09. [text]

[ifightfor]

[The following flashes up on the network for maybe a minute before being deleted.]

N o   no      no no no no n o n o no   no n

o no  no no no no no

no

no.

[Paragraph-size chunks of Grid code follow and are deleted at a rate of one every fifteen seconds for another couple of minutes. Finally all that's left is a shell post with a blinking command prompt

Comments

[needshumility]

Mr Rinzler?

[Eddie likes you, Mr Computer thing. He sounds worried.]

Text can't be anguished, thankfully.

[ifightfor]

Yes.

thankfully. text back

[needshumility]

Are you alright?

Text.

[ifightfor]

Persistent memory faults worsening. Status difficult to assess at this time.

[So basically "no".]

Text.

[strangehstorian]

JA307020?

I see Eddie has already asked if you're alright. Is there anything I can do?

Text.

[ifightfor]

Unknown.

Suspect will not be much of an opponent at checkers.

[At least he's still got his sense of humor.

Delayed text:]

n   o t     an     e rro r     h elp

he lp

[strangehstorian]

[And she teleports down immediately, sees Toshiko and sort of... freezes. And then slinks off, because Rinzler is her friend but Warden is her job, and Wardens do not interfere in each other's jurisdiction. What will happen will happen.

She hates this place.]

spaaaaam

[hopeless_hacker]

[Of course she gave him his file just as Flynn arrived on the Barge. Confirmed: universe still hates Toshiko. Just going to stand here outside Rinzler's door, knocking and hating everything.]

Open the door.

[This was all a bit more dramatic than she'd anticipated. Still. No turning back now.]

spaaaaam

[ifightfor]

[OF COURSE. Given the timing it's kind of like the universe hates both of them, together, in the same big handbasket of hatred and fuck-you.

"Open the door" and "throw something breakable at the door" are two commonly confused commands on the Grid, which is probably why there's the sound of something shattering on the far side of the door from Toshiko shortly after she calls out. Perfectly ordinary mistake; anyone could make it.

The several thumps that follow are probably not mistakes, though. It's only when Rinzler's resigned himself to the idea that she's not going to go away does the hail of breakable objects let up and he drags himself over to open the door and glare out at his Warden. His circuitry is dim, his usual growl hardly above a whisper.]

((ooc: hlrkl i need to sleep naos but i will be back come mornin'))

spaaaaam

[hopeless_hacker]

[There's a brief moment of natural concern that as soon as he opens the door he's going to throw something through it, so it's an unexpected pleasure that this doesn't happen. His room looks - well - destroyed.]

May I come in?

[If he says/indicates no, she'll just be back in half an hour.]

spaaaaam

[ifightfor]

[He wedges the door wider over a grating carpet of debris on the floor, then steps back to admit her. The light from the hall doesn't reach very far; the only light in his room comes from the communicator sitting on the far side of it, glowing fitfully.

...And the Identity Disc next to it, unfurled source code a storm of red and white. Rinzler stalks away from the door once Toshiko's inside, picking up the disc and banishing that little display before yanking out the cable connecting it to the communicator.

Terror makes the Program a little careless.]

[ourlastbesthope]

What happened?

[ifightfor]

Nothi

Certain information was disclosed, triggering a series of memory errors. Rectification in progress.

[ourlastbesthope]

Do you require anything more than what you already have?

[ifightfor]

he lp help he

No.

text.

[stecktimdetail]

Query: Cause of distress?

Text.

[ifightfor]

Persistent memory er

[Delay of several seconds.]

n   ot an error

not an error   I     w a s

h

[More delay.]

ror exacerbated by recent receipt of information. Rectification in prog

[Delay.]

e re     f   i rst

[Delay.]

Rectification in progress.

Text.

[stecktimdetail]

Command: Stop rectification.

[ IN.STINCT. ]

Text.

[ifightfor]

Authoriza

Rectification aborted.

Command? |