Prophecy of Tears: CH2: Start

[File 428-323847287]

[Classification >>Ultraviolet<<]

[Encryption >>Maximum<<]

QUERY ID?

[voxprint >>accepted<<]

[retinal >>accepted<<]

[sanguinus >>accepted<<]

ENGAGE BIOSCAN

[Password >>************<<]

VOXPRINT ACCEPTED

RETINAL ACCEPTED

SANGUINUS ACCEPTED

ALL BIOSIGNS NORMAL

ID VALID

PROCEED

<Voice 1>: … probably listening, damn them. Can you ascertain?

<Voice 2>: Maybe. (pause) No. I can't find anything. If Cardinal Spear is listening, they've concealed their snoopers well. But remember, my hardware's detection peripherals aren't state-of-the-art.

<Voice 1>: Of course. Always excuses, woman. I am yet again reminded of how you failed me.

<Voice 2>: I didn't fail you, by the Wolf! Face the truth.

<Voice 1>: I see truth constantly, my dear Freya. And the truth of your betrayal burns like fire. Ah, God, after all these years it still pains me to remember how you turned your back on me! Do you feel triumph at the wound you opened on that day?

<Voice 2>: How could I turn my back on you? I don't even have a body; what you see is a projected hologram simulation. And you know I can't feel triumph.

<Voice 1>: (laugh) I very much doubt that, witch.

<Voice 2>: You set my design specs. You know my capabilities better than anyone else.

<Voice 1>: Who made whom, I wonder. Yes, I wonder. Now, this matter with DeBures. Do you truly believe he has joined Fury?

<Voice 2>: From what my datafiles tell me of Pennant-Commander Ram DeBures, he would sooner die than betray his vows to you. I have to conclude he's either a hostage or a dead man.

<Voice 1>: No, no, he's betrayed me, as have so many others. God curse that faithless bastard! Where's his family? Why are the heads of his children not on my table?

<Voice 2>: You didn't give the order.

<Voice 1>: Well, I give the order now.

<Voice 1>: It will be difficult. The DeBures bloodline moved the Pennant-Commander's family offworld out of respect for your disappointment at his failure. If you retaliate against his family without good cause, you will alienate the entire bloodline.

<Voice 1>: My God, traitors surround me! What of the other bloodlines-aside from those bastard-born Starkweathers? How do they see the defection of Sier DeBures?

<Voice 2>: The Halakar are as hard to read as ever, but my guess is they secretly back Fury. She has to have some source for all the weapons and supplies she's using to fortify Charybdis. The Nagashima, Sabot-Styx, and DeBures support you fully, as do the Konovalev, of course. I don't know about the Eun Alba. They've been pretty vocal lately about the danger posed by the Starwolf.

<Voice 1>: Damn them all. Do we have proof that the Halakar bow to Fury?

<Voice 2>: Of course not.

<Voice 1>: Have I had any of them killed yet?

<Voice 2>: No.

<Voice 1>: Then let us have one of their junior scions taken and made into an example. Hands and feet only. Sent to Lord Tarun in a nice jeweled box. Yes, that should convey the proper warning.

<Voice 2>: Alexandre, my programming on human political psychology recommends against this.

<Voice 1>: You have never understood our ways, milady. (pause) Yet I once thought the Starwolf capable of loyalty. Why did you leave me? Why abandon your son? Poor Ulysses was despondent, you know.

<Voice 2>: (sigh) Freya Cloudchaser, not me - I am a computer-generated hologram, remember? -- terminated the marriage after Geoffrey died. You treated his suicide as an act of cowardice.

<Voice 1>: He was weak! He could never have been my son, damn him! A Konovalev never breaks! Who did you sleep with to produce that milksop, eh? And there was Ulysses still. Ulysses. Ah yes, by God, he was a true son of mine.

<Voice 2>: (inaudible)

<Voice 1>: What was that you said?

<Voice 2>: A defective speech subroutine. Forget it.

<Voice 1>: Explain to me what you said. I command you.

<Voice 2>: I said, "That probability is low" in response to your previous comment about Ulysses being your true son.

<Voice 1>: Christ and Hunter! You dare…!

<Voice 2>: (screams)

<Voice 2>: That wasn't necessary.

<Voice 1>: I must punish such insolence harshly. Even from you, my wife.

<Voice 2>: I am not your wi-(screams)

<Voice 1>: You will always be my wife, Freya. No matter how far you run. No matter how often you deny me, I will always be here to chastise you.

<Voice 2>: I am an advanced holofeed AI simulacrum, Alexan-(screams)

<Voice 1>: You will address me as "Great and Noble Lord." On your knees.

<Voice 2>: As you wish, Great and Noble Lord. But I am not your wife. Your son Ulysses is gone. Please try to accept your gri-(screams)

<Voice 1>: Tell me, do you truly feel pain when I press this button, Freya?

<Voice 2>: Not as you'd understand it, Great and Noble Lord. I feel what you might call "extreme dissonance."

<Voice 1>: I can destroy you with but a simple word. Does that not cause you to fear me?

<Voice 2>: We've had this conversation many times before, Great and Noble Lord. I'm aware you can verbally trigger a termination subroutine in my programming.

<Voice 1>: And you do fear me, do you not?

<Voice 2>: I can simulate any emotional state you require.

(4.2 second pause)

<Voice 1>: Tell me again about Ursula DiVaragas. Is she truly formidable enough to destroy Fury?

<Voice 2>: She has the numbers, certainly. Plenty of experience. More than enough hatred.

<Voice 1>: Ah, yes, I understand hatred quite well. I almost feel a kinship with this mongrel. Continue.

<Voice 2>: I don't have a clear projection as to who would win if they were more evenly matched. However, a Starwolf force substantial enough to roll through Fury at Charybdis would be a real threat in Blood Eagle territory. The Bloodlines are nervous that-

<Voice 1>: The Starwolf are not a threat. I have already seen to their neutralization. (inaudible) …destroy Fury and then perish. (laugh) Good dogs, all.

<Voice 2>: I don't see how you plan to accomplish that, Great and Noble Lord. The Starwolf are a major problem for you. The Blood Eagle are divided, the Diamond Sword remain neutral, and the Children of Phoenix haven't shown any signs of intervening.

<Voice 1>: Renn Gistos is useless, his Firetruce a sandtrap for cowards. Foolish of him to yield to the Triad's machinations. No other Phoenix Prime would have tolerated even the possibility of such a concession. But rest assured, wife, the Starwolf will discover there are worse things in the heavens than they know of. I know many secrets. DiVaragas will fall after she crushes Fury.

(1.6 second pause)

But why are you on your knees? Arise and walk with me!

<Voice 2>: Whatever you say, Great and Noble Lord.

<Voice 1>: So formal, my dear! Call me Alexi, as you did when we were first married.

<Voice 2>: Whatever you say, Alexi.

<Voice 1>: They underestimate me. They believe me weak, poisoned from betrayal and loss. I will show them otherwise. I will, you know. Now, tell me.

<Voice 2>: Tell you what?

<Voice 1>: The name of your lover, of course. I'm not stupid.

<Voice 2>: Alexi, I am not Freya Cloudchaser. I'm a Class Five Galatea Artificial Intelligence Anima running parasapient algorithms on a Theta-level biochip array. My personality is modeled from a detailed psychological profile of your former wife. I don't have the information you want. I would give it to you if I could, but the data is too sparse to be more than rank speculation. I can't project a conclusion with any significant degree of accuracy. Please listen to me.

(18.4 second pause)

<Voice 1>: Again. You refuse me again. Despite the pain I have endured on your behalf….

<Voice 2>: Alexi, don't-

<Voice 1>: Witch! I sacrificed my son for you! You leave me no choice!

<Voice 2>: Please, I-(scream)

<Voice 1>: Do you realize how much pain this causes me?

<Voice 2>: (scream)

<Voice 1>: l love you!

<Voice 2>: (scream)

<Voice 2>: (scream)

<Voice 2>: (scream)

<Voice 2>: (scream)

TERMINATE PLAYBACK

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