[X] Spend the next few hours on an imperfect task.
-[X] Try to delve into some of Host's memories and force them to make sense.
You settle back in the bed and try to pull up how Host was trapped in her prison to begin with. Host's brain cooperates -
briefly. No, you don't want to think about something else, you're trying to review immediate events. No, you don't care about —
stop moving!
Host's throat is used to produce an unpleasant
rmmm noise of increasing frustration. You are
Queen Administrator! Why won't these stupid memories just
listen and let you focus on a single one?
I will murder whoever designed you if you don't let me view you already!
Several hours later, you're more than ready to give up and go back to sleep. You're also sorely tempted to surgically remove whatever part of Host's brain is responsible for handling memories, but unfortunately, you doubt it would do any good. How even humans manage with such a frustrating indexing system, you're not sure. And what's with the "auto-search" functionality? You don't
want to keep changing to other memories, you want to view
one memory and scan it until it starts to make sense. You put in hours of effort and only gleaned a small amount of information for your troubles.
Host is currently in the city of Brockton Bay. She is fifteen years old, where a year is defined as a full solar rotation. You're not sure if humans include their incubation periods when tracking ages. Attempting to find the cultural age of self-sufficiency gave mixed results; it's either 16, 17, 18, or
21. At least you're reasonably confident it's older than Host is now. Humans value mass education, but fail to provide adequate protection to their students. Host's "prison" was intended to store
something and was not itself intended for human containment. You don't believe Host has ever had a pet. Your feelings toward Danny Hebert have been validated.
You go back to sleep as soon as you feel Host's body and brain are capable of it. You're going to have to tackle Host's memories in smaller doses over a larger period of time. You'll go insane with frustration otherwise.
You return to awareness at the top of a ruined metal structure of some kind. Water surrounds several similar structures nearby, each and every one of which is rusted to some degree or another.
Dreaming?
<Oh, huh. Queen Administrator is here.>
You try to ignore the illogically inconsistent landscape surrounding yourself and focus on contacting Warp.
<[GREETING?]>
<[FEAR.]>
You lean back and pout. You haven't even done anything yet! You could understand if you'd deliberately distracted them so Host could survive, but why that reflexive reaction?
<[QUERY?]>
<Quiet, Instant. The adults are speaking. Hello, Queen Administrator! Don't mind Instant, he's just being his usual self. Could you please wake up your host for us? Instant's host and Host have come to visit.>
<[PURPOSE?]>
<To convince you to join the Wards, the junior branch of the local lawkeepers. Or, well, that's what Host is aiming for. Instant's host, on the other hand...>
There's a small delay before Instant seems to realize everyone is waiting on him.
<Oh, uh, he's mostly just anxious and wondering why Gallant — he's Disposition's host — and Substitute's host weren't sent instead. Our hosts were briefed on the amnesiac condition of your own host and he's afraid all his jokes will fall flat.>
You mentally translate that to
"worried about unamusing humor." Why it's called "falling flat," you're not sure. Is it based off exiting an exceptionally tall roof and fatally impacting the ground? But that seems a little morbid for everyday use...
<What about you two? Do you believe the Wards are worth pushing Host into?
<Hmm. Well...>
<No.>
<Ignore him. I'd say not initially. They're heavily restricted and can be heavily punished for going outside established boundaries. If your host is free, she can break boundaries until she gets caught. Provided she hasn't done anything awful like multi-murder, they'll just force her into the Wards anyway. Just don't tell them you're relying on that or anything else along those lines. Can you beam your Host's current powerset to me and we can work from there?>
<Wha — why the privacy? I'm right here!>
<You just answered your own question, idiot.>
<Warp, is there any particular reason you're being so cruel to Instant? His own apparent fear of me seems inadequate.>
<...[REGRET.] Nothing adequate, no. Sorry Instant.>
<Just... don't treat me like I'm Escalation and we'll call it even. Queen Administrator, you haven't given your host anything biology-based, have you? Stuff like controlling others or your Friendmaking skills. I think I can get over my fear if it's neither of those; I haven't made the mistake of tapping into Host's sense of pain this Cycle.>
You try your utmost to make Host look innocent. You
refuse to constrain Host's abilities just because it makes one of your siblings unhappy, but that's no reason to be mean to him. Unfortunately, you aren't able to compose a suitable partial truth before Instant panics.
<Oh sweet :Father: why?>
<Instant? Stop or I'll start bullying you again. You'd deserve it this time. Queen Administrator, was transmitting [FALSEHOOD] really necessary?
<[APOLOGY.] I blame Host. Do you believe I should keep Host asleep until your own hosts leave?>
<They have the day off from school and both brought their own entertainment. You're supposed to be sent home after you awaken, and since they can't exactly visit your house while disguised...>
<So soon? I'd expected a longer observation period to ensure Host's brain will remain relatively stable.>
<Some of the Protectorate's Intellect hosts said keeping you here past today might be more harmful to you than helpful. [REMINDER.]>
<Effective Host-to-creature transformation. Modular abilities based on headwear worn. Biological Friendmaking Innovation suite.>
<Ooookay, definitely don't tell Instant. He'll panic. Honestly, I feel like he should consider deleting those memories.>
<Instant is right not to do so; mistakes lose their impact when the memory of such is lost.>
<I guess that's true.>
You end your private tight-beam transmissions as Instant tries to insert himself into the conversation.
<Queen Administrator, please try to nudge your host toward being a protector? There are enough antagonists in this city already. Also, I don't want Host to fight whatever horrors your host has access to.>
<Lazy weights, letting their hosts take the easy route...>
<Every Cycle needs multiple factions to function properly, Warp. It is pointless to resent others for the choices of their hosts or even their own preferences. Focus on maximizing your own knowledge acquisition, not on resenting others.>
<...Um, no offense intended, but isn't your Concept Administration? Isn't focusing on others kinda your whole thing?>
<Administrator,> you correct him.
<It effectively includes those who administrate in addition to administration itself, among other benefits. And I am a Queen. We do not have a 'whole thing,' merely guides to future research. Constraint breeds creativity in moderation, but focusing on it to the exclusion of all else can only harm your efforts. Given your own versatile Concept, I believed you knew this.>
<Hah! Smooth.>
<Shut up.> <Understood, Queen Administrator. And your own host...?>
[X] Wake up.
[] Inform the two hosts that you're willing to join the local lawkeeper garrison.
-[] But only if you're free to use your own powers as you wish, provided you do not pose an IMMEDIATE threat to yourself or others. You can control them just fine, thank you very much.
--[] If they cannot provide that or attempt to lie in their attempts to control you, be assured that they will regret their life decisions.
[] Flatly say you don't intend to join the Wards at this time.
-[] And they can tell their superior officer that pressuring a wounded child is simply disgusting. You don't blame either of the two for their orders, but their administrator should've known better.
-[] You'll visit them in a few days. They'll have a more culturally acceptable opportunity at that time.
[] Write-in
-[] Delay your response until after they've given their own pitch. You don't want to let them claim recruitment was not their intent.
