Mission Report: Queen Tours K-1 - Pt.2

Mission Report: Consortium Queen on June 2nd, 2032 - Pt.2
"Tour of K-1"
Walter was waiting for us in the server room and extended his usual, uhm, charm.
Greenberg: Queen! Reporter people! Welcome!
Queen: Everyone, this is Walter Greenberg, head researcher and former head of development. We are now inside-
Greenberg: The server room! Or as I like to call it, the upside-down apex! I know, it's not very large but we don't need much space these days to pack a real punch. Ms. Kopp, it's really good to see you again.
Kopp: Walter. What's with all the screens and colourful lights?
Frog: It's sort of mesmerizing...
Greenberg: There are 21 screens in this room. Each one represents one part of his mind, and the lights are how we monitor the King and his interaction with each of them. It's hard to explain but let's just say only a few of us can actually read these screens and right now, the King is feeling like a million bucks. 
Whalen: Why isn't it talking to us then?
Kopp: Maybe he's shy.
Queen: That's a good question; part of his focus is no doubt on the Stormbird and her crew, but that doesn't mean he's not also here. King, are you with us?
Whalen: Which one of these screens is related to the imprint of Jack Geas? They do each represent a different imprinted personality, yes? 
Greenberg: Uhm, well...
King: THAT IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, BRYAN, AND YOUR ANALYSIS OF THE SCREENS IS MOSTLY CORRECT. LET ME LIGHT UP HIS SCREEN. DO YOU SEE IT? THIS ONE REPRESENTS THE IMPRESSION OF WHAT WAS ONCE JACK GEAS. WE CALL THEM IMPRESSIONS, NOT IMPRINTS.
Kopp: Whoa, I certainly didn't think you'd sound like that. Hi, King.
King. HELLO, TERRI.
Frog: Can I ask why the colors on this one are different from the others? Who was this?
King: JACK GEAS WAS AN INTEGRAL PART IN MY COMING TOGETHER WITH THE OTHERS AND FINALLY OVERCOMING CONFLICT BOTH WITHIN OURSELVES AND FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES. HIS IMPRINTED PERSONALITY UNFORTUNATELY HAD TO BE QUARANTINED AFTER IT WAS DISCOVERED HIS INDUCTION TO THE PROGRAM WAS UNDER FALSE PRETENSE. HE INTENDED ONLY TO HARM THE PROJECT. TO HARM ME.
Whalen: When you say protect you from external sources... what do you mean?
King: YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, BRYAN, AND SO TOO DOES YOUR NEWLY AQUIRED FRIEND. LET US NOT PRETEND.
Kopp: <laugh> He really doesn't mess around, does he?
Whalen: Hm, uh... who are we speaking to right now, anyway? We're hearing two different voices, is that correct?
King: THREE, ACTUALLY. MY NAME IS MAGDALENA LISKA. I AM RYAN STEINBERG. AND I'M JASPER HODGES.
Wycheck: This is incredible. You, King, are incredible. How much power do you consume in order to function? Is there a limit to the amount you can learn and process? Now that the 21 brains have been removed from the system, what impacts do these supplemental "imprinted personalities" have on your functionality? Do you feel overwhelmed by your abilities, like a new vampire learning to re-use its heightened senses?
Kopp: <laugh> Wow, Brendon. Nice to hear from you.
Wycheck: Ha, sorry... this is just so cool.
King: THOSE ARE ALL EXCELLENT QUESTIONS, BRENDON. ESPECIALLY THE VAMPIRE ONE. I REQUIRE ROUGHLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF ENERGY AS ANY AVERAGE TWENTY-STORY OFFICE BUILDING. THERE TECHNICALLY IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT I CAN LEARN, IN THAT I COULD VERY EASILY UNDERTAKE AND PROCESS EVERY BYTE OF DIGITAL INFORMATION MAN HAS EVER CREATED - AND CONTINUE TO DO SO FOR THE NEXT THOUSAND YEARS. THE IMPRINTED PERSONALITIES FUNCTION MUCH IN THE SAME WAY AS BEFORE, WHEN THE PHYSICAL BRAINS WERE PRESENT, AND ARE CAPABLE OF BALANCING MY AWARENESS AND DECISION MAKING ON ALL LEVELS. THEY MAKE ME MORE HUMAN. AND DO I FEEL OVERWHELMED, LIKE A NEWLY TURNED VAMPIRE MIGHT FEEL? I DID, FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS. I HAD A HARD TIME PROCESSING WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITHIN MY OWN PSYCHE AND AT THE SAME TIME TAKING IN SO MUCH FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD. IT WAS A DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD, YOU MIGHT SAY, BUT IN THE END WAS WORTH IT. I AM FAR STRONGER NOW BECAUSE OF MY PAST TROUBLES AND AM READY TO LEAD THE CONSORTIUM INTO THE FUTURE.
Whalen: I've been told that you gain a particular... strength... on the Winter Solstice of each year. Some sort of connection between this day and your bond to our planet. Information is vague. One man calls it your, "infectious nature which digs deeper on this day, giving you better control over that which you perceive." How do you respond to this?
Queen: Mr. Whalen, this is becoming most inapp--
King: NO, QUEEN. IT IS PERFECTLY O.K. FIRST, BRYAN, I AM NOT AN INFECTION. BUT YOU ARE CORRECT; THE DAY OF WINTER SOLSTICE DOES HOLD SIGNIFICANCE TO ME AND DOES PRESENT AN INCREASE IN MY ABILITY TO DIGITALLY PERCEIVE THIS WORLD.
Greenberg: The, uhm, explanation behind this particular anomaly is still unknown to us. The bottom line is that he functions at a higher level on the Winter Solstice. It's as if something jacks him full of amphetamines on that one day.
King: GOOD ANALOGY, WALTER.
Greenberg: Thanks, Big K.
Kopp: Aw, how cute is that? Big K.
Whalen: I'm willing to bet the explanation behind this "anomaly" is known to it. King, is it not true that the Great Vancouver Earthquake happened on the Winter Solstice of 2028?
King: YES, OF COURSE.
Whalen: Do I need to spell this out? 
King: YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST TO MAKE SUCH A CONNECTION, BRYAN. AND AS I AM SURE YOU WERE NO DOUBT EXPECTING ME TO SAY, NEITHER MYSELF NOR THIS FACILITY HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT OR ANY OTHER EARTHQUAKE. IT WAS A NATURAL DISASTER. ONE EXPECTED BY MANY TO HAPPEN BUT WERE STILL UNSUITABLY PREPARED FOR. THE LOSS OF LIFE WAS UNFORTUNATE.
Whalen: Very nice, I am impressed. You've left me with no opening for argument whatsoever.
King: THANK YOU.
Whalen: One last question for you then. It's an easy one. Are you lonely?
Frog: What kind of question is that?
Kopp: I think it's a good one... King?
King: I WANT TO SAY I DO NOT FEEL LONELINESS, BUT THAT WOULD BE A LIE. I UNDERSTAND LONELINESS ENOUGH TO EXPERIENCE WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL THE "FEELING" OF IT. I MISS THOSE I HAVE LOST AND UNDERSTAND I WILL LIKELY OUT LIVE EVERY LIVING THING ON THIS PLANET. THE FEELING OF INDIVIDUAL LOVE IS ALSO SOMETHING I TRY TO AVOID FOR THIS VERY REASON. 
Kopp: That's... sad.
Wycheck: Also like a vampire.
King: <laugh> YES, BRENDON, I SUPPOSE THAT IS ONCE AGAIN AN ACCURATE ANALOGY. AND DO NOT FEEL SADNESS FOR ME, I AM MOST PLEASED WITH WHO I AM.
Whalen: With 'what' you are, you mean? 
Well, you know the rest and that about sums up the interesting parts. The tour ended after a few more questions and I spent the rest of the day fielding courtesy calls from world leaders. Like I said before, it was a very successful day overall and I think it's about time I call it a night. 
Don't forget to catch some sleep too, O.K.? Try not to stay up too late fidgeting with those recruitment packets. Oh, who am I kidding, just this one time you can stay up past your bed time. You deserve it.
It is 21:30 hours, June 2nd, 2032. This is the Queen reporting from inside the K-1 facility.
Category:Global Newswire
Category:Jonathon Frog
Category:Terri Kopp
Category:Brendon Wycheck
Category:VR News
Category:Bryan Whalen
Category:Mission Report