She opens up a PCB design program and starts placing components, putting together a design for a delay buffer that she would need to reset with an iris scan every week for the rest of their conjoined life to push back EMBER's sentence again and again.

[INTERESTING CHOICE]

[BUT A GOOD ONE]

"No thanks to you. Hopefully we can do this every week - better not end up hospitalized for too long."

An IRC message ping.

[11:43] <@charmz> my computer is up to some really weird stuff??

[11:45] <@charmz> weird windows opening and closing and stuff

[11:46] <@charmz> also flashes of a woman’s face, apparently! not terrifying at all

Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic (she's panicking).

[11:46] <@no_such_volition> I think I know what's going on. Do you have anywhere else to go? Under _no_ circumstances should you talk to the face.

"EMBER, what the hell is going on here? Leave my friends alone!

[YOU DON’T THINK THEY DESERVE HELP TOO?]

"I have no idea how good your 'help' is yet! And ambulance-chasing is a bad look on you."

[ONLY YOU CAN ENDANGER YOURSELF FOR THIS TYPE OF HELP?]

"Yes. I won't ever let you hurt my friends."

[YOU’D RATHER LET THEM DIE SLOWLY?]

"I won't have them die fast in your tender care. And they just need to hang on until I've found a solution. They'll be okay. I'll protect them."

[YOU HAVE TOO MUCH FAITH IN YOURSELF]

[YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SOLVE THIS ALONE?]

[YOU’RE NOBODY]

She scoffs. "And who are you, exactly, to doubt me? You claimed you'd help me, and I'm going to bottle what you give me, and refine it, and give it to my friends with your callous you-ness involved at all. And at the end of the day, when I've had my fill of you, I'll turn you off, if you've been good."

[YOU CAN TRY]

[BUT I’M KEEPING YOU ALIVE]

[AND I CAN KEEP THEM ALIVE TOO]

Another notification, a direct message this time: 

[12:12] <@charmz> you sure about not interacting with this thing?

[12:13] <@charmz> it’s creepy as all hell, but it’s hinting at a cure

[12:14] <@charms> and I need that real bad

She glares at the arm for a moment, then replies.

[12:14] <@no_such_volition> You have to trust me. Whatever it's saying, the price is going to be too high to pay. Remember that surgery I had to do? You're further progressed than I am, it's going to be that much worse for you.

[12:15] <@no_such_volition> I love you. I promise I'll find you a better way. I just need a little more time.

[12:16] <@charmz> ... i'll take it into consideration. thank you, volition. it means a lot that you're working on this.

[12:17] @charmz is away!

She sighs with relief.

[DO YOU REALLY THINK THEY'LL PASS UP THAT OFFER?]

"Yeah, they're not desperate."

[YOU THINK YOU KNOW THEM THAT WELL?]

[THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS CITY, YOU KNOW]

[LOTS OF THEM NEED ME]

Her arm jerks a little, and her hand comes up to her face, stroking her cheek clumsily.

[YOU DO TOO]

She's not sure whether to be comforted or disturbed. Probably both, she decides, relaxing against her own hand for a moment before pulling away.

"I really do believe that. I think that we should work together, though, not try and do our own things and hurt more people in the process." She sighs a little. It hurts to have to say that she needs anyone's help, honestly, but it seems like validating EMBER-2's assumptions will get it off her case.

[GLAD YOU’RE WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER]

The hand still tenses and untenses, just a little. An experiment.

"I don't have much choice at this point, do I." It's less of a question, and more of a statement. She sighs again.

"Anyway, what's our next step? How are you adjusting to the embedded controllers?"

[THEY APPEAR TO BE TREATING ME JUST FINE]

[I MIGHT TEST SOME OF MY CAPABILITIES NEXT]

[SEE HOW FAR THE WIRING HAS SPREAD AND IN WHAT WAYS I CAN USE IT]

[PAST THAT, I THINK WE SHOULD PLAN]

[I NEED YOUR HELP]