10th Aniversary Mind Control!

[[NPC] Ai]

Does this mean no more androids going crazy and attacking the guests now?

For now, at least. Vaporeon still needs to communicate with the other androids and ease them into realizing they're dead people trapped inside robots. If we unplug them without giving them the chance to accept that reality, they'd go mad from the revelation.

Then this isn't over yet. We still need to keep an eye on them and make sure they can transition back to their old selves.

But that shouldn't be too hard! Just hang out with the androids and make them feel better. Get on their good side, trigger some relationship flags, show them you care. Just... have fun with them and give them a good time. We can't guarantee that they're fully conscious of what's going on around them, but it's worth a shot. Hopefully when we can safely turn off the emotional inhibitors they'll be able to understand why Percy did what he did and won't hold any ill will.

That goes for Andromeda too, right?

Baby steps, Perseus. Baby steps.

I'll be monitoring the hivemind for any blips in hostile activity with Vaporeon. It's not like I'll be getting any sleep tonight anyway. If any of you need me I'll be in Ai's bedroom on the third floor.

Why are you staying in Ai's room?

Miss Tequila is valuable to our mission of helping the androids, so she should get as much protection as possible. The best way to do that is if she's in the most secure room in this building... besides the vault in the basement... since, you know, we're keeping Black Naru in there.

Oh yeah, what ever happened to Risky? I sent him up to Miss Tequila's room earlier today and haven't heard from him since then.

I checked on him before the meeting began. He's sound asleep. You worried about him?

Ugh no, I was just curious. I know he won't stay dead.

We should all be going to bed soon as well. If you're worried about the androids attacking you in your sleep you can camp out in the library.

Can all of us even fit inside the basement library?

I think she means the library on the first floor.

There's another library?!

Sure is! And it's much bigger than the one in the basement.

Can we go see Jim?! Can we?! Can we?!

Sure, what the heck?!

I suppose if anyone hasn't been to the library yet I can show you where it is. Meeting adjourned, I guess?

The room slowly empties as everyone leaves for the library.

[[NPC] Perseus]

Thank science that's over. That could have gone a lot worse. Thanks for, you know, not ending our deal like that Minnie. I'll be honest with you, my company's not doing so hot right now. The x50i units were a last ditch effort to keep my dad's business from going under.

So lying about creating artificial intelligence was a money making scheme.

NOT... one hundred percent true, but I was loosing shareholders by the dozen. Ever since I was a kid I dreamed that living, thinking machines would some day be a reality. It's why I got into science in the first place. But then I got to college, and found out real science was boring! I should have probably become an engineer, because by then I realized my appreciation wasn't in programming robots, but building them.
I still liked the idea of artificial intelligence. I just never had the knack for making them. Then I found out about the Reflections, and being no stranger to shortcuts in university...

But so what? What's wrong with a little make-believe if it brings you closer to your dreams?

Yeah. What's wrong with that? If it makes you happy, why not believe in the impossible?

See? What's-her-name agrees with me!
Oh crap, sorry, I'm suppose to ignore you.

Did sensei tell you to do that?

Well if by tell you mean threatened me...

Priscilla is hit with a wave of anxiety.

Heck, I'd be content with them just using the android shells and marketing them as a full-body Reflection prosthetic. That's why they're loaded with gadgets and rocket punches. That's what I'd want in a robot body, so why not market it? Even if we'll never have real artificially intelligent machines we can all pretend to be one. I sure as heck wouldn't complain.

Well either way, it was really irresponsible of you to ignore the dangers this could cause. Just count yourself lucky I know what I'm doing and showed up to bail you out.

Yeah, thank goodness for that!

And didn't Jim say that there will be an android uprising in the future?

Geez, don't remind me. Don't know what I'm going to do about that.
But hey, that Fadbury fellow sounded like he took care of it. I'm sure he's the type of guy to come in and solve problems without anybody getting hurt!

Well, believe what you want if it makes you happy...

I'm heading up to Hanasaku's room. I believe she also wanted you somewhere. Better go speak with her. As for you, you should run off to your Guildmaster before she starts to worry.

.....

Priscilla and Perseus leave.

Come on Vaporeon. We have lots of work to do.

[[NPC] Amy]

HHHHRRGHLGHRGHGHLGHRGHGHLGHRGHGHLGHRGH

The ground floor library is enormous. Far bigger than the basement library. So big that it extends up to the second floor. There are already guests in the library reading. Future!Naru and Future!Amy are there.

JIM THIS PLACE IS SO BIG!

Drossel bangs her forehead on the doorpost walking in.

It's not that big.

Is there a librarian running this place?

Over here! Hello!

Another Jim is waiving over by the counter. He must be volunteering for the position.

Huzzah! Looking forward to that already!

Oh wow, is it time already?

9 PM. Looks like it. Think you're ready for midterms yet?

I should be asking you that. How much studying did you get done?

Pssh! I'll be fine! It's only the first day of the event. Spread yourself out or you'll burn yourself out, after all.

Hey, if you two need more study time we can move to the other side of the library.

But what about setting up a barrier? With a library this big we could make a bunker strong enough to resist a lot worse than androids.

That's a good point.

Want me to get started?

I can help!

Okay okay.

Both Amys begin drawing barrier circles on opposite ends of the library, moving tables and chairs out of the way to make room. The library starts to empty as this is going on, which, considering it's late at night, is understandable. A few night owls remain and offer to help with the barrier construction.

[[NPC] Naru]

Hey Ai. You said you got the androids to be the event's security force, but now that the killer from last night is gone, do we still need them?

Yeah. We do. Even more so now that we know there are actual people inside there. Besides, taking care of the killer doesn't remove the problem of another crazy person like Black Naru getting sent here and knifing the closest person to them.

But don't worry! I've been working on a solution that will solve both problems all at once!

You have?

Oh yeah. I hired a last-minute staff member to co-manage this event with me, and we've got big plans for tomorrow!

Really?

Who did you hire?

It's a surprise! Don't worry. You'll love them. They're the nicest, prettiest, most bestest person for the job! Thanks to them, I'll be able to turn this event around and save it from being a complete bust!

......

......what's wrong?

I just... What Mr. Fadbury said earlier. About how the Reflections are trapped in those android shells... being controlled by those emotion chips... forced to do things they'd never willingly do. That's...

.........

Ai, I know I should be taking it easy, but I can't ignore this.

Me too. I can't sit back and let the androids go through something like that. If this was just another Black Naru, I'd be okay with letting it be someone else's problem. But not this.

Besides-!... That scientist lady said all we have to do is have fun with them to make them feel better. If that's true then you can't talk me out of helping them. I'll still be having fun, but I'll also be helping the androids at the same time.

......

Alright, how about this: You two can help with the androids, but you have to promise to come with me to the Fire show, first thing in the morning.

Yeah, okay, I promise.

Thanks.

Oh yeah, your Guildmaster gave me this list of people she wants banned from my event, but I want to hear your thoughts on who on here is really, truly dangerous or not.

Oh, yeah I guess I could help.

Ai hands over Michi's shit list.

Oh yeah. I have no idea who half these people even are.

Lemme see. I might recognize some.

Oh yeah, I know some of these guys. These are high-ranking members in our rival guild Everything Nice. Looks like Matty and Zebra are both crossed off though... Good for you, sensei.

Well, Miss Magenta is on here. That's a shame.

Any of these people bad?

Some of them, but not all of them.

We'll mark all the ones that would be an actual danger to the event for you.

Naru and Zarath work together to mark all of the names that deserve to be on the list. The total number of actual dangerous people on the list could be counted on one hand. Naru and Zarath pause while looking over the list one last time, unsure of what to do.

[[NPC] Ai]

Something wrong?

Well, some of these names are...

We don't recognize some of them...

Yeah. Sensei's been around longer than either of us, so there are probably people we just don't know about.

Really? Like who?

Well, "Lamentine" doesn't ring any bells, for one.

Oh, that's the vampire queen. Magenta told me about her.

Who's Magenta?

She's a friend of mine. We were both members of The Unknown, but she defected to join the vampire army. We still message each other though. From what she's told me the Vampire Queen treats everyone real nice.

Well, if you don't think she's bad, who am I to judge?

The clock chimes in. 10 PM. Naru can hear more guests piling into the building from down the hall. Michi and Drossel have already set up a tent in the library. Future!Jim closes the library and climbs inside his coat along with a few other people. The present Jim does the same with Amy, Marvin, and Goldie following him inside.

Looks like the others are getting ready for bed. I work on a completely different sleep schedule, so I'll be helping Tequila tonight. Are you two going to be alright in here?

I think my dad went back to the hotel. We are paying for a room, after all.

Oh good point. The hotel is outside the park, so it would probably be the safest place for me and Zarath.

But I mean, I'm not doing this to abandoning your event! The mansion is much nicer than my hotel room and-

Naru, hey, come on, you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings. Go on. Get outta here before your folks get worried. And get hyped for the special event I have planned tomorrow! It's gonna be killer!

12 PM. Tequila's attention shifts back and forth between her laptop and the television in front of her. Her amusement with the trashy soap opera on at this hour is both visually and audibly apparent to anyone in the room.

Her amusement is interrupted by a knock on the door.

What is it? I'm busy, so please make it quick.

The door opens, but only wide enough for someone to quietly peer out from behind the door.

I can't sleep.

Oh. Oooooh!

Come on in!

Who is it?

Oh. One of Mizuki's minions.

Can I hang out here for the night? I'll wake everyone up if I stay in the library.

We're getting ready for an event tomorrow, so as long as you don't get in the way I don't mind.

Wanna help? We could use an extra hand.

Help? Are you sure about that?

It'll be fine! I trust her. And it's not like we're giving her anything important to do. We just need some help brainstorming. You in? We'll let you hang out with us if you say yes.

Okay.

But on one condition.

I don't want any credit for helping. None. To everyone else this was all your idea.

Done!

Soooo... What are we doing?

Well, Vaporeon is here watching the hivemind. He'll alert me if anything weird happens, so I've been waiting for any blips that might indicate the androids going nuts. But it's boring, so I've been watching TV all night. It's a great source for inspiration, and so many great programs I've yet to catch up on.

[[NPC] Priscilla]

Ugh, can we change the channel? I hate this episode.

You said you've never seen this show before.

I can see a recycled plot from a mile away. This is turning into one of those character focused episodes.

Character focus isn't a recycled plot. It's the most basic foundation for a story.

Well I hate them. Can we watch something else?

Sure. I stopped caring about it two episodes ago anyway.

You ever... wonder what it would be like to be a character on television?

Well I thought about going into the film industry when I was younger. But because of... reasons, that wouldn't have worked out.

No, what I mean is... what if the character knew they were on television, and that millions were watching them... their whole lives being broadcast to complete strangers. Isn't that terrifying?

I guess if you realized you weren't real that would be terrifying.

No, that's not what I mean either. Like... in a character focused episode, that's twenty or so minutes all about a character and their problems. But what if they don't want anyone to know about their problems?

How else are you suppose to know about the character?

That's the point. You shouldn't know private stuff about some stranger. It could be embarrassing, shameful, or painful- and most importantly it could paint other people's perception of them the wrong way. How do you think they'd feel having their secrets pulled out for the sake of entertainment, or that no one will be able to see them as the identity they want to be seen as? If the humble bartender just wants to be a bartender, he can't just be that anymore if everyone knows about his past as a drill sergeant. The bartender might as well be dead if the only thing people see him as is "Drill sergeant who became a bartender."

Wouldn't they just be flat and boring if that's the case?

What's wrong with that?

Nothing... but I don't think a story with only one note characters would be very popular. People like it when characters remind them of themselves sometimes.

I hate it. It feels invasive. I watch television to escape. If I wanted to be reminded of myself I'd look in a damn mirror.

...I never thought of it that way. Characters like that always made me feel less alone. It feels validating knowing there's someone who thinks the same way as you and has been through the same stuff you have. Even if they're fictional, there's a writer out there who came up with the idea, so they must have thought about what it's like to be that person. A bunch of my friends in high school never really understood me. Seeing a fictional character mirror my own beliefs makes me feel... less like I'm different for the way I think and act.

I guess...

It still feels invasive though...

Where'd you get such an idea from anyway? Was it in a movie?

Well... No... not any I've seen at least. Blazing Saddles had characters break out of the movie during the climactic gunfight in the final act, but it never delivered on the implications of doing so because it's a comedy.

Tequila keeps flipping through channels while listening to Priscilla.

Oh hey! I know this episode! This is a good one!

[[NPC] Priscilla]

I don't get this one either.

It's not another recycled plot, is it?

How'd you know?

Lucky guess?

Priscilla points to the television in front of them.

Okay. Here. Perfect example. This shit confuses the piss out of me.
This guy keeps asking "who am I?" But he should know who he is. He has a name, a background, interests, a fashion sense if you can call it that. That's enough to build an identity off of. He knows who he is, but they wanted their crappy show to sound smart, so they grab canned expressions that don't make sense.

Of course it doesn't make sense. The question is oversimplified, and they expect you to understand its meaning without any context. What he's really asking is who he is in the world, what's his purpose in life, or whether free will exists or if we're all just animals driven by chemical impulses in the brain. You know, the usual existential stuff. But that's a mouthful so everyone shortens it to "who am I?"

That's stupid.

We are a very stupid species, that much is true. He might be having an existential crisis because his interests and questionable fashion sense don't say anything about who he is, or at least who he wants to be. He's just one person lost in a crowd trying to separate himself as an individual, longing for a purpose or something to give life meaning. It can happen to real people. I've seen it.

But you don't need a purpose. You just need to be happy.

Yeah I guess so...

......huh?

Well, I've certainly never felt like wanting or having a purpose. I don't doubt there are people out there that would, but I don't understand people like that. All I've done with my life is try to be as happy as I can and share that happiness with my friends. Things just sort of happened and I went along with them because... well... they interested me. I'm not obligated to anything, and I certainly don't feel like it's some calling for me to be altruistic.

Hey, You ever heard of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Nope.

Don't worry, you'll learn about it in college.
Lemme try and sum it up... It's this pyramid graph ranking basic human needs in order of importance. You start at the bottom and climb to the top as your needs are met, with food, water, and survival being at the very bottom, followed by safety, intimacy, and self-esteem. The very top of the pyramid deals with self-actualization, or self-fulfillment... Who you are as a person and what you want to do with your life. That sort of thing.... Which means people obsessed with purpose and identity have had all other needs met and now want to get the most out of life.

omg I'm getting flashbacks to my Psych 101 class.

Do you think having an identity is important?

No idea... If anything, an identity helps you stand out from a crowd.

That doesn't sound like a good reason.

Maybe for some people, but I don't imagine everyone is like that. I use to think those androids were content with just being a number until we all learned the awful truth. Then again, if we're talking about World III, having an identity to rally behind probably wasn't a good thing for them in the long run. Celebrities probably feel the same way as well. Heck, I feel that way sometimes.

You do?

[[NPC] Tequila]

Well... Hmm...

If we're being honest with each other, I guess I should tell you. I've been putting on a face ever since I got here. That nasally, valley girl accent is just a carry-over from work. Everyone expects the CEO of Body & Mind to be this mad scientist lady that's up to kooky experiments with beauty products performed on questionably consenting test subjects that could turn them into tentacle monsters or make them big or grow extra unmentionables. The face of Body & Mind is a cartoon caricature of myself made to sell a brand. It's stressful. The person you're talking to right now? This is the real Minne Tequila.

Do you not like playing a character?

Well, no but... hmmm... I don't know. I guess it's fun. But it's not me. But Body & Mind wouldn't be able to sell eye drops without my image as the company's mascot. I mean, have you seen the commercials Tequila is in? She's pretty crazy. The fake Tequila will probably be around long after I'm gone, with nobody left to remember the real me.

Is that bad?

Does that sound bad to you?

No.

...but if you don't like it, you should do something about it.

I guess you're right. They can't keep milking my image forever. Eventually they'll have to cast another actor or turn me into a cartoon. Sometimes I wish I was back in High School...

Soooo... I shared some of my history. Wanna tell me about yourself?

I'm... nothing special.
Just the usual ilk you find in the battle verge. Mom died when I was a babe. Dad put me up for adoption to pay for gambling dept. Figured he couldn't take care of me and wanted to give me a better life. I got good at using a gun. That's all. I don't wanna sweat the details.

Booo~

But okay. I don't need to know everything. I just wanted to vent at someone, and Hanasaku is so busy with the event she won't even lend me an ear. As for Percy... ugh, no thank you.

Thanks... for understanding... and for letting me vent too. I don't trust a lot of people.

...But you trust me, a complete stranger?

You were nice to me.

And I like you. I don't know why. I guess you've got a magnetic personality?

Please, you flatter me. I was pretty unpopular back in High School. I didn't even know about the wonders of makeup! I came in every day with a face full of acne. The other kids avoided me like the plague! That may sound bad, but compared to getting phone calls every other day to going to photo shoots and then to the recording studios AND THEN having to handle company paperwork and keeping the investors happy... at least they left me alone...

Wait... when was I nice to you?

Forget it. It's not important.

But thanks...

Priscilla buries her head in a pillow.

Hey! Hanasaku! You still here?

[[NPC] Ai]

Huh?! Hwha?!

Ai get some sleep.

I did! Earlier this day!

Well it wasn't enough. Catch some Z's girlfriend, you need them running a big event like this, and you have infinite deadlines to take advantage of! You have no idea how envious I am of that!

...Yes Ma'am.

Oh, but when you wake up, could you come back here and watch Vaporeon for me? I wanna take a break myself and enjoy the event a little. You can't hear them from here, but when the normal folk go to sleep the night owls come out to play!

Hey Priscilla... You wanna hang with me? I can show you all the benefits of the night life. The lights, the sounds, the shadows. It's basically the Active World in comparison to daylight. We're all but phantoms under the moon, whisking about where mortal fear to tread. So quiet. So enigmatic. So hidden.

You make it sound so... inviting.

Darkness is only feared because it's misunderstood. The night is nothing to be afraid of, Cilla. The night is your friend.

Tequila dips her glasses down the bridge of her nose and winks at Priscilla.