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Oh, I have a whole list of them. That's the thing about having a lot of memories involving revenge, you start to see how it was a terrible idea. From several angles.

I probably figured that out too. Epsilon remembered when it came to revenge or happiness, I chose happiness.

You did?

[ A tiny hint of curiosity. ]

I did.

...

An old friend from the Project came back. I didn't exactly have the expertise or resources to find the son of a bitch, but with her, it was more doable. I'm not sure how exactly things progressed, I only remembered around the beginning of all that.

But the Reds and Blues were getting sick of being dragged around for the revenge quest and were going to leave. She didn't agree.

And when it came between the friend who wanted the same revenge I did, or the friends who were willing to give me a chance when I didn't deserve it, I chose the latter. Why exactly, I couldn't say, it wasn't from my perspective, but it's what I did.

… Hmmm.

Your people are highly important to you. It seems like you often have more concern for them than you do for yourself.

[Shrugs.] Because I hate being alone and I get into danger a lot.

I know I can survive. So why shouldn't I focus on not being left alone?

One could argue that your willingness to come here after what I did to you suggests a flaw in your survival skills.

[ a beat ]

Not that I have any desire to kill you. Aoko is not the only reason I decided against the airlock.

There is that.

I also imagined Ai-chan would be extremely upset if you did and that's not exactly good for an AI who was starting to learn friendship and is still working to full stability.

Sometimes part of survival is knowing when you can and cannot take risks.

Ai-chan trusts my judgement.

[ Pushes herself up to sit, one hand pressed against the wound. ]

For whom are you taking this risk?

All depends how this plays out in the end. I know how I want it to.

I also know how it could. [And there's something tired in his voice.]

...there was something I wanted to ask you. After reviewing the tapes.

How do you wish for it to end?

[ She smiles, awkward and slightly lopsided. ]

Ask.

Better than how things usually end for me.

Why did you leave the ship? Where did you go? [And clarifies with the exact time from the DVD.]

Ah. I went to the snow fields near your dormitory to build some snowcreatures.

And how long were you doing that?

It was ...

Ah.

I must have lost track of time. Interesting.

Iota.

Have you ever lost track of time?

[ opens her mouth ]

[ closes it, bringing her hand up to her chin to chew on her pinkie. ]

More than that.

Barring the whole Reapers destroyed your soul debacle.

Have you ever forgot anything?

I have not forgotten anything. I went out to play in the snow, and while doing so had an idea that occupied my mind so much that I lost track of time ...

Iota.

It makes sense. Does it not.

[ ???????????????? ]

Even an artificial intelligence construct of my calibre is capable of hyper-focus to the detriment of other my processes.

[ ???????????????? ]

Playing in the snow.

If you were trying to run several things at once on your ship that were in critical condition, yeah, sure, it's a possibility.

But playing in the snow?

No, that doesn't make sense.

Hell, I don't lose track of time if I'm aware of my surroundings and my head isn't built for that.

[ It feels … strange … ]

[ A strange, unfamiliar feeling; her heart beating too hard, a tremor in her hands when they should be steady, a shortness to her breath. It makes sense. It makes sense, it makes sense, it makes sense, it has to make sense. Why is he telling her that it does not make sense? ]/small>

....

[In a strange way, this is a relief. Because she's acting like this. It means something happened. It means something wholly unexpected happened, and there is something else at work here.]

[He reaches out, taking her hands in his own.]

You've been inconsistent, Iota.

[ Is this panic? Is she panicking? No … there's no reason to panic. It's simple logic. A simple, easily understood timeline of events. She had gone out to play, she had realized that she could help the fragments, she had put the plan into action. One. Two. Three. ]

You are mistaken. [ Her gaze snaps to her hands in his, then up to his eyes. ] Everything lines up.

[ (There is maybe some panic, here.) ]

It doesn't. There's a lot of things not lining up, Iota.

[He sees the panic, but if he can get her to understand this, then he's GOING to.]

You lost track of time when you shouldn't. You've left things half done. You've neglected other things that didn't need to be neglected. You haven't been acting like yourself.

I say things you've been curious about for months and you don't ask for clarification.

And you keep doing things that sound like you're trying to ask for help without being aware of it.

Things aren't lining up, Iota. Things don't make sense, not unless something happened on that outing that's not just you playing in the snow.

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