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]

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.