002: [Video] The Devil's In The Details

[a_perfect_end]

[The feed's at a weird angle, lock-tilted across a table covered in shavings of various metals and little splinters of ceramic, and...dude, is that breadboard? Oh, yes. On closer examination, the table is covered in it, and an explosion of wires that, at this angle, don't follow any discernible pattern and don't seem to be connected to anything

Comments

hologram;

[alaspooryork]

[Now, objectively, Delta knows that computers used to look like that. But things have really changed a lot in the past five and a half centuries, and now he's kind of fascinated. Putting together a working computer like that would be more difficult than arranging fossilized dinosaur bones.]

Have you attempted to find that or a similar part in one of the many electronics retail stores?

Video [forget Flynn's disc; what he really needs is a Circuit City.]

[a_perfect_end]

[Manual construction appears to be the only way to deal with it, in order to get the exact sound, display, and overall presentation correct. It has to be perfect.

Have some reciprocal curiosity; his experience with holography is limited, so far, to the station displays and 'avatars' of some Users.]

Nice display, man! Your own work?

They had something almost like an Amiga in a refurbishing shop in Banks, but it was incompatible. [Head tilt.] Definitely not a Radio Shack...I don't suppose that name rings any bells? I haven't seen even one.

Man, everyone else here is from outer space, or something. How about you? [He sees you looking at his gear; he is smugly pleased. You are clearly in awe.]

hologram; It's like a candy store for computers

[alaspooryork]

[That definitely puffs his ego a little, even if the simplest of dumb AI can make their own hologram forms where he's from.]

Affirmative. Each AI of my class has his or her own self-designated avatar form. The one who appears like myself but blue is my brother program - we were, as you surmise, developed on an offplanet research facility.

I have not; however, I have also not looked. [He's mostly been looking at hologram projectors to buff up his own home system.] While it is theoreticaly possible to find anything in the Junkyard, there is bound to be far more useless material than relevant parts. I would recommend continuing to browse at electronics stores within residential sectors if your efforts with this searching post are not successful.

Video [and he is totally after the golden ticket, man.]

[a_perfect_end]

[He doesn't really get some of the tri-dimensional translations; they're not following the expected conventional derivatives, probably because of the sheer n of available onstation cameras. So. Literally back to the drawing circuit board.]

Interesting. And just what is your class? Research? [Grinning. He's not fishing for information, not at all.] Lots of scientists here, it would seem.

Agreed. Zone 00: Junkyard is chaotic and not conducive to a thorough search; parts, if encountered, likely nonfunctional due to relatively delicate structure. And it's a mess, too. [He. Recoils slightly at the thought.]

I'll take your suggestion, man. Thanks.

[notsoloyal]

Why? What are you doing?

[a_perfect_end]

A little construction work.

[notsoloyal]

For what purpose?

[a_perfect_end]

Hardware replication. Largely proof-of-concept and error-checking, at this scale.

Video; Cybertronian Encryption, 100%

[allshock_notalk]

YOU HAVE FORMULATED THE ENCRYPTION WELL.

IF I LOCATE YOUR PART, I WILL INFORM YOU, CLU.

SEVERAL PROJECTS. CURRENT PROJECT INCLUDES CONSTRUCTION OF A COMMUNICATIONS TOWER. PURPOSE WOULD NOT BE SAFE TO DISCUSS ON NETWORK.
OTHER PROJECT WILL REQUIRE INCLUSION OF. TALENTED HACKERS. TOPIC WOULD NOT BE SAFE TO DISCUSS ON NETWORK.

Re: Video; Cybertronian Encryption, 100%

[a_perfect_end]

Thanks. On both counts.

Well, I can see why you wouldn't want that all over the network. Even analog written messages may be intercepted, however.

As for the rest? [Rueful chuckle] I'm fresh out of hackers, man. [There's something in the works--maybe--but all bets are off with Flynn around.]

Suggestion: meeting in person.

Video; Cybertronian Encryption, 100%

[allshock_notalk]

STATUS: NOT BE OPPOSED TO A MEETING IN PERSON.
OFFER: PICK THE LOCATION.

Video; Cybertronian Encryption, 100%

[a_perfect_end]

Awesome. [Here, have some coordinates that could be any fountain in any plaza anywhere there are such things on the station; this one happens to be in Zone 04: Lente.]

Close enough? [Why yes, yes, he would be interested in that location data.]

[standaloneshell]

[Motoko can't evolve either anymore, but CLU you are ridiculous. It's okay to skip steps, man.]

Working on something?

[a_perfect_end]

[LIES everything in its place, EVERYTHING asjkdlfsaskjkl;

*Ahem.* Greetings, Motoko; we have interesting discussions, and your continued presence is highly acceptable.]

Yes. Particular customized chipset, once it's finished. The hardware here is incredible, but it's...not exact. Not a perfect match.

[If he understood sentiment at that code-deep level, he'd say something about the feeling that had been lacking in better, brighter tools.]

[standaloneshell]

[One day you're going to realize exactly who you've been talking to and then the new user war shall start. Motoko likes perfection, but she understands the value in the mess that consciousness makes as well. Survival of the fittest.]

If a system works perfectly until you interfere with it, then it's you that isn't the match.

[But it's not accusatory, she's just mentioning it in the same way one might notice the weather. Oh look, clouds. I wonder if it'll rain?

If he'd used terms like "feeling"...Heh. Then this would be a more interesting conversation.]

For what purpose?

[a_perfect_end]

[A new war. Is that viable, here? There's a User saying about decks and stacking, and he doesn't remember the particulars, but it's not a favorable one.

Mess is his least favorite concept. The goal of all systems is homeostasis: perfect balance. Disorder is an effective weapon, or he would never have repurposed Tron, but it is also always, always the enemy.]

Agreed. The system worked perfectly. Spontaneous [just saying the word makes him tense] interference arose within the system. Butterflies spinning hurricanes all across the Grid.

...But that's over with, now. Everything is going to be fine.

[Flynn should never have tried to teach him chaos theory; all Clu ever saw in it were threats. And though there's a truth in what she's saying, he isn't ready to hear it.]

It's a model. Scale testing, proof-of-concept. [Sardonic puff of breath; it's almost laughter.] I'm trying to figure out how to park the gold cycle in the win zone. I know there's a way to do it, in the original programming.

[video]

[smellslikejail]

[Dude, the camera works when you're not six inches away from it. Back it up... if only so Sam can get a better look at the disaster you're trying to hide.]

Having a couple problems there?

Video [if by disaster you mean ~TOTALLY RADICAL~]

[a_perfect_end]

[Good try, but. No. It's a secret. Besides, he likes looking at his own reflection in the lens.]

Scaling error, but that's what this is going to fix. [Said with absolute focus; this is going to solve the problem and it will be awesome.] Then everything will be under control.

And. Well. So far, everyone seems vastly entertained by some crude circuits and a wafer board.

[Clear implication: you guys are hilarious. Keep laughing while I build.]