Video...ish-thing;

[lostsymmetry]

[The MID post comes in as "video", but there's nothing moving on the screen. Just a static blue shape that calls to mind mangled geometry-- or an extremely corrupted logo of some kind. It comes with some cheerful male answering-machine speech...]

<Welcome to Domesticon warranty and recycling depot #127. This is the automated system ad-->

[...which cuts off mid-sentence. The words that continue are in recognizably the same voice, but have a much broader range of inflection and no hint of the mechanical echo from before.]

Sorry about that. Still, ah, working out a few bugs. But hey, it's nice to see this place up and running again! Within, you know, standard deviations.

As we're proceeding with our latest pit stop, I thought I'd advertise my local functions-- to our new department heads or anyone else who can make use of them. I've been installed as the ship's Workshift Coordinator and given access to adjust crew scheduling at need. Since I'm sure the changes made by our new management caught a few people by surprise [*cough*, the half of the crew now on cleaning duty]... well, feel free to call if you need anything. Or just chat up your nearest terminal.

...

While I'm on the line--any thoughts about a name? [There's an odd note to the mainframe's voice. Hopeful? Hesitant? Embarrassed that the pod crab got there first? He should be. Dork.] Current options include Hank, Blue... maybe Morely.

Open to suggestions.


[[ooc: For those who missed the memo, he's talking about the job changes made here and here. The mainframe's isn't in charge of the actual assignments (though people are welcome to complain!), but he can alter your character's shift times and other handwavy goodness.]]

Comments

[mylawn]

[It has literally never occurred to him that the mainframe doesn't have a name and might want one. Oops.]

I guess 'Domesticon system administrator' is a mouthful, huh.

[lostsymmetry]

[And yet, this is still the best roommate experience he's ever had.]

It is that. Plus, not all that locally applicable.

[mylawn]

[76 was military for thirty years. Don't talk to him about roommate experiences.]

What kind of name do you think you'd prefer?

[backsassin]

[Well, there’s a familiar voice. Zam’s first encounter with the AI had been less than pleasant, but given both of their conditions at the time, it’s not like he can hold a grudge for that.]

They switched me over to “Ship Security Officer.” [Which makes sense, given the Ingress isn’t getting as many newcomers as it used to, even if it’s been awhile since Zam worked in “security” proper.] You know if anyone else got the same assignment? If there are a few of us, we can work out different shifts. Make it less work for everyone.

[He's going to leave it there, but… is the AI really thinking of calling himself Morely?]

Guess you’re not in the market for a traditional droid name, huh?

[lostsymmetry]

[...oh. That's a familiar ID. There's a half-beat of silence before the mainframe speaks, but no weight in his voice when he does. If anything, the respect sounds a little more genuine.]

Sure, let me check the database. [...which takes less time than saying it, but shh.] Looks like it's you and one "Security Monitor" right now. Tron, up on Mero Deck. I've got you on opposing shifts right now, but if you wanted to shuffle things around, just let me know.

[Two seems low for patrolling the whole ship no matter how you split it. But what does he know?

....Apart from TERRIBLE NAME CHOICES please save him from himself, Zam!!!]

Tradition seems to vary widely here. [Don't mind the wry tone. It covers nicely for his own uncertainties about it all.] What's yours?

[backsassin]

[Two does seem too few to handle the security of the entire ship, but at least his coworker is someone Zam knows. And more importantly, someone he likes.] Don’t worry about it. I can contact him directly if something comes up.

[Zam thinks for a moment, trying to formulate the best way to explain something that in his universe is such standard practice that one rarely has to actually explain it.] Usually, you take the droid’s series designation, add the first two or three characters from their serial number, and go from there. [Another pause as he tries to think of an example.] So, an RK series protocol droid with a serial number starting with... let’s say T01, might just be called RK-T01. Or if that’s too long, you might just call it Kayteeoh, or Kaytee. Or Arkay, if there aren’t any other RK series around to get it confused with.

[An unseen shrug as he regards the mangled blue shape on his MID screen.] Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for. Back home, there weren’t really any droids around who uh… picked their own names.

[Much less ones that showed an interest in names like “Hank” or “Morely.”]

voice;

[alterplex]

[ Hello, roommate— it's also never occurred to Venom, either, that the Mainframe might want to be called something more personable. Like Bob. But that aside... ]

You have records of every crew member's work assignment?

[ Because that's the important thing here, apparently. Someone teach Venom Snake about friendly smalltalk, please. ]

[lostsymmetry]

[C'mon, we can do better than Bob. But he's used to function-driven types.]

That I do. What are you looking for?

[alterplex]

[ He makes one of those short, vague sounds in response, before actually using his words. ]

Nothing in particular. Just wasn't sure how much information you were entrusted with.

[ This vaguely prying behavior again. But he sees that that's not the point of this post, so: ] ...Got any suggestions for good names?

[ He's sure they've been pouring in. ]

voice;

[kidjoy]

Names are supposed to be personal. Can't just go lettin' someone else come up with it for ya.

Blue's not a bad start though.

voice;

[lostsymmetry]

I haven't had a lot of luck picking one myself.

[There's a tonal shift, slight hesitation. The statement isn't wrong... but it's not as simple as that, either.]

Why do you like Blue?

[That's the one out of the three he hadn't come up with.]

voice;

[kidjoy]

It takes time, figurin' yourself out. Ain't about luck.

[If it'd been luck, she thinks she would have already found one for herself.]

'cause the rest sound borin'. [It's blunt, a little snort punctuating the end.] Stuffy, fancy pants kinda names. No personality to 'em. Blue 'least sounds like there's somethin' to it.

video;

[takeitslow]

You know there's no point of a video if you have nothing to show, right?

video;

[lostsymmetry]

What do you think you're looking at?

video;

[takeitslow]

Right now? A lot of blue. AKA a whole lot of nothing.

Handwave neatly taken to cargo hold?

[whoami]

[ Sam has been incommunicado for a while, but seeing what he thought was someone's mail on the Network is simultaneously embarrassing and amazing.]

You can talk! Oh man, this is so - why didn't you say something before?!

Sounds good!

[lostsymmetry]

[It's a day for re-encounters, isn't it? Of course, this one's not quite so welcome. Coming through the Ingress in a disconnected console had opened the mainframe up to all sorts of new and terrifying experiences on his first day. But amidst the death threats, power loss, and repurposing he'd been exposed to? Nothing really beat the human who'd hauled him off to dissect his code right then and there.]

<Oops. I'm sorry. This unit and all content housed therein are the exclusive property of Domesticon Industries.>

[He'd said that before. Along with stop and put me down. Repeatedly.]

voice;

[gainedlove]

Oh, oh, um!! I like Morely! Do you just want boy names, or names that aren't neither? Or girl names too, maybe?

[Best to not assume too much, after all!]

voice;

[lostsymmetry]

That's one vote in that column.

[Making two total. Both from children? He's not picky, but he is amused.]

'Boy' is fine. Or neutral, if you'd rather.

[audio;]

[dancingblade]

Were you not provided with a designation upon creation?

[there is no inflection in her tone, so whether she asks as a means of conversation or because she's genuinely curious is a mystery]

[audio;]

[lostsymmetry]

Nope.

<In the event of property disputes, Domesticon products include a unique serial code, supplied to their owners on purchase. For day-to-day use, a functional identifier can help ensure--> *--gzzt--*

[Don't mind the suspicious static cutoff. The mainframe picks up where the prompt left off, tone casual.]

It's not exactly company policy. But, since a lot of people have been asking...

[#totallynottryingtogetoneforawhile]

audio;

[a_shadow]

You have to feel a name out, you know. Try it on, like a glove. See how it fits.

[ Not that Tex was quite afforded this opportunity, though she sure prefers being Tex over being Beta or Allison. ]

audio;

[lostsymmetry]

That seems to be a theme.

[The comment's a little rueful. Oh well. If he's not getting help, he is getting conversation, and the novelty of that hasn't nearly worn off yet. Besides, glancing at this person's name listing...]

First name: Agent, huh? Cool, cool.

[Yes, joke. Though she's not the only one, is she...?]

audio;

[hanzer]

Of the three Moirai, Atropos was the one who chose how people got to die.

[Going reeeeeeeaaal hard with the Jensenness right out of the gate on this one, but maybe that's why he's opted for audio instead of text – so that the faint trace of humor in his grumble of a voice is at least somewhat audible. It's only a half-joke, honestly: some days, near the end of another uneventful eight hour guard shift, he catches himself wondering if it's actually possible to literally die of boredom.

A short silence, a nonverbal shrug.] Could do Atti for short.

[Adam: not as melodramatic as he sounds, maybe. Or as he looks – which only occurs to him as he glances across the hall from where he is, at one of those so-called "nearest terminals." Is some nameless AI watching him right now, even as he (badly) jokes with it?

For now, he sticks with the MID.]

audio;

[lostsymmetry]

...

[There is. A silence.

Does he...?

No, that's-- if he did, he'd know it wasn't a choice, he wasn't responsible--

(was he?)

Adam Jensen. The name's not part of his own database (it wouldn't be), and it's a fraction of a second to pull up all the public-access data he can find. No network activity prior to a few months back, presumably part of his own arrival group. One post, expressed interest: cybernetics, included discussion of extensive mechanical replacements and augmented parts. Cyborg. Current assignment: Ploiatos guard, third shift.

No connection. Of course there's no connection, and if he were a human, he would sigh in relief, or shake his head, or laugh off the assumption. There's even humor in the vocal patterns, now that he re-scans.]

Wow. That's, uh, heavier than I was expecting.

[He glances through the nearest camera and is slightly disconcerted to find the cyborg watching back.]

Probably a little above my pay grade.