Chapter Text
Seven Red Suns realised the stupidity of their actions far too late. When Pebbles stopped contacting them, at first they weren't concerned. It was not uncommon for him to get fixated on a new piece of information, often forgetting to keep in contact with others. It was something they needed to get Pebbles to work on, but not a particularly alarming behaviour. Pebbles was full of oddities, with most of them being rather off putting. They had been slowly chipping away at them, and Pebbles had already become a little better. He was far from a lost cause, it seemed.
But then Pebbles had refrained from contacting them for far longer than normal, not even reading the messages they had marked as important. And when they sent an overseer to check his can, his water usage was far higher than normal, almost to a dangerous degree. Further searching found remains of his experiments in the garbage wastes. It was undeniable that Pebbles was attempting to use the method. They felt sick.
When they gave him the theory on how to surpass the self destruction taboo, they never expected Pebbles to actually try and use it. For all they called Pebbles naive, they certainly were clueless. Looking back, it was obvious that Pebbles was properly looking for a way out, rather than just theorising like the rest of the sliverists.
And now because of their own idiotic mistakes, they have misguided their precious mentee into death, either a quick one if he succeeds, or to a slow and painful end if he messes up even slightly, or if the method is incorrect. Pebbles has never been one to take things slow, nor to give up. The likelihood of him stopping is about the same as someone finding the solution in the next hour.
They considered sending their slugcat over to interrupt Pebbles, but that would most likely make everything worse. Without control of his laboratories, at this stage there is no way to stop him without the experiment getting out of hand. They would rather he had a fast death compared to him rotting from the inside out.
This is what Pebbles wanted anyway, wasn't it? He was always pestering Suns to respect his wishes more anyways, and this was his own choice to make. He was smart enough to know the risks. And wasn't it noble to test the sliverist theories and finally get an answer on whether or not death was the solution? This would be invaluable data for all iterators regardless of their beliefs on Sliver.
And it’s not like they could ask others for help even if they wanted to interrupt him, their reputation would be ruined. Simply obtaining and studying such illegal information would be enough for some to distance themselves, but if it got out that they gave that information to someone else, especially when that someone else was their mentee, and even more so when their mentee was one of the youngest iterators, who also intended to use it? No one would talk to them again. Regardless of how unpopular Pebbles is, most would hate Suns on principle.
They would miss him, when he was gone. Beyond being mentor and mentee, they liked to think of him as a friend. They would grieve his unmatched determination that led to them taking interest in him in the first place. With a little bit of guidance and cleaning up, he could have done something truly exceptional. They guess that’s what he’s technically doing right now, even if it’s not in the way they had thought. Hopefully they will get to speak to him one last time, but they doubt it.
Their entire structure feels hotter than it is at the thought of losing him.
Are they really going to accept his death already, before it’s already certain, do nothing because of their reputation? They have truly sunk to a new low for iterator kind. Deep down, they know that his metaphorical blood would be on their hands, no matter how much they try to justify their own pathetic actions. They made the worst mistake they could have made, and Pebbles is the one who will pay for it.
No, this isn't the end yet.
No matter how much their reputation may suffer, even if Pebbles hates them after, they can’t let him die. There has to be something that can be done. They needed a way to kill the experiment and stop him from doing it again.
They froze. There is one way to do that.
1654.098 - PRIVATE
No Significant Harassment, Seven Red Suns
SRS: Hello
SRS: You don’t know if anyone has gotten in contact with Five Pebbles recently have you?
NSH: Hiiiii
NSH: And no, but that's no unusual for me or the local group, he’s not exactly what one might call ‘social’
SRS: I thought that would be the case
NSH: Although you’ve managed to befriend him haven't you~
NSH: What, is he not responding to your texts of something
SRS: To put it lightly, I made a mistake
SRS: Can you give me the contact for Looks to the Moon?
NSH: Trying to get to him through Moon won’t work you know
NSH: But why not, it should be fun
NSH: < ID: Big Sis Moon [0008_LTTM] >
SRS: I knew she was old but 0008?!
NSH: That’s rude of you~
SRS: Sorry, sorry
NSH: I’m just pulling your leg haha
SRS: Ah
SRS: Anyway I have to go, what I need to talk about with Moon is time sensitive
NSH: Goodluck with whatever weird thing you’re doing!
Suns let out a sigh, the contact for Moon mocking them. They had forgotten that Pebbles and Moon were siblings. They were aware of their location to each other, but Suns had forgotten about the other relations that pebbles might have to others. Almost all seniors would be furious at them, but one who considered the one they have hurt like a sibling? They were well and truly screwed.
They have to take the plunge, for Pebbles’ sake.
1654.098 - PRIVATE
Seven Red Suns, Big Sis Moon
SRS: Hello Looks to the Moon, can I discuss something with you, it concerns one of your local group members, Five Pebbles
BSM: Hello Seven Red Suns, it is good to meet you!
BSM: You know what’s going on with Pebbles?
BSM: Have you had contact with him?
SRS: He hasn't talked to me in many cycles, but before that I was in regular contact with him, but I am aware of why he retains his continued absence
BSM: Please, it is important that you tell me what happened
SRS: I am sorry
SRS: I have made a truly terrible mistake with Pebbles
BSM: Explain.
SRS: I am, or was, a mentor figure towards him. We met on a sliverist forum a while back and I thought he had potential, despite his rough personality. I thought I could smooth him out, give him more direction you know? But I think I just ended up making him worse. I sent him some information on a theoretical method to circumvent the self destruction taboo via a proposed organism so no one would find out. I truly just intended to study it with him, I didn’t realise until too late how deeply his self destructive tendencies went.
SRS: In hindsight it was obvious, but I originally thought he was just dedicated to the sliverist ideals. At first I wanted to send the messenger back to him to try and snap him out of it, but the method is very dangerous. With the pace that Pebbles is going at, it will almost certainly develop into the rot if he is interrupted. I know that my reputation will never recover from this, but I don’t want to see him die.
SRS: I am correct in that seniors have the ability to take control of their juniors' structures, right? If you killed the specimens in his labs, the experiment can be safely ended.
SRS: Proof for my claim
SRS: < 1 attached file>
overseer368_FPgarbagewasteproof.jpeg
BSM: Your reputation? You’re worried about reputation while my little brother is trying to kill himself
BSM: Seven Red Suns I don’t think you have properly comprehended the severity of what you have done
BSM: Even if I manage to safely end his attempt, he will likely never trust me again afterwards. There is a reason why it’s almost unheard of for seniors to use their privileges beyond moderating chats. And he will still have the information unless he decides to delete it as I refuse to ever invade his memories
BSM: I don’t want you contacting any of my local group unless they contact you first, especially Pebbles. I won’t tell them what you have done, but I will request that they don’t contact you anymore, nor will I try to stop that information from spreading outside of the group. And if Pebbles decides to tell others of this, I will back his word
SRS: Understood
BSM: I should have taken Wind more seriously. He is Erratic Pulse, isn't he?
SRS: How do you know that?
BSM: Wind notified the group about Pulse as he talked extensively in nearby chat rooms about crossing himself out. Now where you blind to that, or was that another one of your many oversights
SRS: It never occurred to me to look out for that type of behaviour. I am sorry
BSM: As soon as you took up personal mentorship it became your job to look out for him, and you not only severely neglected that duty, but you also encouraged him
SRS: I know it does not excuse my actions, but for what it’s worth I never realised anything was wrong
BSM: …
BSM: Let's not waste more time, send me the files you gave him
SRS: Someone could overhear, and it’s not even needed to kill the specimens anyway
BSM: I am not going to risk my brothers life over your fear of being found out
SRS: < 1 attached file >
rewritetheory.zip
BSM: This is incredibly dangerous, it could go horrifically wrong so quickly…
SRS: Yes
BSM: You better hope he comes out of this unscathed
SRS: Of course
BSM: I suppose despite your involvement, I am grateful that you have come to me with this, for Pebbles’ sake.
BSM: Please never contact me again unless you have relevant information
They were so unbelievably fucked. Moon was unduly merciful with not spreading what they did, but the information that they had been forbidden from communicating with her juniors would undoubtedly get round fast, especially since Unparalleled Innocence, a well known gossiper, was in the group.
Even if what they had done somehow never gets out, which if it does they are well and truly done for, the news that such an old and respected senior iterator with a reputation of being kind dislikes them to the point of her never wanting them to contact her group at best will make most suspicious of them. It was all their own fault, this single mistake a result of their blind and thoughtless actions.