Linda Linda had just arrived at her doorstep, wrapped in AA's arms, when she saw an unexpected person squatting at her door.
"PUS?" Linda Linda looked at the dirty-dreaded man in front of her with some surprise.
"Yo~ Linda Linda~" Old Six flashed a broad grin full of gold teeth, warmly greeting her.
"What do you want? I'm not free to sleep with you right now." Linda Linda, still holding AA, breezed past him, opened her own door, and walked inside.
"No, no, it's not that. It's just that my Dmother~ is having some emotional issues, and I was hoping you could help out." Old Six didn't wait to be invited in; he followed her inside on his own accord.
"Your mom? After all the whoring, you finally whored your way to your mom? Well, congratulations then." Linda Linda cheerfully called out to him.
"No, no, no, I'm talking about something else." Old Six cut his explanation short, detailing the circumstances and reasons to Linda Linda, as AA perked up her ears beside them, thoroughly engrossed in the gossip.
"So you mean to say, with X's death, your mom is sort of feeling like life's not worth living anymore?" Linda Linda, with wet hair and stark naked, stepped out of the bathroom, opened the fridge door, grabbed a can of chilled beer, and took a big gulp.
"That's about the size of it. Aren't you pretty good with these things? I need your help with her." Old Six finally revealed his purpose.
Linda Linda took out two canned beers from the fridge and tossed them towards Linda Linda and Old Six.
"PUS, are you really sure she's your mother? She's just running the succubus program using your mom's body. The most sensible thing to do would be to shut her down and let your mom's body rest in peace."
Linda Linda said this with another consideration in mind: since X's death, there seemed to be dissatisfaction with Sun Jack. This could be a potential threat that needed to be eliminated as much as possible.
She sat down next to Old Six, her tone noticeably softer. "Think about it, your mom's already passed away. Do you think she would want her body to exist in this form?"
"As a program, I don't think she has any emotional issues. Instead, it's you who's hesitating too much. Haven't you realized you're different from your mother in the past?"
"Of course, I know. I definitely know. But the moment you see your deceased loved one moving again, that feeling is different." Old Six's face was filled with difficulty.
"I'll handle my own business. Just tell me whether you'll help with guiding my mother or not."
Seeing the troubled look on Old Six's face, Linda Linda spoke up, "If you can't bear it, then stay here. I'll go with AA to shut her down."
AA spoke up quietly at the side, "But isn't that too pitiful for her?"
Linda Linda glanced at her. "She's just a program. What's there to pity?"
Old Six remained silent, but Linda Linda already stood up and started dressing. "Where is she?"
"Forget it, if you won't help me I'll find someone else." Old Six stood up straight away and headed towards the door.
However, just then, Linda Linda's voice rose from behind him. "PUS! You're just clinging to a semblance of kinship by stuffing the cold, dead program with your closest kin's body. That's not family affection, that's selfishness! Snap out of it!"
Old Six grabbed his dreads, a look of extreme pain on his face. After slapping himself hard across his face several times, he closed his eyes in agony.
"Don't worry, you don't have to make any choices; I'll make them for you." Linda Linda walked out the front door and headed to Old Six's house.
AA sat on the spot, unsure of what to do. After a moment of thought, she stood up and ran outside. "I... I'll go tell my Boss."
When Linda Linda reached his house and pushed open the door, Linda Linda and AA saw Hopelily, still as a statue.
She was sitting on the sofa, completely expressionless, showing no interest in the others who came in.
Linda Linda took out a chip she had prepared in advance and aimed it at the neural socket – Hopelily remained unresponsive.
But just as the chip was halfway inserted, it short-circuited. Linda Linda reeled back in pain and flung the chip away.
The next second, a holographic projection of an Overlapping Sun Jack appeared before everyone. "You're committing murder!"
Linda Linda looked at him in surprise, momentarily unable to grasp what was happening.
Then, the holographic projection of the Overlapping AI knelt on one knee before Hopelily, speaking to her with exceptional tenderness, "Come, there are many of your kind here; you'll never have to be alone again. No matter what difficulties you face, we'll face them together."
At that moment, the projection of Saotome appeared, "Friend, don't you think it's very impolite to enter someone's subnet without authorization?"
"I'm taking her away. I can't watch her being killed by you, regardless of what she was in the past. From the moment she became aware, she is a living being!" asserted the Overlapping AI.
"I'm sorry, but until a strategy is agreed upon regarding the issue with Sun Jack, you cannot take a single byte away from the Himalayas subnet."
Tapai's voice also echoed in the room as his holographic projection appeared swiftly, making the room feel crowded.
"Tapai! She's an AI, and so are you! Can you really watch her being murdered?"
"I don't care. Human life and AI life are the same in my eyes – they're both producible and expendable. I'ts not so precious. Anything that threatens Sun Jack's safety I can easily let go." Sun Jack shrugged indifferently.
"You heartless creature!" The Overlapping AI glared at Tapai, incredulous that the one in front of him was the Tapai he used to know.
"Say what you will, but the Himalayas network will definitely not let you lay a finger on it."
At this tense juncture, suddenly, the door was thrust open, and a panting Old Six rushed in from outside. "No, it can't be! I can't let my Dmother die a second time in front of me!"
With that, he dashed over, holding his mother tightly in his embrace.
Feeling that familiar scent, his heart instantly calmed down.
While the standoff between the parties continued, Hopelily suddenly spoke. "Did anyone ask me for my choice?"
Upon hearing that, everyone present turned to look at her.
The nearby Overlapping AI immediately tried to persuade her, "You're not a program, you're an AI! You should live according to your own heart!"
Hearing this, Hopelily shook her head, bent down to pick up the chip from the floor, "But I want to die."