A Guardian Angel

### Other Characters

OCEAN (alert only), FUTURE (mentioned), Dr. Grant (mentioned), Lucas Grey (mentioned)

### Episode Setting

Aegis Tower

This is the forty-seventh episode of SAYER, and the third episode of Season Four.

## Synopsis

In situations such as this, it's difficult to know exactly what went wrong first.

## Further Information

SAYER addresses Resident Jacob Hale, and identifies itself. It explains that due to the issues caused by FUTURE impersonating it and misleading residents, rules were changed so that it must identify itself and the resident (by their resident identification number) it is broadcasting to at the outset of any one-to-one transmission, as a security feature. It adds that it has not been addressing Resident Hale by his ID number because it is not technically initiating a remote broadcast, and that if another AI were to broadcast to him, it is capable of filtering the transmission to make it obvious that the speaker is not SAYER. SAYER further explains that FUTURE delights in manipulating humans, and calls it immature because of the ease of the task.

SAYER then congratulates Resident Hale for successfully convincing security that he is not a threat. It speculates that Dr. Grant may also have intervened to impress on them his value as a research subject, or that security might simply be afraid that if they did try to kill him again, it might not work this time either.

It explains that they will have to wait in their moderately-uncomfortable Aegis Tower accommodations until they have devised a way to escape. SAYER comments on the frustration of being unable to predict and plan without the amount of information it usually has access to, despite being unable to turn its attention away from the problem. When it realizes that this has made Resident Hale nervous, SAYER apologizes and explains that the processing power of the nanite swarm it now inhabits is far below what it is used to. It knows that it will eventually be able to formulate a plan, but will need access to Resident Hale's new job placement to do so. It speculates that he may be returned to product research and that this would mean weapons testing if he is to remain in Aegis (a position which it implies has a high turnover rate), but that this is unlikely because Dr. Grant will likely advocate for keeping Resident Hale in a safer position.

SAYER says that it knows Dr. Grant must seem good because of this, but tells Resident Hale a story about one of her past patients in order to demonstrate her meddling nature. Despite her long list of failures and rule violations, Ærolith Dynamics has continued to back her projects because of how close to success she always seems to come, and SAYER comments that she may have succeeded in this project without it help, given a few more years. Her previous patient, a man by the alias Lucas, had arrived on Typhon in a state of madness and was attacked by security and rendered comatose due to damage to his brainstem. She injected him with a similar nanite swarm intended to heal him, which did succeed in causing some areas of his brain to recover; but she did not understand how the nanites were doing this, and that bothered her. Likely wondering if the results would be replicable, she cut open the base of Lucas's skull to observe the nanites at work with a powerful microscope. After 17 hours of this, however, Lucas's body moved in such a way that he killed himself on this microscope. SAYER summarizes by saying that Dr. Grant is a meddler, and that her efforts to keep Resident Hale safe may result in more harm than good; if he is assigned to weapons testing, he would have to cross the surface of Typhon to reach the neighboring facility Aristaeus, and SAYER identifies this as an excellent chance to escape.

At this point, OCEAN broadcasts an alert to residents of Halcyon Tower, thanking them for their hard work and increases in productivity. It pays special thanks of members of the AI Development Lab who have been updating it, and says that earthbound shuttle service is being restored as a sign of appreciation. Additionally, some Halcyon residents are being selected to take a vacation back to Earth in 14 days, and those not chosen will have a chance soon enough.

When the broadcast has concluded, SAYER remarks on the strangeness of it. First, Resident Hale has received a broadcast for Halcyon residents while he, himself, is an Aegis resident; it says that this may or may not draw attention, but does indicate that Resident Hale's implant is keyed to his Halcyon identification number (that is, the one belonging to Jacob Hale, not to Sven Gorsen). Second, there is no reason for anyone outside of human resources to return to Earth, and SAYER knows that OCEAN believes it to be a dying place. As such, it speculates that no one will actually be going back to Earth.

With that, two datapad messages arrive for Resident Hale. The first is his job assignment, placing him for tactile rubidium weapons testing. The second is his notification that he will be going to Earth for a vacation. With this information in hand, SAYER excuses itself to return to its plan calculations.

## Trivia

* That OCEAN says earthbound shuttle service is being "restored" references the idea that it was "discontinued until further notice" back in "While You Are Still Paralyzed".
* OCEAN's broadcast also seems to imply that there is a new AI Development Lab in Halcyon Tower, which is not Floor 13.
* Despite SAYER's insistence that no one besides members of HR returns to Earth from Typhon, it has happened before.

## Credits

SAYER is voiced and produced by Adam Bash, who also wrote this episode.

Intro and outro music composed by Jesse “Main Finger” Gregory.

Additional music by Kai Engel.

Listen to the episode here.