reach the residents

[ximilian]

● ● ● REACH THE RESIDENTS

For any questions you want to ask Viveca or Degar and receive an IC response, please direct them here. Please indicate in the subject line who you are trying to contact.

// VIVECA

Hi, what can I help you with?

// DEGAR

Today was gonna be the day, but they'll never throw it back to you. And by now, you should've somehow realized what you're not to do.

▶ NAV

Comments

[vivecai]

Of course it's relevant to you, now. [ she breathes a laugh. ] Cassian, back in my home, I led a revolution. I became used to making choices that I thought would keep my people safe. Choosing what information to share, what not to, and when, so that they'd be safe, and that our revolution progressed as it was meant to. I'm sure you know what I speak of. [ given his own experiences... she is certain he can relate. ]

[ a pause. ] I made the choice not to tell you what happened to us, because I thought it'd only worry you needlessly. I'm not above admitting that it was the wrong choice to make. If I went back, knowing what I know now, I'd make a different one. But I can't go back, only forward.

[evasives]

I do know. And I have read all the mission files, but the data is always different from actually partaking in a mission. I have an understanding of your world. [ so he is aware of her past, even if the nuances of being on the ground escape him simply because he hadn't been there. ]

Information is a tool just like any other. [ it's almost like he works in intelligence. ]

Worries, I think, are going to occur regardless of the decisions made, especially with the apparent nature of these orbs. I appreciate the honesty now, but I hope there are no more surprise AIs we will need to combat again in the future before I can familiarize myself with the coding here further. [ half a joke. ]

[vivecai]

Information is the best tool of them all.

[ said rather wryly, but she means it. ]

Don't worry, no more surprise AIs in store. At least, none that I know of. How this station was created is a bit of a mystery to us, too — we were never told of that, when we came here. Perhaps, if we manage to un-corrupt Olivia's coding, she'll be able to tell us of how the orbs came to be.

[evasives]

Information and sometimes a blaster.

[ another joke! clearly! haha! it's a joke, because he agrees that information is always the best tool forward, but cassian would also always prefer to never be unarmed. ]

With the right questions, she may be able to tells us pieces as is. Do you know how much longer this station existed before you arrived?

[vivecai]

I don't disagree, [ she says with a laugh — a joke, or not, but still. his methods do no much differ from the ones she used to have. ]

Must have been a few years, at least. Maybe longer, because it wasn't in the best condition when we were here. It certainly looked like it had been used, but I don't know if that was from real use, or blowback from when the orbs scattered for the first time.

[evasives]

They have been scattered twice then? Do you know anything about how the first instance happened? I assume Olivia involvement.

If we are collecting them again, I worry about the chances of a third case.

[vivecai]

I don't know... but I believe she wasn't corrupted then, yet. If we can get her back to that state — she might be able to tell us more.

[ then, she pauses, a pause that lasts for a moment. ]

... to tell you the truth, Cassian? So do I.

[evasives]

Codes can always be altered in some capacity. [ he is, naturally, thinking of k-2so. ] But I admittedly do not know enough about the orbs to tell how much they might affect that. Affect her and her code.

Perhaps they are not meant to come all together.

[vivecai]

I was hoping... you might help me find out? [ it's posed as a question. ] Jyn said you have experience in this, and as much as I'm prepared to work on finding out how the return her coding to what it used to be and how to protect it from the orbs, I... I could use someone with your expertise.

[evasives]

I do. I am surprised that experience was not necessarily clear if you know of K-2SO. [ but maybe he wasn't in the file. he doesn't actually know how much viveca and degar are aware of. ]

It will take me some time to adjust to how the code works here, but I am not opposed to helping.

[ he would much rather have his hands in the pockets of safety than leave it to someone else. and he is a very quick learner. ]

[vivecai]

It was, [ she breathes a laugh, ] but I thought it'd be better to tell you that your friend volunteered your help, instead of implying it's just me, digging around your background and skills.

[ which... it is, too, and it's likely she'd have asked even without jyn telling her to ask cassian. ]

Thank you, Cassian. Take as long as you need — it'll still be quicker with the two of us working on it, than just me alone.

[evasives]

[ he only has one friend here, and it surprises him that he calls jyn a friend, perhaps moreso than the fact that she volunteered him. ]

Can I ask how these files are compiled? How is it possible to gather this much about such a wide variety of people?

[ he pauses, not really sure how to approach the gratitude, so he won't. ] If the code is similar to what I have already seen with this incident, I will be able to assist sooner rather than later.

apologies for the delay!

[vivecai]

I compile them. [ wryly: ] It's my job to know everything there is to know about you, everything that can affect our missions. I do my best with it.

[ he can't see it, of course, but his assurance makes her smile. ]

I will count on you for that. And maybe, sooner rather than later, we'll be able to turn Olivia back to what she used to be.

no worries!

[evasives]

Yes, but how? Is it a component of your being a former AI? I know a lot of us seem to be from Earth, but most galaxies are quite large. It is a wide net.

[ he can't see it, but he can hear it in her tone. ]

We can only hope and do the work towards that wish in the same breath.

[vivecai]

Somewhat, yes. It's something to do with when you're brought in here. That gives me access to your files, so to speak.

[ he is right, of course — otherwise, being able to find all the details on her own would be a gargantuan task, far too much for even someone who functions as an ai. ]

[evasives]

Do you think it was something started by Olivia before the corruption?

[ perhaps another thing they could understand better, if they could fix her. ]

[vivecai]

Yes, I believe so. It was something already in place when I took over — that she was the one managing it before is just logical.

[ but how, and what had happened to make the recruitment of these teams at all necessary, how the orbs came to be and what happened with them to make them scatter in the first place... olivia holds the answers to all of that. of that, she's sure. ]

[evasives]

Another question to confirm if - or when - we fix up her coding.

If you know anything else about Olivia and her original purposes. her capabilities or origins, especially if it might help with scoping through her coding, I ask it be shared as well as we progress. It will help me to decipher what is corruption and what is original.

[vivecai]

All I know is she was built to contain and manage the orbs. I believe she was built by the one who made this station... whether she was there before the orbs, or the other way around, I don't know. When we got here, there were no living people here at all. Just Olivia.

[ so whatever had happened before, who created her and why... even she doesn't know. ]

[evasives]

[ he sighs - very much on purpose, but it's meant to be a sort of commiserative sound. ]

More questions to file away for when she is fixed.

Thank you for sharing what you have so far.