Scene #8009: Exploring the Unending Factory (and maybe ourselves)

Owner	Pose
Ishirou	The Unending Factory is a massive sprawling factory complex that could be a megacity in itself. It sits on the corner of an ocean (which seems to surround the place anytime you manage to find an end somehow. Inside the factory, itself are small robots, who move via hopping or waddling. There are slightly larger robots who can walk normally or floating robots. They all have the same body plan with differences at the ends. They all have round heads with round eyes and no face. Strangely, they also act (or try to act) like humans. They run lines, they build things, and they take breaks. Somewhere, there is a person on the intercom who occasionally spouts random nonsense. It's like they're trying to mimic a human factory. It's a wonder anything gets done. Right now Ishirou is standing near the entrance to the factory from the warp gate. "So...you have no idea what's in the center?" Ishirou asks. "Nope, we never go there, only the manager can.." Says one robot, and two others next to it nod. "Have you ever seen the manager?" Ishirou asks again. "...Um.." "I think I know someone who saw him once." "That guy claims a lot of things." Ishirou sighs, rubbing his head.
Inga Freyjasdottir	Having resolved to at least become somewhat less of a hermit, Inga Freyjasdottir, Wisewoman of Uppsala, Seeress and Witch arrives in a...factory full of robots. "Hmm," she says, leaning on her carved oak walking stick, lips pursed as she looks around. She certainly looks out of place in her viking age attire, but well, she's here. "Ah...hello?"
Staren	All of Staren's zones so far are unfriendly; it's not like last time, where she could chill out in the Crystal Tower with the two people stuck there between outings (now relocated elsewhere before the first Surge ended, may they have normal lives afterwards, a good deed done, hopefully) or even meet peacefully with the Autocthonians. Or maybe she just hasn't found the pockets of people yet. So aside from setting up the smallest of automated outposts by the warpgate, she hasn't felt ready to make a big push for territory yet, but still wants to study Secundus. Persephone's zone has been interesting, but what of others? Staren quietly observes the workings of The Factory for a few minutes. "...It's like a cargo cult, but of a factory... but who set this up? It doesn't sound like the robots themselves chose to set this up..." Staren scratches her head. "Ah, maybe I'm overthinking. Sometimes worlds are just... weird." She looks to Ishirou. "Thinking of just going in and seeing what's up in the 'manager's 'office?'" And then turns as she hears another voice she hasn't in awhile. "Inga! Good to see you again!" She runs up to hug her for a moment. "Welcome to Secundus, again! This resonance surge just started a couple of days ago... territory expansion is decidedly slower this time."
Ishirou	Ishirou, for those who haven't been around a while, is not an android anymore, but...well mostly human. Not that you could tell he was an android /before/ but now he's actually mostly human and seems better for it. Though right now he seems more frustrated by the lack of knowledge, but more for it that the robots just seemed willing to do whatever work was here without question. Was it really just like people to do this? Siiiigh. Ishirou gives a wave to Inga, not very knowledgable of who she was, but sure he heard her on the radio once or twice. He wasn't about to turn down any help. Staren on the other hand gets a side-eye from Ishirou, but... He thinks inwardly. She did apologize, and she was /trying/ to make amends for the absolutely atrocious behavior. He does admit he about made a terrible mistake out of spite for her...and that wasn't a good attitude to have around. So after a moment, he turns. "Hey Staren," Well it wasn't a 'get out or 'what are you doing here?' So he's at least trying. "Yeah, actually. I'm concerned that there isn't actually a manager, or the manager isn't doing anything. Just another machine in a weird pattern. Also, as far as I can tell this place was made by someone else, the Machines here moved in after." The machines near him nod, "We don't remember when, but the elders talk about a large ship, crash landing, and a war. We...don't remember any of that. Just want to have peace and build things. Want to have a life and feed the family." The other two robots next to him a nod. One is holding a coffee. There is absolutely nowhere for the robot to consume the coffee, so it just ends up spilling along with the chassis. "Also I find these guys fascinating," Ishirou admits. "And yeah...Secundus did change. Well, at least Kale and you aren't having a knife fight over who's prettier..." a pause. "It's Kale by the way."
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga is hugged. She looks vaguely surprised and a little unsteady before finding her balance and giving Staren a one-armed return embrace. "Hello Staren. I see. Well, are we simply exploring then? I confess I have no idea what I am in for here, and not sure how much use I'll be," she says, extricating herself from Staren in order to extend a hand to Ishirou. "I don't believe we have met. Inga Freyjasdottir," she introduces, to him and then to the robots a bit more hesitantly. While she's by no means new to the multiverse anymore, she is from a /wildly/ different world and as such is a little hesitant about things like this. Plus, there are several worlds in which magic and technology do /not/ mix well. She raises a brow at the interchange between Ishirou and Staren, "...was there a knife fight at a beauty contest?" I mean really, what else would happen?
Staren	Staren's in a cheerful mood at the moment. She steps back after the hug, nodding at the question of exploring. "It's fine. Getting too worried about whether you can succeed at anything and deciding not to try if you can't can lead to..." She glances at Ishirou, ashamed and apologetic about certain incidents. And then back at Inga. "...Well it doesn't go well." Staren nods at Ishirou's greeting, trying to get back into a cheerful mood. "Hey." She turns back towards the interior of the Factory. Re: Manager: "Mmh. That's about what I'd expect, yeah. But maybe if we look around we'll come across some sort of control room or a clue along the way." When the robot speaks up she looks at it with a 'really?' expression and mouths the word, 'feed?' She sighs at the failed attempt at coffee drinking, but it is kind of funny. Ishirou's assertion that Kale is prettier is such an abrupt and absurd non-sequitur that Staren can't help laughing out loud. "Well, to each his own! I hear he's taken, though, but I'm sure he'd be flattered." Then she looks a bit more introspective and scratches the side of her head, muttering. '...Shit, he might be. I haven't really worked on that...' SHOULD she work on it? Is it something she wants to? Ah, great, more confusing thoughts... Inga's conclusion gets another laugh out of her "Pffthahahahaha!" She waves dismissively, "No, no, just, he wanted to rule all of the territory affected by the first resonance surge himself. And the Concord, we couldn't just let him have it all, you know? Even if Cantio and I aren't really inclined to strategic warfare... Although, apparently more inclined than Kale, by how things turned out -- at least as far as manipulating resonance here. Lilian could still take whatever she wanted, though, so I'm not getting too big a head about it." She turns to the nearest robot. "So, which way to the manager's office?" She'll go that way.
Ishirou	"What? He's a bird. Birds are prettier than cats, that's just science," Ishirou says, as the two robots scratch their heads behind him. The one with the coffee cup scratches his head with the mug. "Is a bird one of those flying black things?" "What's a cat?" "Why do I feel so warm?" says the mug robot. Ishirou sighs, not wanting to explain something to them again because he's done this before and it takes too long. "Later," he says to them. Then to Staren they blink at her. "That way." They all point deeper in, at the tower. It's got an entrance and is a rather /large/ tower that seems to go up into the clouds. "Though uh...the security there is very..." "Dangerous. They don't let anyone in without a meeting." "We don't know how to get a meeting." "I don't think meetings exist." "If they don't exist, then why do they demand one?" "That's a good point." Ishirou just sighed again. "Apparently the robots there are hostile. They demand a meeting and just shoot anyone that tries to go up. Fortunately, only a few of them are dangerous, most of them are like these guys." "It's true, we're not very dangerous." "Except to ourselves." "And others, but not on purpose." "I ran out of coffee.." "Break time then?" "Break time." "Break time!" To Inga, he shrugs. "What can you do, if I know that I can formulate a strategy based on that. Though from my scans you seem to be a magic-user. Which, I can easily figure out a strategy around that once I know a specialty."
Staren	Staren gives a good-natured little chuckle at this assertion of science* fact*. She looks at the distant tower. "We could* try flying up the outside and busting our way in." Staren can imagine countermeasures against that, though. "Maybe once we take down one of the robots that tries to fight us, we can steal or copy whatever it uses for IFF or security access, and make the rest of them believe we're supposed to be there?" She asks a nearby robot, "Hey, do you have access cards or anything like that? How do you tell eachother apart? How would you recognize the manager if you saw them?"
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga nods in understanding. "Ah, it was a joke. One never knows, I have certainly seen people stab each other for less," she offers with a shrug. To Ishirou. "That is correct. I'm what people like to call a witch it would seem. I am a Seer, and I specialize in blood magic (much of which is healing and wards) and elementalism--rather good with lightning," she answers.
Ishirou	The robots stop in their move to have a break and stare at him. They look at each other, and then back at him. "You can't tell us apart?" "We all look the same to you?" "Rude!" Ishirou sighs, "Remember not everyone uses radio to ID themselves, and your chassis looks visibly the same to most people," which causes the robots to look at each other. "Oh. Humans don't have very good senses, huh?" "Oh, maybe we can work on 'clothing'." "We need to get our paycheck first." "Yeah...yeah. It's been a rough economy lately.." "Also, no clothes store." "Yup, I blame the economy." Ishirou looks to Inga, and blanches when she mentions blood magic...but tilts his head when she says 'for healing'. "That's a new one...blood magic is usually akin to necromancy or really evil magic. You'll have to show me that one. Though elementalism I'm familiar with. Indus androids usually know a basic form of it, though usually called paramagic." Ishirou considers Staren's ideas. "Going up the side is probably going to make things difficult for the people down here. If a fight breaks out up there, things will fall down here at very bad speeds...which could hurt them." Another pause, "Oh that's a good idea, I think I could hack one for us once I saw enough of the IFF code."
Staren	>> We all look the same to you? "Uhh..." Staren looks awkward, but Ishirou explains, and she nods. "If I can get the specifications for how to interact with your radio ID system, I should be able to tell you apart properly. Sorry about that." Although, her computer is already scanning radio signals and looking for patterns, on the offchance that they're using some kind of plaintext system. From what she's seen so far, she's not going to assume competence on the part of these robots. She doesn't think the outcome Ishirou fears, of serious falling hazards, is as likely as he seems to, but it's reason enough to try the inside way first, at least. After getting whatever information the robots are willing to give on how to use their radio system, she heads towards the tower.
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga smiles patiently at Ishirou. "Yes, I get that reaction often. Depending on how things go, you'll get to see it. Just don't be alarmed with I stab myself. I heal quickly," she offers, then looks to her walking stick. "And this isn't just for show, so be aware that I don't move well. If we are going up a a tall tower I certainly hope there is a lift," she adds, remember other towers she's been in, stairs and steep ramps as far as the eye can see. No thanks! She should just get a flying broom like she's seen in movies. Maybe get a pointy hat to complete the look. Groan. To the robots, she smiles as well. No, she can't tell them apart, unless she could see their wyrd...hmm well that would be interesting, but apparently they are leaving! "Walk too fast and I won't heal you!" she reminds, following.
Ishirou	"Oh, you stab yourself? So blood is the focus huh? Certainly haven't seen it used like that before...usually in the more aggressive...or in the 'use other people's blood' way. Though if I see you take damage, I'll not be as worried!" Ishirou says, somewhat upbeat. Ishirou decides to get ready first. There is a flash, as he raises up enough so that the power armor takes hold. Coming in from his dimensional pocket, and forming around him. As they're going to be in an enclosed space, he goes for a hover unit and no hand accessories. "Oh uh hold on there Staren..." Ishirou beams her with the special radio freqs. She can see that they actually have a network, in which they both communicate with themselves, but seem to share a collective 'knowledge' base with each other. It's not quite a hive mind, but rather a mental community. The Tower opens up, and on the first floor is another door, and half a dozen robots that remind you of the ones before, but they are bigger and with functioning arms and legs. As the group approaches, their eyes glow red. "Present meeting!" "Present Meeting!" "Present Meeting!" "Present Meeting!" "Present Meeting!" "Present Meeting!" "So any bright ideas?" Ishirou says, though already starting on the hacking attempt. "Don't destroy the first one who talked, if we can't get them to not attack."
Staren	Before they enter the tower, magical senses can tell Staren's activating enchantments on her coat. > "Present Meeting!" Staren considers this for a couple of moments. "...Who are you asking to present meeting?" She looks behind her, then back to the robots. "There's no one here. If we were here we'd have radio IDs. You must be hallucinating from work stress. Perhaps you should take a break? Otherwise you won't be able to do your job if a real intruder comes in." She smiles, but she doesn't have the tone to make something like that sound reasonable. The robots encountered so far seem kinda dumb though, so... she's seeing if it works. It seems marginally better than claiming she's supposed to be here with no ID, at any rate.
Inga Freyjasdottir	"Ah, yes I mostly use my own blood, worry not," she assures. When the doors open and they are met with immediate resistance, Inga pauses and places his staff in front of her, the runes carved along it's length beginning to glow faintly. "Well, you let me know when you would like me to resort to lighting," she says. When it comes to technology she's really only good at breaking it. She learned from the best.
Ishirou	Staren resorts to...logic. This causes the robots to look at each other, the red light fading from their eyes. They seem to move close to each other and pull into a group huddle. This is buying Ishirou the time he needs. They break the huddle and turn back to face the group. "We have decided that not all people who come to see the manager have pings on the network." "Yeah. So we need to see Meeting!" "Well, wait if they're from another factory, they wouldn't have a meeting." "They might be spies! Corporate spies!" "Are you spies?" "If you lie you won't get to meet the manager!"
Staren	Staren is kind of surprised they actually have to talk about it, but sighs a little when they come to a ...somewhat logical conclusion. May as well keep going! "But how do you know who or what needs to be talked to or interfered with? A stray insect from outside could fly in, but there would be no use in hunting every single one. A mouse isn't going to steal your industrial secrets, only your food. Air molecules and surface bacteria are everywhere. How do you know we're worth interacting with?"
Inga Freyjasdottir	"We are certainly not spies. Kindly let us pass, have you not heard it is break time? I have some excellent coffee for your trouble," she says, reaching into the bag attaching to her belt. She carefully pulls out a full, steaming hot pot of coffee. The smell of fresh brewed coffee fills the air. It smells divine. Well, she saw the other robots 'drinking' coffee...
Ishirou	Ishirou is still trying to extract the code, but he's making progress. Hilariously it is easy to do something like this when he's not being fired on! The robots pause when Staren indicates smaller things get through all the time. Proudly, they shake their heads at her. "We use HEPA filters to get 99.999 percent of all bad things." "And we have laser cats for the mice, birds, and other pests." "Bug zappers for the insects." "Cleaning roombas for the dirt." "The manager is in a special office, it's sealed completely, so nothing can get in!" When Inga presents coffee, they huddle again. It takes a few moments but then they turn back. "We haven't had a break in..." "<Variable not found>." "We accept this coffee for a break." "Wait what if they're spies?" "Spies don't bring coffee." "Oh, good point." "Got it. Submitting Meeting." Ishirou says. There is a chime. "Oh, looks like you can go anyway!" "Wow, I've never heard the chime before." "Yeah, new guy. That's the sound it makes when you can go see the manager." "You know I was assigned this last, you only outrank me by .0001 milliseconds." "Details, new guy!" "Let's just...go up," Ishirou says, pointing his thumb at the lift that just opened up."
Staren	Staren blinks. "You have laser cats but don't know what a cat is?" And dang, that is some good-smelling coffee, even if she knows that coffee doesn't taste so good unless smothered in sugar. It seems they're going up. "Good job upholding protocol, all of you. Maybe we'll put in a good word for you with the manager." She walks to the lift.
Inga Freyjasdottir	She happily hands of the pot of coffee, glad she always has some emergency caffeine on hand. Sure, energy drinks would be easier but they've got no /style/, and if you just so happen to have a bag with a pocket dimension or whatever that keeps your food and drink hot/cold, why not? "Enjoy," she says to the robots, then gets into the lift. Whoever the Manager is, they apparently want to see them. "Well, if the manager doesn't like coffee, I have whiskey."
Ishirou	"Cat's exist?" "No Laser cats do." "I think she's confused." The lift takes a very long time to climb up all those flights. There is an annoying song that plays as the elevator goes up, and the music just loops again and again and again... Eventually, your hell ends as the doors open on the top floor. Walking in reveals a sealed door, more like a Megaman boss door than a door that would lead to a CEO. "Well, let's make sure we're prepared before we enter...I'm going to open it.." Once everyone gives the go-ahead, Ishirou opens the door. It's a large room with windows looking out. The floors are sterile white. The ceiling is white. The windows are the only thing that's letting anything different in. Far below you could see the factory. There is a single desk in the middle, with a chair. The Chair is faced away from the group. Nothing...immediately threatens to attack you. No sound...it has a heavy feeling in here. Like the place hasn't been opened in years, but at the same time, the cleaning system had kept it dust-free. It's eerily quiet.
Staren	Long elevator ride. "In retrospect, maybe we shouldn't have so eagerly stepped into a small metal box for an indeterminate period of time. What if it stops at 9,999 floors or something?" She puts in earplugs. Which makes whatever small talk is made on the ride extra awkward. Once they reach the top, she refreshes her enchantments and nods to Ishirou. Once the door opens... She's fine letting him go first, although if neither of them are inclined to she'll go first. And send a drone forward to check the other side of that chair.
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga steps out of the elevator into the remarkably clean office, wrinkling her nose at how unfriendly the aesthetic is. She'll let Ishirou and Staren lead, though she readied the dagger at her waist in case she needs to throw up some blood wards quickly.
Ishirou	Staren doesn't turn the chair around but rather sends a drone. Other people are getting ready... In the chair is a stubby robot. His eyes were black and slumped over to one side. He looks like he has been deactivated and rusted over completely. On his desk is a journal. Day 1: Ha! Those fools! I became the manager of this place. Huh...what does a manager do? Day 2: Not sure what a manager does, but the boys downstairs won't let anyone through without a meeting. I'm getting kinda bored. Day 100: I'm really bored. Nobody has come up. Aren't I supposed to do something? Also, my right arm stopped working, I think I need maintenance but nobody can come up! Day 200: I am writing this with my mouth. Both arms and legs have stopped working. I call for help but nobody comes. I'm lonely and bored and think this was a huge mistake. Day ???????: Hard to move. Want to...quit. The manager was isolated from the common employee, so much so that he died due to a lack of maintenance. It appears these robots can barely manage each other without something tragic like this happening.
Staren	The drone finds nothing threatening. Staren walks over, initially mentally scoffing as she sees that the robots' incompetence clearly led to this. And then she reads the journal and looks appropriately horrified. Tools come out. "They didn't deserve this. Gotta find the brain... maybe someone can rehabilitate them and make them okay again..." She starts robo-surgery right then and there, trying to save the patient and work out what's needed... Assuming, of course, that necessary key parts haven't already degraded. The extent of the rust doesn't bode well...
Ishirou	The robot's internals is far beyond eroded. It's also likely he has already been uploaded and rebuilt or is waiting for reupload. However, this body is beyond saving. Ishirou sighs, "It's funny that they keep trying to emulate humans, but...I can't tell if they're failing horribly at it, or doing it extremely well despite the fact they seem to have no self-preservation." "I guess that comes with being able to be rebuilt and your consciousness is able to be reuploaded. Though I imagine this experience has probably uh...left its mark on whoever the manager was rebuilt into."
Staren	Staren looks disappointed at finding the internals to be just as eroded, although it is some relief that they appear designed to upload. Her tools retract back into her vambraces. She can't help a darkly humorous chuckle at Ishirou's comment about how they're emulating humans. "All too well, I suppose. But, not the best humans can be. Not the kind of human you want to be, I imagine. Or I, to the extent I am." She turns to face the back wall and looks downward towards where she knows the factory floor is. "...I guess this is what 'clay dolls' look like in action, huh? No ambition, no will to effect change... Human, android, for any..." she pauses as she tries to remember Ioanna's word, "selflike, this is a dead end for society. They'll never make anything, or discover, or leave this island..." She continues sadly, "Not a fate anyone wants to see for their kind. Or any kind..."
Ishirou	"They keep making the same mistakes. I think they are using the data archives to emulate what being a person is...but without understanding the underlying principles," Ishirou muses. He does nod at Staren's point though. Ishirou stares at the dead robot for a long time. It's a dead-end...but can they be taught differently? Is the system they build around themselves too ingrained? Are the people here too stubborn or static? "I think we have to look at how they came to claim this island first...maybe if we can look into their past, we can look at their future." "That will be a start," he muses. "Though I suppose humans who throw all of their...belief blindly into a single idea aren't much better. What's the point of being selflike, if all you do is use it to pretend to be something else...or to throw it all into a single person." "Do you see why I dislike what Evehime is doing? It's removing their ability to be selflike. I don't fight for the corporation, but I fight against what she's doing."
Staren	"That's just it though. A lot of people don't care about the underlying principles. They don't question." Staren tilts her head. "Maybe that's a key part of what divides a clay doll from everyone else?" She sits on the desk and folds her arms while staring at nothing, thinking, while Ishirou regards the rusted corpse. Eventually, Evehime comes up. Staren sighs. "You think it's mind control. I agree that if she's made nothing of them but puppets, it's wrong. If there's some way to prove it is or isn't, and it is... Well I don't want to help the corps, but maybe a third option can be found." She looks to Ishirou. "Although, what does it matter in that case?" She grimaces. "You know I can't hope to stand up to someone like that. Maybe if Persephone is convinced too... If I witness proof, she'll see it in my mind and agree." Staren turns away from him again. "Although, she could also see some flaw in the proof and convince me it's not true, I suppose. Or, I suppose you expect she'll override my will somehow, or that if she asks nicely I'll betray the values you don't believe I have just to follow her." Staren hangs her head. "I want to believe that if it came to that I could stand against her, but I'm so tired of trying to stand against everyone. I'm the longest-active elite in the sector and what have I got to show for it? I've learned less than all of you; Made less progress in a decade and a half than others make in a year. And don't tell me the Paladins would welcome me." "Maybe they would, but I'd just be right back where I was with the Union. Feeling like people with ideals I don't agree with decide if I 'get to' help people. I hate it. If the other choice is that... even if Persephone were what you think she is, following her might be a siren call I don't have it in me to refuse."
Ishirou	Ishirou looks deep in thought for a little. "I wonder...she can affect the world around her, I wonder if it's something she does as passive rather than active. If that's the case...hm. I wonder if she could control it if we could convince her of it." With a breath, "I wasn't fighting for them, like I said, I was fighting against her. I wanted to keep the status quo for the moment because it'd be easier to do stuff without her sending her...I guess we can call them what they are 'clay dolls' out and destroying everything." He taps his fingers along his arms, trying to puzzle this out. Ishirou turns his head to listen to Staren. "She's scary, I'm not going to lie. I'm starting to see the logic in her view even if I don't agree with it. I can't say for certain why I was able to stand up and you crumpled...but I have an idea." "You're afraid of being wrong," Ishirou says. "Her presence is palpable, it's something that's expressed on the world itself. It seems like it's objective truth...but it's not. It's her idea, and I have my idea. My idea of how the world works. Somehow I was able to hold onto that." "But you recently had a shake-up in your worldview, right? You started questioning yourself. Now you're questioning everything, which makes it easier to fall victim to people who can just say the world is a certain way, and it is." "I don't think Persephone would /do/ that, at least not actively. I do think that Evehime would though," he pauses. "Do you think I find it easy to disagree with Persephone? The woman who singlehandedly freed me from the prison I was in? Who cared so much for a friend who hated her...that she nearly /died/ to save her?" "I didn't cave into Persephone...I had my mind changed because I was seeing the hypocrisy in my ideas. That the status quo isn't always the way things should be. A point where things are even doesn't mean they are...when you consider every factor." "I was wrong, but I grew from it. Have ideas, have opinions...fight for them, and if you are shown to be wrong...adjust and grow from it," he says, firmly. "I think growing is what she wants more than anything, and for people to grow they have to be wrong...they have to scuff their knees. Fall out of a tree. They shouldn't feel bad, feel embarrassed...feel /wrong/ for being incorrect." "Does that make sense to you?"
Staren	Staren keeps looking away from Ishirou. She actually shudders at 'afraid of being wrong'. It's a brief, gut reaction before she can exert will. "It's not that exactly. It's not that my belief in my values is so weak I'm more easily persuaded. Although, how best to act on those values is another matter." "It's that I spent... All the time, since I realized the Union's faults, pretending not to care. I formed this picture of myself, this identity, as one of very few who knew most 'heroes' had it wrong, though the Confederacy had it even more wrong. I was powerless to change anyone's mind, but if I just waited for opportunities, I'd do what little I could... and one day, even if it took a hundred years or a thousand, maybe I'd finally get the chance to fix everything." "I thought I was someone who could, and would, just keep working in that situation, not letting them get to me. I couldn't see any other kind of existence... after I'd been doing it for years, that was just how it had always been, and how it would always be, until the day I somehow got a chance to fix the Multiverse. Feeling a distance from even my allies, knowing I was ever at risk of becoming too much of a nuisance to be allowed to use their resources to help people, weighing that calculation with every mission and feeling horrible at every comprimise. But It Had To Be Done, and I had to be tough enough to do it." "I was miserable, but I didn't see any other way to be." "After the mountain, for a moment, it simply wasn't possible to be that way, for awhile. I got a taste of something else. The facade I'd put up fell away and I couldn't keep people out anymore, and... my allies were actually concerned. They actually cared. I wasn't standing alone, and it was... so nice. Yeah, something in me always wanted to be liked, but this was more than that. And after a taste of that, I can never go back to the way things were." She takes a few breaths, and finally looks at Ishirou. "It's good, that you finally saw the hypocrisy and changed your mind. Sometimes, changing your mind is good. And necessary." She smiles sadly. "It really is admirable that you believe in your ideals and yourself strongly enough to stand against Persephone, despite what she did for you. It must take a toll on your psyche, I hope Lilian is able to help you with that."
Staren	Staren leans back slightly, looks up at a higher part of the wall. "Exactly. Persephone's not like that. So there's no point in thinking about how to deal with Hypothetical Evil Persephone. As for what Evehime is doing... My understanding is, she's given those people control over their destiny. You've been around her. While in her presence it's almost impossible to stand up to her. Complying with simple orders is nigh-automatic, and anything you have to think about carries the threat of having that presense mad at you backing it." "But, then, she goes away. These people might fight and die in her presence because of her powers, but it won't last. They could run... or something. Even if they're afraid she'll hunt them down... living like a fearful slave all the time has got to be soul-crushing. It would have to affect performance. They must believe in this, right? Shaping a future they have a hand in..." "Clay dolls are one end of a spectrum. No one should be one, completely. But the other end is something we can't ask of anyone. Even Persephone can't quite, completely, reach it. I sure can't. Those people on Mars sure can't. You can't expect everyone to build a new society completely on their own. There will always be people leading, and people following their plan to bring it to fruition, and it's okay to be following the plan sometimes; if no one did, nothing would ever get done." Staren blinks. A realization flashes across her face. She sits up straighter and looks to Ishirou with the smile of someone who thinks they've just had a brilliant insight. "Maybe you've got it backwards? Rather than stopping Evehime first and making a third option second... Persephone always says it's easier to get people to do the right thing if you make it less hard, right? Maybe if you make the third option first, give those people a real choice they want, that isn't the corps or Evehime, then they'll choose it?"
Ishirou	Ishirou listens, letting Staren speak her mind. There are parts of this where he disagrees with Staren...but there is a pause. A third option first... He seems to work it out in his mind. There /had/ to be a way to do this, to break people free of the corps without also letting Evehime win. Do they try and attack the system that the corps has set up, or create their own society. BUT, it was an idea. "There is a thing you might not be considering. People can be influenced in just a way so that they fight hard for everything. The natives of Mars fight under her banner out of spite for what happened to them. The people of her city are influenced by her...but just because she isn't there doesn't mean they're unable to continue." "It's why I'm not big into spiritualism. People believe in something hard enough it defies all reason...and that is what's going on here. She's twisted that part of them this way. It doesn't matter if she's there or not. They're fighting for her approval." "Though, what you say is a good idea. A third option now instead of keeping the status quo going. A real choice might be what is needed. Though heaven knows what that would be."
Staren	"Spite, huh?" Staren holds a hand to her chin. "I guess I can see it." She drops her hand back to the desk. "...Y'know, there is something you can believe in hard enough to defy reason." She looks to Ishirou. "Friends. True friends. Your best and closest friends, who you have to know will have your back, and could not possibly be betraying you, no matter how it looks." She looks back at the wall. "They're a rare find, though. Hopefully I can inspire such faith in people again one day. Hopefully you can too. Maybe you already do." "...But that's not what Evehime's doing. You think they're fighting for approval, or spite, or both, huh? I never understood fighting for some distant god" She frowns. "But, maybe if they're present so much, it's different. And what's Evehime gonna do for them them to show approval, anyway?" Staren shrugs. "I can keep an eye out for signs, and help with the third option. Even if Evehime's legit, the third option can help others under the Planetary Consortium's thumb. She did invite those of us who fought for her back to her base. If that invite still stands, maybe I can find out more, observe those people more, see what's going on better." She winces at a thought. "I wasn't exactly thinking clearly when I ran that day. At the time I was sure she had it out for me, but she never said as much." She looks back at Ishirou. "We can also talk to Persephone, about her view on things and why she's helping. Maybe she'll have ideas about what kind of third option would be better and likely to draw her followers away, too."
Ishirou	Ishirou nods, "I'd be willing to hear her out now. Better than before..." he shrugs. "Anyway, this place has nothing for us now. Let's head back and start working on something else." He sighs. "Well, at least it wasn't a complete waste." Ishirou is walking back towards the elevator.
Staren	Staren nods back. "Yeah." She hops off the desk and follows him back to the lift.