Office Hours

[newhire]

[Those who wish to meet with the Junior Administrator-- well she's always on call.

Getting her off her phone on the other hand... is a bit more difficult.]

Comments

[newhire]

I'm no more human than you are Connor. And more than that, I'm your teacher, so I'm responsible for all of you.

[preconstruction]

You've got more knowledge than anyone here on how to solve this problem. It'd be a waste to lose it over evidence.

[ and in connors mind the jury is still out on their relative human to android ratios. ]

[newhire]

That's not really true. There are others more talented than me in any area that I could offer. I can't even compare to Professor Han. I used to think I was unstoppable. But I was young and foolish. I didn't know anything. And now... I'm probably the least useful person here.

[preconstruction]

I know that's not true.

[newhire]

You would be surprised. If you knew the person I was then, how I acted you'd understand.

Those crude things that keep taking my student's lives were my life's work. The one thing I gave all my time and attention to. But even they're incomplete. And now, they've been adapted that neither me or Han can stop them.

I did this. This was all my fault.

[preconstruction]

Han told me no one is more talented in the field of robotics than you. He hadn't even heard of your teacher, and couldn't believe there was anyone better.

Just because you created a machine that is being used in a wrong way doesn't put you at fault.

[ although it does pose a pretty obvious question: ]

Who adapted them?

[newhire]

The only reason anyone could possibly know my name is because I was able to come here to this school. And rather than impressed... they should have dreaded working with me. Even so, I suppose it's true, it was impressive. I was hired when I was only 17 to start the school's very first robotics program.

But I wasn't able to teach anyone. No, I refused to teach anyone. I didn't want any part of the other people here. That laboratory was everything. I really gave them a lot of trouble.

And being that way, I created something I didn't have the means to control.

[...]

I don't know. But with the capabilities they have now, they could have found anyone. I can't even hope to keep up with them.

[preconstruction]

It's true that there are seemingly endless variables.

[ it's a lot to quantify; and after this week, he's not really sure he has the processing power to do it just now. ]

Something tampered with my code.

[newhire]

What? I can take a look at it for you.

I mean, if you don't mind it being me. It's okay if you'd rather have Han do it though. I just thought I should.

Nevermind! I'm sure you have it all under control.

[preconstruction]

I can't tell if that last part is because you want to see it but you're too nervous to really ask, or if that relates to your comment about Han.

[newhire]

Well I want to help you of course. But I can't say I feel like I'm the best person to do it.

[She would have you believe that it's not about THAT.]

[preconstruction]

You're literally a professor of robotics.

[newhire]

Right! Right. So. Um. If you want. My door's always open. Yeah.

[preconstruction]

Vivienne. Whatever you want to say, just say it.

[newhire]

Auuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm not good with words!










Of course I want to! I want to be useful. I want to be someone people feel like they can come to.

[preconstruction]

I'm sure plenty of people feel that way about you.

[newhire]

Before I was forced to take the Entrance Exam students, the only person I ever connected with was my uncle. And he's a great man, he really is, but-- he's not like other people. I learned a lot then. And even now, a lot of it is me trying to simulate the things I've experienced from others.

But during the Entrance Exam I think I found a little of the Old Me. Or... maybe I just wanted to believe I did. Either way, I promised I wouldn't go back to the way I was before, even if I was faking it a little.

So... I do hope that my effort translates, even if I'm not good at it yet.






B-but that's not even important right now! You didn't tell me what happened to your code!

[preconstruction]

You hardly need to justify yourself to me. All of my emotions are simulated. And it’s not a guess to know how people feel about you.

[ he’d shared it when they had interfaced after the trial after all. He has proof. ]

It has a strange mutation that is mimicking the memory loss the other students are experiencing.