More subtle testing.

The debugger tapped frenetically at his slate. Daphne watched him without much interest. It was odd, being in this place. An artificial calm enveloped her, like a heavy work glove over her mind. She couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't

She was in the room. The debugger was looking up at her. "I think I've managed to reproduce the the the the the the the the the

She was in the room again. The debugger seemed pleased with himself. "Now it's time to try to trigger it via the manual interface. Let's see, you were discussing your friend Cynthia's boss when you had your breakdown, yes?"

She thought back. "That's right, she was saying something about being denied a promotion."

He looked over the slate and spoke. "He gives the position to fucking Zack, and of course the little bastard tells me I'm still considered a valuable member of the team."

Daphne looked at him quizzically. The debugger just sighed. "It's never that easy, is it? Describe your friend to me."

She smiled. "Oh, Cynthia's been a good friend since college. She's a nurse - a perfect fit because she's so empathetic and loves-"

He tapped the slate again. "Honestly, please."

"She complains all the time. She was a blast in college but getting into the professional world has made her bitter and angry. I feel like every time we get together it's a chore because she just rants about all the petty grievances in her life." It was weird vocalizing these things. She had never said them aloud before.

The debugger frowned. "You know, this job isn't as easy as it looks. Human beings are so complex. There's so much you have to analyze just to reproduce the problem, let alone find a solution. Some people are so full of bugs and glitches and flaws it takes years to get them back into functional order. And meanwhile, what do I get in return for all of this? Nothing but..."

He droned on for what could have been minutes or hours. Time moved oddly in this place. Daphne's eyes wandered around the room, examining the nondescript furnishings. After a time, something weird happened again.

"...and then there's the ones who like their glitches. They're actually upset when they realize I've fixed the things the things the things the things the things-"

She was things that he debugger. This isn't the couch things that

Daphne was in the room. The debugger was looking at his slate again. "Ok, we've narrowed down what triggers the glitch. It doesn't look like a runtime error, though - the flaw is too deep. It's not a specific set of words or sensations but a conceptual trigger." He sighed. "More debugging is needed."