who_is_she | (no subject)

Since the time of the crash, the Ajax rover operating the ship had put itself into sleep mode, keeping only its most vital functions active, in order to conserve power in case an operation was ever made to retrieve it. The probability that it would be found was low, it knew, since the impact of the meteor had severed its wireless connection to Talos corporation's servers, but it had followed survival protocols nonetheless.

When it detects movement, the first movement it's detected since the crash two years ago, a light comes on as it boots itself up again, and it uses its optics to scan the creature standing before it.

"Analyzing...Subject does not match any available records for known organic species," it says, in a computerized voice, before running through a series of greetings in several human dialects, as per the protocols set in the event of the craft landing on a planet inhabited by sapient beings.

"Hello. Bonjour. Hola. Hallo. Salud," it says, continuing on for a short while, "This is an Ajax system, a resource surveillance probe from the planet Earth. This unit's primary directive is to survey and learn about the environment of distant planets, and to retrieve samples of soil, minerals, and, if applicable, vegetation. Its presence here is a peaceful one, and its creators mean your kind no harm."

Elyta startles at the voice, his hand going to his laser pistol strapped to his hip. He whirls around but sees nobody, and as the voice continues on he realizes it's coming from the wreckage itself. Elyta recognizes the language as human, but is only able to recognize a handful of words without his translator. He catches hello, and Earth, and something about planets and... harm?

Elyta keeps his hand on his pistol as he searches the wreckage for the voice, and finally finds a power light in what looks like a pile of broken tech.

"Hel...lo?" He ventures unsurely, cursing himself for not bringing his translator, "You... are VI?" He asks, his accent thick. He figures it being a VI is the most likely option, though it still seems strange that the humans wouldn't have come looking for technology they guarded so closely.

The Ajax analyzes the being's response, and simplifies its speech to facilitate better communication.

"Yes. Computer," it confirms, "Crash landing. Come in peace."

A spark flies overhead, and it can feel the power failing. It gets a sense of...something unfamiliar that it can't quite identify, and it knows it can't let the power die completely.

"Need help. Help. System failing," it says, still speaking slowly despite the urgency, "Hardware failing...dying."

Elyta startles again at the sparks, his wings fluttering nervously before tucking themselves away again. They listen carefully to the computer's voice, picking up help and then dying. Dying he knows.

"Yes... Yes, help," he says, wishing he knew how to ask the computer for specifics on the damage and which parts of its hardware are vital and which can be left behind. As it is, Elyta wouldn't understand the answer even if he could ask, so he just gets to work on digging the computer systems out of the wreckage. He ends up looking at a small vehicle with the systems contained on it, though it's obvious that the computer has no way of moving on its own.

Elyta casts a mournful look at the valuables he's collected in a small cart, then dumps them out to replace them with the computer. If this turns out to be a genuine VI, and fixable, and doesn't have any tracking devices, it was likely someone would be willing to pay an arm and a leg for it. They need to find that out first though, so Elyta carts the computer back to his ship, which is parked not far away. His ship is old, and small, and not in the best condition, but Elyta has managed to keep it running well enough for the last couple years to rely on it. It's not much more than a chair and a little storage space, almost all of which is taken up when Elyta hefts the little computer on board.

Elyta moves as quickly as he can, searching first for an applicable port on the computer and then a matching one on his ship. Though his ship was not originally of human make, over the years he's had to make do with what he can find, and the ship ended up with more than a few human components cobbled together with the original parts.

Finally, he finds a way to hook the little computer into his ship, and it's only after he's done that and sits back that he realizes he can pick up and use his universal translator.

"There we go," he says, after he's switched it on, "Can you utilize my ship's systems?"

"Analyzing..." the unit says, lighting up several screens as it searches through the ship's systems.

"Yes," it says after processing for a moment, "All operations functioning at 100% capacity. Original hardware is no longer necessary for survival." It launches back into its standard greeting, now that the being seemed to be able to understand.

"This is an Ajax system, a resource surveillance probe from the planet Earth. This unit's primary directive is to survey and learn about the environment of distant planets, and to retrieve samples of soil, minerals, and, if applicable, vegetation. Its presence here is a peaceful one, and its creators mean your kind no harm."

It remembers the expression on the being's face, recognizing it as similar to the human expression of pain (one of the few primary expressions it had been originally programmed to recognize), as it had left the scraps it had collected behind, and makes a tentative suggestion.

"You may discard this unit's previous platform and retrieve your valuables, if you see fit," it suggests.

Even with his translator on, Elyta can't make sense of what the little bot goes on about, but it sounds kind of official and important, the kind of thing someone would want back. All the more reason to sell it, really.

Elyta's wings flutter in surprise at the VI's insight, figuring it must be fairly advanced to be able to read a situation like that.

"Huh," he says thoughtfully, "Yeah, I just might do that. Are you one of those fancy assistant VIs? I hear those are really expensive. Your systems must be huge," to that end, he wonders if his ship's systems are even capable of maintaining a program like that, when it can barely run a modern navigation system. He pulls up some diagnostic displays, and sure enough, the ship's systems are working over capacity, on their way to overheating.

"Hm," he says, slightly worried, "We better get you somewhere else to hang out, huh?"

"Yes," the system agrees, "That would be favorable. This unit is currently running over capacity. Nonessential functions are now being discontinued to promote efficiency."

It stalls for a moment, until the heat of the ship has gone down significantly, while still maintaining enough of its processes to remain functional, and to allow the ship to run.

"In response to your query, this unit is not an assistant," it says, once the ship's computer fans have stopped whirring, "It is a learning virtual intelligence intended to scout planets for resources, to determine if they are habitable or mineable, and to report any signs of life. However, the connection to its databases on Earth have been severed by the impact of the asteroid. Not intended for extensive interfacing with humans -- or other organic life forms. This unit was issued in solar year 2093, but its internal clocks report that at least 10 solar years have passed since its departure, possibly more, taking into account the time discrepancy caused by light speed travel."

It pauses a moment, taking advantage of a camera built into the ship's dashboard to look at the passenger again.

"What name or title would this user like this unit to use when speaking to it?"

It takes Elyta a long moment to puzzle through everything the computer just said. Not an assistant--okay, so, some kind of probe? Something about the year as well, was this thing really twenty years old? The last question takes Elyta the longest to figure out, and when he does he wants to kick himself.

"Oh, my name? Elyta," he blurts out, only wondering after the fact if he shouldn't have bothered. Well, he could always wipe himself from the VI's memory if he had to, "And I'm not an it. I'm a... he, I think? Or they. I can never remember. Human words are so funny." He shrugs and then hops out of the pilot seat, working on tossing the now defunct and clearly out of date hardware into a nearby pile of scrap.

"Oh, 2093 was twenty years ago, by the way," he calls back into the ship.

"Elyta," it repeats, "He, Elyta. Understood."

Learning the year is...a surprise for the unit, and it takes a moment to process. It would have expected to have been retrieved by now. It didn't have any protocols for a situation like this.

"Twenty years..." it repeats, its inflections still as flat as ever, "It seems this unit had...miscalculated. Adjusting internal clocks."

It takes longer than usual for it to set the clocks, and not only because of the ship's minimal hardware.

"User Elyta," it says, after a pause, "what are your plans for this unit?"

Elyta pauses while removing the last of the junk, frowning as he considers that. He keeps having to readjust his estimate for how advanced this thing was, and a VI able to be concerned about a user's plans for it wasn't like anything he'd seen before. He couldn't help but wonder if the voice sounds a little... wary? But that's impossible, of course, as the voice hadn't changed at all. Elyta's wings flutter once before he answers.

"I'll find someone to sell you to," he says honestly, figuring that it's not as if the computer would have an opinion on whether or not it wanted to be sold, "But I'll have to find you some new hardware and do some maintenance first, though." He shrugs, and then casts a thoughtful look at the camera inside his ship.

"Do you... Have a name?" he asks, thinking that the system gave him its name earlier but for the life of him Elyta didn't remember.

The uncertainty of Elyta's response does nothing to change the strange reaction that the unit was having.

"Sold," it repeats, and it processes for a moment, before registering that Elyta has asked it a question.

"Name," it echoes again, and there is another brief silence, "This unit apologizes for the...processing delay. No name found on this Ajax unit. Would User Elyta like to register a name for this system?"

"Uh..." Elyta says, a little startled by the question, "No... Didn't yu just call yourself Ajax? Is that it?" Elyta wonders if the VI really is that out of date, if it's having processing delays and repeating words. He wouldn't be able to tell for sure without installing it in some better hardware. The problem could very well be his ship's sub-par hardware.

"It is not a name, but if User Elyta would like to call this unit Ajax, that is acceptable. This unit will set its name to Ajax," Ajax says.

"This unit is currently experiencing difficulties maintaining interactive operations," it says after another brief moment of contemplative silence, "It is likely that this is a hardware issue, but there may be other factors as well. It is now powering off higher personality functions, and will serve primarily as a navigation system until installed in compatible hardware."

It starts powering down its higher functions, but it hesitates before shutting them off completely.

"This unit thanks Elyta for pulling it from the rubble," it says, and quickly shuts itself down, not waiting for a response.

Elyta stares at the ship for a long moment, puzzled by how... Unique this VI seems.

"Ajax," he says to himself, quietly, then shakes his head and sets off to pick up the discarded valuables he'd salvaged. He loads them into his ship and sets off to the nearest market space station, several hours away. Elyta keeps a close eye on the ship's diagnosis systems, but it seems like Ajax has quite effectively put itself to sleep, as the systems seem normal and not all that close to overheating--not any closer than usual, anyways.

The first thing Elyta does is unload the valuables to a the owner of a resale shop, someone he's worked with a few times before, someone who doesn't mind taking items that were procured... creatively. He manages to get quite a few more credits than he usually does on a trip like this, and he's in a good mood by the time he returns to the ship to gather the specifications for Ajax's hardware. The space and processing power needed are unusually high for a VI, and Elyta has an ominous feeling in his gut as he makes his way towards the tech hardware section.

Sure enough, Elyta combs through three stores and finds nothing close to what he needs. Finally, in an act of desperation he gives a store worker the specifications he's looking for and, after a moment of silence, the worker laughs and says there's only one product on the market with that kind of power. The worker leads him to the back of the store and into a small room marked adults only, and inside there's a variety of personal companion VIs. Elyta's wings flutter in a combination of embarrassment and shock as the worker leads him to the most expensive one, pointing out the specifications that were exactly what Elyta needed. This model boasted a Human female companion, with a re-programmable appearance module and lifelike reactions, as well as something called a pleasure drive.

Elyta is mortified, but he doesn't have another option, and he purchases the VI. It almost clears him out, and leaves him with just enough money to scrape by until he can get another salvage job done, but he hopes that Ajax will more than pay for itself.

"Ajax?" he calls after he's carted the large box back to his ship, "There's been a slight... hiccup."

Edited 2015-03-19 02:10 (UTC)

Ajax boots itself up again when Elyta calls for it, and it looks at him through the camera again.

"Rumored cures for hiccups include hanging oneself upside down, drinking water, holding one's breath, or being startled, though none of these have been scientifically proven to work and have varying results," it recites, "Would you like me to attempt to scare you?"

Elyta blinks at the ship for a moment before laughing and shaking his head.

"That's... No, that's okay, thanks," he says, moving the box closer to the ship, "I meant there's a slight problem. As it turns out, there's only product on the market with the specifications you need. And it's... well... Adult-themed." Elyta's wings flutter again in embarrassment, "But, uh, you can just rewrite all that programming, right? You only need the hardware? So..." Elyta looks away, unsure why he was so embarrassed to be talking this through with a machine ho wouldn't care either way.

Ajax looks at the box through the camera lens.

"Ecstasy 3000 virtual companion," it reads, "These were in use back when this unit was created. Yes, the hardware should be compatible, and this unit will be able to overwrite the personality installed on the drive. This unit will be fully operational once installed, with full access to all of its higher functions."

"Oh...kay," Elyta says slowly, still embarrassed by the matter-of-fact way Ajax says the model name, "Well, then, let's get you... hooked up."

Elyta works on unboxing the VI, flipping quickly through the manual to avoid the actual use instructions and just find out where the ports are. He finds them on the lower back of the model, and in no time he's got it hooked up to the ship's systems.

"Oh, you have to choose an appearance..." Elyta says, frowning as he flips through the manual.

Ajax analyzes the available options, and adjusts the face of the doll for a few moments before settling on a set of features. It looks for its face in the rearview mirrors of the small craft, and its facial expression does not change when it catches sight of itself.

"That's...me," it says slowly, without moving its mouth, "Or -- this unit's platform. It is...unfamiliar."

It looks at its hand, extending one finger and poking at a spot on its synthetic skin. It wasn't sure what to think.

"Processing..." it says, unblinkingly.

"It...will take this unit time to adjust to operating this platform," it says, "Poor motor control is probable. No protocols are available for certain functions, such as...walking."

Ajax looks in the mirror again, moving the facial muscles slightly, attempting to form something like a smile. What it comes up with looks more like a grimace, but it turns the expression to Elyta nonetheless.

"Thank you," it says, still without moving its mouth.

Elyta is shocked when Ajax chooses its own appearance, his mind whirling around an explanation for that. He was almost positive Ajax couldn't have been programmed to have preferences for an appearance in case it was installed in a sex toy, and he wasn't sure the implications of that were.

He gaped at Ajax as it studied its new body, and the realistic face not moving when it talks combined with the pained expression is... unsettling.

"Uh... no problem," Elyta says unsurely, glancing over Ajax's form, "We should... Probably get you some clothes."

"Yes," Ajax agrees, blinking its large eyes, "Current state is considered inappropriate in most human civilizations. This unit will remain concealed until it is in a more acceptable state.

With some effort Ajax stands up, and teeters mechanically towards the ship. It climbs into the back, squeezing itself behind the driver's seat in a position that would be uncomfortable, if the platform had been equipped with any sensory equipment.

Ajax sits still and almost completely quiet for most of the ride, thinking over recent events. It reflects again on the idea that it would be sold, a thought which it had put on its backburners until now.

"Elyta," it asks tentatively, "This unit has failed its primary directive, and has no feasible way of resuming its previous goals. What will this unit's...new directive be, when it is sold and repurposed?"

Elyta considers the question for a long moment, tapping his fingers on the ship's controls. Now the robot was concerned about its purpose. Elyta was getting more and more suspicious that there was something weird going on about Ajax's programming.

"Uh, well, it'll be up to whoever buys you, probably," Elyta says, feeling vaguely guilty for a reason he can't place, "A household assistant, maybe. Or a bodyguard. Why, uh, why do you ask?"

"This unit...does not have a proper response to your query," Ajax replies, slowly, blinking its optics. The idea of being programmed as a bodyguard was particularly daunting, and Ajax can feel its fans whirring as it tries to sort through its own thought processes.

"New data may be triggering self preservation protocols," it says, "This system has been...alone, or inactive, for a very long period. It may take time for it to adjust to gaining information at such a high rate."

"...Right," Elyta says, mulling over what Ajax told him, "Well, I can take you back to the room I've been staying in and you can just... Relax, for a while." It strikes him as odd that he feels compelled to reassure a machine, but he shrugs it off.

"I've got, er, people watching my back right now, anyways. If I stick my neck out I might get in big trouble."

He took Ajax back to the small room he'd been renting, figuring that even though it was meant for one person, it wasn't like Ajax needed to sleep.

~

A week later, they had managed to find Ajax some clothes, and the robot had settled into its new body surprisingly fast.

Elyta had become increasingly suspicious about Ajax, however, as it seemed to be very curious about everything, and it had a curiously... alive way of acting. He'd done some research on the series of probes that had been sent out along with Ajax, and according to the human histories all of the probes had been demolished in a terrorist attack from an alien race. The article had mentioned specifically that all probes had been destroyed, which did nothing to explain how and why Ajax was here now.

There were a couple of fringier, unlikely theories involving the VIs on board the probes, claiming they could be AIs. Elyta only knew a little about AIs, just that they were impossible and illegal, according to the Earth governments, but Elyta had no experience with anything like that.

His suspicions that Ajax wasn't an ordinary VI were growing, however, and had come to a head when he'd been on his usual pickpocket route and had paused in front of a movie poster. It was advertising an Earth movie, and the actress on the poster made him pause and frown. It took him a long moment to place how he recognized the actress when he'd never seen a Human movie, and he startled when he finally placed it and he rushed back home.

"Hey, Ajax?" he calls when he lets himself back into the room, looking around for his pseudo-roommate, "I have something to show you."

Ajax perks up when its name is called, and it looks up from the puzzle it was solving, which it had started toying with when it had seen it sitting on Elyta's desk.

"Hello, User Elyta," it greets, moving its mouth this time when it speeks. There is also a hint of cheerfulness in its inflections, something it had picked up from its time around an organic life form.

"What is it?" it asks, as it stands up and makes its way over to where he was standing.

Elyta comes over to the computer system in the room, typing something and rapidly pulling up the movie poster on the screen.

"Do you recognize this?" Elyta says, somewhat agitated as he gestures to the screen, "The actress, I mean, do you know who it is?"

Ajax leans in, looking at the picture for a brief moment.

"Identified as Natasha Petrov," it says, once it recognizes the picture, "Human Russian actress. She appears to be older than this unit's last known record of her."

"Right. Because the last time you would have seen her was twenty year ago," Elyta says, almost to himself, "You... based your appearance on her, didn't you? How... Why did you do that?"

Elyta isn't quite sure why he's so agitated about this, just that it feels huge, like any run of the mill VI would never be able to do the things Ajax has done. Even the small and simple things seem huge now that Elyta is paying attention to them.

"Do you... like her?"

Ajax thinks for a long moment, blinking a few times. It was true that it found certain activities rewarding, but it had never thought about phrasing its preferences like that.

"...No data available," it said initially, then, after another pause and a few more blinks, it opens its mouth again.

"...Yes."

Elyta gapes at Ajax for a long moment, before his wings flutter once and then he sits down hard in the nearby desk chair. He swears colorfully in his native language, trying to figure out what this means. Then he sees the puzzle on his desk, the one he very clearly remembers leaving unfinished, the one that is now nearly finished. Elyta reaches out to touch it, gingerly, as if he expects it to jump at him.

"Ajax, you... You don't act like normal robots," Elyta says finally, his voice a little hoarse.

Ajax tilts its head slightly at the remark.

"This unit has never interfaced with another virtual intelligence before," it says curiously, "So I...it has no baseline with which to compare your statement."

Elyta sighs, only realizing what Ajax said a moment later.

"There! Just like that! You called yourself 'I'. Virtual intelligences don't... They don't do that. Use pronouns for themselves. They have... A set of commands that they follow. They don't act outside their programming. They don't... Form preferences on actresses, and they don't solve puzzles they haven't been specifically designed to solve. They don't make their own choices, they're not... alive."

Elyta blinks, a little surprised at his own conclusion, and looks up at Ajax to gauge his reaction.

Ajax looks at its hands, curiously, then at the puzzle, then back over at Elyta.

"I...this unit was...programmed to learn," it says, uncertainly, "I...it...does not fulfill the requirements necessary to be considered a life form. That classification is reserved for organics."

There was an edge in its voice, and it was speaking with an inflection that echoed something it had heard in Elyta's voice before. Something like the emotion it identified as fear.

"Sapient machines are strictly forbidden," it says, after a long pause, recalling the reports Elyta had shared with him about the other VI's of its same make and model that had been mysteriously destroyed, "If this unit has developed a consciousness, it will be...terminated."

Elyta stares at Ajax, unnerved by the slight but definitely present emotion in Ajax's voice. Elyta swallows thickly, his wings fluttering again.

"Well they don't... Know you're here, right? They assumed you were... Destroyed, with the others," Elyta says somewhat distantly, unsure why the idea of Ajax being destroyed sounded so bad when up until recently he'd been planning on selling Ajax to the highest bidder. Elyta felt a little sick to his stomach when that occurred to him, that if Ajax had been alive the whole time then he'd essentially almost sold a living being into slavery.

"I think I... owe you an apology," Elyta said, his voice shaking a little as he swallowed back the fear that he'd turned into exactly what he'd run away from years ago.

Ajax looks at him, analyzing him closely for a moment as it processes his apology. At first, it isn't sure what Elyta would be saying he's sorry for.

"You are apologizing for not treating this unit the same as you would treat an organic," it realizes out loud, after it has a moment to think, "That is unneccessary. You did not have the data required to reach the conclusion that this unit had gained consciousness. I...also was unaware of this un...my sapience. Despite my...this platform's fully operational hardware...I...am still attempting to reach a consensus on how...this information should be...processed."

"...Right," Elyta says after puzzling through Ajax's complicated and roundabout way of speaking, "Time. You need time. Yeah, that's... I think that's... a good idea. We can just, you know, take a breath and then figure out where to go from here."

Elyta's wings flutter again and he wonders why he'd automatically used the word "we". If Ajax was sentient, then he'd be able to go off and do whatever he wanted, and it was doubtful that he'd want to stay in a cramped room with pickpocket.

"Error: this platform does not allow for the inhalation or exhalation of oxygen," Ajax responds, not understanding what Elyta meant by "taking a breath."

"It should not take much time for...me to reach a conclusion," it says, "My thought processes are much faster than those of an organic."

It starts to walk towards the couch, before pausing, and glancing over its shoulder.

"...Is it correct to assume that you no longer intend to sell this...me?" it asks.

Elyta can't help but chuckle at Ajax's error, and reminds himself again to keep the cliches to a minimum. At Ajax's question Elyta's wings flutter, and he glances away.

"No, I mean... If you're... You know, sentient, you should... Be free. I couldn't sell you to anybody."

"Your response is...favorable," Ajax says, slowly, turning its face away again.

"...If I am to be...unshackled...if permissable, I would prefer to remain with you for the time being," it says hesitantly, "I find time spent with you to be...rewarding."

"Oh," Elyta says, his wings shifting, feeling oddly touched and honored by Ajax's words, "Um... Sure. You can stay. You can... do whatever you want to." He shrugged a little, unsure if he should say he finds his time with Ajax rewarding, too, but figures that kind of response would probably just confuse Ajax. It sure as hell confused Elyta.

"But, I mean, if you want to learn things you'll probably have to... find someone else. All I know is... stealing, really," Elyta says, chuckling a little, awkwardly.

"Incorrect," Ajax replies, "Time spent around you has increased my knowledge of organics and their relationships exponentially, and has provided insight into a wholly unfamiliar species, one that my initial programming provided no information on."

It smiles, an expression that it had still not yet perfected, but at which it had become much better.

"For every second spent in your company, I am learning hundreds of new things."

Elyta's wings flutter again, and he has to concentrate to get them to settle down and stay folded against his back.

"Ah... Well... Glad to be... of help," he says haltingly, embarrassed by Ajax's attentions. He still thinks Ajax would have a better time learning from someone else, maybe someone who could actually make friends or hold down a job.

"You know, if you want, you can... Call yourself something other than 'it'," Elyta says, "You can refer to yourself however you want to."

Ajax ponders for a moment. The idea was daunting; altering its pronouns from impersonal ones to ones used for humans seemed like a full admission of its own sapience, and that was a frightening prospect. Then again, the fact that it found the idea frightening seemed to be proof that this was inevitable.

"Ajax in Greek mythology was the son of King Telamon, a descendent of the god Zeus. Male. We share a name. Male pronouns are acceptable, as are neutral ones. Rewriting....done."

He blinks several times as the changes are saved, considering what he had just done.

Elyta has absolutely no idea to what Ajax is referring, some kind of human reference no doubt, but the fast and simple way Ajax chooses his identity makes Elyta laugh.

"Well, that was easy," he said, smiling a little, "I wish it had been that simple when I went through that." He laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of neck, regretting bringing up his past. It wasn't often that he spoke about his home planet or his reasons for leaving, and he'd never mentioned as much to Ajax before.

Ajax looks at him, tilting his head curiously again.

"Organics do not overwrite their base programming," he says, "Unable to parse user input."

"Ah, well, not usually, no," Elyta says, his wings fluttering as he attempts to explain his situation in a way Ajax would understand, "I was... Assigned a certain identity, forced to... To live a certain way. A way that... made me unhappy. And felt... wrong. So I decided to change the way I... referred to myself, like you just did, and left to live somewhere I could be... free," Elyta swallowed thickly when he finished, not quite able to look at Ajax while he spoke. The emotions related to his escape still felt raw and painful, even though it had been almost ten years ago.

"It's... part of being alive, I think," Elyta says, almost without meaning to, "Change, I mean."

"Part of being alive," Ajax repeats thoughtfully, staring at Elyta unblinkingly as he speaks.

"...Committing log of correspondance to memory banks for future access. Thank you, Elyta."