Author Topic: Smooth operator. [TALLY!] [M/TW] (Read 13317 times)

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #100 on:** February 13, 2014, 08:46:22 pm »

"You're a rather good cook," Bard said, taking a sip of wine. Whether he noticed, or cared, about Cameron's silence was anyone's guess. "I suppose your AI makes it easy for you to be good at a wide variety of things, though, hm? Ah."

He passed the remote to Cameron. "I'm not really watching anything, so feel free to put on whatever you want. And tell me, with all your strengths, do you have any weaknesses?"

He finished off most of his second glass of wine.

Cameron probably wouldn't be watching that TV for long.

Tally · « **Reply #101 on:** February 13, 2014, 08:55:17 pm »

Cameron ate quickly, and would have remained silent if Bard hadn't asked him a direct question.

"Well...the modifications are bullet-proof, but obviously most of the left side of my body is still vulnerable to standard weaponry." He glanced at the remote then set it aside.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #102 on:** February 14, 2014, 12:06:28 am »

That wasn't what he was asking, but Bard accepted it for then. Mainly because he felt pleasantly buzzed and didn't truly care about the answer. He watched Cameron for a moment, and then set aside his plate (mostly finished) and finished off the rest of his wine.

"How interesting," he said, and laid a hand on Cameron's unmodified upper thigh. "But with any luck, you won't need to worry about that. My job typically doesn't involve, say...gunfights."

Tally · « **Reply #103 on:** February 14, 2014, 12:15:01 am »

Cameron's eyes flicked to Bard's hand then back up to his face. "Then in the event of an atypical gunfight, I will have to do my best, sir."

The empty dishes gave him a perfect excuse to rise from the couch and collect them.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #104 on:** February 14, 2014, 10:55:52 pm »

Cameron didn't get far.

As he rose, Bard caught him by the arm and pulled him back down roughly. "And where do you think you're going?" he asked. "I wasn't done with you yet--"

His cell phone went off then, and he let go of Cameron and retrieved it from his pocket. Ah, Aydan. And with a new video for him? Boy, his photos had had a...powerful effect, if he'd managed to produce some results that quickly.

"Seemed my friend fancied your pictures," he said to Cameron. "Let's see what he has to say."

He pressed play.

Tally · « **Reply #105 on:** February 16, 2014, 11:22:29 pm »

Part of it was Bard's sudden manhandling. Part of it was Cameron's anxiety in his presence. Put together, and the AI took over in an instant. Before Bard could pull him down, Cameron's artificial hand snapped out, grabbed Bard by the front of the shirt, and pulled him up.

The pupil of Cameron's artificial eye glowed a dim red. His voice came out flat. "I must insist that you forgo the use of physical force against this unit."

It held Bard there, awaiting assent.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #106 on:** February 16, 2014, 11:58:38 pm »

To say that was the last thing Bard expected was an understatement.

Grabbed abruptly and yanked to his feet, he could only stare at Cameron in wide-eyed, wordless shock. And then, when Cameron spoke, realization clicked. That...that was not Cameron speaking. His voice, but not his words, not his inflection. That must be the AI, because it was speaking about Cameron in the third person.

It would have been stellar if Cameron had mentioned that the AI could take control of him.

Bard stared at Cameron for a moment, not daring to move, and looked for some sign that of the passive kid he'd come to know. Seeing none, he cleared his throat. "Yes...understood."

Tally · « **Reply #107 on:** February 17, 2014, 12:04:32 am »

The red light in Cameron's eye faded. He dropped Bard back in the chair and resumed his position on the couch. His voice came out halfway between human and machine, the AI relinquishing control but still wary. "Proceed, then."

He picked up the phone from where it had fallen and handed it off to Bard.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #108 on:** February 21, 2014, 01:45:23 pm »

Bard slid the phone back into his pocket. He didn't want to show it, but he still felt quite shaken by this turn of events--and the last thing on his mind now was whatever delicious thing Aydan had filmed for him. That could wait. He had other priorities now.

He let silence stretch between them for a moment. It gave him time to collect himself and recover. There were few things he hated more than appearing ruffled, especially in front of a subordinate. Especially in front of something like Cameron.

"So," he said at last, turning to look at Cameron, expression cool. He raised his eyebrows. "About what I said about disclosing secrets. You didn't feel that was important?"

Tally · « **Reply #109 on:** February 21, 2014, 03:12:20 pm »

Cameron watched Bard closely in a confused mixture of subservience and vigilance. He partly watched to be wary for danger, partly to be wary for any task Bard might require of him. The AI was at once suspicious for threat and desperate for a user to serve.

"To what are you referring, sir?" His voice still droned into a slight monotone.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #110 on:** February 21, 2014, 03:43:59 pm »

"Oh, I don't know. The part where your AI took control of your body?" And maybe still was controlling him, judging by his voice.

Tally · « **Reply #111 on:** February 21, 2014, 04:00:52 pm »

"I stated that fact 47 minutes ago, sir. I have my exact words on record if you require them." Some inflection returned to his voice.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #112 on:** February 21, 2014, 04:18:09 pm »

"Did you now," Bard said, sounding tired. "Let's hear it, then."

Tally · « **Reply #113 on:** February 21, 2014, 04:19:30 pm »

"I stated that, 'Mostly it gathers information for me, and only dictates my behavior in...certain situations. Like self defense'."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #114 on:** February 21, 2014, 04:23:02 pm »

Bard was loath to admit it, but he vaguely remembered Cameron saying something like that. Probably. He rubbed at his temples.

"Right. I suppose we have different definitions of 'dictates' and 'self-defense'."

Tally · « **Reply #115 on:** February 21, 2014, 04:28:14 pm »

"Yes, sir. The AI prefers to utilize the dictionary definitions of words. Granted, your personal physical abilities could never threaten this unit's safety, but the AI is cautious and does not yet consider you a primary user."

Cameron nearly winced, but caught himself. His flesh hand gripped the arm of the couch just a little more tightly. Bard couldn't find out the details of the AI's need for a primary user. He couldn't let that get out, not to a man like Bard.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #116 on:** February 22, 2014, 09:22:42 pm »

Bard's eyes narrowed. Was that...sarcasm?

Or was Cameron just being genuinely literal?

Another time, and the underhanded insult would have irritated him, but lucky for Cameron, what he said after was interesting enough that he let the potential snark slide and latched onto that instead. He tilted his head.

"Primary user? What do you mean by that?" he asked. "How does one become its primary user?"

Tally · « **Reply #117 on:** February 23, 2014, 05:06:29 pm »

"It...I mean, you have a PC, right? And you have an administrator account on it." Cameron paused, fighting back the words, but they welled up and spoke themselves regardless. Providing information proved nearly as equally powerful a compulsion as obeying a direct order.

"But it's not exactly the same. It's not as simple as choosing a username and a password. The AI is intelligent. Choosing a primary user is its prerogative."

Cameron shrugged. "It has to like you."

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #118 on:** February 24, 2014, 11:05:51 pm »

“It has to like me.” Bard stared at Cameron. That did not sound...promising, because while he didn't want to make too many assumptions, he was going to assume the AI didn't like him very much. Judging by how it had responded to him just moments ago.

“And if it decides it likes someone and makes them their primary user,” Bard continued. “What sort of access and privileges does it grant them? What is the relationship between the AI and primary user?”

Tally · « **Reply #119 on:** February 24, 2014, 11:17:56 pm »

There they were. The questions Cameron didn't want to answer. Since he couldn't lie, and he couldn't stop himself from responding, he held back. Tried to be less explicit than Bard might have liked.

"It...it would alter certain priorities." He shifted under Bard's scrutiny, searching for the right words. "Priorities involving your personal safety, and the unit's own."