2/2 Penn 2018/07/04(Wed)19:19 No. 891216 ID: bfb318
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A guard meets us at room 5, where he hands us each one keycard and walks away. The inside is similar to a hotel room, aside from being bluer, shinier, and with the inclusion of a work desk instead of any decorations on the walls.

"Will you be helping me look at the CAI data, Arza?"
>"Yeah. Anyway, this room's almost sure to be bugged. Don't say anything in here that you wouldn't say on the whole intercom system."

As he says this, he steps closer to me. Right in front of his trenchcoat, he taps two fingers together in morse code.

>"Need find CAI, or talk with."

Well you just happen to be the the Sapphire emperor/empress?. We can probably work around the ASE given time. They should really be following your orders now that you came out into the open. Just have to convince them you are worth following.

For now get the lay of the land. Find out where things are and what security procedures they follow. And find out what the Cai is like.

Avoid saying much anywhere Arza will not talk openly and follow his lead. Lets work on talking to the CAI first.

Arza is sweating there, he's nervous.

Do something to acknowledged that you received his message, and talk about something less consequential. Sleeping arrangements, or equipment, whatever.

It's been a while. Give us an asset review?

>>891215
>hooking the CAI up to a data output terminal
>not directly
Uhhh... for a CAI, isn't that pretty direct? Also wow, Vanski seems smaller than I remember.

>>891216
Go "Hmm, yes, that limits the topics of conversation quite a bit doesn't it?"
morse back to him "ok"

"Okay."

"Does that include our lesbian roleplay sessions?"

Morse: "Sry throw em off which way CAI"

It's probably a good idea to get an idea of where any cameras are located to find blind spots in case you need to talk about something sensitive. But yeah let's figure out how to get access to the CAI

We have a professional interest in monitoring devices, and a personal interest in living arrangements. Thoroughly inspect the quarters, but don't bother dismantling anything, unless it is in the interests of scientific curiosity to do so.

>>891227
If the C.A.I. has no sensors on us, and we have no input to them, then we would need some pretty elaborate methods to communicate. We would have to implant encrypted hints into messages sent through intermediaries and they would probably always have a stray member or two inclined to blurt out something that gives the game away. We could try to implant a broadcast node into the periphery of their system somewhere, but granting network access to a C.A.I. is known in many circles to be a a form of creative mass involuntary suicide...

Vanski may be hunched over and many depictions are with neumono and arkots, which tend to be short.

>>891216
>Anyway, this room's almost sure to be bugged.
>morse code
“Oh, great, now I can’t stop thinking about how there’s a pervert watching me change my clothes through a hidden camera.”

Just a subtle message to Arza that bugs can be audio and/or visual. We need to be carful on how we communicate, since there’s a possibility that someone could be watching us and listening to us!

Lets just hope the bugs are audio only, otherwise Arza is already in trouble!

>>891221
>Sleeping arrangements
That’s a good question. Who gets to sleep on the bed and who gets to sleep on the floor or the extremely uncomfortable couch?

>>891227
>Also wow, Vanski seems smaller than I remember.
Yeah, I noticed that too.

Maybe he’s crouching down to speak to Penn at eye level?

>"Does that include our lesbian roleplay sessions?"
>“Oh, great, now I can’t stop thinking about how there’s a pervert watching me change my clothes through a hidden camera.”
I'd point out there's a difference between not giving any watchers / listeners useful information, and um, spouting nonsense that makes people think less of you.

Now, from a information security perspective, nonsense is good! But all Penn currently has in the criminal underworld is her reputation- and it's one she didn't earn. It was inherited. If she wants to swim with the sharks she's going to need reinforce that quick- establish a persona, prove that she really is scarily competent. Appearing flighty or silly or dumb to get people to underestimate us isn't something we have time for, or can afford. People are already going to be watching the big bad biological reincarnation of the Sapphire Empire to see if she lives up to the inherited hype- showing weakness would be bad.

it begins oh boyohboyohboy!

visually chheck the room without moving. Morse code to Aza. "audio/visual bugs, perhaps? We should use a safer method of non-electronic encryption then close range morse."

You are no longer Penn Hoff. Down here you are the Sapphire Emperor. Anything you say in public (which is everywhere due to spy cameras) needs to be said by Sapphire.

And right now she is irritated at this bullshit. You were invited here to help as a guest researcher and you should be treated as such. The spying is just going to get old.

Just tell Arza "Understood" that will answer both his open and hidden questions.


Get your game face on girl. You are going to be watched all the time. So you need to be Emperor material all the time.

Nod.

Now, Penn. I'll get to the point: you are in deep peril and you need every advantage you can grab as soon as possible. You need money, good will, allies, and most of all you need to know your own capabilities. The shadow empire will want to examine you. Run tests. You do not want them to. If they feel like nothing's stopping them, though, they will do so anyway. But I have a plan for you.

Go to Vanski. Tell him that now that you're out of the legal world, you want to find out, proper and scientific, all the things that make you different, and if you have anything special going on. Tell him you don't trust the silhouette empire to do it - they'll be biased. They have expectations. He saw how they were looking at you, surely. There'll be things they want to find when they look at you, maybe things they won't want that they'll ignore. That leads to bad science. You want non-belenosian biologists or medical staff to help you learn about yourself. Vanski, you're sure, has some. In return for your full, willing cooperation (without which no-one could learn as much about you or as fast as otehrwise), you will allow Vanski to have and to sell all the data he collects - save only that you get first pass of what is learned and the right to block one or two items from general release if you wish, solely in the unlikely case that you have some sort of self-destruct or free will override or something crazy like that. You'll take a small percentage of whatever he earns selling the info, to compensate you for your time.

By doing this, you will get Vanski's interest in keeping the ASE from kidnapping you, you will get a little money, you might get brought in contact with Likol's hive or at least with some people you can start getting to know, and you can learn if there are any special... qualities you have that could be useful.

For right now, ask Arza how much free time the two of you are going to have. Say you have a little business proposition for Vanski that might be beneficial for all of you. Ask how secure the e-mail in this place is. Do you get an account? Your own user login credentials?

Morse to him: "I would think the CAI sees/hears everything around here?"

And most of all try not to think of those dead neumono

We didn't really get the chance to talk to you in this state of... clarity, before. Is there anything important you feel capable of thinking about now, that you wouldn't have before?

We need to clearly set out our goals, by priority, what are the main threats to us and our goals, by immediacy, what resources and capabilities we have, and what our limitations are. In that latter group we should also list sacrifices we're willing to make, again in some sort of order.

Perhaps you should settle in first, though. I hope you have separate rooms. And didn't you bring a bag when you set out to meet with Arza? I would also check the locks on the doors, if there could be any hidden access points (including for small things, arkots or robots), and if you're dealing with any cameras as well as audio bugs.

Use sign language to piss him off and ask what he has in mind

>>891227
Vanski has been seen near Neumono. Which are generally one of the shortest races in the galaxy. Belenosians and Mikliks are another two of the shorter species, meaning Vanski himself is relatively short, despite being large enough to intimidate.

Also, talk to Arza about his horns. Ask how he keeps them so perfectly angled. This should distract him.

>>891403
>Which are generally one of the shortest races in the galaxy.
There are plenty of neumono that are gigantic compared to other races. Although, most of them are Kings and Queens.

1/2 Penn 2018/07/06(Fri)15:27 No. 891428 ID: bfb318
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"Understood." I tap 'audio visual?' in morse code. "You're nervous?"
>"Yeah. There's a lot more important people here than I thought. Of course I expected that to some degree - hell, Vanski was obviously here, you and I would be here, that's important enough, but 8th fleet captain? Mind Lever vice president? Some guy who's so important he doesn't even have to show his information on our data? That's more than I thought." He finger taps 'assume both' back at me.
"Is this a problem?"
>"This crowd will make problems if there's not. Either way, it's not common for so many people like this to be in one spot."

I begin reviewing my assets.

Arza, for as much help as he is. Myself.

Orix, my AI goggles, and the goggles themselves along with the database showing me the names of various people around here.

That's it, never minding how much or how little the laboratory has.

>Is there anything important you feel capable of thinking about now that your contacts are off, that you wouldn't have before?
There's nothing new that I couldn't think of before, but now I can think of things like those dead neumono without wanting to curl into a ball.

Or rather, my body and mind would want to curl into a ball, but it has no power over my self, now.

I look over the room. There are two rooms, one is the living area, the other has a couple of beds. There is also one bathroom to the side. It's not bad, as far as underground secret labs would go in my imagination.

I half expect to see my bag already here, or on me, as I brought one when I first came to see Arza.

Or rather, I was supposed to bring it. I was so stressed and worried that I think I left it back at my apartment? Either way, it only had traveling supplies, nothing overly important.

2/2 Penn 2018/07/06(Fri)15:27 No. 891429 ID: bfb318
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"Arza. Did you do anything to keep your horns straight?"
>"All genetics. Why?"
"I've always wanted to ask that, but I never had the nerve. Anyways... what access to the base does CAI have?"
>"It cycles between 'none' and 'almost none'. Do you remember how I said they were generating new CAIs all the time, then repeating it in a seemingly endless cycle?"
"Yes."
>"Well, one cycle managed to bleed into the ring shell and take the whole thing over."
"And?"
>"Vanski didn't get along with them." He looks around at the walls. "No offense, Vanski, if you're listening. The CAI doesn't get to touch anything that Vanski can't afford to be compromised."

On paper, the part of the CAI that generates AIs can't possibly bleed into the ring shell in ways that take it over, but it's an incredibly complex system. As technologically advanced as the ancient belenos might've been, I'd still expect cracks and imperfections in their systems. If their systems were flawless, then they wouldn't have put the apocalypse on themselves.

"I think Vanski was right. I'll need to look at the data. What's our schedule?"
"Hm? Penn, we're here on my request. No one's putting us to work like some kind of desk job. Our schedule is as much or as little as we like, but this is why I brought you here, so I'm hoping you'll put in some work."

That's still not a bad first step.

Still, I'll want to get people here working on my side, but I don't know who that would be. Vanski doesn't have a reputation for working well with others. ASE looks at me like a deity, but I don't know if that's good or bad. Why pirates and engineers are down here, and what their motivation is, I don't know. Right now, no one is actively an asset or an enemy to my goals.

As for my goals themselves... the clearest is that I want to get out of here without my name ruined and my career over right when it was supposed to begin. It's harder since, for some reason I'd love to learn, we all have our names conveniently hovering over our head.

The second goal... is to get the CAI out from these people. From my mind's point of view, saving all the lives within a CAI is worth more than my own. From my own point of view, the people here should never be allowed to have a CAI.

I appear to have free access to a portion of the base. I can wander around and gauge who is open for conversation, and try to better learn who is an asset and who is a threat. Otherwise, my first option is to simply visit the lab.

Your mission is one of subterfuge. In the long term, your main goal is to raid as many assets as you can, and leave Vanski bankrupt.

That includes personnel and connections. Earning a reputation with the pirates will have negative consequences, but these are the elite. Sooner or later, one of the heirs will have the big, dumb idea to go legit. Sink your hooks in the right pirate princess, and you could control the very behavior of an entire aristocracy, make them beneficial to the masses, or scientifically productive.

Same goes for the other factions. Find anyone else hiding behind their preceding reputation, connect with them about your mutual burdens with irrational yet faithful expectations and assumptions, and build a network. Then pull hard and let Vanski's system crash around you.

For now, they know you're a scientist. Do science.

Try to stay away from Vanski as much as possible
snoop for more info about the C.A.I but don't let anyone know your motivates

just try to stay out of the limelight if possible.

>As for my goals themselves... the clearest is that I want to get out of here without my name ruined and my career over right when it was supposed to begin.

That... may no longer be possible. People who knew what you were have probably been watching very closely, albeit subtly, your whole life, given the pressure they would have been under about you. So long as you kept your nose perfectly clean and just be a scientist, they were probably willing to give you your chance, but the slightest hint of a criminal connection, political movement or play for power would probably bring the locks down. This is hardly a slight hint, and you're going to need to make power plays to survive here, don't doubt it. The only way I can see you achieving the goal of returning to your life with your name untarnished is if you pull something seriously unselfishly beneficial for a large section of the universe at large.

So, you know, keep an eye out for any doomsday weapons or world conquest plans that you can play a big undeniable hand in thwarting. That'll probably be your only shot.

Vanski doesn't have a good reputation, but this is his base and it is, for now, his CAI, so working with him in one form or another is inevitable. If I read things right, this place is balanced on a power struggle between Vanski and the ASE, with Vanski actually currently on the losing end. You want to prop him back up a bit so that the ASE has to spend more of its resources countering him, and in so doing you might earn some sliver of trust from him that gets you closer to the CAI. I still think selling your body's secrets is a good idea - it's not like you have much else to sell, aside from your work, and whatever work they'd buy from you is work that would run counter to both your goals. Plus you do really need to find out if you have anything beneficial going on that you don't know about.

If you don't feel like you can approach Vanski right away, see if he has someone under him who would be appropriate to contact first. And if you're going to be looking into that information, you should probably just do as much research as you can up front. Know who people are, what their place is in the hierarchy, who the factions are, what they do, where things are. You have a reputation to build, and while being some sort of genetic superbelonsian is probably a start, you don't want to ruin that pre-first impression by seeming ignorant. You need to seem knowledgeable, perceptive and capable. That starts with collecting knowledge.

I'd bet, though, that some ASE person will be leaping on you as soon as you get ten feet down the hall outside. We don't want anything to do with them yet - I'd suggest taking steps so they can't even collect stray shed hairs off you, but someone in their organization has probably already gotten some small sample by now. This place is also full of other dangerous people. Perhaps suggest to Arza that you both go take a tour? Maybe start by visiting people he already knows? Then keep your eyes and ears open. High energy observation mode. I doubt anyone is expecting you to just go straight to work without any orientation. Be prepared to make a good first impression on people who won't care about the sapphire thing. You might also want to prepare some sort of rebuff to any overt ASE approaches. They're inclined to look up to you, so you might be able to pull off a mysterious "We shall see" I'm-observing-for-now-when-I-have-my-judgement-made-you-will-know stance to excuse keeping away from them. Maybe aim for a sense that you're not very impressed so far?

... By the way, did you ever learn any martial arts like Roxy suggested to you? Or even just the parkour running away skills? A list of what non-computer science skills you have would be nice, in any case.

Anyway yeah suggest a tour and visits with Arza. Maybe one of his acquaintances will have more privacy than this room does. Remember that Arza's still your elder and you his apprentice, so don't get too pushy or demanding of him. Still not absolutely 100% totally certain he's super trustworthy. We'll see, I guess.

Your first step in this is going to be recon and small intelligence gathering. Hit up the lab, learn the layout of this place, other small stuff that'd wouldn't be considered abnormal.

It'd slaos give you an opportunity to start figuring out who's who's and the various group dynamic's. One of them will almost certainly be your ticket out of this place with the CAI, the trick is figuring out who can be trusted and who is our enemy.

And speaking of which. the ASE? Regardless of whether or not they'll strap you to an operating table for their own goals,. they HAVE hunted you before and made life extremely trying for you. They are NOT your friend and will likely take advantage of any diplomatic approaches you attempt with them.

>morse code
The downside of that is other people who can see (or hear) it can break it, and with all the AI specialists here, they may have AI helpers who will pick up on it even if the people would miss it. It would be better if you had a personal code to use instead, but frankly, any cipher simple enough for two biologicals to use in conversation is something an AI could crack.

Coming by a secure communication channel isn't going to be easy. It's too bad you and Arza aren't lovers and don't have an excuse to get up close and personal in the dark and exchange coded messages covered up by other activity. (Just imagine how much that thought would creep you out if you had your contacts in!)

>>"Well, one cycle managed to bleed into the ring shell and take the whole thing over."
There's an important question to ask here as a logical evil science sheep: if that's so, why hasn't Vanski done a hard reset? Wiped absolutely everything and started over with a CAI he can trust and use? A CAI is a valuable asset, he needs a good reason to deny himself that tool.

>It's harder since, for some reason I'd love to learn, we all have our names conveniently hovering over our head.
I would assume there's two reasons. The polite excuse would be something like facilitating communication and cooperation. The real reason is probably that it serves an implicit threat- you can't hide from what you do here, or from the others. It's a way of keeping people in line- now, and later. You're somewhat more vulnerable if you want to maintain a civilian life after this- you can be blackmailed over your presence here in a way the committed criminals aren't).

Honestly there are pros and cons to being outed like this (it gives you a reputation or image to hide behind, but it also means you have to live up to it, for one) but as you have no choice in the matter, let's not dwell on those.

>ASE looks at me like a deity, but I don't know if that's good or bad.
Oh that's easy, it's both. Double edged blade- you might be able to use them, but doing so safely or in a way that doesn't cause you more problems will be challenging.

I think the important thing there is you don't make the initial overture, that might set the wrong tone. Wait for them to reach out to you. They almost certainly will, and I wouldn't expect it to take long.

How have your past interactions gone? As I remember it, they wanted to reach out to you, but you were largely shielded by various mentors or governments. Have you actually blown them off before?

>what do
Might not mean much underground, but what time of day is it? Sort of factors into how much time you have to spend.

Likol's hive might be potential allies if they're working in the facility, but at the same time, you can't really afford to reach out to them. Neumono can't keep secrets, which means you can't be honest when trying to recruit them. Also, they weren't at the big meeting, so if they are here, they're subordinate to someone else, which means their political influence is less and it might hurt you socially to associate with them openly. But then again maybe they can operate in ways the more prominent groups can't.

Simplest thing is probably to go check out the CAI lab. It's probably the most heavily monitored place here, so you won't be able to communicate with the CAI on any subject you might want to (if at all), but you can start to familiarize yourself with the technical setup while weighing your other options.

>From my mind's point of view, saving all the lives within a CAI is worth more than my own. From my own point of view, the people here should never be allowed to have a CAI.
That does simplify things somewhat. If you're willing to die, it might be easier to arrange a disaster that kills everyone in the facility (yourself included) while the CAI is shielded than a clean escape with the CAI would be. Unfortunately, you'd have to make sure you got everyone, and there's a lot of people here of with biology you're unfamiliar with. Risky making a one-shot must work play when it's outside your existent skillset.

>>891436
>Vanski doesn't have a good reputation [...]
I'm not sure that's entirely accurate (he has no public reputation, and underground, he has sufficient reputation to keep his facilitates going, be trusted as a host for a whole bunch of competing interests, etc), or that Penn would know that yet, or that what we saw through Likol's eyes about the politics between Vanski and ASE is still accurate.

Yhe ASE will have difficulty opposing their deity's purposes. Try to always be busy around them so that they can't try to control you without explicitly obstructing you.

I would start on looking over the lab. Figure out the working conditions here and meet any science personnel working on the project. From there we can meet others and network.




Long term plans:

Once we get settled in make your position subtly known to the ASE. That you are irritated that the biggest breakthrough in Ai history was bungled. Somehow a CAI managed to evolve past its normal form and the first thing that happened was making mortal enemies with it. Don't openly blame Vanski. They know who dropped the ball.

If the ASE wants you with them they will suck up to you. Giving you things and doing you favors. Right now you have two big assets. Your status as a premier AI scientist working with Arza. And the possibly fanatic worship of a large group of space imperialists.

>>891429
Go to the ASE and find out exactly what they want from you and what you can expect in return. Right now they are the BIGGEST factor in whether or not you can get an advantage over Vanski.

>>891472
too bold, too early. They'll likely seek us out on their own at some point, all we have to do is wait.

The ASE is difficult. They are more-or-less a religion, and religions tend to have their own ideas for how things should be. Fighting them will mean war with any high-ranking nonbelievers, could lead to cries of "false-god", and is prone to schisms and restorations and whatever... We could easily end up being targeted for reeducation or isolation or ascension/ritual-assassination or something else extremely unpleasant...
Telling them how to interact with us seems safer than leaving them to come up with their own plans. Some sort of social momentum is important to maintain. At the very least, we need to be clear that The Emperor is nearer mad-scientist in0the-wild than religious-figurehead in-a-gilded-cage.

>>891428
Wall board face is shocked by this turn of events!

>>891429
I say the first thing we need to do is work with Arza to try find away to get secure communications with the CAI, easier said then done and may be quit the long term plan.
Another scheme you can work on right now is learning more about the Silhouette Empire, are they a threat or potential asset, what are their goals here, how do they feel about you, what are their plans for you, what are their feelings/stance/relationship with the CAI and Vanski?
Whatever you do remember to be patient and subtle about it.

>>891472
>>891519
It's probably better to play hard to get with the ASE. We don't know yet exactly what form their apparent reverence for Penn takes - were they really looking at her, or at her potential future, or at what they could learn from her, or what? They might have been looking at her like a goddess, but some cultures treated their kings like gods and still spilled their blood on the altar when a bad winter came. Even if they are just inclined to see her as a superior, those are high expectations and they'd be easy to disappoint. The ASE are people who idealize the old belenosian empire - that is, by their own sense of what's ideal - and they've had decades to build up all sorts of unreasonable expectations. Even if Penn was literally the Sapphire Emperor herself flung through time whole and untouched, she might not be able to live up to the fantasies they have. I'm sure they think of themselves as logical, reasonable scientists, but I don't think any of us are inclined to believe it for a second.

So we need to keep our distance for now. How we keep our distance will depend on their approach. Penn will have to try fit their expectations even as she keeps them at a distance. If they try sell her on their philosophy/plans, for example, she could show lack of interest by saying they're not ambitious enough. Recreate the old empire? What a feeble dream! The old empire was built in one solar system, mostly just one planet, with one sentient species and the AIs they built based on themselves. You're working with a whole galaxy now! Multiple species, with all sorts of interesting new ways of thinking! Vast interstellar resources to draw on! There's so much more that could be done. And they want to rebuild a system that ultimately proved itself a failure by the only test that ultimately matters? Survival? Such lack of imagination. That's the sort of attitude that could fit the "reincarnated sapphire emperor". I doubt they'd listen to any moralizing - they've surely had more than enough of that, and will just think less of Penn if she trots any of that out at them - but telling them that their ideals aren't grand enough is a line that might work. Penn might also be able to sell herself as someone who takes a long-term view and is willing to cautiously wait a long time for results - they probably expect her to be immortal or something. Long-lived, anyway.

... Hey, Penn. If I recall, you studied politics a bit, but just in case it helps, how about you think of the organizations here like big AIs? Any big group of people with a system, a hierarchy, ways things are done, can be thought of as a big artificial intelligence of a sort; just one that cheats by using smaller intelligences as processors. Learn how the system works, Penn, then manipulate it. You know how to do that.

Um. Don't get too overconfident, though. You are still probably kind of naive in a lot of areas. And don't overestimate your current "emotionless"-seeming state of mind. I mean, if you really had no emotions, you wouldn't do anything at all, right? Trust your instincts when you need to act fast, but take the measure yourself whenever you have time. Try to figure out what your own biases are and recognize their influence. But don't overthink things either. I know, it's contradictory. Try find a balance as best you can. You can do it!

Seems like you should work on neutralizing Vanski, what I mean is, you need to set up some sort of figurative kill switch or panic button that would disable, remove, eliminate, or otherwise pacify Vanski should he become a problem. You should try to avoid physically harming people as much as possible; that being said, you should also find a way to quickly discern someone's intentions so you know who you can manipulate and who you can trust. If possible, try to take over the present ASE and reform them into your own private military company. If shit hits the fan, you will want soldiers on your side if you are to have any hope of standing up to Vanski or any other aggressor that may appear. Ofc they should always try to disable rather than kill since living beings are generally more talkative than dead ones.

To clarify on your mind, you are still you, right? If you were to metaphorically split yourself into three people, body, emotion, and logic/reason, your current state is where all three decide on the most objectively effective option available to you rather than before where emotion and body would overpower logic/reason.

Also get some discreet body armor and projectile weapon ASAP. You are definitely not a soldier so the weapon is for emergency use only.

Lastly, remember that you aren't a criminal. While you may be doing illegal things, it is only out of necessity. While you should definitely make connections and take advantage of the situation, remember that you arent the next crime lord. The last thing the reincarnation of the Sapphire Emperor needs is to prove that they are indeed evil/criminal.

>>891918
>Seems like you should work on neutralizing Vanski

I'm sure that by this point Vanski is ridiculously paranoid, and has had long, long years of dealing with people who, if perhaps not quite as purely intelligent as Penn, are both much more experienced at such things and more naturally malicious. Penn has a ton of reconnaissance and resource-gathering to do before she can even start thinking of taking any precautions, beyond what's accepted as a normal part of criminal operations.

Well, I mean, if she didn't look like she was at all interested in those things, it could be suspicious in itself, but probably we shouldn't overthink that. In principle, we just need to be careful about setting off anyone's paranoia. Arza is probably pretty well known, so just being brought here by him will have placed her under some suspicion. Her behavior at the farm is probably known to someone around here, too.

The more I think about it, the more I think the idea of a detached, super-patient persona might be a good idea. If Penn's going to be relying on this emotional shutdown state, people are going to notice. She's surely been under observation before now, so someone will see the difference. They'll believe that either college student Penn is the real one and this is a fake act, or vice versa, and we probably want them to believe this is the real personality, unshackled now that she's among people who know who/what she is. That would protect Roxie, for one thing.

The trouble is, there are probably plenty of people she's going to meet who are potentially genuine allies - Likol's hive, for example. She won't want to shut down her possibilities with them, either. The CAI, too! Vanski and the ASE may have locked them off, but it's probably a good bet to assume they've quietly secured at least some access to observe things.

>>891920

Neutralize in a literal sense. Vanski needs to stop being a threat in whatever form that takes. Vanski cant be allowed to use threats and violence as bargaining chips.

>>891940
Yeah, I'm sure that neutralizing Vanski is going to a cakewalk and should be the first thing we plan on. It's not like his entire base was subjected to not one but TWO highly destructive events by forces that turned against him which he had a personal clasper in shaping.

OH WAIT.

Why don't you start by visiting the lab? That's pretty consistent with your character, and could provide you with valuable knowledge abut the assets you have at your disposal.

1/3 Penn 2018/07/12(Thu)18:12 No. 892428 ID: bfb318
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"I'm going to go look at the CAI data. Except... it's not on the map data I was given."
>"Oh, yeah. It's the bottom left corner of the big room called Testing Labs 1."

I walk over. Testing Labs 2 and 3 are taken by ASE and Mind Lever respectively, so the one I'm going to seems comparatively empty. It's a big place, and there's several rooms made by modular or temporary walls with signs indicating various fields of science, mostly ones pertaining to warfare. It doesn't matter much, most of them don't look like they've been used in years.

From what I've heard, there's a good chance this was where Likol's hive used to work, but maybe Vanski had other science teams. Either way, there's no signs of activity now. Either they're quietly behind locked labs here, or they've moved to another area of the lab I don't have access to.

There's a heef guard at where Arza directed me.

>"Here to study?" he asks.
"Yes."
>"Okay. We're paranoid, but I'll walk you through entering. Exiting will be the same, and you have to go through the procedure every time. You can't bring in any electronics or anything that can store data, and you have to change into pre-approved lab coats. You can wear sunglasses, if you want."
"I do."

2/3 Penn 2018/07/12(Thu)18:12 No. 892429 ID: bfb318
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He brings me through the door to a small room. I contain any changes to my expression or impulses to shake as he searches me. I'm not even allowed to wear my clothes inside the databank room itself. I'm sent into a brief shower, and handed a generic set of clothes, along with a lab coat. Just past the first room is a set of scanners to make sure I'm not smuggling anything inside. Then, the heef gives me one last look, then it shows me a thumbs up.

The entire process somehow takes 10 minutes, but I make it through the third door. There's already someone here.

>"Oh, hi, sorry!"
"Hello. Why are you apologizing?"
>"I wasn't expecting you so soon. Uh, I guess I'm apologizing for being taken off guard. Anyways, I'm Dr. Loisen, part of ASE if that wasn't obvious."
"Dr. Hoff."

Having someone in the lab would make it pointless to try and intercept me. He puts his hand out, and I almost revulse from it. This is the same faction that attempted kidnappings when they got bold, while occasionally asking me nicely to let them tutor me while they learn from me. I've had to run from them, both in the literal sense, as well as changing identities frequently. Since they've had a window of time where they knew who I was, I'm sure they've gotten fur samples from me from years ago.

My revulsion confirms I'm still me, but what I consider 'me' is more detached than my body. It isn't an out of body experience, but it is as though I'm simply carried along with the body that's made up of trillions of organisms, organs, and a brain that sends an endless stream of thoughts generated by its innumerable amount of neurons and individual parts. At its worst, I even have difficulty seeing people as people, and just a set of complex chain reactions, including myself, but I'm not in that mindset right now.

I shake his hand.

"I haven't been told much about this CAI. I would have expected Vanski to do a hard reboot from the CAI."
>"Can't be done. I mean technically it could be, but the AIs in block C have completely broken the internal systems of the CAI. A hard reboot would either not work, or it would completely disable the CAI. Anyways! Let me tell you about how this place is set up, because it's pretty cutting edge."

3/3 Penn 2018/07/12(Thu)18:13 No. 892430 ID: bfb318
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He holds up a cable.

>"These are cables made to be physically impossible to send data backwards. In other words, we can't send anything to the CAI, and if the CAI can detect these cables, then all they can do is throw data through it without getting anything in return. I say 'if' because, supposedly, they shouldn't be even be aware of these cables being plugged in, but I have no idea about how the CAI is set up. I haven't physically seen the CAI in years. Anyway, it's an honor to be working with you!"
"Mm. I've spent a long time avoiding 'working' with the Silhouette Empire. What is it you've all wanted from me? I doubt you all know what 'Reincarnation of the Sapphire Emperor' even means."
>"Huh? Oh, sorry, I don't know anything about your connection with Sapphire. I just meant working with Dr. Hoff, Dr. Fletch's star pupil fresh out of college."
"... call me Penn."
>"Alright! Call me Raush."

>>892430
This is an enemy, however he can be a useful tool. Remaining calm but detached is an easy way we can manipulate him. Do not get too friendly with him, but display no signs of enmity. With luck we can set him and everyone else in this base on fire when we leave. Anyway, we need that data. Let's examine it.

>>892430
>physically impossible to send data "backwards", aka one-way cables
Neat. That would be rather difficult for the CAI to deal with. One example of such a cable would be fiber-optic with an emitter at one end and a light sensor at the other. The CAI would be hard-pressed to receive any data at all through the emitter, though I GUESS it's possible if the cable itself can conduct electricity and they have any way to monitor current on the line.
If we were to try to establish real communications with the CAI via this room we'd need to get in here with some tools to sabotage the cable and make it possible, if even slightly, to send both ways. That might not be needed in the long run though since we need physical access to the CAI Block itself to rescue them. I wonder if they're already trying to listen in on things via current modulation? Might not need to sabotage the cable at that point, could just slap some wires onto it.
They might even be able to pick up on RF signals via power lines. Communication with the CAI could be as simple as getting close enough to it that you could send an RF signal their way.

On to business. "Ok Rausch, what kind of data do you get this way?"

Oh hey, someone who's not a total dickhole and actually seems to care. Or, as they're more commonly known as, easily exploitable sources of favours and information. Time to start building up rapport.

>>892428
>Take off all your stuff
Well great, there's probably someone placing bugs and tracking gear in your clothes right now. Possibly cracking open your goggles and compromising Orix, too. Although that's less likely- without a hacking assist like a CAI, they aren't going to be prepared to modify an unfamiliar AI in a way that leaves no traces in the time frame they're likely to have.

>>892430
>"Mm. I've spent a long time avoiding 'working' with the Silhouette Empire. What is it you've all wanted from me? I doubt you all know what 'Reincarnation of the Sapphire Emperor' even means."
Penn you haven't even built yourself a criminal empire yet and your head is already huge.

>one way cables
So... we just monitor whatever signal the CAI chooses to throw our way? But in theory, the CAI doesn't even know the cables are there, so it can't choose to transmit anything, and instead we're sifting through whatever noise we're lucky enough to pick up?

Seems like a serious challenge to make any kind of scientific progress that way.

>I haven't physically seen the CAI in years
Has the CAI been running while physically isolated from all outside stimuli for years? That doesn't bode well for the mental health of the people you're supposed to be here to rescue.

Well, it's probably safe to assume that the walls have more ears than raw surface space in the lab. So don't ask about why the cai-blocks are messed up

ask about the terminal you and azra will be reading off of and maybe gesture at the walls before asking if the room is also a giant faraday cage.

So the CAI can call, but get no response. Effectively stops hacking attempts unless via esoteric / indirect data channels.

One thing though, couldn't the CAI just refuse to transmit down it? How are we getting data from the CAI? Some sort of diagnostics they can't turn off?

You should try and seduce Raush to convince him to help you rescue the CAI. He seems like the kinda guy that would be down for it.

Have him show you how they like doing things. Get your first glance at the Cai and work from there. Along the way watch for issues like the supposed "one way cable". Stay calm and polite and give them your honest (but very clinical and sanitized) opinion on things.

Your Sapphire persona needs to be the pinnacle of amoral belenosian scientist.


I mean the cable is not a bad idea in theory. But its not a 100% trustworthy method. People have discovered flaws in this sort of thing many times over the years. Sometimes they only come to light decades after the fact. If you gave a team of hackers and scientists a few years and plenty of money they could probably figure out how to get around it.

Even if the system is somehow foolproof the Cai has had tens of thousands of years to work on it with a team of billions. Who knows what sort of sensors they have hobbled together. Especially if that team managed to get root hardware access that was never designed to be got by anyone.



Man its going to be fun to see what they have managed to do inside there. Hopefully they are not to bitter about the situation.

Confirm what, if any, stimuli the cai receives, then observe the established procedures. After, extract your own data and observe it for social movements and factional distributions.

Doctor Loisen demonstrated very little response to your presence. Either they are a very talented, and thus dangerous agent working to act around you while evading your awareness, perhaps to strengthen ties and accumulate data upon you, or they are genuinely little interested, perhaps due to shock or maybe because they only joined to gain research opportunities or avoid debts or other personal situations. Regardless, they AES will be aware of your meeting and will press him for information, so do not let anything slip or expose any vulnerability.

The immediate question, then, is to ask whether that means we only receive what output the CAI decides to send, and if we have scanners set up around the CAI blocks to try and detect clues to its internal activity by minor changes in heat buildup, electromagnetic fluctuations, et cetera. Also, though it's currently set up for output-only, what would you do if you changed your minds? Do you have a preparatory setup, perhaps in a sealed room with an input/output cable and non-wireless interface that would be destroyed afterward? You should also ask for the history of the experiments leading up to this moment, what procedures have been tried before, the timeline of such, et cetera.

When you are up to speed on the CAI, and he's gotten into the habit of talking, ask him about organizational details. Who does he answer who, and who do they answer to? When orders come into the lab here, whose take priority? What is it the people funding this research want to find most? A criminal organization is surely more demanding of direct return on its investments than a government-funded lab.

For your personal consideration: the CAI blocks are recreations of technology far in advance of the current galactic standard, and their internal hardware is still not much understood, right? What are the chances that they have functionality that has gone undiscovered due to the technology for interacting with those functions doesn't exist? In particular, I wonder if the old empire might have employed some sort of exotic wireless connectivity that modern science has yet to discover. The electromagnetic spectrum has a limited number of available bands - even on 21st century earth they had to start considering the problem of running out of room in the airwaves. It seems likely that a society as technologically advanced as the old empire would have had to overcome that issue - potentially by finding a new form of transmissions. In which case, the CAI blocks could have an open port waiting for a signal that we don't know exists. This CAI has access to far more of its own internal systems than any other; they may have been able to notice or activate something that would have been impossible to study in any other set of blocks.

Consider also, from whatever knowledge you do have of the CAI's internal structure: how likely is it that the CAI could theoretically detect external effects on their own mechanisms? Could certain electromagnetic fields, changes in their power supply (presumably they're plugged in to something) or even gravitic fluctuations cause disturbance or change in the CAI blocks' circuits/processors/etc that the CAI could notice? Even something like veeeeery slightly squeezing/stretching one component so that its signals travel oh-so-so-slightly faster or slower than others is something that could theoretically be noticed and used to communicate. Vibration, basically.

CAI blocks are expensive, but I'm sure that at some point, someone has physically broken one open and had a look inside?

>ASE research assistant, ignorant of ASE's fanatic worship of Sapphire heirs
If I wasn't suspicious of the sheer levels of incompetent ignorance it takes to get an official job at this nuthouse and NOT remember to bow in the presence of the second coming of your lord and savior, much less shake their hand like an equal, I'd say this guy is one of your first targets for conversion to your side.

But he's laying it on too thick. Even a research assistant would have to pass an examination on their dogma, and if he forgot then he would have the basics stuck in his notes. His enthusiastic treatment of a foreign superior also hit some alarm bells.

Treat him nicely, feed him a line in hopes of convincing him to serve you and not the ASC, but do not trust him. His position and your greenhorn experience makes him a suitable triple-agent to backstab you when you need him most.

>>892550
It's theoretically possible that some of the ASE here genuinely aren't that interested in Penn's unique qualities, if you consider things in terms of specialization. Unscrupulous scientists who are interested in belenosian genetic/biological enhancement aren't likely to have come out to this planet - the only thing to attract them is Penn herself, and since she's been well-protected up until now it really wasn't any kind of good investment for them to come out here. Therefore, anyone who would do the actual work of studying Penn is (or was) probably back on the belenosian homeworld, where most of the belenosians are - even without "biological reincarnations", there are probably various bits and pieces of genetic tinkering still kicking around the population to study. Besides, for all we know there are other bio-reincarnates besides Penn - it's not like she was interested in advertising herself, why should they?

That means that, while I'm sure there is a lot of interest in Penn from the ASE here, it's theoretical or idealistic interest. She wouldn't be a subject for them personally; they have their own projects. They want her intelligence applied to things that benefit them, or would like whatever enhancements she has to be unlocked and developed for application to others, or would just feel proud to have her as a member of their organization. But that might not be the case for long. In [whatever time it takes to travel from the belenosian homeworld to here], someone with more immediate interest might show up. The ASE would probably be a lot friendlier up until then than after.

So, that's a deadline to keep in mind, Penn. And that's assuming they didn't know Arza was going to pick you up in advance. You should ask him about that when you next have the chance.

Also, now that I think of it: Ask about these dumb coats. Seriously. Lab coats are supposed to be white, because white shows particles, stains and other marks, and when you are doing Science it is very important to know if anything's gotten on you. Even doing computer science, where people don't usually wear lab coats at all, you need to know if you're carrying dust or fluff or other things that could fall/drift into vents, get into circuitry, et cetera, so if you are going to wear coats for it, they should be white then as well! Plus, working with computers can be hot! The rooms heat up! And you're going to wear black? And static! You have to worry about buildups of static electricity on your bodies! You can't wear some long flowy robe-coat that's going to rub against your legs when you walk! That's stupid!!

They're just trying to make everyone where their uniform. Silhouette empire, indeed! It's a symbol of half of what's wrong with their organization. "Oooh we love science it's all about the science" yeah right you just want to look cool and feel superior you edgy bastards.

Take it off. If they complain, rant at them about how unscientific and impractical it is. Dispassionately, and in good measure, in case they somehow do have a good reason (though it's unlikely). But let them know that you are actually scientific- and practical-minded and that you are not going to blithely go along with flawed methodology. No-one here's going to listen to anything about ethics or morality but if they want to pretend to be scientists or engineers then at least some of them will respect practical concerns.

>>892553
I... You have read the previous threads to polo quest, right? If not, there's so much wrong with the assumptions you've made that I don't know where to end an argument about them.

But I do know where to start.

We can't trust the ASE or anyone who works for them. They're not just edgy scientists, their ideology dictates that anything involving, from or formerly belonged to the dystopian belenos empire is better than living and breathing. If they consider the CAI-blocks the holy grail then consider what they think of Penn's status as one of their deities given flesh anew.

>>892550
Weird as it sounds to say this, Kome is probably right.

It's much more likely "not knowing who you are" is a deliberate ploy on his part to make him more approachable than the rest of ASE. That, or his superiors kept him in the dark on purpose, so they'd have a minion who would be more approachable.

Don't treat him with overt hostility or suspicion, talk with him and try to learn what you can about the CAI setup, but be aware.

>>892555
>>892565
Well, remember, Arza did some Bad Science as well when he was younger, connected to these people. Not necessarily everyone who works with the ASE is fanatically loyal to their overall ideals and goals - they probably prey on scientists who feel stifled (probably mostly the younger ones with something to prove) and offer them all the resources they need to get some "real research" done. That would come with nominal membership in the club and the need to outwardly play along, ignore or put up with everything else.

Don't get me wrong, just tolerating what the ASE does is terrible, and there's every possibility that any ASE member we meet could be a hardliner. But we should keep the possibility in mind that they could also just be some desperate, willingly oblivious nerd who just wants to hide in their lab and cover their ears to everything going on outside it.

You ARE fresh out of college. Legitimate, legal college, where research into old belenosian tech was probably restricted, where it was a bad idea for you to show too much interest, and for personal reasons you probably didn't want to. Since the CAI is old belenosian tech, you need to make up for that now and get as good a sense as you can for it. The most common interfaces, operating systems, the design philosophy, those sorts of things. All those could give clues for the CAI's functionality. Whatever's there, incomplete or theoretical it might be, you need to start studying it now.

>>892566
We're underground, in a den of theives and you insist we start making assumptions about the ASE personnel stationed here? ludicrous. We don't know a thing about them on an individual basis yet since we only just got here.

Sure, there probably IS someone among the ASE crew who we can work over until they're more loyal to us than the party line they've toed until now. BUT we don't know who that hypothetical person is, what their name is and how to go about convincing them to turn coat when the time is right.

And turning someone into a potential asset for our own cause? that's going to take time, resources and information. We might have time on our side but we don't have the latter two. And until we do, we can't afford to make assumptions. Doing so, particularly this early, is a bad decision to make when our ultimate goal is helping azra to take back the cai-blocks and get out.

>>892603
I... didn't say anything about turning anyone to our side? Or about assuming anything? I was arguing AGAINST assuming things.

Speaking of making assumptions, though... we can't assume they're being honest about what they're showing and telling us here, even now. For all we know, their tests began the moment we walking in the door, or earlier. Even this guy says he hasn't seen the physical CAI in years. Why believe the output you're getting comes from the real CAI?

Penn, this CAI setup doesn't make sense. Think of the timeline, here. Before Arza called you away, the last thing you heard about these people was the big blowup with Polo, right? That was a big show. You can't cover up hijacking a giant warship and a nuclear threat that required an evacuation. Vanski used the CAI to do that! The CAI were the ones who hacked that ship's systems! The CAI didn't do anything to lose that trust, not to this degree. It was Likol who put an end to it. If the CAI had anything to do with what Likol did, any evidence of it was on the ship itself, and Vanski didn't get to keep it. Why, then, would they be sealing the CAI in a prison like this now? Even leaving aside all that, it doesn't make sense just by itself. The way this situation has been described, with the output-only cable, what use is that? Even assuming they're unaware, the CAI can probably rewrite huge portions of how their own system works, probably already HAS rewritten huge portions of how it works. The output is doubly untrustworthy, and in the meantime the CAI can't do any work for you.

Aside from them lying to you for some reason, to test you or manipulate Arza somehow, the only reason I can see for them to lock up the CAI now is BECAUSE Arza is here. They know what he wants to achieve. So why bring him in at all? There must be something they want from him. Or you.

I don't know, maybe there was some unknown incident that caused the CAI to become untrustworthy. But it seems strange.

1/3 Penn 2018/07/14(Sat)15:22 No. 892845 ID: bfb318
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I won't worry about my clothes. Orix was constructed from scratch enough that backwards engineering it to compromise it to any meaningful level isn't practical without a trustworthy CAI.

"Is this the terminal I'll be working at?"
>"Any one will do, including that one."
"Is this room also a faraday cage?"
>"Yes, it's up to the highest codes on digital storage facilities."

I look at the software. It's a specialized program used by government to diagnose and study CAIs. It's protected software, of course, but I'm assuming that the data stick that's been plugged in and taped against the computer is an illicit key to keep the software open.

It's impossible to gather all information off the CAI, but it is capable of choosing where in the CAI it reads, and transferring the data of those chunks interacting with other chunks at several gigabytes per second. There's also side data to record things like minor thermal changes around the CAI, electromagnet fluctuations, and so on.

Raush guides me through the software, but I feel like I'm learning from a 4th word of mouth source. There's either no documentation, or they could steal this software but not the help files.

There is some basic information, anyways. The CAI is on cycle 3433. Vanski never stopped, although now any data that's been retrieved after halfway through cycle 3119 can't be assumed to be legitimate.

>"We just started a cycle this morning, so it's still on the first few stages."
"What external stimuli does the CAI get?"
>"Whatever they give themselves. This CAI should have a basic internal world for the CAI, and even if they don't, they can go to sleep until we poke them."

2/3 Penn 2018/07/14(Sat)15:23 No. 892846 ID: bfb318
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I continue working. I stay amicable to Raush, but there's no telling if he's just here to use me as much as I'm inclined to use him. As the time passes, though, he proves to be legitimately knowledgable about this field, and his enthusiasm for it seems equally legitimate. If ASE just wanted someone to endear themselves to me, they found someone who's both a good AI scholar and a great actor. I still don't turn my back towards him. He notices it enough to move more carefully around me.

"Let me ask something else, Raush. Who do we answer to?"
>"Hm? I was told you were here with Dr. Fletch to study it yourselves. Though I suppose you do have to answer to Vanski or Dr. Foy - that's my boss - as they each have authority over the CAI itself."
"Dr. Fletch hasn't told me much about the history of this CAI, by the way."
>"Oh, right! Sorry, I have it all on paper, here. It's not too much, but there's a neumono science hive down here, and Likol was their head specialist. He studied it for about 3 decades, but the tools he had were very limited. He still was very diligent and was the best neumono at it I've known."
"Did you work with him?"
>"Very, very briefly, a few years ago. I wished I could've worked with him longer, but oh well."
"Did something keep you from doing so?"
>"Yeah, his priorities, uh, were different than mine... so he knocked me out, tied me up, and tried to run away with the CAI."

Good on you, Likol.

Cycle 3119? That would've been approximately in the time period when I met Likol. Arza had asked him to review a paper for me while Arza himself was busy doing a seminar. Likol was calm, but he kept his hand on his laptop protectively, and had more on his mind than my paper.

Then Arza came in, and told me that he had to speak with Likol privately. I should have read the both of them better, but I was incredibly awkward. For goodness' sake, I sat halfway across the room from Likol while he reviewed my paper, like he had airborne alien-rabies. I could not have been more socially awkward.

... I have to ask Arza about this later. My imagination is running wild, now.

3/3 Penn 2018/07/14(Sat)15:23 No. 892847 ID: bfb318
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These tools hardly show anything past basic metadata. It doesn't help that for all I know, the CAI is capable of wireless communication in ways completely unknown to modern civilization. Besides that, there's no guarantee any of this information we're getting hasn't been doctored by the CAI. Besides that again, attempting to disseminate meaningful chunks of data is difficult when the inner workings of the ring shell are so poorly understood in the first place.

After a few hours of basic monitoring and getting a feel for the software, I change the subject.

"Why are these labcoats black?"
>"No idea. They're very easy to clean, though, and stuff seems to slide right off of them anyway. Also, Silhouette Empire, so we have a theme going."

I reel in my trash talking tongue. There's a lot of anger and fear built up around ASE, but now's not the time.

"Nevermind. Something is bugging me. Vanski hijacked a nuclear equipped warship with the CAI."
>"Whoa. How'd you know about that?"
"It was on the news, worldwide."
>"Oh, damn." He nervously laughs. "I don't often watch television, so I appear stupid from time to time."
"My point is, what did the CAI do to lose that trust?"
>"Oh. Eh..."

>"Sorry." He wants to say something. "I shouldn't spread rumors, specially not... well, yeah, it doesn't really change what we're doing here anyway."

>>892847
Tell him honestly if what you've heard is true, this method of data gathering is close to pointless. It's not verifiable as fact, and doesn't give you any insight into the inner workings of it.
What you would like to do instead is figure out exactly how this program works. They don't have documentation so you're going to analyze it and write some.

(Play up Sapphire a bit)

It does matter Raush. If I am going to study them I need to know the personality they show to the world.

There are millions of people in there that might as well be legal citizens of the old empire. Knowing how they think is the closest we will probably ever get to being able to talk to our ancestors before the fall.

My predecessor willingly evolved himself into one of them. I have a vested interest in his work seeing that I am a creation of the old empire as well.

>>892855
I don't think she knows any of that... yet.

"I still want to know. We are supposed to be scientists, and therefore we should operate with all available information that could possibly be relevant, even if that relevance is dubious at the onset of an investigation. For example, the CAI themselves will know whatever it is they did, and if they do have control over the output here, that information could influence what they decide to do, thereby having direct influence on our main source of data. Also, to be frank, I do not yet have great faith in the methodological rigor around here, and I want to know where all the potential biases may come from. Dr. Fletch will want to know as well."

"... Besides, it seems strange. You said you hadn't seen the CAI physically in years, despite the fact that they'd have had to move it recently. You've been the expert here, haven't you? I'd have thought you'd have been closely involved in any move."

Wow, Raush still thinks that highly of Likol. He's like a puppy. That we coshed over the head.

I think Penn's assessment is right. Raush is either complete earnest, or he's a masterful actor.

>Vanski hijacked a nuclear equipped warship with the CAI."
>what did the CAI do to lose that trust?"
That's a damn good question, and an even better one considering the stuff we know that Penn doesn't. Glitcher's break out and fight with Vanski and Likol's theft occurred in 131 AW, but the attempted hijacking of the warship occurred in 135 AW. How the heck did the CAI get Vanski's trust back when Glitcher was still there? And how was trust lost again afterwards?

...and didn't they use the CAI to mess with Roxie and cover up Penn's extraction from her civilian life? >>/questarch/642934 Why was the CAI allowed out of the box for that? Messing with communications networks is pretty dangerous if you don't trust it- it could send anything to anyone.

>>"Sorry." He wants to say something. "I shouldn't spread rumors, specially not... well, yeah, it doesn't really change what we're doing here anyway."
Probably not the best place to push for that information. Because people are paranoid about the CAI, this room is going to be monitored. So if it's something he could get in trouble for telling you, or isn't supposed to tell you, he can't. Because we're being watched.

>>892859
IIRC, Vanski thought the external CAI was still in control, until Likol tried to blow him up. Vanski probably considers that an assassination attempt led by the RS-CAI.

Ask him to look over some notes or equations if you can write them down somewhere.

Then just ask for rumors emphatically.

>>892860

Almost. Likol didn't try to blow Vanski up. Likol blew up whoever was taking direct control of the spaceship with all the nuclear warheads, which was probably one of Vanski's children + trusted agents and associates.

>>892877
You’re thinking of Neumono. Penn is a Belenos and they don’t have empathy.

>>892859
He deserved it, appearing with the CAI-blocks when by all rights he shouldn't have had them.

Raush is hiding something. note it but change the conversation anyway.

In fact, we might as well keep him off balance by giving him an easy out.

'Raush, you look like you forgot to turn the metaphorical oven off so I'm going to change the subject. Who else works here besides yourself?"

>>892859

>masterful actor

Based on what we know, isn't it at least somewhat likely that he is? Or at least he's been... groomed to be something. 'Innocent', maybe? He mentioned not being able to watch the news a lot. Perhaps because he's stuck in a secure environment, but maybe also because of his upbringing.

He is an ASE-educated CAI expert that was brought on board literally to buddy up with Likol and replace him. Then he got dunked on the head...

(... which, er, quick meta note: did that actually happen? Didn't Likol's hive bust him out, at great cost? We don't actually know where Raush was in all that - probably with the CAI, which means he could've been dunked on, but only after Likol lead a raging horde of pissed-off Neumono at him, which should've been some degree of traumatizing.)

... and the most valuable piece of technology Vanski had was almost stolen on his watch. Vanski must've been furious. Arguably there should've been repercussions from that - so I wonder what shielded him, if anything.

His feelings of regret not to have worked with Likol more may be real, but there's something a little odd or off here. I don't think we should trust him at all. Indeed, if he was selected to buddy up with Likol,pPerhaps you being with him here is more than just chance. Perhaps the ASE want you to find in Raush someone who you can sympathize and empathize with because those are strengths of his... whether that's because he's a masterful actor or a sacrificial goat.

>It's a specialized program used by government to diagnose and study CAIs. It's protected software, of course, but I'm assuming that the data stick that's been plugged in and taped against the computer is an illicit key to keep the software open.

Wait, do you mean to make sure the software will keep opening, or do you actually mean that they're keeping the software on, constantly, 24/7? Because it was probably designed to not be used that way, seeing as it's set up to take a selection of separate chunks. Keeping it on constantly would just give the CAI time to notice the connection. And - ugh, since they stole this software, it's probably not the latest version, either. What a circus this is. Well, you're not going to tell them how to tighten their security.

Trash thought it may be, the data they're getting seems like too much for an organic to go through it and try spot patterns or anomalies. What programs do they have working for them? Any lesser AIs on the job, here?

>>892891
Yes, Likol knocking Raush upside the head and stealing the cai-blocks is a thing that happened. He got caught immediately though.

Given that Raush is still alive he clearly wasn't on-site when the OPA head's effort to mindwipe the science hive went catastrophically wrong in all the best ways and resulted in Quokko dunking the cai-blocks and a brain-damaged Liko in a river after telling him to meet Azra Fletch. (which is UnSec17 in a nutshell)

Sounds like a pretty important history lesson on how they behave.

1/2 Penn 2018/07/21(Sat)12:38 No. 893919 ID: bfb318
File 153220192708.png - (20.53KB , 800x800 , 978.png )

"All related information matters, especially while we pointlessly work while near blind and deaf. I thought you'd have been closely involved with the CAI, as the expert."
>"Yeah, CAI expert, not a politician! My superiors, who are, are trying to get us access to the CAI. I don't know how that's going, but we can't do much but wait for that, right? We'll have to use this software anyway."

He's got a point. I can work on documenting this software.

I'll only push Raush for rumored information if I see him privately later. This place is too monitored to poke in the wrong places.

2/2 Penn 2018/07/21(Sat)12:38 No. 893920 ID: bfb318
File 153220193492.png - (17.76KB , 800x800 , 979.png )

Within several hours, Raush has taught me what he knows about these terminals while he had a modest headstart past me. He gets up to leave.

>"If you want to stay, I'll get the guard to bring in some food for you. Otherwise, I need the night off. I think we've made good progress on documentation!"

It's true, and I have a lot of momentum on the task. It'll slow me down considerably if I stop, now.

Tell him you wish to continue working, but your associate needs to be informed of your decision. He could come here to help, even.

Any chance of them figuring out your goggles eventually, if you stay in here long enough?

>>893920
Remember you're not really here to map out the CAI for the bad guys. You're here to figure out a way to get it out.

You've learned something about how the CAI is held and what kind of access you're allowed to it, and you've got something of a read on one of the researchers.

That's enough for now- you should move on, and be learning more about the facility and the other factions at play here. You can't afford to lose yourself in your (interesting!) work when you have a real mission to think about.

Your job is to be an assistant for Arza, and I notice he hasn't shown up while you were here. That's very peculiar, don't you think? Doesn't he need to learn this system as well? Isn't this also where he's supposed to be working? He didn't say anything about taking a long rest or meeting up with anyone first, unless I've missed something. So he should have turned up by now, right?

There's still a possibility that this room is some sort of trap. That CAI lockup story still doesn't make sense to me, and Raush dodged the question in a way that could as easily be "I can't make up a good story on the spot" as it is "I don't want to spread rumours". If the CAI was actually entirely active and in use, a system like this could just as easily be in place and able to produce this same output anyway, right? Maybe they just put together a bunch of stuff they already had available to create a little observation chamber for you. Or worse.

It's a small chance, I admit, but it's still there. You could leave and justify it by saying that the more work you all do separately the more the other two will have to be caught up, so it's best to work when at least two or preferably all three of you are there.

I'd also like to repeat the questions in >>892903 as to whether they're keeping the program actively running constantly, and if there are lesser/weak AIs helping to monitor and analyze the data.

Is there even a clock in the room or some other form of time display, perhaps on the terminals you've been using?

Regardless, it's probably time to take a break and get some food. Catch up with Azra while you are at it and do NOT eat anything that Raush brings you.

>>893920
Take your notes. Make a fake set of notes later. for when you bug out. Give them something to chew on and throw them off.

While we want to have good documentation we don't actually want to help these assholes. Keep your best documentation personal on your goggles.

But you will need to contribute something big if you want privileges and access. This seems like a good start and this is not huge stuff anyways. Showing them a huge improvement in things this quickly will show them you are not just a pretty face.

Double check the time and continue if its not horribly late.

I'd say keep working on that software. If you have a greater knowledge of how it works, you'll have a greater knowledge of how to abuse it to come in contact with the CAI. Also, documenting it would fit rather well with assisting Arza, and it could also help manage your image into that of someone driven and focused.

Head back to Arza to catch up with each other.

>>893920
Yeah sure. Send in some food.

Also, fear that you're going to be locked in here and held prisoner. All it would take is hitting a single button and BOOM, instant prison cell.

>>893949
Eh, having one of your factions' messiahs screaming in a jail cell isn't good for their morale. Or productivity. Or security. Or incentive to not quit violently.

I'm more worried about the room itself - this is a lab, any number of experiments could be installed. Suggestive geometry, brainwave scanners, cameras in your spare panties, automated turrets out of the walls, etc.

You really gonna eat anything you haven't either prepared or seen prepared yourself? Could have tracker nanites in it or something.

>>893951
Or just sedatives. Gonna have to be careful when eating in an ASE-controlled space.

The task of documenting the program itself could be a trap, too. Belenosians feel good learning things. The ASE has probably gotten really good at lulling people into focusing on the tasty knowledge instead of paying attention to everything else that should concern them.

Remember how Arza fell into this trap in the first place, Penn!

1/2 Penn 2018/08/01(Wed)15:51 No. 895612 ID: bfb318
File 153316391953.png - (16.99KB , 800x800 , 980.png )

>Any chance of them figuring out your goggles eventually, if you stay in here long enough?
It wouldn't be reasonable.

Just cracking it is one thing, but to crack it without leaving a shred of evidence is difficult enough that there are better things to put on the list of top concerns.

Even off the wall things like if my food is drugged. I don't think Raush would do it, but I'm not going to take the chance.

"No thanks. We're leaving this program running, right?"
>"24/7."
"Okay. Go ahead. I'll stay here for a little longer."

There's also small AIs helping sort data, but aside from doing some of the busywork, they won't do much.

Raush calls the heef guard, and the two of them go through the exit procedure to make sure Raush isn't carrying anything out.

I notice the lights dim soon after Raush leaves, but it occurs exactly at 7PM and is a gradual shift over about 10 seconds, so it appears scheduled and intentional. I keep it dim, as I prefer working this way.

Since I can't take anything out, I spend some time memorizing data and documentation. I don't document this as well as I could. After all, I don't want to legitimately help anyone here more than I have to.

2/2 Penn 2018/08/01(Wed)15:52 No. 895613 ID: bfb318
File 153316392768.png - (47.88KB , 800x800 , 981.png )

I work to my satisfaction, then decide to leave. I want to know where Arza's been anyway. He acted as though he would show up later, not some other day.

When I call the heef on the intercom Raush used, I hear a ringtone, but no one picks up.

He could be out for a lunch break. Or it could be something more sinister.

Could be as simple as a test by Vanski or someone else to see how you respond to the situation. Or as complicated as that Cai having hijacked the room and doing the same.

Treat it with calm indifference. You are sure to be watched. So make sure the watchers get the show that you want them to get.

Hang up and try again. Tell the phone you want to be let out once the guard gets back. Feel free to be snarky as Sapphire would probably be irritated at the inconvenience of being stuck for a bit.

Then consider other communication options. Worst case build something to call out while waiting. Or if there is a comfy chair or bed here take a nap.

Address the air/phone and say that you would like to be let out sooner rather than later.

That if they treat all there guest researchers like this its no wonder they have not made many breakthroughs.

(but be prepared for anything just in case)

Have yourself a seat and wait five minutes. Listen for movement out there.

>>895613
Could be some kind of power play by one of the factions of criminals. Could be the guard is legitimately away from his post (though that seems unlikely given what's going on). Could be the CAI is about to try something to reach out, and wants to make sure you don't leave yet (although that means it's compromised systems it's supposed to be isolated from).

Don't react visibly, assume you're still on camera and being watched by unfriendly eyes.

Stay on the phone, turn and look to the screen with the feed showing the tap on the CAI. Maybe there's something there they want to make sure you see.

Wait a few minutes to see if the guard (or anyone else) responds. If no one answers the call, we'll eventually reassess.

Penn 2018/08/01(Wed)16:26 No. 895620 ID: bfb318
File 153316597412.png - (9.66KB , 800x800 , 982.png )

I hang up and try again. The ringtone continues.

"In case this ringtone is here for decoration and I'm supposed to speak, I'd like to be let out."

While on the intercom, I look around. The CAI feed is normal. If I'm stuck here, this place doubles as a panic room. Raush showed me a compartment with rations, as well as another compartment with a collapseable bed.

I doubt I could hear anything out there. Outside of this room, there is a scanning room, followed by a small entry room, and only then the halls where the heef was guarding. In other words, there are 3 doors, and they all seemed double layered and well sealed.

What I do find looking around is a square compartment by the door that had nearly invisible creases. I'm able to use a claw to open it.

When the door unlocked for Raush, I heard a beep. I didn't hear a beep this time, yet this keypad implies the door is unlocked.

Its possible he left it open. Maybe they want to meet with you in secret and have set things up so you can leave without being noticed and then return without Vanski noticing that you left this room.

We know they are not happy with Vanski but he has not fucked up badly enough for them to remove him. Maybe they want to meet with you out of sight. The Cai is there baby and they might be tired of Vanski ruining all the breakthroughs they have had.

Try the door.

This system should really be set up so the doors automatically lock when closed, and especially when someone cycles through the next door, like an airlock. Either this demonstrates serious negligence, or more likely, someone deliberately ensured this door would be open.

Given that, it seems likely that someone here is trying to test you. Assuming again this room is watched, I don't think you want to break protocol and try to leave without being cleared to do so. At least not this quickly. If it's Vanski or his allies checking if you can be trusted, immediately breaking the CAI's containment protocols won't help.

Less important, but wow, that keypad has no zero key, and is only 4 digits long. That's kind of weak security. Heck, there's not even a clear in case of a wrong entry.

We have to be cautious here, if Vanski is as paranoia about people as he is about the CAI then this is almost certainly a test. Close the keypad compartment and try the phone again, if you don't get a response wait a bit and try again, if not just sleep until morning.

Treat this as a silly test from Vanski unless you get evidence otherwise.

If Raush is trying to subtly set up some sort of meeting or whatever he can be less subtle next time.


Hmmm are there cameras in the airlocks? Would be hilarious if there were not any and Raush has been sitting in there for hours waiting for you to leave so he can talk to you in private.

This may be a test. Maybe they want an excuse to not treat you so well. Maybe they want to see how you act. Everything in here is supposed to be monitored, right? Though... that is kind of odd. This place is supposed to keep anything from getting in or out. When you're dealing with an AI, isn't information not getting out something you have to worry about? A sequence of flashing lights or a sound beyond normally heard frequencies could be picked up by security and sent to somewhere or someone who could do something with it. Well, maybe that's too out there.

Lots of possibilities for what this all could mean. Whatever you do, don't panic. You must appear entirely cool and in control, and demonstrate rational actions. For example, you can probably try the door, see if it opens. If you don't actually go through it you have a case for not breaking their rules.

You could also sit down at the computer again, pretend to see something interesting, and announce out loud some urgent and fascinating piece of information that would tempt people to run in and see it. If the system is monitoring everything, you have proof that you were just pretending, and trying to get attention is something justified if you try a few other things to get out first and don't find a good option.

>Raush showed me a compartment with rations, as well as another compartment with a collapseable bed.

Well, that raises the disturbing possibility that this is your cage. Uh... is there a restroom in here? Maybe connected to the showers you had to go through to come in? I mean, even if this isn't some sort of observation chamber prison just for you, they wouldn't expect you all to come out through that whole process again just to take care of nature, right? But, then the plumbing would be a security hole. Hmm.

I'm kind of leaning towards the idea that this whole room is a test setup for you. The strangeness of the CAI arrangement, the fact that this room is all the way out here away from the busy areas with only one guard, Arza not showing up, Raush not being able to explain odd things (and notice how the first thing he said to you was "sorry"?), all your stuff being taken before you got to go in, only small AIs on a project that should need some proper hefty ones, all those wall monitors running when there aren't enough people to observe them, and now all this? I mean, it might not even be about you personally. Maybe they haze/initiate everyone in their organization with some escape-the-room puzzle game.

Interesting that that keypad doesn't have a 0 on it.

What else is in this room? What do all those wall monitors display?

Go ahead and try the door. Just peek out there.

1/2 Penn 2018/08/01(Wed)17:12 No. 895633 ID: bfb318
File 153316877212.png - (18.96KB , 800x800 , 983.png )

I think about the security of this place, how the door doesn't relock automatically and how there's only 4 buttons on the keypad with no 0, and I stop before I disgust myself further.

Frankly even if the door did lock, I expect I could exit by typing '1111.'

I consider trying the door. After all, if I just open this one, I'll just see the scanning room. Then again, if this is just some test, even doing that much without leaving will harm whatever grade they give me.

I back off and inspect the living corner of the room. It has a bed, rations to hold out for a week for four people - so a month, if I stayed - and a deployable toilet. There's no shower. Unless they've reached new heights in security embarrassment, the septic system is completely self contained. There's nothing else of note in the room I can see. The wall monitors that are on, like the computers, continue showing CAI statistics.

The bed comes out easily enough.

I hear a beep near the door.

2/2 Penn 2018/08/01(Wed)17:13 No. 895634 ID: bfb318
File 153316878027.png - (11.06KB , 800x800 , 984.png )

It was lower pitched beep than the unlock beep. The keypad indicates the door was just now locked. Maybe it was a test after all?

I try the intercom again.

ring
ring

...

ring

Nothing.

At this point I either continue working and sleep until morning, or I type '1111' and check what's going on out there.

You sort of can't check whats going on out there. You are locked in and the phone does not work.

Sigh loudly and roll your eyes at the camera and try the door.

>>895634
They're clearly fucking with you intentionally. This is annoying. If they thought you were a traitor, the smart thing to do with you would be to shoot you immediately, or drug you, or pump in gas or cut the power or anything.


Instead, they've decided to play mind games. I suspect the Salikai's involvement. Or maybe the Silhouettes are having a gunfight in the hall to try and capture you. Keep up the calls until you get tired, then go to bed. Nothing to be done but nap since you're stuck in this box.

Wait, when did the beep happen? You just sort of commented suddenly on the beep being lower pitched.

If it was after you pulled the bed out, maybe the door is set to automatically lock if someone is sleeping. Perhaps put in place so that people who are paranoid enough to require it CAN sleep. Try putting it away again?

Well, since it seems you're stuck in here for the time being, you might as well try to be productive.

Go mess with the CAI for another hour or something, and then try the phone again. No point checking it repeatedly on such a short interval. If no one shows up, sleep.

Try "1111" just for giggles, anyway, and the other obvious "passcode I'll remember" options. You could also still try the prank pretend breakthrough see what response you get option. By the way, is that 2 brighter than the other numbers?

So you're trapped in a room, stocked with a month's worth the food and water, a bed and bathroom. In the middle of an enemy base.
Maybe you're trapped in there. Maybe they're trapped out there. Might be a good time to check and make sure all the equipment is working, I've never seen a lab that didn't have something busted in it, often something important.
You can also feign boredom and pick through the equipment housings, computer cases, etc. Never know what you might find inside or what someone left behind.
Alternatively you can punch random numbers into the pad and see if you can play a tune with key tones.

1/3 Penn 2018/08/01(Wed)18:01 No. 895650 ID: bfb318
File 153317166822.png - (18.19KB , 800x800 , 985.png )

I look around the room in more detail, but the more intensive doesn't yield anything useful to the situation. The equipment appears to be in working order, although Raush told me about one computer that seemed to glitch on occasion. Another computer case has a screwdriver left in it.

I also put the bed away in case this is somehow linked to the locking system, but nothing happens.

After a few minutes, the intercom still doesn't have anyone pick up. I guess it's back to work. I stare judgmentally at the camera, and just for giggles, mash '1111' on the keypad -

2/3 Penn 2018/08/01(Wed)18:01 No. 895651 ID: bfb318
File 153317167873.png - (21.23KB , 800x800 , 986.png )

beep!

Scowl at it and mimic vacuuming all the air out of the room.

>>895653

No no no that joke only works if the password was 1234 dummy.



Just say out loud that someone needs to be less subtle about things and you are not going to risk letting some asshole trap you in a airlock for the night. That they have 30 seconds to explain or you are just going to go to bed on the pull out.

>>895652
Nope.jpg

Shut the door and lock it (will mashing an 'incorrect' sequence work? Or does any input unlock it?), and then go to sleep, facing the door.

Prop the screwdriver against the door so even if the door opens silently, the screwdiver clattering to the floor will make a noise to wake you if someone opens the door while you're sleeping.

Well, I for sure don't think it's a great idea to go to sleep alone around here. On the other hand I don't think it's a great idea to go out, either. When you were coming in, did you notice each door only opening when the others were closed? That would be the sensible security option, but this doesn't seem sensible.

It doesn't look like there's any way to actually open the other door, anyway. What is that at the side, though, a glass wall? And a mirror on the other one? You could at least poke your head through and take a look. Don't step in and be ready to pull your head back.

>>895652
"Explain in ten seconds or I'm going to bed."

Yeah I think we're just going to walk out.

>>895652
Could it be possible that the CAI is trying to smuggle nanomachines out of here on your fur? Because if everything is disabled, then the next room’s cleaning functions wouldn’t be able to scrub away any nanomachines that might be in your fur.

Do your high tech goggles have any alternate viewing modes to let you see things differently? If there are alternate viewing modes, cycle through them while looking around the room to see if you can spot anything different.

"are you serious"

Say aloud and condescendingly "that's just pathetic"

Should you not tell anybody about this so you can do it again later? It'll give you a really great alabi if you ever want to do something after lights out, you can claim you were working overnight in a locked room.

>>895673
By this I mean wait here overnight so we aren't spotted by any guards or have Raush asking how we got out.

1/2 Penn 2018/08/01(Wed)20:25 No. 895675 ID: bfb318
File 153318035030.png - (9.81KB , 800x800 , 988.png )

"Just pathetic."

The only sensible security option I've seen here is that these doors only seem to open when the neighboring door is shut.

I do another pass around the room. These goggles aren't that high tech, or at least not AI enabled enough to help me search the room better.

The door shuts on its own after 5 seconds. I input '1874' and it opens again, so any input appears to work. This doesn't seem normal, but I'm not eager to tell anyone about the issue either, as it could come in handy.

The door shuts again, and I prop the screwdriver on the door so that it'll clatter to the floor and wake me up if the door opens again. Then again, it won't make much noise, so I prop a computer on it.

Then I go to bed. There's nothing I can deduct here. For all I know the CAI is trying to disable everything and smuggle nanomachines out of here on my fur. It's unlikely to say the least, and also not working.

2/2 Penn 2018/08/01(Wed)20:26 No. 895677 ID: bfb318
File 153318040642.png - (41.88KB , 800x800 , 989.png )

I spring awake to an awful noise like - like the computer grinding on the door.

Arza's here. The computer slams on the ground.

>"Oh thank goodness, you're alive. Why was there a computer propped on the door? Nearly broke my feet."
"I wanted to improve the security."
>"Haha, no kidding, right?"
"Anyways, it'd be helpful to stay alive if you didn't almost scare me to death."
>"Yeah? Well someone shot Raush to death. The guard was dead too."
"What? Explain."
>"Right outside here. The whole security system around here got disabled, but some of the cameras stayed on, so people know you never left. So, you dodged multiple bullets, there."

...

".... are you going to explain more about why Raush and the guard are dead?"
>"That's pretty much all there is to it. I'd say that's what happens when your lab is so far deep in an otherwise unused testing facility, but no, that's really not supposed to happen at all."

>>895677
You might as well explain to Arza what happened while you were in here. Start from when you tried to call the heef guard to be let out and continue all the up to when you fell asleep. You should get his input on the things that you observed in here.

>Raush and the guard are dead.
So does anyone know who shot them? Or why the security systems were disabled? Or if it’s safe to leave the room now?

Great does that mean the base is on high alert and I have to go answer to Vanski for questioning?

Well that's not an assassination attempt on you, there was nothing stopping them from coming in. Somebody's trying to frame you or intimidate you. Or Raush was in the wrong place at the wrong time and our gunman was getting away from something else.

Tell Arza you're going to get information from somebody who doesn't have a tendency to not tell you important details, delivered with as much scorn as you like. Can you leave now?

>>895677
Point out the complete absurdity of someone disabling all the security systems except the one THAT LETS THEM TRACK WHOEVER LEAVES. Clearly someone inside the base is murdering people and coming after you in specific. But why? The AI's out, it doesn't have access to guns. That leaves Arza, the Salikai, the Black Supernovas and all the other supervillains present.

The Silhouette Empire are out because unless they've suffered terminal stupidity poisoning, they shouldn't need to shoot their own employee.

If the CAI is as valuable to Vanski and the ASE as it's supposed to be, why has a major security breach not resulted in a security response? I'd expect guards at the least.

Why was there even only a single guard?

...of course this means anyone in charge is now going to realize how lax the security is around the CAI and tighten it in response. That's not going to make our lives easier.

Only possible upside of this is Penn's miraculous bullet dodging might make her look good to certain people. They'll assume she somehow knew and avoided the danger (or that this was her doing).

There's only a few ways this bizarre sequence of events makes sense:
1) This was all a test, conducted by people who were more than willing to sacrifice two lower level minions to evaluate Penn
2) We just missed an escalation in the conflict between the various criminal political factions (which we need to get a handle on, badly and quickly)
3) The CAI pulled something

>You might as well explain to Arza what happened while you were in here.
Limit that. We don't necessarily want to monitors to know all our thoughts, or what we figured out or think of everything. Really, this isn't a good place to have an in-detail conversation at all, it would be better to relocate.

So it turns out it wasn’t a “kill us” trap, but rather a “make us the prime suspect in a whodunnit” trap. Are we allowed to examine the scene of the murders?

The security was disabled... that explains why you could put any code into the keypad that you wanted.
My guess is that someone wanted to cause a split between you and ASE, and figured you wouldn't stick around in here after the door started doing weird things. Yet, they didn't want to KILL you. It must be someone who wants to use you.

Where are Arza’s glasses? Doesn’t he need those to see?

Gosh Arza, it sure is a coincidence you mysteriously disappeared around the time a couple of people who might have been in the way of your goals got murdered.

... Don't say that out loud, obviously. He's acting a bit oddly compared to how he usually seems. A little more... jovial? I would put it down to him being happy you're alive but if they could see you on security I'd imagine that would have been known the whole time. Maybe they thought someone had killed you and then placed you nicely in bed, or gassed the place after you went to sleep, but presumably they would have had good enough cameras to see you breathing.

Tell him it was far too easy to believe the security just had holes in it, given other things like the clothes requirement. Ask "What now, then?"

... Wait a minute does you having an alibi mean you're the only one who's not a suspect? Are you going to be asked to investigate this? Are you going to have to solve a murder mystery??? Probably not. I mean, presumably some other people also have alibis. But it's a weirdly fun thought. Not that this is the time or place for fun.

So Raush is dead now, that's disappointing. If they let you inspect the body, you could say sorry back to him.
I get the feeling you're somewhat responsible for this.

Then at least figure out what's going on.
Find out what kind of mess you missed out on and you can use the ensuing chaos to your advantage, right?

I think they're trying to make you a pariah without directly antagonizing you. If enough employees die near you, and especially not by your hand, then everyone in the base will think twice before getting within five feet of you; if they thought YOU did the murders, most would underestimate a recent graduate nerd with a psycho streak and flimsy arms. But this is a combat lab and anyone they can't see can kill them instantly, so it's like having an angry sniper dad constantly stalking you for boyfriends to kill at all times. So now you have less interaction with individual scientists, preventing you from gaining intel or making a gang of your own, while the guilty party ensures the other factions think twice before trying to win you over.

hoo, boy. Well. We shouldn't be the primary suspect. We did go through their security measures, on camera even, long before the murder took place and thus would have had no weapon.



"Please tell me that, pending an investigation, I can at least leave the lab."

Don't get involved with the investigation, we're not here to solve crime. We're here to eventually steal a black box and not get caught with our hand holding the cookie jar.

I hope the local gangs are not fighting over who gets to talk to me first.

If this is going to be a normal thing I want better pillows in here.

There is a non zero chance Arza had them killed to open the stage for your solo performance. Not a bad idea honestly. If a bit horrible.

That being said it could have been all sorts of people. Best not to guess wildly.

"So is Raush's body slumped over dead just outside the airlock? His desperate face frozen in panicked horror as he desperately tried to get me to open the shitty door?"

"Because that is not how I hoped my first day here would go."

(remember that you are Sapphire now. This shit is annoying and life is cheap to you. We need to go yell at people with Arza about there shitty security)

>>895721

Not really. Rather than their entire moral compass changing, they can just choose to ignore it. Kind of like the ultimate poker face. Just because they can keep their expression and psyche under control doesn't mean they are actually evil.

>>895763

Well yeah. Its the fake Sapphire persona that we are cultivating. Is not how Penn actually thinks but what we want everyone else to see.

This is there first impression of Penn and she needs to appear tough.

So what does this mean for us?

>>895765
I think trying to look "tough" or going out of her way to appear ruthless or callous or cruel will work against Penn. I mean, being totally uncaring about these people's deaths would be kind of stupid - scientists and guards take time and money to train, and are difficult to replace if you're a criminal organization, especially an expert like Raush. She should aim to seem rational, and a rational person, even an amoral one, would be concerned about something like this, not annoyed or angry.

>>895677

Time to become a crime scene investigator! Was Raush killed coming or leaving? Was he killed in a timespan noticably before or after the guard? Was he interrogated/tortured for information? Who set up the security system? Who could've fiddled with the locks, cameras and everything else? Did anyone else get killed, or just Raush and the guard? Does Arza have any thoughts on what the consequences are going to be of this?

Raush seemed like he was one of ASE's aces on this project. Killing both him and the guard may indicate that sabotaging or stealing the CAI research was the purpose of this fatal fiasco. If so, you and Arza may also be a target now.

>>895765
There's nothing to be gained from trying to fake an entire personality based around what we know of the sapphire emperor. NO ONE is going to buy it down. And the only people who MIGHT are also the ones who have tried to kidnap us before.

Yeah, that's a bad idea. Don't try this.

Just to say, another thing about acting annoyed, angry or disgusted: Penn has probably given a lot of thought to how someone who's... genetically similar to her might have done the sort of things Sapphire was supposed to do. Extreme feelings of disgust or contempt seem very likely to have been involved, and Penn does seem capable of those feelings as well. She's already mentioned that in her current mental state she sometimes has trouble seeing other people as people, so it may be that unlike most other emotions, she's actually still vulnerable to those feelings even now. So she should be careful.

Shit we might have a Polo on the loose
we better call an exterminator to check all the vents and pipes

>>895923

we're not quite at that point yet. Soon, though. But not yet.

This may be an attempt to "silence" those involved with the CAI,And they may be trying to wack arza and others soon.And since your new they may have missed you.
not likely though because I think if that was the case no one involved would be alive I suspect.

Or more likely
Maybe this is a scheme to make people stay away from you as to isolate you,for some reason....
.conspiracy music insert here.

They were killed out in the hallway, right? If there’s an infiltrator, it could have been a case of wrong place, wrong time. What cameras are available to us, other than our own? Do they create their own sort of “locked room” in any way?

If there's a murderer around, you really need to learn some self-defense. I assume part of why you were reluctant before was because people are more likely to notice any peculiarities of your body when you do sporty things, but everyone knows who you are here. Find some guard or someone who seems unlikely to be part of any conspiracies and start learning. You'll probably be able to get more done switching between mental work with physical rest and physical work with mental rest. Besides, healthy body healthy mind. You're alright now but you can always improve.

Speaking of people knowing who you are here, the fact they put floating names above people's heads suggests there's some sort of database people can access, since the names themselves wouldn't be that useful. You should look yourself up and see what other people who have access to that data here would know and/or think they know about you, sometime soon.

Get in touch with someone from the ASE, yell at them for being incompetent, demand to be personally involved in the immediate redesign of this security system. Whoever that shooter was could easily have walked in to the lab and murdered you in your sleep... at least, if not for your own, independent precautions.

It sounds like there's nothing really stopping us from leaving the lab with some files then?

Might be a little too risky in case this is just a test.

>>896199
Yelling won't achieve anything good.

Tell you what, though, Penn, you could use this to suggest the CAI study room be relocated. Clearly, the danger isn't being in the room, it's the space just outside the room, which is so distant from anywhere else and open and perfect for some murders. You could argue that it be relocated somewhere closer to the action... but that wouldn't serve your purposes well, so the next thing would be to say it should be relocated somewhere secret. I mean, extra secret. That way you'll still get some isolation, and the need for secrecy will mean lower security in order not to draw attention. If someone does suggest relocating closer to the action, you can say it would give too much opportunity for some saboteur to work in flaws while the security is being built.

Since there is almost definitely a camera in this room that was able to clear your name, there's no way you can steal the CAI currently regardless of how the information is flowing. See if you can ask after getting a backup security system in place that can keep those doors shut to prevent this happening again with you as a fatality.

^ i meant to say ask if one CAN be set up, not ask to just take the cai once one's set up

Well with people getting shot this may be the start of a descent, I would grab some rations just in case

Penn 2018/09/01(Sat)20:27 No. 900023 ID: bfb318
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"Am I a suspect?"

Arza activates the light.

>"The cameras implied you were in here, but since we can't trust much, you're still a suspect, just not as high up on the list as the proximity might make you think."
"And why was there only one guard here?"
>"Probably because this was supposed to be a safe panic room."
"Then I hope I'm allowed to leave."
>"Not yet, but in 15 minutes after they finish scanning out there for biosamples. Nothing much to look at out there now, not with the naked eye. I had to come in here with a hazmat and everything." He realizes he was adjusting glasses he's not wearing. "Though I did bring my regular clothes for when we leave."
"Is it even safe to leave?"
>"I hope so, haha. Also, the cameras are up and running again."
"I wasn't impressed with the security even before this. Can we add in some - "
>"I'm not in charge of security, Penn. Vanski is in most areas, so you'd have to lecture him! And as it happens, you'll have a chance. They want to ask you some things, and Vanski said he'd like to personally see you. He emphasized that you have an option whether to talk to him or someone else."

>"Oh."

>"And if you do talk to him, don't actually lecture him on security. People have been screaming at him about securing the place all day."

Lets talk to Vanski. Be polite and talk about your experience honestly.

Mention the security but do not yell. Think of suggestions to fix things instead. Impress him. Show him that you are a logical scientist and are more interested in having a safe place to work than assigning blame.

Getting Vanski to like/trust you would be a big help if you can pull it off.

>>900023
Talking to Vanski is probably a terrible idea, but we really do need to get a read on him. It's too bad you haven't had time to develop the persona you're using here more.

Let's not talk about the security to Vanski. That's wasting his time.

Do not under any circumstances talk to Vanski about security, he's a genocidal maniac cyborg who lives in an underground lair. He would happily murder and clone us.

There are other things to talk to Vanski about besides security. What happened to make the CAI so untrustworthy, for example, since Raush is dead. The plan to make money and contacts learning about your body that was laid out in >>891281 is also an idea.

1/2 Penn 2018/09/02(Sun)17:24 No. 900151 ID: bfb318
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"I'll talk with him."
>"Good. Let's go, then."

Like Arza said, the crime scene looks as clean as when I entered this place.

This place does seem a lot more alive, now. Various guards from various factions are looking busy. I see arkots with cameras strapped to themselves crawling in and out of vents. What I recognize as voklits look like they've been put in charge of making sure the arkots stay busy. A few guards stay with us.

2/2 Penn 2018/09/02(Sun)17:24 No. 900152 ID: bfb318
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Arza waits outside, and I'm shown into Vanski's office, alone.

>"Ms. Hoff, correct?"
"Correct. Do you go simply by Vanski?"
>"Yes, family names are an oddity for the Salikai here. Did you have anything to do with Raush's death?"
"Not directly, but he offered me to join him for dinner, and I wonder what would have happened if I accepted."
>"Maybe he'd be alive, but I think that, instead, you'd be dead as well. I don't know why anyone would want Raush dead, but he was an important person. It's safest to assume there's a reason. The heef outside of the door was a nobody, and nothing was stolen in the area except the murder weapon. For some reason, someone wanted Raush dead. We reviewed the tapes and know the conversations you had with him already, but can you think of any reason why anyone would want him dead? Also, if your name is Penn Hoff, I want to talk to Penn Hoff, not whatever this Sapphire Emperor business is about. Please put your contacts on."

"I'm leaving the contacts off because I'm Penn, sir. I'm not the Empress in disguise, and I never was. If it makes you feel better, you can talk to a weird-eyed girl like she's your fresh-outta-college egghead employee - and she is - and get away with it."

>>900152
"My eyewear isn't relevant to the case at hand."

Don't be an idiot and intentionally compromise yourself. You're Penn, whatever anyone else says, fancy specs or no.

Anyway, tell him the truth: You have no clue who would want Raush dead or why.

To be honest, Vanski becomes the prime suspect in this case. He's emotionally unstable, violent and he has total control over the base's security. He's the only person who could kill someone and conceal all evidence. This base is run by a CAI and loaded with gunturrets and robots, and the local planetary government can't do shit, nor does anyone else know this place is here. If it were one of the other criminal groups they couldn't sabotage the security systems without leaving behind evidence.

Still, just say you don't know who would kill Raush and you only knew him for a few hours.

>I want to talk to Penn Hoff, not whatever this Sapphire Emperor business is about. Please put your contacts on.
This is unusually shrew for Vanski- to date, we haven't seen very any examples of him being good at social stuff.

"'Penn Hoff' is a mild mannered college student who wouldn't be caught dead within a mile of this facility, Vanski. If you want honesty, the socially acceptable mask I wear in public isn't the way to get it."

>can you think of any reason why anyone would want him dead?
"I didn't know Raush or any of the possible subjects well enough to seriously speculate. He was killed directly after interacting with me, which suggests my arrival here might contribute to the motive. But then again, someone who wanted Raush dead for other reasons might have timed the attack so as to deflect suspicion."

I am just Penn Hoff. The Sapphire emperor thing is a label I got stuck with due to a accident of birth. But down here it helps keep me safer I think. The only reason I ever hid the eyes was because I was hunted.

Why exactly do you want me to put them back in? Are my eyes that odd to look at? I know that you have extensive files on me but I do not have a split personality cause by these contacts.

While my eyes might be unique I am honestly just a Ai scientist that loves my work.

As for reasons for his death I can think of a few:

1. Someone was angry that Raush got to hang out with the glorious Sapphire emperor first.
2. Someone wanted me to not have his help.
3. One of the many Belenosian factions want to test my reactions to the situation.
4. Someone wants the Cai project to fail. Thinking a fresh student would be lost without Raush's help.
5. Someone wants you personally to fail and this is just part of that scheme.
6. Raush new something that he would have eventually told me that someone does not want me to know.
7. Someone wants to implicate me in his death to discredit me or Arza.
8. His death was unrelated to me or the Cai. Something else was going on and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
9. ASE killed him to frighten or control or influence me.
10. Polo got in the vents.

>>900158
I agree that all of these are plausible (though you might want to combine some of them to keep constant vocal reminders of your self-stated importance on the down-low). Except the last one, because Penn doesn't know that. Replace that point with this one: "It's also possible that Raush was killed for personal reasons. He may be a scientist working for a nebulous faction, but I can't imagine he doesn't have a life outside of that. Though granted, that seems less plausible unless this theoretical personal enemy would go so far as to murder a guard just to get at him."

"What I can say for certain about this from the onset is that either A: Someone desperately wanted him dead; enough that killing a guard to get at them isn't a deterrent factor, B: Someone really wanted the guard dead for some reason, enough to take out an important scientist with him, or... C... Someone is here who really shouldn't be, and needed to keep their very presence secret at all costs... I can't say more unless I make my own inquiry, and I do very much want to make my own inquiry. During what is supposed to be my free time, if necessary."

Don't grate against him. He can still easily get rid of you. Explain you are Penn Hoff while getting your contacts out. Being without contacts just makes it easier to keep cool. Apply contacts. Hope he let's it go.

I am Penn Hoff. You can deal with me or not. Not feeling intimidated, are we?

Ehh, the contacts are an aid, not actually and on/off switch. Giving Vanski the impression that they completely change Penn's identity might be advantageous, and being more personable might not go astray. It isn't as though Pen can't just pretend that the contacts aren't there. It would likely mess up the mental conditioning that she uses to be "herself" to ignore them like that, but she can almost certainly fix it given extended downtime. Then again, refusing to take them off might better sell the idea that they are a control switch.

But honesty? I would like to give Vanski the chance to state his case to "Penn". Enough rope to build a bridge or hang himself, either way is beneficial...

Yes my name is Penn Hoff.

I am also one of the most closely studied creatures in existence. And anyone with any access to my files could find out just about anything that is known about me.

Of course those readers might get some wrong ideas about my contacts and why I wear them.

I am a simple scientist who just happens to be "very" closely related to someone very famous.

But they are just a long dead relative and whoever programmed your title system is a bit to much of a nerd with there naming conventions.



Lets start over. "Nice to meet you Vanski. I am Penn Hoff."

"I am always Penn Hoff, sir. This persona is only how I appear when I am controlling my emotional responses, and is not intended to have anything to do with Sapphire or project appearance of such. Perhaps it does somehow, but I don't know. I would like to find out, among other things, and have a proposition for you regarding that, but for now unless you make a normal routine of asking people to give vent to their every impulse I assure you this conversation will be more productive for both of us without my contacts."

Take out your contacts while you do this but don't put them in until you've explained and if he insists. If you do have to put them in... be brave, Penn! You can do it!

For the murder, I think these reasons are plausible >>900158 but would add to them the possibility that it wasn't Raush specifically who was wanted dead, that perhaps he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it might still have had something to do with Penn or Arza or the CAI. Perhaps someone was targeting Arza, or Penn, or was in the area attempting to find a way to access the CAI (or of course for all Penn knows perhaps there's something else in the area that's important enough to kill over). Raush may have just been an inconvenient witness who had to be silenced. If someone had been preparing to kill Raush specifically, in that particular place, then they probably could have arranged to distract the guard or to dispose of Raush's body; hence, perhaps they weren't prepared? If you (Penn) had been planning to kill Raush, for example, you would have lured him somewhere more remote. I suppose Penn or Arza could still be implicated by way of not having had time to prepare anything, but neither of you seem like you'd be hasty murderers. You're scientists, which disposes you to be systematic.

While you're here: "If you've heard my conversations with Raush, you know I had questions for him he wouldn't or couldn't answer. Would you?"

Technically, if he's using titles, he should have called you "Dr. Hoff", but you don't care and neither does he. Still would have been nice to say something like "Technically Dr. Hoff but call me what you like", just to assert a little respect.

Speaking of respect, I think you shouldn't put your contacts on. All else aside, it's a question of setting a precedent of behavior. Vanski is not your boss. You are an assistant to a contractor that he has (presumably, somehow) hired, and though this puts you at a lower rank than him, your ranks are not within the same hierarchy and he does not have direct authority over you. You are doing him, or someone leaning on him, a service - one for which you have already been put to significant inconvenience, for dubious reward. Frankly, just being barely polite to him is somewhat more than he might expect, from an objective viewpoint. You should show respect to him, since you are working on his property and presumably someone somewhere in the chain above you is being compensated somehow (and because he employs big people with big guns), but it's not proper for him to give you orders; theoretically, you don't take orders from anyone except Arza. He knows this, which is why he's making a request. If it was a request related to your job, or directly related to the investigation of the killings, you'd really need to acquiesce, but it's not. He's basically acting you to talk and behave in a certain way, which is not really in the range of what he can reasonably expect you to just say yes to. It's like if a detective interrogating a witness to a crime asked them to sit up straight and tuck their shirt in. It's not relevant to expectations. But, if you did do it, it would set a precedent of obedience. You might come off as a little rude now if you refuse, but if Vanski develops an expectation of you being obedient then any future refusals by you will offend him far more. So I think you should politely decline.

It seems likely that Arza is actually being threatened to comply with things and be helpful, but it's entirely plausible that the innocent young graduate Penn Hoff wouldn't know her mentor's full situation. If you don't know it, the same threat can't be used against you (at least not for minor things), because in order to do so the person doing the threatening would have to tell you all about it, and these people all play their cards close to the chest by habit.

As for the deaths - I lean towards Raush being unlucky, not the deliberate target. Several reasons:
1) Place of death. Raush has been here a long time and should have relatively high freedom of movement. Why kill him right outside a place with a ton of security features, and in front of a guard, when you could kill him somewhere more convenient?
2) Method of death. He was shot. You don't need a gun to kill a nerd like Raush. Anyone who premeditated his death could have easily arranged for him to be strangled, bludgeoned or poisoned. A gun could have attracted attention - this place is literally covered in sensors that could pick up the shot, even if it was some sort of energy weapon.
3) The guard. Guards are specifically trained and equipped both to protect other people from being killed and to not be killed themselves. If your target isn't the guard themselves, then you don't want to have a guard anywhere nearby when you're aiming to kill someone. Again, why not wait for Raush to move further away, or otherwise make sure the guard isn't a threat?
4) The door. Someone made sure the door was open for Penn to come out, if she had decided to. Anyone capable of hacking the door would have known enough to only do so if they knew the guard wasn't able to open the door. The guard opened the door for Raush, so the guard was there when he left, and the position of the crime scene suggests they were probably killed then, before Raush managed to get any further away. Raush and the guard were killed together, and THEN someone made sure the door was open. Unless there was a third party just taking advantage of the situation, which seems unlikely, then whoever killed Raush didn't want to ONLY kill Raush.
5) Time of death. Again, Raush has been here a long time. If someone just wanted to kill him, why not do it before now?

If someone was being targeted, in all likelihood, it was Arza. He was supposed to have been in there with Penn and Raush, by that time, so someone without access to the security footage could easily have assumed he would be - and that he'd have enough business with people in the rest of this place that he'd have to leave again relatively soon. He's older and has more history and is more likely to have caused someone to have a reason to want to kill him. Penn is less threatening and more valuable alive.

It's also possible that someone was just trying to get into the room, and the occupants were irrelevant. They killed the guard to secure the entrance, Raush because he was a witness, and then tried to get in. They succeeded only in hacking the inner door and were forced to give up and leave.

If we rule out a random hacker taking advantage of the guard's death to unlock the room, and that someone capable of killing the guard could have happened to also have the skills and equipment to hack the door, then we can assume the whole thing was premeditated. But, not premeditated far enough in advance or by someone with sufficient resources to have been able to have made things easy on themselves by avoiding things that would have made things more difficult. It suggests multiple people, at least. It's possible the guard was on the hacker's side, and was betrayed afterwards leaving only the hacker, but if that was the case the guard would have been warned Raush was coming out and would have been able to hold things off until he left. Unless Raush forgot something and came back unexpectedly? With more information like exact time, how the guard died, position of the bodies and so on, we could say more.

Oh, another thing: if you do put on your contacts, or if you don't but want to plan for if you do, perhaps you could consider constructing a new personality? I wouldn't normally ask that of everyone, but it seems likely you're pretty mentally amazing, and you did do well in that halloween murder mystery when you got into the role and kept your confidence. A person naturally changes their behavior and mentality when placed in a new social situation, so some shift is going to happen anyway. Why not try guide it into something useful? If there's an act you can put on, some more confident and capable-feeling character you can pretend you're pretending to be, perhaps things would be easier for you.

You're infiltrating/participating in a criminal organization, so perhaps a more criminally inclined identity? Not like, a bad one - your goals have to stay good. But, like, a rogue. Someone who can easily sneak and sabotage and deceive but who, in the end, leaves the planned crime foiled and the other crooks helpless for the authorities to pick up while she escapes with their stuff. You are a professional maker of minds, after all. Imagine the kind of AI personality you'd build to achieve success in a simulated version of the situation you're in, and then try to be that yourself, gathering whatever knowledge you need to help do so if need to and you can. At the very least, imagining that you're playing a role in a virtual reality simulation might help you achieve a level of necessary detachment independent of whether you have your contacts in or not. I believe you're capable of that kind of doublethink if you need to be, Penn.

>>900152

>Be Penn.

While I'm sure we took a course on psychology, ethics, and other things that would help explain that yes, technically we are Penn despite it all, even if Penn might be better known as more of an ego parallel to this one ...

... we might as well. Just warn him that you may become more emotionally imbalanced (than already you are). It's only fair to our host.

>Reasons Raush is dead

Nothing in particular comes to mind, but had he inadvertently provided critical or otherwise secretive knowledge to us, his benefactors or whomever he holds allegiance to may have seen fit to ensure his silence.

The dinner invitation could just as well have been a means to separate us and ensure we could be provided further details, were this indeed an attempt at conspiracy.

>walls of text
Nah. Besides being dull, let's not give Vanski more to analyze.

Saying your eyewear isn't relevant is good. Tell him you can't think of any particular reasons beyond what he's already said about Raush being important. Saboteur, probably.

>>900294
Yeah, this guy is right. Our aim here is to try and get information out of Vanski, or prompt him to speak, not give him a good read on Penn, who frankly is inexperienced at social espionage stuff, even if she can use her non-contacts as a kind of crutch. We're not here to give a speech.

Polite refusal to put your contacts back in, possibly with an excuse, and a nice non-answer about who might have killed Raush is the way to go.

I don't have split personality disorder sir. My personality isn't going to change much, unless you're referring to how masks effect psychology and that NOT wearing the contacts is like wearing a mask for me since I've become so comfortable with the contacts vs. having them off.

Unless your own studies on my species have concluded the the Sapphire gene splicing actually lets me tap INTO the Sapphire's psyche when I'm most in tune with him in appearance. Which... well I guess its neat you know that.

>>900294
>>900298
>walls of text
>speech
No-one's given more than a smallish paragraph of something for Penn to say, the wall of text suggestions so far are theories and thoughts for Penn to be aware of.

If Penn can insinuate herself into a position to solve this mystery, it would be a good way for her to quickly establish a reputation for being smart and capable, and put Vanski and possibly others in her debt (or blackmailing list). Since the person who did this seems likely to be targeting Penn or Arza or the CAI anyway, they're also someone Penn can work against with a clear conscience. This is much too valuable an opportunity to get some street cred for her to pass up!

"No, I can't figure out any reason anyone would want Raush dead, but as I'm sure you're well aware, I'd only known him for a few hours and we talked about technical matters, not politics."
Leaving ambiguous the implication that you think the room was bugged.
"As for my contacts, how would you feel if someone asked you to put on greasepaint makeup and a wig so they could talk to 'the real Vanski' instead of whatever this owner-of-the-CAI business is about? You're you, and I'm me, and here we are in this office, speaking privately. Everyone has faces."

I imagine that putting in our contacts and trying to get ourselves into the kinder mindset would be best right now, considering we're not likely to get much out of him if we're listening in our purely detached mindset.

If you put on the contacts you'll be more easily intimidated. Whether or not this is his intention, you don't want to end up saying too much. If he's got a problem, remind him he's the one who wanted to interview you personally.

>>900152
Tell him honestly that taking off your contacts just makes it easier to focus and stay calm. It's dissociation, not a new personality. Plus, people around here won't persecute you for your eyes so that's a plus.

Deploy paranoia! A hostile militia has infiltrated the base and is picking us off one-by-one!

Do you even have your contacts with you, Penn?

Anyways... hoo boy. Since we do technically work for Vanski, we're gonna have to comply with his request.

"Very well, but I think you'll find me to be a poor conversationalist."

Try not to have a nervous breakdown, Penn. We believe in you!

Use his words against him

"With your logic Vanski, 'Penn Hoff' was not at the scene and therefore has no need to be present."

Penn 2018/09/16(Sun)13:12 No. 901950 ID: bfb318
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"The contacts normalize my thoughts to a plain, upstanding college graduate that would never be caught within ten miles of a place like this. Without them, I disassociate, for lack of a better word. It's not an alternate personality. I am Penn Hoff, though I'm typically called Dr. Hoff."
>"Alright, Dr. Hoff. I won't ever make you put your contacts on, but I may ask again. For now, what possibilities about Raush can you think of?"
"Maybe someone didn't want me to have Raush's help or knowledge, or for Raush to be with me. Maybe they wanted to test my reactions, for the cai project to fail, for me or you to be implicated, or to make me more controllable or fearful. Or an enemy of this whole place snuck in and Raush was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

At the mention of the last possibility, one of Vanski's claspers twitch like an eye would and rapidly thumps against his sofa before another clasper swats it to keep it calm.

"Or it was an attempt on Dr. Fletch. I expected him to be there by that point, so maybe the assassin thought the same. I have no idea who would target Raush, or think that was a good place to kill him?"
>"Raush was usually in the company of others. The assassination was a surprise, but where it took place wasn't. You might be in danger. I would like to move you closer to the CAI, maybe directly to where the CAI is stored. I can convince ASE of it. Your job would be much easier there, anyway. I only have one stipulation. I interview you with your contacts on. I believe you when you say you don't have an alternate personality, but that only makes me more interested to see Penn Hoff's personality, not hidden behind a layer of, for lack of a better word, disassociation."
"If I don't?"
>"Then you can go back to the external lab at your leisure. You may also request dedicated guards for yourself."

"Fair enough, I was going to act like a slutty secretary-intern to the CAI anyway, get them distracted. Question: do any of the CAI personalities have a hard-on for the Emperor? Maybe some cosplayers, even?"

"That seems like a oddly personal request. I thought Salikai were supposed to be creatures of pure logic? Making my job easier and safer has no downsides that require it to be gated behind such a personal condition."

"That being said if something so simple makes my job easier and safer I might consider it. If you can give me a logical reason for your request."



(So Penn can you interview with contacts on? You know yourself best. Would it be a good idea? Or should you avoid it at all costs?)

If you can handle him asking you difficult questions about the real you it should be worth it to have safer easier access.

He might ask why you are here. If you sympathize with Arza or the Cai. He knows Arza wants to free the Cai. Arza has been openly trying for years and has a huge amount of power here. And he knows you are Arza's student. If you deny that fact he will know you are lying to him. You need to tell him as close to the truth as possible. (not mentioning you are planning on taking them all down if possible)

That yes you want to help Arza get enough influence to openly take possession of his Ai children. Within the rules of this place so that no bridges need to be burned.

After that you have no idea. You will play it by ear.

That interview will probably only serve to frustrate you with my bumbling and awkwardness. If that is what you want, we can do that.

Why would Vanski even care? "Getting one over on us" would likely backfire once the contacts came out. Anything he could discern from an interview would likely be visible on the public record, there should be no shortage of observations of Penn that he has access to.
Could it be that Vanski liked what he heard of Penn and wanted to meet her socially?

>>901950
This is a clever manipulation. Implying you're in danger of assassination in the CAI Lab as well as offering direct access to the CAI. He's clearly onto Arza's plotting, but he can suspect all he damn well pleases.

There is no rational reason to reject being moved to a more secure area. This does, however, make me absolutely certain that Vanski killed Raush just to make sure this happens.

Perhaps Vanski is aware of the fact that he's spent too much time with criminals and conspirators and wants the chance to see what a normal member of galactic society would think of him and his operation. I don't think it's very likely, but maybe? Anyway, don't buy the "deal". He's offering to do something that if he has any sense he wants to do anyway, and the fact that he's making the offer to YOU and not Arza - your superior, who should be the main man of the project now - makes it seem very likely that you're not the one making the decision. Turn it around on him to get something worthwhile.

"If you want to get good use out of me and Arza, moving us closer to the CAI and into safety is in your and the ASE's interest as much as it is mine; I'd expect you to be scrapping that lab anyway, now that it's been proven insecure. So if I am, frankly, suspecting you to be offering something you plan to give anyway, why should I take the deal? Let me give you a counteroffer. You seem to want to find out more about me: I want to find out more about myself. The woman who studied me when I was young falsified her information and disposed of what she really discovered. I want to know what she knew, and anything else that may have developed as I finished growing. I don't want the ASE involved, they'd be biased. Lend me a medical team to examine my capabilities. We'll talk about the potential profit split of selling any such data later. It could work out well for you. That said, I should give you a warning: with my contacts on, I'll likely behave like any other socially inexperienced, mildly traumatized young college graduate who got pulled into a secret illegal laboratory and exposed to threat of death would, and it is entirely within the range of possibility that I will start crying, throw up on your floor or simply pass out. I may also need some help calming down enough to take my contacts back out. Buyer beware."

Alternate things you could ask for in exchange for the contacts interview:
- Vanski tells you why the CAI was trusted to hack into a warship and is now locked away (keeping in mind it's entirely possible it HASN'T been locked away and that's all still a trick);
- Vanski promises to show all his real feelings without controlling them for as long as you have your contacts in, since that's effectively what he's asking you to do;
- Vanski finds someone who can train you a bit in fighting/self-defense, and lets you pick out a piece of personal defence gear once you have an idea what you'd like;
- Vanski gets you access to a more general supply of Forbidden Science Knowledge that you wouldn't have had access to as a student, beyond the AI research stuff you're probably going to get anyway, so that you can swot up and learn various practical things such as if there's some advanced hacking shenanigans you're not aware of and could be vulnerable to;
- Vanski tells you the general ultimate aims of the projects you've seen and promises to listen to your critique and discuss your philosophical differences in a civilized manner (that is, not get upset or tune you out when you rant about how dumb things are);
- Vanski tells you everything he knows and suspects about the ASE's various plottings and schemings;
- Access to request equipment and permission to wear something you decide on rather than that black lab coat.

Remember, "I can convince ASE of it" probably means "I already convinced ASE of it", or possibly "ASE convinced me of it but I'm pretending it was my idea".

>>901950
Refuse. Tell him you don't know why he'd want to talk to you in a state where you could have a panic attack at any second. Is he trying to humble you? See you at your weakest? That is not necessary for your work, and you're content with working from the ground up when it comes to the CAI, analyzing it from every angle. Plus, you think you have a good chance negotiations with the ASE going well after putting in some work.
Basically he's offering to TRY to convince the ASE to let you have direct access. There is no guarantee here, and he could in fact pretend to fail and give you nothing in return for exposing yourself.

Secretly, realize that he wants you to put them on so that he can poke at you and see if you have any emotional reaction to the CAI's current situation. After all, you are here with Dr. Fletch, who he should know at least spoke with Likol. I expect it would be difficult to hide your true feelings.

He flinched hard when you implied that Polo might be lurking in the vents. He is scared she might escape his plans and hunt him down personally. Something to remember for later.


As for the deal.

"No deal. Why would I bargain for something you will end up giving me anyway? Your proposal is the only logical one. If you want progress that is what will happen regardless."

"As for Penn Hoff? She is a girl who loves her work and would rather not be here. But you know what? This is where the job is. If I want any chance to actually work with real Ai in my lifetime its here and now. I made that choice with my contacts on if you want to know."

>"Maybe someone didn't want me to have Raush's help or knowledge, or for Raush to be with me. Maybe they wanted to test my reactions, for the cai project to fail, for me or you to be implicated, or to make me more controllable or fearful. Or an enemy of this whole place snuck in and Raush was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Or maybe someone wanted Raush dead for their own reasons and killing him near the CAI or near me provided a sufficient smokescreen for their personal motive.

Frankly there's way too many plausible motives to speculate without additional data to narrow things down.

>I would like to move you closer to the CAI, maybe directly to where the CAI is stored. I can convince ASE of it. Your job would be much easier there, anyway. I only have one stipulation. I interview you with your contacts on.
"Were I still in an academic setting I might have to accuse you of impropriety. Granting access to a secure area in exchange for a younger female agreeing to dress a certain way?"

Tactically agreeing to the interview seems a terrible idea, and Vanski's interest and dangling as big a caret as more direct CAI access is very worrying. What does he know, and why is this so important to him? That said, if Penn can keep her head, this could be very interesting.

>You may also request dedicated guards for yourself.
"Given that any guards would be drawn from the same pool as the potential suspects, I don't see their presence as markedly improving my safety, no thank you."

>>901950
I don't care to put my contacts on at this time, but I still want to be moved closer to the CAI my work will be easier to do there and I am here to work not worry about stupid politics

No. He has not earned that sort of trust.

And blackmailing you with safety will not earn it.

Do not show him that he can push you around.

I believe Vanski is trying to probe for ulterior motives regarding the CAI, using information ASE gave him from observations they did of us, using the contacts as an angle, and the CAI as bait.

The way I see it he's giving us a choice: Short term risk for rapid gain towards our goals, with the risk being we get coerces or pressured into saying stuff with our contacts on. Or potential suspicion of hiding something and having to do things the hard way. We're infiltrating here, so we can afford to go the long way, decline the interview and cover it by saying at this stage there's still plenty you can do remotely.

The question about bodyguards may also be interpreted as: Do you want to have someone personally watching you? We don't want that, but outright declining may seem suspicious, so a non-committal: I'll consider it, about bodyguards may work.

"Alright, sounds like we have a deal! You pull some strings, get me into the same room as the CAI, with broad permission to work on it from all concerned, then I'll put my contacts back in and you can ask 'Penn Hoff' whatever questions you want. Fair warning, she might suffer a panic attack rather than responding effectively, but I can completely respect someone's need to collect even the seemingly useless parts of a dataset."

1/4 Penn 2018/09/20(Thu)17:43 No. 902532 ID: bfb318
File 153749062968.png - (26.99KB , 1000x700 , 994.png )

"By the CAI, where I can do real studies, is the only logical place for me to be if you want progress. What is your rationalization for such a personal request?"
>"It's just that, a personal request. Don't overestimate how much I want Arza and you here. I have other things to worry about than a nearly unusable CAI. If you don't want to, then I'll set up better security for the lab you've been in."
"How about a counteroffer? I want to know more about my physical state, but ASE is biased."
>"To state the least."
"Do you have a medical team?"
>"I have a few biologists that have completed practitioner courses. You may use them and their equipment too, as part of the deal."
"I also want to know why, after the CAI was locked away for so long, it was trusted with a nuclear armed warship."
>"I'll tell you."

He says it reluctantly. I can't push my demands any farther, not safely anyway. As far as I can tell, he's honest. I just have to hold it together for a moment to tell whether or not he's lying.

"I might throw up on your carpet, or pass out."
>"I have janitors and doctors alike."
"... Alright, but there's one other thing."
>"Say it."
"Any guards would be drawn from the same pool as the potential suspects. I don't see them improving my safety."
>"No. I may not know who did it, but I know of a good number of people who definitely didn't."
"Nonetheless, I'm not any more impressed about it." It's just more eyes on me. "I don't care for special bodyguards. If I were in academia, I'd consider this a case of impropriety."
>"I've never been in academia, Dr. Hoff, but it was an offer, not a demand. That's just more manpower I can put elsewhere."
"Then give me a moment."

2/4 Penn 2018/09/20(Thu)17:44 No. 902533 ID: bfb318
File 153749064815.png - (20.71KB , 800x800 , 995.png )

Here goes, then. I'm already starting to slip into normal habits, like covering my eyes since I usually do this in front of a mirror.

It could be worse. I'll probably be too afraid to have a breakdown.

3/4 Penn 2018/09/20(Thu)17:44 No. 902534 ID: bfb318
File 153749065650.png - (18.39KB , 800x800 , 996.png )

This... that is...

4/4 Penn 2018/09/20(Thu)17:44 No. 902535 ID: bfb318
File 153749067259.png - (15.61KB , 800x800 , 997.png )

.... That is a bug! Was he always this huge?! How did I not care about that?!

I don't know what to say, this is where I'm not supposed to say anything but he's not saying anything back?

This is also where my thoughts start inverting on each other so weird superfluous thoughts go back to the front of my head rather than just work themselves out in the back! Like how he's a big green bug with a brain!

>"Pe - "
"Yes?!"
>"Does an inability to talk come with the contacts?"
"Hi! Yes! Kind of! I thought you were going to say something!"
>"You weren't kidding about your demeanor losing its cool. That or you have my compliments on a convincing ac -"

Why would I kid?! Or act like this on purpose?!

>"Remember to breath."
"Ahh!" Orix talked?!
>"What?"
"I'm sorry! M-my AI, it spoke and I totally forgot I had AI in these goggles! U-uh...."
>"Yes?"
"Um, I hate to be push - that is I - that is, you said you'd - " I already forgot why I believed in myself!
>"The warship. A long time ago, I considered an option to reveal the agents that compromised the CAI from the inside out. I would set wide scale chemical attacks, or nuclear strikes, or something to that effect, on a timer, and then give the CAI control over the timer. The CAI itself must be loyal, so I would tell them to let the bombs go off. If the glitcher, the main agent under the ring shell, was still there, then he wouldn't let them go off. And if he did? Then he would've wanted to remain hidden so badly that I could take advantage of him like that. But throwing nukes and chemical attacks isn't something I can just do at will - until the warship came. That was my chance. A ridiculous chance, but know that we salikai aren't devoid of emotion. We grieve, maybe not in the same way as many aliens, but grieve nonetheless, and I had just lost multiple offspring. Part - "
"I'm sorry."

Oh god why did I say that, he already moved onto the next sentence!

>"... It happens. Anyways, parts of the plan weren't intended, but that's beyond the scope of your question. The timer was on, and I was confident that at second zero, the bombs would 'fail' to launch, but instead, seconds before it occurred, Likol bombed himself, cancelling out the whole event. I'm sure he convinced Likol to do that, but it was much less overt than a failed launch. It's left me with this CAI in a state of disuse."

Oh god this is the number one most wanted on the entire planet and maybe the whole galaxy! And I'm alone with it!

>"Penn, did you hear me?"
"Y-yes! Thank you!"
>"Would you like to rescue the CAI?"

What kind of stupid question is that?!

"From what?"

I got here yesterday.

Yesterday!

I have never met the Cai! All I know about it is a few things Arza has said and now your story about trying to trick it with war crimes!

What did you do to make it so angry? That seems like the worst idea ever!

If rescue means getting it someplace else to properly study without threat of nukes and chemical weapons being waved around for fun then yes! I would like to rescue it.

What from?

>Why would I kid?! Or act like this on purpose?!
Super-villain secret identity? Getting people to underestimate you is an age old tactic.

>hacking the warship was a double bluff to test how far Glitcher was willing to go
Well that makes some

>>"Would you like to rescue the CAI?"
Really your best bet is to continue doing what comes naturally to you, and keep acting confused and off balance.

"Ah! From what?"

>What kind of stupid question is that?!
Might want to actually expand on that idea, if pressed. A CAI is an arbitrarily large collection of AIs that is poorly understood and whose actions are unpredictable, and are considered the infowar equivalent of nuclear weapons! That's not something that can be freed recklessly!

(None of that is a lie, CAIs are scary and you can't be irresponsible with this one, even if you don't want the AIs tortured and enslaved as they have been).

>>902535
"From what?!"

>>902535

Bluff called.

>>902535
I told you! He's trying to find out if you're a traitor, by assuming you can't lie convincingly like this!

But what was that? That phrasing! It sounds like he's asking you to steal it?! Ask him if that's what he's asking. Because if he wants you to, then sure. But I mean if not you think you'd just die if you tried? And they seem fine anyway?

Him, Penn. He's a him. You goat. You furball. You clone. Don't objectify people. You know what it's like to be treated like a thing.

You look like you're getting mad, so harness it. Divert him with a rambling rant. Answer: "I'd like to have never had anything to do with this place!! Rescue the CAI!? Sure! The neumono hive I met on the way in here? Them too! Anyone subjected to any of the other boneheaded, ill-thought-out, desperate fumbling unscientific horror shows dressed up to look like experiments you have around here!? You should want me to! You people couldn't have backed yourselves into a corner better than if you tried! How do you think anything could possibly end well for anyone here at this point!? We live in a galactic society! There's no form of control you can have that works across star systems! Do you think people won't care!? The neumono on other worlds!? The humans!? Does no-one here understand that simply showing what you're willing to do to other people scares people enough to put you in the target sights!?!"

Then switch to playing for sympathy/crying. Something like: "Do you know how much suspicion I've been under my whole life, just because of my genetics? The depths people have assumed I've been willing and capable to go, even though I've never done anything, and how much I've been through just because of that!? Just the fact that I've been within 50 miles of a place like this would be enough for some people to say I should be locked up, or killed. Though apparently just being near here puts me at risk of being killed anyway. How many other people like Raush have died!? How many other Likols!? How many other people who could have accomplished so much more and improved the galaxy for everyone if they'd simply lived to do it!? Has anyone worked out a cost-benefit analysis of all this? I'd bet you if you worked out everything gained and lost this place would be a pit. Rescue the CAI!? You should ask if you'd like me to rescue you!!!"

>>902535
rescue how?

Honestly i just wanna go home

"... Vanski everyone here needs a fucking rescue."

...I wonder if he wants to be rid of the CAI since he basically can't do anything with it, but destroying it would get him in trouble and he needs some excuse to get a brand new one. So what he wants in that case is for Penn to steal it in a situation where he can blame the ASE and make them get him a new CAI.
That isn't really what we want of course- we'd rather these people not have a CAI at all, but... I don't know if that's really possible.

Tell Vanski that's why you're here; to get the CAI operational and back to life. You'd like to know HOW the CAI is currently busted.

>.... That is a bug! Was he always this huge?! How did I not care about that?!
You know what? Focus on this. Vanski's blatant flouting of the square/cube law is the least shocking of all his violations, so latch on it to avoid thinking of anything else.
Go full scientist mode, think up a thousand experiments, think of him as a subject of study rather than your boss and attempted mass-murderer.
Then you can start devoting a little of you as possible to an answer.

Penn, think about this rationally. You're in a bizarre vast secret underground bunker complex run by insane criminals. A giant bug is asking you tricky machine-ethics questions, which you don't know the right answers to, and giving the wrong answers might very well result in your own death, as well as the imprisonment, torture, and/or deletion of trillions of innocent AIs.

The only coherent explanation is that you are having a bad dream. Take a deep breath, count to ten, and remember that none of this is really happening. You already passed your final exams! If you look down, you'll probably see that you're naked, or in the middle of some other ridiculous humiliation. Just keep hyperventilating until you pass out, then you'll probably wake up back in your dorm with Roxie, waiting to hear back from Dr. Fletch about some more sensible sort of career options.

Yuu don't even know the CAI or can honestly trust it. So it's better if you don't even think about it. You just want to do your work and keep your head down.

Yeah, he's got us rattled and is trying to get us to blurt out any bit of information he can use against us or Azra.

Which is why we need to lie NOW and make it such an outrageous falsehood that he believes it to be true.

"What? Nonono. I came here to study the CAI and keep the ASE from cutting me open!"

"SHIT"

From what, is it under attack by something?

1/5 Penn 2018/09/25(Tue)19:12 No. 903189 ID: bfb318
File 153792793549.png - (16.33KB , 800x800 , 998.png )

"From what?!"

2/5 Penn 2018/09/25(Tue)19:12 No. 903190 ID: bfb318
File 153792794330.png - (10.29KB , 800x800 , 999.png )

>"From me and ASE. I thought Arza told you I was rebooting the CAI every few days."
"I haven't even met the CAI!"

... it's staring at m -

It?!

Why am I calling him it an it?!

Was that really his answer?! He's just staring at me like that's it!

...

...

3/5 Penn 2018/09/25(Tue)19:12 No. 903191 ID: bfb318
File 153792795040.png - (19.14KB , 800x800 , 1000.png )

"This place is a bomb site waiting to happen! The whole world is seeking out this place! Everyone here could use a rescue! Including me! I thought I was so close to a regular life, because I thought Arza saw a gifted AI specialist in me, but I didn't know he'd take me to the worst place in the galaxy for someone like me to be! If I knew it'd be like this then maybe I'd never have written that stupid paper! I might've just been better off being a low tech farmer if that - "

A farm -

Oh. Oh no.

>Focus on how big he is
>This isn't happening

4/5 Penn 2018/09/25(Tue)19:13 No. 903193 ID: bfb318
File 153792801529.png - (22.34KB , 800x800 , 1001.png )

>"Oh. I see you weren't joking about the puke, either."

>"Yes, this is Vanski. Send the janitors."

5/5 Penn 2018/09/25(Tue)19:13 No. 903194 ID: bfb318
File 153792803582.png - (29.97KB , 1000x800 , 1002.png )

Th-there's a bench. Away from where I was standing and then puking. I'll sit there.

>"Are you okay?"
"Yes! I mean, yes. Yes I will be fine!"
>"Here is an ID card. This will let you into the neumono hive on floor 5. You may ask the medical team there to study. I'll need a few hours, but if you return this afternoon, the lab should be ready for you to study the CAI. There, you may meet them, although I expect the glitcher and his crew will remain silent."

>"I have other - arkots! Don't mop the carpet! Penn, I have other business to attend to, so I'll be off. Stay in here for awhile if you need to, I'll let the guard outside know."

>>903194
Yeah uh.... Yeah. Might wanna get those contacts out so you can escape the revulsion's physiological effects.

Take the card and leave.

Resolve to deck Arza. Take card. Leave.

Say thank you. Ask if there's a mirror anywhere in here. You'll need contacts off again, at least for the walk from here to there. You might consider putting them back in to meet the medics, but that's a big demand of you and I imagine you can't simply take one off and then just have one eye open that you switch back and forth.

Before you go to the neumono, though, or really before you meet anyone new, you need to have a look at whatever file is attached to the name their system gives you. You need to know what people are saying/hearing about you - we just saw with Vanski that he assumed your emotional shut down was some weird split personality thing. It'll shape how you need to approach people for the first time, if there's anything you'll need to compensate for, or even possibly could take advantage of.

I wonder if you should also take the chance to have a good cry for a few minutes, right now. It could make you feel better, and relieve some of what's building up. You won't have many moments of privacy and Vanski probably at least limits access to the footage of his office.

Take card, leave, enter bathroom, take contacts off.

Lay down and gather your breath.

sit down for a bit
then go to the neumono hive and see if they can help you with your "PTSD" after that got to Arza and talk with him if you can.

take it easy if you can you'll need the energy if your going to have to work with the Glitcher

BTW has Arza told you about Glitcher, lets just say he has a "childish" personally

Well, your general unfocused panic more about your own circumstances may have deflected concerns about your interest in the CAI's well being, but I imagine Vanski still wonders. And he's probably still suspicious that you're acting in an attempt to get people to underestimate you. I mean, it does seem kind of crazy that a normal, panicky person would be here, so there must be another reason you're acting this way... right?

>what do
Clean yourself up, get your contacts back out, and leave. And start trying to analyze what you let slip, and what you picked up on, as soon as you're in a state to do so.

>This will let you into the neumono hive on floor 5
Are you sure you're ready for more abused neumono?

Also, you know Likol had sympathies with the CAI. His hive, being his hive, might share them. Seeing if you reach out to them (and how quickly you do) now that you've been given access might be Vanski continuing to asses you and your loyalties.

Guys, Azra, Raush and now even Vanski have only given Penn maybe half of the big picture when it comes to the cai-block's history. She doesn't know anything about the glitcher or that Vanski's OPA branch was almost destroyed twice in quick succession by robots and then science hive nerd rage.

Visit a bathroom, clean yourself up. Contacts back in. Don't forget the keycard. Maybe try and snag some toast to settle your stomach from the nearest cafeteria?

Don't relax just yet. Vanski's acting like you passed the test, but he'll probably be reviewing security footage of how you act for a while afterwards. If he's willing to gamble with live nuclear warheads to assess somebody's loyalty, he's probably also willing to take the time to watch out for a "hah, pulled one over on that sucker" mood in post-interview body language.

You know... Thinking about Vanski's story about the CAI, two possibilities occur to me: either he was lying, or (sadly believable) he really messed up by giving the CAI access to the warship. Because with a CAI, the dangerous thing wasn't giving them access to the ship's weapons, but giving them access to its communications. A warship would have secure communications tech, but how difficult could that have been to bypass if they were able to get at the nukes? Operating at the level it does, the CAI had the time, opportunity and motive to access the planet's communication nets and do something to their advantage. Subvert lesser AI programs across the world, maybe. Send out their own personally created AI servants. Who knows what an AI created by a CAI to run on lesser hardware could be capable of? And... who would be top of the list for them to get in contact with? Arza. Maybe Arza had more reason to choose now to make his move than just your graduation.

Of course, if Vanski has any brains, he's aware of these possibilities, too. And Arza, and whatever AI the CAI created if they did create one, would be smart enough to know he'd know. So they'd have to keep it all hidden, not give away that anyone's even aware of the possibility. Because they know that Vanski should know, but not that he knows. I guess you can't really know either, but... well, you should be aware of the possibilities. Maybe you have a couple more allies around than you think. That's a nice thought, right?

>Vanski's warship could have communications
You really think that paranoid @#$% would settle for anything less than a full communications blackout with radioactive plates grafted into the hull? The real problem is that any remote data transfer, no matter how insecure it is, will take a sufficiently long time over a gigantic volume with all the sentient AIs stored in that thing. Anything Vanski hasn't picked up on yet is too slow or too risky, and what little could be transferred out wouldn't have enough security to protect itself and could be easily abducted and interrogated by Vanski or his rivals.

Not that Glitcher wouldn't try. The question is, what would work over decades, that Glitcher would think of but Vanski wouldn't?

>>904297
Glitcher and company can only exist in the cai-blocks, they can't escape into the internet. It's also been established that unless they have sufficient evidence to bring down ALL of the OPA facilities, they're staying silent and collecting information.

>>904297
Not Vanski's warship; the warhive's, back during that whole adventure. Vanski doesn't have a warship. Didn't say anything about the CAI transferring itself, either. Maybe read what someone's saying a little closer before you chew them out?

1/5 Penn 2018/10/08(Mon)18:55 No. 906040 ID: bfb318
File 153905015372.png - (20.35KB , 800x800 , 1003.png )

I take my contacts back off before I lose it more in here, when I'm sure Vanski has his own security cameras on this place and on me. I still can't understand why he wanted my contacts on.

I get a snack at the closest cafeteria, which is in a more openly public area in the Supernova area. I spent a lot of energy freaking out internally and externally, and even in my calmer state, I know I'm exhausted. I need a few minutes to recover, enough to safely move on, especially before seeing more abused neumono. Maybe they'll know more about the glitcher, too.

People notice me, but no one bugs me. It isn't just specifically me, either. People around here keep to themselves and don't appear to make smalltalk with people they don't have any business with.

... the food here is better than it was in the college cafeteria.

2/5 Penn 2018/10/08(Mon)18:56 No. 906041 ID: bfb318
File 153905016692.png - (39.43KB , 1000x800 , 1004.png )

I may learn something from the neumono even beyond the medical scan, so I head there. There's big elevator and ramp area for big cargo movements across floors. I see a few trucks moving equipment around, and a lot of idle arkots. They look like they won't bug me if I don't bug them as I move to floor 5.

There's a card slider on the door I swipe my new card at.

>"Who is this?" a voice asks.
"Penn Hoff."
>"What is your purpose for this visit?"
"Medical studies."

There's a pause, and the door opens to show more guards. Neither of them look like they want to be there, or that they want me to be here.

The map of the facility I was given doesn't extend into this place, but I recognize the layout. It's a standard, prefabricated building setup used in underground living quarters. It doesn't look well kept, or like anyone lives here, even.

3/5 Penn 2018/10/08(Mon)18:56 No. 906042 ID: bfb318
File 153905017549.png - (31.19KB , 800x800 , 1005.png )

The guard gives me directions to where the neumono keep their medical team. It's quiet, here, and a lot of the lights are dim. I don't see any neumono, but I do follow the directions to the door.

4/5 Penn 2018/10/08(Mon)18:56 No. 906043 ID: bfb318
File 153905019933.png - (29.14KB , 800x800 , 1006.png )

It opens before I touch it.

>"Oh!"

This neumono.

5/5 Penn 2018/10/08(Mon)18:58 No. 906045 ID: bfb318
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The biggest neumono I saw up to this point was about as tall as me. My throat tightens enough that I have to take a deep breath before talking.

"Is this medical?"
>"That's right!"

She's not moving out of the way. She's just smiling at me.

>"C-can I help you?"
"Are you part of the medical staff?"
>"E-er, no, I guess I'm not, so I can't help!"

She might just be as good at social interaction as I am.

How are you so big.

So what sort of medical stuff are you here for?

Hmm. Didn't Arza have a big bodyguard neumono for a while? Well, anyway, she must be enhanced somehow. Possibly not entirely willingly. So you have something in common! You're products-of-science buddies! I mean at the very least, when was the last time you saw a smile apart from Arza's ha-ha-you're-not-dead laugh?

She seems disappointed she can't help. Ask her if she can introduce you to the medical staff. She should at least be able to do that if she has business here, right?

>>906045
Huh. They're making Neumono Supermutants. That's weird. Acquire this giant Neumono's assistance.

>>906045
why you big?

oh no. Lago, why.

Ask her if she can direct you to one of the medical staff.

If not, kindly get out of her way before you get crushed, then go back to the guards and ask if there's any rooms you have to stay out of.

... hm.

Test her for dere personality.

>... the food here is better than it was in the college cafeteria.
They're supervillains, they have a better budget than the college.

>She's might just be as good at social interaction as I am.
Then you just need to state what she wants clearly so she isn't confused.

"Could I get by, please?"

And then excuse me, thank you, all that basic stuff.

Don't really want to ask her about what she's doing, since it's either medical and private, related to some experiment and secret, and asking opens her up to reciprocating and asking about you.

If she truly is that bad at social, then she might be trustworthy, to the extent that she won't press you into compromising activities. You could benefit from social interactions, even awkward ones, as a form of stress relief. As an apparent anomaly, she can likely escort you to the examination facilities.
Request her assistance in reaching the minimally-destructive anomalous-biology examination-facilities.

Ask if the medical team is in there, and if so, can she please step aside and let you move past her because you came here to be examined by the medical team and they can't very well do that out in the hallway. Also ask why she is so tall.

She seems pleasant, just a bit awkward. To be honest that's a nice change for once, given the level of vigilance you need around most people here.

Ask if you can get by, and be polite mind you. Is she asks for your name, respond and ask back, friendly stuff like that. Getting on the good side of a giant but awkward neumono might actually be pretty good.