Editing City Series:Volume8a Chapter5 (section)

===Suedomsa’s Continued Board Mode: Inside DT Castle===

'''Suedomsa’s Over Reload

You are in 1F Audience Chamber, a Top Page of the Royal Castle.

The current time is 10:12 AM.

The stone hall is 30 yards long and wide. The ceiling is two stories tall.

The queen’s throne sits at the end of the red carpet stretching to the back of the hall.

Many people are present. You are free to restrict your speech targets however you wish.

'''<Suedomsa’s Over Reload>

The queen is accompanied by minister NPC Bodies and bodyguard knights.

More knights are standing along the side walls.

Your four bodyguards enter behind you.

'''<Suedomsa’s Over Reload>

Queen Akalabeth is seated in her throne. She is approximately 15 yards away.

The queen is a middle-aged woman. She wears no crown. She wears a white stole over a reddish purple dress and a fox Mouse is draped over her shoulders.

Her graying hair is pulled back tightly behind her head. Her narrow blue eyes are directed your way.

Akalabeth: “You seem awfully curious about your surroundings, Suedomsa. Why not switch to Sight Mode?”

Suedomsa: <nowiki><I</nowiki> would prefer not to take on the excess burden, Akalabeth.>

Suedomsa: “Now, how about we get the approval process done with? Since I’m last and all.”

'''<Suedomsa’s Over Reload>

A window opens to your right. It contains the final check for the matter you just mentioned.

'''<Do you offer your blood Lives data to confirm your approval? Y/N>

Suedomsa: “Y”

'''<Receiving Archon Suedomsa’s blood data from Intermediary Layer Lives Storage>

Suedomsa: <There, you have everyone’s approval. Simple enough in Board Mode.>

Akalabeth: “Take a look in Sight Mode. The ministers are applauding.”

Suedomsa: <Are you standing and applauding as well?>

Akalabeth: “I am.”

Suedomsa: <nowiki><I</nowiki> see. In that case…>

Suedomsa: “I hate to interrupt the momentous occasion, but I would like a word in private, Akalabeth.”

Akalabeth: <What a coincidence. I was hoping to speak with you as well. About something very important.>

Suedomsa: <Oh? Does this thought display mean you joined me in Board Mode?>

Akalabeth: <Yes. This is faster than saying it out loud and it seems to be what you want.>

Akalabeth: <So what did you want to discuss? You can go first if you like.>

Suedomsa: <No, mine is going to take a while, but I’m betting yours won’t take long at all.>

Akalabeth: <You are, are you? If you think you know what I want, then tell me.>

Suedomsa: <Let’s see. Will you be asking everyone else to leave and then apologizing to me? And then making some kind of excuse for taking something important from me?>

Akalabeth: “Eh?”

Suedomsa: “Can you not read? I said making an excuse. For taking something important from me.”

Suedomsa: “You know what I mean, don’t you? I know you do, Akalabeth.”

Suedomsa: <nowiki><I</nowiki> mean my daughter.>

Akalabeth: <Your daught- no, it can’t be.>

Suedomsa: <Surprised? Then try and express it a bit more clearly in your text.>

Suedomsa: <Board Mode is a fascinating experience. All we can read are the words heard by our auditory program, the thoughts appearing in the windows, and the actions seen by our Over Reloads.>

Suedomsa: <We Minus Elites really did create this world for ourselves, didn’t we?>

Suedomsa: <If it’s a Minus thing to imagine what the other person’s expression and tone of voice must have been, then it is also a Minus thing to intentionally avoid doing that and ignore all emotions other than your own.>

Suedomsa: <Then you can say the nastiest things and sow misunderstandings without feeling a thing because you don’t even bother checking to see if you hurt the other person. Truly a dream come true for a certain type.>

Suedomsa: <The greatest benefit of Board Mode is in fact the narcissistic joy it brings to the people who love using that nasty language and those misunderstandings. Yet we created it to allow for candid meetings.>

Akalabeth: “Suedomsa, then it’s true!?”

Suedomsa: <Are you surprised, Akalabeth? I can barely feel it through the text. I might have the active imagination of a Minus Elite, but you still need to express yourself more strongly than that.>

Suedomsa: <You remind me of those cheap new NPC Bodies or of a Plus person. Where’s the edge?>

Suedomsa: <Or what? Did you think you could become a soft-spoken and considerate Minus Elite if you blunted your edge?>

Suedomsa: <It won’t work and it’s too late for you. This is goodbye, Minus Elite. It is time to become Minus through and through, just like we used to fear.>

Akalabeth: “…”

Suedomsa: <Silence? I thought you had something to tell me.>

Akalabeth: “What are you thinking!?”

Suedomsa: “Akalabeth.”

Suedomsa: <You’ve figured out that my memories have returned, I hope?>

Suedomsa: <Then I have only one thing to say to you: bend your knee and bow your head.>

Suedomsa: <Apologize for taking what I loved most, along with my time and my truth.>

Suedomsa: <And apologize for hiding the answer DT wanted for 2000 years.>

Suedomsa: <Do you get it now?>

Akalabeth: <Then you didn’t come here today to give your approval?>

Suedomsa: <Correct. So I do have one longer thing to say.>

Suedomsa: “I, Kobayashi Akon, have a request for Queen Akalabeth.”

Suedomsa: “I ask that you grant me authorization to use the Questron in the underground ceremonial ground, Babel in the south, and the many programs you possess.”

Akalabeth: “…!”

Akalabeth: “Arrest this man!”

Suedomsa: “Excel.”

'''<Suedomsa’s Over Reload>

The knights by the walls begin to move.

They run toward you, but six of them have removed their hands from their sword hilts.

They draw their submachineguns instead.

Those six aim their submachineguns at and open fire on the knights ahead of them and the NPC Bodies flanking the throne.

Suedomsa: “Now, then.”

'''<Suedomsa’s Over Reload>

Loud gunshots fill the audience chamber.

The minister NPC Bodies standing around the queen are blasted backwards.

The knights rushing toward you fall to the floor.

The lingering noise is unpleasant to human hearing. It will take another 18 seconds for that to fade.

The ministers and the knights begin to flash.

Suedomsa: “Did you see all of that, Akalabeth?”

Akalabeth: “…”

Suedomsa: “Now that silence I like. It is brimming with emotion.”

Suedomsa: “Allow me to quote the bible, just like I used to in my researcher days. This seems like a good time for a verse about not judging others.”

Suedomsa: “ ‘You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.’ ”

Suedomsa: “Apt, don’t you think?”

'''<Suedomsa’s Over Reload>

Akalabeth’s eyes widen in response. It is a look of surprise.

Suedomsa: “But I suppose a Minus Elite should use a different kind of reference.”

Suedomsa: “ ‘All your Lives and evil are belong to us.’ Is that better?”

'''<Suedomsa’s Board Mode has updated>

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