ABS FIESTA REDUX

[Tayasaurus]

"Weren't YOU the one who got all angry at me when I suggested sending Elu to R&D?"

"I don't remember that actually, and even if you did. Remember when Elu was the only loving helian bot for miles? Well he WAS. He's the one we chose to see the extent of his AI, we don't need the others except for knowing the enemy and how to beat them! Phobos is a combat machine, Elu is a worker. I'd rather Phobos in R&D than Elu. Do what you want, try to convince them not to send Phobos to R&D, but at the end of the day i'm not backing you."

[Ad Bot]

[Badger]

Walter sneers back "Elu was a Worker, and I never asked for your approval anyways."

[Tayasaurus]

Walter sneers back "Elu was a Worker, and I never asked for your approval anyways."

"Command doesn't give a damn if one of us wants to pull it from R&D. That's literally what they sent us here for."

[Badger]

"Command doesn't give a damn if one of us wants to pull it from R&D. That's literally what they sent us here for."

Walter grumbles and continues the conversation

"The moment he realizes he's being taken apart he's going to terminate himself because he will see that he's just going to die anyways, so why allow the 'enemy' to get information in the process? sending him to R&D is counterproductive and too risky."

Walter turns away

"I'm done arguing with you, I'll talk to the sky Marshall myself to find out what's happening with him."

He focuses back on Elu

"What were you trying to say?"

[Qwepir]

He focuses back on Elu
"What were you trying to say?"

: I was going to suggest returning him to Helios, instead of turning him into your research division.

[Badger]

: I was going to suggest returning him to Helios, instead of turning him into your research division.

"While the possibility of turning a new leaf in relations with Helios is there, it's still very small. Unless there's better reason behind it that I'm missing, that wouldn't be priority."

Walter continues to stare at Phobos

"I'm wondering if our friend Phobos here has started to develop a conscience like you have, I think that PPC shook him up quite a bit."

[Tayasaurus]

"Elu hasn't really developed conciousness as much as he already has it. We've just gotten better at communicating with him. Phobos is probably the same. Turning him back in to Helios wouldn't change a damn thing. They would still sit on their glorious techno-garbage city and act like they're neutral all the same. A complete waste of space on this planet if you ask me."

[Qwepir]

"While the possibility of turning a new leaf in relations with Helios is there, it's still very small. Unless there's better reason behind it that I'm missing, that wouldn't be priority."

Walter continues to stare at Phobos

"I'm wondering if our friend Phobos here has started to develop a conscience like you have, I think that PPC shook him up quite a bit."

: Weapon damage had nothing to do with it. Phobos is eight months and ten days overdue for a memory purge. From what he has shared with me, the Goths deliberately skipped the procedures to see if allowing the program to develop would result in a more skilled pilot. This is a violation of the Helian terms of service regarding lent hardware.

"Elu hasn't really developed conciousness as much as he already has it. We've just gotten better at communicating with him. Phobos is probably the same. Turning him back in to Helios wouldn't change a damn thing. They would still sit on their glorious techno-garbage city and act like they're neutral all the same. A complete waste of space on this planet if you ask me."

: Your incorrect assessment aside, returning him to Helios would be giving them evidence that the Goths are not being honest with their deal. They may stop receiving support as a result. Additionally, Phobos would not have to die.
: Or, they just fix him, and send him back with a note that says "please don't do that again".

[Tayasaurus]

: Your incorrect assessment aside, returning him to Helios would be giving them evidence that the Goths are not being honest with their deal. They may stop receiving support as a result. Additionally, Phobos would not have to die.

"Well maybe your people need to stop living under a gods-damned rock and pay attention to where their loving hardware is going and enforce it."

: Or, they just fix him, and send him back with a note that says "please don't do that again".

"A smack on the hand wil surely make the Goth's see the error of their ways."

[Badger]

"I hadn't thought of that. I'll mention that option if possible too."

[Qwepir]

"Well maybe your people need to stop living under a gods-damned rock and pay attention to where their loving hardware is going and enforce it."

: Helios is not omniscient. Helios will not know of any issues with their lent hardware unless the Imperium reports it. The Imperium is intentionally creating issues which violate the terms of their agreement. The Imperium has nothing to gain by reporting their own violations of the terms. Therefore Helios is not aware of the violations. I believed you to be intelligent enough to understand this. I now know I was mistaken.

The VTOL arrives over Gus's position and Virvel begins looking for a place to set down.

[CypherX]

"About god damn time!"

Gus shouts at the hovering VTOL and its crew, not over comms. He peers over the edge at the pod again.

[Tayasaurus]

: Helios is not omniscient. Helios will not know of any issues with their lent hardware unless the Imperium reports it. The Imperium is intentionally creating issues which violate the terms of their agreement. The Imperium has nothing to gain by reporting their own violations of the terms. Therefore Helios is not aware of the violations. I believed you to be intelligent enough to understand this. I now know I was mistaken.

Tippy grinds her teeth against her lower jaw

"The problems are stemming from you giving the imperials that kind of tech in the first place. If you can't break a contract with repeated offenses then Helios is populated by a bunch of bumbling forgetheads. I'd expect Helios to be responsible enough to know and investigate these liabilities from time to time. Or, pay attention to the war, which you hardly need omniscience to do that now do you? They're of city of children with high-tech toys, and our soldiers have to clean up the mess. I half expected you to be intelligent enough to realize that too. This far into everything, you have no excuses."

Tippy leans back into her seat and shakes her head mumbling

"unless the imperium reports it. Puh, we can't assume responsibility for our own stupidity"

[Qwepir]

Tippy grinds her teeth against her lower jaw

"The problems are stemming from you giving the imperials that kind of tech in the first place. If you can't break a contract with repeated offenses then Helios is populated by a bunch of bumbling forgetheads. I'd expect Helios to be responsible enough to know and investigate these liabilities from time to time. Or, pay attention to the war, which you hardly need omniscience to do that now do you? They're of city of children with high-tech toys, and our soldiers have to clean up the mess. I half expected you to be intelligent enough to realize that too. This far into everything, you have no excuses."

Tippy leans back into her seat and shakes her head mumbling

"unless the imperium reports it. Puh, we can't assume responsibility for our own stupidity"

: You are misrepresenting what I said. Do I have to repeat myself using simpler words? Perhaps slower, too?

Virvel starts talking over the intercom.
: Ah, that spot'll do. Hold on to something back there, I'm bringing her down!

Gus shouts at the hovering VTOL and its crew, not over comms. He peers over the edge at the pod again.

It still hasn't moved or changed in any way. The VTOL sets down in an intersection about twenty meters down the road from the capsule (to the west).

[Tayasaurus]

: You are misrepresenting what I said. Do I have to repeat myself using simpler words? Perhaps slower, too?

"You know what, I'll humor you. Simplify it for me and tell me as you would a child. I'm completely serious. I doubt i'll think any differently of the situation."