for uta

[dzelkva]

Comments

[dzelkva]

I can share whatever I want.

[ He even grins, hoping that inspires some confidence. ]

The problem is that there isn't a lot I do know. For example, I don't really know how many areas like this are out there.

[tot]

I see; then if I think about it in the world I'm familiar with—it's the same kind of logic of just because I know there are coffee shops, it doesn't mean I know how many of them are out there.

[ no clue why that took her so long to make the connect but here we are. still, she's glad that it doesn't appear that she's forcing him to say anything he doesn't want to. ]

Do you not get in trouble from doing whatever you pretty much please then?

[dzelkva]

Nope!

[ He can do whatever he wants! You know, unless he runs into restrictions. ]

I'm not employed by CC Corp, after all.

[tot]

Eh?? You're not?

[ ?? ??? ?? ]

I thought that you were. Wasn't that what we were told?

[ IS SHE BEING GASLIT HERE?!?? I AM I BEING GASLIT HERE?? ]

[dzelkva]

Well... I'm your point of contact, but I don't get paid.

[ How does an AI get paid? ]

[tot]

[ in bits? ]

But you still have to report to the CC Corp? Right?

If you do something that they aren't happen with... Doesn't something bad happen?

[dzelkva]

[ He shrugs. ]

I don't know. I haven't had anything bad happen to me.

[tot]

Well, that's good. I'd hate to hear that things would have been rough for you here before us.

[ hmmm. she might not get a proper answer out of him but?? you never know?? ]

What do you think about all of the weird things that we've been running into? Some of it seems pretty extreme even for a "bug" or "glitch".

[dzelkva]

I don't like that it's happening to all of you. I know these bugs can be dangerous, and I know that they've caused some players a lot of grief.

[ He frowns, crossing his arms. ]

I want to try to stop them.

[tot]

Are they really bugs? Causing someone to pass out and then being stuck in here and unable to log-out seems more than a "bug" to me.

[ she frowns as well. ]

Do you think that there's anything you could do? The Fragment is your home...

[dzelkva]

They're serious, whatever they are.

[ At least Zelkova will admit that much, right? ]

I'll try to do what I can, but it's like coming up on caution tape when I do try something. I have to find a way to duck around it.

[tot]

Is there anything that me or anyone else here could do to help? The last thing I'd want is for you to get hurt while trying to help us.

[ since, well, that won't be good for anyone here. ]

...especially if the CC Corp isn't going to be stepping in and addressing what has been happening.

[dzelkva]

I'll look for a way that you can help. You seem like you really enjoy helping others, Unna, so I would like to give you a way to do it.

[ He genuinely means it too, he just... needs some time. ]

[tot]

Thank you!

But I suppose I do... It's just that whenever I see someone suffering or sad, I can't help but feel the same as them. So, I want to do something about it—makes sense doesn't it?

[ and while hearing someone other than an extremely limited number of people use her name is actually extremely unnerving, she'll approach it lightly. ]

I didn't realize that you would know my name.

[dzelkva]

I think so. I feel the same way.

[ Or at least, his coding attempts to emulate those feelings for him. ]

I know the information used in account creation.

[ Name, birthday, address, and so on. ]

[tot]

Oh!

[ she'll place a hand on her chest. ]

Oh, of course; that makes sense. It's not common for people to use that name so it took me by surprise.

[ and here is uta not wanting to know which last name he knows. rather, if it dares to differ from tott then she really would like to be ignorant about it. ]

[dzelkva]

Really?

[ Always thirsty for knowledge, he wonders why that is. What's the exact reason for it? ]

I guess you're used to your streamer name, huh.

[tot]

[ she's not going to hold anything against zelkova for this. ]

I am, but it's more that I do it because I want to keep who I really am a secret. It's not safe for me otherwise.

[ for multiple reasons that are not including the fact that she's now a pretty big name streamer. ]

[dzelkva]

Why's that?

[ There are all kinds of reasons to keep your identity a secret, aren't there? He's admittedly curious as to what her specific reason might be.

Taking a genuine interest that goes beyond his own programming... maybe that's what it means to have a friend. ]

[tot]

[ there's a long pause before uta says anything as she debates on whether she should tell him or not. he isn't entitled to it but... ]

It's because of what happened to my parents. They're dead. The report that was filed for what happened to them stated that they died in a "freak accident"—how something malfunctioned then exploded.

[ thanks hall of mirrors for making the memory all that more fresh. ]

However, even though I can't prove it, I'm sure someone had them killed and that someone is still out there. [ which might sound like paranoia talk but?? she has valid concerns and hopefully zelkova won't judge her for it. ] It's why I want to be careful.

[dzelkva]

[ What better entity to tell all of this to without judgement than an AI? ]

But you still have a feeling, huh? Feelings don't need proof, but that doesn't mean they're wrong either. I hope you're able to find the killer someday.

[tot]

[ it's true. and now she'll be on the record for saying this forever as well. ]

Thank you. [ tragically this is the one sticking point where uta's optimism fails. still, she'll offer zelkova a small smile. ] As much as I would want to believe that they will, I don't think it will happen. Not unless a lot of things change.

[ her coming out of ""hiding"" being one of them. ]

[dzelkva]

A lot of things? Like what? Are there laws that keep people from being caught?

[ In moments like these, it's entirely clear that he doesn't fully know how the real world works. Sure, he can read up on laws and literature and everything, but being there is a whole other thing entirely. ]

[tot]

Something like that.

[ well, he's about to somewhat get a crash course in how nasty things can be? uta will still be careful in what she says given the weight of everything but won't stray too far from the point she's making. ]

I can't prove anything so I can only guess, but I know that my parents were involved in some unsavory business for a while. They never did anything that would hurt anyone, but it still meant that they crossed paths with unpleasant people.

[ aka they were pirates of a different/modern breed and stinky people will always be stinky. ]

Unpleasant people with a lot of money and influence.

[dzelkva]

[ For not knowing how nasty the real world can get, Zelkova at least picks up on it quickly. Like the highly advanced program he is, he gathers that information and processes it instantly. ]

And some of those people might've had a grudge, right? So they did something to look like an accident.

[ ... ]

I think you've got plenty of reasons to feel the way you do.