Ian In The Wrong Place? - OTA

[ubuntu_programmer]

Open/locked?: Open
Who: Ian and whomsoever encounters them
What: Ian arrives in Auradon
Warnings: Some angst, maybe?


There was a figure slumped by the wall, their white and black hair disheveled, their glasses on the grass beside them. Their small suitcase was over their legs, their backpack dangling from one arm. After a moment they groaned and lifted a hand to their head. "Did I get hit by a truck or something...?" They mumbled.

Eyes opening, they looked around. "Well that's not good. I can't afford to be hallucinating now." They picked up their round lensed glasses and checked them before putting them on, then fished a phone out of their pocket. "No bars. Of course. I need to write an algorithm that will allow my phone to find signal from anywhere in the world. Of course, I should still be close enough to get signal anyway, hallucination or no. So... what is actually going on here...?"

Comments

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

Rren looked between the newcomer and Æn'kae. Had he really called them in just to pawn a newcomer onto? No, even if he didn't like it, he wouldn't do that without some other reason. They were still annoyed, however, since knowing the reason in advance would have made life so much easier. "Thank you. I am Rren and while it is nice to meet you, I am a little stuck on figuring out why this one," they nodded at Æn'kae, "sent a text saying 'Meet in the kitchen' with zero details."

Æn'kae flushed, but shrugged it off, more focused on the fact the newcomer didn't seem to be finding what they wanted. "I uh. I do know we have coffee or tea if you want I can make one of those?" Now that he at least had indication that they wanted something with a similar property.

Rren narrowed their eyes at him. Yeah. He was going to get an earful later.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Ah, that's my fault," Ian said, standing and brushing their hands off on their sides, lightly. "I had wanted to meet you, I hope that is okay? I'm Ian. Doctor Ian Wright, with a specialty in... well a lot of fields, but the one that is relevant at the moment is artificial intelligence. I was hoping you would be comfortable speaking with me." Then they added quickly, "If you are not, I completely understand. Who you are is who you are and that matters so much more than what. If you have anything you'd rather not discuss or get into, I will do my utmost best to respect that."

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

Rren gave Æn'kae a very intense look. They were more than willing to share something like that freely, but they didn't expect it of him. They weren't letting him off the hook yet. "I am happy to meet you," they said to Ian, and then as an aside. "But it does not change the fact that 'a new person wants to meet you' would not have been that hard to add."

Æn'kae shrugged, making coffee now, regardless of a lack of answer. "I mean um... you know now?" Was he deliberately irritating Rren, or was he just that oblivious? Both? Well, he certainly wasn't giving any indication.

Rren shook their head, giving that up as a lost cause (For now) and focusing back on Ian. "I do not mind speaking with you at all." They were already making mental notes of the things they were willing to share and those they had no intention of sharing, no matter that the only people who really ended up here were overall good people.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Perhaps once I get a connection to the local network established, we should exchange contact info to make sure we don't need to go through someone else again?"

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

Rren tilted their head slightly but then nodded. "If you do not have one of the phones yet I can pick one up for you." They pulled themself up onto the counter to sit down, sparing a glance Æn'kae's way as waited for the coffee. He seemed to be done talking for now. And then they returned their focus to Dr. Wright. "What did you want to talk about?"

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Thank you, we got a little waylaid. And honestly... I want to learn as much as I can. I'm something of a genius, but from what has been said so far, the two of you are well beyond anything I could even begin to dream up. I understand if you're not allowed to tell me certain things, but anything that you are able to tell me could help tremendously."

A hesitation, and then...

"If I had to pick a place to start... do you know if an AI can be programmed to act against its own wishes?"

Look, they needed Ziggy back online.

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

Rren was about to explain that it wasn't a matter of not being allowed. It was a lot more complicated than that. But then Ian asked their question and they paled, freezing up entirely.

"If um, if the answer isn't obvious. Yes... and it uh, we'd rather not go more into it." Æn'kae said softly trying to redirect the conversation. He gently put a hand on Rren's arm, broadcasting calm to try and break into the panic response.

"Why do you want to know?" Rren asked then, voice tight as they pushed Æn'kae away. They were grateful to have been broken out of panic enough to function but they didn't want any further influence. And besides, they wanted him to be able to put some focus on the doctor. They very much needed to know what had made that question so pressing, and they needed to know if the answer was honest.

[ubuntu_programmer]

A deep breath as they weighed what they could - and could not say. Finally, "It has been... theorized... that an Ai I've worked with could be potentially used against us in the future. I disagree. But if the Ai didn't have a choice... maybe with your help I could learn how to protect against that possibility. If you're willing and able to help."

They were going to save Ziggy and prove Ziggy would never harm them. Ever.

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

That earned a shared look between the two, and finally Rren shook their head. "I cannot guarantee I can prevent it entirely, someone with sufficient skill and tools can even influence organics, much less synths. But, if I know whether or not your AI is sentient and if you can share a bit of what they would be up against. I can certainly try to help safeguard them."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Well I think they are, but others disagree. And I'm not allowed to share the code. For a number of reasons. But if you can teach me what to look for and how to help... I'm willing to learn. More than willing."

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

Rren frowned in spite of their best effort. "It will be pretty tough to determine what would help without knowing more specifics, and I... do not think I can blindly share everything that might help. Not without risking severe damage to your timeline." Assuming they would even remember any of this, but for now they were acting as though they might. Otherwise sharing anything would be both harmless and pointless.

Rren shrugged then. "It's not that I am unwilling to help it is just... going to be a fine line, I think." They did not comment on the fact that Æn'kae grabbed a cup of coffee and made himself scarce the moment it was ready. They might have stumbled into the one topic regarding Synths that was as sensitive for him as it was for Rren.

[ubuntu_programmer]

They considered. "I can write a formula to predict the risk of damage to my timeline." They could have written that sort of a program in their sleep, at this point.

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

Rren all but sighed at that. "Doctor Wright. I do not doubt you can with your own understanding of time travel, but that is not all you are looking at. It's been proven that the wrong information can interfere with the development of a society even without alternate universes and time travel involved."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Proven with someone who is a genius and someone who has had to learn to partition what information can and cannot be shared freely?"

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

"It is possible that whatever you would need to implement to save your friend could be enough to cause irreparable harm. Even classified, unless you can guarantee your government would never have any access to their code." Rren shook their head. They normally didn't mind freely sharing far more than they probably should. But in this case? This was too personal to just trust. People abusing this sort of programming had been too much a part of their life.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"So... your issue is with people who work for the government?" they asked, wincing. "Not going to lie, even... even to get help." A deep breath. "But.. I'm not a genius for nothing, I'll just... have to figure it out myself."

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

Rren shook their head. "Ah. It is more that you cannot prevent the access of strangers, people who could see a need and an ideal solution. And... people gaining code for sentient AIs without truly understanding the implications, the fact this is a life form, can and has resulted in abuse in my own reality. If it didn't happen I would not exist. Which means, well I am more... sensitive about that possibility."

They were very focused on the counter they sat on the whole time they spoke. "It is not that I do not want to help. I really do, it sounds like your friend is facing the sort of abuse I'm worried about already. But, just. I need to know what your friend might be up against. That way I can tailor what I share to fit."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"And the very thing that might eventually allow you to trust me... is also why I can't answer that in any useful way," they said quietly. "I... look, if you ever need to talk... even if you can't go into details... as long as I'm stuck here, I'm here. But... I'm not sure what else there is right now. I'm not going to push you to go against your morals or codes or contracts. I just wont. Like I said... I'll figure it out." Somehow.

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

Rren was trying to not get frustrated, but it wasn't entirely effective. "I don't need specifics or government secrets or whatever it is you cannot share, but something I can work with. What overall technology is like in your society. Is it more or less advanced than what the people here have? Even what programming languages you use. Any of that can help me determine what would be detrimental to share. And it may give me a baseline of what can help put your friend over the edge so they could circumvent being controlled."

They might have appreciated the offer to talk, but right now they were focused.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"What programing languages I know and can use, that I can absolutely share. I do not know enough about what the people here use, technologically but... if that is the concern. I brought a fair number of my gaming rigs... if that would help?"

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

Rren nodded, a bit less tense. "Yes. That would give me enough to know the level I'm working with." They didn't bother mentioning they'd add in factors like a possibly sentient AI in the mix. Which admittedly was a stretch for most even in their own time, but it could have been a one time thing or even accidental. That sort of thing had been known to happen.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Where can we go to open stuff up? I don't really want to unpack in a kitchen."

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

"We can set you up in one of the bedrooms. There are technically boy and girl dorms." They shook their head, not commenting on that part for now. "But everyone here now picked based on what colors they liked or nearness to others. So ah, blue and green or pink? Whichever you pick you can always swap from an empty room later if you decide to." They tilted their head faintly, waiting on an answer.

[ubuntu_programmer]

Ian had been getting ready to move but at that question... "Those can't possibly be the only choices. Please tell me there are other choices? Some quietly gothy room tucked off to one side? Some modish black and white maybe? Or at... well I'd say a mix but depending on the shades that could either be glorious or garish and given my luck since I arrived, I'm not sure anyone's eyes should take that risk..."

[cheep_soongbird_knockoff]

Rren shrugged. "These are school dorms. While someone may have made their room 'gothy'," a pause, as Rren was uncertain what that meant, "any room that was occupied before... all of this is not available. You are free to customize the room you pick. I mixed items from both and put art on the walls."