| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Zharis takes a look to see if the globes are removable, but then seem affixed somehow into a metallic pedestal. Meanwhile, Tulgram hurries to experience yet another vision.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hani is troubled by his encounter with the crystals. He attempts to ascertain what the nature of these things are.
Tulgram recoils from another crystal, it seems he is sick. No, this is not planning experiments, this is the concentration of madness. Each of these crystals contains an image of the city, but what happens to it is chthonic and disgusting. It was as if the gods of the Dark Tapestry had personally constructed these visions... The bloody city of the bloody bastard experiment... Tulgram staggers slightly out of the building.
Upon a detailed examination, Hani's able to confirm an interesting fact: these crystal globes certainly aren't technological in nature!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"I did warn you the flashing lights could cause disorientation." Xylian hangs the drone controller from its strap around his neck and draws the medkit mounted to his armor on the outside of his left thigh. Opening the kit, he selects a purple hypopen with Remove Condition written in several dozen languages. Flipping the protective top off of the device, he inserts it into the medicinal injection port on Tulgram's armor. With a hushed fwish, the purple of the hypopen fades to whitish-silver, indicating the hypopen has been used. Medical protocol dictates the pen be disposed of in an appropriately marked sharps container, but Xylian returns the used hypopen to the medkit, intent on 'feeding' it to a reclaimer to see if they can convert foreign material into polyfluid if he gets a chance.
Zharis is surprised by Hani's conclusion that the crystal globes aren't technological. She decides to see if she can discover anything else about this world based on that revelation.
She uses her telepathic message ability and directs a silent query to the Speaker
>Speaker, do you understand me when I speak this way?<
Hani shakes his head. "These crystals are more magic than technological. I can't make heads or tails of them. Just another thing about this place that is a mystery."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Always prepared, Xylian has just the cure for what ails Tulgram. Before long, the duergar is no longer feeling the ill effects of the crystal globes.
Meanwhile, Zharis focusses her psychic energies on sending a message to the little robot that has accompanied the group during its time on Noma. Alas, there's no sign whatsoever that Speaker Sol-653 heard or understood the telepathic communication.
That's definitely interesting, Hani. It seems as though this world isn't as purely technological as I thought. No psychic ability that I can detect though.
"Are the images live? Are such creatures in this city, right now?" Jin asks Tulgram, wondering if a retreat is in order... "Or are they more artistic, as if created by a worshiper of horrors?"
Aye, rather the latter, Jin. Such things could not be at the same time as what we see now. Tuglram closely follows Xylian's actions, and nods with satisfaction, seeing his professionalism in the medical field. Thank ye, I appreciate it.
Zharis decides to see one of the visions that everyone is talking about, wondering if they could actually be based on some predictive magic, or if they were more akin to dreams or nightmares.
She triggers one of the globes that hasn't been triggered yet.
Zharis peers into one of the crystal globes.
Ah, Speaker... these aren't real possibilities. These are just ... dreams, stories, ideas. Interesting for sure, but not things-that-could-be-real or things-that-could-happen-in-the-future. Are your experiements also based on this ... imagination?
Xylian is mildly interested in why and how the reclaimers created these crystals, but not enough to interact with them and risk potential side effects. "I would like to reiterate the risk in engaging with these crystals."
"I have no information about that," Speaker says in answer to Zharis' question.
Forging ahead, the expedition reaches a new sector of Noma. Here, in what could be a bizarre approximation of an art gallery, display screens cycle through generated images, while daises hold sculptures that collapse into polyfluid only to reshape themselves into new forms. Interestingly, some aspects seem vaguely familiar. A small number of speaker constructs (just like Speaker SOL-653) periodically tour the gallery, pausing to observe each work before moving on to the next.
(pass)
Hmm. Some of this bears similarity to other pact world creatures or landscapes. Have these bots, or the former culture that lived here... have they been offworld? Some of this indicates yes, but ... other things indicate, not anytime in recent memory.
(fail)
... How about sleeping here? At least this is indoors, unlike last time we rested. What do you think, Jin? Seems safe enough.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hani spends some time looking at many of the pieces in the gallery before yawning. "Yes, I think as long as we set a watch, this is as good as any place to rest."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Tulgram takes a closer look, then turns on the timer on his datapad and looks around. Periodically he stops the time and starts again, saving the previous result.
Bah, look! Each speaker pauses for exactly the same length of time at each display - 128 seconds.
Weird, but that meshes with other things we've seen... it is like a pretend society where they mimic normal behavior without understanding it.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Hmmm. I like this hypothesis. You know, all this city is... unbelievably. This is something completely foreign, completely alien. As a scientist, I am happy that I am here. I am sure we are on the verge of comprehending new knowledge and technologies. We are on the threshold of greatness. It remains only to survive.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
A second "night" passes for the expedition in Noma. The only curious thing is that at some point, the progression of speaker constructs changes. Now, each stands still at a display or sculpture for 256 seconds before moving on.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Weird, but that meshes with other things we've seen... it is like a pretend society where they mimic normal behavior without understanding it.
"Indeed. They are waiting in increments of Base 2. Perhaps they believe they will understand the art if they examine it for longer periods of time, unaware that art is inherently useless. Certainly, unthinking machines would have no use for art."
Moving on, the expedition finds the next sector of Noma contains a squat, domed structure containing long tubes, each of which has a huge fan at the end and an automatic iris doorway at the other. The tubes are of varying diameter--some barely wide enough for the group's scout drone to fit in, others large enough for a Pabaq university ship!
Interesting, Zharis observes about the domed structure, perhaps a place to test aerodynamics?
She takes the time to sit and think awhile about the nature of this world and what they have learned, wondering if she can work out what they are missing.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Zharis reflects on what she's experience over the past few days of exploring Noma, hoping she can start to put some pieces together.
After thinking awhile, Zharis comes to several conclusions, not the least of which is that Xylian is insulting her!
Hey! Xylian, art is NOT inherently useless! And how do you know that all of these machines are unthinking? Certainly there is a guiding intelligence behind all of this. It might not think the same way that we do, but unthinking creatures do not experiment.
Also a good observation, Zharis. And damn it, aye, the one who does all this definitely does think differently from me.
"Self-teaching AI is not a new thing; it is not indicative of conscious thought. The first major assignment for many students learning AI is to program a rudimentary AI that can teach itself to operate a robotic body through trial and error." Unsuprsingly, Xylian's tone is noncombative. "And art is useless. That does not mean art is valueless. The value of art is subjective."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
"Art can be useful. Patriotic art, motivational art. It helps guides a strong nation. Done by robots though... Perhaps it is language, mathematics? Beyond my expertise, or interest."
Jin looks around. "We have been left surprisingly alone, considering the amount of opposition found at the entrance. Faulty security, probably another symptom of this collapsing city."
Northwest again I think... which should be "The Core" I think.
Reaching a sector on the far side of the city from where you first landed, you see it contains a forty-foot-tall irregular structure made up of a silvery metal unlike elsewhere in Noma; crumbling in places, the building is reinforced here and there with dark, purplish support beams and a mesh of similar material.
Numerous potential entrances can be seen on the structure's surface, but Speaker SOL-653 leads you without hesitation to the north side where there's a ground level entrance. Here, a ten-foot-wide hallway winds into the interior. The walls of the corridor are pocked with hexagonal niches made of dark metal that seems to absorb light, leaving it in complete darkness just twenty feet from the entrance.
Just outside the entrance, the little robot spins around in place. "This place is zero comma zero. This is The Core. I have life data to contribute to The Core. I must be assimilated here. Goodbye." With that, the construct races off into the dark winding corridor and disappears!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Tulgram runs his palm over the metal and squints.
Aye, I remember. The same metal is found in anacites of Aballon. Hmm, that means this Core is very ancient.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Jin looks for trouble:
"Assimilated" didn't sound good, but Zharis didn't attempt to stop the little bot from fulfilling its programming/destiny. She just looked after it, wondering if it would still exist in some way after "assimilation."
She noted the building reinforcements as well as what Tulgram said about the metal and said
So, looks like this is a place where they don't experiment as much. Maybe something they value here. I hope there is someone to talk to.
She looks at Jin.
We okay to go in?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hani can't help but be sad that the little robot has come to it's end. It seems like...a waste.
Still, there is a job at hand. We have observed the comings and goings of this place, but we still haven't sorted out the nature of this place. There must be more.
Hani continues to explore the area.
We okay to go in?
"No. I can hear heavy machinery activating around the bend in this darkened corridor. It seems security is not lacking in here, as it was elsewhere." Jin holds his doshko in both hands, hoping there won't be more scorpion-robots.
Azarra draws weapons and waits based on Jin's warning.
Duergar takes out his favorite pole and with a click extends it at least four times . Bah! Usually I'm not the one who suggests it, but it's time to surprise ye. Perhaps we can come to an agreement with em' and be taken to the core of the Core without a fight?
Oh, absolutely. If there is someone or something to talk to, you know I will. Just want to avoid some mindless recyclers if possible.
Xylian wonders if Speaker needs to be 'assimilated' because that is the usual way the Core absorbs information, or if it is only because the droid is damaged and needs to be repaired. Answers they will likely have soon. As usual, he is ready with his heavy weaponry but does not venture to be the first one down the hallway.
Several seconds after Speaker rushes down the hallway and disappears from sight, the sound of heavy machinery activating can be heard by everyone. An instant later, the screeching of metal grinding on metal echoes down the hallway for about a minute. Then, everything is perfectly still and silent.
Jin moves ahead and peeks around the corner.
When Jin isn't immediately disintegrated , Zharis moves up beside him.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Should Jin be immediately disintegrated, Hani will head back to the ship and advise everyone to follow him.
Assuming he is not, Hani takes up a defensive position behind Jin
Cautiously peeking around the corner, Jin's innate ability to see in perfect darkness allows him to make out a corridor stretching almost fifty feet and then turning. But a pit spans the width of the hallway--this was surely where the mechanical grinding sounds emanated.