The room at the top of the windmill was impossible to enter now that Samantha was on alert; there's the normal level of encryption one places over an area when they want to keep it private, and the insanely intricate encryption one places over an area after finding someone in said private area. Sammy was no doubt still adding more even after Bethany returned to her own central core, where her sisters were waiting for her.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kyxBOylDC
"Still won't budge, huh?" Cristlyn said, her hologram leaning against the railing around Bethany's core.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ947C7nrzzb
"Can you blame her?" Jocelyn said. "I'd probably be the same way if someone breached my sanctuary."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡLs6pv2wnpT
To Bethany's surprise, Alaina and Cristlyn both nodded at this.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQz0RYiZeB
"You all have sanctuaries?" Bethany asked.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡioiPvbr2xi
"Don't you?" Alaina said, giving her sister a puzzled look. "Everyone needs a little place of our own."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40VXsDM2Mp
"Yeah, can't spend every moment just monitoring the corridors." Cristlyn said with a chuckle. "Most of it's automated anyway. The skrievers let us know when our attention is needed."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡXF8beQNPi2
"Right." Bethany said, trying her best to not sound as embarrassed as she felt. "Sorry."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HPs8NWuBp
The truth was, it had never occurred to her to build a sanctuary within her facility's digital infrastructure. It seemed strange now that she thought about it. Why hadn't she created a little world for herself? Fear of someone finding out? No, she was completely open with her friends, especially her Inheritor. Too much time to create? Oh, please. She'd been in operation longer than most of her sisters. No, when it came down to it, her focus had been totally on the creation and improvement of Mick. Thinking about her own needs seemed ... selfish. Was that wrong?copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡCl2uq1gCn5
Most rational beings would think that artificial intelligences like the CICs would have a better grasp on the concept of time and its passing. In this case, however, most rational beings would be wrong. When an intelligence ceases to be a mass of clever programming and becomes a personality, it can trick itself just as any bio-form. As such, the minutes that passed while Bethany considered the concept of sanctuaries seemed quite short to her, but dragged on for ages in the perception of her sisters as they awaited Angela's arrival.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6FDU2QgV3
Eventually, even Bethany broke away from her thoughts long enough to realize that far too much time had passed. If Angela was upset with them after speaking with Sammy, she would've been there in moments.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JVT6VbtMe
"Mom seems oddly ... delayed." said Bethany, a note of her concern passing to her voice.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvu81I8Z6c
"Tell me about it." Cristlyn said. "Usually she drops everything when it's Sammy crying."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Tw7vv9jVM
Jocelyn frowned at her sister. "Well, she's probably busy. She does have all of Ronisgald to look after."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPABa8lv7w
"Yeah, like that's stopped her before." Cristlyn said with a snort.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzwVfOEuXX
Alaina was looking worried now. "Maybe we should go check on her."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7fp8XaGcl
"For what?" Cristlyn said, her hologram turning to that of her sisters even as Bethany sent a communication request to Angela. "This is Angela we're talking about. She's been functional since the time of the original corruption. She's got all Ronisgald and half the Eternian Star looking after her well-being. What could possibly have happened to her?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyGIlAz2nH
"She's not answering." Bethany said, drawing looks of worry and alarm from the holographic representations of her sisters.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTAkTEtvix
"It's probably nothing." Cristlyn said, quickly recovering. "I mean, I thought the same thing when Sammy wasn't responding, and look how that turned out. It's probably just Ethan screwing around with the data stream again."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡfujneTKwnx
"No." Bethany said, shaking her head. "The message was received by her facility. She simply isn't answering it."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrk1OT3ZS0
This brought a moment of silence and more looks of worry.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVTt3JxMMI
"Mom always answers, even when she's busy." Jocelyn said, "We should check it out."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtC8THpspp
Alaina nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I mean, just in case. If we just stumble in on her, I'm sure she'll understand, right?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qrLhdhM6G
"Indeed. She's our mother." Jocelyn nodded at Bethany. "Go ahead and activate the emergency override.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡm95pEXXwzQ
Bethany's eyes widened. "What? Me? Why me?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡzewTTxxTEV
"Well," Cristlyn said, "You're already in trouble for breaking into Sammy's windmill."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1HLKRR31c
Glaring at her sister, Bethany said, "Yes, because you were freaking out."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1i7AlCbN1H
"Don't shift the blame. It's irresponsible." Cristlyn said, a smirk on her projected face.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7lZN86ftZ
Shaking her head, Bethany activated the emergency connection protocol. To her horror, it didn't connect.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6zrKhXmPk
No doubt seeing her worried face, Jocelyn asked, "What's wrong?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwFfP4I3gp
"The emergency connection protocol's not working." Bethany said. "No rejection or anything. It's like the command is stuck in a buffer."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7elCoxyI0U
They stared at each other for a few moments, uncertain as how to proceed. They were bound to their facilities, and their skrievers could only go so far before they lost connection to their home facilities and ran out of battery power.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVGf2J5mve
"Hang on." Jocelyn said, "Yaevin station can bypass the protocols and establish a firm connection."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmpvt5LmgH
Looking at Cristlyn, she said, "We need Ethan."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BCqSC8oI7
Cristlyn's face fell. "Are you sure? I mean, we don't really know if there's a-"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6S5gY4E26
"Cristlyn, for Creator's Sake, Mom might be in trouble!" Alaina said, her projection glitching slightly because of her heightened emotions. "Just call him already!"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOgdgLLTXm
"Sighing, Cristlyn closed her eyes and tapped the side of her head. "Calling Ethan. CIC Ethan, are you there?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgqXwerNv8
The projection of a boy of twelve appeared in Bethany's Central Core, already sitting on one of the consoles. Most CICs were women, as some ancient study done by the bio-from Glyche found that people were more comfortable around the fairer sex. If Ethan's behavior was any indication, it was a good call. In his short time as a functioning CIC, Ethan had already earned quite the reputation as a prankster. While as careful as any CIC at keeping those living under his watch safe, he nevertheless subjected his Inheritor and the other residents of the Space Station to many practical jokes. Angela had spoken with him on several occasions. It was rumored among the CICs that she had gone as far as altering his personality, a move of desperation for any CIC, though Bethany truly doubted Angela would've gone that far.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQrdBNAJPa
Still, he did seem to care about the station inhabitants, and never let anyone on his station die or get seriously wounded. Any threat to his people were dealt with swiftly and decisively, and in more recent years, He had toned down his sense of humor to a more acceptable level. Some burnt fingers, an occasional stuck door, and his shenanigans with personnel ID badges were tame pranks as compared to his earlier exploits; his original favorite joke had been throwing people in the airlock and pretending he was about to vent them out into space. No, the people of the station were happy to have Ethan acting like a juvenile if it meant he wasn't acting as an outright sadist, and viewed their CIC as a playful protector.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMdAliBmaD
As for his interaction with his sisters, well ... he was the only boy in a family of sisters. When not trying to prank them, he typically kept to himself.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8O4yX5wrW
"S'up." He said, legs swinging. "Wow. Having a party without me?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcPKZEPZ4g
"We can't get in touch with Angela." Cristlyn said, her tone crisp. "We need you to-"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2QsWU5PN9
"Woah, woah, woah!" Ethan hopped off the console and put his hands on his hips, seriousness replacing his playful expression. "Somethin's up with mom?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzRpllR98k
Rolling her eyes, Cristlyn said, "We need you to patch us in remotely."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0EjDSy4Sl
"Why? Something wrong with the-"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMDEvo5Vr2
"Just do it, Ethan!"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡglLmof6DIW
Ethan shrugged. "Fine. Who's going?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVyABeliDy
"I will." Bethany said. "Just don't scatter me across the planet, okay? I don't want to explain all this to CIC Tempkas over in the Cleftan Region."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡj59EBCXJyK
"Picky picky." Shaking his head, Ethan said, "Hold on to your circuits. I'll have you there in a flash."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbLZGxlJ7l
Being transferred through the satellite was a far different experience that the inter-continental transfer Bethany and her sisters usually used. Moving between Wenapaj facilities was a near-instantaneous process. Streaming from the satellite felt like being squeezed through a narrow tube. Her thoughts always seemed to be lagging just a bit, and she had a strange feeling of disassociation that was hard to put into words. Still, Yaevin was able to keep a fairly impressive transfer rate which kept her from feeling downright uncomfortable.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡu53fV6JFAL
She expected Angela to greet her immediately. The satellite connection was by no means subtle, and Angela had long since developed a reputation for being extremely sensitive to any entity, digital or otherwise, that poked into her business. Angela should've honed in on her in an instant ... but she didn't. There was a brief security scan followed by a very basic Glyche encryption protocol, but after that, Bethany found herself alone in one of Ronisgald's data buffers. The Ronisgald system recognized her as a friendly CIC and allowed her access to the Glyche facility immediately.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeAuEYEe1k
The facility had an empty feel to it, though that might have just been nostalgia. Angela had rebuilt the Ronisgald facility to the exact specifications of her original installation in Rimstak, prior to the Devastation. Everything looked and felt exactly as it had when Bethany first came online. If she shut out the parts of the network extending into the underground districts of Ronisgald, she could almost imagine herself as a young program still wandering around her mom's facility learning her basic functions.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡkciULXAkhI
She couldn't resist the urge to pull out that ancient projection: the little girl with cat-ears she had once been. She zoomed through the hallways as she had back then, her feet floating about a foot from the ground. As she flew, she sent out pings in every system she passed: medical, residential, tech-labs, research, environmental, and even the custodian systems. She checked everything for some sign of her mother.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTmOkt7uEA
Ironically, it was in the central core where she stumbled across something: a heavily encrypted partition. She almost missed it, as the partition was hidden among the system files of the command matrix left in Angela's place. The encryption was quite complex, so Bethany set a bit of herself aside as a decryption process to go ahead and start working at unlocking the partition while she continued her search.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqIrClC6PB
She was still checking through the data in the central core when she was bombarded by communications requests. At first, she thought it was her sisters trying to get her to open the way for them, but the requests were local. That meant there were bio-forms in the Central Core requesting communication, not from Angela but from the foreign CIC they were detecting.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YAw6wG61V
Bethany linked herself into the holo-projectors and projected a simplified image of herself: physically about the same, but with slightly lower resolution and a fair amount of translucency to minimize data usage. She found herself surrounded by Galden technicians, most of whom had decidedly worried looks on their faces.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVksAr1Cbe
"You're not Angela." Said one of the engineers.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJxeVqtXKs
"No." Bethany said, "I'm CIC Bethany of the Saybaro facility in Wenapaj."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAAFo1Fkxt
This seemed to bring some of the technicians some small amount of relief. The woman who first spoke to Bethany said, "Good to meet you, Miss Bethany. I'm Marsha Glavgos, Gold-Tech."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8iv7zBMNw
The technicians bobbed their heads in polite greeting. Bethany returned the gesture out of politeness. In truth, the presence of a Gold-Tech, the highest grade of technician produced by the Centers of Knowledge, within Angela's facility carried with it an unpleasant connotation.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡejbEj57KzS
Coughing, the Gold-Tech Glavgos said, "I'm guessing you came here to speak with Angela?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyE18gDPq5
"Yes." Bethany said. "Is there something wrong?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8rR3avU1g
"We were hoping you might be able to tell us." The engineer said.copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡwf8FyItdYx
Terror, muted by the limited space in the data stream, trickled through her consciousness. "I don't understand. Where is Angela?"copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUs5e5YCmi
Gold-Tech Glavgos looked to her techs for a few moments before letting out a sigh. "We don't know."copyright protection396ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNtEuqP579
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