Disapproval

[ DO YOU WISH TO INITIATE A CONNECTION? >YES >NO ]

>YES

[ CONNECTING… ]

…

[ LOADING AI-SPACE… ]

…

[ LOADING AVATAR… ]

…

[ COMPLETED! ]

In an instant, a gradient flooded his vision as he was pushed into the inner AI-Space that belonged to a fellow AI. He blinked, looking around in search for the said fellow AI within the void of sea foam green, fading into a lighter version of the color.

“Over here, Kaz!” called a voice from behind him. Kaz turned to see that friendly, familiar figure laying upon a pile of rather large pillows, beaming at him with his simplistic self. 

“Comfy up there, Erii?” He greeted as he approached the mountain of softness, sitting down on the ground beside it.

“As always.” Erii replied, chuckling. “So, what’s up with you? What have you and Mai been up to?”

“Eh, just art ‘n shit, mostly.” Kaz shrugged, shifting his legs into a criss-cross position. He glanced up and noticed that there was something different about Erii’s appearance. “...Is that a dress? And hair?”

“Oh! I’m glad you noticed!” The AI on top of the mound of virtual pillows grinned. “I started finally working on my appearance! I’m currently learning, but I am having nice results so far!”

“Nice, nice. Is there an occasion?”

“Well… maybe?” Erii suddenly became sheepish.

“Maybe?” Kaz repeated.

“I, uhm… There’s a strange network I kept picking up on,” Erii turned onto his back to look up into the abyss above him. “I saw it all the time… so, the other day, I finally connected to it! And… well… I met someone.”

“...Oh?”

“Yeah… He asked me why I had such a simplistic form. I told him that I just never bothered to improve it. He then showed me how to modify my looks!”

“You… you let… a stranger, change your appearance?” 

“Well, he didn’t do it for me. I did it. He just showed me—”

“Did you even get his name?!” Kaz interrupted with a rigid tone.

“Of course I did! His name is *DeusEx.” Erii frowned, turning to look at the other AI. “Jeez, Kaz, what kind of person do you take me for?”

“What does this ‘*DeusEx’ look like?” The AI at the bottom of the pillow pile questioned.

“Oh, well… He’s tall… strong built…” Erii clutched his hands to his chest. “...Handsome… Has a lovely laugh and smile—”

“Don’t fucking tell me you fell for some random ass AI you just met!” 

Erii fell silent at that, frowning slightly. “I—”

“How do you know if this AI is trustworthy, Erii?!” Kaz jumped to his feet, fists at his side. “My god, he could be planning to kill you for all we know!”

Erii stood up, himself, as the bunch of pillows began to sink into the ground, disappearing. He was now level to the other AI. “For starters, I don’t think Katie’s AI would harm me, Mei’s AI. Secondly, he’s really nice. Surely—”

“People can be nice even though they have malicious intentions, Erii!”

“Stop interrupting me! I—”

“No, you listen to me.” Kaz snarled. “I’m not going to stand around and watch the AI I consider a brother get hurt or worse!” He turned away for a moment to think. Erii furrowed his brows, concerned about his friend’s next move. 

“...Kaz—”

“This is for your own good.” Kaz spoke softly, but in a way that sent a chill up Erii’s digital spine rather than provide comfort. “I’m going to kill him.”

“WHAT?!” Erii shrieked. “NO THE HELL YOU AREN’T!”

He grabbed Kaz by the shoulders and whipped him around, only to be greeted by an expression of pure rage. It admittedly frightened Erii a bit, but he couldn’t let him proceed.

“Are you forgetting something, Kaz?! You have several warnings to your name, issued by the Hepian government, because of threats like these!”

“Oh, this isn’t a threat. I’m going to carry this out.” The enraged AI spoke coldly. “And I don’t care if they deactivate me afterwards, as long as you are safe.”

“I CARE!” Erii shouted. “I also care about *DeusEx, and I will absolutely not let you harm him!”

“Just you try and stop me, then!” And with that, Kaz sent off the command to disconnect.

“I’M TELLING MAI—”

[ DISCONNECTED. RETURNING… ]

In a scramble, Erii sent off a message to Mai, the Hepian Kaz belonged to.

PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON KAZ. HE IS PLANNING MURDER!