abraxaslogs | january catch-all

[ He narrows his eyes slightly, unsure if that amusement is at his expense or not. ]

I could lie and say I did it myself, or someone else from Thorne did it.

[ But he's not entirely certain if they would buy that, and that uncertainty slips into his tone. He knows enough about a bicycle to repair it, at least the one from runners. He frowns at the bike and dismisses it. ]

Would they believe you?

[Of course Viktor is going to design the bicycle. And he doesn't, really, care about sending his inventions to Thorne or Solvunn, but then he's not the one who pays the price, for those kinds of transgressions. If Kyle has someone who's interested, then maybe this doesn't need to be handled as delicately as the camera, but Viktor has stopped being optimistic, when it comes to Thorne.]

I'd like to do this for you. But I don't want to put you in danger.

[ To that he shrugs. Maybe. What do they know about his hypothetical engineering abilities? But - ]

Otherwise I take it through customs and see what happens. [ Less trouble than being caught in a lie, probably. ] See how much they consider a bicycle a viable threat.

[ The merchants in Nurjima seem to think so.

He frowns again, raising both eyebrows. ]

I came to see you, and your robot. [ He nods at the chalkboards. ] Not ask for things.

[ Even when he had asked about the camera it had been partially an excuse to talk. ]

I'll keep it as simple as possible.

[No motors, no flashy attachments or accessories, nothing that could be construed as distinctly of the Free Cities. He thinks he might even have to forego rubber tires and let the Thornean mages enchant the wheels as they see fit. Maybe that will give them greater ownership of it--be less threatened by what is clearly a piece of technology.

There's some guilt, maybe, in Kyle's request. An attempt to get Viktor back on track, maybe, but an apology, too.]

You can always ask for things. [If Viktor doesn't want to do it, he has no problem saying no--but he wants to keep busy, and he enjoys being something of an expert opinion among the Summoned, at least in these matters. There is a part of him, too, that equates his own worth with the things he can build for other people. Of course he wants to take this on.

And, if his work keeps giving Kyle an excuse to come see him, well. He thinks he enjoys that, too.] I like the work.

[ Simple he nods at. After so many conversations Kahlil trusts that they're on the same page about what they can get away with. And at this point he's let go of whatever remaining guilt-fueled suspicions he had about Viktor possibly making things difficult for him in retaliation.

He gives him a funny look at you can always ask for things, like he's said something particularly odd, then glances down at his shoes again. He expects the same offer is open to most everyone here, but just for a moment he enjoys - a little selfishly, to have that kindness directed his way again. ]

I know. [ He glances back up at him, another slight nod. Viktor needs this work the way that Kahlil needs his own purpose. There's a pause, then: ]

I didn't have many friends either. Not before here.

[ Even after the gift, and the open invitation here, he still doesn't know if it's right to call him a friend. ]

Then we're both making up for lost time.

[He wants to ask outright why that was the case, but he knows that might push too far--and Kyle hadn't asked Viktor to elaborate in turn, so maybe this is a boundary that needs to remain where it is, for now. It must have something to do with his religious upbringing and the duties he feels beholden to, but despite the fact that he finds himself wanting to ask, and to know, he's kept Kyle long enough. He's here to see the automaton, and Viktor should oblige him.

With one more adjustment of the chalkboard, pulling it a bit further along the track, Viktor takes his place in front of it, as if he's about to give a presentation, or teach a class.]

Do you have anything like this, where you're from? Automatons?

[He's asked before, he's certain, but Kyle's answer will provide a helpful frame of reference, and will inform where he begins.]

[ Maybe they are.

He lets Viktor take the conversation back to the automaton, his demeanor shifting ever so slightly. Less tense, closer to relaxed compared to a moment ago. To the question he shakes his head. ]

Not in Basawar, nothing close. On Earth, I don't know for sure. I never saw any on the street.

[ He's fairly certain the kind of automaton he's envisioning is science fiction, though. ]

We don't have them either, not really. This would be a new area of study.

[A fully independent, artificially intelligent robot that is. Something different than the steam-powered constructs that have fallen into disuse in Zaun. He thinks, again, of Tony, and the things Viktor saw in his Horizon. Machines that are given a set of parameters and then think for themselves.

He gestures to the notes on the board, which include a diagram of the automaton itself. Viktor will conjure up the "real" thing in a moment--he just wants to provide some context, first.]

And what we've developed here isn't true artificial intelligence, not yet. Right now the system is reliant on a particular spell that seems to take simple direction and perform tasks. By binding this spell to a mechanical chassis, we've greatly increased the capacity of what it can do, while...making it an entity of its own, essentially.

[ He nods again. He's still very curious about Zaun and Piltover - he's only had the short history and politics lesson from Viktor, and then the view outside. For now, though, he lets Viktor continue to explain. Artificial intelligence is a term he's heard thrown around before, but it's still relatively foreign to him. His gaze scans over the diagram as he listens, frowning to himself at the explanation of the spell they're using versus what they hope to achieve - ]

Then your goal is to create something that doesn't need your direction? With it's own mind, and soul.

[ He points to the middle of his own chest, eyebrows raising.

Hilda and Viktor want to create life?

It probably shouldn't be a surprise that he makes this leap, given what he is and his experiences. ]

[Viktor seems surprised at the mention of a soul, because he's not even certain he could accomplish such a thing. And that would, he imagines, open up a whole new slate of ethical quandaries--ones he's interested in thinking about, but doesn't necessarily feel the need to tackle just yet.

Unless Kyle makes him, of course.]

This work is a long way from producing true sentience.

[So, not something he's worried about in the short term, though as always he can't help but think about the Hexcore, and the way it called out to him. What that means, for the things he's building now. If he might tap into something deep and unknowable, once again.]

Right now, the idea is for it to function under certain sets of parameters. Enough to exercise some measure of independence, when it comes to carrying out predetermined sets of tasks.

[ Kahlil doesn't push the subject this time, uncertain how he feels about it himself and reluctant to stumble into another disagreement so soon. Viktor could probably already guess his general thoughts - his misgivings about unintentional consequences. For a brief moment he thinks about the hungry bones that came through the rifts over the summer, unlike anything he had seen in his world and yet undoubtedly from Basawar with those Payshmura runes carved into them. Someone had a hand in creating those abominations, slicing together and binding many, many spirits into something that never should have been.

To create life out of nothing - not even Parfir could do such a thing.

As far as Viktor's actual explanation of what they are currently trying to accomplish, he seems to still be following along, casting another thoughtful glance at him. ]

What gave you the idea? [ If he has nothing like it in his world. Viktor had mentioned something about using them for mines here, and the Free Cities' apparent reluctance. ]

Edited 2024-01-12 06:41 (UTC)

[He likes to think, that if the automaton ever displayed any indication that it was sentient, Viktor would offer it freedom. A choice, to decide what it wanted to do with its life. Until then, he's not sure he could accomplish such a thing--but wouldn't it be a wonder, if he could?

Finally, Viktor leaves the chalkboard in order to bring out the chassis from some sort of imagined back area (he supposes he could just conjure it into place, but he likes the feeling of being in a real lab). It's lifeless, for now, but this will give Kyle a chance to examine it.]

In the Undercity, the human casualty from mining and factory work is immense. An automaton can handle hazardous materials, operate in toxic environments, perform tasks with an outsized chance of injuring or killing human workers...this would save lives.

[ With the robot finally in front of him, Kahlil pushes off the desk and steps forward to examine it with an expression of curiosity and faint amusement. ]

It's... cute. [ A short glance at Viktor, a lopsided smile tugging at one side of his lips. The face is cute, or at least the impression of a 'face' with those overlarge 'eyes'. The little dog was very cute too, so maybe he shouldn't be surprised.

He crouches down to look at the hands, the jointed fingers. He remembers Viktor talking about the troubles of the Undercity from some months ago. Everything in the Undercity is poison, he had said, talking about his plans to use hextech to reclaim a ruined environment. John would love to talk about that sort of thing. Or - not love exactly, considering the state of Viktor's home, but he'd be equally passionate about it. ]

That's how you became sick? [ The toxins, living there before moving to Piltover. Another glance at Viktor - he's always just assumed as much, never actually confirmed. He doesn't know that Viktor really wants to speak about his illness beyond its cure. ]

Hilda said it should look friendly. [Which Viktor agreed with, ultimately.] I needed it to be large and sturdy enough to carry out its designated operations, but it shouldn't frighten anyone.

[He can't hope to integrate the automatons with human workers if the human workers are unsettled or otherwise reluctant to interact with them. Viktor already knows he's facing an uphill battle, given the anxieties of the miners about being replaced. He doesn't want to give them even more reason to fear what he's doing.

That said, the trajectory from Viktor's own past--even knowing little of it, as Kyle does--to the automaton is probably obvious. Viktor doesn't want what happened to him to happen to anyone else, if he can help it. He offers a small nod.]

I couldn't work in the mines. [Too much of a liability, even in a place that cares little for its workers. He shrugs, trying to make the admittance more casual--he's never spoken about his congenital ailments, really, just the damage done to him over time.] I was able enough for the factories. But even if that wasn't the case, the toxic nature of the Undercity is inescapable, regardless. I spent more than half my life in that place.

[With the poison accumulating slowly, over many years, until nothing could be done for him.]

Hilda is very wise. [ He nods a little too solemnly to appear entirely serious, but there's a fondness behind his teasing. Hilda is actually very talented at this sort of thing, though the creations he's actually seen of hers have been much smaller.

He gives the chassis a gentle tap on its chest. ]

On Earth, the robots in stories take over the world almost as often as they save it.

[ From the brief clips of cartoons and commercials for movies he has seen. Hilda had the right idea. Robots make people anxious.

Viktor had said he didn't think the Free Cities could co-opt the technology. Even so, a nation at war could have many uses for such a creation. Even in his wonder, he will always worry. To think this way is too ingrained in him.

His gaze shifts across Viktor's form for a moment. Here, he stands a little taller and straighter than he does outside of Horizon. Kahlil had not expected the difference in his appearance the first time they met in person. His leg could either be a youthful injury that never healed right or congenital for all he knows. There are the studs on his spine, the scars on his chest - like Kahlil, Viktor's history is marked all across his body. ]

Your people must've had enough at some point. [ Fought back. When one group of people have so much, and the other so little, it's inevitable. That was how the Fai'daum came to be. Here, sometimes he wonders if Nott won't establish the same sort of resistance, should they be pushed too far. ]

Edited 2024-01-12 23:00 (UTC)

But they do save it.

[He says that a bit cheekily. He's heard as much about this from Tony, who might actually be a real-life example of robots going wrong. Viktor, however, believes in himself and in his work, and knows that the addition of magic can accomplish what technology alone cannot. He'll make sure things are different, this time.

Now it's Viktor who is ready to proceed with activating the automaton, only to be waylaid by Kyle's further questions about the Undercity. He can't blame him, not really, but the comment gives him pause.]

There are those in the Undercity who would take advantage of the destitute just as Piltover has. [Zaun contends both with Piltover's oppression and those within its own borders who relish their own kind of control.] But yes, there were uprisings, the last of which occurred when I was a teenager. They never succeeded, and they were never worth the cost.

[Though Viktor might say that about any violent action resulting in loss of life. Having seen what happened to those who tried to cross the bridge, he'd decided then that the best way to enact change would be from the top down--which of course came with its own set of problems. Now, with the cities on the verge of civil war, he's not sure he'll ever find the right answer.]

[ Kahlil snorts, gives a half smile at that - clearly having relaxed quite a bit in a short amount of time. He takes a step back from the chassis, still watching Viktor as he continues to answer his questions. ]

In Basawar there's been a rebellion going on longer than I've been alive - [ A pause, and he corrects himself: ] - had been going on...

[ It was one way when he left it, then he returned to a world where one power had been overthrown - literally wiped off the face of the earth, locking the other two forces in a stalemate. As close to peace as it had ever been. He shakes his head. ]

I don't think change ever would've happened peacefully. [ His mouth twists into a frown. ] You lost people?

[ The last time, when he was younger. ]

At least this was over quickly.

[Which is a foolish thing to say, because a choice between a revolution of attrition and a bloody uprising that's squashed before it has a chance to begin is not much of a choice. After the ill-fated fight on the bridge, some kind of tenuous peace was achieved, but all that really meant was that everything were left to simmer. Things got better for some, but worse for almost everyone else. Even Jayce's tenuous, last-ditch proposal for the Undercity's independence seemed futile, if all that meant was handing over Zaun to Chem-baron thugs like Silco. All he's ever known of his own city is cycles of violence.

He knows he feels differently, not having lived those last few days and only hearing about them secondhand. Maybe it really is the only way to make things right.]

I didn't participate. [But that's not what Kyle means. He supposes it all loops back to the beginning of this conversation, where Viktor admitted to not having many human friends, though of course he knew many of the people who were killed.] I left not long after.

[It's not lost on him, that he was lucky to get out when he did. Then again, his admission to the Academy was unconventional.]

[ Kahlil has no response for that, and says nothing. Not much of a choice, no. It's funny though, in a grim way, as he realizes how he fought on both sides. Ravishan with the Fai'daum, and himself with the Payshmura...

Viktor answers between lines. He tilts his head to the side. There's a part of him used to filling up the space that someone else leaves in a conversation. ]

I always wanted to leave. [ The journey and the pain that awaited terrified him when he was young, but he clung to the idea that Nayeshi would be how he left Basawar behind - for him and Rousma. ] I would've done my duty and just never gone back. I would've stayed on Earth.

[ Had everything gone as it was supposed to. He would've seen to John's slow and agonizing death had he gotten to the key and the letter first. Kahlil had nothing else to offer his world like Viktor could for his Undercity. The church wouldn't have bothered chasing him down, and he could've lived in Nayeshi with Rousma. His mind wouldn't have been torn apart, and he wouldn't have the memories of a dead man forced into it. Ravishan never would've existed. ]

Things very rarely turn out the way we want.

[There's sympathy in his voice, because he's sure Kyle understands. Viktor has spoken about his attempts to bring Hextech to the Undercity--how the Council was uninterested in things like water purifiers or air scrubbers, so they'd tried mining tools and even that was deemed too dangerous. At the time, he'd written it off to Heimerdinger's particular brand of conservatism, when it came to their work, but now he understands that it was at least partially a fear of putting the Undercity on equal footing.

Without that, there will never be true independence, not for anyone. Maybe it's the same where Kyle comes from, though Viktor cannot imagine abandoning Zaun. Even his life here is temporary. He'll return, eventually, and he'll use what he knows to help people, whether the Council wants him to or not.

And he can contribute to this place in the meantime. Viktor's silent for a moment, before he seems to decide that, despite all of this conversation, he should do what Kyle came here for.]

Would you like to meet it?

[The automaton.]

Edited 2024-01-13 15:59 (UTC)

[ He gives a conceding tip of his head to that, though there's a touch of ambivalence in his expression. He doesn't struggle against his fate anymore, not like Viktor does. Without a miracle or god's intervention, his hypothetical return to his own world once his time here is complete will likely be very, very short. He'd rather not waste this time that he now has thinking too much about it anymore.

It hasn't always been easy, but he's loved his time here.

Viktor breaks the silence to remind him why he'd been invited over, and he smiles at him, taking another step back from the automaton. ]

Yes, very much.

[Viktor smiles at that, a small thing, but sincere nonetheless. There's still a great deal left unsaid, not only with regards to this topic of discussion, but other things to--and as always, it's easier to brush it all aside and focus on the work.

This is not quite what's true in the real world, but there was no real expectation of that, given how the Horizon functions. Without Hilda here, the automaton will act the way Viktor envisions it might in the future, as its own independent entity. When he wills it so, the power core in the machine's chest flickers to life, followed quickly by the eyes. Its metal joints creak as it groans to life, straightening where it stands.

For a moment it seems to register its surroundings, Kyle included, and then hesitantly offers a jerky little wave.]

Go ahead. It's safe.

[If Kyle wants to get closer, or otherwise interact. Of course it's safe, because this is the Horizon, but he's proud to say that it's safe in real life, too.]

[ He's not sure what to expect when the robot comes to life - the sudden metallic groaning has him hop-skipping another involuntary inch backwards.

It waves, almost cartoonish, and he gives a little wave of his own in return. He glances at Viktor - important questions first: ]

Does it have a name?

[ Besides 'the automaton'. He expects Hilda would have something to say about that too. ]

[Despite the size of the automaton and the slightly clunky start-up, once it's "awake" the movements are surprisingly fluid--Viktor is particularly proud of his articulation system. To demonstrate, it offers a handshake, and if Kyle obliges he'll find that the touch is surprisingly refined. Almost gentle.]

Hilda calls it "Perry"--but that's the name she has for the spell.

[The thing that's currently piloting the machine. Viktor has greater aspirations, and it's slightly unfair to keep taking advantage of Hilda, in this way. Right now, she needs to be present and actively casting the spell if they want "Perry", such as it is, to operate.]

I suppose when it's fully independent, it will need a new name.

[ Kahlil thought to grasp one of the fingers for the demonstration, and instead finds his entire hand clasped in its much larger grip. There's clear uncertainty that flickers across his expression, smoothing out quickly as he finds his hand not held in a metal vice, but with careful and deliberate movement. ]

Good to meet you, Perry. [ He laughs, taking his hand back and wiggling his own fingers for a few seconds. ]

Perry II? [ he teases, cocking his head toward Viktor with a wry grin. ] Perry Junior.

[ He's never had to name so much as even a pet. ]

january catch-all

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i'm sorry, he's never going to get to show the robit at this rate lmao...

you'll just have to thread with me forever ig

oh no so terrible

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