constructum | C O N T A C T

[ hey, those are about the best type of snacks there are. and she greatly appreciates the thought. ]

Yeah...you could say that. [ a long sigh and she is giving the room a slow once over, shaking her head at all the confusing corridors sketched on the sheets, before she is shrugging a shoulder and clearing a spot off on one of the beds for him to sit. ] With Chase dying and leaving the maps, I've been starting to wonder if I could find a pattern in them or if I could find where that section of her map was located on the ship.

Back home, I would have been able to do this with no problem. Here… it’s just a bit harder than I thought.

Anyway... [ again, she just sighs as she flops down on one of the beds. ]

How are things? I know with the sudden influx of robots floating around, you have to be having fun, right?

[ yes, she will try small talk till he just comes out and asks her questions. (she hates talking about herself, okay?) ]

[He shifts his gaze from the bed to each of the four walls in turn, apparently only half-listening to what Ariadne is saying--all the drawings are much more interesting.]

Yeah, where I'm from, it--it moves around like the ship. All the hallways and rooms.

Wheatley can't exactly say he's very good at getting around the ship, but he likes to think that he might be better at it because Aperture was not so different.]

But, uh. Things are fine. Not--not any different, really. I mean, there was only...one. And the roombas, I suppose, but they've always been around, so.

[ there's a look of pure curiosity, and well...surprise at that. there is a lot she didn't know about wheatley after all. and it's not often - well, ever - that she heard about anyone coming from a place that could be similar to this in a design standpoint. ]

So in a sense you came from a place constructed on a Paradox? [ which only has her nodding slightly in thought to. ]

How'd the people manage that?

Uh, no. Not exactly.

[He leans against the wall, folding his arms.]

The, ah. Facility was built in--in such a way that whatever AI was controlling it could...move the rooms and halls into whatever configuration they'd like.

[ well that is just...interesting. ]

The girl that clearly hates you, [ the grumpy text girl ] she was there with you?

[ because that would make sense if folks were testing folks, wouldn't it? ]

[Ohhhhh no. He sees where this is going.

SQUINTING.]

Uh, yes. Chell was there. Don't know for how long.

[ it's a standard practice for her, wheatley. get use to it. she hates talking about herself and would rather learn what she can out you. ]

So you really did test people then, huh?

[ not that she cares. she did invade peoples minds after all. she has no room to talk about how wrong that is. ]

Well, first off--you have to understand that Chell signed up to test. A choice, on her part. She wouldn't have--wouldn't have even been there if she hadn't volunteered for it in the first place.

[He can't really know any of that for sure, of course--but it's what he likes to tell himself.]

Second, the testing wasn't really my thing. It was Hers. The, ah. The AI who ran the facility before I did.

I get that... I do. [ she just nods her head in a slow understanding. she gets that whole thing about people making their own choices and having to deal with the consequence. ]

So why is she so quick to bash you in public then?

Because she's crazy.

[Hold the phone.]

Wait, hang on, This is supposed to be about you. Don't think you can change the subject on me.

[ she does look slightly skeptical at that for a moment (the girl did seem a bit odd) before she is crinkling her nose and sighing. ]

Hey, I'm allowed to ask a few questions if I'm supposed to trust you, aren't I?

[Point point this is a finger point.]

You are, but not in such a way as to divert attention from why I came here in the first place. You promised.

[ she makes a small face at that, sighing as she does. ]

Okay fine. What would you like to know?

[ might as well start there. at least that way she can leave out stuff if she needs to. ]

[Now he will rub his chin in thought. It's very thoughtful.]

I want to know what you were on about when you posted that anonymous...thing to the network.

[ a long sigh. ]

Would you believe me if I told you I was involved in illegal activities before I showed up here?

[He considers this for a moment, squinting and nodding slowly.]

Ah, yeah, sure, I'd believe it.

[Wheatley's heard much weirder things, after all.]

[ hey, she had to ask. she sort of has expected that no would believe her when she mentioned it. (she doesn't exactly look like a criminal after all) ]

It's the truth. [ and she does smile at that, because it's sort of nice to be able to admit to folks. ] I was an Architect for a job where people entered others dreams to steal things.

[ yep, that would be the gist of it. ]

I'm not exactly proud of that fact, but I can't change it.

[His expressions shifts from one of consideration to confusion.]

Sorry, you might have to--have to explain that terminology to me.

[Dreams are sort of new to him, after all.]

[ she frowns in thought for a moment at that, really having to figure out the best way to describe it to him. ]

Well... when you sleep, you see things in your mind, right? [ at least she assumes he does. how it works with him because of all those robot things, she has no idea. ] It's basically like watching tv or a play in your head.

No, no, I know what dreams are, thanks.

[He huffs. Honestly.]

I mean, you and this--this architect business, what does that mean, exactly?

Oh! [ she just sheepishly smiles at that. she really didn't mean to insult him if she did. ]

Um... [ thinking... ] I can create a persons dream - I need a Machine to help me of course - but I can enter a persons dreams and create a whole world for them to run around in.

[ thats a simple explanation, right? she really just wants to take baby steps here - she knows it's a lot for a person to take in after all. ]

[The explanation makes sense, even if that kind of technology doesn't really show up on Wheatley's radar. Since arriving on the ship, however, he'll buy lots of things. What he doesn't get is what this has to do with Ariadne's anonymous network post.]

And that is...illegal. Somehow.

[That's the part he clearly doesn't get.]

Why is that illegal? Exactly?

[ her brow just arches, somewhat surprised that he didn't instantly think that was a bad thing - everyone is suppose to think she did a bad, bad thing…aren't they? ]

It's an extremely illegal thing. [ she can't deny that fact ] I invaded peoples minds without asking, and I helped to destroy a mans life while doing so.

[ well... not technically destroy. she just tends to have a great amount of guilt about it since she wore her mask. ]

[He's still squinting, an apparent representation of how he does not really understand that this is a problem.]

Yeah, but you said you only...built dreams, not--other people were doing the invading. Is what I'm gathering.

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