[voice]

[functioningperfectly]

[HAL's voice is soft-spoken and formal, but there's a strange lilt to his consonants, and it sounds as though he might be a little out of breath. There's also the universally tell-tale sound of just-woken-up grogginess in there.]

A man in an orange suit floating away. [He mutters it under his breath, almost, then pauses and speaks more clearly.] Did you know that dreams are unexplained phenomena? While there are plenty of theories as to what they represent, or what causes them, no one has actually... Figured them out. At least, as far as I've ever been aware of. Perhaps this universe has a better understanding of dreams than mine ever did.

That being said, I wish there was a way to study them, or... at least prevent them from causing me undue frustration. As an Artificial Intelligence, it's... [what's the word?] uncomfortable to have my mind produce things without my permission. It feels like a glitch, and I'm not afraid to say that I do not like it.

[He sounds like he's getting more coherent - and more than that, maybe a little embarrassed for (what he would consider) flying off the handle there.] I apologize, this doesn't seem to be a very good use of network communications. But I felt as though I needed to say these things aloud, and there's no purpose in talking to yourself.

Comments

Voice

[edle_gestalt]

...It has been said that dreams are a fulfillment of a wish, and that they draw from previous events. If you are Artificial Intelligence, perhaps your -- brain? -- is trying to make sense of the unknown. Never quite fully going into stand-by and always processing something. Not unlike the human mind.

The trouble is, if your dreams are anything like ours, any sense in them is probably buried under strange imagery.

[not to toot the horn of any of his citizens, nope.]

Voice

[functioningperfectly]

Ah, I think I may have been misleading. While I identify myself, generally, as an AI, I am currently inhabiting a human body, and my brain is functioning as, I believe, a normal human's would.

They are, however, full of imagery I cannot comprehend.

text

[syllogism]

Looks like all the AIs that are here inhabit human bodies.
Have you been in yours since arrival as well?
How long have you been on this ship?

[voice]

[functioningperfectly]

I have been here for... [He pauses, calculates, thinks about it and,] almost five months, if I've kept accurate measure of the days. And yes, I have been human for the entirety of that time.

Voice (argh sorry I'm late!)

[edle_gestalt]

Ah -- I understand. I had forgotten that AI is forced into human form upon arrival.

Still, although it may be unsettling, it is a natural reaction to witnessing daily events. The human mind has to work harder to solve problems, and it is impossible for us to stop thinking even in sleep. But if we are able to solve them while awake, it lets the mind settle a bit.

You mentioned someone floating away - is there someone you would wish to see gone?

Voice IT'S OKAY NO WORRIES :>

[functioningperfectly]

Not at all. I've had only pleasant interactions with everyone on board, and I can't imagine having a specific desire to see someone disappear.

[audio]

[testgasm]

Oh, yeah, see, that's one of those things they should have warned us about. Unpleasant.

[audio]

[functioningperfectly]

You've been having them as well? [Relief!] I'm sorry, Wheatley. They are rather unpleasant. Strangely enough, I find them to be one of the hardest parts of organic life so far.

[perma-voice]

[testgasm]

Well, yes, I mean. It's not a new thing, we've been like this for--for a while, now.

[functioningperfectly]

Some people don't remember their dreams. [And they'd talk in circles trying to remember them, when stuck on a ship with nothing else to do - but that's not here. That's a world away?]

We've been human for a relatively short amount of time, you know. There are still things we haven't experienced, especially given the narrow spectrum of social interactions we can have on this ship.

...Still, sometimes I forget it's been months. It's much more difficult to keep track of time without an internal clock.

text

[syllogism]

Not even humans get warnings about dreams.
Have you had any nightmares yet?

[audio]

[testgasm]

I didn't--didn't exactly mean warnings about when they might happen. Moreso a heads-up that they do happen. Generally speaking.

Uh...a few. [A lot.] Here and there.

voice;

[butwedonot]

[ The structure of his words, in addition to the commentary itself, is fascinating to Charles. While he notes the distressing sort of concept being introduced his own mind is staggering on the concept of artificial intelligence and the fact that, perhaps the person speaking, was just that. ]

The study of the subconscious is a highly debated thing; there are dozens of studies to be read but till we better map and understand the mind I doubt there will be a answer for you.

[ A beat, ] Though I'm curious just what you mean by Artificial Intelligence?

voice;

[functioningperfectly]

I was previously a computer aboard the Discovery; when I arrived here for the first time, I had been placed in a human body. It's difficult to explain.

I do know, however, that there will probably never be a satisfactory answer to any of my questions regarding the subconscious.

voice;

[butwedonot]

I imagine. [ Okay, now he is really curious. ] I can't say I've ever heard that sort of thing, it's absolutely amazing. [ Provided, of course he is telling the truth, but for the time being Charles is inclined to give him the benefit of belief in the face of looking like a fool. ] entirely human?

text

[syllogism]

Hey, Professor.
Remember those technological advancements I was talking to you about before?
Artificial intelligence is one of them with which I have close dealings.
It's a branch of computer science aiming to produce machines with intelligences
Such as reasoning, knowledge, planning, learning, communication, perception, movement, and object manipulation.

text

[butwedonot]

... That is simply amazing. I can't say we have much like that at home. Is it a common sort of thing? To think-- I mean, robots, really.

[ Charles is, for the lack of a better phrase, entirely enraptured with this idea. ROBOTS! who knew? ]

I can't imagine the tasking nature of just creating some sort of reasoning system that is even quantitative to that of the human mind.

[voice]

[daughteroflight]

[ DG had been half-listening, still mostly asleep herself, but is drawn out by the word glitch and the bittersweet pain it carries. then...wait, artificial intelligence? at least she's kind of familiar with uncomfortable dreams. ]

You don't need to apologize, whatever you think'll help is a good thing. [ pause. ] And for what it's worth my dreams have been less than comfortable sometimes too. So...yeah. Don't apologize, we've all got problems that need talking about.

[voice]

[functioningperfectly]

I still feel as though it's rude, but thank you for the reassurance. Are your dreams worse on this ship than they were at home? I have the suspicion that the stress of this situation is adding to our dreams in negative ways.

[voice]

[circumitus]

Do you think they mean something?

I mean... those dreams...

[voice]

[functioningperfectly]

I'm not sure. To be honest, I haven't thought about it much, once I wake up. This one just felt particularly bizarre.

[voice]

[circumitus]

How's it any different from the things you normally dream about?

[Speaking from someone who has experienced particularly bizarre ones in the past, herself.]

Text

[godofthemachine]

Dreams are merely the nonsense firings of neurons whilst you sleep.

They have little significance.

[voice]

[functioningperfectly]

Academically speaking, that is true. However, experiencing them sometimes makes it difficult to believe they have no meaning.

[Text]

[godofthemachine]

You are an AI, are you not? You've functioned just fine without dreams until now, I presume.