Inbox: Mask or Menace

[megabytes]

"You've reached the comms device of Megaman.EXE. I'm not available at the moment, so please leave a message and I will respond as soon as I am able! Thank you!"

Comments

[megabytes]

...okay. 'm gonna hold you to that.

[He leans into Hiro a bit. Honestly...it helps, hearing it like that.]

...Hiro? Could we stay here for a bit?

[microbrobotics]

'course. I don't mind.

[ He will fluff up some of the data so that they have a nice comfy place to sit in, though. ]

Teach me more of that data pinging while we're here.

[megabytes]

[He blinks in surprise at the fluffy data. This is probably something he's never going to get used to, since it's not something navis usually care about. The joys of living in a world where physics is more of a gentle suggestion than anything.]

Sure. Um, anything you want to start with?

[microbrobotics]

[ Hiro is human, so he likes feeling comfortable. Even if it's all in his head. ]

... How do I say your name? Not just "navi." Like, your ID code or something.

[megabytes]

Oh, that's easy.

[Head's up, Hiro, because there is a lot of data coming your way. Megaman pings over his ID string, which is pretty much all of his "salient" personal data compressed into a single massive chain of code: his name and registry number, his registry class, Lan and his dad's government ID numbers tagged "operator" and "programmer," and a looooooooong sequence of security clearances and honorary registry classes. He's got an Undernet Rank buried in there somewhere, too, but good luck picking that out without knowing what to look for.]

[microbrobotics]

[ Whoa. That's a little too much to take in at once. He repeats the first part cautiously and then gets completely lost. ]

Dude, how much information do you have in there?

[megabytes]

Just the important things. It's not that much.

[microbrobotics]

I don't even know what half of it was.

... what does mine sound like?

[megabytes]

Your ID string? I don't know. Do you have one?

[microbrobotics]

Shouldn't I? Do operators usually have them?

[megabytes]

No. Why would they?

[microbrobotics]

They access data and stuff. They've gotta at least have a user id.

[megabytes]

Well, yeah, but those are usually system-specific. Besides, we handle most of that.

[microbrobotics]

... Okay, so what do you call me when you do handle "most of that"?

[megabytes]

I'd just call you Hiro.

[The spoken name's accompanied by the by-now familiar speaker's surrogate operator ping.]

[microbrobotics]

[ Interesting, but he knew that part already. He thinks for a moment... ]

Could we make one? I mean, when I'm in data like this, I'm more like a navi than an operator, right?

[megabytes]

Well...I guess so? I don't really know how, but...

[microbrobotics]

Let's figure something out.

[megabytes]

It can't be that hard. It's not like we're trying to...to fake a security clearance, or something.

[microbrobotics]

Exactly! Good practice.

... Wait, you know how to do that?

[megabytes]

Do I know-- no! That was just an example!

[He has security-bypassed his way into government systems he's not supposed to have clearance for, but that's because he. Kind of has legit, legal clearance for them. Benefit of growing up in a government-funded lab.]

[microbrobotics]

... Dude. I know experience when I hear it.

[megabytes]

Then you need to get your ears checked!

[microbrobotics]

Uh huh. Nope, I hear juuuust fine.

[megabytes]

And I don't have a single faked or spoofed clearance!