VL121R | Day 2 Morning | Text

[meadqueen]

I’m southwest of the mountains, near the shore. There's an abandoned village here.

A central square, strangely paved, surrounded by several metal longhouses and an odd tower at one end. It's been abandoned for quite some time.

Comments

[metalicarus]

[They've moved...like maybe three feet in that hour and it's grating on Jet's nerves, so her message is a relief. Even if it's also confusing.]

How can you tell?

[meadqueen]

One of the others suggested I look for “communications” up here because of the flagpole on the roof.

I see where they would have been, and the very thorough nature of their absence suggests deliberate removal.

[metalicarus]

That's something.

How light is the area around where they used to be? Very noticeable or only a bit noticeable?

[meadqueen]

I think this was done before the tower’s stairway crumbled. If I hadn't known what to look for, I would have noticed nothing.

[metalicarus]

So definitely a while ago.

Either they cut off communications on purpose or they needed the parts for something and whoever they were communicating with stopped mattering so much.

[meadqueen]

If our visit is "unauthorized" it may be that they wished to ensure no one could come back here.

[Without a lighthouse, ships run aground]

[metalicarus]

Yeah. Which would then bring me back to how we got here. Spread out, no obvious wreckage, no other planes or boats seen. If we were in a shipwreck, you'd think we'd remember at least swimming up here.

Us being unauthorized makes some sense to me why no one on the island's come looking for us yet.

For every answer there's just more confusion.

[meadqueen]

Some of my things were taken, which feels deliberate, yet no one seems to know we’re here. Save the author of that warning people are hearing in the north, I suppose, but they don't seem like they were expecting it.

[metalicarus]

We don't know how much is automated here either, probably won't until we get a better look at some of the local structures.

[meadqueen]

[She still doesn't really know what automation is either, sorry]

You think it may be following an old plan?

[metalicarus]

[...he knows his misstep as soon as she responds. It's been A While since he had to deal with someone out of time, but he's trying.]

Might be. If it was set up before we got here by people long gone? Machines are only as smart as they're told to be
Most of the time
These ones are probably like that: following orders they don't know they don't need to anymore

[meadqueen]

I see. It seems a bit sad.

[metalicarus]

What?
The machines are a bit sad?

[meadqueen]

To be left behind, I mean. Unable to do anything but follow orders that don't matter anymore.

[metalicarus]

Machines don't actually feel anything, you're just projecting human feelings on metal.

[meadqueen]

They can think and follow orders, but they don't have minds?

[That's sad too but she won't say it]

[metalicarus]

They have minds enough to problem solve and be able to keep doing what they're doing even in adversity that would make normal people stop.
They're not programmed to have opinions.
Most of them.

[Which, ok, kinda sad when he types it out like that, but also there's got to be a line in there somewhere. For himself, at least. Not that he wants to go anywhere near that opic.]

[meadqueen]

I see. Is there a way now to change their orders?

[Or is that why people keep asking about power?]

[metalicarus]

I mean maybe. Depends on if you can get into their computer heads and speak their language at them to tell them to do something else. Sometimes they've got defenses to stop that.

[meadqueen]

I see. And if these devices are intended for military applications, I'd imagine that this sort of intrusion would be anticipated.

[metalicarus]

You're on the money. Gonna need a special key more than likely, or a password. Can't just have anyone knocking on the door.

[meadqueen]

Do you think these watchwords would cycle even in the absence of their masters?

[Randvi may not know technology, but she knows war. If the airplane people were smart they weren't sticking to a single password indefinitely]

[metalicarus]

If they're programmed that way, yes.
Lots of things you can do with enough science and technology.
You thinking about trying to brute force your way through with guessing?

[meadqueen]

I’m thinking that if this was a military camp the watchword may be written here somewhere.

[metalicarus]

If the people working there were idiots, it's possible.
If it's written on paper, it might be long gone by now.
Check under the desk or inside the bottoms of drawers though, humans are predictable about these things