i am a cage in search of a bird

[crocodiline]

[ The figure inside the frosted glass snaps her fingers, and the glass falls away, sliding into grooves in the ground below. Inside, behind additional bulletproof glass, sits a woman, legs up on a transparent glass desk, absentmindedly petting a... whatever this thing is.

Say hello to your mastermind, everyone! ]

Hey there, everyone. Nice to talk to you in person - my name is Cipher, welcome to my city. Sorry I took so long to show up in person. No need to get up on my account - how about we talk business?

[ Let's drive. ]

Comments

[onemillion]

[Causing mischief... c-cute...]

I think it would be wonderful, so I look forward to hearing from you.

[Anyway, here we are! Among the stuff Rossiu's set aside to bring with him (it really isn't much) is indeed that radio!]

Your message said that you used this to make backups of your memory.

[Have at it!]

1/2

[pairtner]

A radio...I must have performed some clever actions to be able to store anything in here.

[She sounds proud about that, hah. Aiba leaps onto the radio, and for a minute just...freezes while on top of it, retrieving everything she had stashed in there. The little moments of happiness, the time talking with everyone, the nonsense she sometimes took part in...it brings all kinds of feelings to her.

...and her murder plan. It's easy to guess she succeeded at it, given her presence in the deadland cruise ship. She did kill someone, and got executed for it.

........]

2/2

[pairtner]

[Aiba's human form suddenly appears]

Rossiu. I remember. I remember everything.

[Well, not everything -- she doesn't remember the trial, but she sure can make many educated guesses, given what she knows of everybody and how they most likely would react]

...even though I betrayed you all and did something so atrocious, you...kept this for me. And you took the time to bring it to me...even though it can be argued I'm undeserving of such a kindness.

I'm so, so sorry about my actions.

[Oh, god, she's going to have to rightfully make so many apologies for her betrayal]

[onemillion]

[He's quiet as she works, watching, and then glancing over when her human form appears.]

It's alright, Aiba. I understand; you were faced with an impossible decision, and you chose to kill someone. I made a promise to you in the trial that I would check on Date, and though I don't need to do that now, I meant it. From the very start I've always believed that this was an unfair exercise designed to force people into unwinnable situations where murder seems like the only option, and that was proved right today.

[He doesn't agree with anything Cipher had to say - he certainly doesn't believe that such things draws out the best in people. But ultimately it was all designed to push people to their limits, and there's nothing wrong with finding yours.]

I'm glad you were able to remember, though I am sorry that it's so much to process all at once.

[pairtner]

...I was in a bad state. Perhaps I should have confided my worries instead of coming to this decision. I did try to talk to Brent, but I must have been too deep in my thoughts to truly listen...

[Alas, she committing murder was inevitable, despite that conversation. The case was already finished by then, haha]

It's going to take a while to parse everything. I'd like to take the time to review everything, but I already can see most of it are good memories.

I also see I mentioned I would like to make a mecha design of my own. I should get working on that, now that there's no more killing game!

[One day all of a sudden Rossiu gets emailed blueprints of a big hamster mecha, probably!]

[onemillion]

[Brett tried so hard...]

I'm glad you have so many good ones despite how difficult our time here was. And I would like that a lot, Aiba - you'll have to send your design to me when you've completed it!

[He's gonna love it. Giant hamster mecha is exactly what we need in our lives.]