Turn 66

--- Maya ---

Finding herself yet again unable to sleep due to recent revelations involving her resident Deadwoman -as well as the fact that said revelations went directly against what she little she knew about Deadmen- she decided that it was something of a priority to figure out whether or not people realized “Deadmen don’t have to fucking eat people!”

(Yes, that is something of a startling revelation.) Her inner logic admitted. (Also you’re lucky Izzy has a sleepover tonight, or you would’ve just woken her up.)

“That’s not what I mean.” She told herself with a roll of her eyes before going on to explain that, “Everyone knows Deadmen eat people and yet Elizabeth is proof that they don’t actually have to eat people!”

(So, uh, why do they?) Her inner passion asked insightfully.

“That’s um…” She deflated a bit as she blinked. “That’s actually a really good question. Uh, give me a second…”

Pulling up a search tab on her computer she entered the question ‘Why do Deadmen have to eat people?’ figuring that that was a standard enough question for anyone who was pro-Deviant or found the usual shoot ‘em dead approach distasteful.

Surprisingly there were actually several science papers published about the topic, ones that she assumed hadn’t appeared in her previous searches due to her prioritizing what Deadmen were capable of and how best to deal with them in a fight. (Which may’ve been jumping the gun a bit…)

(I’m sure Elizabeth is more of an exception than a rule.) Her inner logic admitted. (Eventually we’ll come across an evil Deadman and be glad we researched how to deal with the problem.)

(Until then ghost waifu!)

Deciding to ignore the other voice in her head, she instead started going through the science papers. From which she learned that the Ectoplasm that comprised most Deadman actually existed in a miniscule and inactive state in the atmosphere due to rifts to the Deadlands and with different locations possessing different amounts of the substance based on rift frequency. Now the reason that Deadmen ate each other was due to the fact that their existence was constantly draining the energy that filled said Ectoplasm, and they had large quantities of active Ectoplasm inside of them at all times. By contrast the reason they ate non-Deadmen was because Ectoplasm was reactive to the emotional energy humans passively generated thanks to Madness.

What this meant was that as people moved around, thought, and felt they would slowly gather Ectoplasm to themselves and make it active, with the unique physic twisting properties of Ectoplasm allowing it to store within a human body without actively affecting the nearby mass or biology.

“Meaning if a Deadman gets desperate they can chomp on a few powerless humans instead of an active Deviant.” She translated grimly.

(Additionally if humans gather Ectoplasm due to emotion, then that would explain why most Deadmen are so gruesome with their attacks as well.) Her inner reason also pieced together. (More fear and pain, means more Ectoplasm in their meals.)

“Yeah, that’s… a thing.” She admitted with a grimace towards the implications.

(While this is all interesting in that morbid we’re not going to sleep tonight kind of way, it doesn’t really answer our original question.) Her inner passion reminded them.

“You’re uh, right…” She frowned, before searching Deadmen and animals.

The searches that popped up were… insightful in the completely horrific manner she was coming to associate with the majority of her Deadmen research.

“So… animals can become Deadmen… Good to know…”

(I believe the proper term is Deadbeast.)

She glanced at the video name for the news report on a zombie tiger forming in a zoo and the ensuing chaos as it attacked its fellow zoo animals before eventually turning its attention onto the nearby people as it realized it was something other than meat it was craving, and whatever that something was was inside of the people running away from it.

“So it is.”

(I also believe that none of the previous links said anything about Deadmen eating animals.) Her inner logic pointed out, causing her to go back a page and see-

“You’re right.” She frowned, before adjusting her search a bit more. “Okay, given how that dog is green and the size of a car I’m going to guess it’s a Deadbeast. Meaning there isn’t anything about Deadmen eating animals…”

(Which is suspicious…)

(You act like you weren’t expecting the government to cover up the fact that not all of the cannibal ghost-zombies have to eat people.) Her inner madness scoffed.

“I mean we don’t know that it’s the- And I’ve already realized how stupid that sounds.” She admitted with a grimace. “Of course the government is covering up the fact that Deadmen have alternatives to eating people, but why?”

(Fewer complaints when they go straight for the kill on the ones that are murderous cannibals? Because if you protect one of them you’ve got to protect them all.)

“That’s… plausible…” (As much as I don’t like it…)

(Or less cynically, if just as saddening, by pushing the idea that they’re all monsters it forces people to be cautious should a loved one become a Deadman.) Her inner reason countered. (After all if you let your guard down around them and then they have a… ‘hunger episode’ that would end in an even worse tragedy for everyone.)

(Well, that’s several kinds of fucked up…) Her inner passion metaphorically winced.

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.” She agreed.

---

After a number of even more horrifying revelations, as well as just as many hours to realize, (no I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight,) she decided to pull out her laptop and instead get to work on finishing the program she’d started the day prior.

(Does it truly count as the day prior if we haven’t been to sleep yet?)

(Yes.)

(So be it.)

It was towards the end of this endeavor that she found herself coming to something of a roadblock that her whispers weren’t willing to just take over and solve for her. Which is why she turned to the other voices in her head and asked them, “How long do you two think we should have the COMP maintain a temporary cache for?”

(Well, there are two easy ways we can set up the data cache.) Her inner reason told her. (The first is to simply set a timer and have the cache clear out if an entry is so old. The second is to set the COMP to retain a specific number of entries, and then delete the oldest.)

“Yeah, but both of those have a high chance of deleting something we shouldn’t.” She felt the need to point out. “Especially since we can’t keep either of those numbers very high and the fact that we’ll probably be using our Scan() a lot if we start getting into more fights.”

(True… As an alternative how about we-)

(Let’s just do them both.) Her inner madness cut in impatiently.

“And by doing them both you mean?”

(Set a cache priority, and delete the worthless junk sooner.)

“That’s… That’s why we were going to set up a database.” She reminded herself. “You had that idea just yesterday.”

(See that just proves I’m where all of our brain’s creativity is being sent.) Her inner passion scoffed. (And what I meant is, set the program to prioritize certain things and delete the stuff we don’t need when we need space or when a set timer goes off based on the data’s priority!)

“And that runs the risk of us storing too many things if we have an active month, which is the problem we’re trying to sidestep?”

(Ah, I believe what our other self is saying is to apply the database idea on a smaller scale in addition to the larger one we have planned.) Her inner logic reasoned out. (Meaning she wants to have the cache self regulate the twenty or so scan slots we can spare, based on whatever priority system we set up.)

(Exactly!)

She considered it for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, that could work.”

---

“Alright, let’s get down to business.” Melvin clapped in greeting, apparently thinking nothing of the fact that he found her looking half dead in his workshop.

(Because knows sleep is for the weak.) Her inner madness informed her.

“So yesterday you mentioned how you were trying to get good enough with your metalworking to help you actually build tools, right?”

“Er, yeah.” She nodded. “The ones I’ve got right now, let me mess about with metal but it’s real sloppy and I end up wasting a lot of metal whenever I use them.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely a problem.” Melvin agreed, before setting a bunch of common tools and several pieces of scrap metal on the table. “Which is why I’m going to show you how to make a decent set of tools with budget supplies. And then you’re going to take a set home with you.”

“Wait, you don’t have to-”

“Maya,” The older M.A.D. cut her off. “Part of my job here at the club is helping out younger M.A.D.s with whatever problems they’re having. If your problem is that you need better tools, then it’s my job to help you get better tools.”

“That’s…” She shook her head. “I already told you I can make my own tools, I just… I just need to figure a couple of things out first.” She tried to explain.

“Mm, hmm.” Melvin nodded with an unimpressed look. “And I’m guessing like all prideful M.A.D.s you want to figure it out on your own with nothing but you and your powers.”

(Don’t forget about us!)

“More or less.” She admitted, feeling a little embarrassed about her reasoning, or lack thereof, for refusing his help.

“Well then, you can watch me make a set of tools and then figure out how to do the same for yourself.” The older M.A.D. told her.

“What but-”

“It’s no different than what you’ve been doing so far.” Melvin reminded her.

She frowned before eventually sighing. “Fine… I’ll watch you make a set of tools and then make my own.”

“That’s fine.” The older M.A.D. conceded. “And honestly it’s probably best that you make them yourself anyway.”

“Uh, why?” She blinked.

“Oh, since you haven’t been using your club supplies and have only been helping us out around the club, some of the organizers for this place have been wondering if you should be demoted to minion.”

(Demoted to what now?!)