un: user010102 | text

[computation]

< private to STEM club + miller, charles, claude, and kurama >

Has sentencing ever accomplished anything for anyone? Because believe me, I'm very far from regret right now.

Would anyone be willing to check in on Shaw for me over the next month? My little honey bunch is having a hard time and I'm worried. You can tell her I sent you.

Comments

text; un: spartan

[melnik]

If you're not able to, I suppose I can contact her for you. But are you okay? They don't have you thrown in a dungeon, do they?

[ He's kind of being tongue in cheek, but also, not really because why can't she just check on Shaw herself? ]

Text; un: kurama

[sinningtree]

I could not say, but perhaps someone who has been here longer may have better insight on how efficient sentencing was before the reset. It seemed practically nonexistent when I first arrived.

Any suggestions on the best method for checking in on her? A drink she favors as a peace offering, perhaps?

🔒 private to just root

[incorrigibles]

[ his answer is an immediate, ]

root, what happened?

i mean, the answer's yes. of course. but you okay? she okay?

[computation]

I'd prefer if they did. They want me to stay away from her for a while -- like what we need is more time apart.

[computation]

I heard from someone that it's never been that effective. Makes me wonder if the whole set up isn't a front for something else.

Good idea, she loves food. Pastrami sandwich with pepperoncinis, extra spicy mustard, no mayo. Or she'll take anything good, really, but that's her favorite.

[computation]

We're fine, the crime and punishment script just thinks I need to learn my lesson about our romantic murder-suicide by staying away from her for a while.

Like that's going to work.

[incorrigibles]

oh bloody hell

well that sounds counterproductive. they clearly haven't got the memo where you guys are a public health risk when separated

[computation]

You have no idea.

I start getting dizzy and confused if I'm around her too long. I'd try to just deal with it, but Shaw doesn't like me getting punished for her. I should feel lucky I didn't get something actually bad or she'd feel even worse.

[ She should feel lucky, but she really doesn't. She'd gone ten months without Shaw, not knowing if she was alive or dead... and either one of them might disappear at any time. Root may not ever see her again. ]

[incorrigibles]

hey, not being able to be around her is pretty much the worst, innit? i know that's what'd get me the most

[ for.... the exact same reason, actually. because they might be gone the next day, so every single moment counts. ]

[computation]

At least this time I know where she is and that she's alive.

And I have to admit it's an effective deterrent against me doing it again.

[melnik]

So that was your sentence? What was the reasoning behind that?

[ And was it good enough that she's actually going to listen? That's kind of surprising. ]

[computation]

I'm supposed to let her learn independence. Which is bullshit.

We've spent our whole lifetimes being independent. I just don't want to waste any time now.

[incorrigibles]

yeah... guess there's the silver lining.

still. if they know why you did it, then they'd know you didn't do it just for the hell of it, yeah? like you need a deterrent.

[computation]

Maybe they don't know. Or maybe the motive was too complex for the reset A.I. to understand. It's far from being the Machine.

[incorrigibles]

or they just don't care. the old ai, it sorta grew to care about us, yeah? maybe the new one's just... not there yet.

[computation]

Right. It's definitely not there yet.

I didn't even respect it when she told me to stay away from her, you know? The Machine. She knew it was too dangerous for me to go after Shaw. I didn't care.

If this is the last time I see her then I won't forget it.

[incorrigibles]

but you saved her, right? shaw.

and it won't be. can you, i don't know, still talk to her through the tablets? like, a video call? or does it extend to that, too

[computation]

She mostly saved herself, but I sent her a message. To let her know we were alive and still looking for her.

No. Nothing. I asked that. It's not even going to work -- it's faulty code, a flawed conclusion. Separating us isn't going to make me into a model citizen, it's just pissing me off.

[melnik]

I really do wonder who is coming up with these supposed moral lessons. What's the practicality in that?

[ Of course, he has figured out that they are more to each other than just business partners by now — but it seems incredibly inconvenient if something ends up happening, as always does in this place. ]

Well, if you're going to follow orders, then hopefully that means it will be over with sooner. Let me know if you need to pass on a message.

[computation]

It may just not be sophisticated enough to understand human behavior. Motives are complex. It could be defaulting to standard responses, like judges with sentencing minimums.

I start questioning reality if I'm around her for too long, so following orders it is. Have a drink with her for me sometime?

[incorrigibles]

that's right brills, then, that she got herself out

wait, really? what the hell. seems like that's what the council does, that. pissing people off, i mean.

[computation]

I don't know the details. She just told me my message had good timing.

[ Coming from Shaw, Root had interpreted that as being highly ominous, and been silently vindicated in how persistent she'd been in getting the message out in the first place. It hadn't been easy. ]

We have to assume the Council, and Jerry, are crude representations meant to ease our acceptance of the A.I.'s judgment. And it has to be operating on predefined algorithms in its reset, baseline state. "Jerry" said I had to show remorse, but it defined that through a specific behavior: staying away from Shaw. Whether or not I feel any remorse doesn't seem to matter. That's much more complicated to a computer.

[melnik]

Yes, I'm sure there's no doubt of that. Even pre-reset, it didn't really seem to understand us that well. I guess there's no solution but to power through it for now. As usual.

All right. It would be my pleasure.

[querulus]

okay okay fine. you don't have to twist my arm.

quentin quire, ultra powerful telepath reporting for duty. i assume she won't mind a little psychic intrusion if it's on behalf of her "honey bunch." day is saved, etc etc, you're welcome.

[private]

speaking of sentencing

i need a favor.

[computation]

When we did the reset I was willing to defer to her on what parts of her coding to preserve. Now I'm thinking we should be a little more hands on if we can ever do the restore.

Thank you.