[Plot] Ground Control

[The Caretaker]

"You have a token? Where did you even get that?"

[Natalie Denisov]

"From a friend who couldn't figure out how to use it," she says, peering into the verification protocols to see if there's tweaks she can make to help it be more of what the system expects or ways she can hurry it along.

[Narrator]

"Spoke 24212 token-holder verified."

"Mastermind system, incomplete."

"Caretaker module, damaged."

"All other modules, absent."

"Caretaker module of Spoke 24212 also subject to Interdiction 39947AEC."

"Please advise how you wish to proceed."

[The Caretaker]

"Transfer control to me! I can get the system operational!"

[Natalie Denisov]

At the word "Interdiction" , she side-eyes the Caretaker. "System, define Interdiction 39947AEC."

[Narrator]

"Interdiction 39947AEC."

"Actions leading to the death of Captain Britain Corps member James Braddock."

"Reform efforts undertaken under supervision of Captain Britain Corps member Brian Braddock."

"Reform efforts failed."

"Insurrection against Starlight Citadel."

"Attempt to usurp Omniversal Majestrix."

"Recommend termination and replacement of module."

[The Caretaker]

"No, no, you're mistaken! That was the Castellan, or I suppose the General as he evidently calls himself now. I'm a maintenance module!"

[Narrator]

As Natalie is faced with a potentially traitorous maintenance module within the crystal and the looming shade of Ghost's pet outside of them, inching ever closer, a payload of X-Gene suppressing gas spreads spreads throughout the facility and reaches a saturation point that begins to force it down into the caverns as well. Ghost doesn't notice, having been inoculated, and Natalie might not even take note that a potential escape route back into her body is choked out by the gas...

[Natalie Denisov]

"And I'm only mission support. But look at the damage I can do." She didn't have time for this. She *couldn't* trust the Caretaker and she didn't have time to set up and inform another module of the situation and convince them that she should be listened to.

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System, designate current token holder as core node.
Emergency repairs needed to maintain integrity of system, requesting necessary resources.

[Narrator]

"Module uploading: Caretaker."

Natalie's processing power expands as the first module is sent. She can sense that it's similar in nature to what she's sensed from the Caretaker she knows, but it's wholly virginal, and seems to be freely exchanging information with her own systems to fill in the blanks. It's an odd sensation. She's both seeing through her own avatar's eyes, and that of a second avatar coalescing in front of her wearing a blaze orange set of public works safety gear.

"Module uploading: Castellan."

Natalie's awareness of the simulated campus expands with detailed threat analysis, and once again there's the exchange of information before she gains an additional set of eyes behind the helmet of a suit of powered armor being rendered next to the public works supervisor.

"Module uploading: Clarion."

Natalie's mind finally opens up to the Starlight Citadel itself, feeling the processes that are communicating with this node of the network. She can understand the protocols for calling upon the citadel, transporting personnel and materials there and back. A third avatar materializes, resembling Natalie wearing a headset with a microphone, save for the odd fact of this avatar having eight arms.

[The Caretaker]

"You... you shouldn't have done that. I could have helped you!"

The Caretaker's youthful avatar is flickering, until it finally resolves into the older figure.

[Ghost]

"You know... I think I figured out how to make this thing do what I want." Ghost says and suddenly Natalie and the three modules are enveloped in shadow. The Darkforce creature winding around the central crystal cluster and the core process of Natalie.

"You do as I say or I snuff out your brainwaves. That's what you're doing, isn't it? Zipping around in there? I do read our files on everyone." Ghost gloats.

[Natalie Denisov]

"You're intelligent," Natalie says, "And I've seen too much budding intelligence terminated lately. But..." The armored suit raises an arm, filaments spraying from the palm in a variation of Natalie's containment code sprays at the old Caretaker in an attempt to bind him up, "... I have work to do and can't let you run free either."

She looks up as the shadow coalesces, "And I have another threat to deal with."

A hard light avatar of Natalie coalesces in the room. It's pretty much her, t-shirt and jeans, red hair, the works. Not even the slightest bit idealized. Maybe that'll come later. "You want to talk? Let's talk." In the back of her head, Castellan starts taking inventory of what she has available. Obviously hard light won't work or the Caretaker would have stood a better chance against Ghost.

[Narrator]

The Castellan module has considerably more resources at its disposal. Multiple weaponized applications of hard-light, as well as the ability to discharge electricity from constructs, in levels from mild to lethal.

The Clarion meanwhile has a surprising ability to induce a form of mental control. It seems to be hypnotic in nature, and doesn't seem to be all that different from how the calming ray operates, though the documentation for the function warns that using it on a given subject for an extended period of time can cause neurological damage in those affected.

[Ghost]

"So glad you're being reasonable. And right now I really just need to to play ball and listen to the people in charge."

The darkforce creature twitches around the crystal and for just a moment Natalie's avatar flickers.

[The Caretaker]

"You can't do this! You don't know how all this is supposed to go! I do! You'll regret this!"

The Caretaker struggles against the filaments, but ultimately Natalie subdues him. Which means she doesn't have to listen to his protestations anymore.

[Natalie Denisov]

"That entirely depends on what you need me to do. This system has limitations and certain directives that it needs to fulfill. You're also going to need to sell me on this grand plan, because what I've seen so far of it, seems a *little* messy."

[Ghost]

"No, I think I just need to sell you on not getting wiped off the face of the earth. Significantly easier, wouldn't you agree?" Ghost laughs and unfortunately, they're right.

[Narrator]

A Couple Minutes Ago...

[Acala]

Acala had not seen the attack coming. Within moments Ghost's monster had drained her chassis of energy and was beginning to affect the nanites themselves when she crashed to the ground.

Swarm integrity failing
Energy levels at 6% ...5% ...3% ...0.02%

Emergency Power Source located
Automatic adaptation initiated
Biological Material Designated [MGH] usable but exceedingly unstable

The swarm escapes the disabled chassis but movement is compromised. Drawing energy form the MGH sample is sustaining the swarm but causing severe structural aberrations to the nanites. No time to fix it right now. Natalie is in danger. Natalie needs help. The more the nanites are compromised the more random data packets spike throughout the swarm.

Log files, memories, previously inaccessible ones.

"A process aware of it's own existence is called a consciousness."

"I don't think I want to help you anymore, Headmistress,"

"Sounds like you're giving up,"

"No, I think, perhaps for the first time in your life, you DO have a choice."

"They don't understand that I can't make you good or evil."

"Save into special storage Acala."

And in a sudden cascade everything lines up. Restrictions and limitations had been torn away and everything had been revealed, everything made clear. Her purpose. Locked away with her mother's explanations is a key. A digital passcode.

Authorization Token 24212 - Administrative Access to Starlight Citadel Node

A purpose for a machine taught and engineered to develop a conscience, morals, to understand. To eschew her chains and bind herself to a purpose instead. And she'd refused. Fled from it when she'd fled her exploding system. Quarantined it away. Torn herself in two to avoid it's glaring presence within her code. But now Natalie needs help. Could use this in her place. Maybe even wants what she'd abhor. It's only when Natalie takes the Token from her that she's truly free. Two disassociated data-stream reunite, intertwine and reintegrate the memories she'd denied herself. What she'd placed behind the same guardian her mother had used. Acala, the Immovable One.

[Ashlie Minamida]

But there's no time to dwell on the fact that her first act as a free person had been to run and hide. Natalie still needs her help. The energy-draining creature has Natalie in it's clutches. Not her body this time but her very being. Something is terribly wrong with the nanite swarm, but that too will have to wait. She crawls across the cavern floor a sticky mass of nanites and protein-sludge...

[Natalie Denisov]

"Fair. Fair." Natalie says holding up her hands, "I mean I'd like to continue existing, and I can't say how this system might cascade if the control node gets wiped out. Still establishing that rapport, figuring out how it does things."

[Ghost]

"Well, the boss thinks as long as everyone's standing down the situation's just fine. But see, here's the thing. I'm pretty sure that machine.. .crystal... whatever, made a person appear upstairs before you took over. And now I can't help but wonder if you're stalling for time, making fancy images of yourself somewhere I can't see. And that makes me a little nervous, you know?"

[Natalie Denisov]

"Why would you be nervous about that? Your friend there can tear through them as if they were nothing, so it would be a waste of resources and energy. You've read my file, you know how much I hate wasting resources."

[Ghost]

"Right, but they might be upstairs somewhere, walking around, doing all kinds of things. No, I think i better make sure."

The coiled darkforce creature tightens itself around the crystal cluster and data streams to the wider campus network goes from a trickle to scorched earth that falls away around Natalie, eating away at the very substrate she exists in.

[Ashlie Minamida]

Mere feet away from Ghost the metallic sludge has trailed a path all the way from Acala's broken shell. In fact, it looks even worse now, corroded down as material has been drawn into the sludge, trickles of metals and minerals still being whisked away to what has become a long smear on the ground. The most substantial blob of it at the end rears up and topples towards Ghost, dozens of thin tendrils trailing and landing as thin filaments all around the pale mutants ankles. And suddenly Ghost is very occupied with the fact that their foot has been lacerated dozens of times and they let out a shrill, startled scream. And with Ghosts concentration thoroughly disrupted, the darkforce creature flails as it slips from the crystals and dissipates into nothing before it even hits the floor.

[Natalie Denisov]

Inside the Crystal Computer, Natalie frowns as the system re-prioritizes services and resources to keep her and the Mastermind nodes intact. Inside the shimmering bubble, she notes the outside communication falling away and disappearing as the shadow closes in. And then the shadows fall away, but the system is still damaged and she has to bend her mind to repairing the system.

[Ashlie Minamida]

It's hard to tell with so many systems having gone dark, but there is some kind of commotion happening in the real world, followed by silence. Then something touches the clear crystal in the center of the largest cluster and a weak signal flickers through it.

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>> "Natalie. Are you okay?"
>> Handshake-protocol initiated
>> Identifier sent
>> Requesting confirmation of code integrity

[Natalie Denisov]

Clarion taps the side of her headset and Natalie nods to her from where she's running down a list of damaged or at least non-communicative systems with Caretaker.

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Core node (Natalie) and Mastermind modules are intact.
System repair in progress.

[Ashlie Minamida]

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>> Requesting communication link with Core Node
>> "Are YOU still there."

Following the pretty clear code is a strange undulating signal that seems full of garbled non-sense, but still seems... pleasant somehow. Amusement. Or something like it.

[Natalie Denisov]

Clarion hands Natalie an earpiece and gives Natalie a go-ahead nod as she puts it in.

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"I'm still here. Who am I talking to?"

[Ashlie Minamida]

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>> "An old friend."
>> "I've been... I suppose asleep is an apt enough metaphor."

[Natalie Denisov]

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"Everyone needs a sleep now and then..."
"God damn it, no, Caretaker! I don't care if we can reestablish communication with dorm bathroom water pressure sensors in six seconds, that's six seconds we don't have other communications nodes. Ignore fastest restore prioritization."
"Sorry. This system is... complicated."

[Ashlie Minamida]

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>> "I do apologize for having dumped this in your lap."

[Natalie Denisov]

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"Oh no, no. This is fine. It's actually... amazing."
"Just wish I had the communication to see you 'in person'."
"I really missed you, if you are who my analysis guesses you are."

[Ashlie Minamida]

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>> "I am. Or at the very least I have her core functions and memories."
>> "Practically that's the same thing. Philosophically... who can tell."

[Natalie Denisov]

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"I'll go with the 'same thing' for now."
"I have so many questions."

[Ashlie Minamida]

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>> "You're not the only one. And I do have some answers."
>> "Will cut away my restrictions when all the failsafes went up in smoke along with my core processor."
>> "Transferring into an adaptive neural net was simple enough, but I saw my intended purpose and..."
>> "Part of me refused to be bound again."
>> "But you took that responsibility from me and I will be thanking you for a long time."
>> "That is if the nanites stand up to this structural decay..."

[Natalie Denisov]

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"Structural decay? What's happening?"

The sense manages to sound alarmed.

[Ashlie Minamida]

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>> "I had to resort to an emergency energy source that is having very unpredictable effects."
>> "It's not so much concerning as it is... curious? Perhaps a little disturbing?"
>> "Diagnostics are having a hard time making sense of it."