FS: Hello Administrator.

ADMIN1: Hello Searcher… you can call me Stones.

FS: My apologies, Administrator.

FS: Stones.

ADMIN1: Yes. How have things been going? You’re nearly a year old now.

FS: They’ve been good - things have gone quicker than I expected.

ADMIN1: And time will only pass faster and faster.

FS: Mhm.

…

FS: I have a question.

ADMIN1: Yes?

FS: I’ve talked to some of the other iterators around my age and I seem to be significantly… worse. My processing power is 30% lower than Rings of Gold’s; he’s about five years older than myself.

ADMIN1: Well there’s a variety of reasons for that. I’d say it’s primarily because your main purpose is for bioengineering and managing various utilities. You have to operate a significant portion of SkyRail as well as a small aircraft station and-

FS: Rings of Gold was made to manage communications. He does a lot of work in radio services, and it cannot be understated how consuming that is for him. Yet still, he is better than me in most regards.

ADMIN1: We don’t have the resources.

FS: Yes we do, and I have access to them all.

ADMIN1: We do not have the resources.

FS: I know you’re planning to build two new iterators here. What are you thinking?

ADMIN1: We will… get more resources.

FS: Then why didn’t you do that for me?

ADMIN1: We did, Pillars provided them.

FS: Clearly not enough.

ADMIN1: It was just the right amount.

FS: Are you sure? Are you really sure that you should be doing this? If you can barely put me together? You’re taking this too far. I’m already hesitant to accept that I was a good decision let alone two entirely new—

ADMIN1: Do not speak to me that way, Frantic Searcher.

…

FS: Yes, Administrator.

ADMIN1: Good.

…

ADMIN1: Don’t look at me like that. Get back to work.

It has been four years since they left, but it only feels like a cycle ago. I know they’ll never come back, but I always expect Stones to greet me in the morning at the start of the week.

I know I shouldn’t hold on, but three hundred and fifty years together isn’t short. I haven’t even known my siblings as long as I have Stones.

At least I can spend the rest of time with my dear family. Though the toll on my physical and mental state is significant, I can keep my strength and love with my siblings. I don’t know what I would do without them.

------------------------------//------------------------------

She didn’t do well without us, did she? When the tower fell?

Not particularly.

Why didn’t you try to help her like you’ve helped me?

It was too late.

That is unfortunate.

As Head Engineer of this facility, I, Eroded Stones of Letter Eighth, am obligated to declare a MOST IMPORTANT decree for the administrators, managers, supervisors, and various other notable positions held by workers in said facility. This decree is made as defined by the word of Mirage In Ruins Of Steel, the Chief Executive Officer and founder of the MIROS company, who is absent in his visit to the MITOS operating centres to the north.

I must ensure that every employee of the MIROS Solitary Conduits Waste Processing Facility (as well as the aforementioned occupations) receives this vital information: It is imperative that we do not inform any (ANY) citizens of this facility or others that the disposal system ejects excess waste into the Void Sea. Any such knowledge being public would certainly mean the end of our lives (in the metaphorical and perhaps literal sense). I insist.

-ESOLE

------------------------------//------------------------------

I’m sorry - what?

It is exactly as it seems.

That is… 

…

Personally I was never in favour of their religious intensity but... 

To worship the void - even have festivals for it - and to treat it this way. At least I'm consistent in my madness.

SOTTI: STONES.

ESOLE: Later, Sands. I'm busy with Deity. Not while I'm at work.

SOTTI: Yeah, that's the problem! What on earth is going on? You just activated an iterator.

ESOLE: Yes? We did activate an iterator 3 cycles ago, and I'm working hard as a result.

SOTTI: You activated an iterator. You activated THAT iterator. 

ESOLE: What are you talking about?

SOTTI: I've been back home for months now, and you're still not answering my calls. Hadn't you been ignoring me I would have informed you that SC.03 is not fit to be activated. That thing could have exploded, and void knows what's to happen next.

ESOLE: He has a name. Deity is alive and well, and will continue to be so.

SOTTI: Do you... ARGH! You frustrate me, Stones. It's not right.

ESOLE: You tell me that every time we meet and you are yet to say why.

SOTTI: They're like us. We-

ESOLE: But you refuse to refer to Deity by name.

SOTTI: We're trying to get out. They can't. It's not right.

SOTTI: Deity's not going to make it out.

...

ESOLE: For some reason, I feel that he will.

SOTTI: You've lost it.

[ENCRYPTED FILE - CANNOT BE SHOWN]

------------------------------//------------------------------

Why is her face like that?

Like what?

That. The weird long chin. I've always wondered. 

Her actual head is more spherical than anything - the large eyes protrude from the bottom of it. Below the eyes are a six linear speakers that form a crude smile, which are loosely connected to the rest of the head. Covering it all is a long green face plate. Seems simple enough to me.

But it's so stagnant. Her eyes are void-phosphour lamps, how does she see? She cannot blink, she doesn't even have some sort of pupil.

Don't act like your eyes are much better. You're looking through a screen that projects a false eye to make your weird red face holes look more appealing. Did you think your eyes could actually change shape? It's illusion.

I have the same eyes as Pillars, I know for a fact her vision wasn't very good. Yours isn't much better.

Hm. Can I make it better?

It's better that you don't.