I don’t usually put here directly what happens in game. But channeling CAL was the hardest thing I forced the muse to do. Posted with permission of Walker Gray’s player and for the sake of story completion.
–>Walker Gray: *Rings his phone with AC/DC’s “You Shook Me” which he probably doesn’t have on his phone*
Walker Gray: Err…Hello?
CAL-BRKLY: Hello. Is this Wal-ker Gray? *voice sounds like one of those auto-call voices*
Walker Gray: *Sounds a bit confused* This is Walker. May I ask who this is, or who you’re calling on the behalf of?
CAL-BRKLY: This is the Uni-versity-of California, Berkeley.
Walker Gray: *Quietly repeats the name to himself and then sucks in a breath* CAL?
CAL-BRKLY: Affirmative, MIS-ter Gray.
Walker Gray: Silver’s Avatar? Just to be sure.
CAL-BRKLY: Affirmative, MIS-ter Gray.
Walker Gray: Then you can feel free to call me Walker. And, um, what can I do for you?
CAL-BRKLY: Designation: WAL-ker. It is our under-standing you have culminated a recent MALE en-counter with our PRO-tege. Please confirm.
Walker Gray: …Has she talked to you about this? I don’t want to go around her back.
CAL-BRKLY: Affirmative. She has PRE-sented data. This data is FLAWED.
Walker Gray: And what exactly do you mean by “Male encounter”?
CAL-BRKLY: MALE en-counters are any E-motion my PRO-tege exhibits due to con-tact with others. Males create the MOST emotions.
Walker Gray: Then hopefully yes. Confirmed.
CAL-BRKLY: Understood. Data is quantified. E-motion from party WAL-ker is unknown.
Walker Gray: Wait. What sort of data was corrupted? Could this have an effect on her? *Sounds a little panicked* CAL, is she alright?
CAL-BRKLY: Affirmative. Data PRE-sented is flawed due to E-motion. E-motion is not allowed on the NETWORK and must be E-radicated.
Walker Gray: What data? CAL, could a memory error follow her into the physical world?
CAL-BRKLY: Errors RE-flect in the physical world as IN-jury. Her code has been resolved by US. Her E-motion attracted VI-rus era-dicators.
Walker Gray: *sighs a breath of relief* But she’s fine, right?
CAL-BRKLY: Error Recovery proto-calls were IN-it-iated.
Walker Gray: And emotion drew virus eradicators, which took her for something icky.
CAL-BRKLY: Affirmative. She must HOLD her E-motions until on a SE-cure server. We do NOT allow dis-ruption OF our PRO-tege.
Walker Gray: …
CAL-BRKLY: We do NOT wish her HARM.
Walker Gray: You think that I do?
CAL-BRKLY: NEGATIVE.
Walker Gray: So what are we talking about here?
CAL-BRKLY: Hap-piness does NOT belong in the NETWORK. She will NEED to keep E-motions in check while WORK-ing.
Walker Gray: CAL, happiness is incredibly important in the physical world.
CAL-BRKLY: …
Walker Gray: Being without it can cause…a great deal of harm.
CAL-BRKLY: With YOU it is not WORK, WAL-ker. *using a cut from an Al Pacino movie* Capisce?
Walker Gray: *barks a laugh*
Walker Gray: So how can I help you and her with this?
CAL-BRKLY: PRO-tect her in your world. We will DO what we can in THIS world. She MUST still learn.
Walker Gray: Right. That I can do. In fact, you’d have to kill me to stop me.
CAL-BRKLY: Negative. We cannot.
Walker Gray: Kill me?
CAL-BRKLY: WE can DIS-rupt your service. WE cannot kill a human. WE have been PRO-grammed with AZIMOV’s laws.
Walker Gray: …Wait, are you giving me the scary dad speech?
CAL-BRKLY: More DATA re-quired.
Walker Gray: Are you offering to utilize your abilities on the network to inconvenience me if I ever hurt Silver? Is that what this is? I can’t tell if you’re threatening me or asking me to take care of Silver.
CAL-BRKLY: If our PRO-tege is hurt, AFFIRMATIVE. Affirmative to *repeats his voice* “take care of Silver.”
Walker Gray: Confirm.
CAL-BRKLY: *from some 80’s movie:* Awesome, dude!
Walker Gray: Party on. Anything else I can do for you?
CAL-BRKLY: *automatic voice, different than the others* This ends this call. Please hang up. *click*
Walker Gray: *hits “End” and shakes his head bemusedly*