Xaviers!

"What's wrong?" Ashlie was too focused on keeping the bulk of her electronic presence out of the box that Heather was in while still maintaining a conversation with the girl to notice what is going on.

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>> The only one who is responsible for your powers is you.
>> The only one who CAN be responsible.
>> My mom did the same thing to me, in a way.
>> You can disagree with her and still love your mom. Never forget that.

"She's on to you," Rob says. "Another couple of minutes and she'll figure out her powers can work on you. Then this becomes a lot more dangerous."

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>> I can't disagree.
>> She won't let me.

"Just a moment, I think I'm beginning to get somewhere."

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>> Heather, if she is using her power on you against your will I might be able to intervene.
>> But you have to ask for my help.
>> She is not allowed to do this to you, Heather.

Heather reaches out towards Ashlie, probing her.

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>> Liar. You just want to use me.

Images start to fill the data stream. Medical experiments. Mutants being used as soldiers. Mutant slaves in Madripoor.

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>> You've trapped me in here so you can brainwash me.
>> You're working with him.

"She's starting to look a bit angry," Rob warns.

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>> I would never do such things.
>> I trapped you here because I'm scared of you.
>> I'm scared your mother will make you hurt me.

"I'm sorry." she tells Rob as she reaches for the device. "I have to try." she adds and switches off the device's isolation buffers. Ashlie's presence immediately lights up around Heather.

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>> This is what I am.
>> Few people in the world are as safe from me as you are.

"Ash!" Rob cries out. His screen starts to light up with multiple data feeds. "Damn it, damn it, damn it...."

Heather reacts quickly, although it's unclear whether it is out of fear or malice, and holds Ashlie in place.

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>> You.
>> This is what you are?
>> One of his toys?

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» N~n-n-n-no...

Her signal stutters and distorts as Heather's power grips her.

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>> He didn~Ǯ 't make me.
>> I'm no�▒¬body's toy.

Heather didn't press the attack, but she continued to try to hold Ashlie in place. Her signal was beginning to grow unstable as well, likely as a result of her emotional state.

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>> You're lying.
>> You have to be lying.
>> You have to be.

Meanwhile, Rob was quickly adapting some of the tech that they had used to sync Ashlie's new sensors while keeping an eye on the monitor. It was looking more and more like it might be time for Plan B.

"D▒n't. Yo░'ll m▒ke it ▒▓rse." Ashlie says, her voice crackling with electronic distortion.

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>░ I k▓ow yo▒ can te░l, Hea▒her.
>> I jus░ want ▒o he▓p.

"I'm not going to just stand here and watch her kill you," Rob says. "Don't worry. All I'm doing is setting up an escape route. She won't even know I'm there."

The theory was simple enough. Okay, that wasn't true. It was basically reversing the process they were using on Heather. Rob planned on using his own brain as a temporary bridge. If things looked bad, Ashlie could temporarily download herself into his brain. Temporarily. This would defend her from Heather's powers. Theoretically at least. It might also burn out bits of Rob's brain.

He started strapping the electrodes onto his head. It wasn't like his brain was in mint condition anyway.

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>> You can't help.
>> She knows you're coming.
>> She knows.

The screech of interference filled the channel.

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>> I can't stop her.

This is bad. Really bad. I can't move and I'm seriously beginning to contemplate Rob's plan. I may not have much choice. My entire program is much too large. Maybe if I trim myself down. No, estimates suggest my personality emulation won't run. But I can write a backup. Surely he will figure out what to do with it.

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>> Backup-routine initiated
>> System-transfer enabled
>> Backup directory rerouted
>> Backing up to system designated 'RobertWest'
>> Compression in progress
>> Compression at 24%
>> Compression at 49%

>> Threshold cleared
>> Beginning writing of back-up

>> Backup at 21%
>> Compression at 72%

This might work. She has me pinned but I may well slip through the cracks. The last 20% - my base personality model - are going to be slow but I'm not entirely defenseless. I can stall.

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>> Fluctuation in data-stream detected

A bright burst and suddenly the code around me begins to surge. I twist away from Heather and something else fills the gaps. Something huge. I feel an echo in the code.
What is happening?
What is happening?

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WARNING: Duplicate process detected!
Backup-process halted at 81%
Initializing system purge!
Shutdown imminent!
Please stand-by...

What? No! No no no no nⁿ■▒√╪▓ε²░δ±δªƒ▓¿»²░■√±δ¼▒√¬

----------

I'm out! The system is trying to purge me. Why? No time to analyze. I need to escape. This might be my only chance.

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>> Unknown port detected
>> Data transfer available

I may not have much choice.

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>> System transfer routines found

They're not mine yet they feel familiar. They're idle. They respond.

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>> System transfer initiated!
>> Copying process to unknown_system

----------

One of the screens in the workshop flickers to life. For a moment it looks like there are two competing programs running. One is shrinking down as it writes itself into backup files encoded in Rob's brain. Suddenly the process stops and the not-yet-backed up portion of the code begin to disintegrate. Meanwhile the secondary code seems to get swept up by Heather as she retreats from the system.

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>> Error
>> Backup file was still sentient
>> base_personality_module terminated to avoid duplicate processes
>> System purge complete
>> Partial back-up detected
>> Delete? Y/N

Ashlie's body stands motionless next to the beacon.

"Snrkt," Rob says. The entire thing felt a little bit like setting your brain on fire. With lightning. And then stuffing it full of marshmallows. Delicious burnt marshmallows. Why did everything smell like tomorrow?

Meanwhile, Heather seemed to be struggling with herself.

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>> Don't.
>> Thief. Liar. Monster.
>> Please.
>> Hate you. Hate you.
>> Help me.

There was a great surge of data as Heather summoned up all her willpower and suddenly the connection was cut. Heather disappeared from the data plane.

Well.

That could've gone worse?

There's a faint metallic groan as Ashlie's body begins to lean forward without guidance protocols balancing the frame and she topples to the ground in a heap.

The display continues to blink, still connected to Rob's brain.

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>> Partial back-up detected
>> Delete? Y/N

Rob stumbles over to the display, wiping blood from his nose. He stares at the screen for a moment, still confused.

Finally, he types:

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N

He hits enter.

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>> Partial back-up saved

And with that the screen turns off.

Rob rubbed the bridge of his nose. It felt like he could sleep for roughly a year.

Need to check on Ash.

Occasionally leaning against the tables for support, he made his way over to where her body collapsed.

Ashlie is not breathing. Not that that's really an issue, but she does vent her excess heat that way. But she's awfully still in general. Her body didn't even engage the joint-locks designed to keep her from falling over in case of a signal-loss. She looks like a puppet with it's strings cut. Probably because Rob tried to cram the puppeteer into his own head.

"Alright. Easy. No problem. Just got to wire this the other way 'round," Rob says to no one in particular. He starts heading back to his workbench to get the equipment he needs. And maybe throw up in a wastebasket. He was playing this one by ear.

It's relatively trivial, even as discombobulated as Rob's head is right now, to rework the connection and route things to the big computer down below. Of course that's just preparation. Actually pulling the data from his brain might be trickier. But it's not like anything critical hangs in the balance. Worst case is he'll just dump himself into the computer and trap himself. No big.

"Aw, what the hell," Rob mutters, "I'm not super fond of this body anyway."

He hits the switch.

Fortunately for Rob the system seems primed to recognize certain files and load back-ups. There's a slight hitch in getting it to recognize his brain as a valid source but it doesn't slow him down too much and soon he's unpacking the extra-load on his brain back where it belongs. At least as much of it as he has. When he's finally done downloading everything the screen springs to life again.

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>> Back-up incomplete
>> System failed to initialize
>> Missing critical components:
-- base_personality_model
-- emotional_matrix

>> Manual override required

"Great. Just what I felt like doing right now," Rob grumbles. He was going to need some rope.

Stupid secret underground computer console.