More debugging.

The debugger was thinking. It was odd, Daphne thought, that she wasn't bored. Probably a side effect of whatever was making her so docile. She sat for an indeterminate amount of time while the debugger thought.

He abruptly spoke. "What do you value most in a partner? Be honest."

"Listening. A good listener. That's crucial to me."

"Do you consider yourself a good listener?"

She paused. "Yes."

"And what makes you a good listener?" He tapped the slate then looked up at her intently.

"I, uh, I pay attention to what people are saying and respond sympathetically."

"And if you happen to lose focus while someone is talking?"

She stuttered. "I may l-lose focus but I'm-I'm still listening. I c-can d-d-do multiple things at once."

"So what was I talking about earlier when you glitched?"

She was twitching slightly. "You were s-s-saying that s-s-s-s-some people don't-don't appreciate th-the work you do on them." He motioned for her to go on. "And I th-think you had a-"

Daphne blinked. "You had a- you had a-" She couldn't move. It was like her mind was stuck. "You had a- you had a- you had a- you had a-"

"A what, Daphne? What did I have?" He was leaning forward now, scanning her whole body as it started to shake.

"you you had a- had a- had a- you had a- you youu you had you hadd" It was like her brain was melting. She looked down and saw with no alarm that he fingernails and several of her teeth had fallen to the floor. "you had you you you you you" She couldn't feel her foot. Her leg now terminated in a weird stump like a melted popsicle. "your your your"

The debugger walked over and touched the back of her

Daphne was in the room. The debugger looked pleased. "Ok, we've tracked down the logic error. It looks like your self-image as an attentive listener is compromised when you zone out while someone's talking to you. We can fix it by making you a better listener or removing your self-image as a good listener. What's your preference?"