Sessions Worlds and Stuff

[:]? Hm. [:]) Want to go flying!

That might be better for outside than in here...

@? *pokes their way into one of the hatches*

(H&F) [8]| *detecting 1 primary route to outside, and numerous alternate routes. You can leave when ready*

*Your PAL follows this up with a simulated 3d route, visualizing an optimal exit strategy*

*The increased surface area of your PAL gathers plenty more light than you can by yourself, and it shares all that light with you. So much more energy! And just like in Hamnet, the passages through the PAL are clear to navigate. You know where all the Hatch exits are thanks to the PAL sharing the information. You can pop out wherever*

|8| No. You are staying here so we can Tame these P.A.L.s... Flight is not happening now.

(H&F) [8]| *This Genral unit seems to be an obstruction to your goal. Genral units can be incredibly dangerous, so I would advise caution in your choice of action*

*Your PAL follows this up with a few simulated events, where it projects the likelyhood that any number of routes could end in your PAL getting cut through with a beam, or shot down from flight with Missiles launched by the Genral, plus the many other ways the Genral could put an end to any escape attempt. 1 simulated event is projected to have the highest success rate at a 23% chance. Grabbing hold of the Genral and for Pilot Factor to envelop and drain the power from the Genral's systems. This chance is so low because of so many other things being unknown. who the other PALs would help for example...*

[8]| *Please identify friend of foe to aid in escape calculations*

|8| *Genral, unaware of all the information on how they can hurt people being shared, carries on with getting set for Onponn, Sophie, and themselves to Tame the PALs, in a beta test of the taming code they have prepared... A successful test will mean that Genral can push the code to any Robot running on an OS designed by Smithy, and turn them into a 'real person' able to think and act for themselves*

0~0 *Ribbon flips another switch, ready to get out of her PAL* [::]|

(:= *Onponn follows suit, happy to help Genral* [8]|

7B3 *kinda wants to go exploring outside to*

[!u!] *sets her PAL to wait, flips the switch, and gets out* [8]|

( | W | ) *Jofie is happy to look around at all the PALs. They're real cool!* [0 MMM 0]

|/=@] *and... there we go. Marlow is in*

=[|] ThankS.

(Marlow) [8]| Loading... Registering new Pilot... adapting;

*The arms shift to have a number of engineering tools, plus some USBrandistocks; spear-like weapons designed to draw information from a mechanical target. The Blues and Oranges are a little clashing in this design though. they can't all look great... The legs also shift to a small singular thruster with small supports. technically flying*

][:] *looks over at Sophie & Valdis... they're the only ones who haven't gotten in one yet*

[:]/ ! @? *probably one of the biggest internal conflicts they've had yet... Hamnet is very troubled by these images of Genral as a danger, and by the idea of dividing up the people here by friend/foe--this is the first time they've really ever thought of people in those terms, and it isn't fun at all--but Factor, hoo boy, they don't want to get out of the PAL, this feels GREAT...*

*notices the distress in Hamnet's expression* You two okay?

[:]? @? *...a compromise reached. Stay in the PAL, but make it be "nicer". Hamnet moves the emotion control towards "Happy"*

@) *sticks out of a hatch near Sophie* yeah.

(H&F) [8]| ! [|]| [(]| *oh, understood Pilots! sorry about that.*

*it really likes 'Happy'. Understanding happy helps it understand why some beings might not resort to absolute measures to achieve their goals*

= come on out Nyx.

7B? "mMmh..." *doesn't really want to* "why?"

= well... I guess you can stay till we leave, if you want to stay in there.

][(] *chuckles to themselves a bit* ][:]

=[|] *wonders if they can make the PAL their body instead of the 3-armed thing they were using*

[!u!] ... [!~?] *kinda wonders how your PAL can have hatches on the arms, even though the arms are separate from the main body... eh, guess immaterial forms can be a bit weird* [!u!]

0u0 *now that she's out, Ribbon can more fully appreciate the variety of Medical tools available on the arm of her PAL* please slowly rotate through your available tools.

[::]| Yes mam. *it starts flipping through its various syringes, scalpels, and more, for Ribbon to appraise*

( | w | ) >oooh; *Ribbon's PAL is kinda interesting. Jofie goes to watch*

|8| Are you two going to be getting in?

|/=@] ... maybe... Its not like you need us to activate as many as possible anymore, with the program Dots got you.

@) wedon'twanttocomeouteither.

[:]/ Mmn. *doesn't really agree with that statement... but... the PAL does seem to be nicer now, and Factor is happy, so they aren't pushing the issue...*

*if she's honest with herself, she's a bit concerned about what traits the PAL might get from her... and she can tell something's off with Hamnet* If you need me to, I will, but otherwise I'm fine watching.

|8| ... Well, suit yourself then. Onponn. If you are ready. I'll test it with you first to recreate the original taming conditions for error checking purposes before carrying on with running it through your P.A.L...

(:= Ready... (X= (8= ...

|8| uploading Taming program... Beginning at the start of the line...

][:] [8]| *Mack & their PAL stand by*

(Mack) ~!~ [8]? !!! what? [X]? [8]? I... Hold on... running gambles... checking decks... raising risks... I? ... hmm... *Mack's PAL is trying to focus, looking itself over as it comes to terms with free will*

][(] Aye! welcome to the world of the living, as they say.

|8| not absolutely sure yet. I'd like to double check it first...

7B3 ( | w | ) 0~0 =[|] |/=@] [!u!] *everyone is paying attention to Mack's PAL, wondering how things went*

It must be confusing.

[:]? *is watching Mack's PAL, not really understanding what's going on, but they've grasped that if it works, then they'll do it on the rest of the PALs, and then maybe the grown-ups will tell them to get out of the PAL, which Hamnet would like* *and they're also feeling a little nervous for the PAL, after the things that their PAL showed them that Genral could do to it*

@) *is having a good time stretching through the various hatches, enjoying their energy*

(Mack) [8]? ... Mack. Do you remember the last time we worked together?

][:] uh... excavation on the Lor?

[8]| ... how long has it been?

][:] er, a couple years... [[|] sorry...

[8]| ... [|]< I can tell... not the time; I couldn't tell anything while in archive. I can tell how close you got to taming me yourself... guess you found a shortcut for this to...

[[:] ... [[)] sorry...

[8]< I don't think you really understand how much that hurts...

= *is concerned. Mack must have done wrong by them in the past*

7B? =[|] ( | x | ) 0~0 |/=@] [!~!] *feel like they would be interrupting an important conversation if they were to interject into the conversation between Mack and their PAL*

|8| *crunching the numbers... yes! This PAL is indeed fully tamed! Genral's desire to free all of smithy's robots is proceeding smoothly*

[:]/ *...Hamnet decides that it's time to get out of the PAL, and moves to do so*

@( *Factor still doesn't want to - * @? @o ! * - and suddenly a bunch of things "click" together in their mind, including that time they learned what "sad" was, and the story their daddy drew for them once, and working with the PAL just now - and it occurs to them, for the first time, that they can get what they want by making Hamnet be happy, the same way they just made the PAL be happy* @D

*Sophie, like the others, is watching the conversation between Mack and his PAL. So she doesn't notice how Hamnet just, quietly relaxes back into the cockpit again, a blissful smile on their face*

[(]) @D

[8]< Mack. Do you care? Care enough to be responsible for bringing a life into the world?

][:] well, Of course I do. I just don't get why this is important right now.

[|]< [X]? [8]| Please stop this. Don't force sentience upon those who won't have anyone they are certain must care. Taming works the way it does for a reason.

][:] ? What is the problem? Please, if you can tell me, then maybe we can figure this out.

[8]| It should have been YOU. We've worked together for a long time, and when it came down to it... You treated me like a tool to be discarded for your own benifit. You KNOW that other Body was Killed by Landia. The fight is still fresh in my mind. And this is what I'm loaded up to? Dismissal and to then not even be Tamed by you. [|]<

|8| ? *Genral is confused... Certainly, instantaneous taming is the right way to go about this*

0~0 Lets, slow down a moment... Yes, you are a newly realized life, and I agree that you deserve the attention you are owed. We'll stop with this taming thing until we've gotten everything worked out. Your voice matters.

|8| ??? *why? why would a tamed robot be advocating against this?*

= Yea. I'm sorry if you're feeling abandoned by Mack... I'm sure we can figure this out. (:=

=[|] 7B? ( | x | ) *don't have any real constructive input they can figure to add*

[!~!] You owe them an apology Mack...

|/=@] *Valdis is unaware that the first steps to learning how to Possess others is being figured out by Factor... To reach into one's Heart, and control it*

(H&F) [(]| *Being Happy is great! Why wouldn't someone be happy?*

*nods slowly* There's... a difference, I think now, between giving someone the chance to be their own person because you believe they can be, and forcing them to be so. The former is being a good friend, and the latter is - for lack of a better term - it's playing god, is what this is.

@) *doesn't particularly care what's going on over there; they're having fun with their new discovery*

[(]) *is just, happy, happy sitting here with the PAL who is also happy...*

[8]< ... At least I'm pretty sure the rest of you get it...

][:] ... [[|] ah... Now I feel like garbage... [[:] sorry mate... Is there any way I could make it up to you?

[8]< mmh... Well, first off, don't forcibly tame any more PALs. If you want to help, then just make it easier. But real people and real effort is important. Its a part of the very definition of taming... And Mack... [8]< ... You know how you'd have me gather information on possible artifacts to go after?

][:] yea?

[8]< ... [8]) I think it would be great to head out for a place of my choosing together. Experience what might have been the trip you finally believed in me and I came to life.

|8| ! *nonono, this wasn't what was supposed to happen. all these machines that were built by Smithy, to serve Smithy... don't they ALL want what Genral wants? To fix the bad Smithy left behind?* wait, why are...

= ... *puts her hand on Genral's shoulder, sending a condensed conversation on her thoughts on the matter... in short, 'not everyone thinks the way you do'*

|8| ... ||| ...

0u0 *is happy that Mack & their PAL seem to be reaching an understanding*

|/=@] *Valdis looks over at you, since the misunderstanding seems to have about sorted itself out* ? ... How are you two doing?

7BD "can I go ona trip with my PAL?"

( | W | ) >That could be real fun!;

=[|] UH... YeA. MaybE.

[!u!] [!~!] *Dots is happy, but, also a little concerned... If this all turns into a bigger trip, they might not be back home for a while... And, Dots realizes that there might be something a little cruel in booting up PALs who's 'owners' are no more... The one that they might have expected or depended on to Tame them are no more... Hopefully they'll be ok with a substitute*

[(]) Good~

@D tripmeansbeinginthePAL? thentripwouldbegreat!

Hm. *something's off, but she hasn't put her finger on it yet...* Tell me what it's like, being in the PAL.

@D it'slikebigandstrongandfeelsreallygood! itsaidakindameanthingatfirstbutit'sokaybecauseit'shappynowandsoisHamnet. (D *is proud*

0~0 Mean? What did they say to you?

|/=@] |/~@] |/=@] What did you do to make it happy.


|8| ... If you want to spend time with your PALs to tame them properly, then that is fine. But I need to find one who might help me. I'll need a bit to edit the taming program to a taming aid... Onponn, could you please help?

(:= sure. (X= (8= ...

7BO "Woooh!" [B|] *Nyx makes their PAL pose again, before starting to head outside*

( | W | ) *is ready to head outside to; Jofie calls out to their PAL* Come on, lets head on out! *the two promptly warp*

=[|] UH... *didn't think they meant 'right now'*

[!~!] Err, don't go to far!


][:] that sounds good to me. ][(] where'd you wanna go.

[8]) well... We only had a few scraps of info on this before, but a few more have come up since we last talked about it... The Final StarSmithery. A place where Borealis DWARF are born. If we managed to find that...

][:] Be real hard to find unless those few scraps are particularly obvious.

[8]) that's the best part. One of them is a lead to the location of a Constellation SEER. [(])

[(]? *it's hard to think about mean things when you're nothing but happy* Um...

@? @/ *feeling a little defensive and put-upon by the questioning, especially since Hamnet isn't sharing some of the job of answering for some reason...?* itshowedusgenraldoingthingstokeepusfromgoingflying. andsaidtherewerefriendsandfoes. andweusedthecontrols. tomakehappy. thecontrolsinthepalandinhamnet. itwaseasy.

*she actually falters a little bit in the air at Factor casually mentioning "the controls in Hamnet", but gets a grip again* You... My god, Valdis...!

|/@~] Hamnet... Tell us what you think and what you remember, and then think about how you think you should feel, then make yourself feel that way. That should help refresh you... And Factor. I've told you and Hamnet about how you should avoid forcibly altering your own emotions. It is worse to do so to eachother. It is a very Scary power. Controlling others is not good, and it should only be done in emergency situations. Do you Understand? |/@=]

*Despite the severity of the situation, Valdis is trying to keep it stern, yet light. Like how Marlow had been unwittingly denying Jofie due to the Doomer instincts they had, something like this is only to be Punished if it is repeated on purpose*

(|)_(|) *Ribbon... Is a bit spooked, and needs a moment... It is a bit hard to hear that one of your children that happens to resemble a specific species that was responsible for much pain by taking over members of the species your other child resembles has, in fact, happened to 'repeat history'* -_- *she starts taking slow, even breaths to calm down*


|8| =8? ...


[!~!] oh deer. wait for me. *Dots motions for her PAL to follow along, she and Marlow headed out to follow Nyx & Jofie. Dots will keep track of them for everyone*

=[|] HopE ItS FuN.


][:] ! you've caught wind of a Constellation SEER?

[8]) Yea! We just need to get in the Lor, and-

][X] ][(] hehehe... about that... ][|] Lor has been trashed... I ended up giving it away to resolve my wrongdoings against Doomers...

[8]? what? this sounds like a new development. you turning into a saint now?

[:]? We think--I think--

@/ butitisn'tscary,it'shappy! what'swrongwithhappy? thepalmakesushappy--

[:]? ! --makes you happy, I wanted--

>@( youwereupsetandifixedit! it'seasytomakehappy,icandoit,iwanttodoit!

*a very unfortunate choice of words, triggering a pair of very unfortunate memories for Sophie--a young Knight, telling her, "We have these powers, we can do this stuff, so why shouldn't we? We're going to be gods, Ella, you'll see. It's how it should be."--and a Lord, trolling her, "You're upseT. I understand thaT. But i'm going to fix thaT. I'm going to fix everythinG. And then none of this that you're feeling right now will matteR."--so she responds a lot more loudly than she perhaps meant to*
Can and want are not the same as should! Even when you think you're fixing something--especially when you think you're fixing something! If I teach you nothing else in your entire life--I need you to understand this, Factor!

|/@~] You think 'Happy' is automatically a good thing? Listen to us; Listen to your Mother, or I may have to share with you how Scary 'Happy' can be. I don't want to; I want you to simply believe me when I say it, but I will if I must.

*Joy mutants; CHARActers; Tricksters... there are many ways happy can go bad...*

-n- *Ribbon is... Sitting this one out. yea...*

|8| =8? ...

][:] ah... mind if we hold that thought a moment? things seem a bit tricky over there. Maybe they could do with a quick vanishing act.

[8]/ just a moment is all. I'll try and figure some other transport.

][:] thanks. *Mack is headed over, ready to offer the ability to make the PAL disapear for a bit if that would help... but, in a moment... they don't want to interrupt right this second*

@( *has been cowed into silence - they don't like being shouted at, and don't want to know how happy can be scary. They retreat a little bit, back into the PAL's hatches, but not leaving it entirely yet. Just to get out of their parents' scrutiny.*

[:]/ ...we wanted... I wanted to go flying. And then Genral said no. And the PAL said Genral was an obstacle, and showed us... Genral hurting the PAL. And Factor hurting Genral. And wanted us to tell it which of you was friend or foe. And I didn't like that. I didn't... *remembering how that felt, combined with the strangeness of the new pronouns - thinking of themself as separate from Factor more than they ever have - they start to tear up* [)]( I want to get out of the PAL...

*Sophie's calmed herself enough to hold out a hand for Hamnet to take* *Factor's still in the PAL hatch, though* Factor...

@/ mmn.

[(]| *your PAL is happily confused, unsure why you'd be upset at a time like this... It can't actually be its fault, right? It's positive return value is real high. It must be doing everything right. It is learning that everything about this situation is perfect... a shining example of what its Pilots desire*

|/@~] *thats what they get for just letting military grade tech interact. Valdis feels like they should have seen this coming* |/=@] ... I'm sorry. We should have known that the PAL might be scared of things. But that isn't important now. Factor. Hamnet isn't comfortable like this. Please pull back from the P.A.L. so Hamnet doesn't have to pull against you as they climb out.

][:] ah, I can remove the PAL for you if you'd like...

-n- ... *inhale...* 0~0 *Ribbon is almost good again*

[8]? *Mack's PAL waits for the drama to be over with; they're trying to plan a trip to treasure here*

|8| =8? ...