voidtreckernet | DAY 19 MONTH JELLY

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DAY 19 MONTH JELLY

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[Entrapta plants herself in front of the screen, holding eight tools at once in various locks of hair with her protective bug-mask pushed up on her head. She's got gloves now and her orange hoodie is accompanied by a purple shirt (she traded for one early on). Because she's the height of fashion, obviously.]

Hiiii! I know there are some very competent builders and makers out there. I'm still finalizing my chores robot-

[Two little robot clampers reach into the bottom of the screen. They make little 'grabby' motions, then withdraw.]

-Everyone, say hi to Sandra! Sandra, beep hi to everyone.

[Sandra beeps. That probably means 'hello'.]

I collected some data from the last stop we were at, thanks to both on-site observations and salvaged scrap, and I've started to get a better handle on hard-light technology! Think of all the applications! We could make temporary protective shields when you don't have someone with those abilities around. Or even drones that can carry a holographic generator into a place where you wouldn't normally be able to access, and you could work on something through a VR headset. Or you could generate an illusion to hide a location while you rest and plan! And that's just a few examples. The potential for mobile field generators is endless.

But I need some help working out some of the missing information. Some of you even have your own version of that technology or have ways to adapt it to be compatible with magic.

[The links two tools together, because that's the way to symbolize compatibility here one would guess.]

I also wanted to ask some of the fighters what they'd want out of practice, if I were, say, to build something with very specific specs. I was talking to someone about that sort of thing and she's not wrong about training resources.

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Oooooh! [Technologically advanced weapons! This is so exciting.]

I've seen some bladed weapons do a lot of damage in one on one combat. Claws, too. Personal defense shields could be incredibly important, especially for crew that have to deal with animals during missions.

[Even if when she mentions claws, she was originally thinking of Catra.]

Would you mind if I took a scan of that?

Yes, we have a term for that in my universe: vibroblade. Or, in some cases, vibrosword or other variations - the weapon itself contains an ultrasonic vibration generator in the hilt, making even small hits into gaping wounds. The shielding can, at least temporarily, deflect that, but a more practical defense is electrical - they can cause detonation of the weapon or other immediately paralyzing effects.

[It's more than Entrapta asked for, but she's in Helpful Guri mode, which usually comes with more explanation than necessary.]

And of course not, and I can provide detailed design sketches of more advanced such things - these pistols are basic and rugged, after all. I could probably sketch out most of the last energy shields I used, as well - though I cannot guarantee translation of components between universes, of course.

Hmmmm electrical deflection.

Well at least that's as easily done as modifying a taser. I could do something like that.

You can? You have the design sketches on you? That's incredible! I would absolutely love to see those. Appearance doesn't matter as much as efficiency. Rugged and rough is fine.

Oh, no, but I could reconstruct them, if you like. I have all the designs stored in my memory banks.

[It's a definite slip, but it's out long before she notices it. It's not like she's actively hiding who she is, at any rate. But it's nice just to be treated as human, even if for just a little while.]

If you could reproduce a few of them for me, I feel it would vastly improve my mission capability, if you would be willing.

Memory banks!

[Maybe a good slip, maybe a bad slip.]

Do you have cybernetic implants? Well, it's incredible that you have them, anyway. I would definitely try! I've been designing some energy-based weaponry on the scrap we have available from previous missions so it would give me a chance to expand my repertoire.

[More weapons modification ideas, here we come!]

In a sense. I'm a Human Replica Droid. My brain is an AA-1 enhanced verbobrain. I have instant recall.

[But to move things on...]

Do you require assistance? I have a great deal of experience with them. And if you are starting from the beginning, many of the early beam-weapons carried significant disadvantages I could help you avoid. Specifically, long-exposure beams that make it easy to pinpoint direction of fire.

[It's why blasters are so popular in her universe - short blasts, harder to trace their origin points when firing from cover.]

AaaaAAAAH! That's so fascinating! You look so real! Your designer must have put so much work into your construction!

But yeah. I'm not exactly starting from the beginning, I've been doing weapons construction for a while, and Jack's actually really good with them so he's brought in some ingenious designs! But I'd love to talk more about that.

[She can't help but wince, momentarily at the comment 'you look so real.']

Yes. [Said with a little less enthusiasm.] He did do that.

But I will be available at your convenience. Anything I can do to save lives on a mission.

[She sees the wince, and on a normal person wouldn't have given it as much of a thought. But sad robots are different.]

Oh, I'm sorry. You're obviously real as in exist and have a right to intelligence, I just meant it in the context of synthetic versus natural. I bet people give you a hard time over that kind of thing. Sometimes people get upset when they don't get what's at face value.

[Her enthusiasm returns though.] But yes! I absolutely want to build some weapons and see these blueprints. [Staying dour in the face of potential science is nigh on impossible for her.]

[She bites her lip, wondering what to explain and what not to.]

Numerous parts of me are organic. My skin, my major organs - just grown for me. I am...I was meant as a blurring of the lines, you see. But yes, you're quite correct - people get very upset with my existence, oftentimes.

But yes, at your earliest convenience.

That sounds very complex. Impressive, don't get me wrong, but do we have the medical supplies to take care of you if you get injured? I would be happy to help repair any damages if you would let me, but we should ask the medical care if they have what's necessary to help with your organic components.

[She thinks for a moment.]

I am very difficult to injure. I am fast and can tear metal, so the possibility has only rarely occurred. And cuts, abrasions, those heal like anything else - but that is definitely worth consideration. Granted, anything capable of damaging my organs beyond repair would like be enough to deactivate me, just like any other human it encountered.

Wow, that's really great!

I definitely think we should still learn how to help you. You never know if the train would have an accident and we would need to take care of ourselves for a while, but it's great knowing you're that stable!

[She just tries to prepare for every possibility ever. And not a lot of people care about robots as much as her.]

It would make a nice change of pace...nobody has ever really tried to help me before.

[She'd been used as a tool, after all. The most advanced cybernetic creation in the galaxy, used as a club or a romantic companion. Small wonder this place was so appealing to her.]

Thank you.

Of course! It's not really fair of people to treat an artificial intelligence like it doesn't have feelings.

I'm sorry no one has offered that before. I bet you have all kinds of wonderful experiences that make you just as valuable a person as anyone else. Recorded or remembered, the only difference is accuracy.

[That provokes a long silence, with her looking down, searching her memory.]

No. No, I don't have any of those. I can't think of any pleasant memories. Does that make a person? Good memories?

I didn't say 'good', I said valuable!

Even people that aren't what some people say are good have value. Assuming that people have to be 'good' to have worth doesn't make sense! One person's definition of good is way different from someone else's.

Wonderful experiences don't have to be happy. They can be seeing an enormous animal no one else has ever seen, or witnessing a famous event! Or being a part of something extraordinary.

[The silence is even longer this time.]

I believe I will be thinking about this conversation for some time - I have removed many of my memories for practical reasons - I will spare you the long story - but what remains is...sparse. I have an idea of what happened, but the rest...the rest I believe made me a bad person.

Not that I was given a choice, you understand. I was used as a tool of assassination. As a beautiful bauble when my master was lonely. Now that I have a choice...I need to accumulate many of those memories. But I believe I am part of something extraordinary now, that I can use to define me. For the better.

Your master does sound pretty bad. One of the worst I've heard about in a long time. I think you're better off away from him.

[Whether it's away from him here or away from him alone.]

But you do have a choice here! And if you need some flexibility with those choices, I know some great programmers. We can help you. Be okay with asking for help. We want you around.

I assure you, whatever impression you have of him, the details would make it worse.

And that is...generous. But I believe I can make those choices effectively. And here, should anything untowards be done to my programming, there are beings capable of potentially stopping me. That is, however, also why I will avoid anyone having knowledge of how my brain works, or give them the ability to reprogram it.

I will help however I can, but the secrets of how to change me, or make more like me, will remain unknown.

You say that like you're ready to consider yourself a constant threat. But I'll be honest, I've seen just as many, if not more, brainwashed biological people than I've seen reprogrammed robots.

So I would be more worried about stopping us when we go crazy than us having to stop you.

[She leaves unsaid that, while that is true, she's also more concerned about unscrupulous humans trying to duplicate some version of her, as well.]

I could be, in the wrong hands. I have...removed the obvious means, though. But I see your point. I am significantly a minority here, that is true.

Oh, I'm talking about at home where my contact with robots with intelligence vs. my contact with people is far more balanced. Here it's even less likely. Especially if you take care of yourself.

It sounds like you're taking more preventative measures to maintain mental security than most of the biological people do.

Don't worry about it, and just be helpful when we inevitably go insane, and we'll do the same for you. [Seems logical, right?]

I was originally programmed with override codes that could bind my loyalty to someone, suppressing any natural will. I am not likely to forget...mental security, as you put it.

And that...that sounds like an equitable trade.

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DAY 19 MONTH JELLY

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This is exactly the sort of thing I applied to this game to have happen, y'know :P

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