Video! Lol flood!

[deusexmechanic]

[Video clicks on, and Lexa Doig is just in the process of swiveling the camera around to point at her and grinning.]

Heyyy! This is one hell of a flood, isn't it? I mean, do I look awesome, or do I look awesome?

[She shifts back onto her haunches, and gestures to herself.]

See this? Okay, this, is the physical avatar of the Commonwealth Warship: Andromeda Ascendant. I made this... jeeze, must be seven or eight years ago now.

[She prods at her arm.]

of course, I don't know if I've actually been turned into the-- spaceship avatar, with all her wiring and stuff, or if it turned me into Rommie, like, as a person. On the outside.

[She leans back, resting her hand on her arm, stretched across her chest. God damn but Harper misses Rommie. For a couple of minutes, she looks sorta morose, then she perks up.]

Annnd, warden filter time!

[Warden filter]

Who's Damon's warden?

Comments

[deusexmechanic.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Well, no. Initially she was like, linked to the main AI of the warship, so she could only go so far and do so much, but after a while...

I don't know, maybe it's something about existing in a humanoid form and living in a world which is fundamentally built on humanoid interactions, but for whatever reason, eventually she just transcended her programming.

[empirical_data]

It sounds as if she developed a truly unique personality. The A.I.s I have interacted with are largely limited by their programming... I would have liked to meet her.

[deusexmechanic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, as far as I can tell, out of the options AI's tend to get laid out for them, most either stick to their programing or go pants on their head insane. Rommie took the road of the seriously less traveled, in that respect.

You hang around a lot of AI's?

[empirical_data]

I am familiar with that unfortunate scenario, as well. I have seen firsthand the dangerous results of... 'pants on their head insane'. [He has to take a moment of envisioning that. What an odd description.]

I am an AI.

[deusexmechanic.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah? What happened?

[AND THEN YOU JUST REVEALED SOMETHING WAY MORE INTERESTING ABOUT YOURSELF!]

Oh, seriously? What were you made for? Can I see your wiring?

[empirical_data]

My brother's emotional stability was flawed. He... was unstable, to put it mildly.

[Looks mildly surprised. He's glad most people think he's human at first. Pops off his top cranial plate for him. There you go! Free show.] I was not made for anything. My father simply wished to build a sentient android.

[deusexmechanic.livejournal.com]

Huh. Did it work? I mean, you talk about him like family, was that something he put in you, or did you develop it yourself?

[And Harper leans forward, to peer into your head. Yeah, he's fascinated by you, Data.] You got a name?

[empirical_data]

I have nine available entry ports to my skull. This is the largest. [Pops the top back on and pats it like a tophat.]

It worked. I chose to call him father. I make all of my decisions independently and I am not inclined to follow orders if I do not desire to. I can also sing, play various instruments, and enjoy poker. All of which I had to learn, not download.

[deusexmechanic.livejournal.com]

[He gives a short, kinda impressed little laugh, at the top of your head fitting in place.] That's pretty cool. I mean, It looks seamless from here.

Huh. That's... pretty incredible. I guess once someone was first able to replicate the capacity to learn and interpret things emotionally as well as on a purely technical level...

[And he trails off for a couple of minutes, muttering technobabble under his breath. Then he perks up again.]

What's your name?

[empirical_data]

[Now he's managed to impress someone and he's got to say his name. He's not frequently embarrassed by his name. But why should he care, right? It could be a worse name. He doesn't even know why he's having this reaction.

He'll analyze it later.] My name is Data.

[He taps where the seal is, which is pretty seamless.] It vacuum seals when I reattach it, and I have a nutrient flow that stops and starts whenever I detach a portion.

[deusexmechanic.livejournal.com]

Data? [Oblivious to Data's discomfort, Harper lets out a little snort of laughter.] Kinda dropped the ball on blending in with the rest of humanity there.

[And then he shrugs] But who the hell am I to talk? My middle name? Zelazny. I don't even wanna contemplate what my folks were thinking.

A nutrient flow? So-- do you need to sustain yourself with food, or like, electricity?

[empirical_data]

Roger Zelazny was a science fiction author who enjoyed addressing the issues of immortality. Perhaps it was as with my father, and they saw you as a continuation of their own lives... or perhaps they simply like the name.

I can eat, though my energy is maintained through a perpetual energy generator. My power cells do not run out, but their flow can be greatly compromised. [I.E. My father was insane and did a number of impossible things to build me. Did I mention he was pants on his head crazy?]

[deusexmechanic.livejournal.com]

[That earns you a fresh snort of amusement from Harper.] Or perhaps it was a really really bad joke about my life expectancy.

[SERIOUS PAUSE]

Wait, perpetual energy generator?

[Did Harper mention that he's got just a little tiny smidgen of a temptation to put his pants on his head as well from time to time?]

Please tell me it's somewhere accessible on you? And that you're going to let me see it?

[empirical_data]

It is internal. I will eventually have to have diagnostics run and scans taken, however. It is- [He tries to scoot in his chair to point between his shoulder blades, turning a little to his side. Looks over his shoulder. Wait, not the best angle.

He turns the other way, tries to indicate it by reaching over his shoulder. That's peculiar.]

....I could point it out to you with a scan.

[deusexmechanic.livejournal.com]

[Harper's eyes widen, and suddenly he looks far, far more excited than he should do about this conversation.]

I could run your diagnostics! I mean, that'd even be a really necessary thing, because if something were to happen to you who knows if the death toll would even work, since you're not biologically human! There should be someone on board who knows how to fix you, and I could totally do it.

[And he's now looking way too pleased about the prospect of something terrible happening to you, Data.]

[empirical_data]

[It's okay, it kind of reminds him of Ard'rian in a fond way.... while he looks like a woman. Otherwise it would be Geordi-ish. This whole thing is making him confused.]

I have been concerned about that myself, and had been intending on speaking with engineering about someone that might be able to conduct repairs if I receive heavy damage.

[....Tentative eyebrow raise?] It would be preferable if someone were to have experience with artificial intelligences.