hadriel | 001 [Video]

[For those who frequent the tops of the various climbable buildings in Hadriel, they might recognize that this broadcast is from the roof of one of them due to the angle; otherwise it's just a rapidly darkening cloudy sky for a backdrop, sun setting and rain clearly threatening to roll in at any time.

It's pretty, and that may or may not be the reason why Connor is out on a roof in the first place, but it's definitely not the point of this impromptu broadcast. He's just been wondering some things, and it's in his nature to actively search out answers rather than waiting for them to come to him, so he's decided to just go for it.]

Hello everyone; my name is Connor, and I just arrived a few days ago.

[Always good to start with introductions, and also to avoid saying exactly how many days or hours it's been since a given time when pretending to be human. He's getting a little better at this.]

I've been catching up on the situation at hand, and although the context is somewhat different, there are parallels to current events in my world that are difficult to ignore. Before I arrived, we were dealing with what might be the beginning of a civil war between humans and machines.

[He's trying to tread carefully, projecting enough genuine interest without sounding over-invested. He's just asking, after all, nothing more; there's definitely no personal reason why he wants to know.]

So I'm curious; I'm aware that what the Null have done is enough reason to be against them, but does what they are play any role in your feelings toward them?

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It's nice to meet you. Is there a name or title you prefer?

[He asks before he can even really think about it, his basic android protocol kicking in like instinct, but he isn't too bothered by it in this instance. It doesn't hurt to be polite.]

Can you tell me more about what they did? I know there was a battle, but little else.

[she smiles brightly]

Margaery is fine, thank you.

[no, and she appreciates politeness. so many of the people here are so rude!]

The Null posted to the Network, offering to send us home in exchange for killing one of the so-called gods. That post received a great deal of interest. However, later they posted a list of residents of Hadriel, telling us that we must kill one of the people on the list in exchange for a god killing weapon. Some of the people on the list were children. Needless to say, that evaporated most of the goodwill the Null had previously earned.

[He nods in acknowledgement of her first answer, then listens carefully to her second. That's more detailed than the other accounts he's been hearing, and does make some sense.]

Why did they want you to kill someone in exchange for a weapon?

[Margaery remembers it all too well for it was shortly after her arrival that all the Seven Hells broke loose]

The people on the list were those who offended the Null in some way. Either they stated their intent to resist the Null or had simply mocked them. Rather touchy for emotionless machines, don't you think? I was on the list, too. I couldn't stand idly by while the Null targeted children and the man I love.

Edited 2018-07-21 00:24 (UTC)

[At least they're getting somewhere here--]

That does seem inconsistent with the claim of being emotionless, unless their threat assessment processes are very sensitive.

[Which could be the case; Connor's model line was designed to be hyperaware of potential dangers, although not necessarily to act on them until they pose an actual threat. Still, maybe the Null thought the people they put on the list were dangers to them, or weren't willing to take the risk of finding out they might be down the road.]

Ah, but they're not emotionless. The so-called gods inspire emotion in them and they simply cannot stand it. That's why the Null mean to slaughter them along with anyone perceived as siding with them. Now, that's not saying that their threat assessment processes are not terribly sensitive, but that's not the whole story.

[Margaery was certainly a threat to the Null. she killed many while they were invading the city

If they're already feeling emotion, then isn't their cause already unsuccessful? Or is it only when in proximity of the gods?

[Connor sure can't turn off his emotions now that he has them, so he's not quite getting how this works.]

So far as I know, it's only in the proximity of the so-called gods. Once they're far enough away, they go back to being emotionless and logical.

Has anyone told you of Name or were you here already when it posted to the network?

[it's a woman who came from a Medieval-technology level world trying to explain robots to an android. it was bound to be a mess]

When they put people on their list for insulting them, were they close enough to be affected?

[That's where he's getting confused.]

I know of Name due to the information posted on the network, as well as Tranquility's post. However, I have not been here for any of Name's transmissions.

It's hard to say. When they made their posts to the network, they could have been right on top of us or thousands of miles away. Unfortunately, there's no real way of knowing.

[and understandably so! the entire thing is terribly confusing]

I see. When we spoke, Name told me something about the nature of the Door fragments it found that I thought was interesting. While each of the so-called gods relies on a particular emotion, the Door apparently requires all of them.

Edited 2018-07-28 05:36 (UTC)

[That first answer is not at all satisfying, but he decides to let it go. If she doesn't know then she doesn't know.

Besides, that last bit is indeed interesting.]

Does that mean that, if we didn't provide it any emotions at all, it wouldn't function?

[well, Medieval-level technology speaking. the only reason she knows as much as she does is because she pays attention to things]

It seems likely, although I can't say that I know too many people who can control their emotions to that degree.

001 [Video]

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