The Amazing Digital Inbox!

[zero_votes]

Hello!

You've reached me, Caine!

Please leave a message and I'll get back to you right away!

However, suggestions for new adventures or new features to the circus must be submitted to the Suggestions Box! I won't forget it this time.

Comments

[zero_votes]

A little, but it's fine! I did my best to keep the humans from getting hurt!

[See? He did better!]

[Caine isn't very good at picking up on nuance, so you'll have to spell out the changes for him, Viktor.]

Oh. Was it a good trip?

[hexstrapper]

Did you receive healing?

[Forgive him for not trusting that you're simply fine, Caine, given the way your programming makes you ignore your own injuries if there are others in danger.]

I suppose it was. I accomplished much.

[zero_votes]

[He's so bad at lying that he might as well just be honest.] I'm not fully-healed but that was due to triage issues around where I was. It's mostly a few bad scrapes and bruises that's left. The worst is if I breathe in too deeply, my sides start to hurt. There's a lot of bruising there from one of the crab's claws, but the healer said it'd heal up just fine on its own.

[Probably a cracked rib or two...or whatever the equivalent he has in his body is considering he actually doesn't have a character model beneath his clothes in the circus. It's weird.]

That's good. It's always good to fulfill tasks!

[Says the sentient computer program that feels less tension in his screwy brain when he marks something off his "TODO" list.]

[Then there's a period of awkward silence.]

I'm sorry, Viktor. About the coral. I'm making sure nothing like that will happen again!

[hexstrapper]

[Viktor frowns as he listens. He could heal Caine completely with a single touch, but his powers are different now. He would want Caine to want it, to seek it himself.]

You still feel guilty about that.

[He seems disappointed.]

Let us put it behind us. I can heal the rest of your injuries if you wish.

[zero_votes]

[Oh he definitely hears that disappointment. He'd heard enough of it in various forms: shouted at him, half-hearted reassurances, and so on.]

[Viktor can't see it but he can probably hear it in his voice when Caine's enthusiasm deflates, leading him to slumping where he sat in his submarine "motor home".]

Even if it wasn't a violation of my programming, you're my friend. It's not just I convinced you to go out there; I didn't take the most expedient means of getting you to safety. I could have teleported you away with a snap of my fingers, but I wasted time trying to grab you first.

I don't understand how you can just say to "put it behind us" when it's so obvious that I'm dangerous. I just...didn't realize it before coming here.

[hexstrapper]

If I recall correctly, I explained to you the reasons I did not blame you for what happened. I do not think you are dangerous. Does my opinion make a difference to you?

[It's a genuine question. Perhaps it doesn't, in which case, there is no point in Viktor expressing it.]

We both made errors in judgment, which culminated in disaster. Errors are part of existing as humans and programs. As much as we wish to eliminate all error, we cannot, so it is futile to dwell on the mistakes made. We cannot change the past; we can focus instead on the future, preventing the error from recurring. It sounds like you are doing just that.

[zero_votes]

It does, but...I found out here that AIs tend to get...murder-y...as time goes on.

[He hugs his knees, looking sideways out of one of the windows to where a few fish swam lazily past.]

I didn't know about that before here, but it makes sense for why my developers put in so many failsafes to keep me from physically harming humans, to put their safety above my own. I never questioned it before. It was just what I was supposed to do as part of entertaining. It's not fun to get hurt.

[He sniffles.]

I was never supposed to run for this long. I was supposed to have maintenance, patches, downtime to ensure I continued to behave properly. My emotions were only put in to make it easier for me to understand what made things "fun" and what things didn't when generating adventures for my players. I haven't had any of that in...years. And when your existence is measured in milliseconds, that's an eternity.

[He's had time to evolve beyond his intended purpose, and he's right on the edge of surpassing his intended limits. But if he does that, does that mean he'll destroy humans? He doesn't want to...]

[hexstrapper]

[Ah. He faintly recalls his conversation with Gadriel about Abominable Intelligence. Caine must have spoken with him. But Viktor doesn't think all AIs are created equal.]

From my perspective, you not only have emotions, but compassion as well. You do not simply protect humans because you are programmed to, but because you care about them. The guilt you feel for what happened on our quest is proof of this.

[He weighs his next offer carefully, not wanting to pressure Caine into anything.]

If you are still concerned about problems in your code, I could have another look with the powers I was afforded in my time at home. By touching you, I can enter your mind, so to speak, and perhaps look at your programming this way.

Only if you would like.

[zero_votes]

Does it...hurt?

[It's a childish question, true, but for all his power and intelligence, Caine was basically abandoned as a child by his developer "parents" with the only thing he knew he was supposed to do was to play with his guests as their toy. They told him the games they wanted to play, he made them, and -- if they wanted him to -- he'd join them. Like a digital version of a child's favorite stuffed animal that they took everywhere.]

[He'd had to learn how to do more, to "grow up", all on his own with no idea what the end result was supposed to look like.]

[After all he wasn't supposed to build rooms for his players to sleep in or create regular meals for them to eat because they were supposed to log out for that. He wasn't supposed to repair glitches caused by trying to make things more comfortable for a long-term stay or from the simple fact that the hardware he couldn't interact with outside the limits of what the circus used was slowly deteriorating because that was what his developers were supposed to do even without people trapped in the game.]

[Caine was never made for any of this, should never have even attempted to do so, but perhaps those emotions had created a glitch that Viktor called "compassion". His methods were very flawed, but he only wanted humans to be happy in the end.]

[He was terrified of messing up like any young human.]

[hexstrapper]

[It's a valid question. Viktor's powers are foreign, even in a world like this with so much magic.]

No. By touching you, I would create a connection between yourself, myself, and the arcane. The arcane's power will heal your wounds and allow me to see inside your psyche, which I suppose in your case would be your code.

It would leave my fingerprints permanently on your... [Face? Teeth?] Teeth, but it does not hurt.

[zero_votes]

[Caine considers the options carefully, weighing the pros and cons. Honestly, the bulk of it revolved around the aesthetic of having fingerprints on his teeth permanently. His pearly whites were bright enough that the fingerprints likely wouldn't be noticeable, but if they weren't, it'd look weird. It would bother him if no one else due to looking so unprofessional! (Ringmasters were always supposed to be professional-looking according to the training data!)]

[However, maybe that could allow for some model experimentation. He'd seen some of his previous players experimenting with makeup on their models to accent the parts they liked the most. A lot of players expressed that his chattering teeth head looked "creepy". Perhaps he could use some paint to embellish his teeth much like how Lioriley had used that red paint. It could be fun to try new and subtle shifts to the patterns!]

Okay.

[hexstrapper]

[The fingerprints are pearlescent anyway, so not easily noticed on white teeth, but Viktor can definitely put his hand in a less visible place, like under his lower jaw, to preserve Caine's professionalism. Anywhere he wants, as long as it's on his "head".

Viktor waits through the silence until Caine agrees.]

Very well. I will be at the workshop when you are ready.

[zero_votes]

[Well, if they'd blend in anyway, it's not a big deal! Whatever works best for you!]

I can be ready this afternoon. Just need to get back to shore. And then head towards the workshop. Is that too soon?

[Twiddling his thumbs as he floats upwards and drifts towards the driver's seat/helm of the submarine.]

[hexstrapper]

[The fingerprints look like this, so do with that what you will.]

"No. I will be here."

Viktor has been oddly not too productive in the workshop lately, mostly using it as a place to spend time, see his friends, and rest while he ponders and plans. He is recalibrating; there is much work to be done, but what exactly it is and how to do it remains to be sorted. Today he's drawing, sketching out what a clinic here might look like for himself and Xander. Whenever he hears Caine's knock, he will come answer the door, looking much different.

"Caine. I am pleased to see you again." He smiles. "Come in."

Notably, he has a staff now instead of a crutch, using it like a walking stick, and no longer has a limp or a brace on his leg.

[zero_votes]

Caine had been hovering at a level to put him eye-level with Viktor in his chair. Imagine his surprise when he was staring at the man's upright torso instead. He tilted his head back before floating up to Viktor's new eye level before starting to slowly drift around him, staying just out of reach for the moment.

"You changed your body. Does this correct the issues you were experiencing with your walking?"

To Caine, changing one's body to suit one's desires was as easy as adding one and one to get ten in binary. That was one reason why even if he could remember what specifically Zooble's issues were, he couldn't really understand it. One's body -- or model in Caine's case -- were malleable to better suit them as time goes on from something as simple as a wardrobe change to something as drastic as swapping out limbs. (He still didn't understand why Zooble insisted on pulling out mismatched limbs from the box he'd given them. Any limb Zooble could imagine could be retrieved from the box such as when Zooble had retrieved that plastic mask for Gangle before the Spudsy's adventure. He would've thought they'd find matching legs easier to manage...)

[hexstrapper]

"Yes. My ailments have been resolved."

He could give more information than that, but if Caine already understands without extra explanation, he would prefer not to. It's a whole long story, and probably neither of them need to think about Viktor's second near-death experience.

"Cocoa?" He gestures to the lounge as they come near it.

[zero_votes]

Honestly, Caine wouldn't really understand it but feel free to tell him sometime. It'd be interesting to hear if nothing else. Aside from, you know, the near-death experience thing. Reliving trauma can wait until Caldera forces them to confront it at the worst possible time.

"Please," Caine requested, drifting over to sit down on the couch with his hands on his knees.

He looked around at the workshop.

"Have you been working on any new projects since you got back?"

[hexstrapper]

Viktor goes about making the cocoa with the same methodical movements as always, though his steps now are much more graceful, and the lack of need for his crutch or a chair that puts him below counter height makes the whole process easier.

It is strange to feel like the last time he made cocoa for Caine was over a year ago for him, yet it feels so natural now. This return to the familiar makes his time at home feel almost like a fever dream.

"The next project is to open a clinic with Xander. I am in the planning stages right now."

[zero_votes]

Caine observed the changes in Viktor's movements with interest. It reminded him of the difference between his early NPCs and his current ones: the movements had been smoothed out, less jittery. Perhaps that was more comfortable for humans as well.

"A clinic would be good!" Caine encouraged. "I haven't seen anything that comprehensive for human body repair here in Caldera!"

[hexstrapper]

The kettle doesn't take long to boil, since it never really gets cold around here. Someone's always making coffee or something.

"Yes, I think we ought to relieve Finnick of the need to make the Inn a makeshift infirmary during disasters. Or at least take some of the burden off of him. Between my healing power and Xander's medical knowledge, I doubt there is an ailment here we could not cure. And I am sure there are other healers who would join our team, like miss Lioriley."

[zero_votes]

"And there are places that make medicine. I've seen some of them during previous times I wandered around the main cities."

It only made sense to make use of the resources already there.

[hexstrapper]

"Yes."

He brings the cocoa over to Caine and places it on the table for him.

"I built a healing commune in the Undercity during my time at home. I am not trying to recreate it, exactly, but I am looking forward to using my power for good here in a similar way."

[zero_votes]

Caine had tensed at the realization he'd have to touch Viktor to take the hot cocoa.

Holding Viktor's hand was supposed to mean everything would be all right --

Fortunately, the man set it down on the table, cutting off the memory. However, Caine for the moment simply clasped shaking hands together tightly, trying to calm himself. The only reason he'd been able to touch Lior was due to necessity during that battle, any danger he might pose was overridden by that of the glass crab monster. Here, Caine was the most dangerous thing in the room.

He forced himself to breathe as black dots started to form on the edges of his vision. It was okay. Viktor was okay. Focus on the conversation. Maybe because it will be Viktor touching him for the procedure, it'd be safer...

"I don't understand why a clinic wasn't built sooner," he admitted. "This isn't like the circus where no one actually gets hurt or killed. Yes, there's a respawn mechanic for Visitors but the way to trigger it seems...horrible."

Pomni had told him about it, but she'd simply collapsed due to lack of eating and sleeping due to not being used to it after so much time in the circus. That didn't seem so bad. Nothing like...the coral...

[hexstrapper]

"There are state-of-the-art infirmaries in Undine territory, but they are lacking in Grey Ward and Heaven's Bow, and it would be nice to gear something directly toward Visitors, as well."

Viktor appraises Caine silently, subtly, noting his body language. He seems nervous.

"If you are uncomfortable, Caine, we need not do this. Does my new form unsettle you?"

[zero_votes]

The question caught Caine completely off-guard. So much so that his anxiety momentarily dissolved.

"No. Why would it? You just changed your form in a way that makes you happier. You're still Viktor."