outer_divide | [Video: Wednesday, Week 48] Hopefully we skip past singing 'Daisy Bell'.

[The backdrop is a middling familiar one to anyone who's been paying the slightest bit of attention to the goings-on with Salvation, consoles of a futuristic bent: mostly functional, bulkheads: some damaged. Kaidan is leaning up against one of the bits of better-repaired tech, his communicator propped up to let him speak as if giving an interview.

(To the annoyance, somewhere in the multiverse, of one Diana Allers, he seems a lot more open about this one.)]

So, ah, hey there.

This is Kaidan Alenko, since I know we've had some new people wake up since the last time I was on the network. I'm one of the people that's been working on the ship, among other things, and I figured I should let you all know how it's going.

Ah... specifically I'm trying to bring Salvation's ship's AI back online. AIs are kind've a touchy subject back where I'm from, and I imagine that's probably not an isolated experience, so I thought I may as well put this out there so people can get any questions or concerns out now, instead of after they've tried storming the ship and ended up put inside a force field by it.

If there are any newly decanted engineers or other folks with mechanical or electrical skills, we could sure use more hands on this project too. I'm hoping that bringing Salvation back online will let us figure out how best to fix her so we can work on getting home again.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

So this is why I haven't heard from you in awhile. You've been up to your eyeballs in wires and motherboards, haven't you?

Oh, hey, right, I talked to that gal, too. The AI. Salvation. Whatever.

She was kinda weird.

[Have the most unhelpful reply ever, Kaidan. Sorry about that.]

You're really tryin' to get her back up, huh? But then, y'know, she might... actually have security t'throw at people when they mess up.

[He also remembers being thrown in spaceship-jail and then possibly dying when the ship crashed, and he doesn't want that to happen again.]

I must be going crazy because I could have sworn you said youwere trying to bring an AI back online.

If any more idiots storm the ship, we're leaving them in their box.

Ah, I guess I have, at that. I promise I've still been getting my rest -- I'm not an actual engineer, I think that helps.

Weird is putting it mildly.

[Kaidan's own interactions with the AI were more informative, but no less bizarre. His hand rubs idly at the nape of his neck.]

But I think she genuinely was programmed to try and get things back the way they're supposed to be, which would include getting us back into our home realities.

You don't think she'd, y'know. Remember us or anythin', right? If you turned her back on?

[He can just picture it now, that weird woman computer thing spotting him and herding him back into his little cell.]

Yeah, I can pretty much feel the Council trying to break through space and time to yell at me.

[Kaidan's expression is a mix of ruefulness and relief -- Tali was, apparently, one of the people he was hoping would respond.]

But I've been on the ship in her heyday -- there was this time travel thing, long story -- and she's complex enough that there's no way we can puzzle out how to prioritize repairs in anything less than a lifetime without some guidance. She seems to have been programmed with a fairly clear set of primary protocols, at least?

Which, OK, I heard from Shepard about what resulted in the Reapers, but I think her architects actually had a functioning brain, unlike the Leviathans.

If any more idiots storm the ship, I won't have time to get them out of the box.

Well as long as I don't have to browbeat you into getting a full night's sleep, I guess you can keep doing what you're doing.

I see no down side to that.

They'll start to smell, after a while. Unless you're planning on getting Salvation to--

[Repod them, Kaidan doesn't finish, as some tact belatedly appears to remind him about the situation with Pepper.]

Actually, she could probably drop in some ration bars. They'll be fine.

Hard to say. I mean, the timeline outside the ship sure changed. But the ship itself...

[He smirks at the teenager, not unkindly.]

Guess you'd better be nice to the powerful sentient computer program.

The permission's appreciated, ma'am. [Kaidan's teasing, says the crinkle to the corners of his eyes, but he does do an excellent military bearing when he wants to.]

If I get her online and there's anything you'd like me to ask her, let me know.

Redirect the air filters? Yeah.

[It's a shade too dry for him not to have picked up on the orignial direction of the comment, but there's neither anger nor fragility apparent.]

Oh, that's... well, that'll require a lot of thought. Good thing I have some time to think it over.

What would be the first thing you'd ask, so I don't steal your question?

[Really, she's just fishing for ideas.]

Do we have any idea what the hell this thing's capable of? [ She sounds wary, but a hell of a lot more open-minded than when he tried to win her over on the Authorities. Her main concern isn't the nature of the AI on the scale of trustworty to rampant, but more, how much damage the ship could do if Kaidan did manage to 'wake it up'.

Because there are quite a few people left in pods that she'd take particular offense to seeing any kind of harm. ]

[The look Todd gives him is mildly annoyed.]

You remember what happened last time I was on that ship when its brain worked, doncha?

Edited 2013-11-04 03:30 (UTC)

Ah, yeah. Definitely some time.

I'm mostly going to be quizzing her about repair protocols and prioritization, boring stuff like that. I'm sure your questions will be a lot more interesting.

Not... as much as I'd like.

[Kaidan, the constant overthinker and keeper of a way out, is unhappy with the amount of uncertainty? We are shocked. Shocked. He scrubs a hand through his hair as if hoping that will yield some answers.]

I do know that Salvation's the reason we're all still alive, and some of her primary programming is all tied up in keeping us that way. Find out what's shredding the multiverse, and get people back safely where they came from seem to be what she was programmed for.

And, frankly, there's no realistic way we're getting the ship running without the AI. It's like EDI but way, way moreso.

Now don't go saying that! I'm gonna feel so embarrassed if I can't live up to your expectations.

[Kaidan grins, eyes crinkled at the corners and his expression warmly amused.]

Oh, I think you'll do just fine. Besides, you'll probably have a lot of time to think things over before I can even hope of getting her running again.

Sure do.

[No sympathy from the Alenko, none.]

Maybe you'll get off on a better foot this time.

[Well, that's a relief. There's knowing that, logically, Tony Stark isn't a delicate flower and then there's the reality of not suffering yet another outbreak of foot-in-mouth disease.]

So, air filters and ration bars. That's covered, then. Although I'm hoping that if this isn't a complete surprise we can at least prevent a couple panics.

Of course, if it turns out that this is all a cunning ruse and I end up releasing our technological overlord... sorry?

[She smirks back, enjoying the banter.]

I'll be sure to take my time, then. Unless you end up getting a ton of volunteers and it's up and running before you know it.

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[Video: Wednesday, Week 48] Hopefully we skip past singing 'Daisy Bell'.

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