Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
Re: Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
Like an eager kid showing off a new toy, Dane turns to Meg and says, "You wanna come meet Hummer? He's really cool. Maybe the most advanced AI I've ever seen."
As they follow Marty, Dane gives her some more background on what happened with the vehicle and why Marty is so worked up. He leaves out the part where he climbed in without thinking.
As they follow Marty, Dane gives her some more background on what happened with the vehicle and why Marty is so worked up. He leaves out the part where he climbed in without thinking.
Re: Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
Like an eager kid showing off a new toy, Dane turns to Meg and says, "You wanna come meet Hummer? He's really cool. Maybe the most advanced AI I've ever seen."
Marty laughs, "Cool? Vehicles are tools! Not some machine with a personality that sasses back!" and continues leading them just around the corner to his dealership.
As they follow Marty, Dane gives her some more background on what happened with the vehicle and why Marty is so worked up. He leaves out the part where he climbed in without thinking. Marty shoots Dane a sidelong glance, "You mean to say that this thing is alive?"
They enter the car lot, where Hummer has parked himself with the fancy luxury vehicles and is trying his best to see if any of them talk back to him.
Marty laughs, "Cool? Vehicles are tools! Not some machine with a personality that sasses back!" and continues leading them just around the corner to his dealership.
As they follow Marty, Dane gives her some more background on what happened with the vehicle and why Marty is so worked up. He leaves out the part where he climbed in without thinking. Marty shoots Dane a sidelong glance, "You mean to say that this thing is alive?"
They enter the car lot, where Hummer has parked himself with the fancy luxury vehicles and is trying his best to see if any of them talk back to him.
"I plan to live forever. Or die trying..." Vila - Blakes 7
Re: Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
Dane ignores Marty’s [OOC: Or did you mean Meg?] comment and heads straight for Hummer. If Marty still doesn’t get it by now, he probably never will.
He calls out, half joking, "Hey, Hummer. I really doubt any of these vehicles are sentient. You seem like you’re one of a kind."
His tone shifts as his mind focuses--more practical. "So... how’s it going with the sheriff? Are you two making progress, or just arguing definitions again?"
He calls out, half joking, "Hey, Hummer. I really doubt any of these vehicles are sentient. You seem like you’re one of a kind."
His tone shifts as his mind focuses--more practical. "So... how’s it going with the sheriff? Are you two making progress, or just arguing definitions again?"
Re: Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
Dane ignores Marty’s comment and heads straight for Hummer. If Marty still doesn’t get it by now, he probably never will. He calls out, half joking, "Hey, Hummer. I really doubt any of these vehicles are sentient. You seem like you’re one of a kind."
"There are others like me... But I've only found one. Erasure... But he got away. An enemy of sorts."
Marty raises a brow, yet Dane is unsure if it's out of curiosity or confusion. His tone shifts as his mind focuses on the more practical. "So... how’s it going with the sheriff? Are you two making progress, or just arguing definitions again?"
"I've barely talked to him. He seems interested in other things. He went that way," Hummer opens his door, pointing the end of it up the street.
Wonderment spreads across Meg's face as she watches the exchange, "So... the jeep is a living thinking machine?"
"An artificial intelligence, ma'am," Marty states; like he knows what he's talking about.
"Oh so thinking and self aware," she rebuttals.
"Yea," Marty lifts his hat to scratch his head, "That..." He turns to Dane, "So, I need him to park in the garage, like the sheriff requested. But he won't. Would you talk to it?"
"There are others like me... But I've only found one. Erasure... But he got away. An enemy of sorts."
Marty raises a brow, yet Dane is unsure if it's out of curiosity or confusion. His tone shifts as his mind focuses on the more practical. "So... how’s it going with the sheriff? Are you two making progress, or just arguing definitions again?"
"I've barely talked to him. He seems interested in other things. He went that way," Hummer opens his door, pointing the end of it up the street.
Wonderment spreads across Meg's face as she watches the exchange, "So... the jeep is a living thinking machine?"
"An artificial intelligence, ma'am," Marty states; like he knows what he's talking about.
"Oh so thinking and self aware," she rebuttals.
"Yea," Marty lifts his hat to scratch his head, "That..." He turns to Dane, "So, I need him to park in the garage, like the sheriff requested. But he won't. Would you talk to it?"
"I plan to live forever. Or die trying..." Vila - Blakes 7
Re: Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
"Umm, Mr. Swenson, did you ask him why he doesn't want to go park in the garage?" Dane looks between Hummer and Marty for a moment, then asks, "Umm... Hummer, is there a reason you don't want to go in there? I'd think you'd want less attention from prying eyes."
Re: Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
"Umm, Mr. Swenson, did you ask him why he doesn't want to go park in the garage?" Dane looks between Hummer and Marty for a moment.
"He's a machine. Machines help people, not the other way around."
Dane asks, "Umm... Hummer, is there a reason you don't want to go in there? I'd think you'd want less attention from prying eyes."
Hummer responds with, "Because they've shown nothing but suspicion and aggressive attitudes. Why would I park in a place with few escape routes and allow them to do mechanical surgery on me?" He rolls forward just enough to close the space between himself and Dane. The shift feels intentional, almost intimate. “But,” he adds, lowering his tone, “I would allow you to look under my hood out here.”
Meg snorts, unable to help herself, “Hey now,” she says, grinning, “he’s not looking under anyone’s… hood.”
Marty’s scowl deepens, arms crossing like he’s bracing for a fight he hasn’t decided to start yet, “Well, Sheriff wants me to determine if he’s a threat.”
"He's a machine. Machines help people, not the other way around."
Dane asks, "Umm... Hummer, is there a reason you don't want to go in there? I'd think you'd want less attention from prying eyes."
Hummer responds with, "Because they've shown nothing but suspicion and aggressive attitudes. Why would I park in a place with few escape routes and allow them to do mechanical surgery on me?" He rolls forward just enough to close the space between himself and Dane. The shift feels intentional, almost intimate. “But,” he adds, lowering his tone, “I would allow you to look under my hood out here.”
Meg snorts, unable to help herself, “Hey now,” she says, grinning, “he’s not looking under anyone’s… hood.”
Marty’s scowl deepens, arms crossing like he’s bracing for a fight he hasn’t decided to start yet, “Well, Sheriff wants me to determine if he’s a threat.”
"I plan to live forever. Or die trying..." Vila - Blakes 7
Re: Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
"I suppose that depends on which end of the weapon you're looking down." Dane fights down the sarcasm before it can fully surface. "If the gun is pointed at you, it's a threat. If it's pointed at your enemy, it's not your immediate threat." He keeps his tone steady. "From what I've heard and seen so far, our interests currently align with Hummer's, so he's not a threat for now. If those interests stop aligning, like if the Sheriff tries to keep him here against his will, then we have a problem."
He turns to Hummer. "What's your take? Any way to convince the Sheriff you're not a threat to the town?"
He turns to Hummer. "What's your take? Any way to convince the Sheriff you're not a threat to the town?"
Re: Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
"I suppose that depends on which end of the weapon you're looking down." Dane fights down the sarcasm before it can fully surface. "If the gun is pointed at you, it's a threat. If it's pointed at your enemy, it's not your immediate threat." He keeps his tone steady. "From what I've heard and seen so far, our interests currently align with Hummer's, so he's not a threat for now. If those interests stop aligning, like if the Sheriff tries to keep him here against his will, then we have a problem," he turns to Hummer, "What's your take? Any way to convince the Sheriff you're not a threat to the town?"
The sheriff’s voice cuts in from behind, “How proficient is that contraption at trackin’?” His boots grind into the gravel as he steps closer, eyes locked on Hummer like he’s sizing up a rattler.
“It depends on the type of creature or object, Sheriff,” Hummer replies, tone steady, almost eerily calm.
Marty and Joe exchange a look like one of those tight, silent glances that says we’ve seen some things. “You familiar with trackin’ oversized reptiles that’ve attacked pilgrims passin’ through the area?” Marty asks, voice low.
Hummer’s engine hums, a thoughtful vibration, “Oh. Does the reptile use anything with nuclear or electrical power sources?”
Marty snorts. “You mean, does it drive anything or use a weapon with a button or trigger? No, it don’t know…”
Megan steps forward, brows knitted, “You talking about a dragon?” Her voice wavers between disbelief and dread. “I’ve read about them… maybe saw one during the festival. Is that what you’re sending a CAR after?”
Marty grins, teeth flashing. “Ma’am, not a normal car. Didn’t Dane mention that bit?”
Meg whirls toward Dane, panic rising, “They send Hummer out there, a dragon will rip him apart!”
Hummer’s door clicks, almost like a sigh, “I’ve had experience with Magdalen, a great friend of mine, who is also a dragon. Of course, I won’t be as proficient, but I could try.”
Meg’s voice spikes. “It’s suicide!” She shoots the sheriff a glare sharp enough to cut steel, then turns on Dane. “Dane! They mean to kill him!”
“Okay, Miss Hoffman,” Marty says, hands raised in a calming gesture that doesn’t calm anyone. “If it’s truly on our side and needs us to trust it, then we’d be solving two puzzles at once.”
He throws Dane a sideways smirk; like he's got a plan, even if it’s just terrible looks, “And I’m confident that Dane and I could repair him if anything goes awry. Whaddaya say?”
He spreads his arms wide, like he’s presenting a grand revelation while everyone else feels the tension tightening like a noose.
The sheriff’s voice cuts in from behind, “How proficient is that contraption at trackin’?” His boots grind into the gravel as he steps closer, eyes locked on Hummer like he’s sizing up a rattler.
“It depends on the type of creature or object, Sheriff,” Hummer replies, tone steady, almost eerily calm.
Marty and Joe exchange a look like one of those tight, silent glances that says we’ve seen some things. “You familiar with trackin’ oversized reptiles that’ve attacked pilgrims passin’ through the area?” Marty asks, voice low.
Hummer’s engine hums, a thoughtful vibration, “Oh. Does the reptile use anything with nuclear or electrical power sources?”
Marty snorts. “You mean, does it drive anything or use a weapon with a button or trigger? No, it don’t know…”
Megan steps forward, brows knitted, “You talking about a dragon?” Her voice wavers between disbelief and dread. “I’ve read about them… maybe saw one during the festival. Is that what you’re sending a CAR after?”
Marty grins, teeth flashing. “Ma’am, not a normal car. Didn’t Dane mention that bit?”
Meg whirls toward Dane, panic rising, “They send Hummer out there, a dragon will rip him apart!”
Hummer’s door clicks, almost like a sigh, “I’ve had experience with Magdalen, a great friend of mine, who is also a dragon. Of course, I won’t be as proficient, but I could try.”
Meg’s voice spikes. “It’s suicide!” She shoots the sheriff a glare sharp enough to cut steel, then turns on Dane. “Dane! They mean to kill him!”
“Okay, Miss Hoffman,” Marty says, hands raised in a calming gesture that doesn’t calm anyone. “If it’s truly on our side and needs us to trust it, then we’d be solving two puzzles at once.”
He throws Dane a sideways smirk; like he's got a plan, even if it’s just terrible looks, “And I’m confident that Dane and I could repair him if anything goes awry. Whaddaya say?”
He spreads his arms wide, like he’s presenting a grand revelation while everyone else feels the tension tightening like a noose.
"I plan to live forever. Or die trying..." Vila - Blakes 7
Re: Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
“Would you be so cavalier if I was riding shotgun?” Dane glances around the group, jaw tight. “It’s one thing to ask for proof. It’s another to ask for his life as the price of trust. Who says there’d be enough left to fix after a dragon gets a hold of him?”
He looks back at Marty, then the sheriff. “If you want to test him, test him without throwing him at the first monster you can think of. That’s not proof. That’s an unnecessary gamble with an intelligent life.”
“Before he goes charging off after a dragon, maybe we do the smart thing and check the site of the power armor attack,” Dane says, shifting his weight and narrowing his eyes toward the road beyond town while he thinks out loud. “If it was attacked, there should be wreckage, tracks, burn marks—something to tell us what we’re dealing with. Recon only. We don’t go in hot. We just look. If there’s a dragon involved, we need to know what kind of trail it left behind.”
Pulling himself back to the moment. “I’ll go along. I can investigate areas that hummer can't fit into. I want to see the damage myself.”
He looks back at Marty, then the sheriff. “If you want to test him, test him without throwing him at the first monster you can think of. That’s not proof. That’s an unnecessary gamble with an intelligent life.”
“Before he goes charging off after a dragon, maybe we do the smart thing and check the site of the power armor attack,” Dane says, shifting his weight and narrowing his eyes toward the road beyond town while he thinks out loud. “If it was attacked, there should be wreckage, tracks, burn marks—something to tell us what we’re dealing with. Recon only. We don’t go in hot. We just look. If there’s a dragon involved, we need to know what kind of trail it left behind.”
Pulling himself back to the moment. “I’ll go along. I can investigate areas that hummer can't fit into. I want to see the damage myself.”
Re: Rifts - DMH - Black Hat vs White Hat - Dane
“Would you be so cavalier if I was riding shotgun?” Dane glances around the group, jaw tight. “It’s one thing to ask for proof. It’s another to ask for his life as the price of trust. Who says there’d be enough left to fix after a dragon gets a hold of him?”
"Well shit, kid." Marty drops his arms, "How do we test his loyalty then?"
He looks back at Marty, then the sheriff. “If you want to test him, test him without throwing him at the first monster you can think of. That’s not proof. That’s an unnecessary gamble with an intelligent life.”
"Life? It's a machine..." The sheriff scoffs.
“Before he goes charging off after a dragon, maybe we do the smart thing and check the site of the power armor attack,” Dane says, shifting his weight and narrowing his eyes toward the road beyond town while he thinks out loud. “If it was attacked, there should be wreckage, tracks, burn marks; something to tell us what we’re dealing with. Recon only. We don’t go in hot. We just look. If there’s a dragon involved, we need to know what kind of trail it left behind.” Pulling himself back to the moment. “I’ll go along. I can investigate areas that hummer can't fit into. I want to see the damage myself.”
"I'm going too!" Megan announces as Hummer rolls forward, opening both doors for them.
"W... wait!" Joe shouts, "Okay okay!" He walks over to Dane, and whispers, "Listen, we already know where it is. After the festival fiasco, we spent a few days trackin' and deducin' the most obvious places the power armor originated from to end up between here and Smith Falls and found it about eight leagues from here." He sighs, removes his hat and scratches his balding head, "Why do you trust it so much?"
"Well shit, kid." Marty drops his arms, "How do we test his loyalty then?"
He looks back at Marty, then the sheriff. “If you want to test him, test him without throwing him at the first monster you can think of. That’s not proof. That’s an unnecessary gamble with an intelligent life.”
"Life? It's a machine..." The sheriff scoffs.
“Before he goes charging off after a dragon, maybe we do the smart thing and check the site of the power armor attack,” Dane says, shifting his weight and narrowing his eyes toward the road beyond town while he thinks out loud. “If it was attacked, there should be wreckage, tracks, burn marks; something to tell us what we’re dealing with. Recon only. We don’t go in hot. We just look. If there’s a dragon involved, we need to know what kind of trail it left behind.” Pulling himself back to the moment. “I’ll go along. I can investigate areas that hummer can't fit into. I want to see the damage myself.”
"I'm going too!" Megan announces as Hummer rolls forward, opening both doors for them.
"W... wait!" Joe shouts, "Okay okay!" He walks over to Dane, and whispers, "Listen, we already know where it is. After the festival fiasco, we spent a few days trackin' and deducin' the most obvious places the power armor originated from to end up between here and Smith Falls and found it about eight leagues from here." He sighs, removes his hat and scratches his balding head, "Why do you trust it so much?"
"I plan to live forever. Or die trying..." Vila - Blakes 7