>>CMD: where are we ?
>>SBT: Another city.
>>CMD: have you found the professor ?
>>SBT: No, people at the shelter told me he had left to this city. But as you can see... Yeah.
Indeed. This city is ruined. The buildings have all collapsed, and long tunnel-like zones of devastation run along the city. There is no sound. "Was this... Caused by a serpent ?"
A nod. "By the way, do you have a name I can call you ? Something better than robot or whatever
-Call me 21. I am the twenty-first model of soulbots.
-Alright."
Alright. So uh... "Now what ?" 21 Seems to think for a while. "Try to move some of the debris away. We're still searching for the professor." I can do that. I'm getting the hang of it.
As we search, and as I move the debris, the reality of it hits me. Sure, I'm looking at this from a computer screen... But this is real. These were buildings before. Buildings where people lived. I can only hope these people could escape.
After a while though, we find something. We don't find it under a debris. We find it flying, above the ruins. 21 gets closer. It seems to be a statue draped in a black veil. The statue is praying.
"Number 12." "NUMBER 21." the statue answers.
>>SBT: This is a previous model of soulbot. The twelfth model, one that works on faith.
>>CMD: faith ? also is this the second one of the three working soulbots ?
>>SBT: It is indeed the second one. It works because it has a strong faith. This faith is what drives it. It manifests into its psychic powers.
>>CMD: wasn't this what the professor tried to do ?
>>SBT: It was deemed incomplete, because this extreme faith meant it would not be ideal in rescue missions. It only ever uses its power for actions it deems faithful, and for some reason seems to believe the serpents are agents of god.
>>SBT: hm
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, SINFUL CARCASS ?
-We are searching for the professor. His lab got attacked by a serpent and heresay told us he was here.
-THERE IS NO ONE HERE. I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THIS HOLY PLACE FOR WEEKS AND NOT A SOUL HAS BREACHED ITS PEACE, SAVE FOR YOU, ARIA.
-Then I am to assume that he isn't here.
-BUT SAY, ARIA. I AM CURIOUS. HAVE YOU EXPLAINED ANYTHING TO YOUR PROGRAM ?
-I don't know what you are talking about."
[CHATLOG START PROG.S12 && PROG.S21]
>>S12: I KNOW YOU ARE HERE, INNER ARIA.
>>S21: huh ? what are they talking about, 21
>>S21: There is nothing here. Only me
>>S12: I AM NOT TALKING TO YOU, '21'
[S12 CHANGED NAME OF PROG.S21 TO PROG.ISA]
>>S12: THIS WILL MAKE THINGS EASIER
>>ISA: huh ? what ? whats happening ?
>>S21: Cease this, 12.
>>S12: SO YOU REALLY DID NOT TELL HER ? HOW CRUEL OF YOU.
>>ISA: what are they talking about ? 21 answer me
>>S21: Very well. Aria, the way the professor managed to instill a soul into the twenty first model of soulbot, is by having a chip replicate a human brain. This chip develops a soul after a start-up period.
>>ISA: what does this have to do with me ?
>>S21: Aria...
>>S12: YOU ARE THE CHIP. IT'S YOU. YOU ARE SBT21'S SOUL.
>>ISA: im... huh ?
>>S21: ...
[CHATLOG END]
What... ? I'm a program. HUH ? I'm not real ? What does that ? Wh-
>>SBT: Aria. You must be confused.
>>CMD: yeah no joke. why didnt you tell me ?
>>SBT: I didn't found the time.
>>CMD: right
>>SBT: The virtual training. In this training, you would have learned that. Unfortunately it had to be bypassed because we were out of time.
>>CMD: and couldn't it have been done later ?
>>SBT: Not really. The professor would have guided you in that training. This is why I wanted to find him.
>>SBT: In my own training, I was told to hide that information from you, and that you should learn that in your own training.
Alright. I can accept that. But I still want to do that training. And also where the hell did the professor run off to ?
While 21 and me were arguing, number 12 fled. Whatever, not my problem.