Mpsetup

Mpsetup (also written as MPsetup or MP-setup and sometimes pronounced Mnb software setup or MPsachro software setup) is a highly adaptive anomaly. It is praised universally for being versatile, easy to wield, and mostly harmless.

## Overview

Mpsetup exist in an intangible, untraceable state by default. It does not impact the environment in any visible ways, even down to the atomic level. Its obscure nature means few if any caliber 3 or 4 beings can sense its presence. More powerful beings using higher senses may be able to sense mpsetup, but are unable to explain or make analogies to what it is other than describe it as "foglike" or "a blue". Conversely, it is unable to affect other beings in this state. In short, raw mpsetup will only be found if one actively looks for it, and sometimes not even then.

Despite this obscurity, caliber 4 beings and above can learn to *channel* mpsetup into an object, even if they have a poor to nonexistant grasp of what mpsetup conceptually is. Channeling is usually done in spaces with high concentrations of raw mpsetup, and such locations are only declared as such because the channeling rituals work, as opposed to don't.

## Rituals

An mpsetup ritual (or "installation") aims to funnel raw mpsetup into an insentient object or machine. More powerful beings may complete the process through sheer willpower, but most require a ritual to be set up and followed through. This is often done through the use of a NOON square.

NOON squares are created by drawing or otherwise manifesting a flat square on the ground. A single X is put inside the box, splitting it into four sections and denoting a clear center. On each side of the box (facing inward) one must write the words "NO" (only the english word will work. No other negative affirmations in other languages cause the effect). If done correctly, an outsider should see "NO" on most ends, but anything inside the box should see "ON" on all ends. This is hypothesized to lure in and trap the mpsetup. NOON squares can be created with only two words, but work half as fast and half as often.

From there, any insentient object or machine placed on the cross of the X for longer than 5 minutes will install mpsetup.

## Usage on electronics

Mpsetup is most effective on interactable electronic devices, serving as an all-purpose software or even a perpetual source of power for smaller, less demanding devices. Many computer users claim mpsetup is easy, intuitive, and user friendly; seemingly adapted to fit their personal requirements. Applications launched with mpsetup almost always function as intended, and being a historically baggage-free software makes it popular among the woke crowd. Mpsetup can even fix bugs in existing applications, overriding the problematic sections with itself.

Some see mpsetup as nothing short of a technological panacea. Others see it as a slow, inevitable degradation of our own ingenuity. Still others praise mpsetup for its quick solutions, but recognizes the risk of entrusting fixes to an unknown, intangible source. Regardless, a popular, pithy solution among many cultures is simply "Install mpsetup!"

But only for electronics.

## Usage with non-electronics

Mpsetup has often been tested on non-electric objects, with varied and not entirely helpful results. While personification is always a danger in the field of anomalous study, Peter Pigeonhole analogizes mpsetup to a helpful and specialized being. He states that mpsetup is "very knowledgeable on filling in virtual bridges and optimizing digital systems, but gets confused by simple, homogenous objects, where code can't fill it in on what to do." To put it another way, these non-electronic devices confuse mpsetup, making it unsure how to adapt or react to stimuli and leaving it to devise its own solutions.

In this state mpsetup expresses something resembling cognition as it appears to react and take cues from its environment. While these are rarely dangerous and often quite amusing, serious incidents can occur. Below is a list of mpsetup events concerning non-electronic materials. Be advised these occurrences are not necessarily replicable in the same object type and the behavior of a single object can change over time, evidence of mpsetup's adaptive capacity.

**"Overzealous" Toiler Paper**- The roll did not react to installation, prompting those present to believe the ritual had failed. Upon being unraveled slightly, the roll shuddered and spun itself wildly to unravel all remaining paper. It returned to dormancy afterward and did not reactivate.

**"Eager" Table**- After a day of installation, the table would rise and fall to meet the chest level of anyone standing nearby. This was accompanied by an appropriate addition and subtraction of mass. If multiple people were present, it would average out their heights or bend slightly. It would easily adjust to anyone sitting, and seemed to choose an optimal height for those involved. When a first-time user dropped an item under the table and bent down to retrieve it, the table slanted one end and touched the ground, spilling its contents. A shout from the user quickly made it readjust and slant in the opposite direction, then hold very still.

**"Faithful" Lamp**- The lamp turned itself on immediately after installation and remained on despite separation from a power source or attempts to turn it off. It was eventually taken home by an energy-conscious user. The user stated it would not respond to voice commands, physical contact, or even prolonged absence, but would dim to manageable levels at night, and so never made itself problematic. The Lamp remained on for over 30 years until the death of its user, at which it burnt out.

**"Confused" Couches**- Two separate instances of couch mpsetup installation are recorded. In one instance, the couch would expand or contract depending on the number of people in a particular radius, increasing in mass and weight as it did so. It was eventually abandoned for inflicting structural damage to a user's apartment building and in one instance almost crushing someone against a wall. The other couch showed no discernible changes until one day the user noted it had moved 2 inches closer to their TV after 3 months. After discovering this, the couch ceased its movements and moved back into position over several days.

**"Playful" Playground Set**- Reacted almost directly after installation, twisting and moving various parts of itself in a flowing motion, though no wear-and-tear was observed. When used, the set would undulate faster in a wave pattern. Its first and only fatality occurred during the first use of the slide, when a sudden shout and flurry of motion drove the set upwards into the sky on teetering metal legs. The set returned to the ground slowly within the hour, but the person falling from cloud cover was not as lucky.

**"Rogue" Nail Clippers**- The nail clippers did not react to installation and were taken home by a user to further test the object. The user stated the clippers would click themselves occasionally, and felt unsafe with the idea of clipping their own nails with the device. The user opted to use a pipe cleaner, but the object seemed too tough to cut without squeezing. Over a period of clips the user stated the process became easier and easier as the clip became sharper and sharper. Eventually it wrenched itself from the user's hands and began slicing apart the pipe cleaner of its own volition. The user repeated this process with similar results on other objects, noting they cut the material less and less times before the clipper would activate and "finish the job." The clippers were eventually handed to NAPD authorities on the belief they had the potential to be a dangerous class α3anomaly.

**"Adaptive" Calendar**- The calendar did not react after installation or for several weeks afterward until it was written on with yellow highlighter. The pigment duplicated itself and spread through the pages of the calender until everything was saturated in a bright yellow sheen. Writing on its surface with other colors duplicated this effect, overlaying hues until the surface became a reflective black and it was impossible to see underneath.

**"Contagious" Window**- The glass panel did not react during installation, but exhibited behavior soon after becoming a window in a user's house. The window would remain entirely opaque unless it was looked at for several seconds at a time, in which it would become transparent until looked away from. This harmless behavior did not bother the user, and the window stayed for many years. On the fourth year, the user noted that another window in the house was exhibiting the same behavior, and one year after that, a third window exhibited the symptoms. Analysis of these objects revealed all three were running mpsetup: one of the only documented cases of the software spreading on its own. The NAPD warns that this could make mpsetup a potential class α4 anomaly, and have taken measures should it ever reliably spread enough to become uncontrollable.

**The Corpse**- In a moment of grisly experimentation, mpsetup was installed on a human corpse soon after death. The arms, legs, and fingers moved consistently though there was no cohesion to their actions. They eventually stopped within the hour, and did not resume for the duration of the corpse's lifespan. The corpse did not rot or degrade for several years before being exposed to a small lighter flame and burning to a crisp instantly.

Mpsetup cannot be installed on a sentient organism.

## Current status

Despite its rough edges, mpsetup sees wide use by those who want a working alternative or simply a quick, entertaining anomaly with minimal risk. Its easy accessibility means many can learn how to invoke it, and there are few limits in what it can be invoked on.

## Trivia

* mpsetup was the result of a misspelling that took a life of its own. It was eventually coagulated with "mnb" and variations on the word salad "mnb mpsachro software update setup software"
* mpsetup cannot constitute as a "brain" for a robot, even with the necessary elements to support a brain. It can however bridge the gap between an existing electronic AI and a robot body's input/output features.
* mpsetup will not install in a sentient lifeform, but can install in a section of that lifeform that is dead and unrecognized by the body's cells. This is not recommended.