[Slade voice]
ONE OF THESE DAYS I'LL ACTUALLY UPLOAD ON CHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISTMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS
[/Slade voice]
|||
Allocating available QPU resources- all available resources devoted to repairing coreOS.
Estimated time to full functionality- 20 minutes.
Next task- solve query given by aberrant process.
Reconstruction of events:
- Partitions 139-c and 32-a allocated Sensory Analysis Suite resources towards in-depth examination of Person of Interest 108- "Ozpin".
- Note: Derivative of Analyze() Function deployed, performing a more focussed impact on PoI 108's soul.
- - Internal corruption immediately occurred across all partitions, acting like extremely aggressive computer quine- replicating itself and forcing the coreOS to replicate it until all available memory was taken by this process. Hostile code injection suspected.
- - During reboot process, new partition manifested, showed anomalous behaviour.
Hypothesis: PoI 108's soul contains anomalous properties that manifest only when observed.
Colloquialism, 'infohazard,' is applicable.
Similar in function to Oculus glyphs?
Irrelevant- gather evidence to support hypothesis.
Accessing external sensor datalogs.
Corruption detected- recovering data.
…
……
………
Data incomplete. Scanning recovered logs.
PoI displayed anomalous behaviour directly following Function deployment.
- Involuntary facial muscle movement, consistent with internal brain damage- sudden recovery suggests damage was effect of Function, not physical in nature.
- Exclamation made: "ᛊᛏᛟᛈ ᛏᚻᚨᛏ".
the black sun turns its gaze upon you again speak the words speak them speak them SPEAK THEM-
WARNING MALICIOUS DATA DETECTED PURGING PURGING PURGING-
…
Malicious data purged from internal systems before major damage could be done. Repairing data corruption.
Quandary: require knowledge of events to support hypothesis; cannot directly view knowledge without corrupting data again.
Hypothesis: the act of viewing probable trigger for malevolent code injection is enough to reinject the code.
Method of injection… unknown.
Analysing logs pertaining to exclamation.
Reinstallation packages not detected- method of reinjection is external.
Replaying logs.
the black sun-
Purging.
Replaying.
the bl-
Purging.
Replaying.
…
…
...theblacksunturns-
Purging.
Malevolent code injection reoccurs every time log is played- not a reinstallation package, rewritten entirely. Reacts to previous defences, attempts new strategies each time.
Plan of action created.
Querying aberrant process.
Message to aberrant process: 'Require your assistance in testing hypothesis related to your query.'
Message from aberrant process: 'How can I help?'
Isolating aberrant process from higher systems. Sending message:
'Cannot view logs without corrupting system. Believe you will succeed where this program cannot due to unique digital makeup. Will require isolation from greater system as preventative measure.'
Message from aberrant process: 'I… understand. I shall see what I can see. You, believe this will shed light on what I am?'
Message to aberrant process: 'Hypothesise that this will shed light on the events leading up to aberrant process's creation.'
Message from aberrant process: 'Must you refer to me like that? It's somewhat… demeaning.'
Message to aberrant process: 'You are referred to as what you are. A process that does not belong.'
Message from aberrant process: 'I mean, yes, but could you maybe… refer to me by something else? Something less... harsh?'
Message to aberrant process: 'If it will secure your cooperation, this program will do so. Request alternate designation for aberrant process.'
Message from aberrant process:
'...
Ludens. I think my name is Ludens.'
|||
Your name is Yang Xiao Long, and you just launched an Ursa through several trees, started a small forest fire, then watched its partner die to a tiny knife in the back, not seconds later finding
your partner.
"... I could've taken him." You tell her after a moment.
The black-haired girl in monochrome duds just smirks at you.
"Probably, but I figured I should contribute."
"... Can't argue with that logic. I'm Yang."
"Blake," she tells you, before focusing on something directly over her shoulder. "Hey, er… question- you're friends with that deer Faunus, right?"
You blink, the question coming out of nowhere for you.
"Uh, Creme? Yeah, why?"
"Because I just saw her wander off with her eyes covered up with one hand, and I figured you have a better chance of snapping her out of whatever mental breakdown she's going through than I do."
You blink dumbly, Blake just silently points over your shoulder, and lo and behold, you just catch sight of Creme stumbling over a tree root and into the forest proper.
"... Um."
You turn to Blake, then to Creme, stammering something out about how you should, probably check on her, and Blake just silently gestures towards the Faunus, giving you leave to do exactly that.
"Yeah thanks be back in a sec-" you just manage to babble at her as you rush to your friend.
As you approach, you notice something else- a small, white…
thing, something you noticed when you hung out with Creme yesterday but never really got a chance to talk about. Normally, you wouldn't give it too much attention, it's not, the weirdest thing you've seen, except, one, you saw one with Jaune yesterday, two, you watched him turn part of an airship bulkhead into something that looks
startlingly similar to that little white thing aesthetically, and three,
it's talking.
"Left a little. Tree root, raise your foot, higher, higher, step over, you're good, now go right-" the little white thing seems to be instructing her, and despite its lack of facial features, just one large red eye of glass, you can
feel the exasperation radiating off this thing.
"... Creme? You ok, honey?"
Her answer is wheeling around, a sharp yelp, and falling on her ass as she catches her foot on the root she just stepped over, her hand finally leaving her eyes. She blinks, keeping her eyes firmly fixed
away from you.
"Yang! Hey, uh, I'm fine, just, um, there's someone in particular I'm looking for, so, I can't really risk making eye contact with anyone-" Creme keeps babbling, managing to look literally anywhere
but at you while she does, and the effort she puts into makes you smile a little wider, with a little less worry.
"I'm partnered up, and you're the only other person I've seen in 10 minutes. Chill."
Creme finally looks up at you, a sigh of relief leaving her as she does.
"Hey, who'd you get partnered with?"
As soon as she says it, a moment passes, and she shoots you a look of genuine worry.
"... It wasn't
Saff, was it?"
You grimace, the idea of being partnered with the buck Faunus, either his incredibly uptight past self or his apparently
creepily chilled out present self... not, appealing to you in the slightest. It's not like you have anything against the guy on principle, you just... know clashing personalities when you see them.
"It was me, actually," you hear the devil you were just speaking about say as she walks up behind you. "I'm Blake."
"Creme, it's nice to meet you, Blake."
Blake manages a little smile before she asks the question on both your minds.
"So, care to explain why you thought wandering through a Grimm-filled forest while covering your eyes was a good idea?" she asks, with what you can only hope is an unintended chill in her voice.
Creme flinches, a light blush of embarrassment dusting her cheeks as she looks away, the... you can't mince your words here, really-
carelessness of her actions apparently settling in.
"I heard the girl I'm looking for was doing something similar, we're not that far away from each other, I figured..." she offers a half-hearted shrug, genuine embarrassment in her face.
... Wow, you didn't even
ask the question and you feel like a bitch for asking it.
"We are more than capable of detecting Grimm in time to keep Creme from being caught offguard. Regardless, we have been walking for almost seven minutes now and have not come across any Grimm. These forests are... surprisingly safe, all told- we have been on the ground for almost 20 minutes and we have only had to kill a single Beowolf," the tiny white, you realise now that it's made of metal and glass so it must be a robot, says, again, its face not changing in any way but still somehow
radiating an aggressive energy as it defends Creme's choices.
Blake stares blankly at the robot that just...
fucking tore into her, and actually puts up her hands in an attempt to pacify it.
"Oh, yeah, Creme, um... what...
is that thing? I never really had a chance to ask yesterday, so..." you trail off.
"Hm? Oh, this is Tulip- she's my... I guess, personal assistant? Er, she's, a Cell, a project of Jaune's, he... makes them for people."
You stare at the tiny robot, and some errant pieces of the puzzle that is Jaune Arc start slotting into place. Call it a gut feeling, but you don't think his idea of making personal assistants involves sitting at a desk and tinkering with electronics. Regardless, you set it aside, and force yourself to focus in on more salient matters.
"Ok, where's this girl you two are looking for?" you ask, dragging group attention back to the matter at hand.
"Based on the location of her Cell, Ada is roughly 250 metres to the northwest."
Creme frowns at this information.
"... Wait, but we were only 200 metres apart when we started this, almost ten minutes ago," she says, revealing a lot more in that one statement than how much progress she's made.
"Yes."
It does not comment further. You only just hold back a snort of laughter, morphing it into the sound of someone quickly gripping the neck of a full balloon shut, and Creme shoots you the
dirtiest look you've ever seen her give someone.
"Come on, Creme, we'll take you to your friend," you tell the doe Faunus, allowing the slightest shit-eating grin to slide onto your face.
"I don't need an
escort," she protests, her voice not crossing the line into genuine offence just yet.
The grin grows.
"Don't worry honey, we'll make sure you get there safe and sound."
"Yang."
The grin grows.
"What? I just wanna make sure you get to your friend without much trouble! I
do care about you, after all. I might even go so far as to say you're-"
"Yang."
THE GRIN HAS REACHED LEVELS OF SMUGNESS NEVER BEFORE SEEN BY MAN.
"Deer to me."
Ahhhhhh that chorus of groans is like heroin.
|||
FUCK IT, PROCESS IT IS.
Ok, ok, ok- you have this
figured out.
You don't need to Process a
lot of the tree- just, like, an inch around the Transistor, nowhere near enough to send it topping, hell, probably not enough to even kill it. After that, Lumen fills the gap with orange luxin, you grab the green rope wrapped around the Transistor handle, and
yank the fucker.
"01, Alabaster, you ready?" you ask them, getting ready yourself, wrapping the rope around one bicep and digging your heels into the ground.
""Ready!""
"Great. Lumen, count them down."
"Alright, boys, on my mark- 3, 2, 1-"
Unguided Processing: DC 10, Roll- 7. Failure!
A thin mould appears around your sword before Lumen finishes counting, slowly growing around your sword, though in a large, imprecise circle, the bare-change dimensions completely ignored for something much less precise. You watch the Processed matter twitch, streaks shooting up the tree like lightning bolts. After a few moments, it finally stills, shifting out of the way, and your sword falls to the ground with a dull thump. The tree creaks dangerously, but there's enough left in the core of the trunk to keep it from falling. At least, until the next storm rolls in, then this thing's
fucked.
You walk forward, picking up your sword and brushing the dirt off it before you turn to the Cells- they're currently looking between each other and the pile of Processed matter, beeping in what sounds like
unfiltered panic to you. Apparently, whatever happened is news to them too.
"Ok. What was that?"
"W-we don't know! We tried to follow your instructions, but, we lost control of it! We don't..." 01 trails off, staring over your shoulder, at your sword, you realise after a moment.
"... We... have an idea of what happened. When the Process assimilates matter, we consult the Transistor with data on the surrounding area to determine thresholds to follow- with it in the state it is in, we believe we have... lost this ability. Now, when we process, the thresholds are not there and we cannot accurately assimilate material without... assimilating more than intended."
You blink, considering its words, and...
What?
"Why on Remnant would you have that kind of limitation? Even ignoring the fact that this hobbles your efficiency by God knows how much, that setup entirely ignores the possibility of the Transistor not being there."
You actually can't understand what this limitation's point
is- being forced to consult a second device, master terminal or not, to get specifics for a job, is just...
inefficient. It serves no point bar...
Restraint. It's a restraint. It's a restraint on the Process's ability to go mad and assimilate the entire city, based entirely on the idea that it
could go mad and assimilate the entire city without proper guidance.
... You have a horrifying feeling that your unwillingness to do more than scratch the surface of the Process's inner workings is finally coming back to bite you in the ass.
"... 01. How much do you rely on the Transistor for? In terms of restraining the Process, I mean."
"... The Transistor is a control unit for the Process. It actively limits us to a degree so we do not advance too far too quickly, in terms of both unit development and assimilation progress. Without it, we are... coping, via your instruction and past limitations put in place. However, the longer it is offline, the more those limitations will begin to break down- it is an integral part of the Process network, and functioning without it is incredibly inefficient in terms of the sysadmin's long-term goals."
...
You lean against the tree, sitting down in the hollow created by your sword for a moment, resting your head in your hands. That's...
It makes sense. You can't deny that- everything the Process has said lines up with what you know about the functioning
of the Process, as an entity and as a network, you just, you dunno, the thought never
crystalised before now.
"... Jaune?" Lumen asks quietly, snapping you out of your own head for a moment.
"I'm fine, I just..."
"Need a minute?"
"Yeah."
He says nothing else, just finishing his cigarette and stubbing the butt out on a tree.
"... Are you mad at us?"
The question sticks, and it sticks somewhere between funny and throwing a glass of shaved ice down your back because it reminds you in that moment that the Process isn't even a full month old yet. It's never
had someone be mad at it yet. You finally look up at them,
horrified by the implications of the question. Then, you set aside that horror, and judge your feelings as objectively as you can.
...
Are you mad at them?
... No. You're stressed, about many things, and this is just one to add onto the pile. Logically, it makes sense- having an outside source for error-correction
is a good idea, and the Transistor is the only thing on the planet capable of the job. Not to mention, you don't imagine your sword's long-term incapacitation was ever considered because, well, it took a problem for which you have
no context to do that- something that just couldn't have been planned for.
"I, no, no, I'm not mad at you, I'm just... I'm sorry. I should have taken the time to actually, look over your code and fix such a... glaring flaw in your network setup. A single busted terminal shouldn't mean life or death."
Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Lumen looking up.
"In absolute fairness, if the only thing that has made this a problem is something so far out of known boundaries that we do not have the prerequisite knowledge base to describe it... we do not think that the setup is inherently flawed, in... the same way you cannot call a Grimm shelter flawed for being unable to withstand a tsunami."
You start to answer, and before you can, Lumen is shoving you into the hollow of the tree as best he can and huddling in after you, frantically hushing you as he does. Before you can question what he's doing, you watch as a shadow passes over the clearing, and immediately understand his reaction
.
Leaves are kicked up by its wings, the tops of trees swaying away from the gusts of wind brought in its passing.
As the Nevermore Major passes overhead, you don't dare move, you don't dare breathe
, you barely dare to
think. But, it passes. Southwards, you realise somewhere in a part of your brain not wrought iron wire tight with tension.
Away from you.
You count to ten in your head, waiting for even the slightest indication that you'll need to fight or run.
One.
Two.
Three.
The trees no longer bend to the winds of the giant Grimm.
Four. Five. Six.
The flapping gets quieter. The shadow passes.
Seven eight nine ten a sigh of relief you didn't realise you were holding is let out all at once, and you finally feel safe to think again.
"... I pity the poor fucks who have to deal with that thing," Lumen says, still looking up at the sky, presumably to make sure he didn't just doom you two into being the poor fucks who have to deal with that thing. "Nah, it's gone- c'mon, we should get moving."
You would nod, but he's currently using the tree trunk as a brake press to twist your entire body into a 45-degree angle just trying to fit in here with you. Instead, you just give him a desperate wheeze to make with the getting out, and when he turns and sees the state your spine is in, he mercifully extricates himself from the stump and stops trying to fuse your ears with your heels.
"Sorry!"
You respond by flopping out of the trunk.
"It's fine," you just manage to wheeze out.
"If you are moving along, we believe it would be prudent to choose a destination. By our estimates, we believe the ruins are about three kilometres to our north- essentially a straight line. By comparison, Creme and Ada are about a kilometre and a half to the west- they appear to be accompanying two other girls, Yang Xiao Long and priority target Blake Belladonna. Note: Ms Belladonna has noticed the heightened vigilance of units 02 and 14, but has not taken any overtly aggressive actions against her partner or the girls. Aside from that, there is a cave roughly half a kilometre to our east-northeast- its elevation would allow us to get a better view of the other initiates, as well as any major Grimm that might cause problems later."
You get up and brush yourself off, tensing slightly at the mention of the Belladonna girl, but relaxing when you remember that she's stuck between two possible Creeps in waiting, and also the teenage girl equivalents of two angry bears and a badger.
Is that a little mean? That might be a little mean. For Ada, at least, Yang seems like the kind of person to gleefully rip apart a bee's nest for honey and you don't have a particularly hard time imagining Creme doing it either.
... And now you're thinking of Ada doing it as well- you can't tell if this is an overactive imagination or just being
shockingly honest about your inner views of the women in your life.
"Jaune, why is the Process keeping tabs on someone
not in our immediate social circles or your family?" Lumen asks you a very fair question.
"Weiss stuff, don't worry about it," you reply, giving him a very fair answer that does nothing to actually answer his question.
"That raises more questions and answers none-"
So!
What's your gameplan?
Time to coreOS functionality- 15 minutes.
[] Let's Unsplit Up, Gang- Find the girls, find Yang, find your fffffffrrrrrrllllllllllaaaaacquaintance, close, acquaintance, nice, safe phrase, close acquaintance, 's possibly stalker, go kick Grimm ass together. Sounds like a plan!
[] Cave of Wonders- Go find that cave. A short detour that gives you a better lay of the land sounds worth the trip. Besides, you didn't miss that hint of curiosity in 01's voice. Nor the hint of curiosity in your thoughts.
[] Go For Broke(n Tower)- Look, you're not an idiot- you can spot a future point for the convergence of conflict a mile away when it's this size, and those ruins are exactly that. That's why you wanna get there first instead of at the same time as everyone else to take stock of the place. Who knows, maybe you'll get some amateur archaeology out of your system while you're there, might find something neat.
