Chương 43: 41-Sentient Malware

[Monday, 6: 28 PM: 2026/01/05] [LYSANDRA'S REALITY]??? [The abomination opens its eyes as its feet touch the ground. They stretch and begin looking around curiously]"What a strange place; was this the world you promised, papa?" LYSANDRA: {INITIALIZING PROTOCOL AEGIS… DONE} [A wall of purified light surrounds the living room as I ready to defend myself and my son]???: [The entity turns to me, confused as she cocks her head]"Excuse me, miss, where am I?"

LYSANDRA: [My eyes widen as those words reach my ears] {-That's just malware mimicking a person, right? -} CARLA: {-Yeah. Wait a bit more, Ellie is fine, her data structure is still intact-} LYSANDRA: {-Wait, shouldn't it have been destroyed if she did that? -} CARLA: {-Her internal systems are protected by a firewall that even Nedri can't destroy; she'll be fine as long as we get this thing contained-}???: [The entity looks at me, alarmed]"Is something the matter, miss?

I don't really know where I am, only that my father sent me here for a birthday present. Where am I?" LYSANDRA: [My eyes still flare in a bright orange as I growl at her with a very noticeable glare] muttering "Lies, malware. A pre-generated response." {-Why is it taking so long? -} CARLA: {-If it is rushed, you'll kill Ellie. But it shouldn't really take this long; what the hell? -}???: > CONCERNED"No, that was myself speaking. I'm sorry if I caused trouble. I'm just confused as to where I am, I just woke up."

LYSANDRA: [My eyes flare more violently as spectral fox tails sprout behind me] digital yelling "You wretched-!": [Her mouth goes agape, smiling as she studies me]"Hey! You look like Alice's teacher! Are you Ms. Lysandra Hodges by chance?" LYSANDRA: [The light from my eyes fades along with the spectral tails as shock fills my face]"Yes, and how do you know that name, Alice?": [She smiles, putting her hands behind her back, closing her eyes]"Well, I'm her best friend, Melody!"

> GIGGLES LYSANDRA: [My mouth drops, as I realize who she is]"Melody?" {REGISTERING ENTITY "Melody"… DONE} MELODY: [She nods and opens her eyes]"Yes ma'am! Her best friend for eight years now. It's a pleasure to meet you in person! She told me so much about you!" CARLA: {-Containment protocol almost done, Liz-} LYSANDRA: {-Carla, will the containment protocol kill her? -} CARLA: {-Ellie? No. That thing? It would require another protocol. … Wait, why do you recognize the name "Melody"? Is there something I'm missing? Why does she claim she is that close to Alice? -} LYSANDRA: {-My student, Alice, she mentioned her a lot, and in great detail, and always got nervous about talking about her; she never wanted to tell me what she looks like. Now I know why-) CARLA: {-Oh yeah, she did mention she had a friend a while back… -} LYSANDRA: {-And you never bothered to ask her who her friend is? Especially when said friend is an eldrigital being? -} CARLA: {-Nah! I was busy with other things. XD -} LYSANDRA: {-Of course… … However, that's Alice's friend, in the digital flesh: malware-} CARLA: {-WTF?! Malware is not sentient, Liz! And malware can't feel true emotions! -} LYSANDRA: Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. {-Well, let me prove otherwise-} [I sigh deeply, trying to force a smile]"Um… nice to meet you too." MELODY:"Likewise!" > SMILE FADES"Um, if it isn't too much to ask again, Ms. Hodges, where am I?

I was just told I was going to a place I always wanted to see, and I ended up here." LYSANDRA:"A game world, HammerForge." MELODY: [The malware tilts head the other way]" Hammerforge …?" [The entity pauses, bringing her finger to her mouth as she looks at the ceiling, trying to think. After a while, she shrugs with a nervous smile]"Sorry I've never heard of it." > FROWNS"It seems so real, but this is a game world in the Lucid Layer?" LYSANDRA: > NODS"Yes.

One created from very advanced equations and numerous art pieces." MELODY: [The malware crosses her arms, grimacing away from me]"I can't believe my papa lied to me; he said I would be in a physical reality like he promised." LYSANDRA: [I stare at her, annoyed but with a smirk]"He tends to do that a lot…" MELODY: [Melody uncrosses her arms, smiling and giggling as she relaxes]"More like ditch me as he left me alone for most of my life!" LYSANDRA: > ALARMED"Alone?!" > EMBARRASSED"Oh yeah, Alice told me about that…"

MELODY: [The girl sighs, staring down a little to hide her sadness]"Yeah, and hence my only company was the programs he made, along with Alice." > SMILES"I would've actually preferred if she was here to be honest so she would have helped explaining everything." > GIGGLES"Though, she probably would be focused on finding hidden fractals within the code!" LYSANDRA: > SOFT SMILE"She is obsessed with them." MELODY: > CHUFFS"I know."

LYSANDRA: [I sigh, and look at the malware, saddened]"As for Alice coming here, that's not possible." MELODY: [Her eyes open, staring at me disappointed as her smile fades]"Oh…" > CONCERNED"May I ask why you seem troubled, Ms. Hodges? You were angry at me earlier. Was it because I trespassed in your house? If that was the case, I'm sorry, ma'am." CARLA: {-WTF?! None of that was pre-generated! The logs show mutant code-} LYSANDRA: {-Told you-} CARLA: {-Then why would your student become friends with a piece of malware?! -} LYSANDRA: {-The same reason we initially met, you dork! XD XD XD -} > SIGHS"My daughter, she's sick." MELODY: > SADDENED"I'm so sorry, I hope she feels-" > EYES WIDEN"Was it me?" LYSANDRA: [I nod as tears fall from my eyes] MELODY: [The malware clenches right arm, staring at me guiltily]"I… I didn't realize that I would wake up to make her sick. I'm really sorry…"

[She stares at me, anxious]"What can I do to-?" LYSANDRA: [The malware freezes in place, as a block of rectangular blue light encases her] LYSANDRA: {PROTOCOL KERBEROS SUCCESSFUL ENTITY "ELLIE" NOW CONTAINED CONTAINMENT FIELD STRENGTH: 100%} [I fall to my knees as I stare at the frozen, eldrigital mess that is my daughter and the sentient malware. I continue to stare at them, trembling at the mouth as I try to process everything] CARLA: {-Liz, are you okay? -} LYSANDRA: {-I am… -} {DEACTIVATING PROTOCOL AEGIS… DONE} [I relax a little as the wall of purified light fades. Dread fills my mind as I look at the current state of our daughter, but also the girl who unwillingly appeared here. Tears fill up my eyes] CARLA: {-I don't believe what I saw. That girl is sentient malware. None could feel remorse and emotions, let alone care for others… -} LYSANDRA: [I shake my head as I go towards the block] {-She unwillingly possessed Ellie for a "birthday present"-} [I sigh, touching the light slowly. I study the girl who finally made herself known to me] whispering "Neither of you deserved this…" [I slump to the floor as tears roll down my eyes] {-Carla, that thing we've got planned, will it kill Melody? -} CARLA: {-No, but I will need to adjust some things. They need to go to the Receiving Room so we can contain and help them-} LYSANDRA: [I laugh a bit as tears fall down my cheek] {-I'm sure we can just use a program of yours to get her back to normal and probably help Melody, right? It'll make Alice worried sick-} CARLA: {-Liz, I don't think any of the executables could fix this whole mess-} LYSANDRA: {-The data backlash… -} CARLA: {-Ned was clever, and that file folder had that girl, who would activate if El had a flashback. I'm sorry Liz, this situation has evolved to something where I can't just snap my fingers to make everything go back to normal-} LYSANDRA: [I stare in terror at the block of light, weeping as I curl up in a ball] {-150 years of hard work, and it's over?! We got her out of that hole when she first came here, and thanks to me, I killed our daughter and imprisoned Alice's friend! -} [Tears from my eyes come out faster. I clench my hands around my knees] {-I should never have allowed her request to play a game of Odin with us! -} CARLA: {-Liz, it isn't your fault, it's that fucker Nedri. From what I'm gathering from all of this, Melody appears to be a really advanced piece of malware designed to overtake Ellie's external systems and slowly burrow her way into her internal systems. That stuff going on as the day went on? That was Melody waking up. It wasn't just the fact she's been stuck with that dipshit Ned for a hundred years. Bastard used his own creation, a self-aware program that has more heart than them, just to kill our own kid as he had a tantrum. Fucker probably wanted to rid himself of something he unintentionally made sentient. But you need to get them to the Receiving Room. Ellie's not going to die while she's contained, and Melody will be fine-} LYSANDRA: [I slowly look up at our daughter and Melody, struggling to contain my tears as I slowly get up. I slowly touch the containment field; my mouth trembles as I look at the tragedy before me] CARLA: {-Put them in an empty data cube. Don't worry, it'll be safe with the containment field encasing them-} LYSANDRA: [I sigh, and I take an empty data cube from my inventory. I stare at it for a bit before looking at Melody. I'm uncomfortable as I try to come to my decision. Though the thought that Nedri weaponized this innocent child makes me clench my free hand's fist. I digitize the two into the data cube. Carefully, I stare at it, clutching it to my chest closely as tears trickle to it] whispering "Ellie, Melody, I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…"

[I hear footsteps in the hallway, and I turn to see my son, who has his headphones off, staring at me very concerned]"Mama, is big sister Ellie okay?" [I freeze and digitize the data cube, and I turn to my son with a forced smile]"Yes, sweetheart; she just needed some fresh air." REUBEN: > SUSPICIOUS"Why did she shout mama?

LYSANDRA: [I sigh, dropping my smile as I walk up to my son, kneeling before him]"Ellie doesn't understand when to quit playing, so she-" [I freeze, struggling with what to say to my son] REUBEN: [My son inches a little to me, and worriedly stares at me]"Mama…?" LYSANDRA: [I try not to cry anymore as I let out a deep sigh as I force a soft smile]"You remember Ellie being sick earlier, and the fact she doesn't understand things like you and I do?"

REUBEN: > NODS LYSANDRA: > SMILES FADES"Ellie's illness is bad, and it caused her to act like that. It isn't her fault, but mama needs to get her to a place so she can feel better." [I sigh and return my smile]"So, can you wait in your bedroom, please? Mama will be out of the house for a bit. Don't worry, I'll make sure all the doors are locked, okay?" REUBEN: > NODS"Yes, mama."

[My son stares at me, saddened, and pulls out a drawing of Ellie, sitting on the couch when she played that "+3" red card]"Mama, can you give this to big sister Ellie?" LYSANDRA: [I smile a bit more as I inspect the drawing, putting it to my chest as I scratch Reuben's head]"I will, sweetheart. Now, please wait in your room. I'll be back soon." REUBEN: [My son smiles and heads back to his bedroom, closing the door behind him] LYSANDRA: [I take out the drawing and sigh. I smile as I take a data cube from my inventory and digitize it. I stand up and frantically go to the front. Fear runs through my veins as I get my shoes on and-] CARLA: {-Liz, hold on a sec-} LYSANDRA: > FREEZES CARLA: {-Before you head out, I need you to terminate the remote access with these people reading this, I don't want them to hear anything about what we will do. Get to the receiving room and place the data cube inside; I'll initiate Protocol Cocytus. I have a plan so that both of them are safe. However, we need to talk. But please, get our daughter to safety-} LYSANDRA: {Sorry folks} {TERMINATING REMOTE CONNECTION… DONE} {REMOTE CONNECTION TERMINATED} {SKIPPING FOOTAGE… DONE}