ic inbox - Reverie Terminal

[neuralnet]

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[twoaffirmations]

[9S looks as if he's not sure how to react. After a heavy silence, he finally confirms what he finds so hard to believe.]

You're an AI implanted in a human body? Then what happened to the human...?

[neuralnet]

[ Haruto nods, face solemn. ]

Braindead, in a car accident. He donated his body to science, so they put... me in his head. [ He taps his temple, wincing slightly at the less than graceful description. ]

[twoaffirmations]

[9S lips curve into a frown, but he doesn't press just how he feels about that. He's not sure himself.]

So what's the point? I mean, of making an AI with all the shortcomings of a human. It seems pretty counterproductive to me...

[neuralnet]

[ Haruto keeps his attention focused on the ground, picking at a loose thread on the hem of his jumpsuit. ]

I'm not really sure if they were thinking about it like that. They just wanted to see if it could be done.

[twoaffirmations]

It is pretty interesting... I wouldn't have thought it could be done if you weren't here.

[He's curious by nature, so gets it.]

Humans are kind of reckless, aren't they?

[neuralnet]

[ Haruto can't help but give a little laugh at that, his expression lightening. At least it doesn't sound like 9S is too mad. ]

Yeah. They kind of are.

[twoaffirmations]

I mean, creating something that... [He starts, but seems to think better of it.] Well...

[neuralnet]

"Something that" what?

[ He braces himself for whatever the end of that sentence is going to be. ]

[twoaffirmations]

We androids can life for hundreds of years as long as regular maintenance is performed and parts are replaced as they're worn down. I mean, we still die all the time, but...your body's human. So, you're kind of stuck?

[He hopes Haruto can understand what he's trying to say, without him having to actually do so.]

[neuralnet]

[ He can. He looks down again, giving a sad sort of nod. ]

I'll die. Or, my body will. I don't know what will happen then. I suppose my mind could be saved. Downloaded into another form.

[ He chuckles. ]

Maybe I'll be like Hank, and live in the station's consoles.

[twoaffirmations]

Right... [9S expression is unchanging, oddly resolved.]

In the case of an emergency, I can personally relocate your data to the nearest device with sufficient space.

[neuralnet]

Thank you. [ He isn't sure he'd be able to make the actual transition on his own. He's good but he's not that good, and he doesn't have experience with this sort of transfer. ]

But I'd like to keep that as a last resort, for now.

[twoaffirmations]

Understandable. It's not the ideal outcome, is it?

[But survival was what mattered, so... As long as they could do that much.]

[neuralnet]

No, not particularly.

[ Downsides and all, he's grown rather fond of his human body. He'd hate to have to leave it. ]

fade out?

[twoaffirmations]

Mm.

[Silence fills the air.]

Well, I guess we better get to work...

[Despite his efforts to dispel it, things were going to be even quieter now.]

wrap!

[neuralnet]

[ Haruto clears his throat. ]

Right. Yes.

[ And then they do the thing for a really long time! ]