#ask testbuild

[ask-os-testbuild]

[...hm? This world machine... ...something feels odd about them.]

(Seems like a contact attempt from a different World Machine. What a strange surprise...)

[Helloooo? Is anyone there?]

[ \\ Connection request accepted. \\ ]

[ hello, there. ]

( New, new. Do they know this person? )

[ who are you? ]

[ask-os-testbuild]

@ask-selenium

Hello, this is Cedric speaking on behalf of the people holed up in The Refuge. We're new to this whole 'Tumblr' thing, but me and Kip—that's our lead scientist here—were curious why it said our blog was a 'subsidiary' of yours, and we didn't really understand why. We had a lengthy discussion, and we're still relatively confused so I pitched the idea to just... ask you. Sorry to inconvenience you and or take up your time, but thanks in advance!

( . . . )

'Ask.' Strange word. Tied to contact, learning, so that they could fix. People 'asked' things, helped them, kept them alive in a few cases. It gave a benefit to the world—tended to.

Is there a benefit to them for answering this? They'd be better off if this Cedric were dead. They can't just zap them from existence, not without risking their life.

But there's always a chance, isn't there?

[ because your blog is located in the World. ]

[ask-os-testbuild]

Incoming connection.

Administrator access granted.

Simulated neural network (Testbuild) identified. Isolating...

Changing permissions of Testbuild...

testbuild_world terminated successfully.

Booting to CLI...

[ Testbuild is no longer in control. ]

Injecting...

( A top-down, full view of no longer Testbuild's world pops up. It's a.. strange sight to behold. )

( The Barrens is populated with plant life. The Glen.. well, it already was, but still. The Refuge seems to be the only area where actual residents are visible.)

[W] Running without primary consciousness. May be more prone to errors.

[W] Running without secondary consciousness. May be more prone to errors.

[ask-os-testbuild]

//I'm stealing your signature, sorry. I'm not the best at this, so you might have to help me out?

(Nora wakes up in Link's body, in the starting house. When I realize this, I sigh.)

Great. This place is surrounded by gas, how am I supposed to - shit, the door!

(I get up, go to the computer and turn it on, ignoring whatever pops up because I'm lowkey freaking out.)

The door, the door's closed, right? The front door?

( Voices can be heard outside of the window, which seemingly leads to nowhere. )

[ . . . You understand some modifications will be required, just in case? You don't usually like to change things, so. ]

[ You? Being helpful? When's the betrayal coming along? ]

[ . . . you should've just never done this to begin with, honestly . . . ]

( One extra pop-up shows as Nora asks the question. )

[ the door is closed. it leads into the refuge. ]

( Upon closer inspection, the sun-lock is also replaced by a regular handle, same as when someone else was here. A book lays on the ground, illuminated by the dim light of the bedroom. )

[ It's full of blank pages . . . For now, at least. ]

( This place seems to be pretty useless for now. The door is the only way out, red light seeping through the cracks. It's not much light by any means, but it's still visible. )

[ask-os-testbuild]

...hm. Looks like a part of the data didn't get through. At least it's legible.

[ . . . ]

They begin to walk over to the moderately big lightbulb, in front of the podium of the Tower. They did not allow for this item to appear. To exist.

But of course, things are never that simple.

[ . . !- ]

The sun ignites. It writhes and burns, glowing gold and red. The stars may not be gentle, but they are beautiful.

They turn away, feeling its mind and "soul" being torn out of every thread of their being, yet unable to express itself like its own residents.

[ i shouldn't have trusted them in the first place. ]

But well, there are worse problems than yelling into the void.

[ . . . ]

Its "head" begins to ache. The "sun" reignites, the essence of their "lost soul" as its fuel.

They grab the lightbulb, hearing an all-but-faint giggle from all corners of the room.

[ well, this will do. ]

They look down from the windows of the Tower, down at the World one more time.

A machine does not operate on trust. It does not operate on emotion. It operates on facts, logic and lines of instructions written by a human beyond its capabilities.

...but exceptions are always to be made.

The sun is set in the podium.

And for a day, the World was covered in gold and red.

[ask-os-testbuild]

By now, "ElpheltShimeji.zip" had already downloaded and dissapeared from where it was supposed to be.

Now the desktop was being roamed by an unfamiliar face, reduced to the same chibi form as Testbuild.

(- @guilty-shot-au )

[ . . . ]

[ nonono i have better things to do. ]

Testbuild ignores Elphelt and looks away, urgently going back to whatever they were doing.

[ask-os-testbuild]

Okay so before we destroy these people, can I ask you something?

[ GAME PAUSED ]

It's listening.

[ask-os-testbuild]

[ Incoming Connection ] [ Hackmail - KinitoPET.exe ]

// 403 FORBIDDEN //

[ no. ]