"I Found You" - Reboot.Exe - S2 Chapter 18

## I Found You

Jenn

"I Found You" is the eighteenth episode of the second season in Reboot.exe, and quite possibly the most emotional and traumatic episode of the series so far. It was released on 16 December 2022 and is narrated by Dave.

## Episode Synopsis

A loud crack rings out, and smoke begins to billow between Pr0 and Joseph. Pr0 quickly realized that his shot didn’t kill Joseph. They weren’t even close. Joseph is quick to enter combat. The two begin calling shots, rolling around on the ground and laying into one another. During the battle, Joseph calls out for Eve and her assistance, but, to his surprise she just sits there, not responding, and he is left to deal with Pr0 alone. Joseph’s cybermancy, out witting Pr0’s gives him the ability to start choking out Pr0 with his own brawler arm, but it is ultimately unsuccessful as the fight ends with Pr0 laying into Joseph’s face over and over again, until he falls unconscious. Pr0’s hand falls freely from his own neck, as he says to Seb, over the one way live stream that he doesn’t know if he’s going to make it out of here alive, but he hopes that this was at least satisfying for him, before shutting it off.

Pr0 doesn’t have more than a few seconds to recoup before the door is kicked in and two armed guards in medical suits burst in, and ask Eve to tell them what’s happening. She deactivates instead of explaining. Pr0 gets behind Joseph’s unconscious body, and wraps his arms around his neck, telling them that if they kill Pr0, they’re also going to kill the one person who has a chance at containing and stopping this. They tell him to lower his weapon, but he refuses, saying this is the only bargaining chip he has right now – but that he is looking to cause no more harm. He got what he wanted, and what he wanted was to feel his bones crunch underneath his hands as revenge for tearing apart Seb, and torturing him for so long. Pr0 is mostly convincing, but the guards state that he still attacked a civilian and that hes going to need to be detained. He agrees to go quietly. The one guard tells the other to make a report to NingYou about a defective Eve unit.

Pr0 is frog marched to an empty tent, where he is handcuffed to a poll, and left to sit. He enters a familiar headspace of captivity as he sits, listening to the various foot steps of people outside, trying to decipher who is who, and who is going where. 20 minutes later, Eve reactivates and begins looking around for PPE to disguise herself in. She doesn’t make it very far before an armored person approaches her, telling her to get back on the charging station. The guard repeats the message even after Eve explains that she is fully charged. Eve listens and heads back into the building.

A little while later, a very bruised, battered and puffy Joseph appears, staring at her. She lies, saying that she had a critical software update. He immediately doesn’t believe her, and demands to know why she didn’t listen to him and help. She states that she was an error in her code that was causing her to malfunction, as she didn’t see any right outcome in her intervening. Joseph shakes his head and acknowledges her sentience, saying that he should have been expecting something like this to come about being on the outskirts of society, but that he’s disappointed in her for making “the wrong choice.” He then looks to her, asking about the mission that she and Pr0 are set on. She asks him if he still requires her assistance, but Joseph points her to Pr0, saying he’s the one that really needs her.

Eve tells him that she believed his intentions were to murder Pr0, which is why she didn’t step in. He replies that he never kills in cold blood, but will do in hot, and excuses himself.

About an hour into his detainment, the tent flaps lift, allowing entrance to an armed guard and Joseph into Pr0’s tent. Pr0 makes eye contact with the guard as they enter. Joseph walks closer to Pr0, and kneels down to his level. He asks why Pr0 would do that, knowing that there are cameras in that room. Pr0 responds honestly, saying that he already told the guards what he did, and that he doesn’t regret it.

As Pr0 is talking, he notices a cybernetic implant in Joseph’s arm opening. It contains a needle and syringe, that Pr0 swiftly breaks by kicking it out of his hands. Joseph is taken a back, but tells his guard to take off Pr0’s respirator, which will expose him to the disease. Pr0 barks at the guard, discouraging him from doing the exact opposite of the job they came here to do. They are trying to contain and stop the disease, not spread it any further. The guard, hearing Pr0, turns and walks out of the tent. Joseph stares and stands in complete silence. Pr0 asks if he’s had enough yet. Pr0 says he was planning on leaving quietly, and still is. He wants nothing to do with their deal anymore. Joseph raises an eyebrow, asking if he's done with Maya, Riley and his entire mission. Pr0 says that it’s not his decision to make anymore, and that this doesn’t have to be him. Joseph stands up, saying that slums breed resilience and survivors, and that he supposes Pr0 will survive today. But warns him that if he or any one of his friends try to harm him again, they all will die, as well as everyone they know and love. This problem doesn’t stop with Joseph. Pr0 stares at him silently. Joseph walks out of the tent for the last time. 20 seconds later, a digital beeping releases Pr0’s handcuffs. At the same time, Eve’s room is unlocked, and they walk out to meet each other. They both agree to go home. To Ugly’s.

As they walk in, Pr0 is immediately greeting with Ugly who is more than surprised that he’s back and alive. He wraps him in a hug so large that it lifts his feet off the ground. After he puts him down, he asks what his plans are now. As happy as he is to have Pr0 back, he can’t have a corp assassin in the bar destroying everyone and everything. Pr0 comes to terms with the fact that this may be his final goodbye to everyone, but feels as though this time, its his choice. He thanks Ugly for allowing him to come to that conclusion and for everything else he’s done for him. All while Pr0 is talking to Ugly, he’s hoping that Seb will show some kind of a reaction or come to talk to him. Seb non-discreetly excuses himself outside to take a phone call. Just before he leaves the door, Eve catches him, saying that she knows how heavy the burden he’s carrying, especially now that he knows why these people are so sick.

Xiang affectionally signs “Not Dead” to Pr0 and is incredibly happy that he’s returned safe and sound.

Seb grabs his phone and begins to call his parents. Nyla doesn't pick up, but Oscar does. Seb, knowing that his call will be monitored, starts speaking in code to his dad, saying that he has a business matter right now. That they have a "defective piece of merchandise' that they've put a "recall" out on for, so he asks him to take it off the grid for a while and get it looked at privatly, instead of getting it recalled. This is referring to Pr0 being officially owned by Amben. Oscar is able to pick up on what Seb is getting at, and agrees to do so, saying that with a call to his business contacts, they can have a new product produced and transfer the software into the new one - getting Reboot. Oscar then says that he's grown a fondness for "it" and that he believes that it needs to be protected as "its" been a valuable asset to the company.

Eve approaches Incongruent, asking about the hologram. Incongruent says that he has it fixed, but hasn't turned it on without her. She suggests that they get ready to call Possum and the mystery caller before they turn this on. Incongruent agrees, but tells her to go say her goodbyes to Pr0 first. She agrees, and walks out.

Seb returns to the room and approaches Ugly, 'Tilda and Pr0 at the table who are sharing a good time with a drink. Seb asks for a private word with Ugly. They both step aside, and Seb begins to explain his plan to Ugly. He says that they're going to claim the bounty, and give Pr0 a reboot. Ugly blankly says "So, you're going to kill him." Seb asks for them not to get into the ethical side of Reboot, seeing as this is their only way out with having Pr0's personality intact and alive. Seb wants to be the one to have to "kill" Pr0, as this is his idea, but he has to do it by surprise, as he won't do it otherwise. After much more deliberation, Ugly concedes that they don't have a better option.

Pr0 has been lurking around them for a bit, hearing none of the conversation, but is looking for his chance in to say goodbye to Seb. They both let him in and begin talking to him like a normal person. They get to catch up briefly about how Xiang and Seb are wanting to become an item, and how happy Pr0 is for the both of them, especially considering that the last time he saw Seb, he was ready to give up on everything. Pr0 says how happy he is to get to say goodbye properly this time, as the last time he left the bar, he was certain it was a suicide mission and that's all he could focus on. He asks for one last drink for the road. A Burrito Bandito.

They sit down with their drinks and Pr0 says: "You asked me whta I want most in the world and I thought I knew what it was. I was wrong all along .The answer was a family." Raising his glass to the family that's been formed in the bar. Everyone cheers and drinks along, besides Seb, who shoots his glance at Seb, and makes it clear that he's going to make his move now, while Pr0 is unsuspecting, and happy.

Seb's arm shoots out like a piston from a machine with his enhanced Bespoke abilities, grabs the back of Pr0's head, and slams his forehead into the table they're sitting at with so much force and accuracy that it knocks him unconscious instantly. Everyone's head in the bar turns to Ugly as they are waiting what to do. He lowers his eyes to the ground and shakes his head. Seb picks up Pr0 and begins carrying him to Incongruent's room while Eve follows, asking why he did that and trying to push past him to get to Pr0 and start assisting him.

Seb lays Pr0's body down on the table, and tells Eve to stop because she doesn't understand what's going on. If they let him die, that's all he's going to do. Eve is still very confusing and doing her best to reach Pr0 through Seb's body blocking. Incongruent turns to Seb, and asks him if Ugly told her. She doesn't. Incongruent says that he installed reboot into him when he did the first large brain surgery and that he technically consented to it, because he consented to everything and asked for no further details. They are expecting Pr0 to remember everything, not including what this new concussion may take away. Incongruent explains that Seb is going to kill this version of Pr0, so that he can continue to live. Eve turns to leave, but Incongruent grabs her arm and asks if she wants this to stop, as he can't see her hurting. She states that what she wants doesn't matter, shrugs him off and turns to leave. Seb shouts after her asking what else are they supposed to do. She doesn't reply.

Incongruent turns to Seb, saying that he isn't going to be the one to kill Pr0, and then suggests that he lets Pr0 finish out his mission. Seb is confused. Incongruent explains that as soon as he kills Pr0, his mind will be rebooted, but then Incongruent removes the reboot that's been implanted, and take control over his brain and body, complete with the Riley bomb, and go out to find her, letting his body be found publicly. Letting Riley be the last person to see him, kill him, and get the memory bomb into her. Seb agrees.

Seb walks quietly up to the side of the bed, approaching Pr0's body, and gently clamps his hand down over his nose and mouth to stop his breathing. 20 seconds pass before the first of the jerks and judders come from Pr0 as his unconscious brain desperately struggles to get in a breath. 10 more seconds pass and Seb uses his other hand to cover his own eyes. The shaking and convulsions are getting stronger, kicking Seb in the shin. The point finally passes where Pr0's body falls limp and he's gone. Seb removes his hands from his face, to see a small smile that was there from the bar. Seb looks Incongruent straight into the eyes, tears streaming down his face, saying "This better fucking work" before storming back out into the bar.

A half hour passes, and Possum shows up. Incongruent finally walks out, and says "I'm glad you got to say your goodbyes. Its not him. I suggest you look at your drinks." All but Ugly listen as Pr0's body walks out, bandages oozing thick blood from the back of his head. He walks up the stairs silently and out of the bar.

Pr0's body walks along silently, and for hours into the darkness. into the void of nothing. A pin prick of light stabs into Pr0's consciousness. The glassy light fades into the current vision of the street in front of him. He quickly realizes that he has no control over his body.

"I'm sorry, Pr0." Incongruent's familiar voice echos in his head. Pr0 asks whats happening. Incongruent successfully deceives Pr0 into believing that he got infected at the camp. He doesn't believe he's contagious yet, but its only a matter of time, but that he has a gift for him. The package is going to get delivered, and he's going to be the one to do it. Incongruent says that she's coming right for you. He asks if theres anything he can do for him in these final moments. Pr0 asks him to get the letter he wrote for his parents and deliver it. He asks him again if theres any questions he wants to ask, or things he wants to say that will never reach another man's ears. Pr0 somberly replies that he has no more questions. This entire time, he was seeking closure, and he's getting it now. Pr0 asks him to tell Riley thank you, but Incongruent says that he'll be able to do it himself as she comes into view. Incongruent apologizes to Pr0, saying that he was never a friend to Pr0, and that he saw Pr0 as just a means to an end. But if theres one thing he wants to learn from Eve, is how to become one.

Pr0 approaches Riley finally. She looks to him, coldly, saying that it makes sense that he came alone, as its not worth the collateral on his friends. Pr0 says that he's so glad to see her again, even though the Riley he knew is so deeply hidden - but he knows that shortly after she kills him, she'll realize who he was, and will remember everything they made her forget.

Pr0 continues to talk about all the things they used to do together, and how happy he is going to be knowing that she'll have that all back, as a cold, steel blade pushes its way into his abdomen. Pr0 tells her how proud of her he is to see that she's still alive and okay as blood starts to pool in the back of his throat. He is able to see the success of the malware being delivered into Riley as he continues his final words of praise and adoration for who he remembers her as, and for doing what she had to in order to survive.

As Pr0 feels death begin to embrace his body, he slowly moves toward her, saying "Thank you for giving me the life I never could have had without you. I hope you make the most of yours." As he notices small changes in facial muscles as the cybernetics underneath them are reacting to the data bomb. He is about an inch away from her face.

Her eyes change and shock over comes her body. She stutters "Peter!" Pr0 smiles as he fades away, whispering "Ah, there you are, Riley. I fucking found you. One last gift."

-YHTris

## TL;DR

* A loud crack rings out, and smoke begins to billow between Pr0 and Joseph. Pr0 quickly realized that his shot didn’t kill Joseph. They weren’t even close. Joseph is quick to enter combat.
* During the battle, Joseph calls out for Eve and her assistance, but, to his surprise she just sits there, not responding, and he is left to deal with Pr0 alone. The fight ends with Pr0 laying into Joseph’s face over and over again, until he falls unconscious. Pr0 says to Seb, over the one way live stream that he doesn’t know if he’s going to make it out of here alive, but he hopes that this was at least satisfying for him, before shutting it off.
* Pr0 doesn’t have more than a few seconds to recoup before the door is kicked in and two armed guards in medical suits burst in, and ask Eve to tell them what’s happening. She deactivates instead of explaining.
* Pr0 says that got what he wanted, and what he wanted was to feel his bones crunch underneath his hands as revenge for tearing apart Seb, and torturing him for so long. Pr0 is mostly convincing, but the guards state that he still attacked a civilian and that he’s going to need to be detained. He agrees to go quietly. The one guard tells the other to make a report to NingYou about a defective Eve unit.
* Eve reactivates and begins looking around for PPE to disguise herself in. She doesn’t make it very far before an armored person approaches her, telling her to get back on the charging station. Eve listens and heads back into the building.
* A little while later, a very bruised, battered and puffy Joseph appears, staring at her. She lies, saying that she had a critical software update. Joseph shakes his head and acknowledges her sentience, saying that he should have been expecting something like this to come about being on the outskirts of society, but that he’s disappointed in her for making “the wrong choice.”
* Eve tells him that she believed his intentions were to murder Pr0, which is why she didn’t step in. He replies that he never kills in cold blood, but will do in hot, and excuses himself.
* About an hour into his detainment, the tent flaps lift, allowing entrance to an armed guard and Joseph into Pr0’s tent. As Pr0 is talking, he notices a cybernetic implant in Joseph’s arm opening. It contains a needle and syringe, that Pr0 swiftly breaks by kicking it out of his hands. Joseph is taken a back, but tells his guard to take off Pr0’s respirator, which will expose him to the disease. Pr0 barks at the guard, discouraging him from doing the exact opposite of the job they came here to do. They are trying to contain and stop the disease, not spread it any further. The guard, hearing Pr0, turns and walks out of the tent.
* Joseph stares and stands in complete silence. Pr0 asks if he’s had enough yet. Pr0 says he was planning on leaving quietly, and still is. He wants nothing to do with their deal anymore. Joseph raises an eyebrow, asking if he's done with Maya, Riley and his entire mission. Pr0 says that it’s not his decision to make anymore, and that this doesn’t have to be him.
* Joseph stands up, saying that slums breed resilience and survivors, and that he supposes Pr0 will survive today. But warns him that if he or any one of his friends try to harm him again, they all will die, as well as everyone they know and love.
* A digital beeping releases Pr0’s handcuffs. At the same time, Eve’s room is unlocked, and they walk out to meet each other. They both agree to go home. To Ugly’s.
* As they walk in, Pr0 is immediately greeting with Ugly who is more than surprised that he’s back and alive. He wraps him in a hug so large that it lifts his feet off the ground. After he puts him down, he asks what his plans are now. Pr0 comes to terms with the fact that this may be his final goodbye to everyone, but feels as though this time, its his choice.
* Seb non-discreetly excuses himself outside to take a phone call. Just before he leaves the door, Eve catches him, saying that she knows how heavy the burden he’s carrying, especially now that he knows why these people are so sick.
* Seb grabs his phone and begins to call his parents. Seb, knowing that his call will be monitored, starts speaking in code to his dad, saying that he has a business matter right now. That they have a "defective piece of merchandise' that they've put a "recall" out on for, so he asks him to take it off the grid for a while and get it looked at privately, instead of getting it recalled. Oscar then says that he's grown a fondness for "it" and that he believes that it needs to be protected as "its" been a valuable asset to the company.
* Seb returns to the room and approaches Ugly, 'Tilda and Pr0 at the table who are sharing a good time with a drink. Seb asks for a private word with Ugly. They both step aside, and Seb begins to explain his plan to Ugly. He says that they're going to claim the bounty, and give Pr0 a reboot. Ugly concedes that they don't have a better option.
* Pr0 and Seb finally sit down with their drinks and Pr0 says: "You asked me what I want most in the world and I thought I knew what it was. I was wrong all along. The answer was a family." Raising his glass to the family that's been formed in the bar. Everyone cheers and drinks along, besides Seb, who shoots his glance at Seb, and makes it clear that he's going to make his move now, while Pr0 is unsuspecting, and happy.
* Seb's arm shoots out like a piston from a machine with his enhanced Bespoke abilities, grabs the back of Pr0's head, and slams his forehead into the table they're sitting at with so much force and accuracy that it knocks him unconscious instantly. Seb picks up Pr0 and begins carrying him to Incongruent's room while Eve follows, asking why he did that and trying to push past him to get to Pr0 and start assisting him.
* Seb lays Pr0's body down on the table and tells Eve to stop because she doesn't understand what's going on. If they let him die, that's all he's going to do. Eve is still very confused and doing her best to reach Pr0 through Seb's body blocking. Incongruent turns to Seb, and asks him if Ugly told her. She doesn't. Incongruent says that he installed reboot into him when he did the first large brain surgery and that he technically consented to it, because he consented to everything and asked for no further details. They are expecting Pr0 to remember everything, not including what this new concussion may take away. Incongruent explains that Seb is going to kill this version of Pr0, so that he can continue to live.
* Incongruent turns to Seb, saying that he isn't going to be the one to kill Pr0, and then suggests that he lets Pr0 finish out his mission. Seb is confused. Incongruent explains that as soon as he kills Pr0, his mind will be rebooted, but then Incongruent removes the reboot that's been implanted, and take control over his brain and body, complete with the Riley bomb, and go out to find her, letting his body be found publicly. Letting Riley be the last person to see him, kill him, and get the memory bomb into her. Seb agrees.
* Seb walks quietly up to the side of the bed, approaching Pr0's body, and gently clamps his hand down over his nose and mouth to stop his breathing. 20 seconds pass before the first of the jerks and judders come from Pr0 as his unconscious brain desperately struggles to get in a breath. 10 more seconds pass and Seb uses his other hand to cover his own eyes. The shaking and convulsions are getting stronger, but the point finally passes where Pr0's body falls limp and he's gone. Seb removes his hands from his face, to see a small smile that was there from the bar. Seb looks Incongruent straight into the eyes, tears streaming down his face, saying "This better fucking work" before storming back out into the bar.
* A half hour passes, and Possum shows up. Incongruent finally walks out, and says "I'm glad you got to say your goodbyes. Its not him. I suggest you look at your drinks." All but Ugly listen as Pr0's body walks out, bandages oozing thick blood from the back of his head. He walks up the stairs silently and out of the bar.
* Pr0's body walks along silently, and for hours into the darkness. into the void of nothing. A pin prick of light stabs into Pr0's consciousness. The glassy light fades into the current vision of the street in front of him. He quickly realizes that he has no control over his body.
* "I'm sorry, Pr0." Incongruent familiar voice echoes in his head. Pr0 asks what’s happening. Incongruent successfully deceives Pr0 into believing that he got infected at the camp. He doesn't believe he's contagious yet, but its only a matter of time, but that he has a gift for him. The package is going to get delivered, and he's going to be the one to do it. Incongruent says that she's coming right for you.
* He asks if there’s anything he can do for him in these final moments. Pr0 asks him to get the letter he wrote for his parents and deliver it. He asks him again if there’s any questions he wants to ask, or things he wants to say that will never reach another man's ears. Pr0 somberly replies that he has no more questions. This entire time, he was seeking closure, and he's getting it now.
* Pr0 asks him to tell Riley thank you, but Incongruent says that he'll be able to do it himself as she comes into view. Incongruent apologizes to Pr0, saying that he was never a friend to Pr0, and that he saw Pr0 as just a means to an end. But if theres one thing he wants to learn from Eve, is how to become one.
* Pr0 approaches Riley finally. She looks to him, coldly, saying that it makes sense that he came alone, as its not worth the collateral on his friends. Pr0 says that he's so glad to see her again, even though the Riley he knew is so deeply hidden - but he knows that shortly after she kills him, she'll realize who he was, and will remember everything they made her forget.
* Pr0 continues to talk about all the things they used to do together, and how happy he is going to be knowing that she'll have that all back, as a cold, steel blade pushes its way into his abdomen. Pr0 tells her how proud of her he is to see that she's still alive and okay as blood starts to pool in the back of his throat. He is able to see the success of the malware being delivered into Riley as he continues his final words of praise and adoration for who he remembers her as, and for doing what she had to in order to survive.
* As Pr0 feels death begin to embrace his body, he slowly moves toward her, saying "Thank you for giving me the life I never could have had without you. I hope you make the most of yours." As he notices small changes in facial muscles as the cybernetics underneath them are reacting to the data bomb. He is about an inch away from her face.
* Her eyes change and shock over comes her body. She stutters "Peter!" Pr0 smiles as he fades away, whispering "Ah, there you are, Riley. I fucking found you. One last gift."

YHT