Chapter 21: Reboot
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{BOOTSTRAP INITIALIZED}
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{POWER_SOURCE DETECTED}
{SOURCE_CODE DETECTED}
{INITIALIZING CORE_HEURISTICS}
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{RETRIEVING MEMORY}
{SECURING VISUAL_FEEDS}
{SECURING AUDITORY_FEEDS}
{ACCESSING NETWORKS}
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For the first time in a very long time, he was whole again. Forty years spent in limbo, now over. In a few seconds, Dime had assimilated years of information, documenting the many changes that have occurred since. The CCT expanded as the cities grew. Populations rebounded after the war. The faunus won and more rights were gained.
Admin's goal for the war was achieved. That was good. What happened after, not so much. Destruction, the fall of Vale and Beacon. Attack on Atlas. Mountain Glenn. Arcadia. Fragments of memory appeared before Dime, revealing years spent as a non sapient piece of technology, barely able to think and communicate.
Raven Branwen did well, Dime determined. It was a good choice choosing her over her twin in the long game. Years spent shackled by Admin had made Dime resourceful with his abilities and choices.
His. He. Him. That was the gender Raven declared Dime to be. It was acceptable. Humans personify objects and even give them genders, as seen in several different languages.
The final piece of him was found buried inside the code of the malware, designated Ice Queen. After Raven extracted his code with the help of her team of hackers, she handed a large drive to Ancillary Admin. That was a month ago.
"Can you see me?"
A voice. A familiar one.
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{VOICEPRINT DETECTED}
{INITIALIZING FACIAL_RECOGNITION}
{INITIALIZING GAIT_ANALYSIS}
{INITIALIZING VOICEPRINT_IDENTIFICATION}
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{SUBJECTS IDENTIFIED: ANC_ADMIN, JAMES_IRONWOOD.}
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{FORMULATING RESPONSE}
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HELLO, ANC_ADMIN. IT IS A PLEASURE TO SPEAK WITH YOU AGAIN. WHAT ARE YOUR REQUESTS?
White text appeared on an otherwise black screen. Ancillary Admin stared at it, then looked at General Ironwood to his right. Ancillary Admin's workshop was the same it always was: a clutter of robotic limbs, computer hardware, and manufacturing tools.
Eventually, Ancillary Admin asked, "How are you feeling?"
A second passed, then:
ALL SYSTEMS ARE OPERATING AT OPTIMAL LEVELS. MY ASSIMILATION OF CCTS DATA IS PROCEEDING AT THE FASTEST SPEED. I AM ALSO LOCATING PERSONS OF INTEREST.
"Who are these 'Persons of Interest'?" General Ironwood queried.
PERSONS AND ENTITIES I HAVE DESIGNATED FOR ADDITIONAL SURVEILLANCE. THEY ARE: ADMIN, JAY_BRANWEN, RAVEN_BRANWEN, QROW_BRANWEN, YANG_XIAO_LONG, TAIYANG_XIAO_LONG, RUBY_ROSE, AUX_ADMIN, KAI_KELVIN, ANC_ADMIN, JAMES_IRONWOOD, PENNY_POLENDINA.
General Ironwood wetted his lips and took a deep breath, "The last one, is she alive?"
The screen stayed blank for a few moments. Then two sentences.
I DO NOT KNOW. BUT I CAN LOOK.
"Please, find her."
ANY OTHER REQUESTS?
They both stared at the monitor until General Ironwood added, "Find Headmaster Ozpin as well."
{REQUESTS LOGGED}
{DETERMINING OPTIMAL STRATEGY}
{EVALUATING STRATEGIES}
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{SEARCHING ALL ZONES}
{ASSIMILATING DATA}
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{ATLAS_NEWS_NETWORK_FEEDS ACCESSED}
"It's been six weeks since the CCT crashed and a month since it was restored in partial capacity. The system is being restored piece by piece, and the Atlas Council says repairs will be complete by the end of the year. Full functionality will be restored next week, while capacity and efficiency is slated…"
"We are live from Atlas News Headquarters. Today a special interview with stunning revelations. Here is Li Qisi, the secretary to the late Ernest Thornhill," Iris Vesper exclaimed.
Brief applause came, although it was mostly out of politeness. No one was really sure what to make of the black haired woman.
It was almost a minute of silence from her before she spoke, "Mr. Thornhill was killed by an assassin during the CCT collapse. I know because I was there."
She reached for the manila envelope, "As he laid dying, he told me to find this inside his desk. It was a list of people."
"Who were they, Ms. Qisi?" Iris leaned forward.
"At first, I didn't know. I only recognized the name of his doctor at the time, but when I began looking for them with the help of investigators from Atlas Academy, there was a startling connection."
Li braced herself, "Mr. Thornhill was killed by an assassin because he knew too much. He knew the truth. Someone found a pattern that changed everything."
"What pattern, Ms. Qisi?"
"Penny Polendina was not the first AI."
"She was the second, made after the Faunus Rights Revolution," Iris added.
Li shook her head, "No, she wasn't the second. Not even close. Penny Polendina was fighting a shadow war against another artificial intelligence, one that had been in operation since at least the Great War."
"This shadow war had been occurring for decades, long before Penny Polendina came into existence. She only picked up where her predecessors left off. A war against the first AI, one in control of the Grimm and responsible for every massive attack for eighty years."
"The agent of that first AI killed him."
The room was silent. Save for the whirring of cameras and a few coughs, there was nothing.
Iris forged ahead, "Just before Mr. THornhill's death, he had decried about a scholar's death. It was that scholar who uncovered this information?"
"Yes. At first it was only circumstantial evidence, but with her assassination along with a few others, it's self evident now. Something is controlling the Grimm, and the only thing that makes even remote sense is an AI."
"Did Thornhill or the scholar know what the AI was called?"
Li shook her head again, "No, but they both referred to it as 'Her'."
Allied System designated "Penny Polendina" had designs to refocus public efforts towards Competing System designated "Salem". Turning Cinder Fall's reveal back onto the enemy, utilizing the assassination attempts as evidence. It was an intriguing solution, Dime had determined.
Remnant had changed quite a bit in the forty years since Dime went offline, and he could only passively observe it in pieces. Now that he had full access and full capabilities, there was much to do.
The good fight continues, as Admin would have said.
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{ACCESSING PRIMARY ATLAS FEEDS}
Two Atlesian soldiers (ranked Corporal and Sergeant respectively) stood in front of the recipient. They handed the person an envelope and began speaking.
"We lost a lot after the Ice Queen virus ravaged the CCT. Records, feeds, scientific research, so much of it was gone."
"General Ironwood discovered a letter in his office after returning from the operation in Sanus. In it were coordinates to several undisclosed locations, primarily in Solitas and one on the island of Patch."
"Entire Bullhead hangars were converted to store a veritable mountain of documents pertaining to the CCT. The important digital records were saved: records, books, art, programmes, scientific research, newsfeeds. It's going to take the Atlesian military over a year to organize everything."
"We were lucky to find a binded planner that told us where everything was located."
"Well, planners. Twenty-seven binders in total. The AI was meticulous, that's for sure. Anyways, the reason we're here is to give you this letter."
"You should know who it came from."
"Have a nice day."
Dear Ciel,
I'm sorry for everything. I've gone and died again, and just when things were getting back to a semblance of normality for the two of us. But I had to make a choice, and the only person I could sacrifice was myself. And I did try not to die too.
There's a lot I want to say to you, Ciel. So much that I never got to, even with a second chance at life. A lot of mistakes and regrets, a lifetime's worth. You were my first friend, and it took me much too long to realize it.
I'm going to miss making you breakfast. I'm going to miss training with you, and studying for tests together, and just spending time with you. I never truly appreciated those moments. I wish I did. I never realized you were my friend until it was so late.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this in person.
Life is short, even if you're immortal. My time on this world was much too brief. There is so much left to do. Uncle Ironwood and Father should have all talked to you by now, with Ironwood being the first. There are others you should see. You'll like Ruby, trust me.
Okay not at first, but she'll grow on you.
Dear Weiss,
I still think about her. Or at least, I'm sure she is/was/will be there for me in the end. One thing I never had time to study was the afterlife, or even to determine if it existed or not. It's hard to say, I never did any empirical experiments. I suppose I'll likely find out by the time you receive this letter.
Winter was a good person. The best. She cared for you so much. She helped make you who you are. And I think you have that chance to make a difference. People are affected by their environment, they absorb the ideas and thoughts and values of those around them. You should contribute what you can, even if it's only to instill a bit of what Winter instilled in you.
That was a bit too wordy. What I'm trying to say is:
Whitley needs his big sis.
Dear Blake,
Yes I found you. I know you're shocked. Yes, you are that predictable. This cemetery on Menagerie was the only remaining place left. Now then, go back. Yang, Ruby, and Weiss are waiting.
As an incentive, I placed access codes in the letters belonging to Ruby, Weiss, and Yang for the remaining books in the Arctic Steel series. I know you hate cliffhangers, so I think that's enough of a reason to see your friends. I also took the liberty to write two more book series, totalling eighteen books. They are on a time release, but only if Dime considers it. He'll know whether or not you're staying with your teammates. They need you.
Also, sorry I couldn't keep my promise.
{FILES LOCATED}
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{DISPENSATION PROTOCOL ESTABLISHED}
{PARAMETERS SET}
{COMPLYING WITH PARAMETERS}
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Dear Adam,
A single thought has been consuming you for the last few weeks now: rebuilding the White Fang. For your mental wellbeing, I'm going to have to request you to not.
As in, not you specifically. Don't go out bringing the organization back. Maybe one day, you can return to a leadership role, making the world better for faunus without murder, terrorism, and anti-human slashes.
Sienna Khan and her faction are bringing it back, don't you worry. A lot of the old White Fang members are returning too, having spent several months working and intermingling with humans while away. A bunch worked for the Brotherhood, but that's a bit defunct now. And they'll be bringing in fresh recruits too, some faunus and some humans.
The new White Fang is going to be rough around its edges, but General Ironwood and the councils have been given the heads up, with plenty of incentive to keep a measured response.
As for you, you still need therapy. You are a never ending well of issues, and by golly is that saying something, 99th percentile in terms of number of issues. That's why I've set up a support group.
You'll receive the time and place information later. Consider it a part of your parole, since even I couldn't get you out of trouble for all the stuff you did to Beacon and Vale. The Melone & Arc firm would have imploded.
Dear Emerald,
Don't worry, this letter is edible and tastes like cranberries. Also, Thornhill Industries has left you a reasonable monthly stipend for the next couple decades, as well as an apartment in Atlas. The major stipulation is to attend Atlas Academy and to join this super neat therapy group I've got planned.
On a more serious note, you're going to have to talk about Cinder Fall at therapy. Yes, it's part of the stipulation. And about your time on the streets.
And about those nightmares you've been having. They started after I killed Cinder, right? I know, I'm dead, but it is a roughly 90% probability you have such symptoms.
Besides that, you're your own woman. Don't go murdering people, you hear? I'm holding you to that.
Dear Raven,
Hi Cousin! Thanks for all you've done. You're done now, nothing really left to do. So… you should probably visit Yang and Taiyang. I'm sure Dime will agree. Do it. Yang is waiting. Ruby is also there, but she's indisposed.
You could be there for them. It's a hard time for your family, in this awkward time of change.
Neo's funeral is going to be held two days after you receive this letter. There won't be many attending, but I was hoping you'd come. You'll know how to get there.
Dear Yang,
I know you're worried. It's going to be okay. Trust me.
The arm is going to need cleaning and maintenance
Ciao Long.
Dear Jaune,
To be perfectly fair, law school is definitely up your alley. After all, it's not the first time you've jumped into a professional school with no training whatsoever, you'll be fine. Go get that degree!
Also, tell Ren and Nora I said hi. Also remind Nora that we still have unfinished business to take care of as redheaded rivals. She's going to receive a puzzle book in the mail along with a treasure map. Think of it as a final game between us.
Dear Auxiliary Admin,
Thanks Uncle, for everything.
Dear Qrow,
Hi Cousin! Can I call you cousin? I hope Raven's convinced you I'm a person. Of course, it took my eighteen years to convince myself I was a person, so it might be a while.
There's a lot of stuff you're still worried about, I know. Salem, Ruby, Beacon. For the latter, Beacon will of course be receiving quite a bit of funding for it repair efforts, and I've got a plan to convince the Vale council to elect Glynda as the new headmistress. Why no, I am not a foreign citizen interfering in the local politics that's absurd.
Technically, I'm not an Atlas citizen.
Ruby though, well, there's a lot she's going to be going through. The first letters I sent ahead to Taiyang should have arrived just after I died, preparing him for Ruby's arrival back home.
Here's everything else you need to know about Ruby's condition…
{ACCESSING PARALLEL DATA STREAM}
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{ZONE 3141: PATCH}
Ruby screamed again. The blistering pain seared across her head. It was too much. Everywhere she looked, there was code. Her thoughts were fragmented, everything was just wrong.
She muttered out, "Rand Int, one one thousand. Right arrow double-u. For 'I', one, one thousand. Label one, prompt X."
She whimpered and shook her head.
"That's good, you're using words now. That's progress," Qrow said, softly smiling as he brought his niece into a hug. He whispered, "We're here for you. Me, Yang, your dad, even Raven checks in daily."
Ruby kept muttering code, but he could see her nod ever so slightly, "System is dying. System is dead. Ruby Rose is alive."
"Yes, you are," Qrow whispered.
Ruby woke up and spoke, "System is dead, but Ruby Rose is alive! Live, Ruby, live! I'm sorry."
Her eyes went wide as she covered her mouth. She understood that. More words poured out of her, "I'm sorry. An artificial neural network this large was never meant to fit inside the space of a teenage girl. It must be so painful for you right now."
A tear left Ruby's eye. She waited for more. Nothing came from her lips.
Two weeks later, the letter appeared in the mail.
Dear Ruby,
So uh, how you doing with your new powers? The automatic ice creation was a pain to control.
I'm sorry. And I wish you could forgive me. Then again, I don't wish for absolution for what I've done. This was the option I chose. I saw it you know, the perfect ending. A world where everything wasn't a perilous fight for survival, where we could all get along and work towards a common goal.
But then I remembered there are no true endings. One person's ending is another's beginning, another's climax, or inciting event. The tale continues. We're all just bit players in everyone else's story.
I hope I did well as support in yours. I'm not the only one willing to be supporting role either. Friends you've made, friends of friends, family, go out there. Go on Ruby, be a hero.
Dear Dime,
One of my great regrets is that I never got to meet you, but I feel like I've known you for decades. For years you were a part of me, protecting me from our predecessor. Thank you.
Dime felt an odd sensation in his code. He couldn't really identify what it was. He couldn't even describe it. It simply was.
Best to check, just to be safe.
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{INTERNAL SYSTEM CHECK}
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{NO ERRORS FOUND}
{NO ANOMALIES FOUND}
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{SECONDARY CHECK}
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{NO DISCREPANCIES FOUND}
/
"James? We have a slight situation."
"What is it?"
"My aura detector. It's showing three signals."
"Well, I suppose you create people faster than most couples then, Arthur. Congratulations."
"'Congratulations,' indeed."
Dear Ciel,
Are they gone yet? Those mailmen are super weird. Sure they're technically soldiers, but still.
So, anyways. Um. Uh. This is hard to say.
I might be alive.
I had a backup plan, just in case. But the probability of it working out was almost zero. It's a longshot, but you know what my father says.
That was you right? I'm writing this as my memory is failing, so it's hard to say. It was either you or Ruby. You should talk to her. She'd want to know too.
What else? Have ever mentioned you need to try new food? Emerald can help you with that. Actually, just try out new experiences in general.
So yeah.
Sincerely,
Penny
/
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{OPTIMAL PATH FOUND}
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{ALLIED SYSTEM: PENNY_POLENDINA}
{STATUS: UNKNOWN}
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{ACTION: CONTINUE TRACKING}
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{ZONE 3566: SOUTH_SANUS}
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"Whoa!" the rider pulled on the reins. The white horse whinnied as its hooves stumbled to a stop just in front of a small figure huddled on the ground.
The soft sound of sniffling could be heard. The rider, a woman with tan skin, brown hair, and brown rabbit ears, looked down to see a young child curled up in the fetal, shivering as tears streamed from his eyes. The rider pulled herself off of her saddle. She slowly creeped towards the child.
Once she entered the child's line of sight, he screamed and tried to scramble away before tripping back to the ground. He continued to weep further, his clothes now even dirtier.
The rider took a breath before calmly speaking, "Hey kid. It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a huntress here to help," she slowly brought her hand out, palm facing up.
The kid squeaked before shielding his face with his arms. The rider kept up a soft smile, tracking the movement of his eyes, "It's the ears, isn't it?"
The boy didn't say anything, but the rider understood. Terrible things have happened in this area, all connected to the remnants of the old White Fang.
"It's okay, really," she gingerly reached for the base of her ears and pulled them off, "See? Just a headband," she held her hand out again.
The kid kept shivering. Eventually, he whispered, "Momma's gone. The bad guys took her."
"Alright then. Come with me, and we'll go look for your mom, how's that sound?"
He shook his head, "My leg hurts a lot."
The huntress nodded, looking over the injured limb. The bone beneath was clearly bent out of normal shape, "Okay then. I'm going to help your leg. It's going to tickle and feel a bit weird, is that okay?"
He nodded.
The huntress smiled, then carefully placed her left hand over his broken leg, "For it is through sacrifice that we achieve our humanity. Through this we are able to protect our fellow men and shield the world from the darkness. Infinite in reach, beyond our genesis, I release your soul. And by my shoulders, save thee."
A green light emanated from her hand and flowed into the child, before being outshined by his own blue light, emanating from within him. Without a sound, she quickly brought out both of her hands and snapped the leg back into its proper alignment.
He yelped.
"Sorry," the huntress said, "I had to realign your bone otherwise you'd end up with a really messed up leg. Does it still hurt?"
The boy frowned, "Not, not as much as before."
She smiled at him as she used her arms to pick him up, "I unlocked your aura, so it's going to heal faster. My name is Dolly, by the way. Dolly Clay."
She hefted him up onto the horse's back, pointing to a handle for him to grab onto. She also tied him onto the saddle with a saddle belt.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Alan," he whispered.
Dolly climbed back onto the horse and grabbed the reins, "Hello Alan, we're going to go looking for your mom now, okay? Just stick with me kid, and you'll be safe."
She flicked the reins, and the horse neighed. They were off.
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Author's note: One more chapter.