.:A September Intermission:.

[filialdeception]

Who: Meng Yao, Senku Ishigami, Shin Tsukimi & Sara Chidouin
What: Looking into USB business.
Where: Workshop
When: Beginning of September. 9/6 as a tentative IC date.
Warnings: N/A, probably?

So due to events of the previous month, some time to look into the matter had ended up post-poned. But Meng Yao's determined to go and get this over with. He pulls Senku aside and asks him to clear some time for the workshop so that they can look into this with one another. He also does end up bringing some snacks and drinks just in case it might take awhile, though he's not anticipating this to be quite an ordeal, necessarily.

((OOC: This can be considered kind of freeform, so jumping around is A-OK. ))

Comments

[adsum]

na
me
me
friend
end
ends

[ It sure is struggling, whether because Meng Yao had found it by the shattered remains of a laptop having fallen a good distance, or maybe it was always like this. ]

[kingofscience]

Hm... Maybe yes or no questions would be good. ...Are you a student here?

[ Does the USB itself look badly damaged? And is there anything else to this file that Senku can take a look at? ]

[filialdeception]

[ When Senku asked, and is looking closely at things, he'll try to add an inquiry of his own: ]

And if you are a student, have you been here for a long time?

[adsum]

y
y
y
y
y

[ The USB itself... well, it was corrupted when they'd first put it in, but physically it looks okay. Senku would have to hard reset the laptop in order to mess with the files without clicking on the new icon of an eye that's appeared on the desktop, but he could try to fix what's there or transfer the information to something else. ]

[notsosou]

....A student, huh...

['She's basically a human at this point...' He thinks a bit more. It's a strange thing to think about asking, given code isn't usually alive and usually you can just do it, but you have to, don't you?]

Hey... do you mind if we shut you down for a bit to see what's wrong?

[This... doesn't look like it's normal operation. If anything, he'd say it almost looks painful. He's kind of wondering now what it was like for that AI as the trap ripped it's mind to shreds, and tries to stop wondering. It was working for the enemy anyway...]

[adsum]

wrong

[ ...

It's the only message that displays following Shin's question, but even if you give this consideration, the power is ultimately in their hands to do what they want. Like a dog whining in its crate on the way to the vets. Or a people tree crying about wanting to live as you set it on fire. ]

[kingofscience]

[ Shin seems to have the same idea as Senku. This is definitely corrupted and he's going to try to see if he can fix what's going on. He wants to be able to hold better conversation with this person, and if there's something blocking that he wants to fix it. ]

We're going to try to help you, okay?

[samuraiwomen]

[ GLARE. JUST HOLD OFF FOR FIVE MINUTES WILL YOU?]

[samuraiwomen]

Don't say something scary like that!

[ That's the only thing she can think of to say when she sees the word wrong flashing on the screen. She reaches over to poke Shin's cheek with a grimace. Maybe it would be helpful, to just do whatever they wanted for information but-]

If they're a student like us, then lets act kindly! Sometimes, your words are the only thing you have, even if they're hard to understand. [ Treating someone weak with cruelty...no, even if they lost this information forever, it wouldn't be worth it right? If this student wanted to be fixed like that, they would have typed y again, right? ]

Student-san, are we scaring you? Yes or no? Do you mind answering our questions, yes or no? We only want to understand what's going on.

[notsosou]

[H-hey, stop poking him... He's not intending to be cruel! It's better than forcing it to keep going like this just to see what it'll say, isn't it?
A proper fix might take hours if not days depending on the extent of the problem and the AI's complexity... but if there's something they can do on a quick pass to make it even a little easier on the student...

But... that's... not a 'y'. Maybe he and Senku would have gone ahead with it anyway, but Sara has... a bit of a point. He leans away a little to prevent further poking, looking away from the screen.]

Ahaha... R-right. It's hard to trust people like this, isn't it... S-sorry, Student-san.

[They truly have a frightening amount of power here.]

[adsum]

[ There's a bit of a longer pause here, especially with everybody talking one after another and the slow processing speed to begin with. Parroting words seem to be the easiest, in the end, because eventually a message does show up. ]

scaryyyy

[ There's your y's...

but then, ]

answer
answer
help ME

[filialdeception]

[ Meng Yao feels a little awkward here at the teensy scuffle, because unfortunately laptops are not his strong suit. ]

Our friend looks like they want help regardless and an answer to that, though...I believe the earlier suggestion may have merit.

Unfortunately, this is also not something I've much expertise with - that is, any spirits being trapped in advanced technology. Though the concept of a spirit being trapped in an inanimate object isn't unfamiliar.

[ He's thinking for a moment, and then he looks to back to the laptop, to direct the rest of his conversation back there. ]

But regardless, at this time we've not much of an idea on how to provide you with assistance other than attempting to temporarily shut everything down, and start from there. Do you know of any other way to assist?

[ If not he thinks he's going to back the earlier suggestion. ]

[notsosou]

......

[That's a pretty complex question in it's own right, even if it would be nice to know directly. It's hard to be completely sure what they want other than help in general, with that reply. The more specific the questions, the better Student-san seems to be able to reply, but the longer it takes to work out what is actually going on so... break it down, Shin. Get the basics first. Troubleshooting time.]

Does us talking to you hurt you, yes or no?

[He's just been assuming... but it's important to actually establish.]

[adsum]

assist
HELP
helt
hert
hurt
no
talk
talk

[ Sounds like... a no, it doesn't hurt, so much as it's a difficult process, single words at a time using their own as a scaffold. ]

[kingofscience]

[ He sighs. ]

Look... thinking about this logically, sometimes the only way to fix something is by turning it off and on again. If they've been stuck on a USB this whole time, I'm sure they'll be alright with this process. If they weren't, they wouldn't be here. Considering that previous laptop was so damaged, this is a step up, wouldn't you think?

[ He's gonna shoot a look at Sara like "I know what I'm doing," considering she's been against some of the stuff he's been trying to do the whole time. ]

I'm not trying to be rude or anything on purpose, I'm just trying to find the fastest way to help. They said this doesn't hurt them, so it just seems like it's more restricting than anything. We can focus on the niceties more when they're able to type out complete sentences. So, can we work?

[ It is a sort of cold way of thinking, but also, Senku's not the best at verbally communicating his emotions. He's a being of logic and science, and he knows computers like the back of his hand. Between him and Shin, he's confident they can help this person. ]

[adsum]

[ There's no response from the laptop, this is just to establish that I'm good to go with whatever you icly/occly decide, when you're ready to move on ]

[filialdeception]

[ ...As it is, things are not getting done, and so Meng Yao is at the end of his patience.

But when he speaks, it's polite and he makes a semi-bow in the other male's direction, fingers together as he states: ]

As it is, we are unable to progress until an attempt of some sort is made. At least, that is how I feel.

This one humbly asks that the two of you who are more experienced with these matters to take care of the next step. I leave this in your hands. So please, do what you believe is best, and move forward with your idea.

[ He straightens into a perfect posture, smiling at Shin and Senku. ]

[notsosou]

[Half of his face is practically buried in his scarf in thought. Senku and Sara... they're two powerful personalities now in opposition. Logic and emotion...]

Ahaha... so it's coming down to a vote, is it...

[Two in favor of shutdown, two in favor of continuing to talk if that's what Student-san wants. It's either a tie or already decided. He's... uncertain. It was his idea in the first place, but Sara's point isn't leaving his head either. And Meng Yao... he's right that they have to make some kind of decision.

...it's not like they're voting someone dead, at least. Asleep at most. They'll be around to hate him later if it's not what they wanted and...]

The laptop has to be shut down occasionally anyway... It can't keep running forever without problems so... sorry, Student-san. We'll try to get this done quickly.

[He's avoiding looking at Sara a little.]

[kingofscience]

Alright then. Sit tight, alright, Student-san? We'll sort this out.

[ That's about as much warning as he gives to everyone, but especially Student-san before he takes the next step. Senku's going to restart, and do his computer thing in order to try to help Student-san. ]

[notsosou]

[He will help with the computer thing if Senku needs someone to bounce ideas with or if there's something that comes enough to mind to override being slightly intimidated by Senku's skills but otherwise Shin lets him work and watches until it's done.]

That should do it!

[adsum]

[ The two of them to the computer thing, trying to clean up the files within the usb as much as they can. There are bits and pieces, especially nearest the core, that require a password to access, but even without that there is plenty to clean up, creating more space for language files and memory, and increased processing speed. Overall... what they can see is purely code, with what registers as a soul presumably kept behind those passwords, but a little housekeeping can make things easier.

Unless they plan to make any additional modifications, it'll still be the webcam and chat window they've got to communicate with, both of which will return to the screen when they once more click on the button to show their faces looking back at themselves, and the blank chat window with a blinking cursor waiting for a response. ]

[notsosou]

[Passwords... his one nemesis. Well, one of his nemesi. Thanks to Meng Yao's clear unfamiliarity with technology, he's assuming that 'a spirit inside it' is just how he's interpreting that, rather than what's actually happening. It makes sense to protect the really vital stuff... catch him running his head into that wall repeatedly later.

He clears his throat, watching his own movement on the webcam feed.]

Hey, can you hear us, Student-san?

[Testing, testing. Nothing they did should have screwed anything up, but it always pays to check.]

[adsum]

[ At least there's only 300 students— or actually, thousands more depending on when student-san was a student here... Anyways, their efforts are rewarded by bright red text popping up on the screen, much more rapidly than it had before. ]

Yes
Hello
Senku?
Sara?

[ please, half you guys didn't even introduce yourselves ]

[kingofscience]

Alright! Now we're making progress.

[ Senku smiles to the group before turning back to the webcam. ]

Yeah, we're here. I'm Senku.

[filialdeception]

[ ...Meng Yao pauses for a really long moment, but he supposes...maybe he should give out his name. Though it has taken him longer than it normally would've, he is a part of all this. ]

Yes, we are.

I'm Meng Yao; it's a pleasure to speak with you. Probably more properly, and much more easily now, I assume? What with you seeming to have less difficulty in communicating with us than before.