genessia | [ Action | Closed ]

Entry tags:

[ Action | Closed ] | Tech Support

Who: Garrus, Chaos, and Add
What: Just a few tech geeks geeking out over tech
Where: Aster Tech (Nova City)
When: February 27

[Garrus meant to come here about three weeks ago, but he's been a little busy playing Archangel at night and trying to be a deputy during the day. It's clear the deputy thing isn't going to work, though (Schnee and her rules), so he needs a different source of income. It's been a while since he's tinkered with anything, and he's really hoping chaos' offer still stood. In hindsight, he really should have touched base with the kid. Too late now.

He goes to the front desk and asks for chaos like he was told to and the receptionist gives him directions to his office. After a surprisingly short elevator ride (Garrus was sure it hadn't even moved ~~how come they didn't have this tech back home~~), he arrives at the office. He knocks on the door before opening it and walking in, but finds it empty. He takes a step back outside - yep, that was his name on the door all right. He could leave a note or something, but he's already come this far. Besides, the kid has to come back eventually, right? So he might as well make himself at home.

He sits down in the comfy chair behind the desk and opens a file containing weapon specs to see what level of technology he's dealing with here.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The level of tech he's dealing with, at least in the weapons department, seems to be predominantly beam-based. There are lasers, plasma cannons, ion guns, and all manner of other energy weapons, but surprisingly few mass-based weapons - those mostly of the missile variety. There also seems to be a strange focus on melee weapons, even if better than half of those are also beam weapons.]

[While he's perusing the folder's contents, a cartoonish bunny appears on the holographic projector in the center of the room. It's floating about three feet off the floor, and is all of a foot tall.]

Hello! I'm Bunnie, the office majordomo. I'm sorry, but master chaos has stepped out for the moment. He'll return momentarily. In the meantime, I can try to answer any questions you might have.

[Given that Add has heard about Aster Tech's bad reputation, he has taken safeguards, to an extent; which involves his dynamos having patched into the security system so he can monitor what's going on. Seeing someone that didn't quite match current employee records, the Tracer is now curious, and rightfully a bit suspicious. So he comes also opens the office door, leaning on the doorframe as his dynamos raise over his shoulders, ready to defend himself if need be.]

I have a question, but not for Bunnie; who the hell are you?

[Okay, so the tech's better than he thought it would be, but he definitely sees some stuff he can make some improvements on. The sheer number of melee weapons is a little startling because, really, melee weapons? Not that they couldn't come in handy every now and again, but surely chaos had to recognize the advantage of some range.

His focus is entirely on the files and he jumps a little when the bunny speaks, not having noticed it light up.]

The hell..?

[Seriously. What. He stares at it for a sec before it clicks. VI. Right. Strange looking one, that's for sure, but he can deal with this. He's about to ask about some of the specs when a new voice startles him out of his seat, assault rifle off his back and aimed at the intruder in the blink of an eye.]

I could ask the same of you.

[Bunnie hovers there, hopping in mid air to the beat of faint music that can be heard in the background. Not being a full AI, it has no particular drive to do anything proactive - it's fully content to sit there and wait for the organic meatbags to figure things out.]

[chaos, meanwhile, has just finished what he was working on in the hangar, and is headed toward the office. He's not there yet, though - if you plan to shoot anyone, better do it now.]

An employee.

[An easy and succinct answer, but Add trains his mis-matched eyes on the rifle, and grins instead of recoiling. While it did look impressive, he had doubts on it's ability versus his own, and looked back to Garrus. ]

Now, your turn.

[Garrus eyes the guy. He doesn't look like an engineer, but then again neither does chaos. He might have simply accepted that once, but he's been lured into too many traps whilst serving on the Normandy. Besides, the guy's clearly a little off, smiling down the barrel of his gun, so it's best to keep his gun trained on him. Just in case.

It's entirely possible the kid does in fact work here, but hes in chaos' office and he knows one thing for sure.]

You're not chaos.

No, that would be me. [Says the guy who just walked in the door. Olive skin, white hair, full body environmental suit without a helmet... yep, that's him alright. He takes in the tableau presented by Add and Garrus without even blinking. He goes to the coffee pot on the far wall, pours a cup, adds cream and a bit of sugar, and stirs it, then turns to face the room at large, leaning against the wall comfortably.]

If you're planning to use that rifle, Garrus, I would appreciate it if you'd take it outside to do so. I've only just finished patching the last hole.

Kek.

[The laugh at Garrus' words is cut slightly short thanks to the unintentional orchestrator of this standoff appears. Watching him make a coffee, he hums, and holds up a hand. ]

Could I get a coffee? Five sugars.

[Though whether he gets it or not, he still has to deal with Garrus, but at least Chaos knows him. Add can only say that he knows of his coworker; the standard walking down a hallway, very mundane. His dynamos pull in closer to his shoulders on that.]

If he's a guest, then I guess it's no problem, but I didn't realize we were adding a weapons division.

[Garrus frowns but puts his rifle away; if chaos isn't bothered by the new guy, then he's probably fine. He crosses his arms.]

I don't know anything about that. But I do know I never gave you my name.

[His attention's on chaos now. He didn't tell him he was coming, and he's pretty sure he didn't mention his appearance when they crossed paths as Archangel besides him being a turian. And being how he's the only one of them around, he couldn't possibly know what one looked like. So how...?]

We aren't, at least not officially. But consider this. The greatest leaps in science have almost always occurred as a result of someone trying to develop a new, clever way to kill his fellow sentients.

[Add does indeed get that coffee. chaos is nothing if not polite. What he pours for Garrus, however, is decidedly not coffee. Nor is it a terribly large amount. No getting sloshed at your job interview, soldier.]

I've been told that alcohol, in particular ethanol, is symmetric; given that you or your friend were on the network asking about for dextro-amino chefs, I think this will be more suitable. [So saying, he hands the shot glass to the Turian.] To answer the question, the receptionist informed me that I had a guest - and since you were the only one I was expecting, the deduction was simple enough. [Nope, no telepathy involved this time.]

Hmm.

[Fair enough, Add can concede that much as his people used Nasods for any and everything. Plus it doesn't push any of his moral buttons since he isn't hearing talk of random testing. As the coffee is offered, he grumbles something that sounds suspiciously like "thank you". He then moves closer to the desk since that is where the party is.]

Oh, that was you? I was curious, but people here are too nosy and I want to keep a low profile. For now anyway. However, why did you invite hom, officially?

[Garrus nods, impressed and takes the drink; the kid’s done his research. He takes a sip of it and grimaces slightly - not nearly as good as turian brandy. His explanation makes enough sense, too, and since the other guy has ~~stopped being a stuck-up bastard~~ calmed, Garrus relaxes a little too.]

Heard he needed someone to help out with some tech and thought I might be able to help.

[He takes another sip, and leans against the side of the desk, loosening up now that he’s in familiar territory.]

But from what I’ve seen it isn’t just your logic drive or your ship that needs help; your weapons are a outdated, too.

[chaos leans against the wall by the coffee pot; no sense taking his desk chair when everyone's on semi-informal ground, right now, after all.]

Weapons aren't really the focus of this build, but they will be necessary - for point defense if nothing else.

[He glances at Add, and makes a quick decision. Better that everyone's on the same page, here.]

I'm going to try to build a ship - something along the lines of an ark, really, a spacefaring habitat capable of sustaining everyone from all five cities. There are a number of problems - first and foremost being that I don't know if this world is an entirely self-contained dimension or part of a larger universe. I don't have the kind of sensor suite I'd need to say for certain. If it's a dimension pocket, then this entire project is pointless; if not, then it may just be our ticket to someplace less hostile. That's going to be goal one - figuring out which of the two situations we're really in. I want to create an armed, autonomous probe and send it out into space - and to do that, I'm going to need to launch it from outside the shields over the cities.

[Add had indeed calmed ~~he was still a stuck up bastard~~, though he was only idly listening. The plan sounded interesting, if not a little ridiculous, and is exactly the kind of challenged he wanted out of this place. He had been worried he was going to be bored most of the time here.]

Hm.

[Though he isn't entirely convinced of the efficacy. Taking a seat on the desk, he sips his coffee a few times while he gives the matter serious thought.]

Well, that is reasonable enough. However it isn't impossible to cross a dimension, or at least fold space to get through the shield. However, I have to say this place is about as hostile as a Phoru. Still, it is worth going on with. If you want to make something autonomous you'll need help with setting up some A.I. or at least programming it to respond.

[Garrus had been all set to share what little he knew about the Flotilla until Add spoke up. He slams his free hand on the desk, suddenly angry.]

No way. [He's forceful here.] Building an A.I. is just asking for trouble. You want to build a ship? Fine. Weapons? I'm your guy. But if you plan on building an A.I., I'm out. I've seen what they can do and it's not pretty.

[He takes a swig of his drink, trying to calm himself down.]

Stick to V.I. It's better that way. For everyone.

[chaos frowns a thoughtful frown. He also knows what a full AI is capable of - witness Bunnie, and its 'plot' to use the environmental bugs to wipe out an entire planet (though that had ultimately been a ruse intended to help someone get the help they really needed). Without Shion, he doesn't trust a full AI not to go terribly rogue, either. Still...]

Autonomous doesn't have to mean intelligent. Most early space exploration is done with craft similar to what I have in mind, minus the weapons. The fact that we already have a leg up on the technology climb here doesn't mean we should ignore the essentials. I'm not saying AI doesn't have its place - but that place isn't in the first steps of a process like this.

[And now he turns his attention to the other thing Add said.]

Folding spacetime requires an enormous amount of power. As it happens, I have an idea where to get that power - but I'll need the kind of help I can't get in this city to make it work. Piercing the veil between universes and dimensions is another matter entirely, almost as much an act of will as of power. It can certainly be done - I've done it myself - but that's the end goal, not the beginning one.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Action | Closed ] | Tech Support

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no but imagine how great this interview would be with a drunk garrus

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