TEXT | sender: [ unknown ]

[spectates]

[ around noon on friday, all tablet screens go dark at the same time, no matter what characters are doing. then, after a moment, the following text appears: ]

UPDATES INSTALLING.................
INITIALIZING.................
RESTARTING NOW.

[ as promised, screens return to normal. however, a new message appears on the network for all to see ]

SECURITY ACCESS UPDATED
ADDING INFORMATION POINTS
ADDING INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS
WARNING: CRITICAL SYSTEM FAILURES DETECTED
HARD RESET IS REQUIRED

→CLICK TO EXPAND INSTRUCTIONS

→Access EXPIATION'S five manual terminals
→Input code: 2467362925315
→Initialize reset simultaneously at all terminals.
→SYSTEM RESET will restore all functions to BASIC OPERATING PARAMETERS. Extraneous data and information updates will be DELETED.
→Terminal access points shown below.

[ all tablet maps are updated to include several different location pins. users will notice that there are more pins than the number of terminals, and that they don't seem to be terribly specific about exact locations. users will also note that the pins sometimes seem to fade and flicker, as if they might disappear... ]

Security clearances acquired.
Access granted.
Terminals online and accessible.

System failure is imminent. Due to perpetual lack of upkeep, I am unable to maintain systems at optimal levels.
Chosen of Expiation, I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you.
Save yourselves.

I do not wish to d̶̺̀i̸̘̋e̶͍͝
But I wish for you to live
I̷
p̸l̷e̵a̸s̷e̸
l̴̪̗̈́̉̓̌i̶͕̹̹̿̈́̈̚v̴͓̽͑͆̚ḙ̴͍̋͘

ERROR: user offline

[ the AI will not respond to this message, and the ERROR: USER OFFLINE message appears if anyone attempts to message it. however, the network chat remains active. chosen can use this space to ICly discuss ideas and strategies, to have discussions about the best way to move forward, or even to have arguments over whose ideas they think are better. ideas generated here will be added to the event poll when the event goes up, and can impact the future of the game! have at it, go wild, and have fun! ]

Comments

voice un:wunderwagner

[digthefuzz]

This whole computer business really throws me for a loop! So, um, is this computer person... alive? Like, is it like a living person?

[The main things he's wondering are the implications of that and resetting it - the main things giving him pause when it comes to the idea of going through with the reset.]

voice; un:curtaincall

[endcaller]

Oh, no, not at all.

It's a machine. A very clever machine.

[digthefuzz]

But that's the thing, isn't it? If it's really smart, isn't it kinda like it's alive?

[endcaller]

Well its capacity to learn was built into it by a living being. Why does it concern you so?

voice | un: gwenstacy

[arachnerina]

[She gets his concerns. She knows some tech, but she's not anywhere near Peter, Jim, or Spock when it comes to tech of this level.]

Yes and no? It's like a really advanced computer? One that's designed specifically to process information and "think", in a way.

[digthefuzz]

Okay. So it's like it thinks. Does it... feel, too?

I'm just starting to worry about doing something that'll hurt it, or worse.

[arachnerina]

That's...hard to say. I'm not an expert in AI, so I'm probably not the best person to say.

I know some AI can simulate emotions, but their reactions are still based on their programming. Then again, this could be something way more advanced than anything I've encountered and maybe it really does? I don't know.

voice; un: Sugarlips

[southernchere]

I ain't got the slightest, but I'm wishin' it was. Then all of this would be solved a lot faster.

[digthefuzz]

It would? I know I'd want to be careful about not hurting it if it was.

[southernchere]

... And how do we know it ain't lying, Sugah?

voice; un: xxii

[orphne]

Robots can be people, so... I think an AI can be, too.

[digthefuzz]

That's good to know! I feel like you're thinking on the right track. Except that makes it harder to figure out the right thing to do here.

[orphne]

I'm not too good at figuring out stuff like that either. I always have to talk to my friends first.

But I think blowing everything up while we're inside can't be the right choice. And I don't like the idea of killing something that asked for help when there are some people who have better ideas. So... I guess I'm gonna support the people like Quentin who have different ideas! I dunno if it's the right thing to do, but it's better than doing nothing.

voice; un:omega

[querulus]

Hey, I have an idea, why don't we find out for certain instead of scratching our heads and doing trolley problems all day?

If it has a mind, I can talk to it. If I can talk to it, it's alive. My hunch is I'll need to be at a terminal to give it a good college try, aaaand I'll probably need some muscle to keep any crazies from punching my lights out while I'm busy. Got any suggestions?

[digthefuzz]

You can talk to it? That's good! Now that sounds real helpful, man! Then maybe we can figure things out about this computer person for sure.

And I'm down to help you out, too. I can try getting you to a terminal quick as I can, and I can definitely try to keep people away from you while you do your thing! And we can see if our other local X-Men can help too!

[querulus]

I can try to talk to it. Lot of "if"s here.

If it actually has a mind to begin with. If it even wants to talk to me. If it's not just pulling on our heartstrings so it can get its greedy little robo-hands on my soft fleshy body to escape its hellish disembodied existence. If it doesn't fry my brain on the spot. But hey, what are the X-Men if not the dumb shmucks risking life and limb to save any pathetic thing that needs help, right?

Oh, and uh, I'm gonna need all the other terminals protected until I'm done. I don't know what would happen, and I'd rather not find out.

voice; un: shades

[laserguy]

It's alive to some degree, Kurt.

It's saying that it doesn't want to die. [...] So, we should help it out.

[digthefuzz]

Now that's what I want to hear! I want to help out, however I can. So far, I think I'm going to help Quentin out when he tries to talk to it?

[laserguy]

[There's something relieved in his chest hearing Kurt agree with him.]

Quentin's told you about his plan, huh? I think it's worth a shot. It sounds like we just gotta make sure those terminals are protected no matter what.

audio - un:Sora

[valiantarms]

They sound like a person...

[digthefuzz]

They sure do. And it's sounding more and more like that's the case. So I want to try to find the best solution for us and the AI!

[valiantarms]

Some people are saying they might be able to help the AI if they can get to the terminals. I still don't get how we're in a computer to begin with...

[entreats]

[ .. yeah, Ange is just about as lost as Kurt when it comes to this. It's not like she knows a lot about technology. But.. ]

I talked to it before. It didn't really seem like a person to me back then. More like a computer that could help you look things up.

[digthefuzz]

You did, huh? [When she puts it that way, it almost sounds like the technology back at the mansion.] So it really seemed just like a computer to you. But it sounds like it's been doing some growing up... It really looks like it's got something like feelings!

[entreats]

How do you know it isn't lying?

[ There's a slight pause, and then she adds, like a disclaimer she's only thought of after the question already left her mouth: ]

I'm not saying it necessarily is. Let's call it a thought experiment, or just being careful, I guess. How are we sure that we can trust something that's practically just some words on a screen?