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>PENNY LOG INITIALIZED
>AUTO INITIALIZATION: TRIGGERED BY USER: “” BY: “Shop door entry”
? Hello, Adri-
(AD) I don’t want to hear it.
(AD) I’ve had it up to here with you walking into my shop and telling me what to do with my time, and berating me for trying to survive.
(AD) We’re all trying to survive here, me included.
(AD) If you have a problem with that, maybe you’re not cut out to be helping people.
>
? Is that it, then?
? You throwing in with her?
(AD) I didn’t say that.
(AD) I want to see the queen come down just as much as you do, but I’m not interested in risking it all for no good reason.
(AD) Your mole probably told you already, but I’ve finished my prototype.
(AD) You want it so bad?
(AD) I can give it to you, but not with the current situation.
(AD) The way I see it, you have no plan to actually win the fight.
(AD) You’ve been ineffective for years, and if that keeps up then giving you the weapon will be completely meaningless.
(AD) I have a deadline of about seven weeks from now.
(AD) What are you going to do to win the fight by then?
>
? You know, I’ve actually got good news for you on that front.
? You see, we’ve been in a panic since we heard about the meeting, scrambling to come up with a plan as quick as we could.
? I know you and I have had our differences, Adrian, but the others have put together a plan that ought to impress even you.
(AD) I’m all ears.
? From what the mole has gathered, your full-scale weapon design wouldn’t be very mobile. Not good for mounting any sort of attack.
? On the other hand, your prototype is small enough to move around, and apparently it still packs a punch.
? At least enough to thin out the guards and cover an approaching force.
? How do you think it would do against a castle wall?
? Say, the eastern wall?
(AD) Poorly.
(AD) The full-scale machine might be able to bring down a wall like that, but the prototype isn’t bringing down any walls.
? That is a problem.
? If we had a way to bring that wall down, we could get in and really make some progress.
(AD) How about a bomb?
? Pardon?
(AD) The big issue with this machine has been that it overheats and becomes dangerous to use.
(AD) The thing is, there’s no shortage of actual power.
(AD) If you just need a raw, destructive force, I can put something together.
(AD) You’ll need a way to get it safely to the castle, though.
(AD) If you can show me you have a plan for that, I’ll help.
? I’ll ask the others about it, and we’ll have a plan before you know it.
? If you don’t mind me asking, Adrian, why the sudden change of heart?
(AD) I do mind you asking, actually.
>
? Oh, yeah.
? I really don’t want to put you in any more danger than I have to.
? Us resistance folk are prepared to hide you in the stretch of time leading up to our charge.
? It’ll keep you that much safer, and we can work out any last-minute wrinkles in the plan if you’re there.
(AD) I’d appreciate that.
>
? Well, thanks for being willing to cooperate, Adrian.
? I’ve said some awful stuff to you in the past.
(AD) I have one more condition.
? What’s that?
(AD) Once you’re in the castle, you won’t hurt any unarmed people besides the queen.
>
? I’ll tell the others.
? We’re planning on our charge around the same time as your deadline, so it would be best if you could plan to have the bomb ready by then.
? For now, stay safe.
(AD) Bye, Ted.
>AUTO SHUTDOWN: TRIGGERED BY USER: “” BY: “shop door exit and no customers in shop”
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>PENNY LOG INITIALIZED
>MANUAL INITIALIZATION REQUESTED BY: “ADRIAN” WITH: “Alright, Penny, let’s get started.”
(AD) Still feels weird.
>
>
(AD) Alright.
(AD) For later, this log is just me thinking about ring ideas.
(AD) Not really testing anything.
(AD) It’s probably safe to delete.
>
>
>
(AD) Where did I put that book?
>
(AD) Ah.
(AD) Let’s see here…
>
>
>
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
>
(AD) How am I supposed to know which of these are good?
(AD) It’s not like there’s some measurable output to a ring.
(AD) What do you think, Penny?
>
>
(AD) What am I saying?
>
>
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>
>
>
(AD) Shutdown.
>SHUTDOWN REQUESTED BY USER: “ADRIAN” WITH: “Shutdown.”
>SHUTDOWN SUCCESSFUL!
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>PENNY LOG INITIALIZED
>MANUAL INITIALIZATION REQUESTED BY: “ADRIAN” WITH: “Let’s get this set up, Penny.”
>
>
>
(AD) Alright, looks good.
>
>
>
>
(ZH) Adrian!
(ZH) What’s all this?
(ZH) A picnic?
(AD) Oh, hey, Zhuli!
(AD) I wanted to do something nice today.
(ZH) That’s so nice of you!
(ZH) You’ve been so busy lately.
(AD) Feels like a really important thing to do.
(ZH) How come?
(AD) There’s a lot to talk about.
(ZH) Oh, yeah, hi, Penny!
(AD) She’s already…
(AD) Awake?
(ZH) I’m so proud of you, Adrian!
>
(ZH) Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk about?
(AD) I decided to hand the prototype over to the resistance.
(ZH) You did?
(AD) I wasn’t initially going to.
(AD) They haven’t gotten rid of the queen yet, and the risk is very high.
(ZH) So what made you change your mind?
>
(AD) You.
(AD) You were right.
(AD) It’s not right for us to be happy at the expense of everyone else.
(AD) That would make us just as bad as her.
(AD) And I do want to help you.
(AD) If I could, I’d snap my fingers right now and make it so you never had to see her again.
(ZH) Adrian…
(AD) Don’t get me wrong.
(AD) I don’t want to just hand it over for nothing.
(AD) I made them come up with a plan to use it to get rid of the queen before the deadline for my commission.
>
(ZH) That’s…
(ZH) That’s really soon!
(AD) It is.
(AD) In less than two months, it’ll all be over.
(AD) If this works, you’ll be. (?)
>
(ZH) I’ll be free.
(AD) Yeah.
>
>
(ZH) Thank you so much.
(AD) Don’t thank me until it’s worked.
(AD) There are still a lot of unknowns here.
>
(ZH) That’s not what I meant.
(ZH) You were willing to take that risk.
(ZH) To try something that would help me, even though you were scared.
(ZH) I want to thank you for that.
>
(AD) Well, of course I want to help.
(AD) You’re my Zhuli.
>
(ZH) It’s all going to be over. (?)
(ZH) I .(?)
>
>
(ZH) I’m sorry. (?)
(AD) No, let it out.
(AD) We’re almost there.
>
(AD) It’ll all be over before you know it.
(AD) And it’ll just be you and me.
(ZH) It doesn’t feel real.
(AD) It will be.
(AD) I promise.
>
>
(ZH) If you’re not giving the queen her weapon anymore, what are you going to do?
(AD) I’ve got to build something else for the revolution.
(AD) The good news is, it should be a lot easier to make than a full-scale weapon.
(ZH) What’s that?
(AD) A bomb.
(AD) With the overheating problems the weapon has been having, I can build the weapon and the bomb at the same time.
(AD) As long as I neglect to add the cooling system, the weapon effectively is a bomb.
>
(ZH) What?
(AD) They want to blow open one of the castle walls.
(AD) Then they can run in and do the deed.
>
(ZH) That’s scary, Adrian.
(AD) I’m only handing over the bomb on the condition that they don’t hurt anyone in the castle besides the queen.
(AD) You’ll come out ok.
(ZH) I hope so…
>
(AD) Let’s not worry about that for now.
(AD) Either Ted will come back with a good plan, or he won’t.
(AD) All we can do is worry about the meantime.
(ZH) The meantime?
(AD) We’ve got a little under seven weeks to work with before this big deadline.
(AD) We’re taking a big risk here.
(AD) Is there anything you want to get done while you definitely still can?
>
(ZH) Hmm…
(ZH) There is one thing!
(AD) Well, what is it?
(AD) Maybe we can make it happen.
(ZH) I can’t tell you.
(ZH) Sorry, I don’t want to keep a secret from you, but I can’t say this.
(ZH) Besides, you need to be focused on building that bomb.
>
(ZH) Is that ok?
(AD) Of course, Zhuli.
(AD) Just know that if you need any help getting it done, I’m here for you.
(ZH) Thanks, Adrian!
>
>
(AD) This is going to seem like it’s coming out of nowhere.
(ZH) What?
(AD) What makes something feel…
(AD) Special to you?
>
(ZH) What do you mean?
(AD) What are your favorite things?
(AD) And why are they so important to you?
(ZH) Hmm…
>
(ZH) Well, I like my dolls.
(ZH) They’ve been my friends for so long now.
(ZH) I think that makes them pretty special.
>
(ZH) I like being outside.
(ZH) The sun feels nice, and I don’t have to be scared like in the castle.
(ZH) That’s special.
>
>
(ZH) I love you.
(ZH) You’re special.
>
(ZH) You have beautiful eyes.
(ZH) Did you know that?
(AD) What?
(ZH) Yeah.
(ZH) They’re this deep amber color.
(ZH) I think they’re calming to look at.
>
(AD) You’re special too, Zhuli.
(AD) You know that?
>
>
>
(ZH) Thanks. (?)
(AD) I mean it.
(AD) I’ve never met anybody quite like you.
(AD) Talking to you is like a breath of fresh air.
(AD) You look at the world with so much joy and excitement, and it makes me want to see it the same way.
(AD) Whatever’s behind my eyes, you had a hand in putting it there.
>
>
>
(ZH) Really?
(AD) I love you, Zhuli.
(ZH) I love you too.
>
>
>
(AD) You know, these sandwiches are going to get soggy.
(AD) Should we eat?
(ZH) Let’s.
(AD) Maybe best to turn Penny off for now.
>
(AD) Ah, sorry.
(AD) Put her to sleep.
(AD) Shutdown.
>SHUTDOWN REQUESTED BY USER: “ADRIAN” WITH: “Shutdown.”
>SHUTDOWN SUCCESSFUL!
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>PENNY LOG INITIALIZED
>MANUAL INITIALIZATION REQUESTED BY: “ADRIAN” WITH: “You hear that, Penny?”
(AD) She said she likes my eyes.
>
>
(AD) You know, I think we might have a bit of topaz left over from that light I made a while back.
(AD) You think that would be good?
>
>
>
>
(AD) There it is.
(AD) Guess I’d better get to drawing, huh?
>
>
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>
(AD) How’s that look?
(AD) Any good?
>
>
(AD) Don’t really know what I’m waiting for here.
>
(AD) Maybe I’ll just get started on working.
>
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>
(AD) Well, that looks good to me.
(AD) Think she’ll like it?
>
(AD) Anyway.
(AD) Shutdown.
>SHUTDOWN REQUESTED BY USER: “ADRIAN” WITH: “Shutdown.”
>SHUTDOWN SUCCESSFUL!
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LOGS OMITTED FOR BREVITY
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