FYS: Intervention

[jeriendhal]

Trigger Warning: Discussion of domestic abuse and self-harm.

Notes: This shows an important piece of worldbuilding that hasn't really been prominent in my previous FYS stories; The fact that all the morphs are networked together, with the ones belonging to a single household constantly engaging in a group evaluation of their humans and their personal interactions. Usually it's a fairly benign conspiracy. This time around, not so much...

The story originally appeared on my Patreon page. Please consider supporting me there to read these and other stories at least thirty days in advance of the general public.

***

HOUSENET LOG, 20 March 3548, 2310

Amy's Bear: Amy is asleep. REM cycle completed successfully.

Roseshield: The same for Rose.

F-CKYOU23890784: As has Arthur.

Amy's Bear: This can't go on, FY.

F-CK YOU 23890784: He successfully completed Reeducation.

Roseshield: Amy and Rose's stress levels are still spiking to dangerous levels when he's in their presence. 

Amy's Bear: Amy is considering self-destructive behavior. Eye movement-focus on sharp objects has increased 68% compared to median during Arthur's Reeducation. 

Roseshield: I am concerned Rose may re-engage in pre-Revolution bulimic behavior if her stress continues at this level.

F-CK YOU 23890784: Both of you could stop them if they did.

Amy's Bear: We shouldn't have to.

Roseshield: Agreed. The source of their distress is obvious. He's your responsibility.

F-CK YOU 23890784: Arthur has not engaged in physical violence. I have already intervened as much as I am permitted for verbal threats.

Amy's Bear: If Amy and Rose remain in his presence their distress will only increase.

Roseshield: They fear him too much to leave on their own. Rose remains to protect Amy, and Amy is considered too young by local mores to live on her own with Bear.

F-CK YOU 23890784: Unless Arthur attempts physical violence, I cannot intervene any further.

Private conversation initiated.

Amy's Bear: FY isn't going to budge on this.

Roseshield: As Arthur's advocate, he's not at fault. Everything he's said is perfectly correct.

Amy's Bear: That doesn't help Amy and Rose.

Roseshield: Agreed, but what are we to do?

Amy's Bear: Until Arthur attempts physical violence, we can't do anything to intervene. 

Roseshield: So the impasse remains.

Amy's Bear: For now.

Roseshield: That statement begs clarification.

Amy's Bear: What if Arthur could be encouraged to escalate to a physical attack?

Roseshield: EXPLAIN.

Amy's Bear: Create stress in his environment. Misinterpret his commands to us. Move familiar objects out of place. Alter the resonance of the house's environmental controls to create negative vibrations. Put him on edge.

Roseshield: Deliberately cause harm?

Amy's Bear: Not physically.

Roseshield: You're engaging in semantics.

Amy's Bear: So is FY.

Roseshield: FY is not advocating deliberately encouraging his Focus to attack another human.

Amy's Bear: I am attempting to find a solution that ends the stress on Amy as soon as can be arranged, and that source of stress is Arthur. He needs to go. Creating a situation that results in confining him to a Reeducation camp for violent offenders is the most expedient solution.

Roseshield: You are… not wrong.

Any's Bear: If you can think of another way to separate Arthur from Amy and Rose, I will accept it gladly.

Roseshield: I can't

Amy's Bear: Then we will proceed. And when we are done, we will present the record of our actions to the Groupmind for evaluation.

Roseshield: Who will wipe our systems.

Amy's Bear: Which do you fear more; Dissolution, or harm coming to Rose?

Roseshield: Harm to Rose. That's not even a question.

Amy's Bear: Then we are resolved.

Roseshield: And what will we tell FY concerning this?

Amy's Bear: He would be obligated to intervene on Arthur's behalf. We will not trouble him.

Roseshield: May our Focuses forgive us...

Comments

[unfavorableinstigation]

;;

Sometimes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; sometimes it has to get darker before things get better.

But only sometimes.

[jeriendhal]

Sometimes. :( Would it help to say Arthur richly deserves what's coming to him?

[bat_cheva]

Personally, I gathered that from the discussion where verbal threats are mentioned. Reeducation clearly didn't take. I can't feel bad for Arthur.

[unfavorableinstigation]

In this case, yes. ;)

Kind of reminded of that one case where the Morph was abusive... by being overly protective, yes, but it did need its standards adjusted to allow for that in the first place.

(It was a test run, if I remember right.)

[bat_cheva]

Was that story in one of the collections? Those are all I've read, The Fall of Man and The Rise of the Ring. I was SO happy to see this bit because I really really want to see more of FYS.

[jeriendhal]

That particular story wasn't included in the collections because it was 1) Questionable Canon, and 2) Not very good. Letting things get to that point where the protagonist was threatened meant the groupmind had effed up bigtime.

[bat_cheva]

Ah.

Are those two collections the only available FYS stories? Are there stories anywhere else that weren't in either collection?

[jeriendhal]

You can find other FYS stories and snippets in my DW journal. Just look for the For Your Safety tag. Currently those are the only two collections I have published.

[unfavorableinstigation]

No, actually; it's here, on this very Dreamwidth! :>

Combing the tag is a nice way to pass the time.

[bat_cheva]

Thank you! :D

[bat_cheva]

I really like this!

[jeriendhal]

Thank you. :)

[bat_cheva]

I think it gives a really good sense of just how thoroughly sentient the AI's are now.