The device powered up as normal, or well, as she expected. The screens turned from unpowered to black, with a single line blinking in and out in the center monitor.

 

The instructions had suggested for her to put the wider monitor on the middle while the other two at the sides. There had been some mechanical devices to be connected into the monitors, apparently they would help by turning the orientation of the side monitors a needed.

 

Should she want to read or monitor information, the side monitors could turn sideways to let her read more in an easier manner, not that she expected to use the other two side monitors, really. Who even needed that many monitors?

 

Either way, the center monitor showed the eagle emblem and soon enough turned into a normal desktop with some icons here and there. There was one file with termination mp4 that had the image of Alexanders, another with the image of Sapphire and to the side of it several other icons here and there.

 

Alexandra sat thinking about what to do, on the middle of the desktop was a single file that read [Instructions.openme.png].

 

Alexandra groaned and clicked that one; it opened an image with some words that said the functions of the multiple icons within her desktop; it also said that the mp4 file meant that they were videos.

 

Weird, why couldn't they use the more normal and simple way of .mem as she used? Or was this another thing that [Humans] did differently than her?

 

She would check later what it meant the mp4 and png, for now she went to the browser image that said it would give her access to the database.

 

Apparently it didn't show as an holographic bluescreen since it had detected she was using a Saintswors endorsed device. Opening the browser she soon enough found herself in a webpage that had the same emblem (She was getting tired of seeing, they were the Saintsworths, she got the idea the first time they shoved their log on her face!).

 

"Ask, and your questions shall be answered…" Alexandra read the letters on the monitor, at the side she noticed there was another smaller note, "...no outsiders detected, releasing lock on privileged information."

 

Alexandra didn't know how they had known she was alone, till she noticed the [Camera] that Alexanders had given her seemed to be making some sounds as it adjusted the quality of its recording…

 

Narrowing her eyes she stared at the thing, and sure enough it seemed to be on…Only, there wasn't any other evidence besides her own senses. So she started writing, "How do you know I'm alone, and how are you turning on my camera?" Simple.

 

"[This device is a Saintsworths endorsed one. As such, special privileges are granted both to the device and the user. One such is full hardware control of any device within the device and isolation from hostile entities. This device is a black box; as such, any and all data collected will not be transmitted unless permitted. The use of the webcam is to help the user prevent theft. The current User shares enough resemblance with the registered user and the Saintsworts bracelet doesn't present tamper or evidence of theft that it has been deemed logical to allow the use. Query, is the user a ShapeShifter or has any Core Power similar to that?]" The device read as the words manifested across the screen.

 

She had enough resemblance? She knew that her current form was similar to Alexanders to some degree, but…no wait. Who was the designated user?

 

"Who is your designated user?" Alexandra said aloud, this time she didn't type the question.

 

“[Registered users to this device are Alexanders Saintsworths and Alexandra Saintsworths.]” The screen answered nonetheless.

 

Damnation. He had indeed said that he was his older computer…

 

"I am Alexandra Saintsworths indeed, and I am currently registered as a Shapeshifter." Alexandra said, shifting her hand to other forms, "My current backstory is that all the forms I take have different personalities and limited shared memory. These are my forms currently."

 

Alexandra said taking out her phone and going to the camera application, she might as well take this time to get it over with.

 

"Please cooperate with me, Alexa, Ale…" Alexandra said, taking a photo of herself first, "This form is called Alexandra Saintsworths, currently nineteen years old and the oldest."

 

Then, as if pulling from a lever, she activated the shift into another form.

 

"I have landed." Ale said measurely, she was going to be the responsible one…" Hmm…it doesn't quite hit as well as I imagined."

 

Ale said shaking her head, her clothes finished adjusting giving her the usual shorts and oversized hoodie she liked to wear. Turning to the computer, she waved at the Camera, "Hello, I'm Ale Saintsworths. The middle one." Ale said, waiting for an answer and getting none, "Rude."

 

And since she didn't really want to deal with this, she turned inwardly and pushed the imaginary big red button. A few seconds later, she felt the metaphysical sensation of someone jumping at her, and then her body started shifting once more.

 

"I have arrived!" Screamed Alexa as she fell back into her body, the cutestest of them all!

 

Why?

 

Because it was Alexa's body!

 

"And I demand answers!" Alexa said, pointing at the weird TV that didn't show Magmo, "Why isn't Magmo on the TV! Alexa wants to see Magmo!"

 

The weird not-Tv started writting the wiggly not wiggles thingies.

 

"Main Core! Translate!" Alexa said, walking to the old one's chair.

 

“[Host knows how to read…Anyway….]" Main Core nagged at the back and after a few seconds started reading what Alexa didn't want to bother reading, "[Detected authorized user, lodging new data. Added DID to Alexandra Saintsworths file. Updating permissions…Query, what is the main personality?]"

 

Who was the main what?

 

"Main Core? What is the not Magmo Tv saying?" Alexa said, turning to Main Core for answers.

 

"Say my name!" "No, wait, I want to use the computer too!" "Will you deal with Alexanders?" "...That is that, and this is this."

 

"[Device is asking for the one that will be responsible for most of the rights to manage the data provided by it, it is advised to grant this to Alexa-]" Main Core started saying, silly Main Core, this was easy!

 

"The important one is Alexa!" Alexa said hitting her chest with one hand while she nodded, the adults did this when they were saying important things right?

 

"Damned hell…" “Hahahahahahahahahah”

 

…Alexa didn't know why, but she was feeling as if the older and the rude one were laughing at her. Were they laughing at her? Surely not right? Why would a pair of rude and naggy ones would laugh at her? She was cute! She couldn't make mistakes.

 

“[Lodged, thank you for updating your file. Do you wish to make this private or public?]" Main Core read what the not Magmo Tv said. “[Host, please make this info private.]”

 

Did she want it to be private? But then people wouldn't know how cute she was! And that was a crime against [Humidity]!

 

"All should know that Alexa is the cutestest of them all!" Alexa proclaimed, nodding, that was the most important thing, "As for the naggy and the rude one. They may be known as the not the cutestests, they can have their silly titles as the prettiestest and bearfull or butterliest or whatever the naggy one declares herself as."

 

"BEAUTIFUL! SAY IT WITH ME ALEXA!" "Hahahahahahahahah! My stomach, my nonexistent stomach, is hurting! Hahahahahahahaha” “*Bonk*”

 

"Yeah that, the most bearfull, whatever. Anyway, so you answer questions?" Alexa said trying to poke the keyboard thingie, it had pretty lights. So maybe it was edible?

 

"DO NOT EAT THE KEYBOARD!" "...Alexa…Pretty lights aren't edible…pfft."

 

"[We are the Centralized Archive of Research Data & Information Networking for Advanced Learning Systems of Technology Access and References. Or The CARDINAL STAR System, we are indeed, among other things. Prepared to help and answer any questions from anyone that bears the Golden Eagle.]" Main Core translated the weird words the not Magmo Tv said.

 

"Why is Mister Pig a Pig?" Alexa said first, she was confused about that, "And why no one says anything about him? Isn't it weird for a Pig to wear [Humidity] clothes?"

 

“[.....There is no data about why Kendrick Hamilton is designated as a Pig within the database, there are only two other instances of anyone referring to him as such. He had most of his data within the Conglomerate changed to refer to him as Pig under the directive of Alexanders Saintsworths. There have been some attempts to do a psych evaluation on Alexanders, but he remains a fully functional(even if bothersome to other members of society) member of society. So that hasn't been addressed so far. As far as the Saintsworths Conglomerate science and genetic division, Kendrick Hamilton is a normal human from a genetic and physiologic point of view.]" The Not Magmo TV answered.

 

"And from a [Mana] point of view?" Alexa asked with a glint on her eyes, she knew that he was a Pig and no one could deny that! Just looking at him was enough to know it!

 

"...His mana does share some similarities with that of other members of the porcine family.]" The Not Magmo TV answered while sulking, how did Alexa knew it was sulking?

 

Because it had admitted that Alexa was right and she was wrong! So of course she would be sulking! Like how Main Core acted when Alexa was right! All weird not body and only weird italic letters sulked the same when they had to admit that Alexa was right!

 

"Muahahahahahah!" Alexa laughed uprighteously as she achieved her objective!

 

"....So this is how it feels to have a headache without a body, huh." "First time?"

 

Whatever!

 

"Main Core! I'm bored! Imma go and play with my things, let the other ones deal with this!" Alexa said while letting her body open for the other ones to fight over.

 

Alas, Main Core took the chance and started the change into one of the two by itself.

 

"Huh…wha-" Ale said as she was suddenly thrown at the front.

 

"What?!?!? But I am the one that was going to deal with this!" "Nu-uh, you are mean!"

 

"...How?" Ale was confused as she made sure her body was in order, how had Alexa done that?

 

"Cuz I am the important one!" “....Wonder if I can…*Bonk*Oh, I can.” "Mean! Why did you bonked Alexa?!?!?!?" "COME BACK HERE YOU BRAT!" "NOOOOOOOOO"

 

"....Maybe we are mad after all," Ale said sighing as she heard the screams at the back of her head. Then turning to the screen she sighed, "Might as well, you said that Mister Pig…I mean, Principal Pig…No wait….The Headmaster Pig….Dang it!"

 

“[It has been stated that Alexanders also has difficulties referring to Kendrick Hamilton as anything but Pig or Porcine, there was a time he used the term Bacon too.]” The monitor read as Ale struggled to come to terms with this weird phenomenon.

 

"Whatever, you said that his Mana was that of a Pig too. What is Mana?" Ale said grumbling, she didn't like the fact that she had been at the same level as Alexanders, ti felt weird to have something in common with the cheating asshole.

 

“[Mana. It is an energy first theorized to exist in the Victorian Era; there is some evidence of it being used or alluded to during the First and Second World Wars. And during the great depression. It was first studied 10 years ago when a young member of the Saintsworths managed to isolate a reaction after extracting some shavings of a Core enshrined in a memento of the Saintsworths treasury. He managed to create the first observed Mana Reaction after releasing a continuous electricity current into a dead core.]" The desktop application showed a grainy recording of a blonde kid roughly around Ale's age and build; he actually looked quite similar to her…Oh for…

 

Ale couldn't help but feel that she already knew who this was, and was ready to be annoyed at it, "What is the name of that kid?" Ale said, dreading the answer.

 

“[Alexanders Saintworths, Age 10.]” The desktop app said.

 

Yeah. Why had she expected anything else? Everything seemed to gravitate around that cheating asshole when it came to the Saintsworths. Was he tweaking the data? Or just what the hell was he?

 

"You know what, nope. I'm not dealing with this either, Alexa had the right attitude." Ale said shaking her head.

 

"Yeah! I was right! Again!" "Stop running you brat! How much mental space are you even making just to run away! It's meaningless! We don't get tired here!"

 

"Main Core, pull the lever!" Ale said as she pulled the metaphorical lever and felt her body start change.

 

She embraced the feeling of darkness as her consciousness was pulled out from her body and shoved into the void at the back.

 

The body shifted and grew as the form of Alexandra returned.

 

"No wait almost got her!" Alexandra said as she extended her arm forward, while her hand closed as if to grab something that wasn't quite there.

 

"Hah! The naggy one couldn't catch me!" "You know…she could just change back and return here…Or go to sleep and start Maintenance." "What? No! She is responsible; she will need to finish asking questions to not Magmo first! Bleeeeeh!"

 

"...fricking kids…." Alexandra said, biting her knuckles; Alexa was right, goddamned hells, the brat was right…

 

She was supposed to be the responsible one, so she couldn't just let go of this chance…

 

"Fine!" Alexandra ended saying glaring at the desktop's Camera, "If you share this with Alexanders I'm pulling out your code and feeding it to a cat."

 

"[No personal information will be shared with anyone else; this includes but is not limited to the psychological state of the owner of a bracelet. So long the person in question is the owner of one that is.]" The desktop application said.

 

"Hmph, whatever," Alexandra said making herself comfortable on the chair, then she took a few seconds to settle her mind and think about what to ask, they had access to this, so might as well make their use worth it. "What are Core Powers? Like, really, I want actual factual information."

 

That should be a good one, she had currently two theories from what people had told her, either they were [Wishes] or [Powers acquired by association.] But neither seemed enough to explain what she had seen so far.

 

“[Core Powers are the crystallization of the metaphysical abilities granted by Cores.]” Was the answer given to her by the desktop application.

 

"I will actually go and convince Sapphire or Alexanders to let me put you into a robot body whose only job is to pass the butter," Alexandra said narrowing her eyes at the Camera. "Give me an actual answer."

 

"[Cores however are more complex to explain. These grant their bearers fantastical powers, be it the power to shift into other people, to throw lightning from their fingers, to transform into beasts or even grant the ability to read other people's minds.]" The screen continued writing, "[There are no actual consensus into how a Core Power is formed, there are two registered events of people triggering a Core formation. The first the subject was hurt and damaged beyond what was survivable, the subjet triggered the core formation and made itself a new mechanical body. Its mind inhabiting the Core formed and from there he acquired several abilities, among those one being the ability to digitalize its mind and inhabit multiple bodies.]"

 

That sounded interesting, it was somewhat similar to how Alexa moved them in an out of [Core] right?

 

"[The second trigger occurred within a testing arena in a mockup fight between a test subject and a member of the Saintsworths Conglomerate. The test subject had an artificial AI Core, and the member of the Saintsworths Conglomerate developed among other things, the skill to manipulate lightning as if it was part of his body.]" The second case, however, sounded like something that Alexandra knew. “[The Saintsworths Conglomerate member offered some basic data of what he has learned and some tips to use Core Powers, but this information is only granted to those that offer other examples of Core Power use.]”

 

Why was Alexandra not surprised that the cheating asshole's name came up?

 

Of course, he would do that…

 

"Fine, whatever. Next, can a non human acquire [Core Powers]?" Alexandra said, moving on to the next one.

 

This one interested her more, since it actually could affect her, she had come to terms with being alive, and being [Human](Allegedly). But…she hadn't been that always.

 

"[There is evidence of nonhuman life acquiring Core Powers, be it because they ceased being Human or because they weren't. Anything that is alive can theoretically acquire Core Powers, so long they manage to trigger a Core. There has been some evidence of Mutant Ants developing core powers before, and there are evidence of artificial life managing to use Core Powers in the P-series test subjects.]" The answer that came was that.

 

So then…had P4 used the Core Power of the original owner of their [Core]? Or had P4 triggered a new one? What had been the [Wish] they said it triggered their [Core] formation?

 

"[To be Happy]," A mechanical voice at the back of her head said, that wasn't Main Core was it? P4?

 

"Ah, right, the gut punch." Alexandra said nodding her head, "Well, this doesn't answer very much does it?"

 

“[There are some theories lodged within the database, they require approval from their writer before they are allowed to be perused, ask authorization?]” The database prompted.

 

"Yes, please ask for access," Alexandra said sighing, at least she could compare the theories.

 

“[Asking authorization. Owner of the theories: Alexanders Saintsworths.]" The prompt said.

 

"...What is the deal with Alexanders Saintsworths?" Alexandra couldn't help but groan.