thebastion | (no subject)

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Who: Colin, Ahime, Nathan, Paarthurnax, Rin, Zahi, Zuko, Zulf
Open: Closed
When: Day 237, Morning
Where: The Monument
What: Colin needs input to finish his latest project.
Format: Prose
Warnings: Colin, brainy talk

Colin's work over the last couple of days had been rather intensive, but now the hardest parts were done now. He had brought the projector out to the monument earlier, and then he gathered the people whose opinions he wants in order to put the finishing touches on the program.

Paarthurnax and Zuko already knew what it was, and if they'd talked to anyone else, the information might have spread, but Colin was willing to bet that they hadn't. So the first order of business was to make sure that once everyone was gathered, they were all briefed.

"Okay, so here's what's up," Colin explains, nodding towards Paar and Zuko. "A couple of days ago, Zuko and Paarthurnax asked to make something for them, an information dissemination platform so that everyone here can keep in the loop. Since not everyone here can read the same languages, Zuko requested that it be a speaking platform. And since programming a library to speak on command is no small task, I settled on a synthetic intelligence."

He gestures towards the projector at his feet, a boxy contraption easily the size of a footlocker.

"I finished her yesterday," he says. "Or him, if that's what you all decide on. The SI is done, now we just need to decide who, or what, you want to interact with. That's what I've asked you all here for. You've all got leadership in your heads, or people skills, or some general idea of what the Bastion needs. This will be our information hub from here on out, if you're satisfied with it. I've got some defaults ready for your inspection, but I can work with anything you want."

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Frankly, Zuko is still a little fuzzy on exactly what this thing is, even having been the one to ask for it. Most of the technology Colin has is so far removed from where she comes from that the concepts are hard for her to wrap her head around, never mind having any idea how they work.

"Why don't you just show us what you have now? It'll be easier with something to start from." She hopes.

Leadership? People skills? In what world did Rin have any of those? General idea of what the Bastion needs... maybe. But still...

Rin was staring at Colin as if he really had grown a second head and it was speaking gibberish to her. She stayed quiet, fidgeting with a frayed end of her hair.

Why was she even here... ?

While Zahi is hanging back, clearly not entirely sure of what to think about this thing, Nathaniel is already inspecting it. Not touching, of course, he knows not to touch someone else's invention without being given permission. But he is visibly intrigued by it, and wants to know more. "So, we talk to this thing, and it learns how to talk to others? So we get a leader-robot out of it? Or is it just going to be for storing knowledge?"

Meanwhile, Zahi looks over to the less-technologically-inclined of the group, and quietly whispers "nerds" to her. He would have mouthed it silently, but lip movements don't get translated by the Bastion, and his fun-poking would have been lost on everyone except maybe Zulf.

"It already knows how to talk, fortunately," Colin says. "I had to get a little creative with the language libraries, but I got it to work. And no, it won't be leading anyone. It's just here for information purposes. Nobody here would trust a leader I built."

He nods to Zuko next. "That's probably the best plan," he says. "Nobody attack the suddenly-appearing body. Computer, begin avatar demonstration."

At Colin's command the projector activates, and projects a life-size hologram of Colin standing still above its base. After about ten seconds, it the image flickers to that of Rin.

"As you can see, this thing can take just about any form you want," he says. "For simplicity's sake, though, it's probably best to settle on a single form so that everyone can get used to it. And it's also best if it's NOT one of us."

The hologram changes from Rin to Georges then, and Colin continues speaking.

"You can speak to it, and it will try to answer any questions you have," he says. "Say hello, computer."

"Hello, computer," the hologram of Georges says in Georges' own voice with a pleasant tone. The Hologram then shifts to look like Nathan.

Zuko glances back over at Zahi. 'Nerds' isn't the word she would have come up with, but she's glad not to be the only one who doesn't get this.

And then Colin turns the thing on and woah. Woah. This is weird. The look on Zuko's face as the hologram shifts forms pretty much says, Please don't let this thing turn into me. She one hundred percent completely agrees that this should not look like any of them.

"Does it... have to look so person-like?"

"I imagine that any form it could take would be disconcerting to at least one other," Paarthurnax says diplomatically, finally speaking. He's a bit behind most of the others on the simple basis that he doesn't want to crowd anyone. Grampa he might be, but his eyesight is still quite sharp. He inspects the small avatar, not seeming as bothered as Zuko is.

"Still, to keep this representation as nonthreatening as possible is something we should keep in mind."

"Regardless of what we choose, it is still amazing to see such a thing! I think this will be very useful."

Ahime had been on the mend for some time now and while she was still recovering from her injuries and couldn't do as much as she normally did she had joined the others when Colin called for them.

Some were unnerved by this, but Ahime was downright fascinated. She had heard of the technology in other worlds being leaps and bounds ahead of her own world but seeing it in action was something to behold.

"Why not give it a mascot-form," Nathaniel suggests, "Like, a friendly-looking squirt or something. It could even have one of those aprons on, like I've seen that one with."

Yep, he saw that. Sorry Zulf your secret is out.

Colin gives Zuko a gentle smile, even as the Hologram changes to her shape. Sorry, Zuko. Looks like you're not going to escape that one. "No, it doesn't," he says. "Avatars can take any shape you want. Different cultures have different tastes, after all."

He glances to Paarthurnax, and he smirks just a little impishly. "Computer, halt demo playback, and take avatar 'Stay Puft' for ten seconds, then take avatar 'Clippy' for ten seconds, then finally, take avatar form 'Moonbow' and hold," he orders.

At Colin's command, the hologram takes the lovingly rendered pop culture form of a five foot tall Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

"Gnolams, for example, like pop culture icons and familiar mascots," he says, nodding to Nathan. "I could do a squirt easily, though I would need to program the shape, I hadn't thought of that one."

When Clippy the Paper Clip takes shape, he gestures to it. "This, for example, is an ancient human helper Avatar from a company called Microsoft," he says. "Some people from their culture find it revolting, but everyone from its home culture recognize it."

The final form is an elven woman bearing a staff topped with a crescent moon and wearing a diaphanous dress seemingly made of shimmering moonlight. "And Elerians and Elves typically find comfort in their pantheon, this is the goddess Sehanine Moonbow, an aspect of wisdom," he explains. "But none of these forms need to be chosen, and many of them may make people uncomfortable, THAT is why I've asked you all here. Including you, Rin. You're as close to normal as we've got, and I value your opinion perhaps most of all. We need someone to tell us if we choose something too nerdy for everyone else to be comfortable with."

He gives Rin a warm grin, before looking at everyone else. "If you can imagine it, I can make it," he says. "And if we need to change it, I can change it. Nothing we decide needs to be final.. but we do need a form people feel they can talk to."

Rin snapped to attention at being addressed, only to scowl at Colin with a visible tail twitch.

"I'm the most normal? Are your screws too tight? That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard," she snapped, baring a fang.

Ahime gave the girl a mildly chastising look, earning a sigh from her as she backed off.

"... alright fine. ... can't you just... set it to like... I'unno, make an avatar based on the person speakin' to it? If it's got all that crap in it already wouldn't it be better to make everyone more comfortable by choosin' who the fuck they wanna talk to?"

"As a matter of fact, you ARE one of the most normal people here," he says, not put off by her tone. "And while I can make it possible for people to choose their own avatar, a single form will make it a lot more approachable as a tool for our little society. It needs to be something recognizable. Especially if new people come in, seeing everyone talking to the same thing, at least a majority of the time, makes it easier to appreciate that it's a somewhat official source of information. No matter what that form may be."

"Is that it?" Rin asked with a raised eyebrow, trying to ignore that Colin was insisting on calling her normal.

"Then it's pretty damn obvious what you need. A mascot."

Zuko isn't sure how the others don't find this at least a little disturbing. Her stomach twists when the hologram shifts through her image. She doesn't even like looking at herself in the mirror, and this is like suddenly having her own spirit standing in front of her. It takes her a minute to get over it.

She misses half the exchange between Rin and Colin, besides the fact that he's getting on Rin's nerves, but she glances over at the other girl at her suggestion.

"...like a lion turtle? A small one." If... anyone else even knows what lion turtles are.

Getting on Rin's nerves is what Colin is good at.

"I'unno, maybe. Just somethin' cute and non-threatening. Maybe get that tall skinny kid to draw somethin' for it - he's always carryin' a sketch book around, ain't he?"

"I would say make it somethin' not-living," Zahi suggests, "Even though most people who show up are human, some haven't been, and havin' something neutral would help. Maybe somethin' like that metal-thing you showed, where it's got eyes and looks alive, but isn't anything that's actually living? Maybe it could be the shape of a shard, or the monument, or something."

"I could do a lion turtle, but I'd need your expertise to make it look right, and I think you would probably be the only one to recognize it," Colin tells Zuko. "But if you want one, I can rig the projector to make a small one when you approach, if you want. In addition to the avatar, I mean. That's not hard at all."

He respects Zuko's skills if nothing else, and he does recognize that the tech seems to be putting her ill at ease. Doing her a favor couldn't hurt.

"That's sounding like a promising idea," Colin says to Zahi next, lifting his hand to his chin in contemplation. "A giant shard or a squirt with a distinct personality would work really well. The monument might be a little confusing, given that this unit will probably be best placed right next to it."

He looks around at everyone curiously. "But then, that's just what I think," he says. "What about the rest of you? Do you like the sounds of either of the those? Or do you think we should go with something else?"

Frankly, even his repeated use of the word 'avatar' is still throwing her off, but she's doing her best to collect herself.

"It doesn't have to be a lion turtle. But I think it should look unique, so it doesn't get mistaken for anything else in the Bastion. If it's a squirt, it should look different from normal ones."

Zulf has been relatively quiet throughout the exchange, obviously taking into consideration everything that's been said. He also ignores the comment about the apron besides for what it is as a suggestion- if he was shy about the apron, he wouldn't have put it on the Squirt in front of the pretty lady, jeez, Nate.

He finally speaks up, however, tone amiable. "The shard sounds like a good idea to me- it would also give people the benefit of knowing what to look for out on the Skyway if they're not familiar."

"I guess I agree with Zulf. Or goin' with the 'draw a mascot' idea. Whichever one you think is gonna work out best."

Rin shrugged a little, not really sure where to stand on it anymore. Hell she was still questioning why Colin would drag her in to such an important discussion in the first place, but whatever. She was here, and she had said her piece on the matter.

Nathaniel nods in agreement with the others.

"A shard will at least be neutral-at-worst to any new arrivals. Squirts can potentially attack someone out on the Skyway, so new arrivals might not take too kindly to seeing one here."

"A hovering shard, then," Colin says, thinking to himself and nodding. "All right, I can do this. If nobody has any objections, I'd prefer to give it a feminine voice, but I can do masculine if you prefer. Feminine is just the norm where I'm from."

He glances to the projector then, and he grins. "Computer, end display program," he says, and he looks back to everyone. "She'll also need a name, but we can come up with the name later. Names are important, and shouldn't be decided on quickly."

The holographic projection vanishes at Colin's order, as though it were never even then.

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ALL THE NPCS. ALL OF THEM.

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