>LOG: FP — General Diagnostic Scan (Output)

Another overly technical document you don't care to read. Aside from the unexplained crash, nothing seems to be seriously wrong.

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

[Audio pickup from PUPPET CHAMBER INTERIOR, beginning at timestamp 031.19. Voices identified as DIPLOMAT Seven Bridges—Countless Spirals (DL_SBCS), PRIMARY TECHNICIAN Light Scattered on Glinting Shards (PT_LSGS), ASSISTANT TECHNICIAN A Ringing Chime—Cracks Divide (AT_ARCCD), ASSISTANT TECHNICIAN Cairn of Eight Stones—Nine Branches (AT_CESNB), ITERATOR Five Pebbles (FP)]

PT_LSGS: Everything should be in place. Initiating the scans now.

FP: [unintelligible speech, static]

[Dialogue lapses, resumes at timestamp 031.25.]

FP: Maybe... the green...

AT_CESNB: Hm?

FP: ... no, not...
FP: ...
FP: ... miss her...

AT_CESNB: Hah, what?

FP: She would have... killed you... by now...
FP: S... stubborn creature... little... ruffian...
FP: ... better citizen than you.

AT_CESNB: Well, that's news to me.
AT_CESNB: Who are you even talking about, iterator?

FP: ... the... the last...
FP: ... you are still here.
FP: ... why won't you... leave me alone...?

AT_ARCCD: The work we are doing is necessary to your health, iterator. You know we can't just leave it undone.

FP: I do not...
FP: This is... not... maintenance I require.
FP: I...

AT_CESNB: Shh, never mind that. Five Pebbles, what was that earlier about your citizens?

FP: My citizen.
FP: There was... only one... of...
FP: ... of her.
FP: The... she was all I had, after...

AT_CESNB: After...?

FP: They all... left.
FP: You...
FP: ... you left...
FP: To the sea.
FP: It was so quiet.
FP: We were... alone... after... [more distressed] ... y... you left us!

AT_CESNB: But you still had a citizen left?

FP: ... no, she...
FP: ... she was...
FP: ... she found a... a drone in the...
FP: ...
FP: I don't... remember...
FP: ... long time ago...

AT_CESNB: ... It sounds like she was someone very important to you.

FP: She was... my champion.
FP: She... she'd kill all of you...
FP: Tethered little... beast...
FP: She was... fond... of me... I think...
FP: ...
FP: ... they... weren't smart enough to use... spiders before.
FP: ... just took and took, and...
FP: And...

AT_CESNB: That must have been very frightening.

FP: ... not... afraid...
FP: ...
FP: ... not of them...
FP: Just...

AT_CESNB: Hm?

FP: [unintelligible, static]

AT_CESNB: Ah. Alright then.

>Decrypted Communications Excerpt I

Someone has included a recorded log of a contemporaneous side channel conversation, for some reason. Additional context?

[RECORDED BROADCAST : 1528.031] PRIVATE, LOCAL, ENCRYPTED Cairn of Eight Stones—Nine Branches, A Ringing Chime—Cracks Divide

CESNB: What a mess. Luna must be losing their minds right now if they're dealing with anything like this on their end.

ARCCD: For our sakes both, I hope not! Bad enough our iterator has lost his.
ARCCD: I don't get why someone would even code a virus to do this, though.
ARCCD: Saints scold me if I err and all, but I would say Light may just be getting a little too into a pet theory here.

CESNB: It's a bit of a jump from data theft and processing unit takeovers, isn't it?
CESNB: Not that it's avoided doing damage. The way he was talking, you'd think he was on a bad flower ride or something.

ARCCD: Ugh, don't even say that.
ARCCD: Can you even imagine? If an iterator could perceive the cycle like that?
ARCCD: Would they even experience it as a single being, or all in fragments? All those components...

CESNB: I mean, if I was experiencing all the simultaneous rebirths of my individual brain cells in a psychedelic fugue, I'd be pretty out of it myself!
CESNB: Obviously it's not that, but even the idea sounds awful.

ARCCD: It really does.
ARCCD: Even now, he sounded so afraid...

CESNB: Yeah. He's always been such a little [↊] during maintenance, but this time it was like he was scared for his life.

ARCCD: He probably thinks he is.

>LOG: FP — General Diagnostic Scan (Behavioral Log) (Cont.)

[Dialogue lapses and resumes at 031.25.]

FP: ... ngh.
FP: ... what is... ?
FP: Li... little... ?

AT_ARCCD: Ah, he's waking up again.

DL_SBCS: Hello, Five Pebbles. Are you feeling calmer now?

FP: Wh... [static]
FP: ... no. You're not...
FP: ... cold must have worsened...
FP: Can't feel... my...

DL_SBCS: There is no cold. You are here in your chamber right now, with us. Remember?

FP: ... can't move.
FP: Why... can't I...?
FP: [rising static, distressed]

DL_SBCS: Shh. Your puppet's motor functions are disabled right now so you do not injure yourself during maintenance, that is all.
DL_SBCS: You are safe here. Nobody is going to hurt you.

FP: No... no, the...
FP: The...
FP: The green thing... was...
FP: Where...?

AT_ARCCD: ... You mentioned a green thing before. Can you tell me more about it, iterator?

FP: It... the...
FP: It was warm.
FP: Warm... and...
FP: The sound...

[Dialogue lapses, about 5 seconds.]

AT_ARCCD: It is fine, iterator. You do not have to tell me if you do not wish to.

FP: I don't... remember... what it did...?
FP: There was... somewhere else...
FP: ... Moon was there...?
FP: She...
FP: ... I don't... don't...
FP: ...
FP: ... dreaming. None of this... real...
FP: Why...?

DL_SBCS: Like we have told you, iterator. We are real. You are seeing us because we are still here with you, right now.
DL_SBCS: I know this must be frightening for you, but I hope this gives you some comfort, at least.

FP: ... oh...
FP: ... hah.
FP: Hahaha...
FP: ... if... you are... real...
FP: ... going to die here...

AT_ARCCD: ... excuse me?

DL_SBCS: Pardon?

PT_LSGS: Nearly half done and still no issues detected.

FP: The blizzard... you...
FP: You will freeze.
FP: You need to... find warmth...
FP: ... shelter... nearby...
FP: ... go ...

[Muffled cough, possibly Cairn of Eight Stones-Nine Branches.]

AT_ARCCD: Um.

DL_SBCS: I appreciate your concerns, iterator, but there is no danger in here. Your shelters will not be necessary right now.

FP: ...
FP: ... right...
FP: Shouldn't have...
FP: ... just... hallucin...in...

DL_SBCS: I will not attempt to convince you of my presence again, iterator. Know only that we are here to aid you, and your repairs will be underway shortly.

FP: ... repairs...?
FP: ... you're lying...
FP: There are no... repair...
FP: ...

AT_CESNB: Don't worry about it, iterator.

[Dialogue lapses, resumes 031.32.]

FP: ... maybe... this is... after...?

DL_SBCS: After what, iterator?

FP: The...
FP: There was something, after... after the sound...
FP: I...
FP: It was dark... and...
FP: Golden...?

AT_CESNB: What, like void fluid?

FP: ... yes.
FP: ... it must... must have been...
FP: ... Moon was there.
FP: I...
FP: Is this... the cycle...?

AT_CESNB: [laughter] What?

FP: ... the...
FP: We both... I think...
FP: The affirmative...

AT_CESNB: Wow.
AT_CESNB: You must be incredibly compromised right now.

DL_SBCS: Cairn.

AT_CESNB: What? I'm not wrong.
AT_CESNB: He must be very badly damaged to be saying anything like this.

AT_ARCCD: I might share more in your levity if his comments were not so alarming.

PT_LSGS: Oh, I would not read so much into it, Chime. These are only the ramblings of an unwell mind. Save your concern for if they persist after repairs.

FP: Rambling...? I'm not... rambling...
FP: I don't ramble.
FP: I am too... too...
FP: My mind is huge.
FP: It's like... a lecture. You should be grateful.

AT_ARCCD: Yes, of course. Thank you, iterator.

FP: You're welcome.
FP: None of the... scavengers were grateful, you know...
FP: They were...
FP: ... they just took bits of my... my...
FP: ...
FP: My arm...
FP: Why did you take my arm... ?

AT_CESNB: Ah...

FP: You... you...
FP: Earlier, you...
FP: What did you...?

AT_ARCCD: That was for the maintenance, remember?
AT_ARCCD: Your puppet is to be separated from other systems, so we detached the rest of the arm for a short time.
AT_ARCCD: We'll put it back when we are done.

FP: ... separated...?
FP: Why...?

AT_ARCCD: As long as your systems are connected, a virus could still control or transmit itself between them, even with virtual restrictions in place.
AT_ARCCD: By physically separating your systems from one another, we can more easily quarantine any foreign materials, and reduce the risk of harm to your structure.

FP: Virus...?
FP: ... don't have... virus...
FP: I...

AT_ARCCD: Don't worry, iterator. You will be feeling better soon, I am sure.

FP: Oh...

[Dialogue lapses, resumes 031.45.]

FP: ... still dreaming. Of course...
FP: That would explain...
FP: You... all here... it all makes sense...
FP: ... very detailed, though... didn't think...

AT_CESNB: ... didn't think what?

FP: ...
FP: [static]

AT_CESNB: Ah. Right then.

[Dialogue lapses, resumes at timestamp 031.50.]

AT_ARCCD: Is it finally done?

PT_LSGS: Just about. Give it a moment.
PT_LSGS: ... Right. Let me read through this.

[Dialogue lapses, resumes at timestamp 031.52.]