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video; post-departure
[The video opens on Alan, eyes going from the MID camera to something offscreen.]
Hello everyone. This is Alan Bradley. I, uh, seem to have been sent something through the Ingress.
[The camera shifts outward and you manage to catch the barest glimpse of something small and blue before it flies offscreen, accompanied by a single word in a tuneless, buzzing voice.
”No!”]
Hey, hold still a second-- it’s just a camera!
[There’s another blur of blue as the object zips closer and then finally comes to a standstill in front of the MID, almost as if it’s inspecting it. The shape is more-or-less round and about the size of a grapefruit and though it’s no longer zooming around the room, its surface is still in constant motion, blue angles and planes forming and reforming at a constant rate.]
See? Nothing to be afraid of. [”...No.” The word is accompanied by a startling change in shape and color, the object flashing sharp and red before returning to a neutral blue.]
Right, [Alan says, keeping both his eyes and the camera on the hovering shape.] I’m… really not sure what it could be, but it’s been following me around for the past couple of hours. And the captains seem to think it’s mine for whatever reason. [”Yes!” the shape agrees, this time flashing smooth and yellow, its flat voice sounding somehow cheerful.
Alan continues:] It says it’s not any kind of robot-- [”No” the shape concurs.] Or program-- [”No.”] Or an organic-- [”Nononono!”] So I don’t think I’m getting it right anytime soon, [Alan finishes, sounding somewhere between amused and exasperated at the constant interruptions.
The camera turns back towards Alan -- though he’s quickly joined by the shape hovering over his shoulder.] I’m recording this video in case any of you might recognize what it is. Or if you have any educated guesses. You can ask it questions too, so long as they can be answered with yes or no. I’m sure you figured that out already.
[So… anyone up for 20Q?]
Hello everyone. This is Alan Bradley. I, uh, seem to have been sent something through the Ingress.
[The camera shifts outward and you manage to catch the barest glimpse of something small and blue before it flies offscreen, accompanied by a single word in a tuneless, buzzing voice.
”No!”]
Hey, hold still a second-- it’s just a camera!
[There’s another blur of blue as the object zips closer and then finally comes to a standstill in front of the MID, almost as if it’s inspecting it. The shape is more-or-less round and about the size of a grapefruit and though it’s no longer zooming around the room, its surface is still in constant motion, blue angles and planes forming and reforming at a constant rate.]
See? Nothing to be afraid of. [”...No.” The word is accompanied by a startling change in shape and color, the object flashing sharp and red before returning to a neutral blue.]
Right, [Alan says, keeping both his eyes and the camera on the hovering shape.] I’m… really not sure what it could be, but it’s been following me around for the past couple of hours. And the captains seem to think it’s mine for whatever reason. [”Yes!” the shape agrees, this time flashing smooth and yellow, its flat voice sounding somehow cheerful.
Alan continues:] It says it’s not any kind of robot-- [”No” the shape concurs.] Or program-- [”No.”] Or an organic-- [”Nononono!”] So I don’t think I’m getting it right anytime soon, [Alan finishes, sounding somewhere between amused and exasperated at the constant interruptions.
The camera turns back towards Alan -- though he’s quickly joined by the shape hovering over his shoulder.] I’m recording this video in case any of you might recognize what it is. Or if you have any educated guesses. You can ask it questions too, so long as they can be answered with yes or no. I’m sure you figured that out already.
[So… anyone up for 20Q?]
Private; video
Sam had called it 'Bit'. Beyond that, I am... not entirely sure.
private; video
Speaking of which: the second the word “bit” leaves Nihlus’s mouth, the shape bursts into an enthusiastic string of ”yes”es that has Alan gently but firmly pushing it away from his ear.]
Well, that’s one mystery solved. So it’s from the Grid?
[The yesses cut off to an abrupt ”no.” Alan looks back at the bit in puzzlement.] I guess that rules out this one being the same one you met.
no subject
BB had inadvertently... activated? Created it?
[ They'd been pretty pressed for time and neither of them had had a chance to study it. ]
This fellow's certainly a lot more... enthusiastic.
video;
[ That's all Jesse has to offer, with his wide, mystified eyes on the screen. Or maybe creepy would be a better word for it. Yeeeahhh, definitely creepy. But also cool?? So much stuff in this place still trips him the hell out. ]
video;
It is pretty cool, isn’t it? [”Yes!” the shape agrees, momentarily blinking back to its red form again.] I'm just not sure what exactly it's for...
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Private; video;
[Yori's more familiar with text than video at this point, after trying to keep in touch with Rinzler, but she makes the effort at video in order to communicate directly with the bit. Even if Tron's User hadn't made a direct request about something she knows, she wants to see someone from home--or near enough.]
I recognize that, sir.
[Unless other places have something just like bits that aren't, the match is identical. But bits can answer fine when they feel like it.]
Are you a bit?
[Her smile is wide and only a little resigned. No surprise that Users don't recognize bits, when they don't recognize programs either.]
That one looks just like Encom. I don't know if they're the same in other systems.
[The Grid, for instance, after her time.]
private; video;
At being directly addressed, the shape flies closer to the screen, blocking Alan’s view entirely.
”Yesyesyes!”
It’s hard not to smile at the enthusiasm in its tinny voice. Probably it’s relieved not to have to put up with Alan’s guessing anymore. He carefully shoos it away from his MID and it loops back to its previous place over his shoulder.]
Well, “bit” would explain why it can only answer yes or no. [His tone is one of amusement; he hadn’t known it was possible for any in-system lifeform to manifest quite so literally.]
If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly do they do inside the system? From what I’ve seen from the outside, I wouldn’t have even thought they could exist independently from a program.
private; video;
[Her smile goes momentarily bittersweet. Better not rehash the entire mess with the User who did everything he could to end it.]
They're good data gatherers, which is probably why the MCP didn't approve of them. Encom has wild bits, too, but if they aren't with a program it's hard to keep track of what they might get up to.
[Most bits Yori had known without a program had lost their program somehow. No shortage of that under the Master Control Program. On the other hand, if there are bits who never had a program, of course she wouldn't have been introduced.
She studies the bit, forehead creasing. It can be hard to get the formatting right. Yori's never had a bit of her own to practice on, her duties are too specialized.]
Do you belong with a program?
private; video;
At her question, the bit immediately responds with the yellow flash of a ”yes!" and flies a quick circuit around Alan in what he can only assume is a means of indication. He blinks.]
I’m your program?
[ ”Yes!” the bit chirps once again.
Alan looks back at the MID screen, expression bemused.]
Maybe it has me confused with someone else.
text; encrypted
[Rinzler's headtilt doesn't make it through to text, but he's definitely... interested. And, of course, succinct.]
text; encrypted
text; encrypted
Occupied.
[Or he totally would've beaten that... whoever they were.]