarrassing to care.

pat have any luck finding that light yet?

Sorry Marie I don't think we really have a choice as to what we see or what we don't. I'm still kindof worried something horrible is about to happen anyway. I don't want to let my guard down.

So uh when are you supposed to take those wires out? I don't know how the machine works.

Apollo 2015/11/09(Mon)16:51 No. 682812 ID: defceb
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"Marie, why do I feel so..."

Apollo 2015/11/09(Mon)16:52 No. 682813 ID: defceb
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"...hungry."

See, this is why we should have locked her up in your head instead of trusting her with her own battle body.

>>682813
...that's a known side effect. You don't have to act on it. I stopped myself earlier even though it was one of those... things.

Please, Haley. Come back to us. Be okay.

Hello Haley, can you hear us?

That's your exaltation machine spirit; they're an AI that helped put your mind back together. Do not trust them; they led Marie to butcher, and they're leading you to hunger. Break some internal wiring and confront the spirit head-on. If you can store them, we might be able to negotiate a truce, but only after they stop telling you to eat people.

>>682813
well not to make you panic but you where kind of a rush job since you kinda died before we switched you over. You may have a few software problems but we can fix those up with time. Oh just DON'T ACT ON THEM!

>>682813
Tell her that the new body had an empty stomach and you can get her some food in a second, and to just stay put. Get her hands off of you and step away, tell someone to go get some food. Don't let Haley know there's anything wrong just yet, we need to keep her from getting desperate.

Marie, I don't suppose you have any memories about robot cannibalism that we didn't see personally? Can it be fixed or what? If not then you're just gonna have to put her down, assuming this isn't normal hunger. If you don't know, and food doesn't fix the problem, then we're going to have to restrain her, possibly with her cooperation, and do troubleshooting to see if we can repair the problem.

Worst case scenario you can maybe try to preserve her brain data? You picked up a hard drive or something earlier. You can also use the body for parts. I mean, your arm needs repairs. Or was there one in the hot room?

If the situation remains stable, have someone install your new heart.

Haley do NOT eat people. Not even one, not even if you're sure you wouldn't get caught! You're like the second human uplift ever in history, we've got an image to maintain. Also it's probably morally wrong or something.

I think maybe our only chance is if we can provoke an emotional response in Haley strong enough to overpower / get through what's messing with her, or that she's experiencing.

I took a leap of faith for you once, Haley. You didn't let me down. You said you'd never forget. Don't you dare let me down this time.

...Haley, don't focus on the hunger. There's something else you have to do first. Before, you were always haunted by the fact you never got to bury your body. This time- you need to face your past. You need to say goodbye before you can move forward.

Failing this, I don't know if hacking is an option, but it would be real nice if we could get in her head and confront the problem directly.

>>682813
well then.

time to disconnect the wireless.

also say 'no, bad haley! down!' bop her on the head for good measure

"Well, I don't exactly have any sandwiches on hand, but we'll see what we can do. Just stay patient."

Be prepared to grab her and keep her away from the others. If you end up needing to transfer her out of the robot, then put her into your head.

>>682894
Well, if we can transfer her into Marie's head, she might still have the cannibalistic brain patterns. She'd be another red ghost to quarantine, unless we can fix it.

I guess it's better than letting her stay in the robot body though, and she might go willingly since she hasn't gone completely mad yet. ...I really hope she hasn't gone completely mad yet.

Apollo 2015/11/12(Thu)23:10 No. 683708 ID: defceb
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“It’s a side effect. Try to ignore it.” Her grip tightens around my face. “Just take a step back and stay calm, you’ll be okay. Focus on anything else.”

Another series of dull thuds prelude the lights flickering back on. I don’t like what I see.

“What’s wrong, Marie? You look scared.”

Apollo 2015/11/12(Thu)23:10 No. 683709 ID: defceb
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Then Morgan sweeps in with a dive-tackle.

Fine, tear off her arms for now. You just need the head.

>>683709
Alright, help Morgan restrain Haley. Tell her you're sorry but you're going to have to transfer her again! She can stay in your head until you figure out how to fix whatever's wrong with the body. It'll be okay, she will still survive.
Then try to uh, actually figure out how to transfer her into your brain because I don't know how. Wired network connection?

Also Marie you're not supposed to be seeing that static nonsense anymore. What's with you?

>>683713
I don't think she is- I think WE are. She said she could see her stalker when we still couldn't.

>>683709
time for PANIC SURGERY. disable wireless. tell haley there's someone in her head with her and that she needs to fight him out.

Uh, Marie, we're getting visual static. And distortion of her speech. Are you? I thought that wasn't supposed to happen, anymore?

>tackle
Morgan!

>what do
We can't afford to wreck her body, or yours any further. And we can't let her hurt Morgan or anyone.

Go for the wired connection. Grab a cable and plug into the port on the back of her neck- it's time for some brain to brain. We'll confront the crazy in her head directly, and/or force her into sleep mode.

Apollo 2015/11/16(Mon)23:12 No. 684519 ID: defceb
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>Static?
I don’t see any.

>She can stay in your head until you figure out how to fix whatever's wrong with the body.
I am NOT taking that into me.

>Go for the wired connection.
She still has the wire plugged into the back of her neck! I scramble back towards the other end, plugged into the machine, while Haley and Morgan go to fists. It’s a terribly lopsided fight, he swings and hurts his hand, she swings and re-breaks his ribs. She lands a couple more blows, each joined with a sickening crack. Morgan slumps over into the ground

Apollo 2015/11/16(Mon)23:12 No. 684520 ID: defceb
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Then she’s upon me again, before I can reach the cable. Her fingers- no, claws dig into my shoulder, shooting pain signals into my system. Other Pat’s cowering in the corner, wheezing through an apparent panic attack. First Pat has vanished. I hope she’s finding something to help with.

>I am NOT taking that into me.
Complete failure, then. RIP Haley. You will be missed.

Why are you going for the other end? Just pull it out from here! Or bite through the damn cord. Keep her from disabling you, get her away from you by any means necessary. Keep in mind your current body is mostly disposable- the enemy's parts can be used to replace your own.

<_Apollo_> hahaha
<_Apollo_> just link your comic
<_Apollo_> It'll never stop being relevant

http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/src/143754521619.png

punch her.
right inna tit / cord dongle.

just break her arms and legs. you can sort her out after she stops being a threat.

Apollo 2015/11/17(Tue)01:35 No. 684534 ID: defceb
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“-our current condition worries me. If there is anything I can do after all, don't be afraid to-" Her voice breaks into a stutter. “-ave you had any problems with your vision? Loss of detail? Color? Pixelation?”

Now she’s talking weird, too.

>Break her arms/legs.
I bring my hands together around hers with as much force as I can muster. I manage to crush her hand and tear it off with a quick twist. Then she stabs me in the neck with her pointy arm stump.



FUCK

Can I please just kill ONE of these damn things without getting chopped up!?

>>684534
Watch the other hand. Maybe you can attack her eyes? If she can't see she'll have a much harder time attacking you, and you can circle around her to get at the wire.

break at the shoulder, so she is a quadruple amputee.

Grab some wires and yank!

Apollo 2015/11/17(Tue)02:11 No. 684542 ID: defceb
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>Watch the other hand
>break at the shoulder
I shove my fist into her shoulder, and she shoves hers into my gut. My arm fails at the shoulder, breaking at Other Pat’s patch job instead of finishing the attack. Her arm, on the other hand, manages to rake through my guts and disembowel me. This

really



hurts.

>>684542
Well... fuck. Turn off your pain receptors?

I say just distract her. Focus on dodging and blocking. The missing person is hopefully going to get that hand cannon you got off the serial killer.

We're getting torn apart because we won't take lethal measures, here- the best that's going to happen is we stall for time until someone ELSE does.

I hate to say it, but saving her was always a longshot, Marie. Better to put her out of her misery than leave her like this.

Apollo 2015/11/17(Tue)02:29 No. 684548 ID: defceb
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>distract her
I try, and instead fall flat on my ass. I can’t feel my legs. I think they’re still there. A dozen windows pop into my vision. Temperature warnings, pressure warnings, unresponsive systems. I’m choking on coolant from the neck wound. I try to shut off the pain but it’s not working. I can’t focus.

I think I hear a woman screaming. There’s a wet thud, and they stop.





You guys are still there, right?

C’mon, say something.


Tell me it’ll be okay.





please be okay

...uh.

We're here, but... sorry. I think there's no making up for this mistake. I think it's over.

Damn.
We tried to save as many as possible, but now lost everyone.

Yeah, we're still here. Things are going to be okay, just hang tight, alright?

Apollo 2015/11/17(Tue)02:40 No. 684553 ID: defceb
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i_m s.orr

y

Apollo 2015/11/17(Tue)02:40 No. 684554 ID: defceb
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$*} ~@ |{&e@! #

Well, now what?

Hey, get up.

gg