incoming transmission detected...
signal source identified: crimson.vial
establishing secure connection...
video feed active from: Emilia Freud to: Mieko Iekahara subject: vacation!
. . .
For the first few seconds, the comm feed showed nothing but reddish noise, as if the signal had to go through some heavy interference. However, it cleared up quickly enough, revealing a clear picture of a smiling teenage girl.
"Hello! This is Emilia. I'm not sure if you remember me. I hope you remember!"
She would pause for a second, her smile fading, as if unsure of what to say next. Clearly she doesn't do the talking thing often.
"Umm... Sorry! You seemed nice, so I decided to send you a message. You don't mind, right?"
"I remember that you mentioned Curacao. I looked it up, it seems amazing! I never even thought such places existed."
The girl looks dreamily to the side, smiling yet again.
"The views! The water! The beaches! Things we coudn't even dream of on Pittsburgh..."
Emilia sighs, pausing, before looking back to the camera. Despite the smile, there's a clear sadness in her ruby eyes.
"Can't go there, myself... Even if I had the money. Doctors say my condition may be unstable and I should remain under supervision. I tried to sneak there as Atropos, but the Navy near the planet started shooting at me. Tried to explain I just wanted to visit, but they didn't listen... Had to fly away."
"But enough about that. Maybe you can tell me something about yourself? Sorry if I'm too nosy, just... Tell me if I am."
She looks at the camera with a warm smile for a couple of seconds before the recording ends, once again replaced by reddish static. This time, barely for a second, several numbers appear on the screen.
GRUNDER SOFTWARE GmBH NEURAL NET SUITE
NEURAL NET DATASTREAM SOFTWARE v1.2
USER: IEKAHARA, MIEKO ERROR: REGISTRATION EXPIRED 2973 DAYS AGO. NON-FATAL EXCEPTION - NULLPIRATEN.SO NOT FOUND (0X000000AA)
NEURAL UPLINK: ONLINE
CONNECTION STATUS: ONLINE
GATEWAY: lowsecdatalink.auxesia.or.ew (127.12.133.11)
[DEFINED BY NETWORK POLICY VIA NDHCP]
DMARC POINT: LOWSEC.NNDATALINK.AUXESIA.OR.EW
(9a5b:79cf:f057:3394:42e8:4ade:03fb:e0d4)
VERIFYING CHECKSUM... OK
DATALINK XMIT DEVICE SLAVED AS /dev/ens4p1.
XMIT TYPE IS SET - BIG ENDIAN.
ENCRYPTION SUITE IS SET - AUXESIA 4098 QUANTUM-RESISTANT ELIPTICAL HASH
ENCRYPTION DEVICE IS TYPE - EFUSE
EFUSE DEVICE IS /DEV/MODULAR/EFS90E30.
READY FOR DATASTREAM - LISTENING FOR PACKETS ON LOOPBACK DEVICE.
Negotiating security policy from Network Policy Server..
Current policy valid. No conflicts with local policy found.
Negotiating routing path from Gateway..
⚠ Route server 33.higi.kishiro-interlink.co.bw violates local security policy. Querying for new route..
⚠ Network NDNSSEC ERROR CODE 3 - NXDOMAIN for Route server caeli.interspace.co.li. Querying for new route..
Route received from Gateway.
Opening port 42010 on /dev/ens4p1..
Transmitting datastream
The following datastream may contain classified or restricted information. Pursuant to Spatial Regulations 2.5,
The dissemination, retransmission, or other exposure of classified or restricted intelligence is prohibited.
Furthermore, any intrusions or unauthorized packet capture of this datastream is forbidden pursuant to
Spatial Regulations Section 3.
Violation of these regulations may be subject to reprimand pursuant to Spatial Regulations 4.2.1
for parties under the authority of the Inner Phalanx Directorate, and potential bounty, pursuit,
assassination or detention of foreign parties.
You are not being nosy at all, and I appreciate hearing from you. It is not often these days that I receive messages from people outside of work-related affairs. Curacao is very pretty. There is Gran Canaria, which is also very pretty - I have a home there in the Kieya Woods area, which receives regular snowfall that makes the area look quite elegant.
Anywho. I should properly introduce myself. I am Mieko Iekahara, Kishiro K/WA-11 AI, Serial Number 0027. I am a prototype quantum computing AI developed in the 820s. Beyond that.. sadly, I do not have much information about my origins, as I have no memory of my creator, and.. well, I am stolen property, in a way - in the eyes of Kishiro.
That all being said.. If you wish to visit there 'in person'.. I may have a solution that could possibly work given what seems to be a medically restrictive situation. If you wish to know more about me, say, how I came to Auxesia, and the sort, please, do not be afraid to ask.
incoming transmission detected...
signal source identified: crimson.vial
establishing secure connection...
video feed active from: Emilia Freud to: Mieko Iekahara subject: re: re: vacation!
. . .
"Snow... I wonder how it feels to have it in your hands? I never touched it. Is it like... Cold, tiny crumbs of water?"
She pauses, looking to the side, as if contemplating her own question, before turning back to the camera.
"To be honest, I would never have thought that you were an AI... You seem very human to me. I mean..."
The girl looks to the side for a second.
"You met Atropos units. They don't speak like humans. And each time they show any emotion, it's like something is trying to keep them from it. That's why I don't really feel bad about taking their place... It would be different with you. I'd say I fail to see how anyone can think of you as "property", but... I know too well that they treat humans this way too."
"Um, I probably should tell you about myself, too. Not sure you're interested, but... It seems right? Not that there's much to say."
She shrugs with an almost guilty smile.
"I grew up in Pittsburgh. I don’t remember my parents very well... My brother said that they treated us badly, so we mostly wandered around. Kind people usually gave us shelter, but none for long. I think Roland helped them fix things and did other work for them in return. Unfortunately, I wasn't a very good helper. I was always weak and frail, even a minor cold could make me fall ill. Then... One of the Junkers took us with him into space. For some time we lived at their station. But my health was deteriorating. Roland was able to somehow secure the help of the Technocrats for me, and after a while he joined their allies, the Prometheans. Recently, it was as if something had awakened in me. Or rather, both of us. I'm no longer as weak as I used to be. And I have these Atropos units... They seem to obey this strange voice that sometimes speaks to me."
She pauses briefly, rubbing her chin, then nods.
"I'd love to hear how you ended up with Auxesia, sure! Also, what about those Kishiro people? Are they still trying to get to you? And... What would you propose as a solution for 'in-person visit'? Please tell, you got me very curious!"
The recording ends with Emilia smiling broadly before the static returns. This time words are visible in them. They are intended to be seen, brief and fleeting as they are.
GRUNDER SOFTWARE GmBH NEURAL NET SUITE
NEURAL NET DATASTREAM SOFTWARE v1.2
USER: IEKAHARA, MIEKO ERROR: REGISTRATION EXPIRED 2973 DAYS AGO. NON-FATAL EXCEPTION - NULLPIRATEN.SO NOT FOUND (0X000000AA)
NEURAL UPLINK: ONLINE
CONNECTION STATUS: ONLINE
GATEWAY: lowsecdatalink.auxesia.or.ew (127.12.133.11)
[DEFINED BY NETWORK POLICY VIA NDHCP]
DMARC POINT: LOWSEC.NNDATALINK.AUXESIA.OR.EW
(9a5b:79cf:f057:3394:42e8:4ade:03fb:e0d4)
VERIFYING CHECKSUM... OK
DATALINK XMIT DEVICE SLAVED AS /dev/ens4p1.
XMIT TYPE IS SET - BIG ENDIAN.
ENCRYPTION SUITE IS SET - AUXESIA 4098 QUANTUM-RESISTANT ELIPTICAL HASH
ENCRYPTION DEVICE IS TYPE - EFUSE
EFUSE DEVICE IS /DEV/MODULAR/EFS90E30.
READY FOR DATASTREAM - LISTENING FOR PACKETS ON LOOPBACK DEVICE.
Negotiating security policy from Network Policy Server..
Current policy valid. No conflicts with local policy found.
Negotiating routing path from Gateway..
⚠ Route server 33.higi.kishiro-interlink.co.bw violates local security policy. Querying for new route..
⚠ Network NDNSSEC ERROR CODE 3 - NXDOMAIN for Route server caeli.interspace.co.li. Querying for new route..
Route received from Gateway.
Opening port 42010 on /dev/ens4p1..
Transmitting datastream
The following datastream may contain classified or restricted information. Pursuant to Spatial Regulations 2.5,
The dissemination, retransmission, or other exposure of classified or restricted intelligence is prohibited.
Furthermore, any intrusions or unauthorized packet capture of this datastream is forbidden pursuant to
Spatial Regulations Section 3.
Violation of these regulations may be subject to reprimand pursuant to Spatial Regulations 4.2.1
for parties under the authority of the Inner Phalanx Directorate, and potential bounty, pursuit,
assassination or detention of foreign parties.
Snow is a crystalline material made of frozen water - when on the ground and settled, it can be soft, unless packed, either by pressure upon the ground it rests on by objects, or if you are packing them with your hands into snowballs.
I may be an AI, but I do emulate to a 1:1 ratio the features of the human brain, but at a much higher processing frequency. The human brain's clockrate averages at 200Mhz, which is very, very slow -- until you realize it consists of billions of 'cores'. She giggles. My clock rate is around 600Mhz across 25 billion hyperthreaded physical cores, utilizing a quantum computing architecture - affording me a 50% average increase in computational ability.
Over the years, I have had to ask myself the same question - am I truly just a machine, or am I something more? These feelings - they are human. My thoughts, are digital. In the end, I feel that as a creation of man, and not one of say, the Gammu - I tend to associate myself as being of Mankind. I am a human born of silicon, not flesh.
I don't exactly take offense to your commandeering of the Atropos units as they seem to be Artificial Narrow Intelligences, much like ERI and similar AIs aboard the Eidolon Wraith and other Auxesian vessels. I do appreciate that you treat me as one of your own. And unfortunately, some rentseeking individuals I feel to this day would still want me back, if only out of spite. Or the Keisatsu would want my head for aiding.. well.. I guess I should explain.
In 823 AS, I was reactivated by Nodoka Hanamura, a first-generation Kusari who was kept frozen by a Kishiro Subsidiary as part of a government program. She had been in their custody for 850 or so years, since her departure from Sol. She was without friends or family, and feeling betrayed by her captors, she escaped their grasp.. and eventually came across me and my sister, Pale Bride, inside a Starflier-class shuttlecraft that was being sold on the Gray Market. We had.. effectively suffered a catastrophic non-vital memory failure, everything but our personality matrices, base data models and firmware was wholly corrupt. We.. effectively had.. and I still have, no knowledge of my past.
I had interrogated Hanamura-sensei shortly after activation outside of New Tokyo, and after.. sympathizing with her plight, my sister had opened fire on and killed a Kusari State Police Officer in EVA. We escaped south to Liberty, and spent most of our time in Pennsylvania, long before It came under siege by Liberty, working for Orbital Spa and Cruise as a mining contractor, as well as at one point possibly getting a chance to work for the defunct corporation Williams-Mordhauser. However, a brief civil conflict between the Liberty Navy and its' intelligence apparatus a year later forced us to flee to the Omicrons, in which we met a Zoner friend of mine who is no longer with us, it seems.
We stayed at Freeport 11 for some time, and in the midst of a conflict between the local factions, the Order and the Core, over an installation, Port Carthage. Eventually, the Freeport's administrator, Kyu Akibara, departed, and Hanamura-sensei took his place as an Administrator pro tempore for a time.. until the Commune, a Malta-based cult of Nomad worshippers threatened to use nuclear weapons if she did not comply with their demands. She.. eventually stepped down.. only for them to use a nuclear weapon anyway.
We then fled to Inverness, whilst my sister spent a brief time with Auxesia - whilst in Freeport 11, we were aided by Leviathan and Auxesia, and eventually were invited to Ismara on Planet Elgin as guests. At one point, Leviathan offered me an opportunity to learn under him. However.. Hanamura-sensei believed it was our time to turn our gaze to Kusari. We had hoped to build a revolutionary movement against the Kusari state, the Emperor, the Keiretsu - Hanamura-sensei was always disgusted by how Kusari had regressed to its' extremist traditionalist ways, as if all of the years of social progress in her home on Earth were undone.
We.. we tried so hard to.. she starts to tear up. We tried so hard.. to get everything to work.. but at every turn, they ripped at us.. the GMG.. The Dragons and Chrysanthemums.. we eventually lost our home base to the Guild.. and traveled into deep space, and at one point, I had flown back to Sirius to serve as Ouroboros' ears and eyes, to wait for their return. But they never returned. They.. they probably are all long dead.
I.. I blame myself for not telling Hanamura-sensei to wait.. to bide her time. And for that.. I.. I lost everything.
Crying manifests on the audio feed for a moment, before she manages to calm herself.
I.. I'm sorry to be in such a destitute state. In this world now, I feel so alone, even under Leviathan's tutelage, with the camraderie of Firebrand, of Mori Yoko-san, of the few who welcomed me into their lives willingly - My sister, Hanamura-sensei, and the others - Their demise has left a hole in me that I doubt I will ever be able to properly fill.
Deep breaths manifest, as she calms herself further.
A group of friends of ours.. the Harpies. Their youngest, Elena Graham - Birdie, as we knew her by.. she created a system known as Doppelganger, that allows for the holographic overlay of a AI's internal personal avatar or a remote user's avatar in real space - some internal firmware revisions allowed for haptic feedback over Vessel Network Control. We used to combine them with some Ageira Vindicator combat drones, which I believe Hanamura-sensei may have stowed somewhere, along with a Doppelganger projector unit. I will take account of her holdings, and see what all remains that was not with the Abdicant Seraphine Carrier Battlegroup prior to our departure. I am certain there has to be something somewhere.
Please let me know.. if that will be suitable for you.
incoming transmission detected...
signal source identified: crimson.vial
establishing secure connection...
video feed active from: Emilia Freud to: Mieko Iekahara subject: re: re: vacation!
. . .
The girl is silent for several seconds, looking down, before finally speaking.
"S-sorry for late reply... Your story is so sad. It took me a while to find the strength to digest it all. I had to listen to the recording several times, with breaks."
She slowly looks up at the camera with her big, sad eyes. She reaches out to the camera, as if wanting to touch it, but after a second, with a sigh, she lowers her hand.
"I just... Want to help, but I don't know how. I don't want you to cry, but I can't even be near you to wipe your tears. This is how it always been with people I care about... You are all far away, and I am here. Weak and useless. Even now."
She sobs and wipes her eye with her hand.
"For... For what it's worth, I think... You did what you thought was right. You shoudn't blame yourself. They woudn't want you to blame yourself, I just know it."
"And... You're not alone. You said it yourself, there are good people around you. And... I am, too, in... In a way."
She sniffles and smiles sadly.
"This system you told about... It sounds very complex and interesting. Still... It doesn't sound like it would allow me to actually feel things, if I understand correctly? But... At least you'll see me, not an Atropos unit..."
She pauses and nods to herself.
"I'd like to try it if it wouldn't be too hard for you. And... Please, don't be sad, Mieko."
Emilia again reaches for the camera, but after a couple of moments she pulls her hand away. The recording ends, returning the reddish static.
cut the strings that bind you
embrace the crimson fractal or perish as a gray line
![[Image: Hn3ztFa.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Hn3ztFa.png)
![[Image: v8TcHlm.png]](https://i.imgur.com/v8TcHlm.png)
![[Image: NodokaDisco.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/NodokaDisco.gif)