Video(?); Kazoo 18

[securityconsultant]

[So if some of you haven't seen Murderbot yet - which isn't surprising, it's been absolutely keeping to itself as much as possible - you've now seen it. It's staring at the video feed with a slight frown, hand half-blocking the view]

All right, this should-

[And as it speaks? The words are popping in around it. Sort of like disjointed subtitles. Its eyes widen imperceptibly, then narrow just as much as its frown deepens.]

That's not supposed to-

[It doesn't actually say those ones aloud- but they pop in anyway. Its frown turns in to a scowl as other words fill the feed - we're talking floating sentences ranging from expressions of annoyance, to is that raw binary? - before the entire message cuts off.]




((OOC; This is related to this bit of schenanigins; feel free to poke ICly or OOCly if you're interested in getting involved!))

Comments

[subcircuits]

[And in turn, it'll probably know that as (relatively) advanced as Devero's tech is in some ways, hacking and security is not one of those ways.]

Must be. I got firewalled every time I made an attempt.

[Like a puppy still growing its baby teeth, growling at a veteran military dog, those attempts.]

[securityconsultant]

[Lucky Rin can tolerate him, huh?]

Probably just the basic defenses. Once you get past those...that's the real minefield.

[subcircuits]

[He whistles, low and impressed.] That bad?

Where do you think your issue is? Because if it's in the transcription itself, my Interface has some solid programs you can crib. Speech-to-text, sign-to-text, digital keyboard, the works.

[securityconsultant]

Yes.

[beat]

I wouldn't mind looking at those, if you're all right with it. [It may already have downloaded some of them, just as a casual investigation. But hey! Permission!] Otherwise, it's more a language barrier.

[subcircuits]

Feel free. The sign-to-text one will probably have only limited utility-- it presumes you have, you know. [He's still not looking at the screen but he lifts a hand into view, rubbing his thumb across the tips of his fingers and splaying his hand open.] Gesticular implants. But I'll let you copy anything you think might help.

Hmm-- programming language, you mean?

[securityconsultant]

Gestures are still the way this would work. If I can get it to emit a holographic display, or something where it can read your input, but- nevermind.

If you're thinking how you tell a program to run - no. It's not a way of sending instructions, it's a full language.

[subcircuits]

Straight visual mapping? I think there are Interfaces optimized for teknulls that use something like that, instead of-- [He waves his hand again. You know.] The trick would be finding a way to use the ICP hardware to project the digital keyboard, wouldn't it....

[A beat. With a little less enthusiasm:] That's beyond me, then. Hardware's more my thing.

[securityconsultant]

The projection would more-or-less be for the user, since most people here don't have any augmentations. [Big rip to that.] Failing creation of that, speech to text would be the easiest- but even that's impractical. What if you're trying to send a message and stay quiet?

[subcircuits]

[He's silent for a moment, frowning as he considers the--

He's an idiot. He and Entrapta are already working with the tech to solve Rin's input problem.] Hard light!

[securityconsultant]

I'm going to need more information.

[sciencegirl]

The first mission I was here for was a beautiful technological set up maintained by little assistants called 'Helpmates'. Problem is many went insane and had to be destroyed or repaired.

But I retrieved a number of holographic generators while I was on that mission and have been researching them. Essentially, the emitters create a hologram in combination with a harmless force-field that creates a solid illusion. Vague transparency being the most energy-efficient option.

We've been working on a drone project involving the Hard Light holograms! If you'd like my research notes I'd be glad to help!

Hi. I'm Entrapta. I should use names sometimes, shouldn't I?

[securityconsultant]

[Oh this person is. A lot. But. That's good news, it thinks?]

I'll read them. Send them over.

[.............wait is this where it offers its name too. #unsure]

this post is just threadjacking for nerds

[morganizedchaos]

[There's a moderately loud beep from Ghost's phone to get their attention. Yes, this is the best communication method, sue him.]

Not to interrupt the scientific process here -

But these things are touch screen. Wouldn't it be simpler to make an on-screen keyboard? Less messing around with experimental hardware, less worrying about if we have enough of it, and probably more intuitive for the less technologically inclined people on the train.

[There's kind of. A lot of those, if you guys haven't noticed.]

almost like they're having a real time conversation

[subcircuits]

[Dev grins, pleased with himself to have pulled Entrapta into the project.] Rin, Entrapta. Entrapta, Rin.

Projected keyboards for the ICPs would be even easier than the drones we're working on to get up and running, presuming we can find a way to use the onboard cams for the gesture mapping--

But Mx. Cognitovory here does have a point. [Loathe though he is to admit it.] The average level of technological literacy among the passengers is low, especially compared to what folks like us are used to; whatever we come up with needs to accommodate that.

[securityconsultant]

Project the keyboard on to a flat surface if possible, instead of having it in midair?

[subcircuits]

Why not just take advantage of the touchscreen? Even our total teknulls seem get used to navigating the ICP system relatively quickly.

[securityconsultant]

Whichever's easiest- and least likely to break what's already there. I don't want to attract her attention.

[sciencegirl]

Some people come in with devices already capable of voice-to-text options, too, so that's possible to build from.

They probably wouldn't want to give up their items for dismantling but maybe you could ask what those items are and then see if you can arrange an information trade and get books from the shop. We seem to be limited to our own worlds so things become complicated.

Or if you have a particularly good scanner, you could use that.

[securityconsultant]

...all I really have to trade is media archives. You think anyone'd be interested in that?

[morganizedchaos]

... With the amount of bored train downtime we have here, you could probably become the most popular person around, depending on what you've got.

[And so did Murderbot get the entire train addicted to Sanctuary Moon.]

funny how that works

[morganizedchaos]

Ghost, and he, and arguably 'Dr,' but thanks.

[Schrodinger's doctorate.]

[subcircuits]

[How even-- No, not going to ask.]

Thank you. I'm Devero, he/him-- uh, definitely not a doctor.

[morganizedchaos]

Don't worry about it, if someone actually called me 'Dr. Ghost' I think I'd drop whatever I was holding at the time. Sounds way too weird.

[subcircuits]

Then again, if there was anywhere to get away with introducing yourself as Dr. Ghost, it would absolutely be around here.

[morganizedchaos]

You know that classic bit where someone goes 'call me by my first name, Mr. Lastname is my father'?

That's me, except it's Dr. This-would-be-my-last-name-if-I-wanted-any-more-involvement-with-this-family-than-I-already-have is literally every single person I'm arguably biologically related to.