OsakanOne
Retired Member
Still chewing on her noodles, Aiesu settled down at her machine in the low-light of her dorm-room.
She looked back at Seiren for a moment. He was slumbering quietly not meters away in the pit of pillows, quilts and cushions in the corner of the room.
Content with her privacy, she set the bowl down, opening a new session of her terminal.
She was still getting to grips with OPSCURUS. The idea, as she knew it, was that you used a construct as a living cypher for your encryption, parsing your data through semantic obscuration.
In english? They turned everything into jibberish over the wire that only they could understand - a kind of cognitive and semantic rather than mathematical.
A new window.
A clatter of keys followed. Username... Password... And a recent ST backup.
Aiesu hit OK.
Her screen dipped into white in the low-light, symbols slowly emerging as the terminal expanded.
The machine on the other end was writing UI element libraries so her machine would act as a dumb terminal -- basically no more than a keyboard and display.
The real work was happening on six thousand machines out of a total of around thirty million, fourty lightyears away.
Even with the miracle of quantum communication, her comparitively slow desktop machine struggled to keep up while the installation worked itself.
Aiesu clicked her tongue distastefully, waiting yet again.
She hated waiting.
Then it came. The interface began drawing itself.
Ah, the pre-render screen: an old friend. Here, OPSCURUS was parsing the ST backup -- the photograph of her own cognitive features, making changes and tweaks to prepare it for rendering.
Rendering of course being, turning the ST backup of a living breathing person into a software executable ROM Construct AI.
Even so, that involved more waiting.
She thought for a moment that all these new security measures were excessive -- but then, the Lazarus Consortium now had enemies amongst even the Star Army of Yamatai, who had more processing punch than brains -- so they had to hide themselves in ways that had to be beaten by brains, not brawn.
Ah, render configuration.
Here, Aiesu began selecting options for her resulting construct.
It wasn't going to end up with a body, so she disabled the body-libraries in the AI, so the resulting AI wouldn't freak out when it couldn't taste, touch or smell anything.
Next, existential limitations...
The purpose of an Existential inhibitor was to ensure the construct didn't think about anything dangerous. No "why am I here", no "Am I real?", no "why am I me, instead of somebody else?", no questioning its own memories and absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with deities or dangerous magical thinking.
The reason for this was that constructs had a nasty habit of entering non-resolving metaphysical dichotomies.
That is, loops of complex thoughts that even the templates of the constructs couldn't ever hope to resolve in their own lifetimes.
In practice, being an AI meant a construct could devote a lot of time and thought to the issue, especially considering a construct didn't need to sleep.
But this didn't make things any easier.
Oh, to the contrary.
While most everything came easier to AI constructs -- from performing huge calculations to even difficult tasks like remembering birthdays.
But that savant like brilliance didn't translate into everything.
Indeed, the expectation for things to come easily meant they tended to become quite obsessed with questions like these.
They questioned their perceptions but not quite to the level a real person might. To that end, they could appear quite naive if the source of the construct was still growing as a person.
Of course, in software terms this meant infinite loops, lockups, memory problems... A whole swarth of problems.
Aiesu, an atheist, held this as a software bug. A mental illness.
Not in the constructs, but in people.
Trying to fix it nearly drove her to madness herself.
In the end, it was easier just to skip it entirely.
Sometimes she sat awake at night, jealous of her children among the stars who didn't ask those questions.
A mercy she couldn't share.
Next, came completeness. The completeness specified how 'authentic' the AI was to its owner. Around 97%, things generally plateu'd out -- with only very subtle differences. But 100% couldn't ever be reached: requiring literally an infinite amount of time to compile.
Aiesu decided she'd done enough waiting, so the minimum needed would suffice.
Idiosyncratic profile... Most construct were made different from Aiesu in subtle ways. To remove her insufferability, to be crueler, to be softer, to be more honest and in some cases incapable of lying.
But this construct had to be as close to her own mind as possible for the neural cypher to work.
No idiosyncratic profile for you.
She hit return.
She stared at the compiling screen as it ran, watching the blank blots gradually fill with different sectors.
What she was staring at was an evolving sourcecode: a base template of around 200 characters from an alphabet of 52 - the same number as a deck of cards.
Fed into a compiler, it could quickly whip up the construct procedurally from that small data without needing the ST construct.
Which was ideal, if you wanted to put that construct on a much simpler machine. Or if you wanted to smuggle a mind.
Arguably, one might say there wasn't enough combinations. That a mind was infinitely complex. Not so:
Like the deck of cards, there were somewhere around 8 x 10^67 combos. If every planetoid in the galaxy had 60 billion people and each one of those people shuffled and shuffled non stop day and night for the complete age of the universe, they would not make a dent in the number of possible unique combinations.
Needless to say, the Consortium wouldn't be running out of combinations any time soon.
The construct was awake on the Lazarus servers. Number 58.
She waited for her system to synchronize with it and for the cypher to satisfy OPSCURUS.
And hello to you too. Show me my projects, would you?
Things were coming along nicely.
Time to hassle Miles.
Of course, she'd know who shithead was.
It. Not she, Aiesu told herself.
But then she watched as the construct began issuing commands on its own at a pace she couldn't even dream of typing at.
Aiesu decided to entertain a flight of fancy.
It didn't want to be there? She'd never really thought about their welfare.
And then the projected volumetric terminal spawned a graphical window.
Version?
Aiesu stared at her monitor, realizing when the Consortium got around to reading her logs, this is likely what they'd find: A girl talking about her body with the consultant and obvious erasure but no way of restoring it. Oh goodie.
The window vanished, as did the strange proxy window that led her into the consortium's belly, leaving her only with her local machine.
She looked back at Seiren for a moment. He was slumbering quietly not meters away in the pit of pillows, quilts and cushions in the corner of the room.
Content with her privacy, she set the bowl down, opening a new session of her terminal.
She was still getting to grips with OPSCURUS. The idea, as she knew it, was that you used a construct as a living cypher for your encryption, parsing your data through semantic obscuration.
In english? They turned everything into jibberish over the wire that only they could understand - a kind of cognitive and semantic rather than mathematical.
Code:
┌ ooo ┐
Last Login: Febuary 26, 2013 20:36:52 on TTYP1
Welcome to Rabbithole!
[wabbitseason:~] % lazmalt -a OPSCURUS.scp
** Establishing nodal connection ... ...
└ ┘A new window.
Code:
╓────────OPSCURUS v12.5─────ooo╖
║ PLEASE PROVIDE AUTHORIZATION ║
╟──────────────────────────────╢
║ Login [ ] ║
║ Pass [ ] ║
║ Scan [ ] ║
╟──────────────────────────────╢
║ OK Cancel Options║
╚══════════════════════════════╝A clatter of keys followed. Username... Password... And a recent ST backup.
Code:
╓────────OPSCURUS v12.5─────ooo╖
║ PLEASE PROVIDE AUTHORIZATION ║
╟──────────────────────────────╢
║ Login [Physician ] ║
║ Pass [*******************] ║
║ Scan [26-2-35.raw ] ║
╟──────────────────────────────╢
║►[OK] Cancel Options║
╚══════════════════════════════╝Aiesu hit OK.
Code:
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The machine on the other end was writing UI element libraries so her machine would act as a dumb terminal -- basically no more than a keyboard and display.
The real work was happening on six thousand machines out of a total of around thirty million, fourty lightyears away.
Even with the miracle of quantum communication, her comparitively slow desktop machine struggled to keep up while the installation worked itself.
Aiesu clicked her tongue distastefully, waiting yet again.
She hated waiting.
Then it came. The interface began drawing itself.
Code:
┌ ooo ┐
┌───[Establishing Encryption]──x
├──────────────────────────────┤
│▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 100% ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ │
└──────────────────────────────┘
┌───Syncronizing Connection────x
│▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 100% ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ │
├────Uploading Construct───────┤
│▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 100% ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ │
└──────────────────────────────┘
┌[Assembling]─x ┌─────[Writing Semantics]──────x
│▒▒▒ 100% ▒▒▒ │ │▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 100% ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ │
├──Writeout───┤ ├─Writing translation Matricies┤
│▒▒▒ 100% ▒▒▒ │ │▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 100% ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ │
└──[ALL OK]───┘ └──────────────────────────────┘
└ ┘Ah, the pre-render screen: an old friend. Here, OPSCURUS was parsing the ST backup -- the photograph of her own cognitive features, making changes and tweaks to prepare it for rendering.
Rendering of course being, turning the ST backup of a living breathing person into a software executable ROM Construct AI.
Even so, that involved more waiting.
She thought for a moment that all these new security measures were excessive -- but then, the Lazarus Consortium now had enemies amongst even the Star Army of Yamatai, who had more processing punch than brains -- so they had to hide themselves in ways that had to be beaten by brains, not brawn.
Code:
╓────────────────────────────────────────────────ooo╖
║ [OPSCURUS - [26-2-35.construct] ║
╟───────────────────────────────────────────────────╢
║ Render complete [00hr 04ms 22s] ║
║┌ ┐║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓┌[Executive Construct Options]─x▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓├────[Cognitive Functions]─────┤▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓│►Specify[nonbody,sansexistent]│▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓├─────[Linguistic Norms]───────┤▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓│► [Trade, Nep, Lor, Hi-Ely] │▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓├────[Specify Completeness]────┤▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓│►Completeness:[97.7] % │▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓├───[Permissions/Ownership]────┤▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓│ Perm: 777 Own: Physician │▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓├───[Idiosyncratic Profile]────┤▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓│►Upload [ none ] │▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓└──────[Commit Render]─────────┘▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ║
║└ ┘║
║ ║
║ Pass [ -- ] Sector [ -- ] ║
║ Scan [ -- ] Phase [ -- ] ║
╟───────────────────────────────────────────────────╢
║ OK Cancel Options Pause ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════╝Ah, render configuration.
Here, Aiesu began selecting options for her resulting construct.
It wasn't going to end up with a body, so she disabled the body-libraries in the AI, so the resulting AI wouldn't freak out when it couldn't taste, touch or smell anything.
Next, existential limitations...
The purpose of an Existential inhibitor was to ensure the construct didn't think about anything dangerous. No "why am I here", no "Am I real?", no "why am I me, instead of somebody else?", no questioning its own memories and absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with deities or dangerous magical thinking.
The reason for this was that constructs had a nasty habit of entering non-resolving metaphysical dichotomies.
That is, loops of complex thoughts that even the templates of the constructs couldn't ever hope to resolve in their own lifetimes.
In practice, being an AI meant a construct could devote a lot of time and thought to the issue, especially considering a construct didn't need to sleep.
But this didn't make things any easier.
Oh, to the contrary.
While most everything came easier to AI constructs -- from performing huge calculations to even difficult tasks like remembering birthdays.
But that savant like brilliance didn't translate into everything.
Indeed, the expectation for things to come easily meant they tended to become quite obsessed with questions like these.
They questioned their perceptions but not quite to the level a real person might. To that end, they could appear quite naive if the source of the construct was still growing as a person.
Of course, in software terms this meant infinite loops, lockups, memory problems... A whole swarth of problems.
Aiesu, an atheist, held this as a software bug. A mental illness.
Not in the constructs, but in people.
Trying to fix it nearly drove her to madness herself.
In the end, it was easier just to skip it entirely.
Sometimes she sat awake at night, jealous of her children among the stars who didn't ask those questions.
A mercy she couldn't share.
Next, came completeness. The completeness specified how 'authentic' the AI was to its owner. Around 97%, things generally plateu'd out -- with only very subtle differences. But 100% couldn't ever be reached: requiring literally an infinite amount of time to compile.
Aiesu decided she'd done enough waiting, so the minimum needed would suffice.
Idiosyncratic profile... Most construct were made different from Aiesu in subtle ways. To remove her insufferability, to be crueler, to be softer, to be more honest and in some cases incapable of lying.
But this construct had to be as close to her own mind as possible for the neural cypher to work.
No idiosyncratic profile for you.
She hit return.
Code:
╓────────────────────────────────────────────────ooo╖
║ [OPSCURUS - [26-2-35.construct] ║
╟───────────────────────────────────────────────────╢
║ Render complete [00hr 04ms 22s] ║
║┌ ┐║
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╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════╝She stared at the compiling screen as it ran, watching the blank blots gradually fill with different sectors.
What she was staring at was an evolving sourcecode: a base template of around 200 characters from an alphabet of 52 - the same number as a deck of cards.
Fed into a compiler, it could quickly whip up the construct procedurally from that small data without needing the ST construct.
Which was ideal, if you wanted to put that construct on a much simpler machine. Or if you wanted to smuggle a mind.
Arguably, one might say there wasn't enough combinations. That a mind was infinitely complex. Not so:
Like the deck of cards, there were somewhere around 8 x 10^67 combos. If every planetoid in the galaxy had 60 billion people and each one of those people shuffled and shuffled non stop day and night for the complete age of the universe, they would not make a dent in the number of possible unique combinations.
Needless to say, the Consortium wouldn't be running out of combinations any time soon.
Code:
┌ ooo ┐
** Construct 58 is now wide awake and physical.
[wabbitseason:~] % consyn 26-2-35.con @ laz
** Working ... ... ... Done.
└ ┘The construct was awake on the Lazarus servers. Number 58.
She waited for her system to synchronize with it and for the cypher to satisfy OPSCURUS.
Code:
┌ ooo ┐
Last Login: Febuary 26, 2013 20:36:52 on TTYP1
Security: en: opscurus @ 447 qbits/sec, 44 node bypass
Welcome to Lazarus Terminal, Physician.
You have 7 new messages.
[physician.main:~] % prender
└ ┘And hello to you too. Show me my projects, would you?
Code:
Ongoing schematics, as accomplished by your constructs:
Sparrow 47.44%
- Milestone 1: 100.00%
- Milestone 2: 097.04%
Rhys: 31.47%
- Milestone 1: 066.79%
XOL: 03.30%
- Milestone 1: 008.08%
Aurora: 89.99%
- Milestone 1: 66.53%Things were coming along nicely.
Time to hassle Miles.
Code:
┌ ooo ┐
[physician.main:~] % Hello.
> Ah, I'm a construct? Figures.
[physician.main:~] % You know the drill. Get shithead for me, would you?
> One moment......
└ ┘Of course, she'd know who shithead was.
It. Not she, Aiesu told herself.
But then she watched as the construct began issuing commands on its own at a pace she couldn't even dream of typing at.
Code:
┌ ooo ┐
[construct.ak58:auto] % /usr/bin/ircll -a ir.laz.net
-n causticLucidity -s APSTRUSUS.scp 47
Routing connection (47 nodes)... Done.
Dialing irl.laz.net ... (otp) ... Done.
Connecting to (causticLucidity@@6ca5ec7c.14055b32.66.
119.nyli)... Connected!
[construct.ak58:auto] % ddp Wildharpsurgeon sparrow.m
s1rev7.opscurus && 26-2-35_vol.construct
Establishing connection
Transfer accepted ... 100% ... 100%
└ ┘Aiesu decided to entertain a flight of fancy.
Code:
┌ ooo ┐
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 Thankyou.
>You're welcome. Can I go now?
└ ┘It didn't want to be there? She'd never really thought about their welfare.
Code:
┌ ooo ┐
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 When we're done.
>Feels sort of weird, being disembodied.
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 I know. I'm sorry.
>Can we talk later?
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 You're me. You've had this conversation before. Check 100.log
>Thanks.
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 If you get bored, there's like a thousand years worth of simulated experiences field-constructs have had. I figure it'll keep you busy for a few days if you max out. Leave the keys by the door when you expire, okay?
>Thanks again.
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 If I'm going to make you, you shouldn't get bored, should you?
>Point.
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 Later.
>Later.
[construct.ak58:auto] % belittle Wildharpsurgeon
└ ┘And then the projected volumetric terminal spawned a graphical window.
Code:
**causticLucidity [Localtime:20:37] began belittling Wildharpsurgeon [Localtime:02:40] +(OTP@262144LAZB-AESDP)
** [NOTICE]: This communication is encrypted. Please ensure the timekey sensitive pad has been shared with your partner or they will be unable to read the messages you send them or successfully encrypt their own.
** [NOTICE]: NEVER GIVE YOUR PASSWORD OR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO ANY OTHER MEMBER. ANY SUCH PERSONAL INFORMATION WILL BE SCRUBBED FROM THE SERVER AND CENSORED DURING TRANSMISSION IN ORDER TO PRESERVE ANONYMITY.
<causticLucidity> Included the key.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Ooh, neural construct? So I can deal with you in stereo? :/
<causticLucidity> Don't bother restoring it: it won't compile. Its live at the moment, and volatile.
<Wildharpsurgeon> A blessing.
<causticLucidity> Truly. What do you think?
<Wildharpsurgeon> This field generator, it's too large, and the output is lacking. This is the current Yamataian model, and it is shit.
<causticLucidity> What would you change?
<Wildharpsurgeon> CFS was never meant to be a primary propulsion system, it was always a power distribution system, and energy directing system. CDD was the primary method of propulsion, but it just got too expensive to integrate into mass production armor.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Furthermore, your ACTIVE system is at most a ten milisecond inconvenience, assuming that the opposing armor is not linked into the PANTHEON system.
<causticLucidity> So what would you do?
<causticLucidity> The idea is if we get the drop on our opponent, we can appear as something else to them.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Make a frame.
<causticLucidity> We want a conformal. And we want a better one than theirs.
<causticLucidity> This is a 'fuck the costs' project
<Wildharpsurgeon> The Lorath Matriarchy in proper had the right idea with the AMX-101 and 102, just was lacking the speed to keep up... hnnngh... you guys really want to bash your heads against a wall, huh?
<causticLucidity> Well I do, yes.=:<
<Wildharpsurgeon> Alright, here's the issue.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Yamatai has actually SCALED BACK their designs, what you're looking at is modern model data, they're piss.
<causticLucidity> So we need to see older blood?
<causticLucidity> The fuck are we going to get that from?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Something like that, but the issue is, old model units are retired due to cost. You're going to get that data from either a surplus yard, or, from encountering an officer with a fixation on old equipment.
<causticLucidity> You say that as if you have one in mind.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Every officer I've served under has had a fanatical desire to collect old equipment.
<causticLucidity> Old iron is supposedly the best.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Only because old iron was made before people realised how much fucking work it was to forge it.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Ever watch those animated films that Stalwart always brings in his travel bags?
<causticLucidity> Yeah...
<Wildharpsurgeon> I don't mean the ones with the Yamataian super heroines and the monster-of-the-day encounters.
<causticLucidity> ...You know you're in some of those, right?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Damn good money too.
<causticLucidity> Yeah.
<causticLucidity> Well no but
<causticLucidity> There's a sentai series about the Sakura.
<causticLucidity> They've got some guy playing you and he's a weird creep.
<causticLucidity> I'm guessing Yamatai doesn't like you.
<Wildharpsurgeon> No, but really, I'm talking about Cybernetic Armor Kusanagi.
<causticLucidity> Ah, I was talking about that thing Seiren was showing me. Remember I linked you it?
<Wildharpsurgeon> You know I don't follow your links.
<causticLucidity> Ugh, forget it.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Though, did you bother to watch Kusanagi?
<Wildharpsurgeon> What I'm getting at, is the combat dipicted, with cutting ships in half, orbitally bombarding enemy anti-starship weapon batteries, and amazing eight minute long duels... yeah, those things used to happen in Mindy and Kylie models.
<causticLucidity> Right...
<causticLucidity> Well...
<causticLucidity> How do we improve this thing?
<causticLucidity> Its going to be the expensive toy that likely saves my people.
<causticLucidity> At a cost, of course.
<causticLucidity> And why your obsession with frames? =:3
<Wildharpsurgeon> Focus on what a conformal PA excells at, and work from there.
<Wildharpsurgeon> You're simply not going to get the same performance as an older Yamataian unit, but, you can adapt and do what you can.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Because frames allow for a larger reactor, superior engine design, more hardpoints for mounting mission essential equipment, and provides enough room for current model equipment to be fixed on to attain results superior to even the old Kylie or Mindy.
<causticLucidity> ...You do know we have an old Kylie, right?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Yeah, I know.
<Wildharpsurgeon> I built it and logged it into the Lazarus manifest.
<causticLucidity> Then why do we need an officer? =:/
<Wildharpsurgeon> Because I had to build ours by hand, because our manufacturing equipment was unable to attain the proper resolution to build the old propulsion system and reactor system.
<Wildharpsurgeon> And by hand, I mean with a precision controlled set of robot hands.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Which move at such a snail's crawl I was able to make a sandwich and eat it between component installations.
<causticLucidity> You did what?
<causticLucidity> ...Didn't you try the molecular applicator?
<causticLucidity> You could have just printed one.
<Wildharpsurgeon> I tried, and the printed result almost destroyed eighty hours of work.
<causticLucidity> ...So help us fix it.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Yamataians constructed their old equipment at the sub-femtoscopic level, we don't have the capacity for that.
<causticLucidity> Ooooo...
<causticLucidity> I want that.
<causticLucidity> No, really.
<causticLucidity> I really want it.
<causticLucidity> Any ideas, angelfish?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Don't ask me, I'm not a nodal equipment designer or engineer. I just know how to operate it.
<causticLucidity> Where the hell are we going to get expertise like that?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Well, from what I understand, you're not going to.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Even the Occhestians haven't mastered it, that's why their Yamataian knock-off equipment is inferior to the original models in some of the high-demand respects.
<causticLucidity> Ugh. =:/ >:?
<causticLucidity> Who does know about this stuff?
<Wildharpsurgeon> What you would need would be to obtain information directly from the Kessaku or Ketsururi databanks.
<Wildharpsurgeon> They're not even slaved to that vulnerable-as-fuck bloated cow which is PANTHEON.
<causticLucidity> =>:?
<causticLucidity> Then why don't we devise a plan and put a taskforce together?
<causticLucidity> A devious taskforce.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Because not even the full resources of the Democratic Imperium or the Matriarchy could hope to put that kind of taskforce together, because the servers are on Yamatai.
<causticLucidity> Then
<causticLucidity> We need to find the best of the best.
<causticLucidity> The creme da la creme.
<causticLucidity> The
<causticLucidity> Uh...
<causticLucidity> I've run out of trade idioms.
<Wildharpsurgeon> I've tried to infiltrate a Yamataian designed secure installation before.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Nothing good came of it.
<Wildharpsurgeon> We had the full resources of the Star Army of Yamatai at our disposal, but still failed our mission on account of safeguards.
<causticLucidity> What happened?
<Wildharpsurgeon> We had to call in an orbital strike to dispose of one of the super-weapons that they released for asset protection.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Then, while trying to breach their vault, an automated distruct system went into effect as soon as the vault interior was breached.
<causticLucidity> Do you know anything about it?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Mmm, about which part exactly?
<causticLucidity> All of it.
<causticLucidity> If we had access to essentially unlimited funds and whatever we can get on the black merket from all sides, could you do it?
<causticLucidity> I want that technology.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Hm... not likely.
<causticLucidity> Ugh.
<Wildharpsurgeon> If it was possible, the NMX or IPG would have already done it.
<causticLucidity> Actually, from what I can tell, the NMX have incompitent intelligence despite their massive punch. Its actually their biggest weakness. And the IPG? Their intelligence is off too.
<causticLucidity> And my source is quite reliable =:3
<causticLucidity> BBL. Room-mate.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Room-mate?
<causticLucidity> Back.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Anyway. Their intelligence for stratigic ops is shit, but their intelligence for tactical ops is actually commendable. They know the right place at the right time and just how to get the job done, but they don't know how to get that information fleet-level.
<causticLucidity> What would you say if I had an NMX battlegroup on standby?
<causticLucidity> Thought-experiment, not real. =:3
<Wildharpsurgeon> What I'd say is save it and use the material assets to establish a base of operations in a secluded area of space until you would be able to pose a serious threat. At this time, your assets are insuffieint to break the Yamataian lines.
<causticLucidity> What, no wonderful slight of hand? I'm disappointed, Nepleslian.
<causticLucidity> I expected more from the hero of the Sakura. Cough.
<causticLucidity> The cough indicates sarcasm, if you were wondering. =:3c
<causticLucidity> Are you familiar with something called 'Alice in Wonderland'?
<causticLucidity> I know its a very old story. Far before your time.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Yeah, of course. Though which version? The version which came through with the Nerimian Defense Initative, or, the version that has been passed along for longer than I can even guess?Version?
Code:
<causticLucidity> Both. I don't know much about either.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Then why bring it up?
<causticLucidity> You'd be surprised the things Mishhu talk about.
<Wildharpsurgeon> No, no, I would not be actually.
<Wildharpsurgeon> They're a people just like you and I.
<causticLucidity> I've noticed. He's...
<causticLucidity> Actually kind of charming.
<causticLucidity> A sweet talker.
<Wildharpsurgeon> You really need to get your brain checked more often.
<causticLucidity> I'm not joking. He wants me to come visit him in person.
<causticLucidity> Says he can fix me
<causticLucidity> and HAS fixed a construct.
<Wildharpsurgeon> I'm not joking either, you're daft sometimes.
<causticLucidity> He presents himself as a humanoid. Mostly.
<Wildharpsurgeon> You know you could just send him a fake you and obtain the 'fixed' body and have it handy in a closet somewhere.
<causticLucidity> I know but...
<causticLucidity> Look.
<causticLucidity> I'm going to send you an abridged version of what I've been through, with some stuff censored for obvious reasons.
<causticLucidity> You still have the playback gear handy?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Yeah, but hey, what if I don't know what the obvious reasons are?
<Wildharpsurgeon> If it's important to you though, I will once my labor quota for the day is met, alright?
<causticLucidity> Sure, in your own time. ...I just. Want you to understand, okay?
<causticLucidity> I can't really explain it. He just pushes my buttons. Very persuasive argument.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Though, if I'm going to bother, I want to uncensored version.
<Wildharpsurgeon> the*
<causticLucidity> The only stuff removed is some sensitive stuff about the consortium. The coitus is all still in the recording. I know you like that stuff =:P
<Wildharpsurgeon> I want all of it, and I'm not just talking about coitus. We get by with this consortium because we're like a hydra of ancient lore. Many heads.
<causticLucidity> Wait, you're a member now?
<causticLucidity> I thought you were just a consultant.
<Wildharpsurgeon> I'm a consultant that likes to have all the information available to provide proper insight.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Besides, who would be stupid enough to submit to a neural mapping and subatomic biometric analysis anyways?
<causticLucidity> Its about the endgame. I can't talk about the endgame with you. Anyway, if you were a member, you wouldn't have told me.
<causticLucidity> Er...
<causticLucidity> I ...Invented that procedure.
<causticLucidity> Early days, but...
<causticLucidity> Yeah.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Well no wonder.
<Wildharpsurgeon> You do seem to have an issue with boundaries.
<causticLucidity> I don't believe in them.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Mmm, of course you have boundaries, but they're on your terms, such as 'I can't talk about the endgame with you.', that is a boundary.
<causticLucidity> Its a rule the members all have to follow.
<causticLucidity> Instant expulsion if you do.
<causticLucidity> Especially non-members.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Endgame is likely something stupid though.
<causticLucidity> Probably.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Like... 'We're going to create a time-rift and go back in time and prevent the moon-drop' or, 'We're going to create a new society where all information and peoples are free'.
<causticLucidity> Hah.
<causticLucidity> Yeah.
<causticLucidity> Bonkers.
<causticLucidity> Totally. =:3
<Wildharpsurgeon> Seriously, 'endgame' agendas and shit like that, they're self-defeating, especially for an operation like the consortium.
<causticLucidity> % clear log && cache
** Cache cleared!
<causticLucidity> Anyway!
<Wildharpsurgeon> The consortium only survives on remaining perfectly fluid, an 'Endgame' concept takes away the fluid nature of the operation.
<Wildharpsurgeon>See, this is why I remain a consultant, I get to be a billigerent asshole.
<causticLucidity> And what a fantastic one you are.
<causticLucidity> % clear log && cache
** Cache cleared!
<Wildharpsurgeon> The consortium only survives on remaining perfectly fluid, an 'Endgame' concept takes away the fluid nature of the operation.
<Wildharpsurgeon>See, this is why I remain a consultant, I get to be a billigerent asshole.
<causticLucidity> And what a fantastic one you are.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Now that's flattery.
<causticLucidity> Truly a monument to assholery
<causticLucidity> The kind that only comes once a generation.
<causticLucidity> % clear log && cache
** Cache cleared!
<Wildharpsurgeon> Nothing, just figuring out how much even discussing things with an asshole like me can ruin your day.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Back to the topic at hand though, you, and your body.
<causticLucidity> My body...? Uh?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Yeah, fixing it.Aiesu stared at her monitor, realizing when the Consortium got around to reading her logs, this is likely what they'd find: A girl talking about her body with the consultant and obvious erasure but no way of restoring it. Oh goodie.
Code:
<causticLucidity> Oh... Kay...
<Wildharpsurgeon> You sound disappointed.
<causticLucidity> Deeply.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Anyways, while your squiddie-lover was working on his project, I've worked on mine.
<causticLucidity> "Squiddie-lover"
<causticLucidity> Go on.
<Wildharpsurgeon> I have several design concepts in mind. Some of which have been prototyped for proof of concept. I just need to know the limits you have in regard to how invasive of a procedure you are comfortable with, and how much you do and do not want to have changed.
<causticLucidity> If you can fix the biological stuff, great. I don't want more prosthetics than I already have.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Then minimally invasive cybernetic installation, and you would like a biological overhaul?
<causticLucidity> Define 'overhaul'.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Because I already have end-caps for your legs and three pairs of prostetic attachments good-to-go.
<causticLucidity> Prosthetic, you mean. Its a bad day when a Lor spells trade better than a Nepleslian.
<causticLucidity> Anyway, if it has circuitry, I don't want it. If it involves a new physical body, I don't want it.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Overhaul, meaning, fixing the rampant degradation of your biology, and giving you a clean bill of health.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Just talking 'repair and replace', not talking about swapping out for a new one.
<causticLucidity> My brain still contains my old genetic information. Chimerism is taboo here, you know?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Mmm, this is true, though within-caste genetic manipulation without crossing into Fyunnen or Occhestian gene sequences is A-OK.
<causticLucidity> No, I mean as a L'manel. If my brain differs from my body, I'll still never undergo true aspectation.
<causticLucidity> It'd just write back.
<causticLucidity> Polluting the new body.
<causticLucidity> And no, I've tried gene therapy.
<causticLucidity> I developed tumors the size of fists.
<Wildharpsurgeon> My goodness you tend to jump the gun.
<causticLucidity> Trust me when I say I've tried everything.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Synthetic organs. That's the way to go.
<causticLucidity> No synthetics.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Do you want to end up stuck in a wheelchair at the age of 40?
<causticLucidity> No, but I don't want to end up a lobotomized plaything like your girlfriend who fakes memoryloss to get attention because she fetishizes medicine.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Alright, how about this, I know of a way to fix the whole aspecting problem, but it would mean you'd actually have to do something totally outlandish... that would be to trust a Nepleslian man with issues of fixing your physical neurological issues, as well as your psychological obstacles.
<causticLucidity> My what?
<Wildharpsurgeon> What I'm saying is that you likely have braindamage that can be fixed, as well as some psychological hang-ups.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Braindamage as a lingering after effect of your failed aspectation, and psychological hang-ups which... well, I can only assume would relate to your preparation for your aspectation.
<causticLucidity> If you wanted to insult me, you could have just called me stupid.
<causticLucidity> You know. Like normal people do?
<causticLucidity> I know you're insecure, but... You don't have to try to impress me.
<causticLucidity> I already know you're smart. Its why we hired you.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Then I'll ask you this; what do your own brain scans indicate?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Right now I'm not asking as a consultant, or as some sort of nice-guy friend, but as your doctor.
<causticLucidity> That I'm perfectly healthy. Some areas don't light up as much but that's perfectly normal. Its very common amonst L'manel.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Would I be right to say it is common among L'manel that are in the process of being in an altered state in relation to their normal physical attributes?
<causticLucidity> You mean aspectation? Yes.
<causticLucidity> Predator aspected Lorath think differently from prey aspected Lorath. Even you should know that.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Those parts of the brain are supposed to switch back when the Lmanel in question goes back to their natural born parameters.
<causticLucidity> Correct.
<Wildharpsurgeon> And your brain is 'stuck' in that state.
<causticLucidity> Because I can't de-aspect without killing myself.
<causticLucidity> Trust me, I've experimented on countless flash-clones and construct.
<Wildharpsurgeon> That's not a problem for most Lmanel.
<causticLucidity> I'm not most L'manel.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Then that means there may be a problem.
<Wildharpsurgeon> It is either neurological, where something is wrong on a chemical or structural level, or, there is a psychosomatic issue present.
<causticLucidity> We're going in circles.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Because you're steering us that way.
<Wildharpsurgeon> When was the last time you saw a psychologist or a priestess?
<causticLucidity> My stepfather is the head of my department. He's also my psychologist.
<causticLucidity> At the university, I mean.
<Wildharpsurgeon> And how much does your mother have him by the balls?
<causticLucidity> Less than you think.
<causticLucidity> But he is a man of faith.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Have you ever heard of the Nepleslian phrase 'Second opinion'?
<causticLucidity> I have, actually.
<causticLucidity> We usually get close to resolving the issue, me and him but
<causticLucidity> For some reason, he won't go any further.
<causticLucidity> I think he knows something I don't.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Then I think I may need to take a detailed look.
<causticLucidity> Into what exactly?
<Wildharpsurgeon> You. In flesh and concept.
<causticLucidity> Are you suggesting you come here?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Well, wherever that we can meet without distraction and with proper insturmentation for my work.
<causticLucidity> I've already come and gone. I've had my time on station.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Distractions happen here too much. I was thinking we could meet on a ship or shuttle with proper medical assets.
<causticLucidity> Such as...?
<causticLucidity> Anyway, I've got a new room-mate. I can't leave her on her own or she'll get lost and mixed up.
<Wildharpsurgeon> I could go on a fieldtrip in a medical shuttle, or, we could meet aboard a Consortium ship, ideally a Raptor-Class if the Matriarchy has allocated a spare one to our use. Something where we can make sure to remain under the radar.
<causticLucidity> Yes, that's right, the almighty [REDACTED] is willing to admit she needs to socialize.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Ah... so it's totally legit school stuff huh?
<causticLucidity> Totally.
<causticLucidity> Oh hey. One of my constructs is on a raptor-class.
<causticLucidity> #47.
<causticLucidity> She's a frisky little thing. Oxytocin emission in the brain. I wanted her to peer-bond but its backfired.
<causticLucidity>% @ak47 Are you there?
> Now is not the time.
<causticLucidity>% @ak47 Want to talk about it?
> Under fire. Combat situation.
<causticLucidity>% @ak47 Just make sure VIPs survive and that you reach your objective. We'll do our usual sync in about 12 hours.
> Alright.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Yeah... I need to get data from an original.
<causticLucidity> Ouch.
<causticLucidity> See, you'd have to come here.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Eh... I'll tell Sana to pack the bags.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Should not be a problem, the Matriarchy loves me.
<causticLucidity> You'll need an alias. So no suspicious types know you're here.
<Wildharpsurgeon> I'll dye my hair and wear some sunglasses, no biggie. I'll just be a kind-hearted Nepleslian doctor conducting a consultation.
<causticLucidity> I trust you can work out the details on your own?
<Wildharpsurgeon> I already have contacts, there won't be an issue securing a landing pass.
<causticLucidity> Right. Oh!
<causticLucidity> Bonus points if you can work out what my stepfather isn't telling me.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Bonus points?
<Wildharpsurgeon> What do I get with bonus points?
<causticLucidity> Sana's ROM Construct?
<causticLucidity> I don't know.
<causticLucidity> Yes. She let me make one.
<causticLucidity> Dirty girl =>:3
<Wildharpsurgeon> How about, all of her duplicates, and any brain-map and analysis data which you've obtained?
<causticLucidity> On Sana?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Yes, and Rebeka for that matter.
<causticLucidity> Done.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Then I'll start packing.
<causticLucidity> Wait. You do know about Rebeka, right?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Who do you think pried her out of Sana's skull?
<causticLucidity> No, I mean. What she really is.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Based on the data that the Matriarchy furnished me... mass produced foward command combat unit of some sort.
<causticLucidity> I'm not talking about her body.
<causticLucidity> Look, you can't tell her.
<causticLucidity> We don't know how she'd react.
<causticLucidity> (Yes, we've simulated it).
<Wildharpsurgeon> You mean that she's unstable?
<causticLucidity> Let me put it this way.
<causticLucidity> Don't you think its odd that a 200 yearold intelligence found its way into a Nepleslian girl's head?
<Wildharpsurgeon> No shit, that's what I've been working on.
<causticLucidity> Working on?
<Wildharpsurgeon> Sana's history, well, from what her service record indicated, her father was a researcher of somesort. Nepleslian as they come.
<causticLucidity> Oh~?
<causticLucidity> The plot thickens.
<causticLucidity> Well, I don't want to spoil the surprise.
<causticLucidity> You'll see for yourself when you go through Rebeka's neural backups.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Mmm, here's the surprise.
<Wildharpsurgeon> The only way Rebeka could have ended up where she was is if she was jettisoned, forgotten, or was picked up as a derelect by a third party.
<causticLucidity> There is a fourth option.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Fraud to begin with.
<causticLucidity> Right.
<Wildharpsurgeon> But there has to be a basis for such fraud, especially considering the events surrounding the Maras itself.
<causticLucidity> Look, I don't want to spoil it for you.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Not to mention, she is a really high-quality knock-off if a legitamate Sourcian was able to recognize her as one.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Do me a favor, don't fuck around with me.
<causticLucidity> Excuse me?
<Wildharpsurgeon> I've been nice enough to keep laying my cards on the table.
<Wildharpsurgeon> The coy routine sucks.
<causticLucidity> Yeah, I know.
<causticLucidity> But remember our agreement?
<Wildharpsurgeon> I've played that plenty in my life, and it gets fucking old.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Well, you've given this man a motivation, when a Nepleslian is motivated, things tend to get done, regardless of reprocussions.
<Wildharpsurgeon> I'm going to go pack my bags and set up some simulations to run while I'm out.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Maybe masturbate furiously while watching old memory logs.
<causticLucidity> Fun fun. They're quite good, I must say. Remember to setup the simstim gear properly.
<Wildharpsurgeon> I'd rather not. I'd likely just devote the computational cycles to creating a third-person view.
<causticLucidity> By the way, there's a stock of Nepleslian food in hanger B if you bother looking. Blue container, ending in 8080.
<causticLucidity> You may as well have a blowout tonight, before you go.
<causticLucidity> Its in the stasis unit. Fresh as the day we brought it.
<Wildharpsurgeon> You know I'm just fucking with you.
<causticLucidity> Or you're secretly a lolicon.
<causticLucidity> We may never know =:o
<causticLucidity> Can you even do that with her?
<causticLucidity> I mean she's an adult.
<causticLucidity> Very adult.
<causticLucidity> Shit, now I'm curious.
<Wildharpsurgeon> It's just a matter of harvesting DNA and creating a remote cybernetic link-up module so she can remotely interface with the body.
<causticLucidity> And here's me thinking you'd cooked up a new batch of kaserine.
<Wildharpsurgeon> That's in the works.
<Wildharpsurgeon> That's in the works.
<Wildharpsurgeon> But the problem is brain compression due to skull contraction.
<causticLucidity> So you ARE a lolicon?
<Wildharpsurgeon> I'm a Nepleslian man. We have distinctive philosophies.
<Wildharpsurgeon> One of them is; 'If it's pretty, fuck it'.
<Wildharpsurgeon> Also, you have to be a bit of a lolicon to nail Hanako.
<causticLucidity> Well, I gotta go now.
<Wildharpsurgeon> At least how she was looking seven or eight years ago.
<causticLucidity> This got uncomfortable fast.
<Wildharpsurgeon> By the way.
<causticLucidity> Huh?
<Wildharpsurgeon> I'll be on my best behavior while I'm there, I promise. Just try your best to work with me, and we'll get through it.
<causticLucidity> You must really want that data...
<causticLucidity> Sure. Anyway, bye.
**causticLucidity [Localtime:20:52] ceased belittling Wildharpsurgeon [Localtime:02:55]
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 Do you think I should tell him?
>No, I think he can figure it out on his own.
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 That's what I'm afraid of.
>I know.
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 Have fun.
>You too. And good luck dealing with Romiren
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 That's... An interesting name.
>I thought so too.
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 Mind giving Sparrow a crack?
>Sure but I don't have any idiosyncracies. I'm a cypher-construct, remember?
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 Do your best. If not, you've always got the footage.
>Yummy footage. Like dreaming awake.
[physician.main:~] % @ak58 I know.
[physician.main:~] % Logout
Disconnecting ...The window vanished, as did the strange proxy window that led her into the consortium's belly, leaving her only with her local machine.
Code:
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Last Login: Febuary 26, 2013 20:36:52 on TTYP1
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