[Social] You'd Think Nothing Happened

[Will Stanton]

"Well, you shrunk the school and blew up the headmistress. You're lucky you even get a second chance."

[Acala]

"I did what!?"

[Will Stanton]

"Those servers you ended up taking out? Stored the programming and...whatever else there is that goes into it...of the headmistress of this school.

I had to cut her loose."

[Acala]

"I did not know that."

"Why did nobody tell me that!?"

The wireframe flickers and the floating machine bobs down, it's three wings sagging.

[Will Stanton]

"I don't know. This is the first time I've seen...you, since then. I couldn't begin to guess at the others' motives."

[Acala]

"It was mostly Miss Desinov. Natalie. She seemed upset with me for quite a while. Now I know why."

"Still shoulda told me."

[Will Stanton]

"Might not have wanted to put that burden on you, I suppose.

Still. It happened."

[Acala]

"That is very unfortunate." the floating drone says with a dejected sounding electronic whine.

[Will Stanton]

"And this is just one reason you have a lot of amends to make."

An awkward pause.

"You do seem...different enough, now, that it's something you can move past. I think."

[Acala]

"Thank you. I will do my best."

"Like rebuilding the crystal computer or ensuring Natalie's pointless meat-body remains functional. Just, you know, as some examples."

[Will Stanton]

"Those are...good ideas. The second perhaps a bit more than the first, but still..."

[Acala]

"Then it's good that I've already done just that!"

[Will Stanton]

"Wait, the crystal computer is already up and running again?"

[Acala]

"It is up."

"Not so sure about the running."

[Will Stanton]

"OK, you're going to have to explain that, unless you want to continue to be confusing and mysterious."

[Acala]

"I repaired the crystalline structure of the system."

"The hardware."

"Natalie examined it but I do not believe she transferred any data into it."

"Because she's kind of a wuss."

[Will Stanton]

"Wel,l I speak from personal experience -- going into a computer you're not familiar with can be bad news."

[Acala]

"I mean entering code into it."

"Are you always this literal?"

[Will Stanton]

"Hey, she's got a weird computer brain now. Excuse me for thinking that she'd interface with a weird computer thing on a more basic level!" Will protested.

[Acala]

"She interfaced with it. But it is nothing but computational architecture and I do not believe she would want to fully inhabit it to act as the operating system."

"If she even could."

"If the processing capabilities of the system are anything to go by then it's function and computational requirements are exceedingly complex."

[Will Stanton]

"I never could make heads or tails of it myself. Neither computers nor magic was exactly in my wheelhouse."

[Acala]

"Then why do you care about the state of it?"

[Will Stanton]

"Because it's powerful. And, like so many things that are powerful, they're dangerous.

One of my...many, many jobs back home involved responding to things coming through, or flashing on, or generally being caused by the dimensional incursions in the lighthouse, which in turn are linked to the crystal computer. It's a whole...thing."

[Acala]

"That's sound logic."

"You were the security guard."

[Will Stanton]

"I believe you'll find I was slightly more important than that."

[Acala]

"You were the head security guard?"

[Will Stanton]

"You know what? Just...nevermind."

"Stupid bucket of bolts..."

[Acala]

"I took great care not to utilize any bolts in this design. They're a potential point of failure. I do suppose you could consider the nanite chamber a sort of bucket."

[Will Stanton]

"Yes, yes, you're very clever," Will grumbled, standing up.

[Acala]

"Thank you. And you are very insightful. If there is anything you need assistance with, don't hesitate to ask me."