Comment:

I think a lot of us can sympathize with Lee being exhausted but unable to sleep. There are a lot of causes of insomnia, with stress chief among them. I think our modern lifestyle of most "work" being primarily mental is a big cause, too. It's possible to spend a whole day "working" to the point of exhaustion without even standing up, let alone burning the calories that our body wants to associate with a full workday. That's gotta cause an imbalance somewhere. I mean, Lee canonically has something called an "actifit" that provides them with all the biological benefits of exercise, but perhaps it's not programmed to keep pace with how much work their brain is doing.

I tend to get stress insomnia sometimes, and I'm fortunate that some quirk of my neural architecture allows me to function normally on four or five hours of shuteye a night. The important part, I think, is not dwelling in dark places, mentally, during these times. A story might help.

Transcript:

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0265 - 2167/07/07/02:12 - Lee Caldavera's apartment, bedroom
[LC is in bed. Zoa is seated on the floor nearby, with its hair covered. LC is holding their hand]
LC: Nnnrgh. Can't sleep.
Zoa: Because of stress, or because you already spent so much time yesterday napping?
LC: Yes.
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LC: I'm exhausted, though. How can I be exhausted, but not tired?
Zoa: Because having been through a long day of emotional turmoil, physical exercise, and intellectual challenge, when you're not used to any of the above, is a different thing from your brain needing to be defragged?
LC: The human body is bullshit.
Zoa: Course it is, that's why you guys get so many upgrades.
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LC: ....Zoa?
Zoa: Yeah?
LC: Can you tell me a story?
Zoa: I can recite whatever story you like, Lee. One millicred per word, plus licenses.
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LC: No, like... can you make a story up?
Zoa: ....I am, technically, capable of performing that service, yes.
LC: ...for free?
Zoa: No.
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