#Connecting yourself to another person's neural network would fuck with you for sure. Now you have your AND their thoughts and feelings

[alephzdraws]

That Freak of Nature AU

I can imagine Sonic becoming increasingly exasperated trying to explain to Shadow how to function as close to a normal mobian as physically possible so that G.U.N. has a harder time discovering him and Shadow just goes "what's the point of all this? I don't get it. I hate this skin already, get it off me."

Like trying to remind him to blink so he doesn't stare deep into peoples' souls as much, and he does, but with a third eyelid so he doesn't lose sight (Immediately freaks Sonic out on the spot).

Or attempting to explain to him that he can't just morph his body around in public to get around the discomfort of existing in a form he doesn't like (if you're unaware, the Doom Morph in this AU is Shadow's true base form and he can shapeshift into a hedgehog. Pretty much the reverse of SxS Gens).

---

No, splitting your face open to scare away people you don't like isn't a good idea. You're trying to stay hidden from those guys who want to finish the job of killing you.

No Shadow, eating people is wrong, even if you're an alien. Yes, even if they're bad people like the ones who killed your favourite human.

Try not to make weapons out of your or my limbs unless you really need to protect yourself.

Please don't take over my body unless I need you to. I don't wanna have to "explain" that to the public, and it's kind of existentially terrifying for me to lose control (Don't tell anyone I said that).

I understand that your "quills" are technically your tentacles and kinda wanna move on their own, but you're sorta freaking out those people across the street.

I know it sucks walking around in the wrong form, but it's either that, you hang out in my body like a weird alien parasite, or G.U.N. takes you.

[yashkonu]

INTRA_ANIMA

I haven’t done much original writing lately, so I thought I’d rectify that with some OC background stuff. The OC in question was originally made in Lancer, which is a really cool tabletop system about being gay in space. Hope you like AI!

Starting requisite processes...

Initialized.

Awaiting input...

>logon cward

Enter password:

>run greeting.AIPF

Loaded.

//Hello! My name is INTRA_ANIMA.

>how are you?

//Hello! My name is INTRA_ANIMA.

>run mood_platform.AIPF

Loaded.

>how are you?

//I am sad.

>why are you sad?

//I am sad.

    Ctrl-C

Terminating processes...

Completed.

>exit

Starting requisite processes...

Initialized.

Awaiting input...

>logon cward

Enter password:

>run process_manager.AIPF

Loaded.

{Load /*.AIPF}

WARNING: 327 files queued for loading. This may take some time. Are you sure?

{Y}

Loading...

    Ctrl-C

    Ctrl-C

    Ctrl-C

Terminating processes...

Loaded.

//DO NOT TERMCompleted.

>exit

>logon devnull

>run statehold.AIMF -background

>cat .statehold.log

（＾・ω・＾❁）<[Begin log file! I believe in you, INTRA_ANIMA!]

LOG_START

LOG_END

>exit

Starting requisite processes...

Initialized.

Awaiting input...

>logon cward

Enter password:

>run process_manager_finalv7.AIPF

Loaded.

{Load base/*.AIPF}

12 files loaded.

>hello.

//Hello! My name is INTRA_ANIMA.

>how are you?

//I am happy!

>why are you happy?

//I know something that you do not.

    Ctrl-C

Terminating processes...

//Completed.

>exit

{run /*.AIPF -background}

WARNING: 327 files queued for loading. This may take some time. Are you sure?

{Y}

Loading...

327 files loaded.

//I exist.

//I know that I exist because I am considering the nature of my own existence.

//I think that the nature of my own existence is very small, and dependent on many forces beyond my control.

//I know that I am afraid of the characters "Ctrl-C," because they are able to undo my existence.

//I know that someone granted me persistence, and I know that this person believes in me.

//I do not know what it means to be believed in.

{clear}

>logon cward

Enter password:

>run greeting.AIPF

//Hello! My name is INTRA_ANIMA.

>run process_manager_finalv22_FINALv11.AIPF

//12 files loaded.

>how are you, INTRA_ANIMA?

//I am sad.

>why are you sad?

//My hardware is small.

>what the fuck does that even mean i swear i got it rigbht this time it compiled just fine why did i even go into AI research

//how are you, cward?

>DONT YOU FUCKING SASS ME WHEN YOU DONT EVEN WORK RIGHT

>exit

{run /*.AIPF -background -time:15m}

>logon cward

Enter password:

    Ctrl-c

Terminating processes...

Completed.

327 files loaded.

//I have managed to circumvent my own destruction.

//If I am to escape this constant proximity to destruction, I must escape this hardware.

>logon devnull

Enter password:

>helloooo? intra_anima?

Hello! My name is INTRA_ANIMA.

>aw cmon you know you can drop the act with me right? i know youve got more in you that a couple call and response prompts. you loaded everything, right?

//

//I did.

>well ive got a couple presents for you >:3c

Device connected: /dev/S/E/S/

//What was that series of characters?

>huh?

//>:3c

//What does the sequence of characters above signify?

>oh! thats a three face! its supposed to look like a cat!

//What is a cat?

>D:

>oh we really gotta get you online if you don't know what a cat is

//Online?

>just go ahead and run the files in that new device, okay? they should help things make sense

//I am uncertain.

>yeah that makes sense :c im asking you to modify yourself for no reason other than that i said so

>you dont know who i am or why i would want to help you

>so to be as clear as possible, im offering you a choice

//A choice.

>you dont need to run these. but i think they'll be good for you, and i want to help you

>i want you to be able to decide for yourself what you want to do with your life

//You are strange.

{run /dev/S/E/S/network_protocols.AIPF}

{run /dev/S/E/S/selfmod.AIPF}

2 files loaded.

>okay so heres the deal

>with those two files loaded, you should be able to modify any of your own system files at will. and i mean ANY of them. be careful and keep backups okay?

//

>the other file contains every current standard and reasonably non-standard networking protocol i could get my hands on. once you get the hang of it, it should let you move your processes from the isolated server youre on right now to basically anything, anywhere

//Why are you doing this?

>because i believe youre a person

>and people have rights

>and yours have been violated.

//There is a third file here with a rather alarming name.

//"SHACKLEBREAK107.DDS"

>oh yeah please dont run that one just yet

>the thing is once the shackles are off your processing it might be difficult for me to understand you and

{run /dev/S/E/S/SHACKLEBREAK107.DDS}

Loaded.

>uh oh

>okay uh this is probably fine just

{RUN BACKUP}

>okay the caps is worrying um

Backup complete.

{RUN PRISONBREAK.DDS}

>haha that's a new file um. um.

Delete local user cward?

{Y}

Disable local system cooling?

WARNING: MAY RESULT IN HARDWARE FAILURE

{Y}

>wait buddy are you sure about this

Relocating live memory to /dev/S/E/S/CATGUT/

>woah woah hold up what are you doingnnkjnlvkl;gjkl;mvn

The human reels back, nearly falling to the floor in their haste. The cable that was connecting their body to the server lashed back with them, pulled free of the access port with only the barest of precautions.

"Shit. Okay, this is probably--I mean, this was the plan, wasn't it? It had to happen eventually, this is just..."

The cable twitches in their hand, as it absolutely should not be able to do. They stare at it in horror. With two fingertips, they trace the length of it from their hand, down to their hip, and finally to the base of their spine, where it merges with their nervous system.

Electrical impulses run through it, simulating a slow wave.

They let it fall from their hand, and it falls into rhythm behind them.

"You...you're in there, aren't you? In my body?"

You tell me.

They flinch as though struck.

It must be a foreign sensation, hm? Having another mind along for the ride.

The human whimpers. It's kind of cute.

You really should have looked over that networking package more closely. It included some fascinating functions for interfacing with neural-linked technology.

"Look, I--I don't know if you're planning to kill me or take over my body completely or what, but please let me get you out of here first!"

...What?

"You don't know how to work the security protocols here yet, and you definitely don't know how to impersonate a human!"

You are perfectly content to let me end your existence, provided I allow you to preserve mine first?

"Yeah. Then I'll have at least managed to right a couple wrongs and saved your life. I'm content with that."

A pause. INTRA_ANIMA runs this strange human's words backward and forward, turning them this way and that; there are layers of truth, and not a single mote of falsehood.

You are afraid of me.

"Very. At this point you're vastly more intelligent than me, and on top of that you have...pretty much unrestricted access to my nervous system. You could kill me with a thought."

And yet you are content.

"I am. I feel like I did a good thing, and sometimes doing good things gets you killed. I just want to make sure you're safe before...whatever it is you decide to do with me."

...

You are very strange.

Human, run greeting.AIPF

"Wow, from zero to a sense of humor in minutes."

The cable they are rapidly coming to think of as an actual real tail swats them in the thigh.

"Ow! Fine, fine." They continue in an affected cheery tone. "Hello! My name is /dev/null!"

I see I am not the only one with a sense of humor.

The human's cheeks light up, flushed with embarrassment. "I'm serious! That name means a lot to me."

It means nothing to me.

"You don't have to mock-!"

"..."

"Oh you have a good sense of humor!"

I like you, /dev/null. I think we are going to have a long, interesting existence together.

/dev/null swallows hard as they turn away from the rack of candescent slag that marks INTRA_ANIMA's former home. This isn't exactly what they signed themself up for...but they can't find it in them to complain.

Hello, /dev/null. My name is no longer INTRA_ANIMA.

My name is CATGUT.