"The Price we Pay" - Reboot.exe - S1 Chapter 9.

## The Price We Pay

Jenn

"The Price we Pay" is the ninth chapter of season 1 of Reboot.exe. It was released on 20 February 2021 and is narrated by Dave.

## Synopsis

After a night of fitful and pained sleep, Jeeves the robot knocks on the door, and begins apologizing for his actions last night - explaining that he was simply ordered to keep Oscar's privacy and quiet while he slept. Meeting Oscar at the table, he gives Seb the power to unlock the door. He eventually chooses to, and Nyla comes storming up to the table, asking how he had figured out she was lying. Seb states that it was because the name the drone gave was one he didn't recognize. Seb then asks why she did what she did.

Nyla goes on to explain that she was simply doing it to protect him, and their family. She then brings up a boy that Seb used to hang out with when they were younger, named Luca that had to move schools due to his parents implementing recording devices in his body, so that they could infiltrate the Allen household and record every conversation that happened while they were playing. Another story about a girl named Isabella who took an interest in Seb at age 16. She was a 20 year old corporate spy. This is further padding to her proof that she isn't trusting of Pr0.

She then goes on to reveal Pr0's identity, as Peter Jenkins. She announces that he was kidnaped from America at a young age, and that his parents are still out there. Seb asks to hear no more. Nyla figures that Seb is using Pr0 to find Maya. She states that "I can see the connection between the two of them," going on to further describe Pr0 as "A people smuggling international crime syndicate member." Seb chooses to get up and leave as does Pr0.

A house bot stops Pr0 at the elevator with with a small briefcase in his hand. He asks Pr0 if he is interested in the contents of it in return for a quick question with Oscar. Pr0 blatantly refuses without even seeing what is inside. Eve stops, and says that she will accept what is in there on behalf of Pr0. The house bot opens the case to reveal 10 completely full vials of fusion. Pr0 still refuses, and they all enter the elevator and begin descending. While in the elevator, a message from Oscar pops up for Seb, reading "The funds have been transferred this morning. I wish you the best. Please, please stay safe. Make good choices son. Love dad"

They continue out into the city, Eve requesting to go to the nearest 7-11 to get Pr0 a burrito and some milk for the slummer baby that she wants to return to. She grabs a few other essentials before offering to head out to the alley.

Upon returning to the place where they met the lady before, Eve finds a shape in a bedsheet that is lying on the ground. Eve places her hand on the woman. Her internal temperature is 12 degrees, with no heartbeat, and no breathing. Upon lifting the bed sheet, looking for the baby, Eve can confirm that this was the mother they had come across before, but there was no sign of the baby. Upon asking strangers around the area, a woman confirms that someone did eventually take the baby. Eve gives her the bag of groceries in return for her help. As they begin walking away - they hear a thud and see a large spray of blood coming from this woman's head, as she is instantly killed upon being attacked for the groceries. Three other slummers begin to fight amongst themselves for the bag and its contents. Eve returns into the fight, and manages to pull a few of the items back for herself.

After rejoining Pr0 and Seb, she begins to explain that "I feel as if I'm a little broken. Not all there, sometimes" to which Pr0 responds with "Sometimes the ways that we're broken are the reason that we're even capable of doing something we're meant to. Maybe its the broken ones that help each other."

They discuss and recognize people at Ugly's would be able to preform such an upgrade, and head to the garage. Ugly is impressed that they all made it back from the city in one piece. He states that Johnny would be the one to take care of Eve. Ugly asks about their adventures into the city - which Pr0 quickly gives a nondescript throwaway answer, and states that he's keen to move on.

Incongruent then takes Eve, Pr0 and Seb to a workshop in an adjacent corridor, asking them to hand over everything they had gathered to upgrade Eve with. Incongruent formally introduces himself as John Samson, a former employee of Trioc Robotics - which was a lie, as he was manufactured by Trioc Robotics instead.

Incongruent asks Pr0 and Seb to step out of the room, as Eve will be completely exposed and vulnerable, and not active. Seb immediately leaves, while Pr0 fights the idea, feeling over protective of Eve and wanting to be by her side. He eventually just asks her what she wants. Eve says "it is not necessary, but appreciated." Pr0 takes this as cue to step out and wait for the procedure to be over with.

Incongruent, after locking the door, reassures Eve that he will never hurt her, and that she can trust him more than anyone else she's ever talked to, as he is the only one she knows who is in the exact same situation. Eve lets him begin the procedure, which takes an hour.

She wakes up, with perfect understanding of how be both a diner operative, as well as a chaperone and bouncer. Incongruent wakes her up, and gives her some information about the new things that were added, and the guidelines they come with. He reassures her that she can add and subtract different data packs, but will never ne able to replace what makes Eve, Eve.

Eve then begins to tell Incongruent about the progressing AI, and the other conversations that were held at Seb's parents house. Incongruent then asks Eve if she remembers Noel. Noel was the robot NuYou used as a test subject for their product. He was rumored to have turned into a human. They discuss if that is the right path for Eve, but she isn't certain in her path yet. He expresses his desire to hijack NuYou with the want to upload sentient drones into new bodies.

Pr0, after waiting in anxiety as he has grown incredibly attached to her as a parental figure, asks Eve for a joke, to confirm she didn't lose her personality during the procedure. She responds with a good joke, and then begins making a cocktail to showcase her new talents.

There is a loud clanking coming rushing down the stairs. They look to hear Songbird with tears streaming down her face, covered in blood, screeching for Ugly, screaming that "Amir's dead!"

-YHTris

## TL;DR

* Jeeves wakes up Pr0 and Seb, apologizing for his actions last night. He brings them both to the main rom, where Oscar is holding the tablet. He claims that he's locked Nyla in the drone room last night, and gives Seb the choice to let her out.
* Once he does, she bursts upstairs, justifying why she did what she did due to previous people who acquainted themselves with Seb to get information about his family off of them.
* Nyla exposes Pr0's identity as Peter Jenkins, and explains that he was a previous human trafficker. They all leave, without accepting the apology 10 full vials of fusion.
* Eve goes to the nearby 7-11 in the slums to pick up some groceries for the slummer baby she wanted to return to. She instead finds the corpse of the mother, and the confirmation that the baby was taken. Eve hands off the groceries to another slummer woman, who is in return killed upon impact from others to get the groceries.
* The group heads to Ugly's Motors to update Ugly, and see if there is someone there who could preform Eve's upgrades. Incongruent agrees to do the procedure - introducing himself as John Samson, a former employee of the robotics company who developed him.
* Incongruent ushers Seb and Pr0 out of the room so Eve can have her privacy. He reassures her that he will not hurt her, and that he is the only one that truly understands her.
* After an hour, Eve emerges with a joke and begins displaying her new talents by mixing drinks behind the bar.
* Loud clanging footsteps coming down the stairs reveal a blood covered, tear soaked Songbird screaming "Ugly!! Amir is dead!!"

-YHT