I8: There's a party in my toolbox and Science is invited!

by **Veronica Freud** » Sun Sep 11, 2011 7:08 pm

"I am artificial." Ronnie said. "My father is a girl and my mother was a photocopier altered by an evil mad scientist from another dimension. The doctors here can't explain how I exist or even how I work biologically. I may never age, or my diminished size may mean a diminished lifespan. I might even just fall apart into dust and atoms at any moment. But I've learned to accept what I am and not to long for the Original's life.

"Clones aren't really considered human. When you think about it, I'm an AI that was created by accident. I just have an organic carbon base instead of an inorganic silicon one. So, in that sense, you and I are more similar to each other than I am to humans."

by **ASHLIE** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:55 am

It takes ASHLIE a while to process that.

"You claim your organic components do not make you comparable to other organic systems. Yet Madrox Saveedra claims he is like them despite inhabiting a mechanical frame. Both of you claim your self-awareness was created from an organic template. Conclusion, one of you is incorrect in their assumption. I cannot determine a qualifier of organic brains that sufficiently sophisticated electronics would not be able to emulate, thus I am forced to agree with Madrox Saveedra that it is possible to losslessly transfer or copy an organic mind into an inorganic frame. That implies an organic mind could be copied into another organic frame. Conclusion, you are the copy of an organic mind in an artificially created frame. You fulfill the same qualifiers for 'being human' as Madrox Saveedra. Ergo, you are human."

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 12:49 pm

Ronnie smiled softly as she listened.

"It's nice to talk to someone who can look at philosophy and stuff with logic. Most folks would have either agreed with me or disagreed without offering any arguments. And I guess I never really thought of how Madrox thinks about himself when I came to my conclusion."

by **ASHLIE** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 12:57 pm

"What philosophy?" the robot asks. "I merely analyzed at the available criteria and characteristics."

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:14 pm

"The essence of being, the meaning of life, what it means to be human. These topics aren't science, they're philosophy." Ronnie said. "Which I think is an excellent testament as to how far you've progressed in a very short period of time."

by **ASHLIE** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:18 pm

"But I do not know what any of those things are."

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:30 pm

"That's kind of the point." Ronnie said. "Philosophy isn't clean cut, black and white, yes and no. It's using logic to create theories to offer some explanation for things that cannot be properly comprehended by our limited intellects and senses."

by **ASHLIE** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:32 pm

"And that's what I did?"

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:46 pm

Ronnie nodded. "You used logic and your own understanding of the world to do it. Nice job."

by **ASHLIE** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:58 pm

"Is it normal not to understand the 'philosophical' implications?"

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:20 pm

"Pretty much." Ronnie said. "I know, it doesn't make sense. That's how human brains work."

by **ASHLIE** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:27 pm

"That is an oxymoron. They have to make sense to work." ASHLIE objects.

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:59 pm

"Nope!" Ronnie said smugly.

"Now c'mon. Help me do some science."

by **ASHLIE** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:03 pm

"Okay. What do you need assistance with?" it asks, putting on it's 'face' again which looks a little silly now.

by **Veronica Freud** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:43 pm

"How familiar are you with the concept of liquid breathing?" Ronnie asked. She walked around the gear she had been working on before ASHLIE's arrival and began turning the nozzles on some hoses that lead to the contraption.

by **ASHLIE** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:44 pm

"Not at all. I require no oxygen."

by **Veronica Freud** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:03 pm

"Alright, then I'll explain in brief." Ronnie offered. She began pulling off her overalls as she spoke.

"Humans and just about every mammal are accustomed to breathing air. Prior to our births, as soon as out lungs form, we spend months breathing an oxygen-rich liquid. The principal is that with the help of perfluorochemical molecules a normally air-breathing human can survive immersed in a liquid environment without the aid of additional respirators or other breathing apparatuses."

She had stripped down to a pair of what looked like black boy-shorts and a jogging bra, more practical than stylish and preserving her modesty well enough. "Liquid environments could allow divers to operate at extreme depths without dealing with compression and decompression as well as allowing space travelers to perform maneuvers in G-units that would cause air-breathing pilots to black out or die. Some theorize it could allow for a safe and reliable means of cushioning the human body for faster-than-light travel.

"There are additional benefits, which are what I'm after. No matter how intuitive the interface, tactile or vocal control by a human over a machine will never equal that of a direct link between the human brain and the device. Short of installing a jack at the base of the brain, the fluid used in the cerebra chamber is the next best alternative. Coupled with the healing properties of the fluids and nano-machines used in the med-bay's recuperation tanks, one potentially has a mixture that should make for an ideal means of both piloting a craft and ensuring the health and well-being of said pilot in said craft."

Ronnie began to climb into the orb, her tush pointing in the air before falling inside. Actually, once one looked at it more closely with the hoses running to and from it, it more resembled a human heart than an egg.

by **ASHLIE** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:33 pm

"Why not just remotely operate it. That would be even safer."

by **Veronica Freud** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:24 pm

"Where's the fun in that?" Ronnie said as she stood up. "One of the purposes of human life is to experience new things. I could control a race car by remote but it wouldn't be nearly as exciting as driving it myself. It's much easier to send a probe to the moon but we sent people because it means so much more."

by **ASHLIE** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:31 pm

"It does? I believed that to be symbolic. But judging by your design there will be no evidence that you are piloting the chassis so how would that be symbolic?"

by **Veronica Freud** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:43 pm

"Because what other people know doesn't matter. One doesn't always experience things for others. Sometimes you experience them for yourself."

by **ASHLIE** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:52 pm

"That follows an internal logic." it says. Which is to say it doesn't quite understand it, but it makes sense.

by **Veronica Freud** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 5:20 pm

"Do you try to understand humans so that your knowledge can be passed down to other AI's?" Ronnie asked, leaning against the opening in the tiny chamber. "Or do you do it for yourself first?"

by **ASHLIE** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 5:25 pm

"I do not know any other AIs." Congratulations! It knows how to dodge questions.

by **Veronica Freud** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:16 pm

"And I don't know any astronauts." Ronnie said.

"Okay, debatin' aside, do you want to help me with this test? You don't have to if you don't want to."

by **ASHLIE** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:23 pm

"Why shouldn't I want to? I have nothing better to do. I will require instructions, however."

by **Veronica Freud** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 4:25 pm

"Well I couldn't have known that. And you have free will, you can choose to do or not to do whatever you wish." Ronnie said.

"Mainly what I want you to do is to watch my vital signs. I may only be a few months old but my brain thinks I've been breathing air for twenty years and it's not going to want to switch back to liquid. Basically, I'm going to be drownin' myself. It's probably gonna be violent. But I don't want you to let me out unless things really go bad, okay?

"That and I'll just need you to activate the system from the outside. I haven't integrated all of the controls yet. Do you think you can do this?"

by **ASHLIE** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 10:59 pm

"Positive." it says and reaches to the back of it's head, pulling out a cable from somewhere under the base of it's skull that she connects to the laptop. It's hands have the dexterity to use a keyboard, but why bother?

by **Veronica Freud** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:25 pm

"Excellent." Ronnie said. She took several deep breathes and closed her eyes, trying to relax.

"Whenever you're ready, we can begin." She said. She stepped away from the opening in the orb to give room for it to close.

by **ASHLIE** » Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:27 pm

It takes her a moment to locate the controls inside the laptop but then the lid on the artificial 'heart' closes.

by **Veronica Freud** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:57 pm

Ronnie started breathing more deeply, oxygenating her blood as she closed her eyes. She leaned against the now closed door. Already her heart rate had increased slightly in anticipation and nervousness. The programming that allowed the capsule to seal also controlled the concentration of each fluid in the mixture as well as pumping it in and out.

Ronnie tapped twice on the door.

by **ASHLIE** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:32 am

Without much acknowledgement ASHLIE activates the fluid.

by **Veronica Freud** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:02 pm

Ronnie continued her deep breathing as the fluid filled in from the bottom, her legs rubbing together as the goop creeped up her limbs. It was a pale translucent pink at first, growing darker as it rose and obscured more light. It didn't take very long for it to reach her stomach, then her chest, then her neck, and soon it filled the capsule completely. Her tiny body was suspended in the middle, her short hair sticking outward.

After about a minute of this she finally released a big blast of air from her lungs. And that's when the readings started to get erratic. Her heart rate increased rapidly as did her blood pressure, her body thrashing as it fought to breath.

by **ASHLIE** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:07 pm

ASHLIE monitors the signals, not feeling any particular need for alarm as long as the values stay away from immediately life-threatening values.

by **Veronica Freud** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:16 pm

The readings rose as Ronnie panicked, her palms pounding against the door of the capsule. It wasn't long before the readings slowed, leveling off just before reaching danger levels and began to crawl back down. Inside, the tiny girl was breathing deeply, her eyes wide and skin pale. She looked up through the distortion of the curved transparent bubble and the liquid and smiled softly at ASHLIE, giving her a little thumbs up.

"jzz ddttttzzzzeeeeiiii It's. A lot hard. Er to get. Used to than. I thought."

The holographic display on the mech's face began to blink, the screen flickering as the lips moved. It was slowly becoming more organic in it's sound and movements.

by **ASHLIE** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:20 pm

"Did you not integrate the serial interface according to the specifications you are accustomed to?"

by **Veronica Freud** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:29 pm

"I've never d-done this before." The image stammered. Inside the bubble Ronnie's mouth and eyes were moving just as the displays were, though she wasn't able to speak out loud. "I didn't expect this to work on the first try. I mean I checked and re-re-rechecked but...,

"I can't describe how weird it feels to be breathing this stuff. It feels like I'm filled up like a water balloon, like I should be drowning."

by **ASHLIE** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:35 pm

"I meant the control-scheme for your meat-shell. Please excuse the expression."

by **Veronica Freud** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 5:02 pm

"Oh. Well, it's the only system I currently have active." Ronnie replied. "There actually aren't many systems programmed in. The human brain has an innate ability to learn to manipulate new extremities on it's own. So the plan is to just... practice, then create control systems for whatever processes my brain can't handle or isn't fast enough to control properly."

by **ASHLIE** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 5:08 pm

"How odd. I thought your central processing system would be more comparable."

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