CLOSED.

[selfimage]

WHO: Markus, Connor & Loki
WHERE: Loki's apartment
WHEN: Beginning of September.
WHAT: Just revolution things.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Not right now, but will update if needed.


We debouch upon a newer mightier world, varied world,

[ where it might be detrimental to Connor or Markus to push into the restrictions around AI implementation in this world, Loki does it with a careless curiosity. it's to cover their bases is what he says, and what he told Markus, and it is to an extent, but it's for him, too. to continue their investigations, they need to narrow down their options. so, he finds what he's looking for, and as promised, sends along the message to both Markus and Connor:

I wouldn't say it's a surprise, but I do have a present for you. Care to come get it? I'll put out salsa.
-L

it's accompanied with a GPS pin to his apartment and a calendar invite (the time is earlier in the morning, around 4 a.m. to comply with the city-wide time change). there's not much information other than that, but there's only a handful of things that it could be about, and Loki's not about to divulge through the network.

the apartment building is tall and nondescript, built to hold as many people possible in a small place. it's mostly micro-apartments, small, two-story-ish rooms that offer no privacy whatsoever. there are two pings, once to get into the building, and another at Loki's door. when they arrive, he's already leaning on the doorframe, as if he were waiting. ]

Ah, it's not often that I get to play host. Hello, Markus, Connor. Please—my home is your home.

[ and he whisks them in. it's small and narrow, with a large window on the west side that show's a lower skyline of the city (the only redeeming quality of the apartment). there's a place to sit, a small kitchen with two seats and a counter for either cooking or eating. above is a slim staircase that leads to two beds. cozy might be a better term, but it does get claustrophobic. ]

Comments

[saviorexe]

[A simple reminder, nothing more. Markus, despite the caution he’d like to wield moving forward on this particular subject, is also prone to deep curiosity; he’ll listen closely, commit each tiny new snippet of info to memory. Leaning forward slightly, an elbow pressing against a leg, Loki’s earned the full of his attentions.

Even if he frowns in tandem with what he’s currently hearing.]

That isn’t surprising. A war that ran that long, and with that many casualties, leaves an indelible bias that might never disappear from the social consciousness of this world. Any large cooperation even considering the re-development of AI life would be taking a risk that most would consider... too dangerous.

[It feels wrong, talking about this in such an empirical way, even if the words don’t reflect the unease that clenches tight around his ribs simply by thinking of it. This place, this awful future so departed from his own Detroit, stands for everything Markus tries so hard to avoid back home.

He pauses, and continues.]

That isn’t to say there aren’t ungovernable minds out there, flirting with the idea of developing advanced AI all over again. You did say large corporations.

[There’s more freedom to act under less scrutiny, after all.]

[cyberlife]

Only rudimentary AI are legal now — automated vehicles, mindless helpers for families, and the rest.

(trying to navigate these chips, trying to pick out the most perfect one for dipping purposes. it'd be rude to avoid loki's salsa, even if the conversation topic is grim. connor's never really subscribed to conventional ways of coping with things, preferring to treat it like business as usual until something shocks him.

this isn't shocking him.)

I was at the archives, back before Markus arrived in New Amsterdam. It's likely my name's been flagged, if they're keeping an eye on potential threats. It's good you used a backdoor to investigate... have you learned anything else?

[selfimage]

[ Connor goes over the bowl and Loki doesn't seem to find it the least bit strange the way that his hand hovers while picking his tortilla chip. ]

Not anything that isn't expected from experience.

[ rather, just confirmation between all of them. there was nothing radical, just knowledge of where the path had lead. when dealing with inter-dimensional travel there could always be. hiccups. ]

The development of these sorts of systems seemed to tie back to the need for inexpensive means of labor. It's a nice way of saying servitude, I suppose. [ a pause. ] Though there was another part as well.

The need to create as the divine does, but the two of those things really come hand in hand, don't they?

[ and here they were, two AI and a god talking about the tie between the concepts. ]

[saviorexe]

[Markus will politely wait his turn while Connor makes up his mind about which chip is dipping-worthy. He’ll take his turn next, not having forgotten about Loki’s hospitality despite the weight of the topic at hand.]

Playing god. There’s irony in that.

[Considering who they’re sharing company with, at least.

But it isn’t surprising; it’s par the course when it comes to human nature, just as more practical reasons, such as manufacturing cheap labor, also aligns with the history of AI development back home. All in all, Loki simultaneously informs him and tells him nothing completely surprising. He’s of a same mind with Connor.]

Again, none of this is particularly shocking. I’m more concerned about the state of our original bodies — and the consequence of two examples of highly advanced AI existing in this kind of oppressive atmosphere.

[Meaning, what’s happened to them? Are they being stored somewhere? What if they fall into too-curious hands? The unknowns far outweigh whatever answers they can cobble together, an unfortunate trend these days.]

[cyberlife]

Not knowing about what happened to my body is causing some dissonance, I haven't been entirely truthful where this matter's concerned. I'm more disturbed by it than I let on. (markus knows how it feels, but he hasn't discussed it with him at length either — it just seems so useless to complain when there are no answers to have.

everyone's trying their best to keep themselves afloat, worrying them with something that can't be changed right now is folly.)

So I'm in agreement with Markus. (dipping his chip with a liberal amount of salsa before eating it in one bite, chewing thoughtfully a moment before replying once he's through.) Respectfully, Loki, we're very familiar with... our people being created to be slaves and I'm... I'm unconcerned with the divine in this matter.

(clears his throat a little, fist against his mouth.) —excuse me.

[selfimage]

[ while Loki hasn't lost his body, he's lost aspects of his senses and his sorcery that were innately once a part of him—it felt like cutting off a limb, and left him yearning when he remembered. he had been shuffled between bodies by his own hand, though under different circumstances, and dissonance is something that he's dealt with like an old ex-lover. ]

Nothing shocking, no—but confirmation so there no longer needs to be an assumption of ...

[ he trails off, pausing to give Connor a curious look.

...

...

then a cat-like grin spreads across his face. ]

[saviorexe]

[Their serious conversation is soon put on hold because... they're now in the midst of a burgeoning salsa emergency.

Not that it's obvious to start with. But Connor putting his words to pause for no reason is unusual, and Markus halts his considerations to look at the other android. Then to Loki. And the smile crawling across the latter's face is telling, injecting him with equal parts exasperation and suspicion, even if he already knows it's nothing dire. (Probably. Don't die, Connor.)]

...Loki. What did you do?

[THE BLAME GAME IS HAPPENING EARLY but to be fair, it's not difficult for anyone with a clever mind to put two and two together. And it's a room full of clever people.]