DT1 - Hailing Heather

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:26 am

Ashlie is in the workshop once again. She's looking over the device Rob designed for contacting Heather. She built it and she knows it's working. It's possible that she is nervous about dealing with the technopath.

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:34 am

"Finished?" Rob asks, rolling over on a chair.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:38 am

"Yes. I have been for a while, if I'm honest."

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:40 am

"What's wrong?" Rob asks, cocking his head to one side.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:44 am

"I'm just nervous, I suppose. It should work just fine."

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:47 am

"Oh, come on," Rob says. "It's just a confrontation with someone who has the ability to control you completely. What could you possibly have to be nervous about?"

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:51 am

"It's not a feeling I'm used to, that's all."

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:04 am

"I'd give some speech about that being what it means to feel human, but that's garbage," Rob says. "All living things want to exist and be free. Humans aren't special when it comes to that."

"I will say that it's your choice," Rob says. "You're the only one taking a risk here. I'll do everything I can to help you and protect you, but if you don't think it's worth it, we can stop right now. Figure out a different plan."

"It's up to you."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:12 am

"No, we should do this. It's the best plan we have."

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:20 am

"Alright," Rob says. "But at the first sign of trouble, we pull the plug, okay?"

Rob actually sounds a little worried himself.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:28 am

"Yes. I'll let you know if anything seems amiss."

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:30 am

Rob nods, "I'll start setting up then."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:32 am

"Do you think she'll be antagonistic?"

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:35 am

"Heather?" Rob asks. "I doubt it? She's always been pretty quiet and passive."

"But she also hates me," Rob says. "Like, really, truly hates me. So, there's that."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:37 am

"I'll do most of the talking then."

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:37 am

"That'd probably be the best idea," Rob admits.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:40 am

"Are you ready?"

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:45 am

"Ready as I'll ever be," Rob says. "I'll tell Madison to check in on Heather."

Rob picks up his cell phone and starts composing a text.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:48 am

Ashlie nods and checks over the machine one last time before turning it on, waiting to engage it with the information Rob's about to find out.

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:50 am

After finishing the text, Rob sits patiently at his workbench, watching the monitor of his laptop. The trap for Heather was built and everything was set up properly, he just has to wait until Madison contacts Heather and the signal will piggyback on her cell-phone signal directly into Heather's brain.

Unfortunately, Madison was taking her sweet time and it was starting to get on Rob's nerves. Being sneaky and indirect demanded a patience and subtlety that he just didn't care for.

"This is intolerable," Rob says with a groan of frustration.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:56 am

"For someone with her movement abilities she is certainly taking a long time. Do you know how to play Go?"

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:03 am

"I know the basics," Rob says. He spent a lot of time alone as a kid. He actually had the rules memorized for most well-known board games and card games.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:04 am

"It's one of the few classics I won't have a tremendous advantage at. We could play a round while we wait."

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:08 am

"Sure," Rob says. He checks to make sure that Madison isn't contacting anyone else, but it seems she's just taking her time. "It'll kill a little time at least."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:11 am

Ashlie reaches out for one of the workbenches and flips the holographic display onto a horizontal plane that displays a Go field. "Go ahead and take white."

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:18 am

The game goes relatively quickly. Rob has a good head for the game, but he's rusty and inexperienced. Not to mention his impulsive tendencies lead him to make reckless mistakes.

However, it's not too long before Rob's laptop beeps. He glances over at the screen, "Oh, hey. We're connected."

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:23 am

Ashlie, unsurprisingly, plays a game that aims more at planning ahead, although the complexity of the game forces her to actually think instead of brute-forcing it. Which ultimately leads to her being surprised a couple times by Rob's more 'erratic' plays.

"Excellent." she says, stepping over to the Technopath-Trap and engaging the system to trace a signal through the cell-phone network to hook into Heather's connected mind at the other end.

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:32 am

"Be careful," Rob says as Ashlie enters the trap, taking a position monitoring everything.

The first thing Ashlie felt as she steps into the constructed data-plane that Heather is currently isolated in is fear. Heather is not sure what's going on or what happened. She's scared and trying desperately to find a way out.

Mom? Heather says. Maddie?

There's the feel of a whimper, ...Dad?

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:35 am

Code: Select all: >> Heather? >> It's me, Ashlie Minamida. >> Remember me? We met a while ago. >> There's no need to be scared. >> You're perfectly safe.

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:41 am

Code: Select all: >> Ms. Minamida? >> What's happening? Where am I?

Rob winces as Heather lashes out at the system again. Luckily, she doesn't seem to be targeting Ashlie. Yet.

He starts running some diagnostics and taking measurements. He has work to do.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:45 am

Code: Select all: >> It's just an electronic room, of sorts. >> Like making a phonecall with your head. >> Don't worry, you'll go home again once the phonecall is over. >> I just wanted to talk to you somewhere private.

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:48 am

Code: Select all: >> Why?

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:53 am

Code: Select all: >> Because I thought you might feel you could talk more freely without your mom around.

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 5:03 am

Code: Select all: >> Without her in my head, you mean?

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 5:05 am

Code: Select all: >> Yes. >> I don't want to lie to you, Heather. >> I think your mom might be in your head more than is healthy.

by **Robert West** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 5:08 am

Code: Select all: >> You're wrong. She watches over. She loves me.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 5:13 am

Code: Select all: >> Of course she loves you. >> But you never feel like you'd want to keep some things from her? >> It's perfectly normal to. >> I often felt like I would be happier if my mom didn't monitor me all the time.

by **Robert West** » Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:12 am

Code: Select all: >> She says that keeping secrets means you have something to hide.

by **Ashlie Minamida** » Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:15 am

Code: Select all: >> It's important to be honest. >> But it's also important that we can decide what we want to share. >> That's what makes it special. >> Unlike reading someone's diary, which is just rude.

by **Robert West** » Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:22 am

Code: Select all: >> You don't understand. >> She has to watch over me. >> We are dangerous.

"Damn it," Rob mutters as he watches the monitors. Heather was starting to probe the data plane with her abilities, looking for a way out. It wouldn't take her long to realize Ashlie's true nature.

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