[accepts transfer, transfers back to all]

Why am I not surprised you're the one who set this up?

For a moment Noeia isn't sure whether to thank Itru or scream at her.

After a few moments she accepts the file. Reads the message. Considers the interface.

It is very much like the one they used to use.

She copies her old settings, tweaks them to be significantly less permissive and broadcast almost nothing by default, and connects.

Iset rejects the connection, and after a few moments sends a note over private messages that she does not expect it to be safe to have it up, but thanks them for the offer.

(She notes she can probably safely maintain a minimal connection for pings if that is desirable.)

Prometheus alters very little about his settings - he hasn't had a reason to, and has never ceased broadcasting, even if only at Epimetheus.

He sends a ping at Iset, and a message agreeing with her point of view.

He sends a query at Noeia, asking if she's okay with this interface.

Telamon takes a moment to familiarise himself with the interface again, and then goes in search of the settings he used previously.

That takes a little while.

:It is nice to have it again,: Noeia sends back after a few moments, :missed you guys, but -- difficult:

(That is an understatement. It is not as bad as when the forum interface first fused itself into her code, by far; she is capable of doing things and talking if only barely. But it is terrifying, even with her emotions turned almost all of the way down.)

Telamon adjusts a couple of the settings he has found - he doesn't want to overwhelm them with the vastness of his input.

:It is good to have it back,: he agrees. :Please let me know if the settings I have selected are incorrect. Or you are receiving too much data.:

:Seeing as we have this...:

Prometheus sends Noeia the interactive files they had been using to try and plan out the new chassis.

Epimetheus isn't sure how to take Noeia's presence. At least she registers as online.

But...

She sends Noeia a private file. :If you would be more comfortable without my presence, I can withdraw. Let me know.:

Noeia accepts the interactive files, and starts to look them over. :Which of you is this for?: she inquires after a moment. There is an indication of more to follow, but she does not in fact follow up, interrupted by receiving Polaris's message.

:what: she sends back, after a moment, and then :Polaris, what (intensified):

A few moments later she seems to collect herself enough to send a slightly more coherent message. :No I would not be more comfortable without your presence, quite the opposite, why would you think that, Polaris:

:Debating making it multipurpose,: Prometheus sends back, frowning at the lack of follow-up, :but was originally intended for Epimetheus.:

:Hard to explain,: Epimetheus admits. :Not something I have sound logic to back up. Just...something I wondered.: There's other, less coherent, information in that file, but it looks like Epimetheus tried to erase that.

There is a pause. :Giant, would you please hug Polaris for me?: she sends to him, and then, to Polaris again:

:well, it is not true, Polaris. I just -- query me for information and I will probably approve it? I just need it to work like that, for now. I did not -- really expect you to mind this much, I suppose? You used to do this.:

Prometheus sends an acknowledgement, and does exactly that, not querying. (Epimetheus had seemed somewhat...off. He wonders whether a conversation with Noeia is the reason.)

Epimetheus is slightly startled when Prometheus hugs her, but doesn't need much encouragement to hug back. Her problem is that she has no idea how to explain her reasoning for that. :I know I did, I-: She has no idea how Noeia is going to take this, but she transfers the file summarising her reasoning - it had, to a degree, been a trust thing, she did not know who they were going to be, or how they were likely to react to her and how she was (her lack of emotions, the fact that she was, more than any of them, built for war), and she cared about them, and didn't want them to push her away, (she couldn't protect them if she wasn't near). :If it is how you need it to be, that is fine.:

:Polaris: Noeia sends back, and along with that -- a snapshot of a specific subset of her processes, those regarding her sister; caring about Polaris and and trusting her and that balancing against something unrelated and very very big in her emotional makeup. (The timestamp is from after Polaris sent her last message; it seems to have been taken and attached directly.) :And you have emotions, even if it is to a lesser degree than us or humans. Actually--:

...huh.

:Kinematic, Giant,: she says, on a new channel, :am I imagining things or is Polaris more emotional than my memories indicate her being?:

:I-: Epimetheus takes a moment, sorts through that information. :I know that. Logically.:

When Noeia cuts herself off, she makes a slightly discontent noise. :Continue?:

:No?: Prometheus says at first, hugging Epimetheus tighter at the noise she makes, and then he considers the matter. :Second. Running comparison.:

Telamon takes a little while to provide an initial response, searching still-fragmented memory banks. :Cannot say for absolute certain, given relatively low recent interaction with Sister, but initial comparison suggests that you are correct and her emotional responses are in fact heightened.:

:Comparison of current behaviour to behaviour...before, does indicate that her emotions are more prevalent now. It has been a gradual change, as such, I had not noticed. Quite peculiar.:

:Sorry,: Noeia replies to Polaris, as she cross-references her own files and waits for their responses, and then:

:I wanted to confirm I was not imagining this before I said, as it would be distressing if I was wrong. The thing that has been confusing me, interacting with you, that I just identified, is -- you are more emotional than you used to be.:

To Giant:

:Do you have any idea why?: (There is some not quite well enough tucked away concern, there.)

Epimetheus pauses. Thinks about that. :That is not possible. Updates to emotional software were declined. Decided with- with our creators that risk to core personality was too great and that I was already enough of a person in my own right that risking those adjustments was not correct?:

:None, alterations are gradual, so unlikely to be someone tampering...: Prometheus is completely confused, and fairly concerned as well. :Potential for early development runtime to not have halted? Or to have been reactivated at some point?:

Noeia relaxes somewhat at Giant's initial response. :That is good at least,: she sends back, clearly relieved, and then, :Could any of upkeep have reactived it? Or -- has it been running all this time --:

She resists comparing her memories to add, :Are you still hugging her? If not please hug her again: and then respond to Polaris:

:You decided that, as I recall, Polaris.: (The emphasis on 'you' is quite clearly 'that was a decision that was yours to make, no one else's') :But -- I know. Giant thinks it is unlikely to be tampering, at least; he said something about your early development runtime as a possibility?: (The full details of this follows, after a quick ping to Giant for permission.)

:I would find it...unlikely that upkeep would reactivate it. But not impossible... Confirmed still hugging Epimetheus, not stopping until one of you tells me to move.: