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,,,,,,,""">>ABIS LOCAL DATA STORAGE"""
""">>LOGIN"""
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<body>
<table>
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<td width="100">User</td>
<td>Date.Kaname.080377</td>
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<tr>
<td width="100">Password</td>
<td>******</td>
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</table>
</body>
</html>\
<<button "Login" "intro1">><<set $objective to "Find out what's going on">><</button>>Current objective:
@@font-weight:bold;<<print $objective>>@@
<<if $psync is true>>
""">>"""PSYNC TIME REMAINING: ?time<<
<</if>><<silently>>
<<set $objective to "Psyncin' in the PLaiN">>
<<set $time to 360>>
<<set $psync to true>>
<</silently>>
Aibou stands in the middle of what appears to be the living room of Celeste's house. The scene appears in grayscale with the curtains closed.
There are three mental locks in place:
""">>MENTAL LOCK #1: THE COFFEE TABLE<<"""
""">>MENTAL LOCK #2: THE FAR WALL<<"""
""">>MENTAL LOCK #3: THE DOOR<<"""
"Where should we begin?" Aibou asks, and you ponder your choices.
[[> Window (0:10)]]
[[> Door (0:15)]]
[[> Light switch (0:15)]]<<if not hasVisited("> Open curtains (0:15)", "> Peek between the gap (0:30)")>>
The curtains on the window are drawn closed.
@@#aibou;"Blackout curtains, specially designed to prevent sunlight from entering through a window."@@
@@#ghost;"Also keeps a room nice and cool, a little. Y'know, I always thought you were supposed to have nice curtains in your living room, but knowing Glory, this isn't too weird."@@
@@#aibou;"Are you referring to his preference for evening?"@@
@@#ghost;"He'd never wake up in the mornings if he didn't have a daughter, he told me."@@
Celeste is not much of a morning (or daytime) person for being more of a responsible adult than Ghost is, hilariously enough. It's an ordeal to get out of bed in the mornings according to him.
<<set $time -= 10>>
[[> Open curtains (0:15)]]
[[> Peek between the gap (0:30)]]
<<else>>
Back again?
[[Back|hub]]
<</if>>There's a door.
<<set $time -= 15>>
[[Back|hub]]There's a light switch.
<<set $time -= 15>>
[[Back|hub]]You open the curtains and something happens. Don't look at me this is a test run.
<<set $time -= 15>>
[[Back|hub]]You peek out and see a big ass eyeball and it freaks both you and Aibou out.
<<set $time -= 30>>
[[Back|hub]]You're in Celeste's living room.
<<if not hasVisited("> Open curtains (0:15)", "> Peek between the gap (0:30)")>>[[> Window (0:10)]]
<</if>><<if not hasVisited("> Door (0:15)")>>[[> Door (0:15)]]
<</if>><<if not hasVisited("> Light switch (0:15)")>>[[> Light switch (0:15)]]
<</if>>unformatted
@@#ai;the quick@@
@@#d;brown fox@@
@@#f;jumped@@
@@#p;over the@@
@@#s;lazy dog@@
[[link|style testing]]
[[broken link]]It's been four months since the New Cyclops Killings case came to an end. Easily the worst week of my life, and I've had a few horrendous ones.
But things have been going well. Iris is getting more treatment, although it's normal follow-up for the type of tumor she had, according to Hitomi. Hitomi and I have been... working things out. Having all of those memories come back at once was overwhelming, but I've had time to sort out my feelings. I've finally started to fill out the paperwork for Mizuki's official adoption, although the going is slow. Not because of any red tape, but from the reminder that Renju really is gone. Mizuki tries to be strong about it, but I know it's bothering her too. Regardless, there's nowhere else that she can go, and while I wouldn't need to adopt her in a formal sense to care for her, it would make both of our lives a lot easier.
She called me "Dad" the other day. We both cried.
I took a short leave of absence to get a handle on my new life, with the promise that my position as a Psyncer would still be there for me at ABIS. Not that I imagine that Boss would be firing me after everything that happened, break or no break. So imagine my surprise when I get a call from Pewter, asking me to [[come in to the office.|intro2]]@@#p;//"It's a rather important matter. In both a personal and work-relevant manner. This isn't a new investigation, before you ask. Just come prepared to listen for a while."//@@
That's not a weird phone call to get at all, especially when you're supposed to be on leave.
Speaking of phone calls, I finally have a regular cell phone. Without access to Aiba (unfortunately I couldn't take her with me during my leave), I was ==asked== ==convinced== coerced into buying Mizuki a nicer, more... //modern// phone while I took her old one. For all of the internet searching and instantly-available calling and texting that I relied on Aiba for during investigations, I found no need for the near-instant availability of any of that for my personal use. A flip phone serves me just fine, thank you very much to my two technology-crazy teens.
So after getting that weird phone call on my "old person phone" (Mizuki's words, not mine), I drove to police HQ for the first time in a long time, and wondered what on earth [[was awaiting me inside.|intro3]]I didn't know what to expect. If it wasn't for work, why was I being called in? And why was it Pewter who was calling? For a short moment my heart jolted in my chest at the thought that something had happened to Boss, but the little voice in my head that sounded an awful lot like Aiba reminded me that Pewter would probably say as much if that were the case.
But if Pewter was making the call, it could be serious. I doubt that after all the effort it took to at least get his jail sentence cut down, he would risk anything to jeapordize what little freedom he's allowed right now. He's not allowed to do certain things at ABIS, for the time being... meaning that either this is really and truly nothing, or something is very wrong.
I'm sure if Aiba were here, she'd be commenting on my heart rate and the speed of the car.
I park much too quickly for my own liking, take the elevator down to ABIS offices, and swipe my way in while expecting the worst. When I get to Boss's office, Boss and Pewter are waiting there for me; Boss perched on her desk, Pewter standing with his hands behind his back. Neither of them look particularly relaxed, which [[doesn't help my anxiety much.|intro4]][[Appendix]]<<return "<< Back">>
Click a name to begin reading.
<<nobr>>
<<set $currentSubOption = "Date">>
<div class="options">
<div id="optionCategory">
<<for _i = 0; _i < $options.length; _i++>>
<<capture _i>>
<span id=$options[_i]>
<<button $options[_i]>>
<<set $currentSubOption = $options[_i]>>
<<replace "#subOption">>
<<include $currentSubOption>>
<</replace>>
<</button>>
</span>
<</capture>>
<</for>>
</div>
<hr>
<div id="subOption">
<<include $currentSubOption>>
</div>
<</nobr>>@@#d;"You scared me with that call. What's going on?"@@
Pewter looks to Boss, and Boss looks away. That's //really// not reassuring.
@@#s;"...I need to talk to you about something."@@
@@#d;"Boss. I'm being serious, you're legitimately scaring me."@@
Boss lifts her head and looks me directly in the eye, in a way that I know isn't good.
@@#s;"I've been... hiding something from you. So, the short of it is..."@@
Boss takes a deep breath and closes her eyes before she continues.
@@#f;"...I'm not Shizue."@@
@@#d;"..."@@
Boss, real name Shizue Kuranushi. Police detective, squad leader of ABIS, my old academy friend. I've known her for almost two decades, or so I thought.
Despite the secret-keeping she's done in the past, I've always believed in her. She's never lied, per se, but not speaking the truth is really not much different. Still... I understood why.
For what it's worth, [[I still understand.|intro5]]Boss explains, with Pewter adding on in the gaps where Boss can't quite fill in.
Seven years ago, one year before I came to Boss asking for help, Shizue Kuranushi became the squad leader of the newly-formed ABIS. A detective with a promising record, she was a an obvious pick for the role. Calm under pressure, meticulous with details, firm in her convictions... She was a perfect fit in the beginning. The higher-ups were convinced of her ability, and so were her subordinates.
After that, something happened.
Shizue had a sister. Futaba Ninomiya, a half-sister to be exact. But whatever the case of the way they were related, Shizue loved her little sister like nothing else. Futaba was a new prosecutor, entering criminal justice whereas Shizue had gone into law enforcement. She was just like Shizue, young and bright and sharp as hell. Seven years ago, she'd been prosecuting a murder case. Futaba was certain that the case she was prosecuting was one part of a serial killing, and despite having difficulty convincing anyone else of this, she was certain.
Futaba stuck her nose into places that some people didn't want her to.
Seven years ago, Futaba Ninomiya [[was the victim of an attempted murder.|intro6]]Boss and Pewter pause at this part of the story. I don't interrupt them; I'm not interested in hurrying them. Once they gather themselves, they keep going.
Futaba was in a medically-induced coma to aid healing the brain injury she sustained. When she was brought out of her coma, she should have woken up... except she didn't. There wasn't an explanation anyone could come up with. Feeling an obligation to find out exactly who had done this to Futaba, Shizue decided to Psync with her sister and look for answers in her somnium.
The thing is, back then, Psyncing was still new. The Psync machine had been modified so that it no longer required the wire connection with the brain, but everything else about Psynching was still a near mystery. Psync sessions weren't recorded or even watched. Only the Psyncer and subject's brain activity were monitored, and everything had to be calculated using existing data and guesswork.
Seven years ago, the "safe" time limit for Psyncing was considered seven minutes.
Seven years ago, the "safe" time limit for Psyncing [[was proven to be six minutes.|intro7][$bosssecret to true]]Futaba was trapped in Shizue's body. Futaba's body was in no condition to Psync after the swap, and afraid of what would happen in attempting to swap them back, Pewter and Futaba agreed that they could not try again. At least, not soon. For a week, Futaba pretended to be Shizue without telling anyone. A week later, they tried again once Shizue's brain had stabilized, but Futaba couldn't even Psync with her sister.
Something was keeping Futaba out. Despite the fact that Shizue had performed the initial Psync due to their compatibility, Futaba could not reach her sister.
Boss gets that far in the explanation before puts her face in her hands.
The worst part of all of this is that I remember it happening. I remember hearing that Shizue's sister was in the hospital. I remember coming to Shizue's office and asking her if she was doing okay, telling her that she should take a few days off just to process all of this... and now, I realize, that it hadn't been Shizue at all. It had been Futaba, trapped as her sister, hearing a stranger claiming to be her sister's close friend offering condolences about her near-death while her sister lay unresponsive.
And Futaba had smiled, told me that she was doing okay.
I had thought that her detachment had been from shock, and [[left without worrying too much about it.|intro8]]
<<run $options.pushUnique("Shizue")>><<if $bosssecret is true>>
The squad leader of ABIS. Real name Futaba Ninomiya, actually Shizue's younger sister. She and Shizue swapped bodies due to Shizue Psyncing with Futaba for too long. Futaba's been leading ABIS and masquerading as Shizue for six years now, hoping that one day Shizue will wake up.
<<else>>
The squad leader of ABIS. Real name Shizue Kuranushi. An old friend of mine from the academy days who has helped me out more than I can even begin to explain.
<</if>>An engineering genius working for ABIS. Was arrested on a variety of charges relating to leaking secrets, although Boss was able to get his sentence reduced significantly thanks to arguing that there were extenuating circumstances. Currently is only allowed to monitor Psyncs and maintain Aiba and the other AIs.
<<if $bosssecret is true>>
He was the monitor during the Psync that caused Shizue and Futaba to swap bodies, and won't stop beating himself up over it.
<</if>>The AI-Ball, or Aiba as a more familiar name. My investigative partner and an artificial intelligence who can connect to my brain via the nerves in my eye socket. Can make and receive calls, search the internet, communicate with me silently through my thoughts, scan objects with "x-ray" vision, act as my stand-in within Somniums while Psyncing, and annoy the hell out of me.
<<if $aibasecret is true>>
A prototype version of her was Shizue's psync assistant.
<</if>>@@#f;"Date... I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you when you came to me, and I couldn't tell you after you lost your memory. I couldn't burden you with this when you were already in the middle of your own crisis, and it would have been useless to tell you before you could even remember who Shizue was."@@
Pewter and I are silent. He's looking at the floor, and I'm looking at Boss.
I get up off of the couch.
Boss stiffens immediately when I pull her into a hug.
@@#d;"...I'm so sorry."@@
I mean it. I mean it as much as anyone every could. All this time, I thought that it had been Shizue. Through investigating the New Cyclops Killings, watching over me while I was stuck in Saito Sejima's body, coming up with the plan to keep Hitomi and iris safe. Ever since I regained my memory, I'd chalked it up to Shizue's resilience, thinking that only she could manage all of this.
Maybe that's part of what I'm sorry about too. All this time, I'd been [[giving all of Boss's credit to someone else.|intro9]]@@#d;"...where is Shizue now?"@@
@@#p;"At Central Hospital. Still unresponsive."@@
I wasn't expecting Pewter to answer. Boss lifts her head off of my shoulder so that both of us can look.
@@#f;"I know what you're about to say, Date. We've tried multiple times."@@
@@#d;"How many?"@@
I don't mean to make it sound so harsh, but it comes out that way regardless. I can feel Boss flinch when Pewter's expression darkens.
@@#p;"Six times. Boss tried, and we had the other five psyncers try once each. Every single attempted failed. We couldn't even reach her."@@
@@#d;"Wait, the other Psyncers knew about this?"@@
@@#f;"I had to be transparent with them. They've known since shortly after it happened. I couldn't possibly work with them and keep it a secret."@@
The "it would be wrong" [[goes unsaid, for obvious reasons.|intro10]]@@#d;"Then I'll try."@@
I take a step away from Boss to give her some space, and also because I know she's going to start yelling.
@@#f;"Are you out of your mind?"@@ And there it is.
@@#d;"What makes you think I am? So six people tried, and it didn't work. I could try too."@@
@@#f;"Date, I tried and not even I could get through! This is beyond having compatiblitity issues! Not to mention the danger with Psyncing with someone who doesn't have-"@@
@@#d;"That doesn't mean it's impossible. I was her friend, maybe she just needs another familiar-"@@
@@#f;"Did you not listen to what I said? //I tried to Psync with her!// And I //couldn't!//"@@
@@#p;"Boss, wait. Date has a point. The potential harm in attempting again is small compared to the opportunity this gives us."@@
@@#d;"That's my friend you just told me is lying in a hospital, unconscious for seven years! I can't do nothing about it if it's possible I might be able to help! It worked before when Mizuki woke me up-"@@
I stop in my tracks as soon as the words leave my mouth. Pewter and Boss look equally as confused as I feel. It worked before? //What// worked before? What did Mizuki do? What [[happened to me?|intro11]]Full name Shizue Kuranushi. An old friend from my police academy days almost twenty years ago. She became squad leader of ABIS seven years ago, but was in a Psyncing accident which left her sister Futaba to continue on as squad leader while pretending to be Shizue.
<<if $shizueawake isnot true>>
She's currently at Central Hospital in Futaba's body, still unresponsive.
<</if>>@@#f;"...another memory?"@@ Boss asks, and I slowly nod my head. @@#f;"I see..."@@
I've told Boss about the weird bits of memory that I shouldn't have, knowing things that I shouldn't know, remembering things that never happened. This isn't like mistaking Manaka for Iris, or seeing things in somnium. These pop up into my mind just as normally as the real things I remember. Like just now, where I remember Mizuki... saving me?
Well, that sounds like something she would try to do.
Boss seems to be thinking about what I said with her hand on her chin, while Pewter looks between Boss and me in the following silence.
@@#b;"I need you to understand that you haven't actually seen her in over ten years. To her mind, you're practically a stranger."@@ She lifts her head, looks me in the eye as she speaks.
Boss doesn't say it to dissuade me. I know her warnings when I hear them.
@@#d;"Doesn't mean it's impossible. Doesn't mean that I shouldn't try."@@
@@#f;"...alright then. Psync with her, Date."@@
@@#d;"Yes ma'am,"@@ [[I reply.|preRegain1][$objective to "Retrieve Shizue from the hospital."]]I had never seen Futaba's face in person before. Shizue had shown me old Polaroids and more recent photos back when we talked frequently at the academy, but I'd never gotten the chance to meet her. Shizue had promised me more than once to introduce us, and then time would pass, her busy with work, me busy with... my own things.
Fast-foward to the current day.
Boss asked me to oversee Shizue's transfer to ABIS, just in case. I drive behind the ambulance, and for a brief moment, I think of Shizue sitting up in the back and me seeing her bewildered face through the window. I'm not sure what the fuck possibly made me think of that, but I laugh to myself.
@@#ai;"You're handling the stress of this situation with humor,"@@ Aiba ==helpfully== explains. I feel like I've done that before, in the worst possible way, but I don't really remember when or where. Either way, Aiba is being right about me again and I don't want to deal with that.
@@#d;"Whatever.@@
@@#ai;"..."@@
@@#d;"..."@@
@@#ai;"Date... may I ask you a question?@@
@@#d;"About what?"@@
@@#ai;"It is about... Shizue Kuranushi."@@
[[>> Sure.|preRegain2yes]]
[[>> Not right now.|preRegain2no][$tellAiba to "no"]]Full name Kaname Date. Me, myself, I. Nobody calls me "Kaname" though, not even Mizuki. A detective working in ABIS as one of six Psyncers, I investigated the New Cyclops Killings several months ago.<<set $options to ["Date", "Aiba", "Boss", "Pewter"]>>@@#d;"...yeah, sure."@@
Aiba has never known Shizue, I realize. She was created a year after I began at ABIS. The only Boss she's ever known is Futaba, although I wonder what she could possibly want to know about someone she's never met.
@@#ai;"Did you ever feel that there was something… different about the Boss when you spoke to her, before you lost your memory?"@@
@@#d;"…"@@
The reality is, I didn't. I didn't realize that anything was different, that anything was wrong. It wasn't even like I'd written it off as Shizue naturally changing over time; I hadn't felt any sense that she was anything but herself. Exactly as I had last spoken to her, face to face. We hadn't had much of a chance to speak in person around the time I went to her for help. Maybe that should have been a sign that something was wrong. Nobody is unchanging like that, but back then I'd been too panicked to worry about that. Still, to think that Boss had been so convincingly Shizue that not even I felt any sense of unease speaking to her...
@@#ai;"How would you describe Shizue?"@@
@@#d;"Just like the Boss right now. She does a perfect impression of Shizue."@@
@@#ai;"Maybe so... but I would like to hear from you what you remember of Shizue Kuranushi."@@
[[> Focused and determined.|discussFocused][$tellaiba to "focused"]]
[[> Calm under pressure.|discussCalm][$tellaiba to "calm"]]
[[> Confident and self-assured.|discussConfident][$tellabia to "confident"]]@@#d;"...maybe later."@@
@@#ai;"Very well."@@
It's not that I don't ever want to talk about Shizue again, or anything like that. But right now it's a lot to even think about that the person I thought was her... wasn't. It's not like I knew who she was for the majority of the six years we worked together, but it's still a lot to deal with.
What hits me the hardest is that when I went to her for help, I didn't realize that anything was different, that anything was wrong. It wasn't even like I'd written it off as Shizue naturally changing over time; I hadn't felt any sense that she was anything but herself. Exactly as I had last spoken to her, face to face. We hadn't had much of a chance to speak in person around that time. Maybe that should have been a sign that something was wrong. Nobody is unchanging like that, but back then I'd been too panicked to worry about that. Still, to think that Boss had been so convincingly Shizue that not even I felt any sense of unease speaking to her...
@@#ai;"Date, will you be alright?"@@
@@#d;"I'm fine. Let's figure out a plan for this Psync, okay?"@@
@@#ai;"A plan?"@@
It's an old approach to Psyncing, before AIs like Aiba helped manage the six-minute time limit. One six-minute session in real time was nowhere near enough time to successfully finish a Psync, so after the first failed Psync, a plan would be laid out for the next. It's become unnecessary with all Psyncers having an AI partner now, but this Psync is going to need some... strategic thinking.
[[> Discuss past Psyncs|discussPast]]
[[> Discuss Shizue's Somnium|discussSomnium]]@@#d;"Shizue knew what she needed to do, and how to get there. If there wasn't a plan, she made one. It was as simple as that. I don't know how she did it, but her ideas always worked out in the end."@@
Except once, I suppose.
@@#d;"If you gave her a task, she followed through on it without wavering. Full focus, all the way to the end. If Shizue backed down from a problem, you know it was serious. There was no breaking her determination unless it would break her, or something she cared about. And even then, it was only if she actually thought something was a real threat. You'd better be convincing if you were gonna threaten her."@@
@@#ai;"It must have been difficult to stop her, once she set her mind to something."@@
@@#d;"...yeah."@@
<<include "preRegain3yes">>@@#d;"Cool under pressure. I dunno if she was just good at hiding her panic, or never letting it get the best of her. I guess it's kinda the same thing. Either way, high-pressure situations were her area of expertise. ...heh, a few people even said that she should be a hostage negotiator."@@
@@#ai;"I assume she felt differently?"@@
@@#d;"You gotta be good at communication for that kind of thing. Shizue didn't think she was up to par for it, and I kinda agree with her. Not to say anything bad about her, but... eh. She could have been a little better at expressing herself, in general."@@
@@#ai;"Perhaps her calm demeanor was the result of a difficulty to express her feelings? That does not sound so unfamiliar."@@
@@#d;"Quit psychoanalyzing people."@@
<<include "preRegain3yes">>@@#d;"She was sure of herself. She wasn't arrogant by any means, but she was confident in what she could do and knew that she was right when she thought so. You'd better have some solid evidence if you were gonna accuse her of anything."@@
@@#ai;"Such a personality would seem likely to cause friction."@@ Aiba's eyes narrow as she talks, as if to suggest that she's talking about more than just herself.
@@#d;"Nah, Shizue never made claims without proof. Not everyone liked her, but she was competent enough not to fuck up, reasonable enough not to piss off anyone competent, and self-aware enough not to be unreasonable."@@
Aiba's starting to get her facial expressions down, since she shows a vague lack of trust in what I'm saying. She might as well be shouting her disbelief.
<<include "preRegain3yes">>@@#ai;"Past Psyncs have failed, to various degrees of severity."@@
@@#d;"Severity? Geez, what happened?"@@
@@#ai;"Mental and emotional distress were common. Most felt a deep sense of unease afterward. It is not unusual for a Psyncer to feel distress from their experience within a Somnium, but Psyncers are specifically chosen for their strength against such. There was nothing notable which occurred in any Psync sessions, but all who attempted reported that they felt strongly unsettled."@@
@@#d;"What do you mean, 'nothing notable,' did nothing really happen at all?"@@
@@#ai;"It seems that the Boss and Pewter were not exaggerating their claims. While each attempt managed further progress, nobody was able to unlock any mental locks. Or... rather, nobody was able to detect where the next mental lock was located, after the first."@@
@@#d;"...uh. That sounds really bad?"@@
@@#ai;"Nevertheless, you have my assistance. You have the benefit of having known the subject personally. You will have much more time and information than previous attempts. I believe that we will succeed, Date."@@
@@#d;"Never thought I'd be getting a pep talk from you."@@
<<if not hasVisited("discussSomnium")>>
[[> Discuss Shizue's Somnium|discussSomnium]]
<<elseif hasVisited("preRegain2yes")>>
The drive back finishes sooner than I realize. Aiba swivels in my eye when I get out of the car, focused on the ambulance.
@@#d;"What is it?"@@
@@#ai;"Nothing."@@
[[> Well, let's get going.|preRegain4]]
<<else>>
<<include "preRegain3no">>
<</if>>@@#ai;"Here is the Somnium data which I gathered from the recollection of the Boss and the other Psyncers. Unfortunately, there exist no Psync recordings of Shizue's Somnium. However, I believe these descriptions are sufficient, given the Somnium itself is a familiar location."@@
I can see a mock-up of Shizue's somnium through Aiba's visualization; it's the Boss's office, but with much of its clutter conspicuously absent.
@@#d;"Boss's office... I wonder how it's changed since Shizue was last in it. I don't know how much of that stuff is hers, and how much is the Boss's."@@
@@#ai;"I was informed that while the Boss's office is in the state it is currently due to an accumulation of objects over time, much of it was already present when Futaba took over ABIS. I removed any items from the room which I could not determine for certain that Shizue placed them there."@@
@@#d;"Every detail counts, I guess."@@
@@#ai;"Of course, it does, Date. Those objects are likely the interaction points through which to unlock Shizue's mental locks. However, there was an unusual detail which a few Psyncers informed me of. While the Boss's office has only one door, a few Psyncers were able to uncover a hatch in front of the Boss's desk. No such hatch exists in the real office, of course."@@
@@#d;"An escape route, within her Somnium?"@@
@@#ai;"Perhaps."@@
<<if not hasVisited("discussPast")>>
[[> Discuss past Psyncs|discussPast]]
<<elseif hasVisited("preRegain2yes")>>
The drive back finishes sooner than I realize. Aiba swivels in my eye when I get out of the car, focused on the ambulance.
@@#d;"What is it?"@@
@@#ai;"Nothing."@@
[[> Well, let's get going.|preRegain4]]
<<else>>
<<include "preRegain3no">>
<</if>>I wonder if it'll help Aiba to know any of this. We've Psynced with near and total strangers before, although admittedly this time the stakes are a little higher. She's probably a little nervous about all of that.
Can AIs feel nervous? Maybe Aiba can. Boss did point out that she was unique, even among the other AIs at ABIS. More advanced in software and hardware, faster and more complex. Excelled where the other AIs were sufficient, succeeded where the other AIs failed.
Capable of understanding a lie, without relying on monitoring body heat.
Whatever the reason, I don't know. I don't ask. I don't feel like I really need to know, to be perfectly honest.
@@#d;"Hey, Aiba. Why don't we come up with a plan for this Psync?"@@
@@#ai;"A plan?"@@
It's an old approach to Psyncing, before AIs like Aiba helped manage the six-minute time limit. One six-minute session in real time was nowhere near enough time to successfully finish a Psync, so after the first failed Psync, a plan would be laid out for the next. It's become unnecessary with all Psyncers having an AI partner now, but this Psync is going to need some... strategic thinking.
[[> Discuss past Psyncs|discussPast]]
[[> Discuss Shizue's Somnium|discussSomnium]]With that, Aiba's unspoken question about Shizue lingers in my mind. I'm not trying to keep secrets from her, and we're on the same damn team here. But even without knowing what Aiba wants to know about Boss, I still can't bring myself to answer. Or even hear the question. It sets a discomfort in my chest that I don't like having there, that being asked about Shizue puts me on edge like this at all.
The hell am I afraid of? Telling the truth?
Of not knowing the answer of whatever Aiba wants to know?
@@#ai;"...Date, your heart rate and blood pressure have increased."@@
@@#d;"..."@@
@@#ai;"I... I did not intend to distress you. I apologize."@@
@@#d;"Don't. You asked, I said no, you didn't press. You didn't do anything wrong."@@
@@#ai;"However- Date, you should know better than anyone that intentions don't-"@@
@@#d;"Drop it, Aiba."@@ My voice gets an edge to it that I don't want to add, but Aiba's gonna argue with me the whole drive there if I don't. @@#d;"It's fine. Just don't ask me about Shizue right now."@@
@@#ai;"...understood."@@
The drive back finishes sooner than I realize. Aiba swivels in my eye when I get out of the car, focused on the ambulance.
@@#d;"What is it?"@@
@@#ai;"Nothing."@@
[[> Well, let's get going.|preRegain4]]Boss looks up from the Psync monitor's screen when I walk into the Psync room, her arms crossed over her chest. She looks smaller. Less confident. Like her thoughts are running in a million different directions. Like she doesn't know where she is. Like she doesn't know what she's doing. Like she might burst into tears at any moment. Seeing those expressions on Boss's face is disconcerting. I know she's not indestructible, but looking at her, I always thought that she was something separated from all of that. A step above other people, a step above me. The shattering of the illusion around Boss makes me realize that I couldn't have been more wrong.
@@#d;"...you doing alright?"@@ I ask her. I know what she's going to say, as a fellow through-the-teeth liar.
@@#f;"I'm fine. You should be more worried about yourself."@@
@@#d;"I doubt that whatever Aiba and I see in Shizue's Somnium will affect me as much as it will you."@@
Boss sighs, uncrossing her arms and closing her eyes as her shoulder slump. Behind her, Pewter continues to work at the keyboard, occasionally glancing up to look through the glass. Following his line of sight, I can see the Psync machine where Shizue lays in one seat with the headset over her eyes.
@@#ai;//"She brings up a good point, Date. She may have difficulty with this Psync, but so will you. I was unable to ascertain why the Boss and the other Psyncers had the specific emotional reaction to Psyncing with Shizue which they had. It would be best to proceed with caution."//@@
@@#d;//"Aiba, it'll be fine. I'm not going to have a mental breakdown, I promise."//@@
All of this worry, aimed at the wrong person. I notice that Pewter has started doing some split-second glancing in my direction as well.
@@#d;"Boss? I'll be fine. And I'll wake her up, I promise."@@ For a moment I’m not sure whether I should, but I ignore the thought and put my hand on her upper arm. Boss stares at my hand like it's disembodied or something.
@@#f;".........don't push it, Date,"@@ she says, her eyes still trained on my hand.
@@#d;"Of course not. I'm not an idiot."@@
@@#f;"I'm being serious. Do //not// push yourself. Do //not// try to push the time limit."@@
Failure is the established norm here. Six people tried, six people failed, six people left with the sense that something was not right.
Maybe I'll even figure out why.
[[> No time like the present—that's why it's part of a stupid-ass saying.|regainHub][$objective to "Wake up Shizue"]]Lorem ipsum there is nothing here yet.