Voice 🥀

[fractales]

Type: Voice
Sender ID: fractales(Professor Turo)
To: General
Subject: Brief Announcement
Warnings: TBA

[There was a soft melody playing in the background, along with the sound of paws pattering about. Some heavier steps. The music clearly from a music box that sounded as if it was sat somewhere closer to the shellphone—]

This is Professor Turo, and my apologies for perhaps a late statement that I may not be so easily found as usual the last several days; a few days more as well. Less time spent walking Cosmo, other places.

Of course I can still be reached over these, but I have been taking some time to myself. Finishing up a few projects, making room for others that are more in progress. Preparation for possible adoption candidates at Cosmo Conservatory -next month may do well for that- so I can be found within the medical building there once more at the very least.

[—that melody hanging in the air for a few notes. It at least helped to soothe...]

If anything is needed do not hesitate to contact me, but I bid you adieu for now.

Comments

[reneggadetinkerer]

...What's going on with your voice.

[fractales]

Ah—

[That one was the worst, the sound nearly completely static as if asking had, well. Reminded him.

It cleared up, at least.]

You could call it some, hm. Energy interference, spikes of it causing a bit of a mess. It comes with why I've been scarce and focusing more on projects.

[reneggadetinkerer]

You require maintenance then.

Turo, you know as well as I do that I have backups of all of your systems and I'm just bored enough to start digging.

[fractales]

I do know that, yes. Hard to forget something like that, given circumstances this world has created for me.

[That music box melody was coming back in the background, as if he had been walking around, only now returning to where it was.]

There's no real damage to anything, truthfully. I've been keeping an eye on that due to how long it has been going on, and I can only link it to -for lack of better words- strong emotions due to loss.

[Keeping it technical helped.]

[reneggadetinkerer]

A loss?

[Ah. He's starting to see what's going on now.]

Is that what all this is? You feel sad?

[fractales]

To put it bluntly, yes. My partner of nearly three years here is no longer in this world, despite knowing of the possibility during that time.

[He was looking down at the music box as he spoke, the floating crystal figure that dance due to the segments of its body.]

... my creator also did not handle this sort of loss well, and it resulted partly in his creation of me. I suppose that as part of my base has caused it to hit harder.

[reneggadetinkerer]

Then just do what your original 'you' would do. Build yet another iteration of yourself.

A surrogate child or...something of that nature.

Not that I would know anything of the sort.

[fractales]

I... don't want to follow in his footsteps in how he handled his grief.

[Private]

[A little adjustment—]

He buried himself in his work to the point he lost every bit of his present, and only realized that loss as he died. Regret was the last expression I saw on his face. He hated her for leaving him, and in turn neglected his own son that she left him with.

He didn't seem to realize that completely until his end.

[That... he felt the amount of love there for, that Arven never really got to feel.]

... I don't believe this world has the resources that would allow me to do so, either, if I was inclined.

[A brief pause, and well. He remembered a certain project mentioned.]

You would not know?

[reneggadetinkerer]

Do I look to be the sentimental type?

No, if I'm going to build an AI from scratch with the express purpose of it being loyal only to me while giving it the capacity to grow, I'd do it for the sole purpose of conquering worlds.

Besides, there's only one of me. If I were going to construct a progeny, I'd make sure it looked nothing like me.

Lest it get any about usurping me.

[fractales]

I suppose it speaks for how far gone the Professor was that his thought process was being unable to trust anyone but himself with his work, so he made himself.

[Obsession was a hell of a drug.

So was grief.

Mix the two together—]

Better to serve than usurp? No thoughts like that ran through his mind, he simply made a copy.

[reneggadetinkerer]

And I assert that there's nothing better than the original.

Besides, what good would making a copy of myself be? I'd just argue with it all the time.

I'd rather build something I can teach.

[fractales]

That's where you and he differed in thought—he didn't wish to bother with teaching. A waste of his time when he wanted to get straight into building and research.

Thought even I agree that teaching would do far better, as even I have grown past what knowledge he copied into me during my time learning in this world.

[reneggadetinkerer]

And yet here you are in a malaise because you're alone?

Honestly, what's so bad about being alone? I'm always alone!

[fractales]

It is far less being alone and more the loss of what was.

I am very used to being alone, and is part of why I sought that out while... contending with the feelings of it, as a way of putting it.