"Lamb to the Slaughter" - Reboot.Exe - S2 Chapter 5

## Strings Attached

Jenn

"Lamb to the Slaughter" is the fith episode of the second season in Reboot.exe. It was released on 8 July 2022 and is narrated by Dave.

## Episode Synopsis

As Pr0 is continuing his development of his personal red string, he finds out where the boundaries lie in Incongruent's space. He heads out of the bar in search of Chessix. He finds him hanging around the soup kitchen, sitting on a 44 gallon drum, teaching a few slummer children basic match on the wall. Pr0 approaches him, saying that he's going to need information on the person that attacked the soup kitchen. Chessix agrees, so long as there is a reward for him, which is wanting an in with Ugly. He also states that he doesn't really want to go back to the slums, but will act as sort of a tour guide. Pr0 agrees and they exchange information and he goes to speak to Ugly for him on his behalf.

Eve and Xiang are playing video games together when Eve approaches, asking if she can ask her a question. Xiang pushes herself up a little on the bed, displaying awkward body language. Eve asks her if she's ever considered NuYou for herself. Xiang lets out a sigh of relief that Eve isn't "confessing" anything to her. Xiang says that she has never considered it, because there's no way anyone of them could afford it. After a bit of hypothetical prodding from Eve, Xiang signs that "I've never seen running away from your life to be the answer." Taking her out of their consideration as to who to give NuYou to. Eve asks if there is someone that she knows that she would give NuYou to, and she responds with Songbird, as she was just a kid, and ever got the chance to live a life before she was pulled into this life. Eve takes that into consideration before continuing her game with Xiang.

Pr0 walks up to Seb in the bar, and sits with him, asking if they can talk about what Pr0 can do to help make Seb look more presentable and who they should put up for getting NuYou. He agrees and suggests that they gather Eve and Ugly to have this conversation with as well. After a few hours, they are able to get everyone together and sit down.

Seb says to Ugly that he wants his opinion and input. He reveals that he is going to have a meeting with the Clements in the city soon. This elicits an immediate facial reaction out of Ugly. He knows that Ugly's reaction to Seb's parents would be around the same to the Clements, but he wants his input anyway. Seb begins explaining their plan of the NuYou lottery to someone in the slums and that they're looking for their poster child. Seb's keen hearing picks up on the sounds of a fist being tightened and something being squeezed. Eve looks to Ugly and with a medical check, is able to see the signs of someone about to enter fight or flight, this one being fight and a very violent fight. Eve suggests that they change the subject, but Seb insists.

The sound of shattering glass, followed by blood dripping onto the floor erupts from Ugly as he has crushed the glass in his hand. His eyes are unwavering. In his confusion, Pr0's eyes meet Ugly's, and he immediately recognizes absolute, unbridled existential terror. Ugly then stands up and walks away. Eve walks to Incongruent's workshop, and beings telling him about what just happened. He immediately puts down what he was working on and speed walks to Ugly's room, to which opening the door gets him shot. The bullet ricochets off of him. It's loud and alarming but Incongruent appears unharmed as he continues further into the room. Pr0 is able to hear what is said by Johnny. "It's me. It's okay. Ugly, calm (down.) I'm here, Michael. I'm here." Followed by the sound of painful, panic induced sobbing through Ugly's teeth. This lasts for around ten minuets, and Pr0 just rests the back of his head against the wall, hearing his previous sufferings through Ugly's cries.

Pr0 sneaks away from the door, hoping to be unheard, and says to Seb that they need to make a decision with Ugly's best intentions in mind, but can't expect his direct input from being in this state of being. Seb, Eve and Pr0 begin discussing a few other options as who to send, suggesting Songbird, one of Incongruent's body doubles, and incongruent himself. As they are discussing, they are blessed by 'Tilda's presence as she pulls a chair up, asking about Noel. They turn and ask what would she do if she had NuYou. She smiles, saying that she may want something along the lines of what Ugly has. Large muscles and a great haircut. Pr0, in an attempt to continue their private conversation, asks 'Tilda to fetch a keg from the basement. She squints at him, asking "Do I look like a fucking bartender?" Pr0 scrambles, saying that he can't get it, as he's busy looking after Seb, and Eve is looking after Pr0. 'Tilda throws her feet up on the back of a chair, leans back, and says "Well, I'm looking after 'Tilda." They eventually give in and just ask 'Tilda for her opinion in the form of a hypothetical. She suggests getting someone that will just say yes, and won't put up much of a fight. During this conversation, Pr0 sneaks out and goes to find Songbird.

Pr0 finds her outside, keeping watch with a large gun at her side. After some small talk, he asks her what she would do with NuYou. She self-consciously looks at her mismatched cybernetic legs and quietly says "just go back." Pr0 asks if that's all she would be looking for and not anything glamorous, crazy, or majestic. She says that hopes that would all come with her just going back to normal. Pr0 looks to her and reveals that there is no hypothetical to this and that this opportunity is open. She says she would absolutely take the offer, if it was legit, saying "You would have to be an idiot to not want to get out of the slums." Pr0 warns her of some of the new baggage that will come with this, the biggest being the fact that she would be property. She shrugs, visualizing her currant situation against the possibility and taking the latter. Pr0 urges her to go inside, and sit in on their meeting. She can't leave without someone to cover her shift, so he offers to take it for her so she can join.

Taking 'Tilda's advice too literally, Eve went out onto the street, and grabbed the local delivery boy from the Chinese restaurant next door and just being too anxious to say no, he walked in and agreed to be judged by 'Tilda, Eve and Seb. He was quickly let back out of the garage shortly after Songbird walked back down. Seb tells her to take a seat and explain what she was all told. She smiles, saying that Pr0 was joking about giving her NuYou. Seb says that he was telling the truth but that she needs to be incredibly careful when making this decision. That there are serious consequences that come with this, and the possibility of losing who she is entirely is there. She says she doesn't believe him. She asks if they're going to kill her. Seb suggests that getting remade into their vision is worse than death. That she runs the risk of losing her entire personality and will become someone new. Songbird asks him how he knows all of this and Seb goes on to explain that his background gives him all of the information anyone could ever need on this. She sulks and asks him why they even asked her in the first place. Seb explains that he just wants to be transparent with her.

It is then brought up that if that really is the case for the NuYou winners, that won't make for a very inspiring story and due to Seb's high position of power, there must be something he can do to ensure that Songbird remains who she is. Eve turns to her, and asks her what she wants. She replies "The fairytale .. without the part where they kill me." Seb sighs, saying that he hopes that she knows that he's only ever wanted the best for her, which is why he's warning her of these things, and that "our scars make us who we are. The pain helps us grow." She quickly replies how easy it is for him to say that, considering that he isn't stuck with any scars, being a bespoke. The tell her that they think she should spend the night thinking about the decision. She accepts and goes back up to her post, where she meets Pr0 on the way back up who tries to offer some encouraging and comforting words that this truly is her choice and that there is always the possibility of having her entire life changed for the better.

An hour and a half passes and Ugly walks out with a chipper demeaner, showing off his talents of masking. Pr0 walks up to him, saying that Seb wants to finish their conversation. Ugly jumps over the bar, grabbing something before heading over to Seb's table. Seb hears the sound of taunt rubber, a few things being set down on the table, and a lighter. Watching from a distance, Pr0 sees Ugly shoot a normally lethal amount of heroin into his veins before asking Seb what he wants. He continues by stating he wants his opinion on the matter. Ugly asks him what the reason behind this all is. What's the point. Seb sighs before telling him his truth. He explains that Amben Pharma has been sinking from a financial standpoint, and the Clements are threatening to pull their business connections away, but the lottery was Amben's best chance of making another difference. Seb continues to explain that his parents are more than likely not going to receive Reboot, leaving him with Amben when the time comes, which also leaves them with all of the resources, money and connections. He also mentions that the lottery holds the power to potentially placate the slums and will in turn, keep the city from going lethal on the slums in order to ensure their protection. Ugly says that he's going to refuse to take the moral burden off of Seb's shoulders by making the decision for him. Seb reassures that he's just asking for his opinion. Stating that if their candidate gets to keep their personality while also improving their lives, then its a win. If its anything else, then there's the problem - but Seb needs to step in where he can and ensure that that won't happen to them. Seb agrees, and Ugly then gives Seb "his blessing" to do so, and then asks him for an hour and a half to himself as the large amount of drugs he took began to take hold.

Seb does as asked and gets him up an hour and a half later. Ugly strides toward him with an under-the-influence swagger about him. He begins taking Seb to his bedroom, asking "Were you the first, or was I?" in terms of who was the first bespoke. Seb can only guess that Ugly was made a little before he was, but they were both very similar in age and made around the same time. Ugly smiles: "I know I was one of the first. I think I was the first. Which makes you my little brother!" As they make their way to Ugly's bedroom, Seb can hear a sink being turned on and filled up. There is a warm washcloth pressed against his face followed by the sound of shaving cream. Ugly gives Seb a cut-throat shave with the straight razor and then unbandages his eyes for the first time. The first thing he sees is Ugly standing behind him with a razor in hand.

Seb and Ugly have a soft conversation about putting Songbird up for the NuYou lottery, where Ugly suggests that they need to have this conversation with the others. Given Seb's refusal to previous inappropriate suggestions, Ugly picks him up, and carries him under his arm in a degrading way out to the rest of the part. Eve texts Xiang, urging her to come home as quickly as possible. Songbird sits down with them, saying that she does want this opportunity, but only if she's not going to lose who she is. Before Seb gets the opportunity to respond, Ugly grabs her hand, and ensures her that Seb is going to make sure none of that will happen to her. Seb agrees, saying that he would sooner die than let something happen to her that she wasn't comfortable with. Ugly smiles, tells her to live her fairytale, and to get her wings back.

A post credit scene insues, where Xiang rushes back to the bar and Eve points her direction to Seb, to "check him out." She looks to Eve, and signs "time to start teaching him sign." and that "He's hotter than she remembered," fullilng Eve's wish of wanting there to be a budding connection between Xiang and Seb.

-YHTris

## TL;DR

* Pr0 heads out of the bar in search of Chessix. He finds him hanging around the soup kitchen, sitting on a 44 gallon drum, teaching a few slummer children basic match on the wall.
* Pr0 approaches him, saying that he's going to need information Chessix agrees, so long as there is a reward for him, which is wanting an in with Ugly. Pr0 agrees and they exchange information and he goes to speak to Ugly for him on his behalf.
* Eve and Xiang are playing video games together when Eve approaches, asking if she can ask her a question. Eve asks her if she's ever considered NuYou for herself. Xiang says that she has never considered it, because there's no way anyone of them could afford it. After a bit of hypothetical prodding from Eve, Xiang signs that "I've never seen running away from your life to be the answer." Taking her out of their consideration as to who to give NuYou to.
* Eve asks if there is someone that she knows that she would give NuYou to, and she responds with Songbird.
* Seb says to Ugly that he wants his opinion and input. He reveals that he is going to have a meeting with the Clements in the city soon. This elicits an immediate facial reaction out of Ugly.
* Seb begins explaining their plan of the NuYou lottery to someone in the slums and that they're looking for their poster child.
* The sound of shattering glass, followed by blood dripping onto the floor erupts from Ugly as he has crushed the glass in his hand. Pr0's eyes meet Ugly's, and he immediately recognizes absolute, unbridled existential terror. Ugly then stands up and walks away.
* Eve walks to Incongruent's workshop, and beings telling him about what just happened. He immediately puts down what he was working on and speed walks to Ugly's room.
* Pr0 is able to hear what is said by Johnny. "It's me. It's okay. Ugly, calm (down.) I'm here, Michael. I'm here." Followed by the sound of painful, panic induced sobbing through Ugly's teeth. This lasts for around ten minutes, and Pr0 just rests the back of his head against the wall, hearing his previous sufferings through Ugly's cries.
* Seb, Eve and Pr0 begin discussing a few other options as who to send, suggesting Songbird, one of Incongruent's body doubles, and incongruent himself. As they are discussing, they are blessed by 'Tilda's presence. They ask what would she do if she had NuYou. She smiles, saying that she may want something along the lines of what Ugly has. Large muscles and a great haircut. During this conversation, Pr0 sneaks out and goes to find Songbird.
* After some small talk, he asks her what she would do with NuYou. She self-consciously looks at her mismatched cybernetic legs and quietly says "just go back." Pr0 looks to her and reveals that there is no hypothetical to this and that this opportunity is open. She says she would absolutely take the offer, if it was legit, saying "You would have to be an idiot to not want to get out of the slums."
* Pr0 warns her of some of the new baggage that will come with this, the biggest being the fact that she would be property. She shrugs, visualizing her current situation against the possibility and taking the latter. Pr0 urges her to go inside and sit in on their meeting.
* Seb tells Songbird to take a seat and explains that Pr0 was telling the truth but that she needs to be incredibly careful when making this decision. That there are serious consequences that come with this, and the possibility of losing who she is entirely is there. Seb suggests that getting remade into their vision is worse than death. That she runs the risk of losing her entire personality and will become someone new.
* It is then brought up that if that really is the case for the NuYou winners, that won't make for a very inspiring story and due to Seb's high position of power, there must be something he can do to ensure that Songbird remains who she is.
* An hour and a half passes and Ugly walks out with a chipper demeaner, showing off his talents of masking. Pr0 walks up to him, saying that Seb wants to finish their conversation. Ugly jumps over the bar, grabbing something before heading over to Seb's table. Seb hears the sound of taunt rubber, a few things being set down on the table, and a lighter. Watching from a distance, Pr0 sees Ugly shoot a normally lethal amount of heroin into his veins before asking Seb what he wants.
* He continues by stating he wants his opinion on the matter. Ugly asks him what the reason behind this all is. What's the point. Seb sighs before telling him his truth. He explains that Amben Pharma has been sinking from a financial standpoint, and the Clements are threatening to pull their business connections away, but the lottery was Amben's best chance of making another difference.
* He also mentions that the lottery holds the power to potentially placate the slums and will in turn, keep the city from going lethal on the slums in order to ensure their protection. Ugly says that that if their candidate gets to keep their personality while also improving their lives, then its a win. If its anything else, then there's the problem - but Seb needs to step in where he can and ensure that that won't happen to them. Seb agrees, and Ugly then gives Seb "his blessing" to do so, and then asks him for an hour and a half to himself as the large amount of drugs he took began to take hold.
* Ugly strides toward him with an under-the-influence swagger about him. He begins taking Seb to his bedroom, asking "Were you the first, or was I?" in terms of who was the first bespoke. Seb can only guess that Ugly was made a little before he was, but they were both very similar in age and made around the same time. Ugly smiles: "I know I was one of the first. I think I was the first. Which makes you my little brother!"
* Ugly gives Seb a cut-throat shave with the straight razor and then unbandages his eyes for the first time. The first thing he sees is Ugly standing behind him with a razor in hand.
* Seb and Ugly have a soft conversation about putting Songbird up for the NuYou lottery, where Ugly suggests that they need to have this conversation with the others. Songbird sits down with them, saying that she does want this opportunity, but only if she's not going to lose who she is. Before Seb gets the opportunity to respond, Ugly grabs her hand, and ensures her that Seb is going to make sure none of that will happen to her.
* A post credit scene ensues, where Xiang rushes back to the bar and Eve points her direction to Seb, to "check him out." She looks to Eve, and signs "time to start teaching him sign." and that "He's hotter than she remembered," fulling Eve's wish of wanting there to be a budding connection between Xiang and Seb.

-YHT