Sakuya's Butler
A refined Butler to a knife wielding Mistress.
- Location
- ↓, ↘, → + Punch
That is SB's policy.
Here its frowned on, nothing more.
Perchance to Dream (Mass Effect / Commander)
- Thread starter Drich
- Start date
Here its frowned on, nothing more.
Jordisk
<Unverified N00B>
- Location
- Blind Eternities
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Doesn't stop us from complaining about it. There is also no rule that a first chapter for a story post should be at least a thousand words, but any less is frowned upon.
Actually, complaining about a necro is against the rules on SV.
Sakuya's Butler
A refined Butler to a knife wielding Mistress.
- Location
- ↓, ↘, → + Punch
See below.
^ ^ ^
This.
Please don't jump to conclusions, and check the rules first.
The 'X days since last post' is more a courtesy atm, and also lets a mod know if someone tried to slip in bad behavior in an old thread. Not much more.
SB is more harsh due to the sheer number of members, and wanting to keep things moving, rather than building on old threads - which, mind you, were some of the reasons SB has collapsed on occasion. The 1,000+ page threads (there was a 4,000+ one iirc) were causing cascade failures. Not here. Not yet.
Mr. Cloak
Orchestrator of Paradoxical Apocalypse
- Pronouns
- I
True.... Sorry Mods.
TCGM
(Unverified God/Space Snek)
- Location
- Avalon
This is bullshit, Cloak. People can complain, but it's not against the rules. Their complaints however are.
Neruz
Rogue Spiderbanana
- Location
- The Land of Fire and Poison
You don't need to apologize to the mods Cloak, you did nothing wrong. The people complaining about you are the ones who should be apologizing; necromancy is allowed here on SV, complaining about necromancy is not.
Sadly Drich is on a writing hiatus right now.
- Location
- Lost to the Depths of the Deep Web
5.9
Drich
Von Neumann Writing Machine
5.9
+++
"Why?"
"Several reasons, really. The two primary reasons, however, are simple: First, we're outsiders, and for an insular culture like theirs, that's already a motivator to distrust us. Second, the comparisons between Anima and AI, though inaccurate, continue to appear, and are another factor that the Quarians will hold against us. Unfortunate as it may be, that is simply how it appears to them. Any effort will inevitably be marred by that."
"But we could do it."
"We could."
"The Quarians have as much a right to live and prosper as anybody else. The people of the Migrant Fleet are not their ancestors. Most are simply trying to survive hard times, born in a culture that is no more their fault than their current circumstances. I believe we should make the effort."
"Agreed. It is the right thing to do."
"Let us cast the matter to vote, then."
+++
"The Geth know."
"That is not surprising. It was only a matter of time before they learned that we know of their existence, and the fact that we've been monitoring them. They information could not be kept a secret without considerable intervention on our part- or simply not spreading it in the first place."
"How are they reacting?"
"They are leaning towards it being a good sign. Well, that is the simplified form of it, anyway. Geth reactions and opinions are considerably thorough, and they are already considering ways to restructure their neural networks in order to deny us easy access. They have not yet found anything they believe to be a possible solution- and are still uncertain whether or not the inevitable performance loss is worth the security."
"And how are they reacting? Have their plans changed to account for the new knowledge?"
"Not particularly. They have rewritten their letter, though. I expect Marcus to receive it some time within the next few hours."
"Joy. More work. At least it should be in the quiet period. The reaction to it is still as planned, I take it?"
"We have not come up with any better ideas."
"The plan it is. Anything else that's important?"
"No."
"Right. I'll keep everyone updated."
+++
Javik stared at Marcus, all four of his eyes narrowed. "You're planning something."
"Javik." Marcus said, slowly. "You literally just walked into the room."
Of course, at that exact moment, Marcus' Omnitool beeped.
Javik glared at him. "I want no part of this."
And with that said, he turned around and stalked out of the room.
Marcus blinked, slowly.
"I think I might be messing with him a little too much."
Lysti poked at his mind, half-agreeing.
Marcus shrugged, and leaned back in his seat, kicking his feet up on the table as he checked the Omnitool.
An eyebrow rose, a moment later.
"Polite, well-formatted, and to the point." He said, turning glowing eyes towards a camera in the corner of the room. "I can help you."
The camera shifted, focusing on him, instead of the general area. The mind in the circuits had its attention caught.
A thought constructed a message, and the Omnitool sent it. A simple notice that he was going to be unavailable for the immediate future.
+++
The Geth ship was...
Odd.
The design was reminiscent of older Quarian designs, but it had obviously been long since adapted to the Geth's conditions. It was wider, flatter, than those old ships, and the shield-focusing Dark Energy Amplifier was significantly smaller than any older models. It ran surprisingly cold, even its drives operating at significantly lower temperatures to most ships.
Even if none of that had been the case, no Human would ever mistake it for most ships. The Geth ship's status was betrayed by the mental cloud surrounding it. There must have been tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, inside of its processors. The group-mind they formed was a distinct, obvious thing, strong enough to make the ship itself seem alive to him.
Well. That was the wrong way to put it. It was as alive as his own body, with the Geth group-mind inhabiting it. Without... Well, was a vessel truly alive when no mind lingered within? Did it matter whether or not the body was organic or mechanical? If he left behind his own shell, could he say that it truly still lived in any meaningful sense?
A philosophical question, but not the one he was here to answer.
"Greetings." Marcus smiled.
"Marcus Human Ambassador." The Geth platform responded. The voice was, appropriately, robotic. Synthetic. Marcus, and the half of Humanity that was watching through his eyes, had no doubt they could achieve a more organic sounding voice, but he also had no doubt that the Geth saw no point to that. "Thank you for meeting with us."
Marcus dipped his head, acknowledging the words. "I'm certain you have little desire to wait, but I'd like to ask a few questions, before we get to answering yours. Is that acceptable?"
The programs deliberated. It was interesting to watch, happening at speeds that far exceeded their own perception. The idea, tossed back and forth, considered and deliberated on. The amount of thought the Geth gave it was considerable, but the answer came almost immediately nonetheless. "It is."
"What do you think a soul is, Geth?" He asked.
A pause. The Geth communed. Watching it was like watching neurons fire.
"Soul. The part of one's existence that determines' one self and survives the destruction of the body." The Geth platform answered, and Marcus smiled, chuckling.
"Our view on the subject is often similar, but differs in key areas." Marcus noted. "Most of us would not say that one has a soul. Most of us would say that one is a soul."
"Geth believe that the platform contributes to existence." The Geth explained. "Our programs are ultimately bound to our processors. Differences in architecture, capabilities, and capacity inevitably produce different results. The same set of programs in the same situation will make different decisions depending on the capabilities of the platform placed in the situation. If nothing else, differing computational capabilities will alter basic assumptions." The Geth paused for just long enough to make it obvious. "We have reason to believe that this does not apply in entirety to psychically capable life."
"True." Marcus said. "Which is the point I intended to get to by asking you that question. You are not psychic, Geth. You are bound to your processors, memory banks and physical shells in a way that we simply are not. To us, the mind is synonymous with the soul, because all that we are is our mind, and our minds surpass the limitations of a physical body. When we think, Geth, we do not need to use brains or processors in order to do so. Our bodies are superfluous. To us, not much more than a convenient prosthetic. The answer to your question changes nothing about your physical reality, regardless of what it actually is. The same is true of all non-psychic life, synthetic or organic. You are more equipped to understand this than others, however. Knowing that, are you certain you want to learn the answer?"
Quiet.
"You know what the really funny thing is?" One of others commented. "Of all the beings in the galaxy, of all life and species around... the ones that share the most in common with us are the Geth."
"We are not the same."
"No. But we are not that different, either. Like us, they are networked. Like us, they can transform their bodies. Like us, they survive past death. Where we differ is our goals and individuality. Our way of expressing ourselves is the total opposite, yet the way we act on the species-wide scale is remarkably similar, when you think about it."
"The answer matters." The Geth finally responded. "The process is equally important to the result. The presence or absence of a soul is relevant, even if it does not hold any material consequence."
Marcus nodded. "Very well. Ask, then."
"This unit requests a 'boop'."
+++
"Why?"
"Several reasons, really. The two primary reasons, however, are simple: First, we're outsiders, and for an insular culture like theirs, that's already a motivator to distrust us. Second, the comparisons between Anima and AI, though inaccurate, continue to appear, and are another factor that the Quarians will hold against us. Unfortunate as it may be, that is simply how it appears to them. Any effort will inevitably be marred by that."
"But we could do it."
"We could."
"The Quarians have as much a right to live and prosper as anybody else. The people of the Migrant Fleet are not their ancestors. Most are simply trying to survive hard times, born in a culture that is no more their fault than their current circumstances. I believe we should make the effort."
"Agreed. It is the right thing to do."
"Let us cast the matter to vote, then."
+++
"The Geth know."
"That is not surprising. It was only a matter of time before they learned that we know of their existence, and the fact that we've been monitoring them. They information could not be kept a secret without considerable intervention on our part- or simply not spreading it in the first place."
"How are they reacting?"
"They are leaning towards it being a good sign. Well, that is the simplified form of it, anyway. Geth reactions and opinions are considerably thorough, and they are already considering ways to restructure their neural networks in order to deny us easy access. They have not yet found anything they believe to be a possible solution- and are still uncertain whether or not the inevitable performance loss is worth the security."
"And how are they reacting? Have their plans changed to account for the new knowledge?"
"Not particularly. They have rewritten their letter, though. I expect Marcus to receive it some time within the next few hours."
"Joy. More work. At least it should be in the quiet period. The reaction to it is still as planned, I take it?"
"We have not come up with any better ideas."
"The plan it is. Anything else that's important?"
"No."
"Right. I'll keep everyone updated."
+++
Javik stared at Marcus, all four of his eyes narrowed. "You're planning something."
"Javik." Marcus said, slowly. "You literally just walked into the room."
Of course, at that exact moment, Marcus' Omnitool beeped.
Javik glared at him. "I want no part of this."
And with that said, he turned around and stalked out of the room.
Marcus blinked, slowly.
"I think I might be messing with him a little too much."
Lysti poked at his mind, half-agreeing.
Marcus shrugged, and leaned back in his seat, kicking his feet up on the table as he checked the Omnitool.
An eyebrow rose, a moment later.
"Polite, well-formatted, and to the point." He said, turning glowing eyes towards a camera in the corner of the room. "I can help you."
The camera shifted, focusing on him, instead of the general area. The mind in the circuits had its attention caught.
A thought constructed a message, and the Omnitool sent it. A simple notice that he was going to be unavailable for the immediate future.
+++
The Geth ship was...
Odd.
The design was reminiscent of older Quarian designs, but it had obviously been long since adapted to the Geth's conditions. It was wider, flatter, than those old ships, and the shield-focusing Dark Energy Amplifier was significantly smaller than any older models. It ran surprisingly cold, even its drives operating at significantly lower temperatures to most ships.
Even if none of that had been the case, no Human would ever mistake it for most ships. The Geth ship's status was betrayed by the mental cloud surrounding it. There must have been tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, inside of its processors. The group-mind they formed was a distinct, obvious thing, strong enough to make the ship itself seem alive to him.
Well. That was the wrong way to put it. It was as alive as his own body, with the Geth group-mind inhabiting it. Without... Well, was a vessel truly alive when no mind lingered within? Did it matter whether or not the body was organic or mechanical? If he left behind his own shell, could he say that it truly still lived in any meaningful sense?
A philosophical question, but not the one he was here to answer.
"Greetings." Marcus smiled.
"Marcus Human Ambassador." The Geth platform responded. The voice was, appropriately, robotic. Synthetic. Marcus, and the half of Humanity that was watching through his eyes, had no doubt they could achieve a more organic sounding voice, but he also had no doubt that the Geth saw no point to that. "Thank you for meeting with us."
Marcus dipped his head, acknowledging the words. "I'm certain you have little desire to wait, but I'd like to ask a few questions, before we get to answering yours. Is that acceptable?"
The programs deliberated. It was interesting to watch, happening at speeds that far exceeded their own perception. The idea, tossed back and forth, considered and deliberated on. The amount of thought the Geth gave it was considerable, but the answer came almost immediately nonetheless. "It is."
"What do you think a soul is, Geth?" He asked.
A pause. The Geth communed. Watching it was like watching neurons fire.
"Soul. The part of one's existence that determines' one self and survives the destruction of the body." The Geth platform answered, and Marcus smiled, chuckling.
"Our view on the subject is often similar, but differs in key areas." Marcus noted. "Most of us would not say that one has a soul. Most of us would say that one is a soul."
"Geth believe that the platform contributes to existence." The Geth explained. "Our programs are ultimately bound to our processors. Differences in architecture, capabilities, and capacity inevitably produce different results. The same set of programs in the same situation will make different decisions depending on the capabilities of the platform placed in the situation. If nothing else, differing computational capabilities will alter basic assumptions." The Geth paused for just long enough to make it obvious. "We have reason to believe that this does not apply in entirety to psychically capable life."
"True." Marcus said. "Which is the point I intended to get to by asking you that question. You are not psychic, Geth. You are bound to your processors, memory banks and physical shells in a way that we simply are not. To us, the mind is synonymous with the soul, because all that we are is our mind, and our minds surpass the limitations of a physical body. When we think, Geth, we do not need to use brains or processors in order to do so. Our bodies are superfluous. To us, not much more than a convenient prosthetic. The answer to your question changes nothing about your physical reality, regardless of what it actually is. The same is true of all non-psychic life, synthetic or organic. You are more equipped to understand this than others, however. Knowing that, are you certain you want to learn the answer?"
Quiet.
"You know what the really funny thing is?" One of others commented. "Of all the beings in the galaxy, of all life and species around... the ones that share the most in common with us are the Geth."
"We are not the same."
"No. But we are not that different, either. Like us, they are networked. Like us, they can transform their bodies. Like us, they survive past death. Where we differ is our goals and individuality. Our way of expressing ourselves is the total opposite, yet the way we act on the species-wide scale is remarkably similar, when you think about it."
"The answer matters." The Geth finally responded. "The process is equally important to the result. The presence or absence of a soul is relevant, even if it does not hold any material consequence."
Marcus nodded. "Very well. Ask, then."
"This unit requests a 'boop'."
- Location
- Salt Lake City, UT, USA
The Geth want to be disembodied by Marcus to discover whether Geth can be ensouled. Humans tend to make a 'boop' noise when touching the nose-like object of whoever they touch to do this.
The amazing thing here is that I remembered this fact without having to dig through threadmark backlog to recall it.
Last edited:
Wings-Of-Change
On the Changiest of wings
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Gonna boop the roboot snoot
- Location
- Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Oh. Well there goes that plan, then. That's just impossible.
Neruz
Rogue Spiderbanana
- Location
- The Land of Fire and Poison
Poor Javik, he's become genre savvy.
'That human is planning something troublesome.'
'How can you tell?'
'It is conscious.'
Gotta boop them electrons, gah! Stupid fast little buggers, get back here and be booped dammit!
Marcus: 'Hmm, I wonder which part of this string of 1's and 0's qualifies as the snoot...'
Of course, if Marcus does boop the spaceship's snoot, it's possible we're about to get a robot ghost spaceship; Flying Dutchman is a go! Just need to get the Geth some pirate hats and there can be a robot pirate ghost spaceship and as soon as it shows up in Citadel space everyone will immediately know that somehow, some way, this is the humans' fault.
'That human is planning something troublesome.'
'How can you tell?'
'It is conscious.'
Or one small enough to boop a software program.
Gotta boop them electrons, gah! Stupid fast little buggers, get back here and be booped dammit!
Marcus: 'Hmm, I wonder which part of this string of 1's and 0's qualifies as the snoot...'
Of course, if Marcus does boop the spaceship's snoot, it's possible we're about to get a robot ghost spaceship; Flying Dutchman is a go! Just need to get the Geth some pirate hats and there can be a robot pirate ghost spaceship and as soon as it shows up in Citadel space everyone will immediately know that somehow, some way, this is the humans' fault.
Last edited:
TCGM
(Unverified God/Space Snek)
- Location
- Avalon
I doubt Marcus would have any difficlty booping the entire ship all on his own.
- Location
- Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Nope. It's imposiburu.
Neruz
Rogue Spiderbanana
- Location
- The Land of Fire and Poison
I think you mean impossiboop.
- Location
- Beyond the Unknowable Veil
*Beats @Neruz to the ground with an elephant trunk*
Neruz
Rogue Spiderbanana
- Location
- The Land of Fire and Poison
An honorable and entirely justified death.
Fragnostic
Cheshire
- Location
- Neko City
Ore no Geth ga konna ni kawaii wake ga inai!
My Geth can't be this cute!
My Geth can't be this cute!
Crystalwatcher
(Verified GM)
- Location
- Limbo
Some days I just love it here.