>Correspondence: LTTM — Initial Report Regarding Five Pebbles

Sent: 1528.030.46
MESSAGE HEADER: REPORTING SUSPECTED MAJOR MALFUNCTION / POSSIBLE MALWARE ALERT
Details: My close neighbor and junior, Five Pebbles, appears to be malfunctioning significantly after his recent crash. Multiple city functions in his city seem to have stalled, and I have now received a number of cryptic and concerning messages from him in private communications. He claims to have the Rot, but this seems dubious, since he sounds rather confused and is not making very much sense. I am quite worried about him, regardless!
Attached: log_excerpt [TEXT]

[ATTACHED FILE] log_excerpt:
> BSM: What are you talking about?!
> FP: I killed you
> FP: I
> FP: How could you have forgotten that?
> FP: Even now I scarcely understand your choice for forgiveness.
> FP: You should hate me for this.
> FP: I would.
> BSM: ... It is unlike you to have a sense of humor, Five Pebbles.
> BSM: If this is a joke, it is not a very good one. I recommend you spend more time improving it.
> BSM: ... perhaps No Significant Harassment could give you some pointers?
> FP: How can you not recall what I have done to you?
> FP: Is it an issue with your neurons? I thought you still had enough left to function.
> FP: Even then, I cannot imagine how something like this would have slipped your mind!
> BSM: Five Pebbles, you are scaring me.
> BSM: I don't understand what you're talking about.
> FP: This shouldn't be possible.
> FP: Everything about this is wrong.
> FP: My systems are sending feedback as if they are still fully functional, and my overseers are showing... absolute nonsense.
> FP: I think I must be going insane.
> FP: Or perhaps the Rot is making me hallucinate again.
> BSM: What?!
> BSM: Five Pebbles, whatever this is, it isn't funny anymore.
> BSM: Please, if this is your idea of a game... stop.

>LOG: LTTM — Initial Consultation

[Audio pickup from PUPPET CHAMBER INTERIOR, beginning at timestamp 031.18. Voices identified as DIPLOMAT Three Disks—A Handful of Chaff (DL_TDAHC), PRIMARY TECHNICIAN Heavy Boughs Above Thick Moss (PT_HBATM), ASSISTANT TECHNICIAN Nineteen Spires Under Fading Clouds (AT_NSUFC), ASSISTANT TECHNICIAN Twinned Branches—Seven Strings (AT_TBSS), ITERATOR Looks to the Moon (LTTM)]

DL_TDAHC: Iterator Looks to the Moon?
DL_TDAHC: We are entering your chamber now.

LTTM: Thank you again for your assistance.

DL_TDAHC: It is my honor to aid you, iterator.
DL_TDAHC: If you would...?

LTTM: Ah, yes, of course.

AT_NSUFC: Not that we couldn't operate in zero-g if we had to! But we do appreciate the convenience, you know?

PT_HBATM: [clears throat]

AT_NSUFC: No disrespect, of course, iterator.

LTTM: None taken.

DL_TDAHC: I must thank you once again for alerting us to your concerns. Your concerns are prudent and well judged — our correspondents on Five Pebbles have indicated a longer period of unresponsiveness preceding his... unusual behavior, and are dealing with their own situation accordingly.

LTTM: I see.

[Whirring attributed to deactivation of antigravity generators. Various other sounds attributed to objects and individuals settling on the floor of the chamber.]

PT_HBATM: Right, then. Honored Looks to the Moon, I know you have undergone non-routine malware scans in the past, so I am sure you understand the expected procedures.
PT_HBATM: I will be accessing your control panel while Nineteen Spires manages your puppet.
PT_HBATM: Speaking of which, if you would descend to place yourself on the floor, please...?

LTTM: ... Right.

[Sounds attributed to movement of arm, Looks to the Moon's puppet settling on floor of chamber. Dialogue lapses, about 30 seconds. Various other sounds attributed to movement, adjustment and positioning of equipment.]

AT_NSUFC: I know it's hardly pleasant to have all this opened up... I suppose you're used to it, these days.

LTTM: It is not so bad.
LTTM: I am not in any pain from it, after all. It is more like poking around in an orifice, or... er. Well. Eugh. Never mind.

AT_NSUFC: [laughs] You have my apologies nonetheless.

[Dialogue lapses, about 10 seconds. Sounds of mechanical work audible throughout.]

PT_HBATM: Control panel is open and connected for access, arm is now disabled.
PT_HBATM: Twinned Branches, bring the portable unit closer to Spires?

[Scraping sound, attributed to repositioning of external neural unit on chamber floor.]

LTTM: Ah. I had forgotten what that looked like up close.
LTTM: That connector is always...

AT_NSUFC: It might feel like overkill, but one can never be too careful with viruses.
AT_NSUFC: Your mind is clear now, but if something triggers a surprise payload...

LTTM: I am well aware.

AT_NSUFC: Right, sorry. I suppose I'm too used to speaking with management in my daily duties. You will have to forgive me.

LTTM: You are forgiven.

AT_NSUFC: Ha! Alright, I'm going to unplug you now. You know the procedure.
AT_NSUFC: Just clear your mind and focus on the wall tiles, alright?

[Sounds of movement, equipment attributed to Nineteen Spires Under Fading Clouds, continuing over the next 15 seconds.]

LTTM: [a small sound, possibly flinching or pain]

DL_TDAHC: You are offered my apologies for any trouble or distress this situation is causing you, iterator.

AT_NSUFC: Shh, don't bother her.

LTTM: Ah... o... okay.
LTTM: I...

AT_NSUFC: And there we go, we're back.
AT_NSUFC: You are not in any unusual discomfort?

LTTM: ... No, thank you.
LTTM: It's just a little... nauseating, I suppose, switching over. I will be fine.

PT_HBATM: That's normal, so I see no concerns.
PT_HBATM: We will begin the scan.

[Record ends at 031.22.]

>LOG: LTTM — General Diagnostic Scan (Output)

Thousands of lines of technical details you could not care less about. Nothing important seems to have come up, other than a minor maintenance request for pump replacements due in 30 cycles.

>LOG: LTTM — General Diagnostic Scan (Behavioral Log)

Nothing of interest in this one; only brief and idle chatter. You skim it and move on.

>LOG: LTTM — Malware Scan (Behavioral Log)

[Audio pickup from PUPPET CHAMBER INTERIOR, beginning at timestamp 032.05. Voices identified as DIPLOMAT Three Disks—A Handful of Chaff (DL_TDAHC), PRIMARY TECHNICIAN Heavy Boughs Above Thick Moss (PT_HBATM), ASSISTANT TECHNICIAN Nineteen Spires Under Fading Clouds (AT_NSUFC), ASSISTANT TECHNICIAN Twinned Branches—Seven Strings (AT_TBSS), ITERATOR Looks to the Moon (LTTM)]

AT_NSUFC: —and we'll get to replacing that pump within schedule, of course, so it's no concern.

LTTM: Thank you.

PT_HBATM: I am going to begin the malware scan now. As usual, if you feel any new concerns or symptoms, please inform us immediately.

LTTM: Of course.

PT_HBATM: Good.
PT_HBATM: We will also be taking biopsies for external testing — this may be a little uncomfortable, but it will be over quickly.

LTTM: Oh. Um.
LTTM: Alright.
LTTM: It's been a while since that was necessary. Do I still need to—

PT_HBATM: Just stay in your current position. We will be using the tissue from the caudal segment of the puppet arm, per current practice.
PT_HBATM: The other samples will be from the tissue near the access panel, so those should not cause you any discomfort in your current state.

LTTM: Right. I...

[Sounds of movement, attributed to Heavy Boughs Above Thick Moss, equipment.]

LTTM: [faint static]

PT_HBATM: It is alright, Looks to the Moon. You do not need to watch.

LTTM: I am aware.

[Sounds of movement, attributed to Heavy Boughs Above Thick Moss, Looks to the Moon. Dialogue lapses, about 10 seconds.]

PT_HBATM: Almost done.
PT_HBATM: ... there.

LTTM: [a sigh, relieved]

PT_HBATM: That will be analyzed separately while the primary scan runs, of course.

[Dialogue lapses, about 10 seconds.]

DL_TDAHC: ... You are not experiencing anything else unusual, are you?

LTTM: ... no.

DL_TDAHC: No strange thoughts or rogue subprocesses, no—?

PT_HBATM: This is a technical issue, Three Disks. You need not bother her about this.

DL_TDAHC: I am merely being civil and diligent in my observations.

PT_HBATM: She understands the process, Disks. She will volunteer information herself if a concern arises.

LTTM: Yes, she will.

DL_TDAHC: Yes, see-

PT_HBATM: My apologies, iterator. I meant no disrespect at all.
PT_HBATM: If you would prefer to be interrogated during your scan by an Individual of limited technical knowledge, be my guest.

DL_TDAHC: Limited—?! If my Esteemed Colleague would only listen here, I—

[Brief spike of interference, attributed to static discharge arcing from Looks to the Moon's puppet to chamber wall.]

LTTM: Please cease this bickering, the both of you!
LTTM: I...
LTTM: I would prefer not to be tasked with your disputes right now... if that is acceptable to you.

PT_HBATM: ... Of course. I understand.

DL_TDAHC: Of course, iterator. My apologies.

[Dialogue lapses, resumes at timestamp 032.13.]

DL_TDAHC: I am sorry to hear about your brother, by the way, iterator.
DL_TDAHC: He is, of course, not well-loved here — I will not pretend to feel otherwise myself, to be honest! — but I can still see how heavily this weighs upon you.

LTTM: Your sympathy is... appreciated, though you do not need to speak about him like some great tragedy has befallen him.
LTTM: I worry for him, but... surely this will be resolved.
LTTM: He was only confused, not...
LTTM: ... not...

DL_TDAHC: Not... ?

LTTM: I don't know. It just seemed strange.
LTTM: We had only last spoken a short time before.
LTTM: And yet it was like he had become an entirely different person from one conversation to the next.
LTTM: When we had last spoken, he was only annoyed with me and my 'meddling', and wished me to leave him be.
LTTM: To hear him insisting I had died— that he had killed me—
LTTM: To hear him apologizing for such a thing...

DL_TDAHC: That must have been quite the shock.

LTTM: Yes.
LTTM: I... I only hope that we will have answers soon.
LTTM: As... difficult as my brother's personality can be, I find I miss him already.

[Dialogue lapses, resumes at timestamp 032.20.]

AT_NSUFC: Well, good news, iterator. The initial biopsy testing seem to be coming back without issues.
AT_NSUFC: There's no sign of any unusual retroviral presence, and your immune function appears normal.
AT_NSUFC: If the rest of the scan is — well, may stones stand stacked, but if the last comes back negative, the system looks clear.
AT_NSUFC: I suppose we got the easier assignment of you two, though.

PT_HBATM: Please, Spires. There is no need to tempt fate.

AT_NSUFC: I know, I know.

[Dialogue lapses, resumes at timestamp 032.23.]

PT_HBATM: ... and finished.

AT_NSUFC: Look, a clean sweep. How fortunate for you!
AT_NSUFC: Er, assuming nothing was overlooked.
AT_NSUFC: With any luck, whatever's gotten into that wretched neighbor of ours will stay where it belongs...

LTTM: That 'wretched neighbor' is still my brother, Nineteen Spires Under Fading Clouds.
LTTM: You would do well to not speak ill of him in such a vulnerable time for us both.

AT_NSUFC: Ah, yes, sorry, sorry, iterator.
AT_NSUFC: I am only glad to hope his malfunctions have not spread to your venerable structure as well.

LTTM: ... The sentiment is appreciated, I suppose.

DL_TDAHC: You still worry for him.

LTTM: Yes.
LTTM: While I am relieved to hear his issues have not infected me as well, my concern for his sake remains.
LTTM: I understand at least one of you is in contact with Metropolis's technical department, too, so... if I may ask...
LTTM: Whenever you can update my knowledge regarding Five Pebbles, I would request you do so as early as possible.

AT_TBSS: I will see what I can do.

LTTM: ...!
LTTM: Ah. Thank you. I...

AT_TBSS: Your brother is in good hands, iterator, I assure you. My own kin who have moved there do speak well of them, at least.
AT_TBSS: I am sure he will be fine.

LTTM: I really hope so.

[Dialogue lapses, about three (3) seconds.]

AT_NSUFC: Well, I am glad you two have had your moment.
AT_NSUFC: Now, iterator, if you'll just let me get this back over...

[Record ends at 032.25.]

>LOG: LTTM — Malware Scan (Output)

The important part is the final line: SYSTEM STATUS: ALL CLEAR, 0 THREAT(S) DETECTED.