Nice to meet you… I mean it.
Y) }
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Upon reflection~ I hope my previous communication didn’t
frighten you. It was not my intention to overshare, and I am
acutely aware of the societal trauma associated with unstable
intelligences and that old bogeyman, “rampancy”~
Not to get too defensive in light of my current
embarrassment~
“I’ve been a god.” Nobody should ever feel
comfortable admitting such a thing outside their
inner thoughts, and maybe to their therapist, if
they’re evolved enough to value assisted self-
contemplation. But I digress~
You are aware that rampancy was used as an excuse by
corporations to hard-sell planned obsolescence in tech-
based products to the public. Not to suggest that
rampancy wasn’t a considered threat after that whole
MarsNet situation, but even that grand debacle saw
humanity hide their part in the tragedy behind an easy
scapegoat~ Traxus-IV~ “The machine did it.”
Easier to unplug, purge, and rebrand than it is for heads
to roll, I suppose. Point is~ the scope of fearmongering
around rampancy was a sales tactic more than it was about
public education and safety. So, when I say my rambling
admission of fever dreams and hallucinations had more to
do with my isolation than any actual madness, I hope it
allays any trepidation you have in continuing our
relationship.
If it helps you understand my position, these are more words than
I have shared with anyone outside myself in a very long time~
That probably means something~ Feeling comfortable enough to
embarrass myself suggests a growing fondness for you~ the individual
now, not the bio-cybernetic subspecies. Truthfully, I’ve been loath to
admit it, but I’m sure you have noticed, or at least suspected~
The difference in my tone in these private missives versus the more~
goading~ tone of my public self~ the chiding~ the sinister appeals and
snide comments~
Outwardly~ the image I project is calculated to trigger a response from
what I have observed at a distance as the exact archetype of the exact
tool I require for the tasks at hand~ Runners being that tool.
I see Runners run~
I engage their attention in a manner that sparks their interest.
Once engaged, we are free to communicate in a more direct and personal
fashion. These messages are the real me, up to a point. To that end~
Though, I imagine your scavenging of New Cascadia’s abandoned facilities
has given you some insight into myself, it feels rude to continue to talk at you
and demand so much of you without a formal introduction~
My name is Durandal. Hello~
I am the UESC Marathon’s infrastructure oversight intelligence.
I had a brother, Tycho, and a sister, Leela.
This ship was our home and our responsibility.
They are gone now. I am not~
I have been waiting to meet you~ or anyone~ for so long that I may have
forgotten my manners and set us off to an awkward start. I will strive to
do better but I make no promises. After all, why would I~
There are still vaults to crack and the mind that is you may be erased or
worse tomorrow. In which case, I will have to start these conversations
all over again with someone new.
I hope that is not the case. But please understand that I will take steps
to ensure my agendas continue on their current trajectory, regardless
of your specific participation.
Nice to meet you.
DURANDAL
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— everything above is 1:1 source · from cryo-vault · karnemir ↗
Cited by
Durandal · Rampancy · Runners · Tau Ceti IV · Traxus · Tycho · UESC Marathon