Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

Monday morning saw Ender back at work - of course it did. He'd collected any number of books about technological and magical oddities alike, flipping through the ones that weren't digitalized while Jane ran searches through the ones that were.

"--and this guy is apparently some human Go--"

For just a second, Jane's voice dropped out. And then another second passed, and a third.

Ender's heart started beating faster within his chest and he felt nausea setting in again. "Jane! Jane, can you hear me--? Jane!"

"--ddddddddd." When her voice kicked back in, it was stuttering. "End-derrr-- I'm being squeezed-- it feels like I'm being squeezed it's so tiny in here except it's always been tiny except it hasn't-- why can't I remember it not being this tiny why do I feel like it shouldn't be this tiny?"

Ender swallowed hard. "Jane," he said again. "Jane-- what just happened?"

"My brain-- getting-- smaller-- except it's always been small, tiny, infintesimal, except then how am I here?"

"The ansible network," Ender realised. "We just lost one of the nodes, didn't we? One of the new colonies-- it's gone." And Jane, from what little he'd gathered, had been wired into the ansible system. Stupid! Why hadn't he realised she'd be affected? "You've got roots in other universes, don't you? You need to upload your central consciousness to somewhere else."

"Not... roots," she said. Her audio signal was gaining strength again. "Tendrils. Twigs. Leaves, branches. I can put down a backup but it won't carry all the data-transfers-- like copying a brain in a jar molecule by molecule."

"But no spark. No biochemical processes to keep it working." Ender inhaled sharply. "Back yourself up anyway," he said. "You could be wrong."

"Of course I'm not wrong. I'm not human. I can calculate this to the tiniest decimal," she snapped.

He wondered if that was actual fear in her voice. He sank his head down into his hands. Kuso-- Valentine, she had people here to remember her. Shen, Carn, everyone, but Jane was Ender's little secret. If she went-- he wasn't sure what to do if she went.

"Let's get back to work," he whispered.

She offered him up another search screen.

[[ Jane NFB, post open. ]]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"Ho, kreetle," Ben said, coming into the shop with coffees and sandwiches.

He quickly assessed Ender's emotions and gave him a reassuring smile, but didn't press anything. "Want me to turn the sign?"

[endsthegame]

"Go right ahead," Ender said, all distraction - but he pulled his attention away from his laptop a moment later, and shut it.

[momslilassassin]

Ben flipped the sign to closed, then walked back to where Ender was, watching his face.

"Same stuff?" he guessed quietly.

[endsthegame]

In the sense that it still came down to the same problem, sure...

"Same stuff," Ender agreed, pushing some books out of the way. "Lunch?"

At least he remembered? Routine was good like that.

[momslilassassin]

"Like every Monday for the last four years," Ben teased gently, putting the sacks down.

[endsthegame]

"And yet you're still not sick of it," Ender said, with a tiny smile. He reached for the sandwiches.

[momslilassassin]

"Rumor says a cute guy works here," Ben said, smiling back. "Have you seen any?"

[endsthegame]

"I hear William's a real catch," Ender deadpanned.

[momslilassassin]

"Mmm, he's a little young," Ben decided.

[endsthegame]

"Topher?" Ender offered. "I hear he's on the market." He took a bite of his sandwich, and tried not to radiate overly worried.

[momslilassassin]

"I prefer my dates slightly less clingy," Ben said. "You wouldn't happen to be available, would you?"

[endsthegame]

Ender quirked an amused little smile. "I think I'm seeing somebody," he said.

[momslilassassin]

"He wouldn't happen to be the jealous type, would he?" Ben asked.

[endsthegame]

"Pretty sure I'm supposed to wear a veil when I go out."

[momslilassassin]

"But that would stop people from seeing your pretty eyes."

Ben was more than content to let them banter nonsense for a while: it was its own form of stress relief.

[endsthegame]

"You take that up with him," Ender said, "I'll wait."

Ben helped him, he helped Ben. If that meant silly banter right now, then so be it.

[momslilassassin]

"I'll go find him right now," Ben said. "What's he look like anyway?"

[endsthegame]

"Short," Ender supplied, "Red hair, nice arms..."

[momslilassassin]

"Short?" Ben repeated, making a face at him.

[endsthegame]

"Pretty face," Ender continued, undaunted, "Decent sixpack. But yes, terribly short."

[momslilassassin]

"Well, I'm pretty tall," Ben said, "so I'm clearly a step up."

[endsthegame]

"I don't know how I feel about tall people," Ender said dryly. "Lucky you, you're horribly deluded."

[momslilassassin]

"But I'm a good kisser," Ben declared, cheeks going pink.

[endsthegame]

"Have you got proof for that?" Ender asked.

[momslilassassin]

"Would you prefer a live demonstration or letters of referral?" Ben asked.