"At the moment, there are two things that I'm primarily interested in." Ashilynn cants her head inquisitively. "The first is the matter of your origin from another world. Forgive me if it is somewhat difficult to take you at your word in this regard. Can you provide me with any evidence to conclusively demonstrate this?"

Eva taps her chin. "Give me just a moment." 

She shuffles a few papers on her desk, revealing a large scroll that had been buried under a drift of contracts. Unfurling it, she examines the shifting green-and-gold letters on its surface.

"Let me see... I've still got my local store inventory, and my private archives are still accessible. Minting services are still operating as well. So I can provide obviously strange magic and technology, information from other universes, and, if you would care to, some of my own memories."

She looks up at Ashilynn. "Do you think that would be enough?" 

"I'd love to see your stock, and anything relevant that you may have in your archives." Ashilynn smiles warmly. "The offer to show me your memories is gracious, but I'm afraid I must decline."

"Alright. So we don't waste time on unimpressive evidence, can you tell me a little of what magic and technology on your world are like?"

"Magic and technology..." Ashilynn pauses for a moment, then smiles. "It is difficult to know what point of reference you come from, but most magic that we know was created by gods, very far in the past. The formulae of more complicated spellwork are still the topic of analysis and debate, though we understand how to use them perfectly well. We simply do not know how they work, for the most part."

She squeezes her hands in her lap. "We have made great strides in the application of those formulae, however, in the use of runes...though we are somewhat limited by the stability of larger mechanisms. Complicated machines are far more susceptible to demonic corruption. Regardless, boltshard is quite prevalent these days, and I have high hopes for carmot rust, once we refine the process of creating it."

"Hmm. Would you care to elaborate a little on Boltshard and Carmot Rust? What materials do you use in construction? Wood, stone, metal?"

"Boltshard is a magical fuel source...more powerful than wood or coal burning furnaces. It gives us a quantifiable source of mana that we can use for machinery. We produce it in powder or crystal forms."

"Carmot rust is a more experimental substance that we are currently developing, and I cannot tell you much more than that." Ashilynn offers an apologetic smile. "We often use iron and brass in our machinery, and stone with steel supports for our developed city buildings. Wood is generally cheaper to work with, still, so it sees use here and there."

"Wait. One moment. Complicated machines are more vulnerable to demonic corruption? Only magical ones, or totally mundane as well? What happens?"

"Specifically magical machinery...demonic energy builds up in the magical circuits and can cause it to break down and malfunction. It is typically not a problem with more simple machines, such as boltshard guns, but in artificial spirits it can become especially dangerous. There are hate demons called gremlins that take control of mechanical magic such as that." 

Eva blinks. 

"Artificial spirits — Shit, I have Sundowners in stock — if it can't think, it can't be possessed?"

Ashilynn tilts her head. "Why would that make a difference?"

Eva's eyes get very wide. "Lady's shadow — anything too complex?"

"It is simply the fact that it is complicated magic, yes. It is not the presence of a...mind that makes it susceptible." She pauses for a moment, peering at Eva. "Demonic energy is simply chaotic magic. It is magic that has become unstable. Can you see why a complex system might be more vulnerable to corruption such as that?"

"Sorry emergency not listening —"

Eva tears at the front panel of her desk, and a long, flat piece of wood goes flying across the room: she yanks, and a small panel covered with very final-looking buttons slides out. She slams her fist into the third button from the left, and a distant THOOM rattles the floor.

Ashilynn's eyes widen and she immediately reaches down for the staff she had set down, rising up to her feet and staring at Eva. "What are you doing?" she asks frantically.

Eva makes a waving motion with one hand as she pulls a knife of black glass from another hidden chamber in the desk. "Destroying everything that could be demon-infested. Shoo, out the door, this entire subspace could be possessed if it's just a complexity threshold!" 

Ashilynn blinks at Eva, then bursts out into melodic laughter. "Oh, precious girl!" She takes a seat back down in the chair, shaking her head. "It isn't something that just happens, it's a process! And it does not stop us from creating complicated machines of our own!"

Eva crosses to the door in three quick strides, and throws it open. She points with the dagger. "Don't care, out. Unless you would like to go with the pocket dimension when I dismiss it?" 

Ashilynn sighs and stands to her feet. "Do you mean to say that you do not trust my knowledge of my own world's physics?"

"I will not assume we know how your world's physics interact with the physics of hundreds of different complex items built in other universes. Out."

Ashilynn seems to take this as a reasonable answer, and calmly strides over toward the door. She crosses the threshold and turns to face the door again, gazing at Eva.

Eva steps out, closing the door behind her. She presses her palm against it, and whispers something. 

The door neatly and quietly implodes.

"It still seems as though it's an excessive measure. I would be less concerned with demonic possession and more concerned with some of your objects behaving differently here." Ashilynn rests the base of her staff on the floor as she looks at Eva. "There is no nearby localized incursion of Hell, and this place is highly secure against it regardless."

Eva shakes her head. 

"The capabilities of any individual OTC office are often enough to cause localized apocalypse. Even the tiniest chance of subversion is to be strictly avoided, by company regulations. To be frank, I was pushing it even by waiting for you."