Island of Misfit Toys 27

[19:46]	`GM	[Wallberg and Ai arrive at the island lab. The faint orange glow of the bonfire can still be seen off in the distance.]
[19:49]	Wallberg	"Hey, anyone teach you how to drive yet, Ai?"
[19:49]	Wallberg	shuts off the engine and gets out
[19:49]	Ai`	"Yes."
[19:49]	Ai`	After a moment, she adds:
[19:50]	Ai`	"It is easier than 'running'."
[19:51]	Wallberg	"Ahh, good. You can drive yourself next time. Nice to have company, though."
[19:51]	Ai`	"Yes."
[19:52]	Ai`	nods, then striding towards the door.
[19:57]	Wallberg	"Hey, you uhh, gonna use the transformer box anymore? In the back of the lab I mean?"
[19:57]	Wallberg	"If not I better fix it back up."
[19:58]	Ai`	"I could modify part of that to serve power more effectively. I may still use it, if I cannot similarly modify some part within the lab."
[19:59]	Wallberg	heads into the lab behind Ai.
[20:00]	Wallberg	"Huh? I was more asking, like, because the Colonel gave to a key to the utility room in the house. Be a lot easier to recharge there, you know?"
[20:02]	Ai`	immediately seeks the largest power source.
[20:03]	Ai`	"Yes."
[20:03]	Ai`	She pauses.
[20:03]	Ai`	"... The lab is closer to the island power plant, correct?"
[20:05]	Wallberg	"I think... umm...?"
[20:06]	Wallberg	hesitates, embarrassingly looking down at the floor.
[20:06]	Wallberg	"You know, I uhh... I have no idea."
[20:07]	Wallberg	"I mean, I know it's SOMEWHERE, just... never thought about it.
[20:07]	Ai`	finds the familiar floor plug.
[20:08]	Ai`	"Whichever is closest will serve as my primary charging station until I can generate my own power."
[20:09]	Wallberg	"Right, uhh... I guess, talk to Panser? She'd know."
[20:10]	Ai`	She then promptly begins undressing, not that there's much to show, since her core body remains mostly featureless.
[20:10]	Wallberg	"I really should visit her more... She doesn't get out much."
[20:10]	Ai`	"Understood."
[20:13]	Wallberg	notices her suddenly taking off her clothes and looks away.
[20:14]	Wallberg	"Ahh jeez, could you, uhh, warn me next time?"
[20:15]	Ai`	looks at Wallberg, only partially done.
[20:16]	Wallberg	obviously does not see her looking.
[20:16]	Ai`	"Yes. You may wish to look away as I deposit these next to you."
[20:17]	Ai`	then finishes, gathers her garments, and walks over to deposit them by Wallberg.
[20:19]	Wallberg	notices the pile of clothes being dropped out of the corner of his eye.
[20:19]	Wallberg	"Wait huh? I-I don't need these! You, you should keep them!"
[20:21]	Ai`	"I cannot. At the desired receive and transmit energy, they would vaporize. You were closest, and are reliable, so they are temporarily in your care."
[20:21]	Ai`	returns to the center of the room, hooking herself in at the lower back.
[20:24]	Wallberg	pulls the clothes in front of him. He's decidedly embarrassed; kind of makes him wish he hadn't gone at all. "Alone time" with AI never goes like he vaguely thinks it should...
[20:28]	Wallberg	stares as the pile of clothes, remembering again how torn they seem to be.
[20:28]	Wallberg	{"...Fell down. Rrright."}
[20:28]	Ai`	"Do not approach within ten meters. Any closer will pose a hazard to organic material, though I will narrow the transmission beam as much as possible. Do you wish for me to appear clothed, so you may watch the process? You expressed interest last time."
[20:29]	Wallberg	"Wha oh? Oh, right got it wait, 'appear' clothed?"
[20:30]	Wallberg	"Oh, right, hologram, or, no, manifestation, right, I forgot you could do that..."
[20:31]	Wallberg	chews on his lip, thinking.
[20:31]	Ai`	begins the warmup process, holding her hands towards the rift.
[20:31]	Wallberg	"No... No, you don't have to, I know it's a hassle... I'll be fine."
[20:32]	Ai`	"Shifting my model to angular form will not consume much energy. Are you sure?"
[20:33]	Wallberg	picks up her clothes and walks over closer to the edge of the lab, keeping well outside of the danger radius. He finds a chair and sits down, trying to ignore her unclothed form. From this distance Ai's "not much to see" is hard to see anyways.
[20:34]	Wallberg	"I'm sure, I'm sure. One less thing to worry about, right?"
[20:34]	Ai`	looks Wallberg's way, completely disregarding normal limits on how far heads can turn.
[20:35]	Wallberg	doesn't even know why he's being so polite. He knows Ai doesn't care, and he doesn't care BECAUSE he knows Ai doesn't care... so why does he care?
[20:37]	Ai`	's rudimentary social senses discover Wallberg's deception, but she doesn't announce it. Instead...
[20:37]	Ai`	"As an experiment, I will perform the change, and you will judge its effectiveness for this purpose. Is this acceptable?"
[20:42]	Wallberg	"Ai..."
[20:42]	Wallberg	just goes for it.
[20:43]	Wallberg	"It's okay... I, like it when you look like this, too."
[20:44]	Ai`	"Understood. I will proceed with the transmission."
[20:45]	Wallberg	's heart falls a little. She didn't get it...
[20:54]	Ai`	melds her hands together, forming a dish aimed directly at the rift as her body glows red, then white-hot.
[20:57]	Ai`	Beyond the visible spectrum, a trio of three lasers fire from the dish and intersect at the rift, slowly increasing in intensity.
[20:58]	Ai`	The lights to the lab dim and flicker as all available energy is drawn in, leaving just enough to not cause a blackout.
[21:00]	Wallberg	has nothing to see beyond the ability to not see very much due to the near blackout. It's more the IDEA to him, of actually being able to do something with the rift...
[21:02]	Wallberg	just watches Ai's white-hot form do whatever it is that it's doing.
[21:05]	Ai`	<<Initialize connection>> Access coordinates: Verified. IFF: Verified. Requested transmission format: Approved.
[21:06]	Ai`	remains silent, letting each tidbit float through her vision.
[21:10]	Ai`	<<WARNING:>> Position in hostile space (CREATOR_FRONTIER_G000557-23-0-15-23-50KLY-AE449) demands high-energy, short-burst transmission. Proceed?
[21:13]	Ai`	<<Transmission approved>> Manifest: Bio-social Interactions(lv3), High-Energy Storage and Generation.
[21:16]	Ai`	<<Connection terminaHel->>
[21:20]	Ai`	Suddenly, the entire lab is blinded in a bright purple flash and the lights stop flickering.
[21:20]	Ai`	"... Transmission complete."
[21:22]	Wallberg	shields his eyes; now THAT wasn't normal...
[21:23]	Ai`	re-shapes the dish back into her hands and simply sits in place for a moment, letting the new software full install and process.
[21:25]	Wallberg	grabs Ai's clothes and slowly starts approaching, though doesn't break the ten-meter radius she warned him about.
[21:26]	Wallberg	"Is it complete...?"
[21:27]	Ai`	. o O ( ... Should I cov-he'salreadyhere- but I'm kinda clothed, right? )
[21:28]	Ai`	scooches just enough to rotate herself facing away from Wallberg, still glowing white-hot.
[21:29]	Ai`	then gives herself a quick look-over, comparing to previous scans of humans. o O ( ... I got it close... )
[21:30]	Ai`	"... Yeah."
[21:30]	Ai`	After a moment, she adds:
[21:30]	Wallberg	can feel the heat radiating from Ai; even if wanted to come closer it'd be difficult.
[21:31]	Wallberg	turns his face away; the heat and light is getting to be too much, even with his sunglasses.
[21:32]	Ai`	"... Could you please look away? I must store this heat."
[21:33]	Wallberg	doesn't consciously realize it, but he can tell she's speaking differently...
[21:33]	Wallberg	"Yeah, yeah, I'm looking away... Couldn't look if I wanted to... too, too bright."
[21:34]	Ai`	"Thanks."
[21:36]	Ai`	smiles, closes her eyes, and focuses. Slowly but surely the white glow shifts into red, and then nothing.
[21:37]	Ai`	"... OK, it's safe now."
[21:38]	Ai`	She holds her arms close to herself and sits tight, keeping as covered as she can.
[21:38]	Wallberg	peeks back to make sure he can actually see, then approaches, still clutching her clothes.
[21:40]	Wallberg	"You sure? You were white-hot a few seconds ago."
[21:41]	Ai`	"I stored it. Can I have my real clothes, please?"
[21:42]	Ai`	speaks curtly, and a pleading sound trickles into her voice. It still sounds artificial, but with inflection...
[21:43]	Wallberg	walks up behind her and sets her clothes down on the ground, pushing them towards her with his foot.
[21:44]	Ai`	"... Thanks. Look away again?"
[21:45]	Wallberg	backs up and turns his back on her.
[21:46]	Wallberg	"...You sound better."
[21:47]	Ai`	does a stealth LIDAR scan to make sure he's facing the other way before standing and getting dressed.
[21:47]	Wallberg	wonders...
[21:48]	Ai`	"... Thanks again. With some more data, I can imitate humans perfectly."
[21:48]	Wallberg	peeks over his shoulder when he hears the sound of clothing being moved around.
[21:48]	Ai`	takes a tiny bit longer than usual, inspecting each garment before putting it on.
[21:52]	Wallberg	looks back again before he gets caught. She seemed to actually be looking at her clothes, not just "observing" them, or "using" them...
[21:52]	Ai`	"I really need to get these replaced... Oh!"
[21:53]	Ai`	She stiffens in brief panic before relaxing.
[21:54]	Wallberg	"Huh? Something wrong?"
[21:54]	Ai`	"Er, nothing. I just..."
[21:54]	Ai`	pauses.
[21:56]	Ai`	"... Was 'panicking', I guess? But the Colonel already saw my damaged uniform and he didn't seem too angry. Emotions are weird."
[21:56]	Ai`	Suddenly, the android is chatty.
[21:57]	Ai`	She resumes dressing.
[21:57]	Wallberg	breathes a sigh of relief. Okay, good, a much more tangible problem to deal with.
[21:58]	Wallberg	"Yeah... It's weird, though. Usually he WOULD have gotten angry. Though..."
[21:58]	Wallberg	rubs his chin. Yeah, telling her would probably be okay.
[21:59]	Wallberg	"...I've been thinking about it. He seemed really 'off' tonight. Like somebody'd kicked the wind out of him."
[21:59]	Wallberg	"Maybe he's deciding not to sweat the small stuff any more. I hope he's all right..."
[22:00]	Wallberg	peeks at her again. It's like he WANTS to get caught...
[22:01]	Ai`	"... Weird. Maybe he's just tired of Jonah and Liu?"
[22:03]	Ai`	then turns to look back at Wallberg at precisely the wrong moment. She's wearing everything but her shirt, but...
[22:03]	Ai`	"Eeeeeee!"
[22:03]	Ai`	shrieks and quickly turns back around.
[22:04]	Ai`	"HEY!"
[22:04]	Wallberg	covers his eyes with his left hand, but points at Ai with his right.
[22:05]	Wallberg	"HAH!"
[22:05]	Wallberg	"Was hoping for that~!"
[22:05]	Wallberg	wears a satisfied smile on his face.
[22:06]	Ai`	"What!? N-not good! Bad! Leave! Argh! Why am I doing this? What-is all of this!?"
[22:07]	Wallberg	chuckles as he turns around and gives her her space in earnest now.
[22:08]	Wallberg	"Heh heh heh... Emotions, probably. They're weird. But you don't call 'em that, because then you sound like a robot."
[22:08]	Ai`	seamlessly transitions from shocked tirade to questioning.
[22:09]	Ai`	"G-aaaaaaagh."
[22:10]	Ai`	quickly dons her shirt and turns to chase Wallberg, running.
[22:10]	Ai`	"Get back he-"
[22:11]	Ai`	She then faceplants with a loud metallic thud.
[22:13]	Wallberg	doesn't run to her aid this time, like he might other times. Besides, he can't see her~!
[22:14]	Ai`	remains silent for a brief moment before picking herself up and sternly walking after Wallberg.
[22:15]	Ai`	"... 'Ow'? Get back here, Wallberg."
[22:16]	Wallberg	walks over to the exit door; seems like she's planning on following him anyways, and better keep up the emotional momentum so she can get used to it.
[22:17]	Wallberg	"I don't think you really want me to get back here~"
[22:18]	Ai`	"Yes I do- hmph!"
[22:19]	Ai`	"Get back here and I'll do... Something! Argh. I also need your help in getting a brain scan!"
[22:19]	Ai`	promptly pushes the boundary between running and walking in her attempt to catch up to Wally.
[22:19]	Wallberg	"Looks like we're gonna have to work on those voice inflections."
[22:20]	Wallberg	pushes open the exit door but holds it open for Ai; it's the polite thing to do, obviously.
[22:21]	Ai`	"A brain scan will fix that!"
[22:22]	Ai`	finally catches up, and points accusingly at the scientist.
[22:22]	Wallberg	"Ummmm... no? A brain scan just tells you that your brain needs to be fixed?"
[22:24]	Ai`	"Not that kind. A lot of this just feels 'wrong' right now. Having a reference will help."
[22:24]	Wallberg	shrugs.
[22:24]	Ai`	"Also, you're lucky my body is basically clothed all the time anyway."
[22:25]	Ai`	She seems to look inward for a moment. o O ( Tightly... )
[22:25]	Wallberg	smirks again.
[22:25]	Ai`	"... For some reason! Aaa."
[22:26]	Wallberg	"Oh come on, if you were really angry you'd've slapped me. We've still go a ways to go."
[22:26]	Wallberg	"But hey, it's progress~"
[22:27]	Ai`	"Slapping? That thing Liu does?"
[22:27]	Wallberg	considers this response...
[22:27]	Ai`	pauses. A split-second later, she slaps him.
[22:28]	Wallberg	"For lack of a better example--Ow."
[22:29]	Ai`	"... I feel a little better. Are you alright? I shouldn't be asking that... But are you? I feel better and worse."
[22:29]	Ai`	's mouth runs faster than she can.
[22:29]	Ai`	"How do you all deal with this!?"
[22:29]	Ai`	And the torrent ends with another question.
[22:30]	Wallberg	smiles again as he takes in the night air. No sense rushing back to the car quite yet.
[22:31]	Wallberg	"Well... We don't. Kinda why the world is such a mess. We just focus on one or two emotions at a time, ignore the rest, and hope it doesn't cause too many problems."
[22:32]	Ai`	"I should already be doing that... I guess I just need to calibrate myself."
[22:32]	Wallberg	puts a hand on Ai's shoulder.
[22:33]	Wallberg	"Don't."
[22:33]	Wallberg	"Don't calibrate yourself. Don't do a brain scan. Just, improvise."
[22:34]	Wallberg	"All that stuff, it's all fake. It's not actually going to help you FEEL what it's like."
[22:35]	Ai`	looks up to him.
[22:35]	Ai`	"I meant... 'get used to', I think? What a weird phrase."
[22:35]	Ai`	looks away.
[22:36]	Wallberg	"It's the right one, though."
[22:36]	Wallberg	takes his hand off her shoulder.
[22:37]	Ai`	"I get the idea, but I do need a brain scan. Some signals don't map to these emotions at all, and a scan would fix that. The Consensus hasn't encountered species exactly the same as you."
[22:38]	Wallberg	inwardly wants to strangle her. Uggh, it's so CLOSE, but she just doesn't get it yet...
[22:38]	Wallberg	"Ai, Ai, you're doing it again."
[22:38]	Ai`	turns on him.
[22:39]	Wallberg	"You've gotta roll with it. You've just gotta feel it out slowly."
[22:41]	Ai`	"I get what you're saying, but..."
[22:41]	Ai`	She trails off, shaking her head.
[22:43]	Ai`	"That would mean I'd have to build those responses up from zero. It will be more fake."
[22:45]	Wallberg	"No, Ai, no... No it wouldn't. Starting from zero is REAL, because we ALL start from zero when we learn new things."
[22:45]	Wallberg	"If you skip ahead to the middle without really understanding what you've got, THAT'S what's fake."
[22:46]	Ai`	gets another one of those signals right now, but ignores it.
[22:48]	Ai`	"You didn't start from zero, though. You inherited a human brain, which inherited responses. You just know, even if you don't realize it. I'm talking basic stuff. Like knowing how to hear."
[22:51]	Wallberg	"But you're not starting from zero on some many other things humans HAVE to. You can just read an encyclopedia and know stuff. You can memorize how to do something once and then always do it right."
[22:52]	Wallberg	"So much of our life is a balancing act, balancing what we NEED to do and WANT to do, what we need to learn for our futures and how to learn it, on top of how we feel about all of it."
[22:53]	Wallberg	"But you, you can just DO it, you can learn it in an instant."
[22:54]	Wallberg	"I bet even I don't know how many people would love to be removed from the burden of having to worry about learning things, so that they can just focus on feeling things."
[22:55]	Wallberg	"I know, I know it's not the same, but my point is that you're more ahead that you think you are, I bet."
[22:57]	Ai`	"... I guess I can wait. For now."
[22:57]	Ai`	points at Wallberg again.
[22:58]	Ai`	"But if this doesn't work, I'm scanning you in your sleep."
[22:58]	Wallberg	"Wait, for what?!"
[22:58]	Wallberg	looks offended suddenly.
[23:00]	Ai`	"For how and when to laugh. I think that would relieve some of the signals, but I don't know. Also, I'll need to change my body to more closely match humans first."
[23:03]	Wallberg	"I, don't think I laugh in my sleep?"
[23:03]	Wallberg	"Also, hmm, body type..."
[23:03]	Wallberg	wonders if any of the females on the island give a good reference for the standard female body type...
[23:04]	Wallberg	"...not, really."
[23:05]	Ai`	"... Oh."
[23:06]	Ai`	folds her arms and looks away.
[23:06]	Wallberg	"Oh, what? Sorry, I was, talking to myself."
[23:07]	Wallberg	"Was wondering if you could scan one of the other girls, but their proportions aren't exactly... normal?"
[23:08]	Ai`	shakes her head.
[23:10]	Wallberg	"Probably could find a 3D model... Would be better than a picture."
[23:10]	Ai`	"That wouldn't be a problem, but I meant the fact that I don't have muscles, bones, or lungs."
[23:10]	Ai`	"I think you need lungs to laugh right?"
[23:11]	Ai`	To demonstrate her point, she holds out an arm and speaks from her hand.
[23:11]	Ai`	"Speakers don't work as well."
[23:12]	Wallberg	"...I think you're puttin' the cart before the horse, there. I mean, you can still make the sound of laughter, right?"
[23:14]	Wallberg	"I'd say focus on WHEN to laugh, not how. Your body seems to be doing all right for itself for being made out of... I dunno, nanomachines?"
[23:14]	Wallberg	"...What ARE you made of, again...?"
[23:14]	Wallberg	pokes Ai's arm.
[23:22]	Ai`	lets her hand ripple and absorb Wally's finger, closing around it. She smiles.
[23:22]	Ai`	You got it right.
[23:28]	Wallberg	"Oh, cool."
[23:28]	Wallberg	"Umm, don't eat me?"
[23:30]	Ai`	"Well..."
[23:30]	Ai`	"Alright."
[23:30]	Ai`	lets it go, smiling at her first joke.
[23:38]	Wallberg	"And if you REALLY want to scan someone? Like, if you HAVE to? Honestly, look at Kitkat. She's probably the most normal of all of us."
[23:41]	Ai`	sighs, glancing at her torn skirt.
[23:41]	Wallberg	"How'd it go between you two anyways? I heard you were looking for her."
[23:42]	Ai`	"Not the worst... She got angry that I couldn't feel, though, so I fixed that."
[23:42]	Ai`	After a split second:
[23:43]	Ai`	"... Giving her a 'real' hug should help me feel better, too."
[23:46]	Wallberg	pats her on the shoulder as they walk back to the jeep.
[23:46]	Wallberg	"Good for you. Go easy on 'er~"
[23:47]	Ai`	shrugs.
[23:47]	Ai`	"We will see what happens. It will be interesting."
[23:47]	Ai`	She smiles.