the beginning of the end

[airlockedmods]

[After everyone has had the chance to pack up their items and get in all those last minute hugs, SISCE is waiting for them by the information desk in her hardlight hologram SIS form. She seems distracted while she picks up a few small things from her desk: a letter, a slightly terrifying stuffed animal and a few other odds and ends. She turns to look at them as her Champions approach, her brows furrowed in concern.]

Hello, everyone. I need to talk to you all about something. Will you come with me to the bathrooms?

Comments

[airlockedmods]

It is the most private place we have but thank you for understanding, Touko.

[ratherdoweddings]

I suppose that's true... Come on, everybody!

[Yurika waddles to the bathroom in that big stupid bunny suit.]

[cyan_maid]

Oh, uh, sure...!

[Here she comes with the newly re-packed Touko original bag...]

[daughterofthemark]

[And here's Arianna, with Dumpy and Sir Canaan in tow. She's left the other pigeons to their devices.]

I hope it won't be too crowded...

[induality]

[With her own bag packed, she's ready to Follow.

Bathrooms. It's cool. We're cool. Nice and quiet. Also small but. Inside--]

S-so... what did you want to talk to us about?

[airlockedmods]

[In an inner corner of the bathroom CECE's hedgebot body's eyes light up to life and she steps up.]

Before we go any further I feel I need to tell you how Jamie was captured...because it was my fault.

[cyan_maid]

What...?

[Oh no don't. Don't betray us CECE.......]

What happened?

[induality]

[Hey. She... knows how much he means to Jane so-- she's just gonna stay by her side. Give her a reassuring shoulder nudge.]

[ratherdoweddings]

Do you mean they noticed you in the glasses, or...?

[daughterofthemark]

[You're doing a good, Touko.]

I'm certain you are not to blame, Dame SIS.

[airlockedmods]

You remember that when Wilhemina was taken from Dr. Ein her memories were removed and she was refurbished into CECE. While we were in hiding, we came to the realization that simply deleting a huge amount of files from a very expensive artificial intelligence would not be very cost effective. So Jamie offered to help me seek them out while he was masquerading as an intern.

When Will was killed and brought to the simulation he started getting nervous. When Queenie happened I decided we should to take action and search for Wilhemina's files. Jamie agreed. He was caught somewhere he shouldn't have been and locked himself in the room. He only barely managed to upload me from his glasses to the spaceport's system before they caught him and took him away.

[cyan_maid]

...Oh, Jamie...h-he would do that, wouldn't he? That was...

[He'd wanted to help her be herself again. Bless him. Truly, bless him. Jane finds herself tearing up.]

So...w-what's this got to do with us? Are your files still hiding out somewhere, is...is that possibly...

[Could what remains of Wilhemina help them?]

[airlockedmods]

He was the friend I remembered having the longest. [CECEmina "All My Friends Are Dead" Ein.] I do not know if they can help us but...

I would like them back. I would like to know who she was, who she was to Dr. Ein, what she did on The Science Mind. InterGal7 stole her, stole me, like they stole the people you all became when they began this season.

[induality]

Then... then we go get them back. If there's a chance they could help-- and help you-- then there's no question.

[daughterofthemark]

Yes. All of us have had our memories restored. Now it is your turn.

[cyan_maid]

...Then, if it's possible, maybe we can get them back. You've been hurt by InterGal7, too, and they need to be made to pay for what they did. We all deserve our lives back. And that includes you.

[C'mere CECEmina, have a Jane hug on top of all the other hugs.]

No matter what, don't think what happened to Jamie was your fault. Not for a moment. The network and whoever did the deed are the ones who are wrong.

[motherfucking_ghost]

...It might hurt. Even if we find them, even if we can integrate them back into you. [Church has been looking pretty...distant during this conversation, but at least he's speaking.] It might not be what you expect or what you want.

But we're gonna do all we can to help you get your memories back. One hundred percent, we'll do it. Because nobody deserves to forget like that. We all know it. We're here for you, cuz you're our family, too.

And besides. It's sounding more and more like memory is the key.

[induality]

That's... that's not your fault.

[airlockedmods]

If I had not asked him to help me statistically there was a greater chance of him still being alive to help us now.

[induality]

We are all targets of the network. Whether we put ourselves in harms way or not, they aren't going to just let us go. Okay so... statistically maybe he could have prolonged his freedom but... they've been watching us every step of the way. Even when we thought we were free-- they knew exactly where we were, just waiting until they wanted us.

He... he did it knowing the risk he was taking, just like the rest of us now. It's not just for you or for him. This is... this is about all of us.

So... you don't have to take this all on yourself. We weren't able to do anything either.

[daughterofthemark]

If you had not asked him to help you. If I had realized how on edge both Rii-san and Dame Thomasin were.

It does no good to find ways to blame ourselves for what has happened. That is something I am still learning for myself, but I know it to be true.

[tokencanadian]

Touko is right, CECE. It's... really not your fault. It was just a sign that Jamie was determined to help you whether he was captured or not. That's what friends do.

I'm sure when we find Jamie again... he'll be very glad to see you.

[ratherdoweddings]

Oh, no... So you were both captured because he was trying to help you. But... that's not your fault at all! That's like saying it's our dead friends' fault that we got captured! C.E.C.E.-chan, you're not to blame for that.

[daughterofthemark]

[You know what? Arianna is going to hug the robot.]

It was not your fault.

[kingshaming]

[xander listens to this carefully]

You are right, in that regard it is your fault. But Jamie made his own choices, and knowing him I know he doesn't blame you. Now all there is to do is get him back and make it right.

Plus, if you had not be uploaded to the Spaceport, we wouldn't have had SIS to help us. For that, I consider it a bit of good in all that bad.