Newt

[nosediving]

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[nosediving]

[Here's Shang Qinghua, clicking away the stress of the symbolic nightmare on the computer. What is he doing? Should Newt approach, the answer will become clear: solitaire. He's playing solitaire to numb his mind. It's therapeutic(?).]

[arockstar]

You know, I didn't think to check if these computers had games.

[Hi Shang Qinghua did you want company too bad Newt is sitting down next to you.]

[nosediving]

[This time, he doesn't get scared! What a miracle. He turns his head in Newt's direction.]

Would you like to play? All computers should have this game.

[arockstar]

I'm good.

[He's not a big solitaire guy.]

Didn't expect to find you in here, though. Where I come from, solitaire is a game people play when they're bored and don't have anything better to do.

[nosediving]

While I'm away from An Ding Peak, my days aren't as busy as they used to be.

[He glances at the screen. Help, Newt. This is so monotonous after a while. Teach him how to open the pinball game.]

A kind participant showed me how to launch this game. There's nothing that can be done until the trial tomorrow, so I opened it to occupy myself . . .

[arockstar]

I suppose you're not wrong. I'm not a fan of downtime, either.

[Especially when people are dead and there's stuff to be done but he has to wait...]

Still, I didn't expect you to choose this as a time-waster. You don't have computers and stuff where you're from, do you?

[He's guessing no, but he's been wrong before.]

[nosediving]

[He shakes his head.]

Everything in this room, as well as the kitchen, is new to me. In my world, we draw water from the source and light our own fire for food. Messages are dispatched through messengers. We have something akin to videos, but that's all.

Judging from your words, all of this must be common where you're from.

[arockstar]

Yikes. Well, you seem to be adjusting pretty well.

[All of that sounds frankly awful to Newt.]

What we've got in my world is a bit different, but yeah, it's more or less on par with what's here. Some stuff I've never seen before, some stuff is outdated by my world's standards.

[He shrugs.]

We haven't nailed any true AI systems yet, but the robotics is about the same.

[nosediving]

[I'm new to technology, said Shang Qinghua. AI systems and robotics, said Newt. What? asked Shang Qinghua.]

I don't completely understand, but your world sounds incredible. An innovative place like that should definitely be kept safe.

[arockstar]

[Newton has never been good at dialing back his muchness, sorry bud.]

Oh, right, uh... So like, robots like the ones we have here? There's two components to them, sort of. There's their physical build, which is pretty self explanatory, and then there's the mechanical equivalent of their brain. My world has tech that could build stuff that looks like Ava or Connor or Luna, but they wouldn't be capable of AI—that's artificial intelligence. That make sense?

[nosediving]

[There's a long pause before he nods.]

Your explanation is quite clear. I think I understand.

This sort of technology is something far beyond the imagination of the people in my world. Those who came up with the idea in the worlds beyond are possessed of truly brilliant minds.

[arockstar]

Heh, well, thanks. Your world will probably get there eventually. It took humankind a long, long time to advance as far as we have.

[Though maybe it depends on your definition of "long".]

Once the age of technology starts, though, things move pretty quickly. Computers like the ones here were only invented about a hundred years ago where I come from.

[nosediving]

[What was invented a hundred years ago in his world? Probably something that nobody cares about.]

I wonder . . . if I will still be there when that age starts. I can't imagine it beginning within the next few hundred years.

Week 4 - Saturday

[nosediving]

[Shang Qinghua was among those who'd stayed quiet during the confession. When he comes upon Newt in the parlor, his expression is one of polite neutrality and a hint of wonder as he lingers by the doorway.]

I wasn't expecting to find you here.

[arockstar]

[Newt is playing a song. What a catchy tune!!

But he looks up when Shang Qinghua enters, and the song abruptly changes.]

Why not? It's been a long time since I've gotten to play.

[nosediving]

[The shift is so sudden that his heart seems to skip a beat. Taking this as an invitation, however, he wanders in and closer, smiling wryly.]

It can't have been that long ago that you played for Great Patience.

[arockstar]

I meant before this. Before I came here. It's like they put the piano here just for me.

[And Nonon, but he likes to think he's special.]

I'm sorry, you know. You're a good guy. I hope you're on the winning team.

[nosediving]

[Whatever helps Newt sleep at night—]

Why me? If you want to apologize, there are more suitable alternatives. You haven't wronged me at all.

[arockstar]

[He frowns.]

I lied to you. I've been lying to everyone, not to mention I killed three people. Shang, come on. Don't be this forgiving.

[nosediving]

Has anyone in this temple ever not told a lie?

[As he poses this question, he takes a seat near the piano with a stern face.]

To take the life of another, of course, is a grievous sin. That is not something that can be forgiven so easily. I would say that my only question to you is why, but I think I know the answer.

[They're here to win. His next words are his invitation for Newt to say more as he folds his hands on his lap.]

Still, it isn't good to assume.

[arockstar]

[There's a heavy sigh.]

I didn't want to kill Ai. Ruin... I couldn't have her coming after me once I defected. She was never going to win.

[He stops playing briefly to take his glasses off. He sets them on the piano.]

I don't actually need these things anymore. I don't know why I bothered wearing them all this time.

[nosediving]

[His gaze falls on the glasses. Maybe they helped with the facade—something physical to serve as a reminder and a way to distinguish between the real and constructed personalities. Or, maybe, there's another reason.]

What happened with the young miss?

[arockstar]

Someone asked me to kill her, and I didn't have much choice. I found her in the dance studio practicing... She was tiny, you know? I didn't know her very well, and I thought that'd make it easier, but.

[He shrugs. It didn't.]

I threw her against the mirror to knock her out, and then I threw her in the pool to drown. She was out cold as soon as she hit the mirror. Didn't feel much.

[nosediving]

[He frowns. There's a lot of concerning statements to parse from this answer.]

What about the glass shard in her head?

[arockstar]

...That happened when she hit the mirror. It wasn't intentional, but it was convenient.

[He pauses.]

In that it's likely why she didn't wake up. It happened too quickly for her to feel much as a result.