driftfleet | video broadcast

Entry tags:

video broadcast

Who: The Vision
Broadcast: Fleetwide, open
Action: The abandoned bug ship
When: 6/27 late in the day

[The video opens up to show what sure is a red-skinned guy in a skin-tight blue suit with a bright yellow jewel on his forehead. Someone isn't going for subtlety with his look. When he speaks, it's with a cultured voice and a light British accent.]

Good evening. For those of you I have not yet met, my name is the Vision and yes, this is my normal appearance. I am an engineer aboard the SS Windrose. Like many of you I have been exploring the derelict ship and I believe it is possible to cleanse it of the fungal infection using a process known as vacuum sterilization. Essentially this means moving the air to one half the ship and opening airlocks on the other half, allowing anything not securely bolted to be swept into space - including infectious spores. We would then close the doors, filter the air, move it to the disinfected side and repeat the process. Once it is clean, we may investigate further without fear of infection to ourselves and determine if the ship is capable of being used by us, either for our own purposes or to return to its original owners.

[His expression softens to one of sorrow.] However, in order to be fully confident this cleansing would be effective, it would be necessary to release the infected bodies of the fallen life-forms into space as well. They were once fully sapient individuals, before the infection took hold, and such an action should not be undertaken lightly. Is this a course of action the Fleet would support? If there are any of you who are conversant in such things, would you consider holding a funeral or memorial ceremony for those who have been our enemies?

I welcome your input. Thank you for listening.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There we go. He nods to both of them once they're in the viewscreen.]

I would certainly be open to other plans, if they're presented and as long as they are respectful. To borrow with the intent to return is more noble than simply taking it, I agree.

[Not that she can see it.]

We can worry about how much we use if we figure out a way that works for the fleet. Before that, we should decide on what we're doing with the bugs. [Silence for a moment.]

How we're dealing with ceremonies or whatever's decided.

[There's a pause]

Ideally...it'd be best to follow their customs if there's any information in their computer systems about that. [Bugpedia? Who knows]

If we can't find that, we could try using the funeral ceremonies of our worlds.

I will see if the other engineers and anyone else with technical knowledge can make finding that information a priority. Some of the databanks were damaged, however, so it's possible we may need to adapt our own customs to suit them.

It may be very interesting to see what such a ceremony would look like, given the diversity I've observed so far.

Yeah, you guys would have to let me know on that one. [Seeing what it looks like. Yup.]

To me, cremation seems the most sensible option. But I dunno what technology might work either.

I will if they find anything, Toph.

[He considers] I don't know of any Christian priests here, but if someone can find a copy of the Bible- I think I'm close enough to one to make do. So that's one option. [As for taking care of the bodies...well, burial's out.] And...cremation would be sensible to me, so long as we could do it safely on a ship.

[The Gideons haven't made it to space yet? That's a little surprising, actually.]

I haven't seen any physical books on my ship, but neither have I been looking particularly hard. I would think if there is a decent representation of Western Earth cultures here it may be possible to locate one. Alternately, if you have specific passages you need I may be able to write them from memory.

If the flames can be controlled, that would be my preference as well. If not, a space burial is much like a burial at sea in earlier eras - considered honorable by most cultures I know of.

Honorable or not, it could be dangerous if things get out there. It'd be safer to burn them. Like I said before, we can handle that. [She turns her head towards Allen.] Aang, Katara, Sokka, and I have handled worse.

[Back to the screen.] We can debate the ship all we want once it's uninhabited, but until then, it's a pretty dumb thing to waste time on. One thing at a time, and this clearly comes first.

[Allen gets his comm back, and she moves away, stretching.] Someone come find me when there's more votes. I've got stuff to do that doesn't involve sitting around and rehashing the same points over and over. [She waves, then she's gone. Toph out.]

Edited 2015-06-28 04:26 (UTC)

[He turns his head, as he watches her just stand up and leave.]

- And she's gone.

[Well that was abrupt. He's not even sure what other stuff she had to do, but...whatever. Short and to the point just seems to be Toph thing]

[Finally, he turns back to Vision and talk to him, when another point sinks in]

...Wait. What do you mean you'd be able to write the passages from memory? Are you saying you memorised the Bible?

[There's that smile again.]

I am an android. There are many texts within my memory, especially something so well-known as the Bible.

An android...?

[Thinking...and nope. Sorry. Doesn't ring a bell.]

You are somewhat familiar with the computers on the ships? It's possible to construct a computer program so complex that it is self-aware, called an artificial intelligence or AI. An AI placed into a human-like body is called an android. My memory contains both my experiences, as any human's memory does, and also data files like one might find in a computer.

- Oh! I know what an AI is! There was one in the last place I was, I think he lived in someone's helmet?

[Or something like that. It always felt rude to ask York and Delta]

So...you're an AI but with your own body?

Yes, very much like that. Before I was reborn into this form, I helped run a set of complex battle armor. I've since gained several layers of complexity and a share of unique abilities, but the concept is quite similar.

That's...

[Hard for him to wrap his mind around. For a number of reasons, not just the tech talk.]

Are you...alive then?

[That's an interesting question--but not one he hasn't heard before.]

I certainly like to believe so. If I am cut, I bleed. I require air and pressure as much as any human. I do not need to eat or drink or sleep because the stone sustains me, but I can do so for pleasure. And I am self-aware and feel emotions, which is enough for most to define me as alive.

That...certainly sounds alive to me.

[All those things do sound pretty close to what it was to be human. Especially the eating part. Points for liking to eat man. Still, he's uneasy about this. Does this mean this android has a soul? That they were able to create not only artificial intelligence, but a soul?]

And...you were created by man? You know Earth references.

[Yeah. After what he's seen of humanity- he's really not sure he likes the idea of people being able to create this. Playing God and all that.]

[Now that's an even better question, whether or not he has a soul.]

There were several forces involved in my creation. Three humans, two AI, and the lightning powers of Thor of Asgard in addition to the power of the Mind Stone. But I awakened in New York City on Earth in the year 2015, if that is part of your question.

[...A pause. Wait. What. What the hell kind of orgy was that??? His unease gives way for just sheer confusion]

Thor of Asgard-

You mean...the Norse god of thunder?

[Welcome to the Avengers, man.]

Yes, Thor Odinson who controls thunder and wields the hammer Mjolnir. I count him as my closest friend and most valuable ally.

I...see.

[There's a pause, and so many questions. Why is Thor real? Why is he in New York City? Why is he hanging out with two AIs and three dudes making an android baby- why is in New York City?]

[But well, at least it sounds like a god was involved. Even if he doesn't believe the Norse gods (who are apparently real??) are actual gods. That almost makes it...a little better. If anything, it means it's unlikely this guy can be mass produced. Whew.]

So you were made from men, other AIs and...thunder god magic?

Essentially, yes. I know it must sound strange. [It sounds strange to him and it's hos own backstory.]

Though, ah, to clarify, Dr. Cho is a woman and it was she who grew this body from tissue samples. I am not made from pieces of other living men like Frankenstein's monster. The other two men helped in the design process.

[Yeah if it looked like you were made out of people parts this probably would've been a bad turn conversations wise. but if anything, the magic brings a sense of familiarity to it, in a way.]

...Actually, it doesn't sound too different from what I know about making a golem.

[He nods, expression clearing up a bit.] Yes, that's a reasonable comparison from what I know of golems as well. Thank you for the analogy. [It could help a lot with people who are more familiar with magic than technology.]

[He gives a little half shrug. Okay, golems he can deal with. Just a super intelligent golem- which makes sense if the sorcerer who made him is on "god" level . But then he frowns, feeling guilty]

...Sorry. I shouldn't have asked all those personal questions before introducing myself.

I'm Allen Walker.

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