[closed]

[techmaturgy]

Who: Viktor & friends
When: Late September through early October
Where: Cadens, Nocwich, perhaps elsewhere
What: quest stuff + closed starters
Warnings: will add as needed!

[closed starters in the comments! If you want me to write you something, just hit me up on plurk at whitticus or on discord at whitticus.]

Comments

[cryptsleeper]

How many levers? Or are you not sure yet?

[Both at once is...

nope.

Alucard tries, but the speed isn't something that he manages well. What ends up happening is flailing robot arms, followed by a slightly mortified dhampir.]

I hope these are sturdy....

[techmaturgy]

A whole panel, if you can imagine.

[A control panel! For controls. Viktor is used to articulating multiple knobs and levers and buttons all at once (maybe even a foot pedal), but he's not going to begrudge anyone unfamiliarity, even as he takes a healthy step back.]

But it's only to make sure everything moves properly. Once the construct inhabits it, we won't need this anymore.

[Suffice to say, Alucard shouldn't feel too badly about a lack of coordination.]

[cryptsleeper]

What I'm trying to imagine is the size of that panel, actually.

[Large is the only thing that comes to mind for Alucard, but that's a later thought.]

Mm. With the construct, will there be an override option?

[techmaturgy]

It's not so different than playing a musical instrument.

[Something Viktor decidedly cannot do but imagines Alucard might. It's not a perfect comparison, but the amount of dexterity and coordination and muscle memory should be similar enough.

Alucard's next question, however, elicits a slight downturn of Viktor's mouth.]

Yes, I think there needs to be. As a precaution.

[cryptsleeper]

You'd want my father and the giant pipe organ then.

[Clocked surprisingly wrong, Viktor!   But Alucard understands the comparison, and nods in understanding.]

I can help with developing the backup control panel, if you'd like.  If I'm someone who understand the technology but not the movements required, I would be as good a test operator as any.

[techmaturgy]

Can you play the pipe organ?

[Maybe he's joking, but he sounds genuinely interesting. It's always nice, to learn something new about his friend, but it does sound like he's made an incorrect assumption, which is somehow disappointing to him. He thinks Alucard might look at home (or at least extremely dramatic) at an oversized pipe organ.]

I was thinking more of, uh, a failsafe. Or, killswitch.

[Another way to put it. Viktor doesn't sound happy about the possibility of needing to override or shut down his creation, but with the government of the Free Cities the way it is, well. Better safe than sorry.]

[cryptsleeper]

I absolutely cannot. Music didn't catch my attention growing up, and now I share an office with Jaskier.

[Alucard can just listen to his buddy noodle around on the lute at this point.

Killswitch. Alucard nods, understanding immediately.]

Would you keep it here rather than send it out with the construct?

[techmaturgy]

Sorry. I thought, perhaps, it might have been part of your education.

[What with the polymath father and all. All of Viktor’s talents remain exclusive to the sciences, and he’s in agreement that sharing an office with Jaskier is probably enough. More than enough.]

There should be two, I think. One on the construct itself, and one that can be activated remotely.

[cryptsleeper]

There were a few attempts, but it never stuck.

[Also it wouldn't be as good as Jaskier.]

Two sounds good. You'd need to get a creative place to hide such a feature though.

[His first thought - in the vaguely butt region - goes unsaid.] Perhaps if it has a face, the feature could be hidden there?

[techmaturgy]

I don't think people will be looking for it.

[It should be accessible, but relatively hidden. Something he could get to easily in case of emergency. Hopefully, it won't ever be needed, but he's learned, now, that he needs to be careful.]

Back of the neck. [Viktor absently touches the corresponding space on his own body.] Easy to get to, but not obvious.

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard considers the location for a moment, then nods in agreement.]

I think that'll do. You could add some details there in the form of useless bolts to obscure it further too.

[techmaturgy]

I hope it won't come to that. But I'm trying to be more responsible.

[As in, trying to have a bit more foresight, about the potential uses of his technology. He already knows that the automaton is controversial, when it comes to the mines, but though he's pressing forward anyway, it's not without keeping that concern in mind.]

[cryptsleeper]

It shows. [Okay, maybe he's being sappy about it.] This is definitely not the man I met taking money from Goro, and I mean that in the best way possible.

[techmaturgy]

[Despite the fact that Alucard is right, Viktor manages to look offended.]

That was--those were dire circumstances.

[cryptsleeper]

No, I agree. They were. [He looks back at the robot, then to the controls. It takes a few minutes, but he manages to make it give a thumbs up.]

Oh! I didn't think that would work.

[techmaturgy]

[Alucard manipulating the construct successfully is distraction enough, and Viktor looks all at once thrilled and smug that he's managed to get a handle on it over the course of the conversation.]

See? I knew you would figure it out.

[cryptsleeper]

That speaks volumes to your own planning then. [Congratulations, in other words. Alucard takes a moment to bask in the smug glance, then laughs.]

Can I keep refining my own sense of the controls?

[techmaturgy]

Please. [A broad gesture to the whole control panel.] As long as you like.