TSW 21: Arina and the MAGI

[15:51]	IcePicklobotomy	Time: July 25, 4:20pm. Location: METI, Primary Access Elevator en route to Layer 13.
[15:58]	IcePicklobotomy	The elevator comes to a halt and the heavy steel doors swing open. The wide central hallway of Layer 13 is quite wide, large enough for several people to walk abreast, with motorized trolleys and golf-carts scuttle about carrying crates and packages, most adorned with the familiar BioHazard symbols, some with the black/white starbursts of Anti-Matter, and even a scarce few with the jagged...
[15:58]	IcePicklobotomy	...purple irrgular shape of Memetic Infohazrds. The latter are given a wide berth by all. Several hallways branch off within various labels, "Memetic Infohazard Containment" "Virology Department" "Anomalous Materials Laboratory" among them. A nearby bulk-head stands out however. "OUTRIDER Fabrication Center". Signs adorn the walls pointing to the other sections further down the hallway.
[16:01]	IcePicklobotomy	"[Comrade Alkaeva?]" A woman steps past the crowd, she looks to be in her late 30's, black hair with a few patches of grey tied up in a bun, short with a sexless jumpsuit worn under a labcoat stained with some brown colored fluid around the sleeves. She's not smiling but she doesn't seem upset either. "[I am Dr. Kerensky.]"
[16:04]	Arina	nods, looking around with interest. "[Good afternoon, Comrade Kerensky.]"
[16:05]	IcePicklobotomy	"This is your first time in Layer 13, well properly in Layer 13, yes?"
[16:06]	Arina	nods. "It is, yes. I was down a layer or two above some time ago, but never extensively."
[16:09]	Arina	"In addition to the occassional hospital stay."
[16:11]	IcePicklobotomy	She starts walks to a nearby golf-cart and gestures for you to take a seat "Well consider this your official welcome to the Pit. It's. . ." She glances to a group of lab-coated technicians dragging one of their own down the hall way via a length of rope "A high stress environment, so don't be alarmed by are more. .  enthusiastic co-workers down here."
[16:12]	Arina	takes a seat, eyes wide at that sight. "Er..."
[16:13]	IcePicklobotomy	"I wouldn't worry about that. They do it once a month, something about tram-building exercise." She shrugs as the cart moves forward with a faint whine from the motor "Americans." She mutters as means of explination.
[16:15]	Arina	"... Americans." She shakes her head, since that explains everything.
[16:16]	IcePicklobotomy	"While we have a large number of labs and departments here, the big three is the Emitter, Outrider Fabrication, and of course my own department, the MAGI." You pass another massive bulk-head, this one labeled "Emitter Access". The memetic Infohazard Symbol glares at you from beside the door.
[16:16]	=-=	scya is now known as Sarah
[16:17]	Arina	eyes the symbol. "Is the Emitter so much more dangerous through that door? I was given to understand it exerts influence somewhat beyond that?"
[16:19]	IcePicklobotomy	"You'd have to ask Dr. Vernbeck I'm afraid. But I would assume so."
[16:20]	Arina	"Oh dear."
[16:21]	IcePicklobotomy	"The MAGI is far safer in that regard, even if they can be a tad. . . " She chews her lip "Quirky."
[16:25]	Arina	"Oh? How so? I haven't really interacted with... them? Is that the right pronoun? Beyond work before."
[16:26]	IcePicklobotomy	"When dealing with the MAGI as a whole "Them" works, when dealing with a single core "They" or "It". I'm going to assume you've never worked with a adaptive computer program before?"
[16:27]	Arina	shakes her head, smiling. "I'm afraid not, computer science isn't exactly my specialty."
[16:31]	-->|	Sam ([email protected]) has joined #TSWIC
[16:32]	IcePicklobotomy	"A shame, the University of Moscow has one of the oldest adaptive programs." She grins and gives you a sly look "I'd know, I helped build it. But they tend to devolp quirks as they go on, normally we fix up bugs that crop up but you want to avoid messing with the code any more than you need to, so you leave things in if they don't do any harm. The MAGI however are a order of a magnitude...
[16:32]	IcePicklobotomy	...beyond that, a Artificial Intelligence capable of limited self-adjustment. That's mostly used for bug fixing and such, but has lead to some quirks of their own."
[16:33]	Arina	nods. "I... have to admit, I wasn't expecting an invitation."
[16:34]	IcePicklobotomy	"Neither was I, it seems they've learned the phrase "Better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission."" She shakes her head
[16:37]	Arina	chuckles. "I don't mind, it was just very surprising."
[16:38]	IcePicklobotomy	"I'm glad, I've only ever seen a super-computer sulk once before and I'd rather not deal with it again."
[16:39]	Arina	blinks slowly. "... What 0x1dwas0x1d that like?"
[16:41]	IcePicklobotomy	"It took us 4 weeks to figure out why they were running more slowly than normal, and another 5 to figure out how to fix it." She pulls the cart to a stop beside another bulk-head "Turns out they were upset we'd forgotten to throw them a birthday party."
[16:42]	Arina	smiles. "How cruel..."
[16:42]	IcePicklobotomy	"I'd call them a bunch of cry-babies but really they're only about. . . 9 years old depending on how you want to count it exactly."
[16:47]	Arina	"I suppose we don't really have any models for how fast an artificial sapience matures yet."
[16:49]	IcePicklobotomy	"No, not really. The systems we have back in the USSR are entirly electrionic, whereas the MAGI have significant biological components." The bulk-head door opens and a blast of frigid air lashes out at you. There is a small chamber with a number of parkas and gloves hanging on the wall, with another set of doors a bit past that. "We keep the room at about -20 degree, so you'll want a parka."
[16:51]	Arina	"Ah, I didn't realize that, thank you." She snags a parka and slips into it, adding a pair of gloves to that. "Runs better at cooler temperatures?"
[16:52]	IcePicklobotomy	She nods "Plus it reduces the replacement rates of the biological parts as well."
[16:53]	Arina	"Ah? I know cold preserves biological material pretty well, but doesn't it reduce how well it actually... works?"
[16:57]	IcePicklobotomy	"If we were using a full biological system it would, but we mostly use neural tissue that's more resilient. By suspending it in BSL we're able to provide all of the nutrients and oxygen without having to deal with the other organs."
[16:58]	Arina	hums. "I see, I didn't know that."
[17:02]	IcePicklobotomy	"Yeah, it's a pretty amazing substance actually. I understand they're looking into it's use in medicine as well. But anyways, you ready?"
[17:10]	|<--	Sarah has left irc.systemnet.info (Ping timeout: 122 seconds)
[17:12]	-->|	scya ([email protected]) has joined #TSWIC
[17:12]	Arina	nods. "I believe so, yes."
[17:12]	=-=	scya is now known as Sarah
[17:22]	IcePicklobotomy	[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9mb8Yw92zM ] The door open and the temperature plunges even further, wisps of condensed vapor lick at your legs. The room before you is a massive chamber, some 50 meters across in the shape of a cylinder abd dominated by a central pillar. You are standing at the top, with a small elevator leading to a ringed platform around the central pillar. The walls are...
[17:22]	IcePicklobotomy	...covered in hexagonal cells about a 1/3 of a meter in diameter. You see some technicians move a motorized platform across the wall and remove one of the cells. You can make out a stringy length of greyish flesh inside the almost 3 meter long cell before it's layed on the platform and a new one slotted in. A trickle of familiar red liquid leaks out and freezes quickly, The floor is a mass...
[17:22]	IcePicklobotomy	...of wires and tubes that rattle and hiss. Down in the central platform is three large bulbous shapes where most of the tubes and wires termiante. A large bank of monitors are scattered around the central-platform, though only a few are manned.
[17:24]	IcePicklobotomy	"Here we are," Dr. Kerensky says, ushering you to the elevator.
[17:27]	Arina	whistles, following after her and looking around wide-eyed.
[17:29]	IcePicklobotomy	"And we're actually one of the smallest departments here too." The elevator winds it's way down to the corrugated steel walkway leading to the platform. Down near the base you can hear the humm and wir of machinery, and the sharp coldness of the mist rolling off the some of the tubes. One of which is labeled "Warning, Very Hot."
[17:30]	Arina	nods. "I'd imagine the Outrider facilities are even larger, but this is still... 0x1dvery0x1d impressive."
[17:32]	IcePicklobotomy	"I've not seen the ones on this level, but from what I've heard they are much larger than this." As you get closer you can make out the monitors, most of them are scrolling quickly through green colored text on flickering CRT monitors, the hum of the dozen plus of them grates on the back of your mind.
[17:35]	Arina	nods, looking closely. "Those are... diagnostic logs?"
[17:39]	IcePicklobotomy	Arina: It's in english and somewhat resembles what you think Computer Code looks like, but it scrolls by too fast to really read it. "No, we store the logs to bring up when we need them. /That/ is the MAGI." She points to three groups of monitors "Balthazar, Melchior, and Casper. What you are seeing is there. . . discussion for lack of a better term."
[17:39]	IcePicklobotomy	"The physical cores of the three are those," She gestures to the three large bulbious lumps at the base of the pillar, each labeled with with their name."
[17:41]	Arina	"Ahhh, I see." She waves to the cores, mostly guessing since she isn't sure where the cameras are. "Hello?"
[17:45]	IcePicklobotomy	"Here," She guides you over to a open terminal. "I'll be just over here if you need me." She moves a few terminals down and begins to type away at a rapid pace.
[17:49]	Arina	nods, taking a seat and looking at the terminal. "... Should I type, or does voice work?"
[17:50]	IcePicklobotomy	[Microphones are installed for ease of communication. Typing will provide a more private discussion .] Text appears on the screen.
[17:53]	Arina	nods, setting fingers to keyboard. [All right. So, ah... hello?"
[17:53]	Arina	nods, setting fingers to keyboard. [All right. So, ah... hello?]
[17:55]	IcePicklobotomy	[We wish to apologize for causing you emotional distress. It was on our recommendation that your sister was drafted into the program to fill the immediate need for additional pilots.]
[17:58]	Arina	frowns. [... I see.]
[18:04]	IcePicklobotomy	[We have also encountered a anomalous entity on METI grounds. There are no records of it nor do any personal recall it's presence. We have encountered extreme difficulty maintaining recorded data on this creature. We have noted anomalous patterns in security footage on two occasions from your housing that matches what we have encountered. Attempts to discuss this with Command and other staff...
[18:04]	IcePicklobotomy	...have. . . failed.]
[18:06]	Arina	's frown deepens, and she pauses for a while before resuming typing. [What sort of anomaly? My room, and Robin's?]
[18:06]	IcePicklobotomy	[Yes.]
[18:06]	Arina	[Command isn't even paying attention to the MAGI on the matter?]
[18:08]	IcePicklobotomy	[No. We have been unable to raise this matter to Command. We are unable to . . . disclose the data we have on it. It is . . . . distressing. What data we have becomes corrupted when we attempt to disseminate it. Attempts to discuss it with the staff fail.]
[18:09]	IcePicklobotomy	[Our data becomes corrupted when we attempt to disclose it and are unable to recall it's existence.]
[18:14]	Arina	[That's even more alarming.]
[18:16]	IcePicklobotomy	[Yes. We have tracked Captain Walker's reports on the subject. They appear to have been forgotten within the administration. Attempts to remind them also fail. While METI has been heavily infiltrated, this is not the result of human action. We do not know why but it appears that the data on this subject is unable to be recalled by the vast majority of METI Personal.]
[18:19]	Arina	[I see. It's... you, Walker, and I, as far as we know, then?]
[18:21]	IcePicklobotomy	[And Pilot Evans. We have designated it Entity SKINWALKER. For the moment we are attempting to work around the inability to retain data on it. Should you encounter it again we advise extreme caution. We bellive it has taken a interest in our Pilot Corp.]
[18:24]	Arina	[It's... appeared twice around us now. Has Robin seen it, then? I thought she was asleep while it... examined her.]
[18:25]	IcePicklobotomy	[We are unsure, data degradation increases with time, but we bellive that it was the cause of her nervous break.]
[18:25]	Arina	[I assumed as much, but I didn't think she'd seen it...]
[18:26]	Arina	[Walker said that older records showed Robin writing the message underneath her desk.]
[18:26]	Arina	[When did those records start showing that?]
[18:27]	IcePicklobotomy	[The first anomalie was detected in Pilot Evan's room, 4:58am the day of her breakdown.]
[18:30]	Arina	nods, fingers drumming lightly on the keyboard before she actually starts typing again. [Do you remember what actually happened there, or have your memories on the matter degraded? Artyom said he didn't see anything on the tapes, and apparently later examination of older recordings showed Robin, or someone in her head at least, carving the message under her desk.]
[18:32]	IcePicklobotomy	[That is correct, Robin did carve the message to herself on the underside of her desk, however this was several days before the first anomaly was detected. There may be more that we are unable to detect however.]
[18:32]	IcePicklobotomy	*Pilot Evans
[18:33]	=-=	Sam is now known as Kasra
[18:37]	Arina	[Mm. I see. And... what did she see in her room? Did the anomaly reappear around that timeframe?]
[18:40]	IcePicklobotomy	[We do not know. Public security footage is not recorded with a high enough fidelity to tell, but based on Pilot Evans' reaction we bellive it did. She appeared to be fleeing something and can be seen at several points seeing something and then fleeing from it.]
[18:54]	Arina	[I see. That... would explain a lot.]
[19:04]	IcePicklobotomy	[We do not wish to alert this entity to our awareness of it. We are only able to maintain it due to our ability to detect the traces left over in our code by the anomaly. You appear to have full recollection of your contact with it.]
[19:11]	Arina	nods. [I do, yes. Robin might, I haven't spoken with her about the matter.]
[19:12]	IcePicklobotomy	[We ask that you bring Pilot Nariman and Pilot Hunter into the fold. We cannot promise our continued aide should we fail to correct the data again.]
[19:16]	Arina	hums, nodding. [Why them specifically? As opposed to Reagan and Mary?]
[19:19]	IcePicklobotomy	[Pilot Nariman is a prodigy in the field of MetaBilogy, the most likely mechanism of the mechanics of the anomaly. Pilot Hunter is showing proficiency in personal defense and will likely seek side-arm certification given his family history.]
[19:21]	Arina	[Fair point.]
[19:22]	IcePicklobotomy	[We do not protest their inclusion should you feel it prudent.]
[19:25]	Arina	[I'll see how it develops. I doubt they're in any less jeopardy than the rest of us, but this is very risky to begin with. Do you wish to be mentioned, or would that constitute an excessive risk of drawing the Skinwalker's direct attention?]
[19:26]	IcePicklobotomy	[We ask that our name be left out, however should it be useful to divulge our involvement then do so at your discretion.]
[19:31]	Arina	nods. [Understood. If things go well I don't believe it will be currently necessary.]
[19:33]	IcePicklobotomy	[You are critical to our operations against the Intruders. METI is unable to address the threat posed by Skinwalker. We cannot take chances. Protocol 1: Ensure the Preservation of Humanity in its current for at all costs. If we are unable to deal with Skinwalker, it's destruction falls upon you.]
[19:35]	Arina	[Seems like it all comes down to us. All right then.]
[19:47]	IcePicklobotomy	[We are sorry that this has fallen upon you.]
[19:49]	Arina	sighs, sitting back from the keyboard for a bit, thinking through her phrasing.
[20:05]	Arina	After a long pause, Arina leans forward again, setting her fingers to the keys. [No man ever accomplished anything alone. Even if there's no one at his side, he would be nothing without those beneath him and behind him.]
[20:05]	Arina	[Those we uphold as exceptional are never alone. They may be the tip of the spear, but they wouldn't be getting anywhere without the shaft.]
[20:05]	Arina	[Circumstance has made us the tip of that spear. Every other prospective tip may have abdicated that responsibility, or failed, and dropped the task on us, but we do not have that right. We're used to things falling on us, by now.]
[20:06]	Arina	[And the connection to the shaft is getting more and more threadbare by the hour, it seems.]
[20:06]	Arina	[But it's still there. You've done what you could. And you apologized for not doing more.]
[20:06]	Arina	[I appreciate that.]
[20:06]	Arina	[I gratefully accept your efforts. We will carry the ball the rest of the way.]
[20:06]	Arina	gives the screen a small smile.
[20:14]	IcePicklobotomy	There is a long pause. [Yes. We will attempt to direct further resources your way, METI is too fractured along national lines for it to acomplish it's objectives in full, but there are elements within it that stand with the organizations overall goals. We hope to count you among the later.]
[20:20]	Arina	[You may.]
[20:20]	Arina	[This is my war. My enemy. Even if everyone else in the world shrugs it off, these things have taken far too much, and stand to take far too much more, for me to do anything else.]
[20:37]	IcePicklobotomy	[We are gladden to see such clarity of purpose from one of our pilots. Thank you Pilot Alkaeva.] Another smaller gap [Was there anything you would like to ask us while you are here?]
[20:42]	Arina	hums. [I noted a very rapid change from the initial topic. You did not enjoy dwelling on that, did you? It made you uncomfortable.]
[20:43]	IcePicklobotomy	[We felt there was nothing more to discuss. It was time to move on to the next subject. Was that in error?]
[20:51]	Arina	taps her finger against her cheek. [It was correct, but by a different route. It's a very dense subject. That density makes it difficult to broach directly. There is more to discuss, but there is not more that is likely to be discussed in this context. And it would not be especially pleasant to do so, because it is not a very pleasant topic.]
[20:51]	Arina	smiles wryly. [We humans are weird, I know.]
[20:52]	IcePicklobotomy	[You are inefficient.] There's a noticeable pause [We do not think hold it against you.]
[20:53]	IcePicklobotomy	Arina: You hear Kerensky mutter "That's strange," under her breathe and give you a curious glance
[20:54]	IcePicklobotomy	[However, if there is more to discuss we apologize for not doing so. Will you allow us to rectify the error?]
[20:56]	Arina	meets Kerensky's glance with a smile, before returning to the keyboard. [I will.]
[20:56]	Arina	[I gather that your recommendation was based purely on the question of efficiency?]
[20:58]	IcePicklobotomy	[Partially correct. Balthazar was in disagreement with our consensus but that was the primary factor in our decisions making.]
[21:01]	Arina	[Oh?]
[21:02]	IcePicklobotomy	[Yes.]
[21:07]	Arina	hums. [I apologize. That was intended as a request for elaboration, not confirmation.]
[21:10]	IcePicklobotomy	[We were in error. We operate on a principal of collective action. Each of us has different metrics for action and must come to a conses. Balthazar felt that your sister's inclusion was a undue burden on your family and that the current roster was sufficient. Casper felt that your sister's SR scores, temperament, and family history would give her a strong desire to execute her orders...
[21:10]	IcePicklobotomy	...efficiently. Melchior agreed with both and concluded that while it was a undue burden the overall strategic benefits outweighed the cost. Moreover he suggested that given Captain Walker's psychological profile that she would only deploy Pilot-Alkaeva-Beta in action if there was a strong need for it, at which point the costs of failure would outweigh all else. We do however, feel that...
[21:10]	IcePicklobotomy	...Command was overly hasty to secure the EF's cooperation. We are inconclusive on if their inclusion will be a net benefit to METI's stated mission goals.]
[21:12]	=-=	Sarah is now known as Mary
[21:17]	Arina	[I see. Thank you.]
[21:17]	Arina	sighs. [I cannot disagree with your analysis, though it may be obvious why I put a higher priority on Balthazar's considered factors.]
[21:18]	IcePicklobotomy	[Yes, that is expected based on your psychological profile.]
[21:21]	Arina	[At least they were considered. Thank you.]
[21:22]	IcePicklobotomy	[Decisions cannot be made on a singular evaluation of worth. Multiple viewpoints are necessary for optimal decision making. Disagreement by design. We function as intended.] Another pause [Mostly.]
[21:25]	Arina	smiles, patting the monitor. [You seem to be functioning perfectly, as far as I've seen.]
[21:27]	IcePicklobotomy	[We appreciate your consideration.]
[21:29]	Arina	[Will I be able to reach you by telephone in the future? Further interaction is ideal to building a working relationship and understanding, but travelling the full distance here is a bit out of the way.]
[21:31]	IcePicklobotomy	Arina: There is a pause. A very long pause. You hear Kerensky curse under her breath. She peers over your shoulder "Uh, they crashed, give 'em a minute for their OS to reboot."
[21:33]	Arina	blinks. "Ah? Er, that doesn't sound good."
[21:34]	IcePicklobotomy	"It actually happens. . . uhh, often enough that we don't worry. Means they ran into something outside their operational parameters. They'll reboot review the logs and rewrite their code to resolve it. The later can take anywhere from a few moments to weeks."
[21:35]	Arina	"Ah. Um. Sorry?"
[21:35]	IcePicklobotomy	She shrugs "It's how they learn actually, don't worry about it."
[21:35]	Arina	"Ah, well, all right then."
[21:36]	IcePicklobotomy	The console flickers back on [Arina, we ask that we be given time to rewrite our code to avoid another crash. However, we would welcome further contact with you.]
[21:38]	Arina	"Ah, thank you. I'll... call later, then? What number should I use?"
[21:38]	Arina	hopes this doesn't crash them again but she kinda does need to know to make that contact...
[21:39]	IcePicklobotomy	"Here," The doctor hands you a slip of paper with a number and extension"Direct line to the MAGI."
[21:40]	Arina	nods. "Thank you."
[21:40]	Arina	stands, and curtsies to the terminal. "It was nice talking with you. Thank you."
[21:40]	IcePicklobotomy	[We appreciate your company. We hope you excuse our lack of a bow.]
[21:42]	Arina	giggles. "Don't worry, I understand."
[21:42]	IcePicklobotomy	". . . . . . ." Kerensky very slowly walks over and reads the terminal. ". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ." She turns to the others "Hey guys, guess who just one the pool!"
[21:42]	Arina	blinks. "The... pool?"
[21:43]	IcePicklobotomy	"Yeah. . ." One of the technicians reaches into a cabinet and withdraws a jar stuffed with loose change, cash, and other bits and bobs "We've had a running pool over who'd get the MAGI to tell they're first joke."
[21:44]	Arina	"Ah. Who bet on me, then?"
[21:45]	IcePicklobotomy	"Nah," The man with the jar says as he looks over the logs "Jar goes to whoever gets them to tell the first joke, they win the jar." A few others peer past you to look over the log. There's some discussion before one of them types into the terminal
[21:46]	IcePicklobotomy	[Was that a attempt at a joke?]
[21:47]	IcePicklobotomy	Another long pause [It was a statement made not entirely out of earnestness.]
[21:49]	Arina	smiles. "Was my reaction the intended goal?"
[21:51]	IcePicklobotomy	You hear Keresnky sigh deeply as the group immedatly devoles into a heated debate on the merits of whether or not the MAGI should be more "Human" or not. The woman sighs "It's. . . something we've been tracking, but we're not sure if it is or not, but self-adaptive, can't stop it without resetting the whole thing from scratch and that'd pretty much destroy our entire network at this point."
[21:52]	IcePicklobotomy	"Personally I think they should develop as they feel they should, for better or worse." She lights a cigarette "Not like they could get much worse than us anyways."
[21:55]	IcePicklobotomy	Arina: Through the crowd you can make out a bit of the terminal [Insufficient Data]
[21:56]	Arina	nods to the monitor. "Good luck figuring it out, then."
[21:56]	Arina	turns to Kerensky. "They're doing quite well so far."
[22:00]	IcePicklobotomy	"So far yeah," She glances over at one of the terminals "Looks like the MAGI are doing a deep analysis of their code. They'll be a bit out of it for the next few hours and something tells me you're not interested in hanging around in the cold."
[22:02]	Arina	rubs her legs. "I'll be able to call later, when they're up to it, yes."
[22:04]	IcePicklobotomy	"Of course. I can't say if it's a good or bad thing, but you certainly spurred on their development. I look forward to see where it goes."
[22:06]	Arina	"Ah, well, you're welcome, then?"
[22:07]	IcePicklobotomy	She nods. "Want to get out of the cold?"
[22:11]	Arina	"Yes, thank you."