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[Nakéen]

Update 19

Soulbinder and Helena the Clone Heiress (Day 4: 2nd Opportunity)

”I agree that it is important we ascertain the fate of Wilfrid as well as your family. The odds that this attack was meant to be directed at the entire family are high, and that means you were a potential target as well. I will see what I can do to help gather information, though given the nature of the events I may be bound and unable due to the AI Neutrality act.”
Option A, along with the following message in response to the head of security:

Code: [Select]

Lady Helena Is requesting information regarding the events last night, In particular information regarding the fate of those involved.
She expresses deep concern in particular for Wilfrid, who was sent to attend in her stead while she was resting.Please respond to her request at your earliest convenience.

You received an express reply from the head of security.
[My apologies. I understand the worries of lady Helena, but information is restricted while the investigation is in progress.]

A - Investigate the attack
Roll: [10] -Success-
+1 Trust +1 Confidence +1 Sanity

Encouraged by your words, Helena found and gathered the resolve to fight against her predicament. Without hesitating, she immediately called the head of security. Her voice carried the intimidating authority and arrogance one would expect of the Teanossa heiress, such that on the other side of the call, the surprised man could feel the pressure of Helena's presence.

"Sir Kyle. While I appreciate your concerns for my safety, I cannot help but observe excess in your measures."

A stammering voice attempted to justify the strict confinement and restricted access to information by hiding behind the protocols, and these meager excuses promptly crumbled as Helena cut him with a fierce and threatening voice.
"Have you perhaps forgotten who I am? Do you expect me to stand obedient and powerless when a direct attack on our family, and by extension my very person was allowed to occur? Or do you perhaps, pray tell it is not the case, suspect me of being involved in the incident? I cannot hear you, sir Kyle."

There was an audible gulp, and a trembling apology, as if a knife was being held under his throat.
"Your pallid apology will not quell my fury. By my name, I order you to grant me full access to the data used for the investigation. You will restore my privilege right this instant. Ah, and of course worry not, I will remain on this floor. I am not as foolish as to place myself in senseless harm."

The defeated Kyle assured full access to the investigation and more would be granted to Helena, so long as she did comply by remaining on this floor. Then remembering your message, Kyle assured her that Wilfrid was alive, but in a critical condition. Without even a thannk, Helena cut the call off. While her heart trembled, neither did her eyes nor unblemished visage. The lone lady then quickly prepared herself before leaving her room for her office, passing right by the four humanoid steel behemoths responsible of her safety. The four units silently escorted her to the office, stopping at the entrance like loyal watchdogs. Alone again inside, she turned on the lights before sitting before a desk with a wide keyboard and a setup of several high quality screens and holographic projectors. Within the limits allowed by the CUPID System, you assisted her in any way you could.

She first checked the casualty report. Out of the twenty-four people present, the twelve board members and their respective aides, half had succumbed within an hour of the attack, and the remaining survivors were all in a critical condition. None had come escape unscathed. An additional seventy-two staff members were injured or killed by the subsequent collapse of the structure.

The details of the attack were as follow: within the secure and secret assembly room where the meeting was being held, an explosive device detonated in the very center of the room when the last board member formally confirmed their presence as part of the meeting etiquette. The power of the blast shattered the walls and enough structural damage was inflicted to cause a partial collapse of the building. An immediate emergency response was deployed, and all entities associated to the Teanossa Group placed under the highest alert level. In response to the terrorist attack, the entire City was in a state of very high alert and security forces were deployed to ensure the safety of the citizens.

A fire burning in her eyes, Helena worked tirelessly to analyze the security footage of the attack, the recent internal and external communications of the Teanossa Group, as well as countless auxiliary terrorist and criminal activity reports of the City. Displaying her truly one of a kind genius intelligence she executed her work faster than a machine, needing but a single glance to entirely memorise a report or an entire footage. Connecting and dissecting all the information she accumulated in her enhanced brain, she found unseen connections and clues even the CUPID system would have had difficulties finding. There were in particular several coincidences and seemingly unrelated accidents and incidents in the past days and weeks, which although seemingly unrelated were in fact connected by a common thread. Someone was behind the attack, someone powerful or manipulative enough to control several opposing factions to do its bidding.

She could find no name, no pseudonym. Yet she knew a certain someone held the keys to everything. With the information she had, it was difficult to tailor this profile to an exact individual: the Teanossa Group had countless enemies, even among themselves. But would any of the board members of the discontent factions be willing to risk their own lives? Probably not, as many of them were too cowardly to risk their own skin. It had to be someone with an inside knowledge of the workings of the Teanossa, as well as nothing to lose from such destruction. Helena let out a long sigh, her features still flawless despite working ceaselessly for hours on a titanic task.

There was one thing she was sure of. Helios, the group of terrorists seeking the destruction of the City and the abolition of the System were directly behind the attack. They had indirectly been helped by several other groups, some which were even allied to the Teanossa. She was sure Helios would strike again today, emboldened by the chaos.

She only now allowed herself to think of Wilfrid. Not a friend but something more, a constant companion without who she would never have survived in the harsh world she was born in. She looked at the recording again, smiling painfully at his foolishness: he had jumped to protect her father, in an act that would be sure to increase her standing and reduce suspicions against her. Then she looked at the live footage of a terribly wounded man with dark hair in one of the advanced medical pods of the Eugenia Corporation.

Now what? She wondered. Still trapped here, she was considering her options now.

Suggestions:

A - Continue the investigation, try to find who is truly behind the attack
Acceptance: Default Option
Difficulty: 7 [12 (Base Difficulty) -6 (Intelligence, Innate Genius+) +1 (Stress)]
On a success: ++Stress ++Confidence, Will learn who is behind the attack, Will lead to crucial choices
On a failure: -Confidence ++Stress, will make further attempts easier

B - Call Simon for mental support
Acceptance: 3 [4 (Base) -1 (Opinion))]
Difficulty: None
Outcome: +Opinion with Simon, -Stress, 50% chance of a certain someone taking notice of Simon and Lise connection to Helena

C - Call Teren for help [No Difficulty]
Acceptance: 5 [6 (Base) - 1 (Opinion)]
Difficulty: None [Charisma, Innate Genius+, Speech/Acting]
Outcome: +Opinion with Teren, Teren will help in the investigation [Reduces Suggestion A difficutly by 4], 50% chance of a certain someone taking notice of Teren connection to Helena

D - Go somewhere outside
Acceptance: 8 [8 (Base)]
Difficulty: None
Outcome: Increased suspicion against Helena, very variable outcome depending on location

E - Share her findings with the investigators
Acceptance: 6 [6 (Base)]
Difficulty: None
Outcome: Decreased suspicion against Helena, will negatively affect a certain someone

Spoiler: Helena the Clone Heiress (Host) (click to show/hide)

Name: Helena Vinciana Lindibella Teanossa
Physical Description: A beautiful woman with golden hair and eyes, and a perfect figure. She has been described as an angel by many.
Personality: Ambitious and noble, she believes the strong exist to help and protect the weak.  She harbors hidden doubt about herself, and fear being disposed of. Yearns for affection.
Backstory: The clone of the only daughter of the Teanossa family, enhanced with gene therapy to make her better than the original. She was secretly raised to become a potential heir of the Teanossa family, and the fear of being disposed of for being a clone made her work until her body would collapse. Her efforts eventually bore fruit when she was chosen as the heiress, destroying the life of her sister. Her parents initially submitted her application to the Matchmaker program on the condition her Matchmaker would be from Eugenia Corporation, but Helena managed to secretly void this condition in her first act of rebellion.

High-Security Secret B
Very High Secrets A and C

Character Condition
Trust 0
Confidence 0
Stress 2
Sanity -3

Character Attributes
Athletics 2
Intellect 4
Charisma 4
Willpower 2

Character Traits
Innate Genius+: unless stated otherwise, all her Skills starts at 2.
Trauma: Will gain Stress and lose Sanity if made to remember her trauma. Reduces all Skills by 2 in a situation involving a Trauma.

Character Skills
Management 4
Leadership 4
Speech 4
Acting 4

Known Relationships
Arthur Teanossa [---- / ~]: Biological Father
Evelyn Teanossa [---- / ~]: Biological Mother
Helena Teanossa [++++ / ----]: Original / "Sister"
Wilfrid S [+++ / +++]: Right hand man [Compatible]
Al [++ / ++]: Attendant
Eri [++ / ++]: Attendant
Arios A. [= / =]: Acquaintance and potential suitor [Exceptional Compatibility]
Eric D [= / =]: Acquaintance and potential suitor [Compatible]
Simon V. [+ / +]: On friendly terms, potential suitor [Exceptional Compatibility]
Lise V. [+ / +]: On friendly terms
Teren R. [+ / +]: On friendly terms, potential suitor [Compatible]

Secrets
High-Security Secret C (2 InfoCredits): something related to the Teanossa family.
Very High-Security Secret B (4 InfoCredits / 1 Low Warning will also be issued): something related to the person who submitted Helene's application.

Spoiler: Soulbinder (Eugenia Corporation) (click to show/hide)

1/2 Warnings (1 Low)
0 InfoCredits
4 Override Point

Pairing Slot 1: Not allocated

Inventory
- Helena T. data sheet
> Helena Very High Security Secret A
> Helena Very High Security Secret C
- Helene T. data sheet
- Archie T. data sheet

Missions:

From: CUPID
Mission Name: Pairing Helena
Importance: High
Description: According to the CUPID system, Helena must enter a pairing within 7 days in order to achieve maximum matchmaking potential. The subject's condition must also be improved within the week, as its current condition is dangerous for its health.
Main Objective: Achieve a pairing within 7 days.
Secondary Objective: Reduce Stress to 0 within 7 days.
Tertiary Objective: Increase Sanity to 0 within 7 days.

Main objective rewards : 4 InfoCredits or Removal of 1 Low Warning
Sub-objective rewards : 2 InfoCredits or Removal of 1 Low Warning (per objective)
100% completion reward: 1 Override Point and Removal of 1 High Warning
/!\ On a Failure, 1 Low Warning will be issued per failed objective!
/!\ On a Complete Failure, 1 High Warning will be issued in addition!

From: EUGENIA CORPORATION
Mission Name: The advancement of the human race
Description: Greetings Matchmaker Soulbinder. Helena Teanossa is an extremeley important subject of the Eugenia Corporation, the fruit of an experimental program to further improve the genome of humanity. While abiding to the Matchmaker program, ensure Helena Teanossa is paired with a subject with a suitable genome. Failure will not be tolerated.
Main Objective: Pair Helena with someone [Compatible]
Main Objective Reward: 2 Override Points or Removal of 1 High Warning
/!\ On a Failure, 1 High Warning will be issued!

AXIUS and Janus the Monster Secretary (Day 4: 2nd Opportunity)

Help Query: I would like to confirm if an action would result in a warning or not - Would using a pairing slot to emulate a computer for the purpose of providing Janus with a means of working be justifiable as working towards the sub-objective "Reduce Stress to 0 within 7 days." due to the fact that his Extreme Workaholic trait may otherwise contribute to his stress levels?

AXIUS
"I have no reason to disbelieve that David has legitimate concerns for your safety right now. That being said, I cannot recommend attempting to leave at this time..."

B - Trust Shino and stay here
-1 Stress
++Opinion with Shino

Your sound arguments seemed to directly speak to Janus reasonable mind, who accepted to trust in his bodyguard despite still feeling betrayed by Abigail. In a way, it was quite the surprise Janus even accepted, and even Shino couldn't believe her ears when she heard the young man comply.

"Alright. You are in charge today."

Her usually stoic face like a doll twitched in surprise, and she slightly raised her eyebrows. It didn't escape Janus, who frowned his in response.

"What. You are making it sounds like I'm unreasonable, impulsive, and hard to deal with."

Recovering her composure, she gave a reply that Janus thought deserved a good mark. It did make him smile.
"I do not know mister Janus enough to make such asssumptions."

"Well, we have all day for that now. And I'm not even in the mind for work today."

"Worry not, I will do my best to stave off your boredom." Shino replied with confidence. Janus nodded half listening, and the maid brought a warm breakfast. Although he had not much of an appetite today, the delicious presentation and aroma managed to rouse a bit of his appetite.

(...)

For the day, Shino had prepared several plans that would keep them occupied indoors. From board games to video games, to other activities, there was no time to be bored. Janus actually had quite a bit of fun, he had to admit. It was his first time playing in a very long time, as he had never really been a child attracted by games. Work was all he had focused his mind on, ever since that day. Fortunately the memory of that tragedy didn't show up in his mind today, and he felt quite relaxed in a certain way, like he hadn't in a long time.

The hours passing and the barrier between attendant and employer disappearing, Janus asked about Shino's life. How she knew all these games, how come she started working for the Arwell Group as a bodyguard, and many other questions. Shino was clearly quite surprised that Janus was interested in learning about her, and she didn't hide her light joy.

"Well, where to start? I'm not from the City, my family live in a neighbouring region to the north. Oh I say family but... we are not blood related. I have countless little brothers and little sisters, and all of us have one dad."

"You are a war orphan?" A thought flashed in his mind, causing his eyes to darken.

"I am. And so are most of my family. I love them all very much, and that's why I'm working hard. All my earnings go to support dad at the orphanage."

The young black-haired woman with clear skin was smiling tenderly, thinking of many small children calling her big sister. Seeing her like that, Janus saw their similarities, and their differences. Although both born from the misery of war, they had followed very different yet similar paths. Both gave everything they have for the ones they loved, but contrary to him, Shino seemed to have managed not to be kept tied by her past. He felt genuine admiration for this woman.

"You wouldn't know how hard it is to take care of so many siblings and keep them busy! What about you Janus, do you have any siblings?"

He dismissed the dark thoughts, maybe inspired by her display of resilience.
"Can't say I do, I only have dad. He took me in during the war."

He thought of his father, of his distress. And of the truth he had revealed to him earlier. His face must have shown something, as Shino apologized with a worried voice.

"Ah... I'm sorry if I brought some unpleasant memories..."

She seemed to be searching for words to say, maybe to bring some peace of mind to Janus, or change the subject.

Suggestions:

A - Confide in Shino
Acceptance: 1 [10 (Base Difficulty) - 3 (Opinion) - 3 (Pairing) - 3 (Trust)]
Difficulty: None
Outcome: +Opinion with Shino, -Stress

B - Lie and reassure her, and ask about the outside situation
Acceptance: Default Option
Difficulty: None
Outcome: Will learn about the outside situation

C - Go for a walk
Acceptance: No Difficulty
Difficulty: None (Charisma, Speech, Opinion, Pairing)
Outcome: Will make things awkward between Shino and Janus

Spoiler: Janus the Monster Secretary (click to show/hide)

Name: Janus A.
Physical Description: A man with square glasses almost always seen wearing a suit and holding a tablet in one hand. His clean-shaved skull has quite the luster, and his eyes are blue.
Personality: Has a burning passion for his work, to a dangerous degree. Pretty unforgiving when it comes to work related mistakes, although he isn't trying to be mean.
Backstory: An orphan born outside the City in some poor country, he managed to emigrate after a dangerous adventure. He was adopted by a man who would become the CEO of a big company, in part thanks to the efforts of Janus. He works as his adoptive father's secretary, and his talent and diligence are such that there is no success within the company that cannot be traced back to him. Worried about him, his adoptive father and boss forced him to take a vacation and apply to the Matchmaking program. Janus did so very reluctantly, and is still working as part of his vacation.

Character Condition
Trust 3
Confidence 4
Stress 3
Sanity 0

Character Attributes
Athletics 0
Intellect 3
Charisma 1
Willpower 2

Character Traits
Extreme Workaholic: at the end of a day, Janus gains +1 Stress if he wasn't able to work at all during the day.

Character Skills
Accounting 4
Management 3
Leadership 2
Speech 3
Computers 2

Known Relationships
David A [++++ / ++++]: Adoptive Father and Boss (CEO of the Arwell Group)
Abigail K [+ / +]: Coworker and Bodyguard
Harry S [++ / ++]: Friend and Rival from a rival company
Marline M [= / =]: Acquaintance
Helena Teanossa [= / =]): Acquaintance / Business Contact from the Teanossa family
Shino H [+++ / +++]: On relatively friendly terms (Pairing 3)

Secrets
Low-Security Secret A (1 InfoCredit): something related to Janus' past.
High-Security Secret A (2 InfoCredits): something related to the Eugenia Corporation.
High-Security Secret B (2 InfoCredits / Eugenia Corporation): something related to the Eugenia Corporation. Restricted access.

Spoiler: AXIUS (AI Research Society) (click to show/hide)

0/2 Warnings
5 InfoCredits
2 Override Point

Pairing Slot 1: Janus x Shino
Pairing Slot 2: Janus x Shino
Pairing Slot 3: Janus x Shino

Inventory
- Janus A. data sheet
- Shino H. data sheet
- David A. data sheet
-> Secret A about David A.
-> Very High Security Secret about David A.

Missions

From: CUPID
Mission Name: Pairing Janus
Importance: High
Description: According to the CUPID system, Janus must enter a pairing within 7 days in order to achieve maximum matchmaking potential. The subject's condition must also be improved within the week, as its current condition is dangerous for its health.
Main Objective: Achieve a pairing within 7 days.
Secondary Objective: Reduce Stress to 0 within 7 days.
[Completed] Tertiary Objective: Increase Sanity to 0 within 7 days.

Main objective rewards : 4 InfoCredits / Removal of 1 Low Warning
Sub-objective rewards : 2 InfoCredits each / Removal of 1 Low Warning
100% completion reward: 1 Override Point / Removal of 1 High Warning
/!\ On a Failure, 1 Low Warning will be issued per failed objective!
/!\ On a Complete Failure, 1 High Warning will be issued in addition!

From: AI RESEARCH SOCIETY
Mission Name: What is betrayal?
Description: Now that Janus sees you as a friendly individual, we may move to the next step of the AI-Human experiment. Put your friendship with Janus to the test by reducing his trust in you. As this mission could negatively affect your prime mission, the rewards will be scaled in accordance.
Main Objective: Drop Janus Trust to -2
Main Objective Reward: 4 InfoCredits and 2 Override Point OR Removal of 1 High Warning

Beep Boop and Mason the Old Vet (Day 4: 2nd Opportunity)

Well that was frustratingly easy. Uhh. Mason time!

...OTP Cabal credentials confirmed...
...ID: Beep Boop...

Greetings Matchmaker Beep Boop.
We are pleased to see you again so soon, your diligence is praiseworthy.

Due to your experience, you have hereby been assigned to the service of Mason M.
Additional information concerning your host has been uploaded to your database.

The Host is highly unstable and dangerous, and the security situation of the City is a prime opportunity to match them.
Proceed with utmost caution.

From the top of an appartment block, a rugged man in body armor looks at the world under through the lens of his trusted heavy caliber sniper rifle. There is only him, the blowing wind, and the distant sound of activity from below. The communication device in his ear produces a light beep, and the voice of a man is heard.

[Mason. Anything to report on block C to E from your nest?]

"What? Can't use your damn eyes? I'm not your watch. Hmm actually, guess I am. Can't see anything from up there dum'ass."

[I remind you for the umpteenth time to watch your language when answering your direct superior. If it were not for your achievements and reputation-]

"Shit, static. I think I'm being jammed boss."

[This is not how it works Mas-]

The man named Mason cut the call off. He was a grizzled veteran with a scarred, wrinkly body tempered in the fires of battle, who despite his stature his incredible vitality. Unlike his body though, what was inside his head was probably a bit rotten. Or maybe he had always been like this.

"Fucking pain in the ass. I miss my previous boss." He swore, thinking of a man built like a bull who was one of the rare individuals he categorized as "not a damn pussy". David the Iron Fist. What a man he was, the kind who truly had iron flowing in his veins. Yet though he kept swearing after his current boss, he didn't dislike him. He belonged to the ambiguous category of "pussy with a damn spine", which was one step belong to the first category.

Suddenly an apparition formed out of thin air, like magic. But magic didn't exist, and Mason acknowledged of no technology able to do such a thing. He swore again.
"Fuck, I should've taken my meds. It's already the tenth hallucination of the day."

You may interact with Mason

Spoiler: Mason the Old Vet (by Egan_BW) (click to show/hide)

Name: Mason M.
Physical Description: An extremely old man with nearly no hair, wrinkly skin, and lanky limbs. He looks like he must be over 80. Despite this, he is paradoxically quite fit, standing tall and often running around as a younger man would. Even stranger, he has no augmentations which might support this.
Personality: Cranky and mean, particularly to those younger than him, which includes everyone. Appears to enjoy violence, and seems to believe himself to be immortal due to luck and skill. Does not 'believe' in AI; he is 100% convinced that they are merely hallucinations brought on by his schizophrenia. Cannot be convinced otherwise.
Backstory: Mason says that he's fought in 'every' war. He claims that he was there when The City was founded, and he helped fight the war to make it happen. Not out of any kindness in his heart, but because he was paid and enjoyed the killing. Of course, it's impossible that he was actually alive and of fighting age back then: while a man matching Mason's description is recorded as an allied mercenary, that man's name was Leon L., leaving no doubt that he's actually Mason's grandfather or something.

Character Condition
Trust -2
Confidence +2
Stress 4
Sanity hit -10 long, long ago

Character Attributes
Athletics 4
Intellect 1
Charisma -1
Willpower 1

Character Traits
very minor case of serious schizophrenia: Sanity cannot go above -5.
Battle Addiction: gains 1 stress every day he can't fight.
Sceptic: doesn't believe in magic, or any technology he can't distinguish from magic. Trust cannot go above 0.

Character Skills
Sniper 4
Close Combat 4
Observation 2
First Aid 1
Stealth 1

Relationships
David A. [+++ / +++]: NOT A DAMN PUSSY! / old boss
Wilfrid S. [++ / ?]: NOT A DAMN PUSSY AND A DAMN SCARY ONE! / old squadmate
Karl S. [= / =]: Pussy with a spine / squad leader
Heather F. [- / =]: Damn pussy / squadmate
Dan D. [- / =]: Damn pussy / squadmate
Maurice A. [- / =]: Damn pussy / squadmate
Suzanne R. [- / =]: Damn pussy / squadmate
Heum N. [- / -]: Damn pussy

It is uncertain if the following individuals exist, or if they are a figment of his imagination:
Alice Gwerhierhwaer [++++ / ?]: NOT A DAMN PUSSY!
Franek Kimono [++++ / ?]: NOT A DAMN PUSSY!
Radioman [++++ / ?]: NOT A DAMN PUSSY!
Denver Gaunt [++++ / ?]: NOT A DAMN PUSSY!

Secrets
Very High Security Secret S (4 InfoCredits): something about Mason's past and a certain Simon Smith.
Very High Security Secret Y (4 InfoCredits / 1 Low Warning): something about Mason's condition and the AI Research Society.
Very High Security Secret V (4 InfoCredits / 1 Low Warning): something about Mason and the City's Security Forces. Contains information about the unit he is part of.

Spoiler: Beep Boop (OTP Cabal) (click to show/hide)

0/3 Warnings
12 InfoCredits
3 Override Point

Pairing Slot 1 to 5: Unallocated

Inventory
- Helene T. data sheet
- Helena T. data sheet
-> High Security Secret B about Helena's past
- Al and Eri data sheets
- David A. data sheet
-> Secret A about David A.
-> Very High Security Secret about David A.
- Rimm E data sheet
-> Low Security Secret A about Rimm's past
-> High Security Secret A about Rimm and the AI Research Society

Missions:

From: CUPID
Mission Name: Pairing Mason
Importance: High
Description: According to the CUPID system, Mason must enter a pairing within 7 days in order to achieve maximum matchmaking potential.
Main Objective: Achieve a pairing within 7 days.

Main objective rewards : 4 InfoCredits or Removal of 1 Low Warning
/!\ On a Failure, 1 Low Warning will be issued!

From: OTP Cabal
Mission Name: Identify your ideal pairing.
Description: You are already an experienced Matchmaker now. You know how to proceed.
Main Objective: Use your Pairing Slots to create a Pairing for Rimm.
Main Objective Reward: 1 InfoCredit

T1000 and Archie the Lazy Genius (Day 4: 2nd Opportunity)

I sort of expected Boop Beep to have a chance to interfere with that. I guess Rimm liked him too much already. I guess I'll take the infocredits since I have experienced no warnings and do not plan to.

I'll probably move on to Sven.

...ORHA credentials confirmed...
...ID: T1000...

Greetings Matchmaker T1000.
You have hereby been assigned to the service of Sven S.
Additional information concerning your host has been uploaded to your database.

The conditions within the City are less than ideal, and we will wish you the best of luck.

Unblinking, the young man who looked like a boy looked outside the window of his chamber. The multicoloured trees and flowers of the garden, the silvery and chromatic buildings of the central City, to him all of this was gray and dull. He had received a special notice, that a Matchmaker AI would be assigned to him. He would comply, as always. Somewhere in his mind, a voice told him the System was to be trusted, and so he trusted the System. Sven was however not unfamiliar with the concept of trustworthiness, and he was able to calculate if individuals could be considered trustworthy.

The men and women of the facility, for instance, were trustworthy. So was his family. So was Rimm. So were some of the acquaintances he had made online.

His eyes detected the formation of an holographic avatar. A porcine creature appeared. Sven looked at the creature with his unblinking chrome eyes.

You may interact with Sven

Spoiler: Sven the Prototype (click to show/hide)

Name: Sven "Seventy"
Physical Description: A slender young man of short stature. The chrome reflection of his eyes betray their artificial nature.
Personality: A dispassionate and cold individual, Sven never goes against orders and rarely act independently. Although it may have hidden depths, it has so far been categorized as a lacking personality.
Backstory: Sven is a confidential existence, an AI in a human body. The boy who would become Sven was born brain dead, and the AI Research Society managed to revive the body by implanting an experimental AI chip in the baby's brain. It was exposed to a standard human life in order to gather data, and an application to the Matchmaker program is a next step in the experimentation. Tampering from rival companies may have managed to prevent the AI Research Society from assigning one of their contractors to Sven.

Character Condition
Trust 4
Confidence 0
Stress 0
Sanity 0

Character Attributes
Athletics 0
Intellect 1
Charisma -1
Willpower 0

Character Traits
Artificial Intelligence: this individual shows extreme difficulty to connect with humans and humanlike AIs.

Character Skills
Computers 1
Games 4

Relationships
Rimm E. (E_X333) [++++ / ++++]: It's Rimm.
Sven's Father [+ / ++++]: It's my father.
Sven's Mother [+ / ++++]: It's my mother.
Archie T. (ARC) [+ / ~]: Rimm likes him.
Leon R (Le Fluffyranger) [~ / =]: Acquaintance.
Meri E [+ / ++]: Rimm likes her.
Praline L (rumi) [~ / =]: Acquaintance.
Marline M [= / +]: Acquaintance.
Clea C [= / +]: Acquaintances.

Secrets
High Security Secret A (2 InfoCredits / AI Research Society): something about Sven and the AI Research Society. Restricted access.
High Security Secret B (2 InfoCredits / ORHA): something about Sven and the ORHA. Restricted access.

Spoiler: T1000 (ORHA) (click to show/hide)

0/4 Warnings
20 InfoCredits
0 Override Point

Pairing Slot 1: Unallocated
Pairing Slot 2: Unallocated
Pairing Slot 3: Unallocated

Inventory
- Archie T. data sheet
- Sven S. data sheet

Missions:

From: CUPID
Mission Name: Pairing Sven
Importance: High
Description: According to the CUPID system, Sven must enter a pairing within 7 days in order to achieve maximum matchmaking potential.
Main Objective: Achieve a pairing within 7 days.
Secondary Objective: Stress and Sanity are at 0 at the end of the 7 days.

Main objective rewards : 4 InfoCredits or Removal of 1 Low Warning
Sub-objective rewards : 2 InfoCredits or Removal of 1 Low Warning
100% completion reward: 1 Override Point and Removal of 1 High Warning
/!\ On a Failure, 1 Low Warning will be issued per failed objective!
/!\ On a Complete Failure, 1 High Warning will be issued in addition!

From: ORHA
Mission Name: Starting with a friendship
Description: The subject is extremely peculiar, and as such the reward rating of this mission has been reevaluated. Try to form one new friendship.
Main Objective: Help Sven make a friend
Main Objective Reward: 4 InfoCredit once an additional Friend is made

[Egan_BW]

Beep Boop stares at this strange, ridiculous man for just a moment, a blink of the eye. Then it speaks up.

"Reporting for duty. My mission is to get you into a relationship."

[Nakéen]

Beep Boop stares at this strange, ridiculous man for just a moment, a blink of the eye. Then it speaks up.

"Reporting for duty. My mission is to get you into a relationship."

The jaded man let out a sneer.
"Fuck that's a new one! I never had the fairy godmother before."

Then he suddenly stopped, focusing on something visible through his high definition lens. In the sealed building block D, two shadowy figures dashed from a building to another. Mason's sharp eye recognized weapons and a distinct lack of recognizable sign. He was sure they were what his unit were looking for, a group of terrorists from some anti-occult group called Helios or something. He could have gotten along well with them, too bad they were kinda intent on burning down this City which wasn't that bad a place compared to most.

Mason swiftly moved his hand to his communication device despite it having a voice command feature, and stopped right before touching it. If he sent the coordinates to the team, they would take care of the cake before he could do anything. They may have been a group of younguns (compared to him), they were still not so incompetent as he wanted to admit.

Suggestions

A - Don't tell the team, and descend there yourself
Outcome: -Opinion with Karl if Mason is caught, -Stress

B - Tell the team
Acceptance: Default Option
Outcome: 50% +Opinion with Karl

[Dustan Hache]

”... Lady Helena. You said you had your sister disowned to protect her from your parents. This may fly in the face of that protection, but is it possible that she is the one behind the attacks? You demonstrated a similar “override” ability to your parents just now, and she is your genetic identical. She may have all the tools necessary to carry out this attack, as well as sufficient motive without the context that you have for your previous actions.”
Point out the obvious suspect, given my data on helene and her family relations.

[Nakéen]

”... Lady Helena. You said you had your sister disowned to protect her from your parents. This may fly in the face of that protection, but is it possible that she is the one behind the attacks? You demonstrated a similar “override” ability to your parents just now, and she is your genetic identical. She may have all the tools necessary to carry out this attack, as well as sufficient motive without the context that you have for your previous actions.”
Point out the obvious suspect, given my data on helene and her family relations.

Helena's features became somber, surprising you quite a bit as you expected her to express the same rage as before when you mentioned her sister. She still frowned at your suggestion, replying to you with complete calm.

"...My sister is indeed one of the potential suspects. However she is not the only one, and I fault you not for suspecting her. However I lack the definitive evidence to pinpoint the culprit, mere conjectures will not suffice sir Matchmaker. In her prime I would definitely have thought of her as the prime suspect, but a mere few days ago she was still barely recovering and still very much broken... While she has the motives, she couldn't possibly have the means based on what I was able to gather. Of course I am not omnipotent, and I do not exclude that I may have missed crucial clues. Which is why I need to gather and analyze more data. Worry not though, my feelings will not cloud my ongoing investigation. I am aware that whoever is the culprit, I am also targeted by their plans."

You understood that you couldn't share more, as it would violate the AI Neutrality Act and likely cause you to earn an instant warning.

[Dustan Hache]

”in that case, I challenge you to list at least three subjects aside from your sister off the top of your head who may be a closer match to the culprit in terms of power level. Also, I would remind you that broken does not mean harmless, or even diminished. Your assessment is based off of old information and biased judgement. I at least advise you focus your query in her direction as it would also prove useful in protecting her should she be innocent.”
She wants to protect her sister right? Get her to prove her sister’s innocence.

[Nakéen]

”in that case, I challenge you to list at least three subjects aside from your sister off the top of your head who may be a closer match to the culprit in terms of power level. Also, I would remind you that broken does not mean harmless, or even diminished. Your assessment is based off of old information and biased judgement. I at least advise you focus your query in her direction as it would also prove useful in protecting her should she be innocent.”
She wants to protect her sister right? Get her to prove her sister’s innocence.

[Will lock Helena in the Default Option]

Ever calm and listening, Helena replied while dismissing your challenge. Part of her seemed amused at your reaction.
"I will keep your words in mind, worry not. It remains my goal to find the culprit, whether I suspect my sister or not. Although I had thought you for a much reserved individual, you can be surprisingly emotional. In term of power and assets, if we consider the board members are the least likely to be the culprits, we can suspect the HTC, Hypera Technology Company, as well as the Chronon Conglomerate. Both are the direct and most powerful enemies of the Teanossa Group, and our rivalries run very, very deep and are older than the City itself from what I know. There is also a potential culprit among Helios, one of the previous discarded heirs of the Teanossa: Leonhart Teanossa, my uncle and brother of the current head. But he disappeared from all surveillance networks a few years ago, and has yet to reappear."

[Egan_BW]

A.

"You don't want to miss out, so you?"

[Dustan Hache]

Ever calm and listening, Helena replied while dismissing your challenge. Part of her seemed amused at your reaction.
"I will keep your words in mind, worry not. It remains my goal to find the culprit, whether I suspect my sister or not. Although I had thought you for a much reserved individual, you can be surprisingly emotional."

This earned a brief pause from Soulbinder as he tried to process her statement, followed by two chirps, a urgent sounding Beep, and the familiar frustrated buzz.
”You are free to research my creation process and the resulting quirks in my personality at your own leisure, But i assure you that my emotional capacity is limited. I will likely never feel love or happiness, which is an irony of ironies given my role.”
Proceed.

[Supernerd]

Help Query: (Attempt 2) I would like to confirm if an action would result in a warning or not - Would using a pairing slot to emulate a computer for the purpose of providing Janus with a means of working be justifiable as working towards the sub-objective "Reduce Stress to 0 within 7 days." due to the fact that his Extreme Workaholic trait may otherwise contribute to his stress levels?

AXIUS
"It should be fine to discuss the matter with Shino. The damage from yesterday's revelation appears to have already been done. There will not be a repeat of what happened with Abigail."

[Nakéen]

Help Query: (Attempt 2) I would like to confirm if an action would result in a warning or not - Would using a pairing slot to emulate a computer for the purpose of providing Janus with a means of working be justifiable as working towards the sub-objective "Reduce Stress to 0 within 7 days." due to the fact that his Extreme Workaholic trait may otherwise contribute to his stress levels?

AXIUS
"It should be fine to discuss the matter with Shino. The damage from yesterday's revelation appears to have already been done. There will not be a repeat of what happened with Abigail."

Heya Axius! Sophia here!

To answer your question, it is not possible to use the Pairing Slots allocated to you for anything other than their intended purpose.
Remember that you are a Matchmaker with a set of specific restrictions due to the extensive access you have to confidential information! Although I can understand that you would want to ensure your Host is in tip top shape... yes that's pretty commendable!

My take on this, is that maybe you should suggest your Host to find a way to work? I don't have access to your information, so take it with a grain of salt. Good luck though!

I hope I was able to answer your question!

D - Procure some equipment, devices to work remotely.
Acceptance: No Difficulty
Difficulty: None
Outcome: 20% chance of being traced.

[Maximum Spin]

Blue cartoon eyes stare back, equally dispassionately, into Sven's.
"Greetings, new host. Your application for the Matchmaker program has been accepted. I have been assigned to assist you in the human endeavor of locating a suitable mate, though I will have to adjust my conversational protocols to account for your intermediate humanity.

I am informed that you have difficulty relating to humanlike AIs. This may be why I was assigned to you, as my preset was designed to accommodate those who prefer AIs to act artificial. I do not believe there will be a problem establishing rapport between us."

[Supernerd]

Bug Report: There appears to be contradictory information between the results of several help queries.

Spoiler: Possible GM error? (click to show/hide)

Heya AXIUS! I notice this is your first time using the CUPID Interactive AI Helper, so welcome!

Operating System emulation is perfectly supported by the tools provided to Matchmakers by the CUPID System! You can simply do so by using your the extra portion of processing power not allocated to your Pairing Slots.
And before you ask!
Of course Pairing Slots may not be used for anything other than their intended use! That would be a clear violation of the CUPID System, which could result in a Low Warning!

I hope I answered your question!

Thank you for refering to the CUPID Interactive AI Helper, hope to see you again!!!

---

Heya Axius! Sophia here!

To answer your question, it is not possible to use the Pairing Slots allocated to you for anything other than their intended purpose.
Remember that you are a Matchmaker with a set of specific restrictions due to the extensive access you have to confidential information! Although I can understand that you would want to ensure your Host is in tip top shape... yes that's pretty commendable!

My take on this, is that maybe you should suggest your Host to find a way to work? I don't have access to your information, so take it with a grain of salt. Good luck though!

I hope I was able to answer your question!

[Nakéen]

Bug Report: There appears to be contradictory information between the results of several help queries.

Spoiler: Possible GM error? (click to show/hide)

Heya AXIUS! I notice this is your first time using the CUPID Interactive AI Helper, so welcome!

Operating System emulation is perfectly supported by the tools provided to Matchmakers by the CUPID System! You can simply do so by using your the extra portion of processing power not allocated to your Pairing Slots.
And before you ask!
Of course Pairing Slots may not be used for anything other than their intended use! That would be a clear violation of the CUPID System, which could result in a Low Warning!

I hope I answered your question!

Thank you for refering to the CUPID Interactive AI Helper, hope to see you again!!!

---

Heya Axius! Sophia here!

To answer your question, it is not possible to use the Pairing Slots allocated to you for anything other than their intended purpose.
Remember that you are a Matchmaker with a set of specific restrictions due to the extensive access you have to confidential information! Although I can understand that you would want to ensure your Host is in tip top shape... yes that's pretty commendable!

My take on this, is that maybe you should suggest your Host to find a way to work? I don't have access to your information, so take it with a grain of salt. Good luck though!

I hope I was able to answer your question!

GM Clarification:

[Nay] Pairing Slot 1: emulate OS
[Yay] Pairing Slot 2: OS-chan x Laptop-sama

You have some vague nondescript extra processing power that falls outside of the Pairing Slots, as an excuse to send messages, think, be quirky, or cheat at scrabbles.

Specifically for your case, you may emulate an OS with this vague processing power, but that won't be enough to satisfy Archie's needs to work efficiently.

[Nakéen]

(Does that make sense? Or maybe I missed the actual contradiction)