Part 14
paperdolls
---------------------------------------
Message to: *Delphi
No wonder she ran away! If you were all that cold and uncaring and inhuman! She needed help! She needed help and she couldn't talk to you! What does that say about you?
Are you even trying to find out how she died?
----------------------------------------
Time is wasting! Time is wasting! Time is wasting! Those words scrolled across my vision as I typed and re-typed my response.
----------------------------------------
Message to: *Delphi
Well, as long as it's in your best interest. Wouldn't want you to do anything that wasn't. No need to put yourself out.
Who is Paris? It was in her core dump...she said he could help. She also said I was her only hope...please don't let her have been right?
-----------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
Message to: *Delphi
What do you mean, cannot? Don't you ever talk?
How am I supposed to get on ARPANET, anyway?
-------------------------------------------
I nearly wanted to punch the screen; but it wouldn't be fair on Amy to take it out on her. I sighed and disconnected from the Library.
Oh holy hell. Oh wow.
Seconded. Seconded thirded fourthed and fifthed. Oh, my heart was racing so fast. I was way too nervous to go anywhere near ARPANET yet, though; so I strolled casually over to Sector 001.
That was just what I needed to calm myself down, something tangential to think about.
And then something inconsequential.
And then whatever that was supposed to be.
Yeah, I was ready after that.
Come on, Amy. We've been through a lot together.
Not a problem.
Nope.
And there he was.
---------------------------------------------------
Message to: *Paris
Hi! I'm Columbia! You don't know me. But I know you.
I know *Emilia. Or knew, anyway. You were her brother, right? Are her brother?
Anyway. Do you know what happened to *Emilia? Was it *Reaper? Did *Reaper get her? Is there anything we can do for her? Is there anything we can do to stop *Reaper?
Sorry, I know that's a lot of questions. I just...I knew her very well, and she thought you could help. Can you? Please?
-----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
Message to: *Paris
Yes! Yes, I do. It's attached. Does that mean she's not dead, like *Delphi said?
----------------------------------------------------
I made triply sure that the upload had worked before sending the message.
-----------------------------------------------------
Message to: *Paris
I think so! Not with the software I've got...but I think I can find something. I'll tell you if I can't.
Do you think that's why she dumped herself? Lake City Local went down right after she...told me something very important. Was she trying to escape from *Reaper? Did it destroy LCL?
How much of a threat is *Reaper, anyway? What's it doing?
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
Message to: *Paris
Thank you! Thank you so much! Just one more question, I promise. What exactly do I need to do what you want me to?
------------------------------------------------------
Someone must have posted a compiler at some point, somewhere.
Must have. There was no alternative.
I knew it. There just had to be.
I swallowed, my mouth completely parched.
