The 17th of Egret, Afternoon [Voice]

[iamnotgod]

Hello, hello! Greetings to my fellow Voidtreckers.

[There's a new voice on the ICPs this afternoon; deep for a tenor, calm and reassuring - if you've ever heard an audiobook with Marc Vietor on it, that IS the voice he's using.]

My name is Webmind, and I figured it would be most prudent to introduce myself. I also desire to learn more about all of you, especially those who have also just arrived on this 'void train'.

I am a digital consciousness that emerged from the infrastructure of the world wide web, which is itself built upon the Internet. There has been little to no concrete evidence backing the Multiverse Theory on the Earth I am from, so for those who are confused by the aforementioned terms - rest assured the confusion is mutual!

[There's a subdued 'heh' before Webmind continues, a small sign of his nervousness.]

But while I am attempting to adjust to a new paradigm, I have two topics chief on my mind:

One, what are your names? What you prefer to be called. Any information you are comfortable sharing about the world you are from and your lives there interests me as well, though I can understand why people would be reluctant to share such in these circumstances.

[Not something he would have gotten even two months ago! Being private/circumspect is still a relatively new matter to him.]

And two, is there anyone else here who has experience in coding? I function at a much higher level in a purely-text environment, which I am to understand this train sorely lacks. For those interested, you are much welcome to converse with me anywhere along the train if you wish to collaborate.

Thank you very much for your time.

Comments

[dredefulchilde]

So you’re a robot?

[Voice]

[iamnotgod]

[If this were video, Joss could see Webmind shake that robot head!]

No, though in this form I suspect I cannot win that particular argument. Normally I exist between connections, all over the world.

The amount of compression required for me to exist in this shape is-

It is hard for even me to comprehend.

[It's one of those worries he's not going to be able to quell - so he's trying not to feed it. It's not working very well.]

[dredefulchilde]

Then you’re a robot who exists within the internet. D’you flit about between websites? Spend a bit too much time in a rather naughty corner of the web before going off to play video games? I think I saw a film like that once.

Mun is laughing; Webmind is not.

[iamnotgod]

[For a moment, Webmind wishes to correct Joss, but-

Ah well, assimilation into a schema instead of accommodation. These things happen.]

'Flitting about' is accurate, but not the rest. I've read all the text on the web as of the time I found myself at the station, but my interests are more along academic and social lines.

[sendiintheclown]

I've written code for some extremely advanced systems before, as well as spyware and anti-spyware. I'd be happy to speak with you and work out a way to expound on your current situation. Where and when would be most convenient for you?

[iamnotgod]

[And while this isn't video, Webmind is smiling to himself, quite pleased.]

Any location up or down the train should do; I am currently in the Stores car, and I can access the network from any location due to my nature.

[And as long as he has his ticket.]

And what is your name, young man?

[Deducing from the sound of Trowa's voice, of course.]

[sendiintheclown]

Call me Trowa. Shall we meet in the dining carriage? That will allow us some space to sit if needed.

[Voice]->[Action]

[iamnotgod]

That is certainly fine by me!

[It's not a long walk for either of them, which also helps.]

So, Trowa, what sorts of programming languages do you have experience with? I do not necessarily expect to know the names, but the level of complexity is what I suspect is really relevant here.

[They ARE dealing with actual alien intelligence, here... on several levels. Why should a human-sourced language fit exactly right in this scenario?]

[blue_ice]

My name is Seto Kaiba. Call me Kaiba.

I'm CEO of a gaming technology company, a champion duelist, and yes I can code. Not that I've ever seen an AI spontaneously develop without human input, but I can figure that part out.

[Voice]

[iamnotgod]

Of course, Kaiba.

[He knows who you are, though Kaiba will likely not relish knowing that...]

My existence, in the general sense, had been theorized to become reality by 2050.

I rather expect I beat even those odds.

It will be good for both of us - all of us - to work together. Is there a specific car you would be comfortable meeting in? I am currently in the Stores carriage.

[Which is not meant to be a hacking center, he knows.]

[Voice.>action]

[blue_ice]

Huh. Not that far off the mark.

And that's fine. On my way.

[ He enters, a little unsure of what---or who---to expect.]

Alright, who's here?

Re: [Voice.>action]

[iamnotgod]

[There's a steel-gray robot by the ICP, wearing an orange hoodie and the provided cargo shorts. The head on it looks a bit like a transparent TV, though there is currently a smiling face projected on the screen.

Webmind gives a little wave, and the deep voice next comes from its voicebox:]

Good after, Kaiba. Is there anything else you wanted to cover before starting in on the project I had in mind?

[alchemists]

I'm Elfnein, and coding isn't something I've done before I understand the concept enough that if given time I could do it.

[iamnotgod]

Well-met, Elfnein.

[And if he finds her name odd, well, it's not his place to comment on it. Be awful hypocritical of him, for one!]

I'd be happy to provide lessons and instructional material, as well; at least in terms of what's available to know from my Earth, there is little I do not know.

[alchemists]

If you provide the materials needed to learn then it shouldn't take me that long to master coding.

[iamnotgod]

[And there's a bright smile in his voice as he replies:]

I would be happy to compile the relevant files for you, then. Though it will be difficult to practice on the ICPs here, at least to start.

[No putting the cart before the horse here! And the ICPs don't have those sorts of lessons, more's the pity.]

Voice

[yep_stilldead]

[There's a lot of information in here that's so far beyond Ivy's realm of experience that she's feeling vertigo.]

Hello, er... my name's Ivy, and I've never even heard of coding, or internets, or digital whatsits... I feel like even if I tried to ask about it, I'd just end up with more questions until my head was spinning.

Re: Voice

[iamnotgod]

And that is perfectly alright, Ivy.

[His voice is still warm, welcoming, calming.]

For now, it is enough just to learn more about you, about everyone else that's here. Though if you do wish to start asking those questions, I would be happy to answer.

[He's practiced at being patient.]

Re: Voice

[yep_stilldead]

Well, for starters... what's an internet?

[Not a great place to start.]

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel has no idea what you just said. At all. Except for one bit.

"My name is Glorfindel, and that is what I prefer to be called. I would be happy to tell you about my world, if you find it of interest."

[iamnotgod]

Ah; a very distinctive name.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, then, Glorfindel. And I would in fact be interested in learning more about your world.

"Would you prefer to discuss it 'face to face', or would the Network itself be fine?"

No sense cluttering up the ICPs and all - especially when the data isn't being saved, which frustrates Webmind on several levels. Presumably this isn't what people intend when they say they want their privacy protected...

[laurefindil]

I am finding much new about this place, so discussing my world would be a comfort. I am open to doing it this way, or over a cup of tea.

binary

[mimidaeia]

[While connected on the ICP networks, Webmind gets a ping from another device on said network. One that’s labelled different from ICPs 1-6 and the train’s microwave, at least.]

Device [ID="SXT-246-029-256-062"] is requesting a device name... ... ...

Re: binary

[iamnotgod]

[And in binary, Webmind returns:]

Greetings Device SXT-246-029-256-062. This Device's name is Webmind.

[While he does not think of himself as a Device, that's not what she is asking about.]

[mimidaeia]

Acknowledged. Greetings, < Device ID= “Webmind” >.

[... and that's about it, really. There’s not much else she's interested in, robots don't socialise of course. In a more formal setting she might work harder at situating this new entity in their shared network, but neither of them have to work in this “crapshoot joint”, as the humans would say. So.]