Sometimes, despite the CRC's best efforts, you have to be cruel to be kind. In this case, a person has been abusing themself and all therapies and medications are not helping much. So, instead, a non-sentient construct is made of the person so the person is forced to see, and hear, the pain inflicted as if to another person, and realize what it is they are doing, and find out WHY this is happening. -- Anon Guest
Humans are very strange. This is an agreed truth. Most species have biological or sociological reasons for doing what they do. Each Human comes pre-packaged with their own illogic and it can take a lot of effort to unriddle the gordian knot of what-ifs and becauses.
In the case of Deregger Rescues, it's even more difficult.
Human Zo was the quiet sort, but they were also self-destructive. Not taking care what she collided with and initiating verbal abuse against herself before anyone else could speak. She would work herself to exhaustion and drink herself into oblivion. It was becoming abundantly clear that none of the crew's appeals could reach her.
Extreme measures were necessary, simply because Zo could not see what she was doing to herself in a mirror.
When it comes to extreme measures, always trust the B'Nari to have several options up their sleeves. The CRC wouldn't let them do Brain Mods, and the next-best alternative was a Past You Simulacrum, or Pysim for short.
The crew of the Hartleby gathered together all the raw footage of Zo's arrival, and contributed a copy of a 2D image print that Zo carried with her everywhere. From that, and a gene sample, the B'Nari could make a childlike version of Zo, and program it to mimic everything Zo did to herself in real time. It even had some of Zo's personality.
When you can't see yourself properly in a mirror, what is needed is another face.
Zotu arrived with Zo's bruises, and yellowing skin from over-indulgence in alcohol, as well as the heavy shadows under her eyes from sleep deprivation. She was clean, but that was clearly not enough that she needed to be. The crew of the Hartleby had gone the extra mile and dressed her in the same jumpsuit that Zo wore everywhere.
Just to rub it in.
Technically speaking, Zotu was an Augment. An assistant AI designed to help fill out the missing pieces for Zo and help her live a better life. Zo instantly saw a baby and scooped her up.
"What did they do to you?"
"What did you do to you?" said Zotu in a breathy whisper. Just like Zo herself had used when she first came aboard. "I'm just like you."
When Zo attempted to feed Zotu, the Pysim would attempt to feed Zo. When Zo ate, Zotu did the same. Zotu would not sleep without Zo's company, and instantly 'woke' if Zo attempted to creep away.
It was messy and frustrating and exasperating to watch working, but it did work. Zo was kinder to her child self than she was to her self. Yet when it was mirrored with what she did to herself, she could see it. At last.
It took months, but Zo finally realised that the person she most needed to care for was herself.
That didn't stop her needing Zotu, or wanting to protect her.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / Sylverarts]
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