appt. 1: video

[didknowthat]

[Well hello there, residents of this fine barge. What you'll find on your screens, is a rather tiffed redhead, looking only just a little like she might be trying to bite her tongue. Without actually puncturing herself.]

Hi- Hello. My name is Virginia Potts, and I've been asked to come and .. work on this ship. [It's only a partial lie. She'd sought it out herself.] That being said, I've come as a warden, and am here to help.

[There's a moment of hesitance, her mouth opening to continue. But then it shuts. ... And she tries again.]

Is there a Tony Stark on the barge?

Comments

[no_fastolfe]

[Vasilia has half an empathic instinct in her head, after her own stint as an inmate. So while her individualist bent says 'yes', and 'above all else do so'-]

It can certainly wait, if there are pressing matters to attend to? I will, when I feel equal to it, contact him myself. I need not burden you.

Pardon me, welcome aboard. I'm Doctor Vasilia Aliena, of the Auroran Robotics Institute. I spent time here as an inmate myself and have returned as a warden.

[didknowthat]

Oh, no. Don't worry about it. I'm sure once things get settled we can find time for it. [She doubts he's as busy here as he was back home, anyway.]

Pleased to meet you Miss Aliena. I've .. Never heard of that institute, unfortunately. --You returned as a warden? [...] Oh, you graduated?

[no_fastolfe]

Please, don't consider me offended. As of yet, I'm not aware of anyone from my time-- or in fact time-line, as late twentieth century Earth seems to contain no account of the revolution of the field of Robotics and the robopsychology work done by Dr. Susan Calvin. Nor do other timelines who do possess the ability to construct robots or other programmed intelligences build said intelligences on the basis of the Three Laws of Robotics.

[Technobabble historybabble blahblahblah?]

Ahem. Yes, I did graduate.

[didknowthat]

[Hey, no worries! She can usually follow along with what's being said, it's just. Fully understanding what everything means is the tricky part.]

Suppose not. [Susan Calvin isn't ringing a bell, either. And someone who sounds that important would probably be connected to Tony in some way, so if they aren't? Definitely not from around their time.]

Well, congratulations then. [Look, she's even proud of you, stranger.] Sorry, you mentioned the Three Laws of Robotics? What are those?

[no_fastolfe]

The Ascenion Laws are the logical basis on which my timeline's brand of robotics are built. [She looks practically chipper to be telling you this, Pepper. Back away slowly.]

They are comprised of a series of logical gates, but translated to simple ideas, they consist of the following rules:

First: a robot shall not harm a human, or by inaction allow a human to come to harm.
Second: a robot shall obey human orders, so long as this does not violate the first law.
Third: a robot shall preserve its existence, so long as this does not violate the second and first laws.

These may be adjusted in their potentiality, as a robot performing security should not be uncritically obedient, but the first law always takes precedence over the second, and the second over the third.

I am.. [she clears her throat discretely]... aware of the ethical issues presented as Ascenion robots reach true sentience. It is not a topic given much thought among the Spacer worlds, but someone must begin to.

[didknowthat]

[Well, at least she can understand them. Though that second rule seems a bit ... But then, she'd be a hypocrite wouldn't she, what with the AI and robots back home.]

I suppose that's true. We have a few robots back home. And an AI named JARVIS. He's .. fairly sentient, but does listen to Tony in the end of things.

[no_fastolfe]

I'd be fascinated to discuss the similarities.

But, another time.

What do you do when not aboard? You're an Earther, I assume, of the... twentieth? Twenty-first? century?

[It's really difficult to tell with the clothes and the different rates of technological advancement, she's sorry. But 'Earth, turn of the second century' is usually the safe bet.]

[didknowthat]

Twenty-first. [It's kind of weird to have to admit that to someone who honestly didn't know.]

What about you?

[no_fastolfe]

The early thirty-eighth century, by the Earth system. The population aboard so far removed from that average baseline, either past or future, is small, but there are a few of us.

[didknowthat]

[Holy crap, that's .. a long time into the future.]

That's .. pretty far ahead. [Let her just try and wrap her head around that one.]

[no_fastolfe]

The time-variances on the barge can be alarming. But I can... with difficulty... adapt to twentieth century Earth. Which seems to be at least one-in-three ports we stop into.