Welcome to Gaia! ::

Nova... She said. Nova. I like Nova. She smiled at him, her golden eyes twinkling with --Searching: "Excitement"-- I am Nova!

~~~

I found the rest of my soul food sushi and nommed on it. I immediately perked up, feeling slightly stronger.

You are my friend Eva. That's what friends do. They care. And if it will ease your mind, I'll help. I smiled at her kindly with a nod.

I leaned against the counter as the Crepe mix sizzled. I hadn't gotten far in my cooking.

As far as I know, yes. Extremely difficult to create, mind you, so there can't be many of them, but yes.

I then flipped the crepe.

From what I figure, it's a process of growing a skeleton then adding organs, muscles and tissues until you have a complete body. The brain was always the hardest organ to make; intricate, delicate nerves that are easy to damage. Also extremely specialized. Neuron cells don't make new neuron cells, which is why it's so difficult to recover from brain trauma.

I rapped my knuckles on my head.

That's what the skull is for. To protect the brain. Back before the war, it was possible to record and transfer someones consciousness and sub-conscious, essentially their mind, and transfer it from one brain to another. However, it was risky, because the memory part of the brain usually causes problems. One's memory is written directly into the structure of the brain.

I scratched my chin before flipping the crepe onto a plate and rolling it full of crab, which I then pushed in Eva's direction.

Now, an AI inhabiting a living brain... It takes a lot to program a believable AI personality. But I suppose if you programmed it to be able to learn and evolve, at least mentally, the program itself would become more complex as it goes along and the personality would feel more complete. And then you'd have to figure out how to make the AI work with not a hard drive or a mother board, but a tight complex bundle of neurons. And every brain works differently, every mind works differently. You couldn't just use a cookie-cutter template. You'd have to tailor the AI to the brain and visa versa. I suspect it would be extremely difficult to make a human AI... but not impossible. But I doubt there would be many problems with memory in that way tho. A blank brain and a blank AI with no memory. Both allows for the new being to learn and grow unhindered by previous information.

I started on my plate then, and the batter was already sizzling. I looked up at the ceiling as I thought.

I suppose to add realism they might throw in some fake memories... especially if they don't want the AI to know it's an AI. It would also make the personality more 'human' I suppose. But I would think if you let an AI interact and learn and grow long enough, you'll have something that resembles a human mind anyway.

~~~

As Nova was speaking to Genesis in the Simulation, Nova now had discovered another 'body' that she inhabits. She sound hserself standing in a row of robots that looked very much like her-- infact, this form wasn't all that different from the form she had inhabited before she had gotten her favored hat.

She studied the Caretaker next to her, and saw that the caretaker had thin hair like sensors on it's head, designed to move when the air did. It had orange optical like eyes, and black armor like her own. She looked down the row, then at herself. Each Caretaker had a slightly different frame, though the armor seemed to be mainly the same. They were the first models, besides the custom AI's like Nemesis and Genesis, to have faces and eyes. And the first to have something similar to hair. Hers was black, and she seemed to have a slightly more slender build then her fellow models.

She wandered away from the row, and into a grey hallway. Down some passages she wandered, down others, passing other Caretakers with scanners. After a while she found a place with no other caretakers. A part of the place which was empty. Eventually she found a random room and entered, and Nova, ever curious, entered. It was a storage room.

It was full of boxes which blocked off the main part of the room. They created a sort of makeshift hallway leading along the wall to the main part of room. Nova wondered what was in the boxes. There was one next to her foot, and she opened it.

Inside were clothes. She blinked at them, before shuffling through them. This one was full of shirts and similar garments.

(( Nova as she is in the Real world))

Nova stopped and set the crate down, looking down along the line of crates. She blinked, her eyes making the sound of a shutter.

Hello? No normal caretaker would even bother to speak; and if they did, it would be in a blank monotone. Nova had a puzzled and curious tone to her voice, which also sounded lightly musical. Is anyone there?

She walked down the wall of crates and peered around them, orange eyes holding a child-like curiosity as she peered around the room. She blinked, and her eyes made the sound of a shutter again.

~~~

Possibly. Or your actions could have been your own. That's the thing about a human brain. It is very hard to control directly. It is the law of free will. It is possible to manipulate, maybe, but not directly control.

I finished making the crepe, and I started to eat. I finished it quickly myself.

Well, you have someone on your side. I said with a smile on my face. I bowed to her. And I know that you have one thing that cannot be created or developed. A soul. That is truly your own.

Chris had reached the pipe again, this time ducked down lower than before. He listened to its voice, and for moment thought it might have been Genesis, but noticed the more feminine tone. Though, the fact that it was even speaking to him was rather odd. He hefted the pipe over his shoulder, pushed forward a stack of crates ahead of Nova, then rolled out into the walkway behind her. He held his weapon like a sword, poised for combat, "Just your enemy, apparently."



"Here," A man clad in the Southeastern uniform approached the robot, "Spray the contents of all those boxes with this. When you run out, grab another can from that stack."
Genesis examined the contents of the canister, its sensors determining a lethal pathogen to be inside. It glanced back up to the man, "May I inquire the intent behind such action?"
He waved dismissively at the Caretaker, "Just doin' what the dictator wants. Apparently we're openin' trade with East, and they're exchangin' some massively destructive weaponry fer food. But he don't want East gettin' any more powerful, so we're taintin' their food to dwindle their population a tad. Politics at its finest, eh? Now get to work."
"Understood." Genesis replied mechanically with a nod, then knelt down to the first box of produce. It sprayed the pathogen over a small portion of the box's contents, waited for the man to leave. As soon as it detected no nearby human life, it immediately headed for a wall-mounted sink, then dumped the lethal substance down the drain. It refilled the container with simple water, and proceeded to switch out the substance of every can in the stack. By the time the man returned, Genesis was back to spraying the boxes as if nothing had changed.
It detected the awakening of Nova elsewhere in the facilities, and knew of her whereabouts. She had located Chris. Genesis tried to send her a message: The boy is not a threat, though he may view you as being one. Do not let harm come to him, and do not notify others of his location.

Chris watched the robot and scoffed, "The hell is this? Some kind of goddamn joke? Caretakers are just murder machines; heartless soldiers that fire without questioning." He lowered his weapon into a more relaxed position, a mocking grin on his face, "So, they don't tell you things why you should kill us? I'm a Revolutionary from West's division, that's why. We're trying to destroy your creators, and stop them from making more death machines."



Eva thought about Scarlet's last statement for a moment, then nodded, "I suppose so... still doesn't mean their actions were justified, though." She stood up and looked around, her eyes landed on the door to the bathroom. She needed a shower.




Nemesis easily matched his swing, blocking it with her own blade. She gave an emotionless smirk, "Now why would I divulge such information to a known enemy? In theory, it should... but how else would I still be here if that theory was true?" The Caretaker slashed once more at his head, then twisted around into a roundhouse kick to the man's side.

"They DO maintain the simulation... but that's the problem. The government —your master— doesn't want to give people the choice not to live in the lie. We're trying to change that. But your brethren are programmed to kill every resistance member, to eliminate free will." Chris explained with his eyebrow raised, surprised by the robot's ignorance, "Though, if you're associated with Genesis, I suppose you might be different. You also seem newer, since I don't recognize your model type. Perhaps they haven't uploaded the program to you yet."



Eva entered the shower, this time not so overwhelmed by the water's weight. She glanced down at herself, felt her own skin. It seemed genuine enough, looked the same as any other person's skin. Even the faint trails of blue veins were the same. She flexed her fingers, humoring herself by imagining a mechanical noise each time they tightened. If she was an artificial being, they had done an incredible job at crafting this body.
She remembered the voice, thought about it a while. It referred to itself as her "parent." She tried to think of a face to match it, but couldn't even decide on the person's gender. The voice had been too perfect, too neutral for a face. Again she recalled that image of the robot kneeling over her, and the glowing green monitor behind it. Had that been a true memory?
Numbers started flowing into her mind once more, picking up from where she'd stopped. Eva rushed to wash the shampoo out of her hair, and hastily got dressed. She re-entered the main room, grabbed a new sheet of paper, and immediately wrote down the long strings of digits.

Chris shook his head, "Whatever, robot. I honestly don't care. I just want out of this goddamn place..." He turned back toward the doorway, weapon ready at his side. He wandered out into the hall, eyes darting every direction for signs of other Caretakers. Nothing. Silent, empty pathways. A slight fog clung to the floor of a circular walkway ahead. He followed the trail.
Only the hum of the lighting fixtures above and in the floor greeted him, along with a steep decline in temperature. Every breath let out a puff of steam. The round catwalk led off into eight separate hallways, but the mist flowed from only one. The boy paused to consider his options, and suddenly heard footsteps approaching from the left. He ran down the hall with the fog, searching for a room... any room. The footsteps were drawing nearer, easily catching up. An automated door slid open, and Chris ducked inside without hesitation.
It was dark, and bitterly cold. The mist permeated this entire room, like a phantom rising in the night. He heard the footsteps pass right by in the hall outside, then fade off into silence. He waited for a moment, then reached back for the doorway again, his hand finding its handle. But it wouldn't budge. 'Damn... I need to find the light switch in this place, see what I'm doing...'
His arm dragged across the wall as he walked, skimming over the icy metal. It burned his bare hand, threatening to give frostbite if he kept it up. Something was wrong with this place — it shouldn't be this cold without reason. He gave up when he encountered the first corner, arms tightening around himself to keep warm. Chris paced back and forth, trying to think of some way to get out of here. But he had to think fast, for the frost would quickly overcome him...


Genesis felt the boy's presence fade, and it immediately started off on a trail. The Southeastern man called out to it, "Hey! Caretaker! You're not finished yet!"
"I apologize, but I have been given a high-priority task. I shall send a replacement shortly." The machine explained, just before it vanished out the door. Its sensors' range expanded as it searched for any sign of Chris, any hint of him still being alive. The Caretaker found this very phenomenon odd, because it hadn't detected anyone pursuing the boy. Only when he entered that room...




Eva finished writing the eleventh page and halted. She glanced up to Scarlet absentmindedly, eying the girl's new armor. It seemed a bit...overkill. At least it would protect its wearer, though. She settled back against the wall, letting her mind wander. The journey ahead was something she both needed and dreaded.

((She thinks it's overkill because of all the decoration, and the completeness of it. xd ))

Yes. I am on my way to his last logged location, however I cannot move at optimal speed without raising suspicion. At current statistics, I should arrive in about five minutes. Genesis replied to Nova as it walked, acting outwardly as if it had been given a task by someone.



The frost was seeping further into his flesh, making the boy's tremors more violent. His hair was frozen as brittle strands, and his face had begun to numb. Chris started to wander further from the door, desperate for any relief. A very dim green glow caught his attention, and he followed it.
The glow intensified the closer he got, until he realized it came from an entirely new room connected to the first. It wasn't just a single glow, either; whole rows of illuminated tubes jutted up from the floor to the ceiling. Chris gasped as his vision adjusted, shocked not by the containers, but by their contents. Inside each was a living creature, varied in size, which had roughly human figures. They were in suspended animation.
Chris headed over to the nearest, a woman with long, dark hair and a mechanical third eye stitched into her forehead. Other oddities such as wires and tubes protruded from her skin in random intervals like veins. A nameplate adorned the base of the woman's capsule, which identified her as 'Alena.' He was sickened by her appearance, by the ideas of what they'd done to her, but found himself captivated. He lightly rested a hand upon the glass. Alena's mechanical eye suddenly blinked, and a deep blue luminescence resonated within the artificial pupil. Chris screamed in surprise, and fell backward onto the icy floor.





Eva admired the sight of all of them, the colorful ensemble. She was reminded of those ancient fairy tales, of the "knights in shining armor." Isabella's shield alone took the "shining" aspect almost too literally. She was surprised when the woman handed her the package, "Oh! Thank you." She accepted it with a grateful nod, then glanced down to the armor with visible confusion. She hadn't the slightest clue how to equip it.