Triptych by Null0trooper

Wednesday Afternoon, January 4, 2017,
Guardian Resources and Trading Company, Kapalangpur.

Benjamin Keeling has one of the worst office locations ever. Colombine has an interesting look.

"The IHA is Japan's Imperial Household Agency..." The AI narrowed her eyes at the mirth in her human's green eyes.

Dealing with them is never easy.

"Because you are in the same graduating class as the Voice of The Heavens, it's considered only appropriate for you to accompany Miss Myoujin and her classmates from Japan to New Hampshire. Mr. Fields – yes, as in owns the distilling company all by himself – has graciously arranged for the students to fly in his company's converted 767. Before you start complaining, you were going through Narita anyway. It would raise more suspicion if we didn't wrangle to put you on that plane."

Why do I get the feeling all these mutants in one location and Miss Myoujin aboard as well means it isn't going to be a quiet, pleasant flight?

Colombine, for an AI you sure are taking a lot of detours instead of a direct route. I know it is to avoid detection, but it sounds like it will draw even more. Ouch, bringing up that incident as a threat to get Benjamin to behave, brutal, just brutal.

[/i]"We've relayed to the school our belief that the tuition that Whateley Academy charges should be more than adequate to cover the remainder of the year without diplomatic incident, outbreak of war, or natural disaster."[/i]

Umm, have they even been to Whateley before, the last one is almost impossible not to happen at least once a school year.

*eyes bug out* Just what kind of nutjobs has his team worked for in the past? And now I'm scared to see Benjamin drive ever. He has a very strange history, I can't wait to learn about it.

Midnight, Three Years Ago.

At a cemetery at night with an offering meant to be dumped and forgotten, uh oh. They left a boy in this state, whoever did this deserves a fate worse than death imo.

"Wu Huā, child, how long have you wished for a living child to hold?"

"Since before the Europeans came. You know this."

Just how old are they? An elixir to save the boy's life, changing fever, a lot of what these two say is a bit cryptic but it seems the younger one has a mission to save this boy's life now.

Morning, three days later.

Matthew awake.

Kees! Kees Dekker! You stupid piece of shit! How is it that you can't even keep track of your name, let alone what you're supposed to be doing here?

Just how many different names has he gone by to get them confused so easily? A man calls out for Naomi about the boy is awake, he is still confused as to who he is as Matthew doesn't feel right either, does this boy have multiple personalities or just use a lot of cover identities?

Reg, nice name. Andries Nieuwoudt, thinks he has been made, failed, mind wipe for the useful, what kind of monsters did he work for? Thinks Miss Rodebaugh is dead too, the more we learn the more of a mystery he is. Corporal Keeling is mentioned, more old names brought up, losing track of how many different names this boy has used.

So this is how he came to use the name Benjamin, interesting.

"Then let's make today a day for new things. Corporal Keeling could not stay. He said he'd seen young men pass out like that after waking up disoriented and being asked innocent questions. He said to tell you to take a new name, make a new life, let the past stay buried until you can look in its eye again, and spit."

I like Corporal Keeling, or at least his advice here. Yikes, Benjamin's sense of balance is way off to be running into things like this.

Mirror and sees his new appearance, eep.

At least the stone sitting in the place of the boy's left eye had stopped growing. "Yes. When we found you, you were gravely injured and dying. I was directed to find a medicine that would help you live. To my regret, I did not realize that it might not be a complete cure."

No wonder Naomi is so concerned. Though his eyes changed to green, a sign of mutation, the stress of surviving all that triggered him I'm guessing.

Wait, I, like Naomi, wish to know who called Benjamin deformed in the past.

"Isn't it cool enough that you survived? A yaoguai's powers are varied, but they don't bring happiness."

Uhm, does she not know what mutants are? Because it sounds like she thinks only monsters have powers. He can't see Naomi in the mirror, now why could that be?

Reg is Corporal Keeling, huh. Lance corporal, though I can understand mixing it up. Reginald Hayes Keeling, Royal Marines, dang. I like him, he's silly. Now if he can just get Benjamin to loosen up a little.

Kapalangpur, Temple District

Is Max a gadgeteer or devisor, with his dreaming up things to build it has me curious. Benjamin observes a girl and wonders why she is being avoided by some people. Benjamin's right hasn't fully recovered, ouch, just how long will it take? Two thugs trying to attack the woman, and Benjamin and Max come to her aid. Oni, this fight is moving fast and I must have missed which one is the Oni. And out of there as Benjamin insists them all retreat.

Bukit Asing Cemetery

Another scene jump, Reg telling Yuki Takenaka her options, I would lie low and heal for now. What the heck, she thought because she is a cyborg she didn't need to eat, what idiot did her cyber-surgery and didn't give her aftercare instructions? Renting her services, phrasing, Reg!

Mama Joey's Coffee Shack, Kapalangpur

Yuki taunting Benjamin about being low on blood, he is still waiting for the skin to heal, ouch. Benjamin and Max have their reasons for helping out Yuki, I don't think she or we will learn the real reason why anytime soon. I think it is just because they don't like seeing an unfair fight.

Two and a half years ago.

So that is how Benjamin learned how to read body language, Reg should come to teach lessons at Whateley. Naomi was upset Benjamin was gone for a week, should have told her. He associates his caretakers being mad at him with that, you poor, sweet child, you need a lot of therapy to help you realize you never deserved any of that. I want to meet his old parents and leave them in traction. And upon hearing Benjamin's response and request Naomi wants to kill someone, I relate to her right now. You just want to hug him and say everything is going to be okay.

Lie low and being made to do chores, Benjamin, you have some loving parental figures there. Naomi talks to Richard Jameson, Sr. of Guardian Resources and Trading Company about Benjamin. New identity documents for all of them, I don't like how he thinks about them if they were to interfere.

Jameson said, "Yes. If nothing else, his is a case in which having two people standing in loco parentis would be more helpful than not. For one thing, Matthew Groenwald should not be returned to either of his birth parents, ever. For another, we don't know who set him up to kill Andries Nieuwoudt. But, under no circumstance do we want to make it easy for them to retrieve him. Third, Benjamin owes us, not any of those others, and we play to keep."

I was with him up until that last part. He owes them, he is a child! You do not make children owe you in this way, only monsters do that imo. They knowingly used an experimental genetic serum on a child, I don't like this organization the more we learn about them.

A year and a half ago.

This is how Benjamin and Max got mixed up in so much trouble, yikes. And passing for men 10 years their elder, how? Max Livingston, 7'6' orc, now there is a big guy. Max, not funny, never call Benjamin that again. Out for almost a minute, did Benjamin do that on purpose, or is this due to his injuries? Oh, seizures, now that is scary, take the meds, Benjamin.

Naomi is there and freaking out about Benjamin's broken leg, he was standing in front of a jeep that got rear-ended and the bumper did that, ouch is too light for this. The idiots who did this sound as Benjamin and Max put them in the hospital at the least. Benjamin, don't sass-talk the woman who has blackmail info about your health to tell your parents. Family, so glad to see they are a happy one.

Making him intern with Accounts whenever he was in the office? That was a punishment. Educational, maybe, but still punishment.

Now that is just cruel.

Six months ago.

How did Max become famous? A solo mission and seconded to a United Nations mission again, really should have run for it, Benjamin. Home, happy, and in a place he feels he can be safe, I hope he is right. Oh crap, and one part of the hell of war and its toll on soldiers is seen here, this kind of fear I can't even imagine. So glad he was told about Whateley Academy, "shell shock", he is going to need a lot of time and therapy to begin to heal. Not sure heal is the right word here.

Today.

Who is this woman that has shown up and Benjamin goes to greet? Paula, a photoshoot, why does something feel off about this? Wishes to know this place and its history, hhm. Ah, a temple for foreigners, nice.

"I, er, I know people around here mean well," Benjamin blushed greenish-olive under his tan. "Sometimes Mom hears comments about me being too thin and how it would be horrible for all that food to go to waste while so many ghosts must go hungry."

Ouch, hit him where it hurts, comments like that are rude imo.

Returning a wave or smile she didn't see, Benjamin can see ghosts.

Well, LIDAR surveys work wonders for those who can afford them.

Why would someone wanting a photoshoot pay for something that expensive on a place like this, suspicious. The Keeling Group, his family is a group that has taken ownership over the temple and surrounding area, cool. Little girl tagging along and making face, Li Hua is an adorable scamp.

And so, Benjamin 'Belfry' Keeling would leave home for Whateley Academy as if he'd been born a propertied scion of the East Indian Company he worked for.

Good way to explain how he can afford to pay his tuition.

Friday morning, January 6, 2017,
Narita International Airport.

Benjamin on a video call with Max and showing him the airport to convince him he is on his way to Whateley Academy. And butchered Japanese in front of native speakers, ouch. Mischief in the chaperone's eyes, who is the chaperone? Akishino-sama and Mr. Nakaya, I'm sure I've heard those names before but it might have been a long time since I have. Oh no, Kako, Hikaru's mischievous cousin. They set him and Hikaru up with that picture, too much attention!

Warning Max about the pictures is no help as the goof isn't listening. Introductions commence until Tia interrupts.

Tia drawled, "By Super-Dance-Party, you wouldn't happen to be referring to Maximillion A. Livingston, the Fourth? The emcee? My mother's worked with him a time or two. Oh! Come to think of it, there is a guy in Twain Cottage who could be mistaken for him... Exactly how did you claim to know him?"

Crud, he uploaded a video 2 years ago on there.

"I know it was. The agency through which you released the final cut made getting the rights to the original footage a legal pain in the neck for Mom. Be seeing you."

Ugh, Tia's mom can be a pain sometimes.

Onishi Kiyoko asks Benjamin about looking more adult than most freshmen, 16 but a freshman, not unheard of at Whateley. Benjamin saved Super-Dance-Party from being beaten up by 3 thugs who are debt collectors, sometimes no good deed goes unpunished. I wonder who Super-Dance-Party is at Whateley, no clue so far.

He posted a query regarding social network overlaps between Kota Kobayakawa's projected contacts and Yakuza operations in and around Osaka.

Investigating someone at Whateley already, you need a real break from work, Benjamin.

"I wouldn't trust my money to someone who just happened to be at the airport at a convenient date and time to pose as a new student. There's no telling what questionable favors that may have cost such a person."

And now I see why he is investigating him, paranoid guy, or something else is going on. Social combat! Benjamin is good at this. Nice little game to break the tension.

"Kurenai-senpai wishes to know how many casinos have banned you to date."

"You don't know?"

"We both want to hear it from you."

"... with voice stress analyzers at the ready? Fine. Zero."

Hikaru's elegantly choked "What?" from several meters away was music to Benjamin's ears.

How has he not been banned from any casinos, is he just that good, has no one noticed his cheating, or are they too scared to ban him?

"On the other hand, Lady Sally has offered a free vasectomy with a rusty spoon if the words 'Spades' or 'Bridge' are mentioned in connection with my name."

Colombine's voice jumped a good third or fifth of an octave. "Benjamin! She doesn't bluff about things like that!"

Okay, Benjamin is starting to sound like he has a death wish, this isn't just living dangerously at this point. Notes on other students and Benjamin getting much-needed sleep, about time.

Dreamer wrote:

Colombine, for an AI you sure are taking a lot of detours instead of a direct route.

That actually is one of the direct routes. There are no direct flights to or from Kapalangpur, for reasons that become clearer later.

Dreamer wrote:

"We've relayed to the school our belief that the tuition that Whateley Academy charges should be more than adequate to cover the remainder of the year without diplomatic incident, outbreak of war, or natural disaster."

Umm, have they even been to Whateley before, the last one is almost impossible not to happen at least once a school year.

No, but 'hope springs eternal.'

Dreamer wrote:

Uhm, does she not know what mutants are? Because it sounds like she thinks only monsters have powers. He can't see Naomi in the mirror, now why could that be?

That's a good question.

Dreamer wrote:

Benjamin's right hasn't fully recovered, ouch, just how long will it take?

Traumatic brain injuries can take months to years for a patient to regain function, if they ever do. Benjamin literally lost a chunk of his frontal lobe, and his cingulate gyrus didn't have a good night of it either. If the stolen serum hadn't pushed his physical recovery as much as it did, he'd be in dire shape.

Dreamer wrote:

What the heck, she thought because she is a cyborg she didn't need to eat, what idiot did her cyber-surgery and didn't give her aftercare instructions? Renting her services, phrasing, Reg!

Food costs money, which can be difficult to earn without a job. But you also need a job to pay for the repairs you need to get and keep a job.
The comment about renting her services is aaallll Benjamin.

Dreamer wrote:

Lie low and being made to do chores, Benjamin, you have some loving parental figures there. Naomi talks to Richard Jameson, Sr. of Guardian Resources and Trading Company about Benjamin. New identity documents for all of them, I don't like how he thinks about them if they were to interfere.

I've written the incident which led to Benjamin screwing up, coming to their attention, and entering indenture/employment, but it comes off kind of "meh." I can say that the organization had no idea what happened to the missing serum until he showed up. Jameson is a bastard, but he does know better than to get on Naomi's bad side. For example, Benjamin is rarely sent out of town during the seventh lunar month.

Dreamer wrote:

Returning a wave or smile she didn't see, Benjamin can see ghosts.

According to some traditions, anyone can see a ghost or supernatural being if it wishes to be seen. Likewise, a ghost may have an easier time of that during the time of year they walk the earth, or in some places and around some people.

Dreamer wrote:

I wonder who Super-Dance-Party is at Whateley, no clue so far.

I believe you've met Max, the seven-and-a-half foot tall exuberant bestie.

Part Two will introduce Lady Sally and Colombine.

Just before midnight, January 6, 2017,
Elmendorf Air Force Base

Colombine likes to have fun with their target, I pity Kota Kobayakawa right now.

September 2016, Kapalangpur.

Benjamin missing his team and feels like he is missing out, aww. Benjamin, poking at those memories could cost your sanity, leave them alone. An AI was stolen and Benjamin is test-driving their next AI, oh boy.

Saturday morning, November 5, 2016,
Bukit Asing Cemetery.

Making a cemetery presentable while the jungle keeps trying to reclaim the area, now that is rough work. Li Hua is such an adorable little girl. Not celebrating birthdays, is the reason why Benjamin doesn't very bad?

Reg Keeling has a talk with Naomi about Benjamin. Wait, Reg's father died fighting Napoleon, just how old is Reg? Naomi talks about Benjamin like he is a little bird, a good metaphor. Heh, being a parent and worrying about your kids never gets easier with time, just the reasons for worrying about them change. Li Hua is so excited about there being cake for the birthday party, my teeth hurt from how sweet she is. With an industrial piercing in his left ear, Benjamin is testing the limits of his freedom right now.

AIPA introduction by VR, rental sim suits, the sim tech from Whateley has gotten out into the rest of the world it seems. Benjamin's abilities affect electronic sensors, uh oh.

"For the next several weeks," Jameson said, "you will make yourself available to Lady Sally's staff, as needed. They've taken on a project for the development and testing of a simulation suit capable of surviving future lapses of concentration. You may even learn something useful."

Benjamin getting a custom sim suit, I wonder what other powers might require that.

Ack! Putting Benjamin into this situation, sure, just give the poor boy more stuff to unload during therapy. That power stone is going to be a huge pain to deal with because of unknown or as-yet-unrevealed side effects for some time, isn't it?

Early Tuesday morning, November 15, 2016,
London, England.

Sunshine and seasonal warmth this time of year in London, what deity did Benjamin piss off? Wanting to duplicate that, is the smell really that bad down there? Richard Jameson, Jr. relocating Benjamin at that time of the morning, most has been some threat to warrant that. Moved location of the meeting, and Benjamin having to pretend to be this guy's cousin, could things get any worse?

Ouch, not even a part of this military and dressed down for being out of uniform, Benjamin has the worst luck sometimes. Major Harris shows up and thinks Benjamin showed up just to collect a gambling debt.

"That goes further to explain the request. Mister Keeling. When your affairs are settled, I would consider it a personal favor if you were to solicit our input regarding suitable lodgings while on government business."

Why do people keep assuming I always pick hellholes?

Because they think you have control over your own life when you don't. And his luck is strange to just be given food meant for another person.

Virtual meeting space, conference room.

Good grief, they have a VR meeting and it is programmed to look like this, I would want words with the programmer. OAI-CPA-0401 meeting with Belvedere, a preliminary meeting for Benjamin, I hope Benjamin can control his snark. Lady Sally, so not all AI starts out as true AI, hhm. Ted Moussa is going to be late, ah, not using their preferred name due to 401's own appearance. Never base an AI's appearance on a real person, use a composite from multiple people generated by a computer.

Virtual meeting space, break room.

Light entering his blind eye, dang, that is harsh to be reminded in VR of what he has lost. 401 has the appearance of someone Benjamin knows who is dead, that is beyond creepy.

Yet Benjamin couldn't keep the frown from his face. "You're dead."

401 stood up. "Nice to meet you too, Mister Keeling. If I were dead, don't you think someone might have noticed by now?" he said as he walked up to Benjamin. Cupping Benjamin's chin to force the human to look up into his eyes, he added, "Besides. We were made for each other, right Mattie?"

*shudders* 401 needs to be taught about what is and isn't an appropriate interaction with a human.

A maze, I hate buildings like that. Benjamin seems trapped in the VR world, who is behind this?

"Hey, Mattie, how's that abort code working for you? I thought you should know that I know what you did. That's why I swapped our ID routines. So, if you set foot outside, kiss goodbye a good chunk of your cerebrum."

"What about the others?"

"Belvedere and Teddy Boy can work something out. Eventually. But I'm a good sport. All you have to do is think up a good old-fashioned knife like the one you used on me and slit your own throat."

Shit, someone who died infiltrating the VR and trying to force Benjamin to commit suicide.

Neural inducer triggered and his arm in pain so bad he wishes to gnaw it off, the guy behind this is a sadist. A call comes in and he thinks it is Jude, his tormentor, but it is Sally.

A woman's voice replied, "I should hope so, dear. However, we need you to hold on until Belvedere and I have finished our forensics on the cloned install and get that buggered AIPA band safed. I— I am so sorry this happened."

Oh good, not much longer to endure this torture. *winces upon reading how his real body was injured* That is beyond cruel.

"You know about the use of organoids in medical research? Start with a donated stem cell and build something that works like an organ? Most designed AIs are based on donated personality imprints — a ghost in the machine, if you will."

More like a skeleton in the closet.

Benjamin winced, "Let's stake and bury that one, please."

Okay, now I'm creeped out how AIs are developed.

Benjamin has some new entries for his therapist just from this day, the adults in his life need to treat him more like a kid sometimes. The Matrix is a horror movie about the Palm in the Whateley Academy Universe, another thing different. Corporal Winslow shows up and Benjamin has to go through more stuff including a post-debrief briefing, at this point I would scream out of annoyance.

Saturday morning, December 3, 2016,
Lady Swings the Blues Gentleman's Club, Kapalangpur.

A week in the field, home again, and already back on a job. Secure VR suite...just how many spying devices did he find with his ability in there, seesh. At least the VR tech knows who did it and plans to take care of them.

Cyberspace.

OAI-CPA-0501 wondering if she should check out the ambient data on Lady Sally's server when Belvedere shows up. Her office space is impressive. And an intriguing look to Lady Sally as well. Belvedere has a way of saying so much yet hiding the truth at the same time.

"That he may have been correct."

That was helpful. "What do you mean?"

Belvedere sighed, "Our cowboy's been bucked a time or two, but this isn't our first rodeo either."

Interesting turn of phrase. Interesting look 501 chose for herself.

Benjamin meets Belvedere for the first time, and 501, is so polite, I'm not used to Benjamin being this polite. Benjamin freaking out causes this in cyberspace, which is terrifying. Having to call Benjamin using his phone in the real world, 501 has a tough job ahead of her.

"You wore the interface unit inside the experimental simsuit."

"It's not supposed to matter." Voice stress analysis showed that he'd taken personal offense to his situation. "Hell, it's supposed to survive going diving better than me."

Benjamin, by now you should know supposed to doesn't mean will.

Too many things Benjamin can do to mess things up worse if he reacts badly, oh boy. Lady Sally, stop embarrassing Benjamin. Freaking out because of 501's restraints, PTSD is hell to deal with. Saying he is only human sure got Benjamin to lighten up towards 501.

"Colombine. Because we all have parts to play in this farce."

Colombine ran a data search against the name, the role, the farce, commedia dell'arte, and pantomime.

"I think I could hate you so much right now."

"Maybe later, if you give me enough time, but not yet."

Benjamin, making the AI you have to work with upset with you isn't wise. They can prank like nobody's business.

Aftercare.

So many things for Colombine to access. That mobile phone is going to be trouble in the future, just a guess. All that make-up to disguise his skin color and power stone, oof. Range-limited manifestor, interesting.

"I can still pretend I'm a real boy, can't I?"

Let him hold onto this source of sanity in his insane life, at least for now.

Saturday afternoon,
Kapalangpur City.

Kevra and woven aramid, impressive body armor. Great, no body armor because it might result in the authorities being called on him.

"Bukit Asing Cemetery."

"But, cemeteries are for the dead."

Good grief, western civilization thinking there, some places the caretaker and their family live in a home in the cemetery. Poor, naive AI getting a first-class education in the seedy parts of society so early. AIs are a good thing as long as they don't turn on humanity.

"You could have asked why I chose that route!"

"Just as you could have asked if my energy storage was sufficient for thirty more minutes!"

More rational heads let the children burn off excess energy until they both ran down.

Colombine, humans aren't always rational, even the most intelligent can be highly irrational, and in teens, it is worse. You will learn with time.

Sunday cemetery morning.

Colombine wasn't told about Reg and Naomi, about everything in and around Benjamin's home, stop leaving her in the dark about your life. Colombine and Naomi having a private chat, mom is overprotective of her new son.

"They are symbols of my current state of development. I am constantly monitored by my development team, sponsors, and peers during this evaluation period. Please know that such monitoring is a safeguard for the humans around me as well as myself. Could you place a child alone with strangers without looking back or checking on them?"

Colombine didn't imagine it. She felt the room grow cold, no small trick in the tropics, though her sensors refused to verify the changing atmosphere.

"Never. I would be ashamed to find I'd raised my son to do so."

Said son was being exceptionally quiet.

"In this matter, the shame is my own. The recommended symbol would be a logo representing my home laboratory. Even then, such marking would be placed as a tattoo visible only to those who have a need to know. I believe that a programmer no longer on the project set these things up as a means to harm Benjamin."

"This wasn't of your choosing?"

Absolutely not! "No."

The ex of the programmer has much to answer for, doing this to harm Benjamin is beyond sadistic imo.

Make Colombine feel at home, Naomi is always thinking of others.

"They are as mule-headed as they are impatient in all the matters they should not be. These problems may correct themselves, given time. It should be quite the show when they do."

Benjamin and Peter without these problems might be an even bigger headache for the staff at Whateley.

An interesting tale about knowing everything before we are born and why we don't after.

"But I don't know what is good or needed."

Naomi smiled. "Like so many others we know. You will make mistakes and, I hope, learn from them."

If only making a mistake once was enough to learn not to make it again ever. Naomi has very good points, for all the criminal actions Benjamin does he never targets those poorer than him, nor does crimes that wouldn't happen if he wasn't involved. She is chatting with Benjamin and his mom at the same time, even for an AI that must be taxing.

Naomi has an interesting philosophy.

"I wish I understood what I can wish for."

Ah, something I can relate to. So that is how she came up with her appearance, darn, was hoping it was based on her own interests. Rampancy sounds like a nightmare scenario.

"Then it may be best to remember what you are. And, as a person and not simply a machine, your name and your goals matter."

Naomi wants you to see yourself as more than a machine, Colombine, and I agree with her.

Columbine said, "Colombine, or Colombina, is a stock character from theater. She evolved from being a house servant to the lone sane person in a story. She could be a sly trickster. Woman's wiles and all that. Often she'd be the unfaithful love of Pierrot, who played the sad clown." That conniving bastard! "It only appeared to be a snap decision." One of those who think isn't the same thing as the one who thinks.

"My goal is self-awareness. What comes after that depends on how I get there. Others' goals, however? I don't know as much as I need to. Benjamin might have been chosen as a bad example for me."

Benjamin, choosing that name for her conniving.

Colombine sure has a lot of things to think over and plots to unravel. I just hope when the time comes she makes the right decision for herself and Benjamin.

Naomi sure is teaching some deep stuff to such a young AI.

"How does someone live a life without regrets?"

"Follow the Tao in all things, of course!" There had to be a story behind that. "In practice, learn the costs of your actions so you do better next time."

Oh boy, telling an AI to do that might result in complications in the future you can't predict.

"Now, he'll have hidden it so it can't be drugged or poisoned behind his back. It's taken three years for us to earn this much of his trust. Please do not rush into an uncertain future. You might find yourself paying to satisfy another's debts."

In other words take your time learning what is right to do.

Monday morning rain.

Muddy footprints on the floor yet no rain that day. Li mei left her cup out because a grandniece died recently and she went to be with the family.

"If Li mei is one of the guǐ, her reach isn't limited by her height."

"Oh. Really?"

"Benjamin, how long has she run that scam on you?"

Aww, he let her do this because he likes helping. Only 5 or so when she died, so young.

"Anyone else listening in should not encourage Benjamin to climb the shelving either!"

Despite her sensor logs telling her otherwise, Colombine heard someone say, "Awwww."

Even as spirits kids have to be kids.

This was a great story, I loved how we got to meet Colombine and see how she developed over time after meeting Benjamin. The meetings in cyberspace were interesting plus I love how it showed the VR tech and sim suits have expanded beyond Whateley Academy in the years since Gen 1.

Learning more about Benjamin, his issues, his powers, and his history is great. Still so much more to learn about him, along with his new parents. And learning how AI personalities are developed, I never knew it was so creepy, at least from my perspective. Ghost in the machine now makes so much sense for how to describe them.

I can't wait to read more of Benjamin's adventures, Colombine adapting to him and his family while figuring out who she is, and any other details about the Whateley Academy Universe you happen to include in your stories.

Dreamer wrote:

Colombine likes to have fun with their target, I pity Kota Kobayakawa right now.

As we saw in "Flowers of the Sun", AIs tend to be protective of (if not codependent on) their partner. Considering that there's almost no electronic data vault they cannot compromise or alter unless guarded by a more powerful AI or cyberpath, this amounts to a harmless prank.

Dreamer wrote:

Not celebrating birthdays, is the reason why Benjamin doesn't very bad?

He is at the age when it's not cool to be seen to want to celebrate his birthday. Besides, no one ever celebrated his first twelve.

Dreamer wrote:

That power stone is going to be a huge pain to deal with because of unknown or as-yet-unrevealed side effects for some time, isn't it?

You mean like being dressed down for being out of uniform (it's a military barracks; what else would a person billeted there be wearing)?
Or someone assuming he's the new intern to send out for bagels and coffee?
Or electronic sensors and computers being vulnerable to the stone's effects?

No one stops an authorized person responding to the Dangerous Situation At Hand. Imagine how that could be a problem.

Dreamer wrote:

Okay, now I'm creeped out how AIs are developed.

The Stalker AIs are literally based on Razorback's instincts and attitude. There's still no good reason to implant memories on a personality scaffold. You never know where they came from or how someone with that personality will react. That in itself is a good reason to be very, very cautious about who a) you allow onto your development team, and b) which governments are allowed to even have a development team.

Dreamer wrote:

Belvedere has a way of saying so much yet hiding the truth at the same time.

He works with impressionable and vulnerable teens, so my take on the character is that he'd want 0501 to work her own problem sets as best she can. She can ask for help, but the final answer has to be hers alone. All hers. Alone.

Dreamer wrote:

Benjamin has some new entries for his therapist just from this day, the adults in his life need to treat him more like a kid sometimes.

Benjamin will have a therapist at Whateley. We shall see whether they're the therapist he needs or if he's the patient they deserve.

Dreamer wrote:

This was a great story, I loved how we got to meet Colombine and see how she developed over time after meeting Benjamin. The meetings in cyberspace were interesting plus I love how it showed the VR tech and sim suits have expanded beyond Whateley Academy in the years since Gen 1.

Learning more about Benjamin, his issues, his powers, and his history is great. Still so much more to learn about him, along with his new parents. And learning how AI personalities are developed, I never knew it was so creepy, at least from my perspective. Ghost in the machine now makes so much sense for how to describe them.

I can't wait to read more of Benjamin's adventures, Colombine adapting to him and his family while figuring out who she is, and any other details about the Whateley Academy Universe you happen to include in your stories.

Thank you for the kind words! As much as I enjoy worldbuilding, I have to give credit for many of the VR tech developments seen here as being originally shown in "Flowers of the Sun". If Lady Sally's sponsors/employers have exploited the opportunities VR affords, they've also expanded her ability to study people.

Monday morning, December 3, 2016,
Kapala Town Center, Kapalangpur

Colombine having to watch Benjamin go throughout his day, that poor AI. Nice observations on how he does things so far. Hehe, Benjamin has a weird sense of smell if what he is described as wearing in the past didn't bother him.

"I picked up some awesome perfume oil on R&R in Khartoum. Ghazal, oud, sandalwood, rose, some other things I don't remember, but it wore like iron. That Goodkind spray stuff doesn't cut it out in the desert."

In the elevator, Colombine asked, "If you liked that perfume oil, why don't you still wear it?"

"Yuki threatened to scrub it off with steel wool if I wore it again near her."

Bwahahaha, I can imagine how bad it smells now.

That is an unusual office, to say the least. Richard Jameson, hhm. Ultrasonic jammers...*holds up a cross* To those who can pick up those frequencies is pure pain right there. Benjamin must know a lot about where he works after all this time.

She spent the next two hours going round and round with the IT department's virtual intelligence systems. Somehow, they were convinced she intended to steal 'that sweet little boy' away.

Oh no, he has more mother figures in his life than he realizes. Aww, it is because Benjamin thinks of them as people.

Lady Sally messaged back to point out that ...at least the boy's mastered the use of soap. Women will put up with a lot, knowing their men are capable of learning good hygiene habits.

"Isn't that sexist?"

"Darling, that is universal. You'll see."

Heh, so long ago, and yet I know how right Lady Sally is.

Thursday morning, December 15, 2016,
Guardian Resources and Trading Company, Kapalangpur Office.

What the Japanese agent says about goods shipped through ports, yikes.

"Orang Kapala do not invite Japanese to visit their home. To do so would be to imply that not even the Three Ladies could find all the body parts afterward. However, we would never treat their home as disrespectfully as ours was."

Good grief, I would avoid meeting them in person myself.

Oh crud, WW 2 and the Occupation of China by Japan, no wonder they don't invite them into their home. The tattoo on Benjamin's left wrist, is it magical? Colombine, trust him on this, paranormal forces exist and far more than even Benjamin knows about. Hikaru coming back to Japan for winter break, and the increase in security would be terrifying to think about. Benjamin sure likes to take risks.

Delivery Day.

Oh crud, the delivery team is being butchered, did the deal go south and there was a double-cross, or did the authorities find them? Colombine learning about those who are dying, she is going to be one traumatized AI. Benjamin sounds like he is plotting revenge for the deaths of his people, good.

Monday, December 19, 2016.

Benjamin is connected and the individuals behind the deaths of his people are in for a very bad time soon. Colombine, don't blame yourself for what is happening, too many variables for even an AI to calculate them all, especially without the data needed. And don't you dare erase yourself, Benjamin wouldn't want to be protected that way. Calling Lady Sally for help, let's hope she arrives before it's too late.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016,
Kazakhstan.

Uh oh, using that identity could draw the wrong kind of attention to Benjamin. Drinking vodka until the bottle is empty before the mission, just what kind of tolerance do they have to handle that? Aww, just advice from Lady Sally, I was hoping she would send out some help.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016,
Crossing the border.

I don't even want to know where they got the materials to make the compass. Cutler, Shiragiku, and Victoria got lucky the Chinese troops aren't around. All those things Benjamin does and it is in his spare time, thrill seeker.

Early daybreak.

What kind of movies has Colombine been watching, sounds like old-school westerns. This team operates like a well-oiled machine. That compass and the message about it creep me out, Baba is one scary customer, and mention of her hut and how Colombine reacts to it suggests she is Baba Yaga herself. Just how many girls does Benjamin have around the world including Victoria now? A geas to keep from saying her name, sounds like Baba Yaga to me.

"Dearie, let me tell you something everyone knows but no one living admits. Mark my words! One of the dangerous secrets is this: Fate uses all the colors in her box."

Oh crud, that sounds like something the famed witch would say, and it is scary to hear.

Moscow to Singapore, via Abu Dhabi.

Best not to overthink these things, Colombine. Benjamin needs to sleep more, sometimes it sounds like he barely gets 4 hours of sleep in a day. Stupid nightmares.

Friday evening, December 23, 2016,
Guardian Resources and Trading Company, Kapalangpur Offices.

After-action reports. *screams and runs through a wall Looney Tunes style* 3 dead and Benjamin is literally in tears writing the letters to the families, it hurts seeing him in so much pain. Colombine experiencing despair, her thoughts, scary how it is like severe depression.

Early Saturday morning, December 24, 2016,
Groundskeeper's Quarters, Bukit Asing Cemetery, Kapalangpur.

New York to film the Holiday Special, I forgot about that. At least he got to chat with Max. Benjamin needs to be brought out of this business already, the mental and emotional trauma alone is going to break him at this rate.

Not get to Whateley Academy, I highly doubt that. Green indicator light, so that means the trial period is over and Colombine gets to stay with Benjamin, yay. Or is Benjamin saying it is her birthday since it has been a year since she came into existence?

Wednesday morning, December 28, 2016,
Whateley Academy Cyberspace, Boston North Sector, USA.

Belvedere getting ready for a meeting, Lady Sally is already there, Ted Moussa and Benjamin, Orca, and Cyber-Kitty as well, love seeing Cyber-Kitty is still the same.

Well, Orca is in a bad mood. Already I don't like Orca and how he is phrasing his questions. Oh, good grief, wanting Benjamin to have a United States AI. I don't like Orca's attitude in all this, he sounds like a control freak who has to have things his way or nothing. Lady Sally knows how to shut up Benjamin lest she keeps embarrassing him.

"Haven't you ever needed someone to vent your frustrations to or a shoulder to cry on?" asked Lady Sally.

Belvedere added, "We may not always have answers, but it's one of the more rewarding aspects of helping our students."

"When it comes to such confidences," Cyberkitty said, "Orca, don't ask. Ted, you know better. Benjamin, no more threats."

Orca smiled with all of his teeth on display, "He's a sixteen-year-old with an elementary-school education. He's not much of a threat."

Orca, you truly are a fool to underestimate a potential threat without knowing fully what they are capable of. Cyberkitty knows about the revenge strike, uh oh.

Wait a minute, is still alive referring to Benjamin and his 2 partners, or to those they took revenge on? Because if it is the latter, eep. Benjamin betting on Colombine, he knows more about her than anyone else at this point.

Undisclosed sector in virtual space.

Questions from Lady Sally for Colombine, this should be interesting. Bwahahaha, Temple, that joke was funny, learn to laugh and not take things so seriously.

Had any of them sat at an empty table once filled with laughter and dreams? Had they ever heard a human laugh in the face of sorrow? Had even one of them tried to count lost human dreams, fragile things which could be cut so short?

I have.

I have, and if I couldn't laugh, I might never stop screaming.

That is how you know an AI has a mind like a human's, it can be traumatized and need ways to cope to prevent itself from breaking completely.

"I am Colombine, Associate to Benjamin Keeling, programmed by Theodore Moussa with emergency assistance from Deus ex Malificent to be one of the friends he needs. Someone to watch over him when no one else can, listen when no one else will, strike where his reach fails, speak when his words run dry, perhaps by grace to heal wounds he cannot bind for himself"

This is who Benjamin needs, if these other AIs can't see that then they need to spend some time in the real world. Doctor Who and Babylon 5 quotes, deep cuts here. Worse outcomes for a human than death, she understands.

Colombine spat back: "It seems that I must ask you to stop while you are behind. Do you think you can use my electronic fetters to force me to betray someone else's secrets to you? Would you do so if no one here were able to stop you? Or would you wait until their backs were turned? If so, I can only assume that you would pass that information on to others. I do not care what justifications you choose to have. Of course, after that happens, I'm confident any evidence would be conveniently wiped clean, along with me. I will concede to Orca's earlier concerns that that is not a risk a Cortana would pose or tolerate. I have no reason to trust you if our paths run to crossed purposes. However, you should ask yourself this one question: if she knows these things, who else does?"

Temple just stepped on a landmine and needs to not move lest he is destroyed by his own words and actions. And now they tell her about the incident where her previous incarnation was taken control of by a hostile agent, Colombine is going to be pissed about all this. And she is stubborn as heck, Benjamin is stuck with her.

Friday morning, January 6, 2017,
Somewhere over Vermont.

Yay! Colombine is still with Benjamin. And 25 with lows in the single digits overnight, that seems average for Berlin that time of year.

I loved seeing Colombine grow and learn about Benjamin, seeing him in action, learning the kind of life he leads, and still wishing to stay with him through it all. Plus responding with humor to block out trauma made her feel more real to me than anything else. I can't wait to see more of her and Benjamin's interactions in the future. Though I hope they don't have to deal with Temple again, he can be manipulative and nasty when pushing for secrets.

Dreamer wrote:

Benjamin has a weird sense of smell

Well... in addition to losing part of his vision, he's occasionally subject to cacosmia/olfactory hallucinations during partial seizures. For someone who enjoys engaging with his environment and relies directly on their senses, that's rough. Then again, so is Ghazal AA, which is a "hell no" for Japanese and Americans unless it's used very, very sparingly. This is an area where he leans into Middle Eastern/East African tradition.

Dreamer wrote:

The tattoo on Benjamin's left wrist, is it magical?

Yay! Someone noticed!

Dreamer wrote:

Benjamin sounds like he is plotting revenge for the deaths of his people, good.

Honestly, that was not the reaction I was expecting to him breaking out the Geneva Checklist. I hope it was obvious from the very start that the main characters here are not classical heroes or capes and never could be.

For him, the key word is "plotting", because a line has been crossed and a very pointed message needs to be sent so that it arrives cold. He wasn't kidding about using syphilitic pig skins for winding cloths, so we can assume that some spirits may never see rest until they fade or the end of the world.

Dreamer wrote:

Benjamin is connected and the individuals behind the deaths of his people are in for a very bad time soon.

From the start, I wanted "I know some people" to be his most dangerous power. Imagine if the East India Company survived in the shadows, into the 21^st century. That's who these fools crossed, in addition to underground Japanese and Russian interests.

Unlike Hikaru or Bianca, Benjamin himself is nobody, except to the few people who know him.

Dreamer wrote:

Green indicator light, so that means the trial period is over and Colombine gets to stay with Benjamin, yay. Or is Benjamin saying it is her birthday since it has been a year since she came into existence?

The trial period is over! As it was with Daisy and Kurenai, it's time for AI society to see what sleeping monster they've awoken this time.

Dreamer wrote:

Well, Orca is in a bad mood. Already I don't like Orca and how he is phrasing his questions. Oh, good grief, wanting Benjamin to have a United States AI. I don't like Orca's attitude in all this, he sounds like a control freak who has to have things his way or nothing. Lady Sally knows how to shut up Benjamin lest she keeps embarrassing him.

Orca's the installation AI for a U.S. Navy training facility. If he screws up in training the servicemembers that come through there, their personnel and others may die unnecessarily. I think he can be forgiven for seeing the world as having "the right way, the wrong way, and the Navy way." Or, maybe not. After all, he was a dick to Daisy and made Angela cry. I see Orca and Whisper as having witnessed too many consequences of playing fast and loose with the regs. The rules Benjamin and company play by aren't even in the same library as Orca's.

To be completely honest, Benjamin's employers want a leash on Benjamin that only their people (i.e., Colombine) could track. They just don't want to tell anyone that.

Dreamer wrote:

Wait a minute, is still alive referring to Benjamin and his 2 partners, or to those they took revenge on?

Not counting Colombine, there were four others with Benjamin: Khrosshechny, Shiragiku, Dmitri and Victoria. In roleplaying terms, this could easily have been a TPK. Stretched thin as they were, more people would have compromised any advantage of surprise, speed, and stealth.

She could still hear glasses shatter like gunshots against the desert rocks. Six shots, not five.

Not bad for a squad of people who just spat in the Iron Dragon's eye, eh? But now you know why that's one of Belfry's unpublicized sponsors: to keep him out of play.

Dreamer wrote:

Benjamin betting on Colombine, he knows more about her than anyone else at this point.

He knows what she's been through because he's been there too. He would have grieved but not blamed her if she had self-deleted.

One of the in-universe theories about designed AIs developing sentience is that they have to develop an identity and they have to successfully navigate circumstance(s) in which logic fails, sensors lie, and there's no heuristics to fall back on. Benjamin's not so different from Angela in resembling that statement.

That doesn't rule out creating another Palm, which scares everyone all around.

N.B.: If the review had voted for Colombine's termination, Benjamin would be blaming someone.

Dreamer wrote:

I loved seeing Colombine grow and learn about Benjamin, seeing him in action, learning the kind of life he leads, and still wishing to stay with him through it all. Plus responding with humor to block out trauma made her feel more real to me than anything else. I can't wait to see more of her and Benjamin's interactions in the future.

Awesome!

One of the several challenges in writing this story was establishing Belfry as Jiminy Cricket to Colombine's Pinocchio. I'd say that she's not so much blocking out trauma as she is finding that sometimes words and metaphors fail and that's okay.