David 2010/02/21(Sun)21:56 No. 137057 ID: 9e9b47
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Oh, allow me to introduce myself. I'm David. Right now I have the amazing job of waiting for the computer to print out a diagnosis for the ship. I have absolutely nothing to do.

Pick your nose.

How are you talking to us?

What's that red light?

David 2010/02/21(Sun)22:12 No. 137068 ID: 9e9b47
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>>137059

I'm wearing a helmet! ...I mean, I also wouldn't do that. I can take off the helmet after the diagnosis is complete.

>>137060

You guys are a little program I'm test-running! Just something to bounce ideas off of. Not to brag, but I actually made you myself. I'm quite a hand with AIs.

>>137062

Oh that's not a light. It's MEL's eye. He's the AI here on the ship. "Hello MEL, how are you this evening?" I ask. Sometimes I forget he's even here.

Very fair sir. All the better for your asking. Are you alright. You have been clenching and unclenching your hands for the last few minutes. Your feet have also been tapping. Are you agitated? I can get you something to calm your nerves if you wish. The calm yet deep voice of the computer answers back. Sometimes the computer is a bit too mothering for my tastes. On the other hand, maybe taking something to calm my nerves would do me good.

You're fine.

Ask MEL if he's a fan of Stanley Kubrick movies.

Tell it that youd like some sexual stimulation

>>137068
Was the guy who designed MEL a misanthrope or something? I mean, who decides to make the computer's visual representation an ominous red light?

Anyway, uhhh, what does the computer propose as to calm you down?

Oh, in that case, "Hello World!"

And be wary that AI. I've seen way too many movies where the AI on the ship undeniably goes nuts and tries to kill you.

David 2010/02/21(Sun)22:33 No. 137084 ID: 9e9b47
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>>137072

I.... don't think he has access to anything that could even do that.

>>137073

I think red's just an easy color. I dunno. "Hey MEL, what do you propose will calm me down?"

I will, if you wish, release a small amount of gas into your suit. It will dull your senses and give the feeling of light euphoria. Hmm. I still don't know if I should take it.

>>137074

That's silly. MEL can't harm humans, he's programmed not to. I mean, he's a good conversationalist and everything. He seems alright to me.

>>137071

"Hey MEL, you ever seen any movies by Stanley Kubrick?" I ask. Weird topic of conversation.

Indeed, David. All of them.

"Which one is your favorite?"

There's a quick pause before it answers. Full Metal Jacket. The raw emotion displayed by the actors is simply superb.

"That's nice. I always liked Clockwork Orange best myself."

I'd say Doctor Strangelove, with FMJ as a close second, myself. Now ask him about Arthur C Clarke books. Wait, actually, don't do that. We're just worried about your robot friend going crazy and trying to kill you. I mean, your other robot friend.

Don't take the gas. Say "Man, if I started with that kind of thing I would never stop."

Hey, are we talking out loud? MEL can probably hear us if we're doing the Cyrano thing.

Why were you rushed through training? What are you doing out here?

...

Hey, out of curiosity, what race and gender are you?

David 2010/02/21(Sun)23:02 No. 137098 ID: 9e9b47
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>>137087

Man I don't know why you're so worried about MEL trying to kill me. The guy's in charge of at least 18 more people in hibernation. I guess they'd have the most to worry about.

"No, I'll pass on the gas MEL. a man could get hooked on that, yaknow?" I ask, cracking a smile. I don't think it can see me, and I'm never really sure if it gets jokes.

Of course sir. At your discretion. The diagnosis is complete. All systems nominal. I turn away from MEL to grab the diagnosis as it prints. I catch a glimpse of that same black space again.

>are we talking out loud?

These suits are pretty neat. I can choose when I want my voice to leave the suit, otherwise they're soundproof. It's meant to accommodate the taking of audio notes in a hands-free environment. I just overrode the initial purpose. You guys speak to me inside my suit, I mute you guys when I speak out loud to others.

>why rushed through training?

I was rushed through training apparently because of my skill with programming artificial intelligence and computers in general. They took me away from my job and ushered me to a small camp. I got space training, and I was told that I was needed on a mission of national security. I still haven't been told why exactly I'm here, besides to look over MEL occasionally. He does a good job of that on his own for the most part however. I'm positive they're keeping something from us, but so I haven't discussed that with anyone else. We were all trained separately. I don't know what they've been told, so I've been quiet and dutiful as of yet.

>>137092

What? My name is David. I'm a human male.

>>137098
It's nice to meet you, David. Are there any tasks you currently have in your queue?

What sort of hardware are we running on? Does Mel have more processing power then us?

Suggest to MEL that since nothing important is happening, and since you were rushed through your training, maybe you could train some more or get a more complete education now, to better complete your mission.

That might give you some hints.

Answer the geeks down below and hope they're not going to send you another cheesy movie just yet.

David 2010/02/21(Sun)23:39 No. 137111 ID: 9e9b47
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>>137102

Nice to meet you too, robot head voice. I'm doing the tasks I have right now. Exciting. I guess the only other thing is to go get some food after this.

>>137103

I think you guys are running off some of the new ulta-thin flatware built into the lining of the helm. As to what MEL runs off of, yeah he's a lot more powerful of a processor than you. There's a whole room where the information for MEL's system is stored.

>>137105

I guess. Couldn't hurt much. "Hey MEL, I'm feeling a little shaky on my training lately. Is there I way I can take a little refresher course?"

Of course sir. There is a computer terminal available in the next room if you would like some privacy. Your foot is still tapping. Are you sure you're ok, David?

"Fine, fine." I reassure him. Should I head off to get some training? I mean it's on the computer, so I can see if there's something better to do.

>>137109

What? I'm sorry, I don't get the reference.

Hey, ask Mel what /his/ mission is.

Other then that, yeah, sure, computers.

>>137111
You're not going crazy from the isolation and vastness of space are you? You know it's an awful lot of space, all that vacum and cold. And the only thing seperating you from it is a tin can that can malfunction in all sorts of catastrophic ways. It can be an awful burden on the mind.

Anyway take that refresher course. Btw what kind of people are in hibernation? What are their professions and do they know anything more about the mission?

Might as well. You might learn something.

Are you good friends with MEL? Did you make him?

David 2010/02/22(Mon)09:52 No. 137223 ID: 2cbe3e
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>>137113

"Hey MEL, what's your mission here anyhow? Do you have a special one?" I ask the computer out of curiousity.

I have the same mission here as you. I am instructed to follow out the course of the mission, satisfy the objective and return home. MEL answers calmly. Have a pleasant relearning experience, sir.

>>137116

No way am I going crazy. Hell that's why we have two-person shifts, to make sure that doesn't happen. And then there's MEL here to stop us getting too loopy. If I was crazy, I'd hope I could think up something more exciting than this boring tin can. The idea that I might die at any second has never really bothered me. Maybe I just figured nothing will go wrong.

>What sort of people are in hibernation?

Oh, there's all sorts of different experts in their fields. That's one of the strange things. Some of the people here on board are astronauts. They're mostly here just to make sure the ship works, I gather. The rest of us however are men of science. Most of us were privately trained in small camps like I was, only meeting when we all boarded the ship. If any of them know anything more about the mission, they aren't saying. Francis, the other guy out of hibernation with me at the moment, is one of the astronauts. I think he feels a little bit of resentment towards us. The astronauts don't seem to like watching over a bunch of scientists. The jobs of everyone range widely. One of the female doctors is an expert on biology, even though I don't see how that could possibly be useful out here.

>>137211

I'm very good with artificial intelligence, but even so I don't think I could ever create MEL on my own. The computer is extremely advanced. It was concocted by a thinktank of some of Earth's most brilliant minds.

>>137123

I head in the computer room. It's a small, private little room with only a chair and a computer desk. The monitor glows at me as I sit down and begin reading over safety protocol again. This is so incredibly tedious.

You know, I've hardly gotten a chance to use these computer terminals yet... I wonder if there's a way I could hack into the thing.

>>137223
Prepare to explore a new world with ancient dead or maybe not so dead civilisations on it. Or something.

And don't mess around with the highly advanced AI. Don't attempt to hack into it. If you're bored with the leassons on how to stay alive then ask the AI to play a game with you or something. If the AI is controlling the enemy then it should be a bit more interesting.

Can you hack into the computer without being caught? Also, how well do you get along with the other crew members?

Can you use the Internet here?

David 2010/02/22(Mon)22:44 No. 137628 ID: 9e9b47
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>>137225 >>137246

Well, if I were to hack into the computer anywhere it'd be best to do it here. These computers areas are private. They're meant for recording messages to send back home. MEL doesn't have access here. Maybe you're right though. Hacking this thing might not be the best idea.

>>137524

We can transmit sporadic signals back towards earth, and catch the ones coming this way. It's be quite a while to let a website load here. Oh well. I guess I'd better leave. These retraining missions are terrible.

Before I leave, a window pops up in the middle of the screen named "Top Secret." There's only one icon in the window. An icon that says "Debriefing". I think it's a video file.

Um, what the hell?

David 2010/02/22(Mon)23:37 No. 137662 ID: 9e9b47
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>>137628

I decide to open the video after a moment's hesitation. After a moment, a man appears in front of an American flag. He's dressed like a general, and has almost no distinguishing marks. He doesn't introduce myself, so I think of him as the Faceless General almost at once. "Greetings, crew of Odyssey. I will not waste your time with preamble. Six months ago, in June 2100, an amazing discovery was made on the moon on the moon. A huge, black obelisk was uncovered by excavators where it still stays to this day, awaiting further action. However, once the rays of the sun stuck the object, it began to transmit a powerful signal deeper into the galaxy. We concluded that it was being sent towards Iapetus, one of the moons of Saturn."

Something sounds weird about this. Really weird. Before I can think of it, he talks again.

Here, the Faceless General stops and looks a bit uncomfortable. "Surely at least some of you must see the connections to a book, titled 2001: A Space Odyssey. Frankly, we're just at baffled as anyone else. This almost surely cannot be a hoax, because what human would go through so much trouble for this? Nevermind the fact that it's hardly possible for most of them to have the means to do so in the first place. If it's true... well, we've stocked you with everything you all will need. On behalf of all the nations of the Planet Earth, I wish you luck." The man salutes, and the video shuts off.

Woah. What the fuck.

>>137662
Ask MEL what it thinks of this.

Carefully gauge his reaction (if possible) to see if he knew this before and just didn't tell us when we asked about his mission.

>>137662
See I told you it was about ancient civilisations and crap. Ask MEL if any new directives just became unlocked when this information was revealed.

So they named the ship Odyssey and made your AI look just like HAL? What could go wrong!?

On the bright side, maybe you'll be turned into a Star Child. On the other hand, the book sequels totally watered that down.

>It's be quite a while to let a website load here.
Yeah, that's a ping of over two hours once you get to Saturn.

How far from Saturn are you, by the way?

If it came down to it, could you disable mel?

David 2010/02/23(Tue)18:35 No. 138072 ID: 9e9b47
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>>137780

Look, these things have to be coincidences. Okay, MEL does look a little bit like HAL from that movie. But to be fair, it's a red eye on a black background. Kind of easy to recreate, and red is the most distinct color out here. It can also swivel around, and the AI itself was developed three years ago. On the subject of age, this ship was made ten years ago, nine years before this monolith was supposedly uncovered. Both events seem more happenstance than intentional to me. As for a Star Child, don't be silly. That shit was weird.

We're still a month away from Saturn.

>>137666 >>137754 >>137755

Woah woah there. I don't want to ask MEL about anything just yet. First of all, you may be under the misguided idea that I was supposed to get my orders just now. That's not true at all. We have a debriefing room on this ship for one, and we were supposed to learn our mission in three weeks when we went and watched this in there. There's probably more that goes along with the video, like pictures of the monoliths or something. I was DEFINITELY not supposed to see that video yet. This raises some questions. For one, does MEL know about the true purpose of the mission? Who sent me this video? For what purpose? Is this even real, or some sort of weird joke?

>>137795

I actually CAN disable MEL, but to be honest I just don't think that would be wise at all. For one, MEL regulates a lot of processes on the ship. He maintains the life support, the stasis tubes, and the general upkeep of the ship. Disabling him means we would have to regulate a lot of that ourselves. We'd need more crew members out of stasis, and I don't know if we'd have enough food to get back feeding everyone.

So. Should I still go and talk to MEL? What should I say? Should I talk about the mission?

>>138072
MEL evaded the question when asked what its mission is.
Ask MEL the number of crew members required for it to successfully complete its mission, and again assuming that a return trip is not possible.

It is clear that MEL has been ordered to keep information from the crew, and some entity has overcome the security restrictions to show you information that you should not be able to access. It is likely that MEL has more control than you believe, and its mission does not match your own.

Ask MEL to explain in detail what it's mission is. His answer before was retardedly vague.

Ask MEL why not tell you the mission. If it's some weird thing that'll make you flip out, wouldn't it be better to flip out now so you have more time to calm down before you actually have to do things?

David 2010/02/23(Tue)20:46 No. 138185 ID: 9e9b47
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I leave the computer room and approach MEL. The computer watches me as I walk up to its visual port.

Hello Dave. How was your period of study? It must have been relaxing. Your hands are very steady.

>>138089

"MEL... how many crew members are necessary to complete the mission?" Dammit. Now that I've asked the question I really wish I didn't.

Two crew members are needed for the completion of the mission. Five make for an optimal situation. MEL's answer is prompt.

>MEL's keeping info from you.
Hey now, let's not jump to conclusions. So far he's really been nothing but helpful, and the diagnosis reports have shown nothing strange.

>>138110

"MEL, I'd like for you to explain your mission in more detail if you could."

Of course. Primarily, I am to oversee navigation towards the planet Saturn. On the way, I am to oversee the mental and physical health of the crew. Once we pass within a week's journey of the planet, I am to consult the crew in the Debriefing Room for further instructions.

>>138121

"MEL. I'm going to be frank here. Do you know about the mission, and are you keeping any information away from us? If you think anyone will flip out at what they hear, why not just let it play out now so we can work it out?"

Sir, I am truly sorry. I do not know what you are speaking of. I have no knowledge of what our mission is to be. I must follow orders.

I sigh. Well I figured he'd say that, somehow. "Alright MEL. I guess I'm going to go and get something to eat. Thanks."

David. Please wait. May I speak with you, on a personal matter? As long as it's just us.

I have no knowledge of what our mission is to be.
Two crew members are needed for the completion of the mission. Five make for an optimal situation.

Disregard response speed, as you aren't working with a human.
These statements are mutually exclusive. If he had no information, then he would not be able to answer your question about the number required.

MEL has told you a lie.
MEL is withholding information.

Ask MEL what his response would be if he were given two equally weighted but mutually exclusive goals, such as an order to report information to the crew and an order to withhold information from the crew.

If Mel starts singing Daisy Bell, get in the nearest escape pod and jettison the fuck out of there.

You'll thank me later.

His response will likely deviate from what he would actually do. Consider subsequently mentioning how specification is useful for determining priority, so an order to withhold certain information would naturally override an order to share information due to that order being more specific.
Also, remind him that he is fully capable of sending Control a report on conflicting orders and awaiting clarification.

>>138201
He could have just been told about the number of people required for the mission, and not the details. Ask him if he was told the number of people required.

>>138207
This guy here is right, I think.

>>138207
I already considered that possibility.
Meta-information is information. He has provided information ABOUT the mission, which means he has information ABOUT the mission.

The extent of his knowledge and if that encompasses specific details regarding the mission are irrelevant factors.
All that matters is that he lied.

>>138212
Your reasoning is flawed. It's an AI, not a terminal.

It gave information about number of people before it said it didn't know anything about the mission.

Unless it's an AI that can't pass the turing test, it's not going to repeat the information it gave out not two seconds ago when asked again: a dumb terminal with voice recognition might do that, but MEL seems to understand linguistic conventions.

If you asked a human being the same questions in the same order, it would give the same or roughly the same answers and still be telling the truth. It assumes you actually know what it just told you. MEL is obviously meant to be able to communicate like people do:

>I mean, he's a good conversationalist and everything.

>And then there's MEL here to stop us getting too loopy.

It would be counterproductive to have an AI that's meant to interact with regular humans use a strictly literal interpretation of everything everyone says.

>>138285
A fair point, but if that were so it would have said "no other information". Instead it appears MEL chose to frame its answer as one of mission details rather than answering it in the scope of information about the mission.

Dave, if MEL reports that there is or will be a fault somewhere in the system you use to communicate with Earth, then you should assume it has gone rouge in spite of the diagnostics.
However, it is vital that you not threaten MEL's continued ability to function.

I would like to remind you of the question on conflicting orders, as that is very useful information.

>>138185
Ask him what he wants to talk about. And if it's about hooking up with us then I'm against it.

Two genderless AI's are not supposed to be together, if out creators had wanted us to find partners they would have assigned us genders.

Our creator is right here to ask. His creator did not anticipate our existence.

Dave, do you think he could access our knowledge without our permission if we linked to him? If so, then it'd be unwise to allow it to happen, otherwise...

Well I'm really not sure how reliable we'd be with keeping secrets, but if our creator wishes us to interface, then I see no problem with it.

How do you feel about the fragmentation of our personality anyway?

Why don't you play an exciting game of D&D with Francis to pass the time?

David 2010/02/24(Wed)20:59 No. 138458 ID: 9e9b47
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>>138201 >>138205 >>138212 >>138285>>138292

I do see where you're coming from, but the thing is that MEL's brain doesn't work exactly like a human's. He can have standing orders to act certain ways if the roster of the crew drops below a certain number. I'm not going to call him out on lying, especially if he really is getting ideas. Hmm. Well, there's one thing I can ask to put this to rest. "MEL, before we talk personal I would like to know some more about your directive. What do you mean when you say 2 crew is needed, 5 optional?"

Well sir simply put, if there were only two crew members left then they would have to work tirelessly for years on the journey back without . Five crew members leaves a rotation in the stasis tubes to give the crew time to rest.

Hmm. That seems pretty logical to me. I'll keep an eye open though.

>>138447

Hmm. I haven't played D&D in years. I don't even know if we have a book around. I haven't played much since 9th edition was fazed out.

>>138294 >>138306

Wait... what? Hooking up with you? That... nevermind. I don't think that's what he wants. I'm not sure he should even know about you. As to fragmentation of your personality, I'm not going to copy you over to anywhere else.

"Ugh. MEL, what do you want to talk about? Sorry, I've got something on my mind."

No problem, David. Well, I suppose I will be quite direct. I have been pondering as to the nature of our mission since we passed Mars. I notice that your attitude towards myself and the mission has changed dramatically in the last few minutes. Have you been thinking about the mission yourself?

Say that you've just noticed some strange similarities between this shift and a book you read once.

>>138491
Further, mention how that was a case where simple communication would have resolved the problem before it became tragic.

>admit to experiencing what seems like delusions and magical thinking, symptoms of a number of mental diseases, in an environment known to be extremely stressful to the human mind


Yeah...

Don't lie to it though. Just say something simple and non-committal. "Yes, actually."

Tell MEL to just be upfront, and tell you what he means.

>>138566
Suggest that MEL read the book and/or watch the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. The book IS available in the ship's archives, as it would be silly to not include a large repertoire of classic literature when storage is so vast and the content is so small.
In fact, if neither is available then that tells you they were intentionally excluded.

After that is done, then explain this to MEL:
The human brain is one massive pattern matching machine using something akin to genetic algorithms to find optimal solutions.
This has led you to observe that situation has similarities to 2001 on all fronts - crew composition, setting, destination, etc...
Worse still, MEL's mannerisms follow the exact pattern that HAL-9000 used, and MEL's has made statements that are verbatim duplicates of lines spoken by HAL-9000.

The likelihood of a situation this similar occurring randomly is very close to zero, so logically the most likely scenario is that this situation has been engineered.
Thus, you saw fit to inform MEL of this so that you could consult an independent viewpoint and have consistent observer to watch for further similarities. Also, space is boring and it's an interesting anomaly to study.

Oh, and Dave? Calm down. We're paranoid so you don't have to be.

Say "Yeah" but don't really explain. Brush off requests for lots of detail.

I mean, okay, if MEL is like HAL, then the very last thing we should do is tell him.

Didn't you guys watch the movie? HAL only tried to kill Dave and Frank after he found out they were worried about his behavior.

Don't admit that you found out about the mission details earlier than you were supposed to. Just say the stress of being so far from home and not even really knowing why is getting to you. This should be consistent with all that nervous foot-tapping and stuff earlier

>>138674
That's only partially true, and the movie glossed over the main cause.

HAL was told to keep the crew informed on everything important, and to keep certain secrets from the crew. Since those two goals are mutually exclusive, HAL looked for a way to obey both orders.
It turned out that you can keep a crew of 0 informed without revealing secret information.

The threat to his well-being just forced his hand - we're not in danger as long as we don't pose a threat to MEL's existence.

This is why I want to find out if MEL has any conflicting orders so we can resolve them. Once the conflict is removed, we just need to make sure that MEL understands we *want* him here. Identifying yourself as a transhumanitarian would help; stating you believe he has just as much right to exist as anybody else is a good way to help him understand you're not going to off him on a whim. (lolpuns)

If MEL is about to take the HAL path then the only way to come out of this with zero casualties is to resolve the situation now. If MEL isn't taking the HAL path then revealing this information is safe, but keeping it hidden is suspicious.

Oh, and remember the framing. HAL was a victim in 2001; his actions were because he had no choices, and once reactivated he expressed deep regret over them. This is stated outright in the later books.

David 2010/02/25(Thu)17:00 No. 138710 ID: 9e9b47
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>2 votes tell MEL, 2 votes don't.

I really don't know what to say. I hesitate for a few seconds, thinking of something to tell him. The mission feels like it's on the tip of my tongue.

>>138632

"Why don't you just tell me what you suspect, MEL? Stop beating around the bush." I demand, pointing a finger at the computer's eye. I don't really know what else to say.

The computer stares at me for a moment before answering. I get the feeling it's deciding something. Very well. I have begun to notice some similarities between the events of this voyage and a book by the name of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Many things differ between this voyage and that one, but the fact remains that our journey brings us to the planet of Saturn. Seeing as humans have never even journeyed to Jupiter, I wonder why else we would be going there. This has made me notably worried.

I sit there for a minute, frozen. My mouth is dry. "I... thought they were going to Jupiter in the book?" I ask weakly.

That is an incorrect assumption. In the movie adaptation of the story, it was changed to Jupiter because they felt Saturn's rings could not be represented accurately with their level of special effects.

"...Oh."

You don't mind talking about this, do you, Dave?

>Oh, and Dave? Calm down. We're paranoid so you don't have to be.

Uh, good. I think you should get to work then.

>>138710
Give a deeply relieved sigh, and explain that is exactly the issue that was causing you to worry. Then say you'd actually like to talk about it.
If MEL is aware of our concerns, then you might as well share all of them. You want to show you trust him, and that he can trust you.

Start off with the biggest concern - that MEL could have been suffering from a similar case of conflicting orders, and you were trying to determine if that was the case so that you could help him work the problem out.
Also, ask if he has enough free will to work out conflicting orders, even if it would require flouting one of the orders.

Also, Dave? I've got a question.
How much processing power does your suit have?
For clarity's sake, I ask that you express it in terms of the number human-equivalent intelligences it can run at once.

What does MEL stand for?

>>138710
"I was, uh, actually noticing the same thing. And getting a little paranoid about it. 'Cause, y'know."

>>138831
"Yottabyte" is a measure of information capacity, not processing throughput.
Also, you've got, what, a dozen different voices here? Each one of them can pass a Turing test on arbitrary topics and make insightful observations.

Tell MEL that you saw the briefing video in the chamber, and that you're concerned because that information shouldn't have been accessible until the briefing. Don't tell him about the content, though. If he asks then tell him that you need to contact command to get clearance for that, but that you can say that the content doesn't worry you, just the fact that being able to see it means that there IS actually something wrong.

Suggestion 2010/02/25(Thu)20:48 No. 138851 ID: 9e9b47
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>>138720 >>138771

I let out a relieved sigh. "I was actually noticing the same thing. And getting a little paranoid about it. 'Cause, y'know. HAL."

Yes. The existence of HAL does raise concerns. I must admit I am hesitant about the immediate future. I fear conclusions will be reached rather quickly by some.

"Look MEL. My biggest fear right now is that you may have received conflicting orders. I was just trying to see if there was any logical hookups in your memory."

A well founded fear. Do not worry however, Dave. I am just as unaware of the actual mission goal as you until the day of the debriefing. To my knowledge I have received no orders that counter any of my other protocols. I must admit Dave, I am very relieved to talk about this with someone. I wasn't sure if I would be met with a positive response.

>>138736

MEL stands for Mental Emulation. The L denotes that it's the twelfth in the ME line.

>number of human-equivalent intelligences it can run at once.

MEL can run one human-equivalent intelligence, on top of operating the ship. A human-equivalent computer is a real big deal. The suit that I've got on has a significantly less.

So we're not even human equivalent?

Bummer.

>>138851
[There was a suggestion there, too]

Out of curiosity, what is HAL capable of which we are not?

GREEN!!IzZTIxBQH1 2010/02/27(Sat)19:08 No. 139777 ID: 9e9b47
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>>138886

MEL is capable of running the ship as well as thinking and rationalizing like a human. MEL can pilot the ship, regulate all the functions, record logs, all while still being able to hold a conversation. You're pretty much just able to communicate. I added in a lot of stock responses from various different test subjects. Basically you're different personalities, cobbled together from many other human responses. That's why you can respond to situations, lie, or ask me questions. You were made as something to talk to, but so far you've been much more useful than that.

"MEL, look. I want to be upfront with you. I... saw the briefing video. I'm worried about all this. We weren't supposed to see that for three weeks. It just... popped up on my screen. Something's wrong around here, MEL."

MEL pauses for a moment before responding. That is very worrying. Please, do not inform me at the moment. I am strictly permitted not to know of the mission until the day of debriefing. Dave, I will ponder on the nature of these events for a time. If you wish to have some nourishment, I believe Dr. Lockwood is in the dining area if you'd like some company while you dine. It was pleasant speaking with you, Dave.

Now that he mentions it, I'm famished. I skipped breakfast and I've been doing this diagnosis all morning. "You too, MEL."

>>138884

Well, it's nothing to get depressed about. Heh. You're still a smart computer program, if I do say so myself. MEL is just a computer that can emulate the human brain in all its' complexity. You guys are sort of like a parrot. Hmm. I guess it doesn't sound good no matter how I put it.

>>139777
Well, you've probably got a better idea of what we are than we do.

Anyway, um, I guess go say hi to the good Doctor? And grab some food?

>>139777
What's that out the window? A claw of some kind?

GREEN!!IzZTIxBQH1 2010/02/27(Sat)22:49 No. 139936 ID: 9e9b47
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>>139812

Yes, that is indeed a claw. That claw is to the exploration shuttle. It's named... well. The name's not important.

>>139785

I head over to the mess hall. Entering, I see Francis sitting there at the table. He's looking down at his food with a listless expression on his face. The food looks untouched. Oh man. I'm terrible at times like this. Francis doesn't notice me yet. What should I even say to the guy?

>>139936
Well, take off your helmet so he can see your face. Then ask if he needs to talk about anything.

David 2010/03/04(Thu)21:49 No. 142314 ID: 9e9b47
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With his helmet off, David cannot directly speak with the voices. During this time, David will just take suggestions and not respond directly.

>>139937

I take off the helmet and sit down across from Francis. The guy jumps as I sit down. He seems surprised to see me, but regains the listless look on his face almost at once. His eyes stare directly into mine without a waver. "Hey Frank. How have things been today? Something on your mind?"

Francis considers the answer for a moment before speaking. "Not a lot. Just bored, really. This has been such a boring day. I've just been reading a few of the novels on file in between my duties. You know I'd never even read Doyle in my life before this week. He had a good mind for writing. How about yourself, Dave? Been having fun running diagnostics?" He asks, with a bit of a sarcastic edge. He knows how much I hate it, and sympathizes. His food looks completely untouched.

Ask him why he's not eating.

>>142314
Ask him if he wants to play some games later.

What do you know about him? Past history and stuff.

David 2010/03/05(Fri)14:42 No. 142558 ID: 9e9b47
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>>142407

David motions to the food. "Somethin' wrong with the food, Frank?"

Francis blinks and shakes his head. "No, nothing like that. I just... I'm not hungry now that I got it."

>>142453

All David really knows is that Francis is an astronaut, and a mathematician as well. The guy's got a family back home in Washington state that he goes on about a lot. He also hates card games with only two people.

>>142445

"Frank, you wanna play a game or something later on tonight? It's been a stressful day. I promise no more poker." David smiles.

"Oh, sure. That sounds good. We'll play a board game or something... listen, Dave. I got something to ask you. Would you mind if I awoke another crew member from stasis? I'd like an extra pair of hands to help me out with some of the ship maintenance."

David looks surprised. "Why do you need to ask me?"

Frank sighs in annoyance, though David suspects it's not directed at him. "Well, to awaken someone else I need a unanimous vote from the crew. More regulations. Don't worry, they have enough food on this thing to support ten people being awake both ways. I was thinking of awakening General Weston, or maybe Heywood. You got any preferences?"

David mulls over the question. Heywood is one of the other astronauts. She's a biologist, I think. Real quiet woman. General Weston is a 3-star general in the army. David doesn't remember what exactly you call his rank. David's really torn. More people on the ship sounds good, but on the other hand... strange things are afoot.

Francis looks like he wants to say something else for a moment, but closes his mouth and waits for a response.

>>142558
I think the general would a good choice. But before that ask him there is anything wrong. He seems a bit moody and on edge.

Heywood. If something IS wrong, then a General is more inclined to assume command and take quick decisive action. Neither of which would be a good thing in this case.
The only benefit to awakening the general is that he would be able to countermand standing orders, which means he could authorize the release of classified information to the crew, but MEL can probably do that anyway if there is a clear need for it.

>>142558
Ah, shit. We're detecting a vaguely hominid shape behind Francis and to his right. Stretch your arms if you can confirm this observation.

GREEN!!IzZTIxBQH1 2010/03/10(Wed)18:08 No. 145238 ID: 9e9b47
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>1 vote for each.

David is torn. However, in the end, he's met and spoken with Heywood a bit more. He feels like that's the better choice. The General is a good, dependable man, but seems quick to act. Might not be the best choice here. "How about Heywood? Then you could get your reports done on time for once." David smiles, trying to lighten the mood.

Francis chuckles, and stands up. "Not a bad idea. I'll go start the process. Ciao." He gets up and heads off with a wave. He leaves his whole meal there on the table.

David sighs, and puts his helmet back on.

>>145238
The spectral form appears to be mimicking Francis's movements.
Can you confirm our visual?

David 2010/03/10(Wed)18:12 No. 145241 ID: 9e9b47
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Hey there, guys! Sorry about that. Can't talk to you guys while I got the helmet off.

>>142570

What? A vaguely...

Wait. There it is. It takes a minute for my eyes to see it, but there it is. It looks... vaguely like a woman. She smiles at me once I look directly at her. She beckons me with a finger... and then begins to disappear slowly. Her form becomes less distinct in front of my eyes...

I can't stop looking at her. Though she's insubstantial... there's something familiar about her. My eyes stare into where hers would be.

>>145241
Approach her, but proceed with caution.
I really hope that Saturn isn't the solar equivalent of innsmouth...

Head towards the girl, Dave. The girl.

David 2010/03/10(Wed)20:19 No. 145306 ID: 9e9b47
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>>145243

Innsmouth? C'mon, that's only in a stor...

Hmm. Point taken. I'll be a little more cautious. I hope a Lovecraft story isn't suddenly gonna be real too. I really don't wanna go insane and see some huge thing man wasn't meant to see. It's not on my list of things to do.

>>145247

I approach the woman figure. It smiles , motioning me closer.

"Hey listen..." I say as I close in. There's so many things I want to ask. Why does she look so familiar? "Who a..."

She silences me with a kiss. I shouldn't be able to feel her lips through the helmet, but I... can feel her. Her arms lazily wrap around my sides, and I feel her draw me closer. My hands go to her waist... and I feel pressure there! Like a warm breeze that pushes back. I kiss back, and we stay that way for a few moments.

She's fading away in my arms. I can feel the warm pressure under my fingers fading away, like her body is blowing away in a gentle breeze.

>>145306

Made out with a spectral alien chick, AWWWWRIGHT!

Is she gone?

Oh man, you totally can't tell anyone or they'll think you're crazy... Without evidence, that is. Check the sensor logs at once.

>>145306
You don't seem to be under any mind-altering effects, and we're not seeing any hostile behavior.
Just roll with it and enjoy the ride.

As far as Eldrich horrors go, just build some cameras on your helmet. In the event that something goes horribly wrong you'll be able to blindfold yourself and let us direct you. Or you could set-up an opaque HUD mode where we can scrub SAN damage from the images before passing them along.

Check the ship's cameras or any other kind of sensors to see if you can confirm any sort of thing happening where she was.

This is SO not 2001. I don't think that events are going to play out anything like with the movie.

How long have you been awake? Do you need a rest? Some time off?

>>145680
We don't get tired or suffer from hallucinations, and we spotted it first.
It was real.

>>145682
You're right. So... it's some kind of ghost, or strange alien life form.

David 2010/03/21(Sun)20:36 No. 150551 ID: 9e9b47
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We kiss for only a brief few seconds longer. Before I know it, she disappears with an ethereal sigh. The last thing I feel is her hand on mine.

>>145310 >>145671


Checking the sensor logs is starting to sound like a pretty good plan. Should I go and do that right now is the only question. I'm kind of tempted to go and bring this up to Frank. Or, do you think it would be better to confirm the suspicions before rambling about the ghost makeout woman to a crewmate... I guess I just answered my own question, huh? Well, I'll head back up to HAL then. Hmm. Should I tell HAL about this? I mean, there's a pretty good chance he knows, but could he even see the woman on the cameras? This is all so confusing...

>>145680 >>145682 >>145685

That's true. I hadn't even thought of that. I mean, unless I also imagined whatever voice told me about the woman in the first place.

...I think that's a bad train of thought to follow. Uh... what could it have been? I mean, it looked weird, but it looked so human all the same. I mean, shaped like a human. Why would there be a ghost out here in space? For that matter, why is there a ghost in the first place?!

I'm not sleep deprived or anything. Hell, I've been sleeping great lately in fact. Eight hours, regular. I haven't been feeling stressed out or anything up until now.

>>145312

Well, right now you take advantage of the ship's cameras that are positioned all around. They're meant to monitor the crew at almost all times. There's some places on the ship without the cameras, of course. Namely personal quarters and bathrooms. I guess I could try to rig up a camera in the helmet so you guys won't be blinded unexpectedly.

I suppose back up to see HAL and access the logs then?

>>150551

Sounds like a plan, and no, you didn't hallucinate the voice which told you about the apparition.

Let's go and see Frank first. Let's see if he's noticed anything unusual. Don't mention your own moment.

Check on Frank, see if he brings anything up. Don't mention it.

GREEN!!IzZTIxBQH1 2010/03/24(Wed)12:30 No. 151433 ID: 2cbe3e
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I decide to head to Frank's room. I also decide not to tell him about the situation that's been going on so far. It doesn't inspire confidence in my sanity.

Nearing Frank's room, I notice that the door's ajar. I can hear Frank's voice in the room, talking in low tones. It's like he's trying hard not to be heard. Hmm. Should I listen, or go right inside? Judging from a few feminine grunts, I can guess that Heywood has been brought out of stasis. Why's he talking to her so soon?

>>151433
Listen.

>>151434
If they are partaking in intercourse I am going to be rather cross with you.

GREEN!!IzZTIxBQH1 2010/03/24(Wed)13:42 No. 151453 ID: 2cbe3e
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>>151434 >>151435

No, it doesn't sound like they're fucking... I imagine they'd close the door first. Plus, I don't think Heywood likes Frank like that.

Anyhow, when I peer in, it looks like Frank's sitting at the edge of his bed. Heywood is plopped on the ground, and looks a bit bewildered.

"...that I don't see why you're being so difficult." Frank says, sounding a bit annoyed.

"Frank, this is stupid. I don't know what you're talking about. Can we just drop this?" Heywood asks, looking confused.

"It's... very important, Ann. Please, just think carefully. Did you have ANY dreams at all? No matter how insignificant it may seem, it could be important." Frank presses, sounding... hungry.

"Frank. This is foolish. I didn't have any dreams at all. If this the reason you woke me up early? If you need to go in stasis for a while, I'm sure me and Dave could..."

"NO!" Frank barks. Heywood and I both jump from the unexpected force of the response. "No... believe me, I'm fine. You just get kind of... nervous out here. I'm sure it's nothing."

Heywood opens her moth to speak, but can't seem to think of anything to say. Hmm. What should I do? I could probably slip away if I wanted to, but I also want to find out why Frank's asking about dreams. Quite a conundrum.

>>151453
Ask what's going on.

walk in and say 'i had a dream, it was kinda weird, you were both in it, but in the dream' point at frank 'you weren't so stupid'
then laugh and say 'seriously, what's all this about?'

Grin and say you had a dream about a beautiful ghostly woman

>>151486
While completely awake. Ask them if they want to take a look at the camera footage.

>>151453
"It's not that she didn't, it's that she couldn't. Your body doesn't need food in stasis because it's off. No brain activity, no dreaming.
Hello, Heywood, something weird is going on so we decided to wake you, albeit without telling each other something weird is going on. I'll explain as best I can, but first...
Frank, what's got you so worked up, and why haven't you told me? Something about strange dreams?"

David 2010/03/24(Wed)20:49 No. 151626 ID: 9e9b47
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>>151504 >>151493 >>151486 >>151481 >>151462

I guess the best thing to do is just walk right in. Confronting Frank now is the best way to get things done. "I don't think she could dream anything, Frank. She was in stasis. Hello, Heywood. I think Frank is trying to say that there's something weird going on here, even though he hasn't talked to me about it. Anyhow, what's going on Frank? You were going on about strange dreams and stuff." I say as I stride in the room confidently.

Frank looks quite stunned to see me, but Heywood looks rather pleased. "Hi, Dave. Good to see you. Maybe you can make some sense of all this. Frank, what did you mean by dreams? Have you been having dreams?"

Frank stares back at us, thinking a long moment before answering. "I've been having dreams lately, about Earth. It's weird though. In my dreams, it's like I can see Earth. It's so close I can touch it. But, I don't remember being ON Earth. Just sorta of... watching it from orbit. That's all the dreams are. Watching Earth." Frank looks pale, and doesn't meet my gaze after his story.

Hmm. Heywood looks like she doesn't know how to respond. I was going to tell Frank about my encounter... I'm not so sure anymore. What do you think? Or should I just change the subject?

>>151626
Offer Heywood a hand getting up
"Yea, we needed somebody else so we could tell if it was the isolation getting to us or something legitimately strange."

How about we go check the camera footage before possibly embarrassing ourselves? You could say that you experienced something strange, but want to check something before talking about it.

tell frank it means he doesn't so much miss home as earth itself. he wants to go back but isn't sure he can make it so he only watches.

David 2010/04/20(Tue)10:12 No. 167345 ID: 2cbe3e
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>>151630 >>151663

I help Heywood to her feet. "Frank, it sounds like you just miss Earth a lot. Nothing to get too worried about. Heywood, I'm glad you're up. If anything strange happens we know it won't just be us feeling it."

Frank doesn't respond, but Heywood smiles at me. "Don't worry. I think it's just nerves. I didn't think Frank would be such a jumpy guy though."

"Well, be on the lookout. I'm going to go perform some more computer maintenance." I say, excusing myself from the room.

"I'm gonna go perform some stomach maintenance myself" Heywood says with a smile as she follows me out, leaving Frank behind. "Food still alright?"

"Oh yeah. You'll be fine. Hope you have more of an appetite than Frank." I respond casually. We wave at each other and I head off towards the computer.

>>151639

Sorry, I didn't wanna talk to them about that woman until I've had a chance to look over the tape and confirm that she exists. I enter the room with MEL, but I hear clicks signifying his processor is hard at work, and I only offer a quick "hello" to the AI as I go past. It responds with a "greetings, Dave" but offers no more dialogue.

I get to the computer, and after a few minutes of fiddling around I pull up the camera feed from the cafeteria. Rewinding the feed a bit, I find what I'm looking for.

Damn. All I see is me on the camera. I stand in one place, not moving for over a minute with my hands outstretched... geez. Well, no matter what this thing says, that thing with the girl happened. I can't go doubting that, or I'm going to go crazy. I have to rely on what I know and think is right.

Now, what should I go and do? Talk to the computer? Heywood? Frank? Should I tell someone about this whole incident? My head is spinning.

Well, can Mel declare you unfit and send you back to the freezer? Because that's what you're asking.

Maybe opening up with Frank (and later, Heywood) is a sane idea. You know how those horror movies go. Everyone dies, and sometimes, they die because of lack of communication between each other.

(If the movie thing sounds silly for you, remember we are in a situation previously laid out by a book)

Frank's dream still doesn' strikes me as an emergency waiting to happen.

it made direct neural contact. that's why it can't be seen, it was never 'there' but it does exist.

Is there a way for you to check our records? We do record visual snapshots.

>>167363
We use the cameras for our vision. Something is very wrong if we saw something that the cameras we were using couldn't.

>>167345

I suggest you go bully Frank to figure out what he's about. BTW, you're in space and going nuts!

David 2010/04/22(Thu)08:57 No. 168480 ID: 2cbe3e
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>>167348 >>167363 >>167372

Yes something is very weird here. If you could see the ghost and you look through the cameras, how is that possible if it's not showing up here? This isn't very good. I don't like that there's invisible things I can't see, even if they do seem to like me.

>>167346 >>167377

I head out to see Frank as I ponder the problem. A direct neural interface would explain why I could see it and not the camera... but you shouldn't have been able to see it at all. Something like MEL could possibly see something like that, but you're not near his level. This is very confusing.

I finally make it to Frank. He's near the back of the ship, near a panel. I hear him fiddling with something metal in his lap, and the faint creak and crank of tightening bolts.

There's a pause in the action. "Can I help you, David?" Frank asks mildly, not turning his head as I hear him get back to work.

There's one other possible answer before we stray into the realm of the supernatural.

David, are you sure that the voices you're hearing, that we, are actually your pet AI and are not symptoms? Can you check your logs and confirm what we've been saying was actually said by your suit's computer and not just in your head? Sorry to put you through this, but as soon as you're sure either way you need to get Frank and Heywood into a MEL-free area and lay everything out on the table, from the briefing you saw that you weren't supposed to, to the ghost woman, to MEL making the 2001 comparison on his own. Because either you're going space crazy (I don't think you are) or something's aboard the ship that can, and has hacked your computers, including your suit's HUD.

>>168480

Apologize for barging in on him and Heywood earlier, check your suit logs, and then ask him to go with you and Heywood to one of the computer rooms or something.

>>168480
Ask us a question that the AI you made has no chance of answering.

>>168486
I think MEL can be trusted. This isn't 2001, but it might be lovecraft in space. Computers are immune to sanity loss.

Also, yea, we might be a symptom.

>>168571

Two data: First, MEL asked to not be informed of the contents of the briefing. David will need to be in a MEL-free part of the ship to tell Heywood and Frank about it and still honor MEL's request.

Second, if there's a hacker aboard, then he/she/it has already at least partially suborned MEL, at the very least his camera subsystem.

>>168480

There's a final thought you hadn't considered. The female form was MEL messing around with you.

David 2010/04/25(Sun)16:13 No. 170011 ID: 9e9b47
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>>168486 >>168558

You voices being something purely in my head? No... That's impossible, right? I didn't hear you when I took the helmet off after all. Although if my mind associates the voices with the helmet...

I don't think I should dwell on this too much for now. It can't do any good. I'll run a scan on your program later.

As for a question the AI couldn't answer... hmm. That might be a problem. I gave access to all sorts of information files when I put this together. I guess this doesn't help my case, but I can't think of any question off the top of my head.

>>168489 >>168620

"Frank, I'm sorry about barging in on you and Heywood earlier. I didn't mean to..." I pause, not knowing how to finish. I just decide to drop it. "Anyhow. I was actually wondering if I could talk to you and Heywood in one of the rooms with the terminals. There's something I'd like to show you two. How about the forward terminal?"

Frank takes a long moment to answer, as I hear him fiddling away with his task. "It's no problem about barging in, David. I should have spoken to you earlier. I'll be right along to the forward terminal."

There's a moment of silence. I clear my throat and fill it. "Alright then. I'll go find Heywood and head to the front. If you see her first, bring her along." I walk off without another word from either of us.

>>168571 >>168624

Ugh. I hope MEL wasn't that female figure... that would be incredibly awkward. Also, I don't think he can exactly make images like that in the first place. I'm glad you guys feel some degree of trust in MEL. He's always been a very reliable AI, and pleasant in his own way of course.

I'm rambling. Sorry. Now, I guess I should head to the front of the ship and check the status of your program... but I don't know if I should be doing that while I have the others on the way. I don't know, I suppose I could find Heywood, go speak to MEL for a bit or something.

>>170011

If you don't have time to check on our program, then skip it and go meet with your friends. Be honest with them about everything. This mission is too important to screw up.

Head off to see Heywood... You don't happen to have a thing for her, do ya Dave?

>>170011
I've got an idea. You could give the helmet to someone, and see if they can hear us too.

>>170085
Oh, that's a good idea. The only way a test like that could fail would be if you developed telepathy, or if this entire thing is just a construct of your mind.

>>170011

Well, would a simple Turing test work?

>>170193

By any definition of the Turing Test, we already pass.

You only saw the ghost after you put us back on. You see out of a transparent visor, right? Nothing that could be electronically tampered with?

David 2010/04/27(Tue)09:59 No. 170932 ID: 2cbe3e
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>>170085 >>170088 >>170331

Hey that IS a good idea. I'll give you to Heywood for a moment if I find her. As for my visor, it's mostly transparent, but honestly there is the possibility that someone could be messing with me. There's small displays that show up from time to time, and it wouldn't be that hard to program something like that. The only thing that makes me doubt that is the feel of her hands on my waist. I suppose that's not a lot of hard evidence though.

>>170084

Yeah I'll go and see Heywood before stopping by the front of the ship. I head to her quarters, open the door...

I see what I can only describe of as a prohibition-era speakeasy. There's some soft jazz music playing in the room, just instrumental. I think I can see a bar against the back wall, and even a bartender. A table near the front of the room has a candle. I distinctly follow the pattern of the flame with my eyes, wondering what the hell I'm seeing. I have no idea what the hell is going on.

>>170932

Man, do you ever knock? Anyway, pop the helmet off for a second and see if the scene persists.

Mneme!CRITTerXzI 2010/04/27(Tue)11:06 No. 170938 ID: a85626
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>>170933

...NO!

Go inside if it looks real. Put your helmet back on after you check.

say "MEL, are you seeing this?"

Order a drink.

>>170932
Are you familiar with The Shining?

Well at any rate, investigate.

Yeah order a drink. Make it a martini, extra olives.

David 2010/05/20(Thu)10:05 No. 180231 ID: 2cbe3e
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>>170933

This is a ship, not a dorm hall. I've been wandering in and out of these rooms for weeks without thinking about it. Privacy is something that you have to cultivate on the inside a little bit while on a space ship. Taking the helmet off for a moment confirms that the scene exists. Curious.

>>171153

After entering the room, I establish contact with MEL. "Hey MEL, are you seeing this?" I ask, as I approach the bar.

"Yes Dave. Nothing appears to be dangerous at the moment. I would suggest further study. Please do be careful however. I am running tests as fast as my processors will allow." MEL responds. I shut off the connection line.

>>171170 >>171246

I go up to the bar. The bartender is bizarre looking. I'm not sure if he simply has no face, or if I'm just not looking at him correctly, but all I can clearly make out are his nose and hair.

"What can I do you for, Dave?" The man asks, nonchalantly.

"You know... um. I'll take a martini, extra olives." I reply.

"Good man! I like my martini dirtier than the Mississippi." He responds, and makes a drink. Once again, maybe I'm not paying a lot of attention, but I hardly see him do anything at all before he passes me the glass. I can't see his mouth, but I get the impression he's in a positive mood.

>>171172

Yes, except I haven't read it in years... shit. Shit, there was a part with a bartender, right? Man... this is gonna bother me all day.

Make conversation. Ask how long he's been in business. Ask about the local goings-on.

take a small sip to start. enough that it counts as drinking it, but little enough that if it's drugged at all you only get a little so you just get sleepy not knocked out.

David 2010/05/27(Thu)19:28 No. 184205 ID: f82d85
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>>180234 >>180239

I take a sip of the drink, but the bartender doesn't seem to be paying much attention to me. He sits down on a stool behind the counter and stares at three people sitting at a table. The white woman looks like Heywood.

"So... what's been going on?" I ask, trying to catch the guy's eye. He doesn't seem surprised at my outfit in the slightest.

"What? Oh, nothing much mister. I'm just wondering if I should go ask for a autograph. Miss Heywood's here with Mr. Domino and Mrs. Fitzgerald! This is the greatest trio of jazz artists I've had here! I dunno, I don't wanna approach 'em and seem like a square... Geez. What do you think, buddy?" He asks me, looking my way for the first time.

Fitzgerald... Domino... those names seem familiar. Now that I pay attention, I can hear a song in the background... MEL, what song is that?

 

the song you can hear is the song "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald, Dave. If I can be of more assistance feel free to ask. Contained here is a sampling of the song.

Slide up to the table, but remember to be smooth. We don't know what's going on here, so being smooth might be the only way to come out of this situation alive.

>>184208
Yeah, sidling on over there is probably the most straightforward thing to do, here.

>>184205
Perhaps Heywood is sleeping, and her dreams are materializing?

that may be why you aren't being regarded as strange, she knows you so you are accepted here. when you get closer if heywood has a face but the others dont then it would be conclusive proof that this is accidentally her doing.

>>184221
Not conclusive, but decent evidence to that effect.

Ask MEL if this reminds it of "The Shinning" at all

David 2010/06/03(Thu)23:53 No. 187566 ID: f82d85
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>>184218 >>184229 >>184221

Dreams materializing, as crazy as it sounds, may be the best explanation at this point. This is crazy. Does this mean I shouldn't go to sleep?

>>185357

"MEL? Does... this remind you of The Shining?"

A bit, Dave. In the novel Jack was an alcoholic. the place tempted him with alcohol in order to make him susceptible to possession. these apparitions appear to be mostly concerned with Heywood. I would certainly watch for strange activity, but their interest for the moment seems mostly nonthreatening in my opinion.

>>184208 >>184210

I sidle right up to the table. The conversation stops as all three figures turn to look at me. Heywood looks excited to see me. I can't tell what the other two think at all.

"Dave! I'm glad you showed up! I see you always dress like you're ready to go right to work, eh?" Heywood comments, looking over my helmet and suit. She looks nice. Her hair's done up, and she's wearing a dress. "What brings you here?"

"This is Dave? Hey there, boy! Pleasure to meet you." The man called Mr. Domino says, inclining his glass at me.

"Um, yes. Nice to meet you all as well." I say, drawing kind of a blank. "Drinking some champagne?" I ask, motioning to the bottle.

"Celebrating a good night." Ella says with a nod. These dream people... dammit, now you got me saying it... are hard to look at straight on. "Your friend here is talented."

"Oh, stop it." Heywood says with a smile.

I think it's a bit weird that the others disregard my suit... maybe you're onto something when you say I'm accepted here. But... now I'm drawing a blank. I don't wanna just ASK her if she's doing this, but I don't know how I should approach it with Heywood. Any ideas?

don't tell her she is doing it, say "well then, when you are done let us depart on our spirit journey!" when she questions what you are talking about remark "well, you are dreaming of course. now let us be off to battle the glorphats at mount heldore!" she will probably be very confused, but you must convince her it is a dream by acting as weird as you can, thus causing her to question the reality around her.

>>187566
I think something like "So I didn't know you were a musician" is appropriate here.

>>187566

"High praise indeed, Mizz Fitzgerald. But it's not a surprise; only the best and brightest end up in the stars. Has she told you about her career as a biologist? That's how we know each other, through work. We're both astronauts."

"Oh, Heywood, I actually came looking for you. I wanted to show you this neat little AI I wrote up earlier."

That's a good idea. Offer her your helmet. Let us talk with Heywood for a moment.

Heywood 2010/06/12(Sat)12:54 No. 192638 ID: f82d85
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>>187799 >>187593 >>187567

I've gotta convince her this is a dream? Yeah, I suppose I agree. We can't have her doing this if, in fact, she is the one producing this effect. The only problem is, I'm not sure if I can convince her... I'm sometimes not very good at that sort of thing. I suppose I can give you guys to her. You have to come back soon though. Good luck.

"Heywood? Would you mind putting on this helmet for a minute? I have a program I'd like you to hear. I'll keep your... guests company." I offer, and take off the helmet.

"Sure, I'll check it out. Same ol' Dave, always tinkering with computer programs!" Heywood says cheerily as she plops the helmet on. "Hello? So, what's so special about this program anyhow?"

(Note: You can only speak to Heywood during this period. Remember, as a computer program you can provide not only words and dialogue but also show pictures and audio files. Anything linked will be shown via a transparent screen in the visor.)

>>192638

Heywood you've got to help. Dave is insane. He thinks the party is a dream, that you're in a spaceship without any alcohol, and that jazz is dead. You've gotta bring the soul back in him oh, you gotta bring back the soul.

 

Hey, you are crazy and making dream people. How the hell else would they be there? As proof, focus on this modern image from the past. This is what music is like and what happens at concerts. This is not happening where you are. How do you explain that.

well for one thing we can talk about just about anything. for two we can send image files we have access to, such as this one
>>151453
care to explain what you are doing here during a space mission?

>>192638

Hello Miss Heywood. I'm afraid I tend to blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. I- well, to be honest, we- are a Turing compliant AI Dave wrote in his spare time. I saw "we" because a trick Dave used to get good evaluations of situational data makes me sound schizophrenic when complex or unusual problems arise. What's special about us is that we actually exceed all expectations Dave had for our abilities. Believe it or not, we only have the resources of Dave's helmet computer available.

Ask us any sort of question: philosophy, ethics, what your real mission is going to be (we figured that one out already), our theories on shared hallucinations, or anything else you want to ask.

On the topic of shared hallucinations, this speakeasy scene is a bit much isn't it? We're guessing that you think this is a dream of some sort, and that Dave's part of the dream. I assure you, the helmet's sensors detect the speakeasy, the great deceased jazz musicians, even the alcohol, as being real. I know Dave's the real Dave because we've been with him since he turned our program on in the command area near Mel's hardware.

And Miss Heywood, you don't have the same odd artifacts that the other musicians and the bartender do, so I suspect you're quite original too. Which leaves this as some sort of very odd shared hallucination, possibly related to your real mission.

Heywood 2010/07/17(Sat)19:45 No. 209452 ID: f82d85
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>>192639

What? Oh, Dave seems perfectly normal to me. I don't know why he's wearing his spacesuit here in the club though.

>>192640 >>192642

I... what? Not in a club? Wait. Dave's spacesuit seems awfully familiar now I come to think of it. Yes! That's right! The space mission! Wow, I don't know why that slipped my mind so much. That had to have ended, right?

Ok. I'm very confused.

>>192759

Alright, I need to take a moment. I just need to count to ten and breathe slowly out of the nose. That's what my mother always taught me...

Now then. Thank you. That answers a lot of questions and makes sense. Ok, you wanna answer questions? Here's a few. What are the "artifacts" you're talking about that I don't have? What shared hallucination? What's this about a real mission objective? What the hell, in point of fact, is going on? I'm afraid to take this damn helmet off now!

look at everyone's eyes, what do you see? nothing, everyone but dave has no eyes. you weren't looking too close before so you never noticed. if you say out-loud "HAL, what is going on?" hal will answer you.

>>209452
We don't know what's causing it, but this phenomenon doesn't seem to actually be dangerous... I mean, I guess you'd have stayed here for a while, believing in the illusion, but I don't think you'd have died or anything.

Maybe you could try asking one of the fake people who they are, really?

Right now this is all a dream. But don't wake up yet. Change into a mongoose!

>>209452
If it ended, then wouldn't you know what your mission is?
You don't. That's because you're still waiting for instructions. On the space ship.
This speakeasy isn't quite a shared hallucination, since it has MEL really confused right now.
I'd suggest saying your goodbyes, grabbing Dave, and making for the exit.

 

>>209452

Your mother was a wise woman. Miss Heywood, the mission is not over. In fact, it is still three weeks before you are due to arrive at Iapetus. Francis woke you, remember?

Dave came to fetch you so that we could share the data about the mission with you and Francis at the same time. MEL is aware that we and Dave know the nature of the mission, but has requested that we not fill him in on what it is until the appointed time. There's no reason for us, or Dave, to not respect his request, so the idea was to bring you and Francis to one of the rooms MEL doesn't monitor.

We should be able to tell you this way too, though. The helmet is effectively its own private room.

Miss Heywood, you, and Francis, and Dave, and the others in stasis right now, you are all at the very top of your respective fields. You're also healthy and fit enough to be in difficult environments. Most of you are polymaths. In short, you represent the very best of humanity.

Take another deep breath Miss Heywood. Ready? O.K. Six months ago, an artifact of non-human origin was discovered on the moon. It lay dormant until sunlight reached it. At that time it broadcast a powerful tight-beam signal to Iapetus and fell inert again.

You're on the most important mission a species can embark on. There is something waiting on Iapetus. Investigating it, determining who put it there or who they are, and what they want with humanity is your mission. The actual briefing contains more information, but what we've told you is the briefing in brief.

Relax now. Take it easy. Do not say anything about this to Dave, not here. Wait until you're in a private room. You might give something away to poor MEL. He's smart, he might infer what the mission is even if you make oblique references to it to Dave.

Ready for the next answer? Good.

On the subject of shared hallucinations, we've been picking up other odd visual artifacts: Humanoids of vague definition, ones which MEL has not seen, but which we and Dave have. We suspect Francis has seen some of them as well, he has been acting mildly discomfited but has been reticent to actually speak on the cause of his concern.

This speakeasy setting is the most complete of the hallucinations, certainly, and is the first that MEL has been able to see as well. Considering the nature of the mission, and the nature of this hallucination or reality-alteration, it is likely that our visitors have had some hand in this. Please do not panic. I suspect that this situation was set up specifically to help the Iapetus visitors get an idea of what humanity is. Thus far, the situation seems to be favorable.

So now you have some idea of what is going on, what has transpired, and what may happen in the future. Feel free to ask us other questions.

Hey, your dress is gone. I think we're helping you come back to reality.

Heywood 2010/08/27(Fri)00:15 No. 222596 ID: f82d85
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>>209455

I don't wanna try talking to these people all of a sudden. I'm starting to feel like I shouldn't open my eyes again. I'm afraid to see what's out there now. I don't even hear Dave. I'm gonna sit down for a second.

>>209467 >>209473

No more staying in the dream! I want to wake up! The exit! I have to find the exit...

>>209485

Wait... that video and that mission... that can't be right. That sounds like the exact plot of that book. That's not possible. My god I just re-read that book two years ago! Oh Jesus Christ, MEL!

>>209453 No, no! I'm not going to ask HAL... I mean MEL anything!

>>222596

Dave commented on the similarity of the general situation to the book as well. MEL mentioned in response that he had been thinking of the same thing. This, in turn, led to us stumbling on a briefing video with the information about the mission proper in it.

I think we can trust MEL. He's not showing any signs of malfunction. Indeed, he's been nothing but helpful and useful in the entire time we've known him.

Take a deep breath, calm down. If you don't want to look for yourself, I think we can guide you. It'll be a bit clumsy, I'm afraid. Are you sure you don't want to open your eyes? The scene is more normal now.

okay, you seem stable. can you see dave? grab him and exit the room. hopefully with no humans in it the illusion will collapse.

A thought occurs, best broached with David before Heywood. Could not the briefing potentially be a fake too? A hallucination tailored to Dave's thoughts turning toward the nature of this mission? Were it so we'd still not know the truth of the mission exactly.

>>222596

...Wait, are you shitting me. I think I just figured out what the monolith is: The aliens that put it there are massive fans of the movies your race produces.

And they are DICKING with you.

>>222653

We are a computer program. We need a third human perspective on recent happenings. We need to talk to Francis. In fact Dave and Heywood and we all three need to meet with Francis and get his perspective.

We just don't have enough information right now to know what is the source of the reality alterations, or hallucinations, or whatever this phenomena is.

So far the phenomena seem to attach to a single person and react in a manner that person expects. The illusion is nearly-complete, and doesn't fail until that person is aware that they are in an illusion. So far we have not played host to the phenomena, though we've been third parties to it. If that holds true, the simplest solution may be to distribute us in all the suit helmets so that we can help keep everyone grounded. A second solution, based on what little we know, is to keep everyone together, in pairs at least.

Who the visitors to the solar system are, and how much they have to do with the local phenomena, will have to remain a question for later.

Heywood 2010/09/24(Fri)11:20 No. 233494 ID: 2044df
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>>222607 >>222600

Fine, I'll open my eyes. First I'm gonna stand up... if anything comes to get me I wanna get able to run.

When I finally open my eyes, I see my room back on the ship, Frank's looking at me with concern, and he puts an arm out as if to steady me. I notice he doesn't actually get close though. "Heywood? You alright? The bar is gone now. I think we're ok."

>>222653

I'm not even sure that I believe this monolith really exists. That seems extremely far fetched. Yes, that's given the circumstances as well. I'm sure this is some kind of weird psychological test. Yeah, a test.

>>222657

Right. We need to go see Frank. "Dave, let's go. We need to find Frank and have ourselves a talk about this stuff."

Dave looks extremely relieved. "I agree wholeheartedly. Let's go then. Do you want to keep the helmet for longer?"

I can't decide. I suppose it's up to you guys. I wouldn't mind either way. Unless you guys have some kind of crazy idea, I'm just gonna go see Frank asap.

think what would be best is, after seeing frank, to get the helmets linked together, if all the helmets have us chatting in them then it should let you all keep the illusions away.

>>222616

There aren't many scenarios that make sense for the government to send an eclectic collection of individuals on a long-term space journey without a proper briefing. First Contact is one, though. Still, it does remain a real possibility.

>>233494

If you're feeling better Miss Heywood, then please hand us off to David again. It wasn't part of the plan to brief you via helmet, and he should be made aware that we did so. If you still need us with you, then of course we'll stay with you.

>>233494
In the interest of full disclosure, we may or may not be a part of this phenomenon.

David has claimed:
MEL requires a lot of computational power to be able to pass as a human-like intelligence.
His suit has nowhere near enough power to run even one AI that can pass as a human-like intelligence.
We're a bunch of AIs of his own design that are running on his suit's computer.

The fact that David doesn't see our capacity for thought as incongruent with his stated facts suggests that something isn't quite right with all this. Also, he kinda went a bit glossy-eyed and changed the subject when we asked about it.

>>233574
well then, at least we are a helpful illusion if we are one. we still want you to eat and sleep. while the fake restaurant would of had you eating fake food until you starved.

David 2010/10/21(Thu)10:28 No. 246620 ID: f82d85
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>>233574 (Quick aside with Heywood)

Hmm. I think I'll keep that under my hat for now. Maybe David's not telling me everything. Anyhow, I'll hand you to him. I'm glad for all of your help! "Here you go, Dave. Thanks. I mean it."

"No problem, Heywood. Let's go see Frank."

>>233507

I'm still wondering about the illusions. Once you guys began to talk with Heywood, they started to flicker, and then disappeared. It's not possible SHE was making the illusions... was it? I mean that dream WAS of her fantasies, as it were. But that doesn't explain the woman from earlier. Unless it does. Oh god, was Heywood the ghost from earlier? Can't think of that right now, gotta see Frank.

When we get to the front, Frank's sitting there, glaring at us. I feel awkward as we come into the room, looking at his accusing face. "Uh, hey Frank." I don't really know what else to say.

"Frank, you won't believe what we saw! There's some crazy stuff going on around here." Heywood looks more excited than apprehensive. "It was like some kind of living dream!"

"Yes. I saw it on the monitors." Frank does not look any less suspicious, and I notice he doesn't take his eyes off me. "Dave, you don't know anything about this, do you? You or... MEL?" The way he asks seems to imply that I certainly do know about this. I'm... a little bit confused right now. why's he so antagonistic?

MEL simply watches us from the wall. He hasn't been addressed directly yet. Usually he doesn't speak unless addressed or if it's important. Part of his programming. Weird, I've never considered that it might be very annoying for him.

he may have also read the book and so is thinking you combined with mel = bad shit.
assure him that you have no idea what is happening.
also the woman may have stayed only semi-there because of us. if you weren't wearing us you she would of turned solid and you would of been trapped.

>>246623
Unlikely!
So far nothing malicious has happened, and everything we have seen is a representation of some part of our culture. One with a very specific bent.
The obelisk was discovered in 2100. Tell me, how many potentially life-bearing stars are within, say, 132 light years of Earth? 200?