'Flawed Copy.'
'Good morning, Erica.'

Erica forced her eyes open with a gasp as the sound of Jessica's cheerful voice echoed in her mind. A familiar trio of black orbs drifted into the corner of her blurry vision, and a flash of green light erupted from within their depths.

"Ugh. Good morning, Jessica. What time is it... it's seven already. I didn't realize how tired I was. Hey, how do you... I mean, how does Miss Planner always have so much energy? Did she modify her brain to need less sleep or something?"

'Flawed Copy.'
'I'm afraid not. I simply have more enthusiasm for my work than most people do.'

"Oh... that's a little disappointing."

'Flawed Copy.'
'The enhancements I made to my blood vessels and endocrine system do help a lot, but I'm still human, you know? I can't get away with staying up all night like my puppets can. So I maintain a pretty strict routine to make sure I'm always at my best and most productive. Wake up at six, eat a protein bar, smoke, walk to the Tower, stay there for twelve hours, come home, take a shower, go straight to bed. Simple, right?'

"Yaaaawn. Yep, that's simple, alright."

'Flawed Copy.'
'But just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy, does it? It takes a lot of self control to follow a rigid schedule like that every single day. Even I have trouble with it sometimes, especially when I'm in the middle of something exciting and I don't want to stop. It really sucks being an overachiever sometimes...'

The fragment of Miss Planner's soul inside Erica's head wasn't shy about expressing herself. Actually, she was a bit of a chatterbox. Not that Erica minded. She kind of liked having a personal Jessica rambling away in the back of her mind morning, noon, and night. It made her anxiety a little less overwhelming, if no less persistent.

'...my routine really does help me stay motivated, though. I could help you put one together if you're interested.'

"I'd be willing to give it a try, if you think it'll help... my sleep schedule's pretty messed up right now, so... if you don't mind... I think now would probably be a good time to start..."

'Flawed Copy.'
'I don't mind at all! How about we set aside some time tonight after dinner to discuss the details?'

"Yeah, I appreciate it... thanks for offering."

'Flawed Copy.'
'Of course! I think you'll be surprised how powerful a structured daily routine can be. There's magic in consistency!'

The three orbs disappeared with an ominous green flicker before Erica could even begin to respond, submerging themselves back inside the depths of her subconscious mind. She anticipated that they would remain there until Jessica finished devising a schedule for her or until she got bored, whichever came first. Either way, she was in for a quiet morning.

If the old 'Flawed Copy' was something similar to a macabre mind-controlling parasite, a malevolent force that took control of Erica's body whenever it felt like it without any regard for her feelings, dignity, or mental well-being, Jessica was more akin to a loving and considerate older sister. A mature older sister who never took advantage of her position of power or overstepped her boundaries in any way, a clever older sister who gave her advice and helped her solve difficult problems, the kind of sister everyone wanted to have. She was a little annoying sometimes, sure, and they had the occasional disagreement, misunderstanding, or minor quarrel in a heated moment of passion that left them both feeling slightly uncomfortable afterwards, but that was it. Even at her very worst, Jessica never forced Erica to do anything against her will, nor did she ever lie to her or try to manipulate her. That was more than Erica could ever say for the real Miss Planner, who was so used to manipulating people that she probably didn't even realize she was doing it anymore.

Miss Planner just couldn't help herself when it came to Garth and his little squad of sociopaths. She tried her very hardest to convince Erica that hiring them was a good idea even though Erica gave her a very firm 'no' each and every time she asked. It was like she couldn't even contemplate the possibility of losing an argument and not getting her way. It was so frustrating and painful to watch. She was a spoiled brat with delusions of grandeur, far more similar to the clueless, childlike Elders than she would ever admit.

"She's so annoying..."

Erica rolled over onto her side and looked out the window at the cloudy purple sky. The sunlight seemed to be trying its best to break through, and it cast faint, shifting beams across her bedroom.

"Ugh... my head hurts..."

Erica was tired. Working straight through the weekend just because Miss Planner was doing it was... clearly a mistake.

"Jessica, you there? Can you hear me?"

'Flawed Copy.'
'How can I help you, Erica?'

The voice of the girl who was so much more mature than the real Miss Planner suddenly popped into her mind, along with the sight of three spinning black balls that glowed an eerie shade of green.

"I'm thinking about calling in sick. What... what do you think? I just feel so stressed out and tired..."

'Flawed Copy.'
'If you want my honest perspective, I'd have to suggest against it. The things that are stressing you out aren't going to magically disappear just because you take a mental health day. You'd be better off if you went in and faced your issues head on instead of running away from them.'

"I guess that makes sense, but..."

'Flawed Copy.'
'In the end, it's up to you. I'll be here to support you either way. But you know what they say: no pain, no gain.'

"Ugh, fine. I think I'm going to be a little late getting in, but... well, thanks, Jessica."

'Flawed Copy.'
'You can do this, Erica! I know work's not easy right now, but I'm proud of you for hanging in there!'

The three orbs spun inside her mind for several seconds before finally vanishing again. Erica took a deep breath, and crawled out of bed.

It was time to get to work.