oo5 ⊗ video ⊗ fifth move ⟹ backdated to oct 5th.

[oxfordian]

[ charles is visibly distressed when he appears on the screen, this time. he's in what seems to be some underground facility, and there are other faces behind him—notably collette, emma, galadriel, raven, and others. his eyes remain closed for a second and you can hear him take a deep breath. then: ]

We have... borrowed a gentleman by the name of Richard Lawson...—from the United Earth. He is a cabinet member of the President's. Yes, the President of the United Earth. [ charles clears his throat, steels himself. ]

We've learnt a great many things about the United Earth from his head, and we feel it best to share that information with all of you, here on the Network.

[ charles states the next words with a heavy voice. ]

The President of the United Earth is not human. "He" is—artificial. Artificial Intelligence, or what you would call an A.I.. The United Earth... has never seen his face, as far as we have deduced.

We will try to answer questions about what we have learnt to the very best of our ability, but do be patient. Ah—[ he closes his eyes again, considering. then he nods as though he's made the right decision and he knows it. ]

That is all.

( note: wow i knew i forgot something like a winner. THIS TAKES PLACE DURING/AFTER these linked shenanigans: [ x ] [ x ] [ x ] [ x ] )

Comments

[confiteri]

Telepathy? I am sorry I have not heard of such a thing before, is it a sort of magic? [ Magic explains everything, fantasy logic is the best don't even judge. ]

[oxfordian]

The citizens of the United Earth, and their President's cabinet included, appear to have been under the continual daily influence of some sort of inhibitory drug.

It only protected his mind until its effects wore off—by then it was easy to allow our telepathy through.

[strategic_guile]

Next week is still part of the future, isn't it? You can do the 200 meter backstroke.

[His eyes go a bit hooded at that topic] Plenty. We'll have to see how many are correct.

[confiteri]

[ Awesome is not a word she'd used to describe that. ] It sounds like they possess a terrible power. [ Again not unlike her own. ] I am glad they are not against us.

Why is that?

[whatsupcroc]

Partly for what you've said! Partly because I don't ever want to hear that much of what any one person, creature, or semi-sentient plant thinks.

[f_u_wesker]

Maybe but the Initiative should have it own security protocols to counter anything of the sort.

[fe_male]

[ ........ ]

Like what? Do I get private lessons?

[confiteri]

Ah, yes I can imagine it would be a pleasant thing to hear. But I also imagine they have some control over it, all manner of power or magic requires control of a sort.

[f_u_wesker]

Are there any plans in the works to take it out?

[inafadingcrown]

How far would you have us push him? [Mercy, perhaps. A desire not to break him.]

[whatsupcroc]

I was feeling like my lucky stroke might be butterfly, but you never know!

[ She nods, watching the screen again. It's weird how she has to hold this new pad to make it really work well. The older netbook worked propped up and open on things like tables so much more smoothly. ]

I guess we will! Not planning on sharing too many of your own thoughts right now?

[fe_male]

[ Yeah he doesn't quite know you well enough yet for that, although he is sort of knee-jerking and less rationally reacting at this point. He'll chill out a bit more here soon. ]

Uh huh. Everything's always my fault.

[whatsupcroc]

Oh, I bet so! You learn to work with whatever's a natural part of you to make sure you're functional in the world. Kind of a standard way to handle things!

Even so, I'm still glad!

[onemoredeath]

Ah, interesting. I wonder how far from the chess-solving one from home this United Earth's has grown.

[whatsupcroc]

If they've thought about it... or if it's a thing on this world! Even electric cars didn't happen until recently changed history, you know?

[thornwishes]

I would have you push him until every bit of information he has is laid bare before us, though if he breaks it's little use unless he rambles about what we need. [He's been in broken minds before, it's not fun.]

[roboticharmonics]

You....looked through his mind. How, exactly, did you do that?

[inafadingcrown]

Things are rarely so simple.

[trickstermentor]

Precisely!

It is an intriguing notion to think that a machine would be capable of fooling such a large number of people for so long, if that is indeed the case, and for what purpose? I don't suppose you'd happen to have any idea what sort of artificial intelligence it is that we are dealing with here?

[trickstermentor]

Ah. That in and of itself poses yet more questions; if they do not trust the members of their own cabinet with the barest of information then what more could possibly be hidden? And where is this all coming from? And who dictates who should know what? Technology may be sophisticated but it has to come from somewhere.

[thornwishes]

Then break him. What he knows does us little good locked up in his mind, you know that as well as I do. [No mercy, no remorse if it means learning things to get out.]

[roboticharmonics]

That's...disturbing. Was there any other useful information though?

[strategic_guile]

You can try for all of them and see.

[Blaine's sitting somewhere, leaned back with the tablet resting on his bent legs, heels wedged on something to keep his legs from slipping. He hadn't gotten used to the old tablets to complain about the new ones, which are closer to what he was used to anyway.

There's a quick smile.] I've probably shared too many. But it makes me wonder, with an AI leading the United Earth, how we weren't totally wiped out. Makes me think they want at least some of us alive for a reason.

[myownbestfriend]

Someone needs to be able to question the machine and find out if there's a ghost in there.

[Flashbacks to the Danger Room. Emma hasn't discounted the possibility the AI is a pawn itself, or ensnared in some lasting, self-perpetuating mess created by people who are already dead.]

You can ride along on the next one.

[You always wanted to listen in on a telepathic interrogation, right?]

[rota]

Some other members of the UE are still human though, which makes them susceptible to the same things humans are.