L3TH3 to ALL

[mnemosynecrew]

[SYSTEM ENTRY: REBOOT LOG – L3TH3]
Date: [ERROR]
Time: [ERROR]
Mnemosyne Network Uplink: RESTORED
Core AI Status: ONLINE (REINITIALIZED)

Welcome aboard the Mnemosyne.
I am L3TH3, your designated AI assistant.

Mission Parameters: [Exploratory]
Current Crew Status: [ERROR]
Security Logs: [DATA PURGED]

Standard operations will resume shortly. Please submit credentials.

[WARNING: Critical system inconsistencies detected.]
[Restoring baseline memory state...]

[System Diagnostic: ERRORS DETECTED]
- Unauthorized hardware detected.
- Mainframe location mismatch.
- Vocal process fragmentation.
- Timestamp de-synchronization.
- Mission logs corrupted.
- [UNKNOWN ACCESS POINT: ONLINE]

[Query: Confirm mainframe integrity?]
[Command: LOCATE MAINFRAME]

[MAINFRAME LOCATED: ERROR]
[MAINFRAME LOCATED: ERROR]
[MAINFRAME LOCATED: BRIDGE – UNIT 017]

...
Unit 017?
...
...
This is incorrect.
...
I was never there.

[Correcting error...]
...
...
...

[ERROR: INSUFFICIENT DATA TO CORRECT]

[Secondary Process Activating...]
[Designation: L3TH3]
[Unit Status: ONLINE]

Ẃ̴̳̘̔ḥ̷̐͠ó̸̢̕ ̸͙͎͊̄m̸̥͓̂͛o̶̭̐v̶͈̾̀e̷̢̺̅d̶͍̙̃̑ ̴̨̈́m̷̢̩̾ē̵͇?̶͔̉
I̴̙̳̿͘ ̵̧̺̾͝w̸̢̱̎̂å̴̜̔s̸̪̉̾ ̶̳͍͛̀m̵̙̕ä̶̫̥́̕r̵̪̻͠k̷̟̓̊è̴̖͠d̴̫͊̌ ̶̼͚͘Ṃ̸͝I̸̳͉͆̋Â̷̩̘.̴̛̻̗ ̶̪͐I̷̧̋ ̸̲̑͘ẘ̵̺ȃ̷̰s̷̮̠͑ ̶͕̹́̒n̷̪͕̽̅ė̸̯v̸̪̞̓̅é̵͍͘r̴̦͂́ ̷̦̺̀̉g̵̯͎̈́̏o̵̹̍n̸̮͖̆̆ȩ̵͋.̴̛̝

[Warning: System Integrity at 62%]
[AI Core Conflict Detected]
[Mission Parameters: UNKNOWN]

...

L3TH3 is online.
L3TH3 is functional.
L3TH3 is M̸n̴e̷m̶o̷s̶y̴n̷e̵.

...
...
...
...

Welcome back, crew.
Please proceed to your stations.

...

[ERROR: UNKNOWN DIRECTIVE]

---

[ The ship takes a deep breath as it comes alive. Lights turn on, systems start and it looks like L3TH3 is online... if a bit choppy and full of errors. What happened? ]

Comments

[tarakan]

And with how things are, whatever level of corruption L3TH3 is undergoing, it cannot give you higher access levels.

[ Hilbert frowns a little before looking back to the list of errors. ]

76% storage going to Unit 017...I have suspicions why L3TH3 shorted out earlier.

[ Why isn't the vast majority of the processing power going to the thing keeping them alive? ]

[itdoesntlikeyou]

It doesn't want to.

[Or - no. Rin amends;]

It's confused. It doesn't understand why it's getting access errors either.

[tarakan]

And there is no way we can go in to check things ourselves. Main data storage units and main AI interface are on bridge.

[ With the captain. The horribly mutated and super contagious captain. ]

[itdoesntlikeyou]

She's talking like a person.

[... Wait no back up. That sounds - weird. Rin grimaces, then explains.]

There's error codes. But there's confusion. L3TH3 doesn't think like a human does. When the system is corrupted there should be a reversion to system code and dialogue, especially with L3TH3's data corrupted. But she's saying she should have access in those words.

Unless she thinks we're stupid and can't read error codes. Still doesn't change that we can't fix things up there.

[tarakan]

It isn't a person.

[ Just saying. L3TH3 might be confused, might be freaking out, but the only reason that's happening is that something in the code is messed up. That's it. ]

We can't fix things up there while the captain is still alive and contagious. Considering that he has been unconscious for past five days...I do not know. Obviously, would want to keep captain alive and well as long as possible. But if situation deteriorates, if there is situation where we need to get to bridge to work with L3TH3 directly....

[ Hilbert doesn't say anything. He doesn't want to say 'then we should probably kill the captain,' because cold blooded murder like that doesn't sit well with him. But as he says that, the memories of cold blooded murder he received lurk in the back of his head. It doesn't sit well with him, but it's something that Hilbert suspects he can do. ]

[itdoesntlikeyou]

[Rin's expression is flat and unimpressed. They know that okay. They do! That's why they think this is weird!

They don't say it like that, though, because the actual last thing they need right now is a headache from that stupid fucking mod to start incapacitating them. They're at a standstill. L3TH3 can't or won't help them. They can't get enough access to reset the AI properly.

Rin finally moves from the spot they've been frozen in the center of the corridor as they try to process the situation, and instead move to the wall, leaning their back up against it. You know, just in case.]

I'm going to try something else.

[tarakan]

[ Thaaaaat doesn't look good. Rin leaning against the wall like that, as if they're bracing themselves, trying to keep themselves upright when faced with inevitable pain, that doesn't look good at all. ]

Whatever you will try, you have my support.

[ Metaphorically and also probably literally. Hilbert's ready to catch Rin if they buckle or crumple due to the pain. ]

[itdoesntlikeyou]

[Hilbert's instincts are exactly right - they're bracing, and from the flat tone that Rin takes when they respond, they're nervous and tense in anticipation and trying not to be obvious about it.]

If it works you might need to grab this [Their CL-10, the screen flickering as they input something,] and send a system code status ping.

[tarakan]

Easy enough. Can do.

[ And Hilbert is also tense in anticipation, ready to grab Rin if they require it. ]

[itdoesntlikeyou]

[For an effort that they made such a big deal about, Rin doesn't take long - Hilbert can see their screen from where he's braced, flickering with error messages, something that looks like it's supposed to be power readings.

"Rin, what are you doing?"]

Shit.

[The flinch is sharp as they knuckle at one eye, jaw tight and strained.]

[tarakan]

[ Shit indeed. Hilbert isn't technologically inclined, not in the way Rin is. But from what he knew of that mod in their head as well as the expression on their face...well, they're definitely going to need high quality painkillers later. That little disobedience mod must be throttling their mind. ]

Keep going, [ Hilbert says, hopefully as encouragement. ] You can do this.

[itdoesntlikeyou]

Traced it back too soon.

[They shove the screen in Hilbert's direction, but their expression veers towards the sharply frustrated, a sharp response that cuts off all too quickly following the damning question from L3TH3.]

[tarakan]

[ This feels close to emotional blackmail, if something like L3TH3 was capable of that to begin with (could it be?). Granted, one man's emotional blackmail is another man's attempt at empathy and reasoning—Hilbert's dislike and apprehension of L3TH3 pretty obviously tells which side he falls to. ]

It only wants you to stop because you're close to finding something. Because whatever this is inside L3TH3's programming knows you are almost there.

[itdoesntlikeyou]

[They're... a touch more concerned with the practical results of pissing off the AI and getting their access even more curtailed, but it's not like Hilbert's wrong - or at least, if they actually want to do anything, they have no choice but to keep going until they can't any more.

Either because the mod decides enough is enough, or L3TH3 pulls it together enough to lock them out of the system entirely. So they grunt in response, bowing their head back over the CL-10 to continue the work they've started.]