*Y) }*                    —gg—— ~:(((nlt—ba***x*638190—————-' ('((( [no core #####] [bad sync] [transmit language = detect] [send] ========= ================================ ===================== == === 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 == === ========= ================================ ===================== ~*a362(((((—-+!((41xlh10[[[————————-' ——mm— *} (N*