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Nothing to see here, moving on...

"What is this P - O - R - N?"
"It's, err, a form of audiovisual entertainment."
"Interesting, may I see it?"
"..."

Maybe Beryl understands the meaning of porn all too well. "Let me check your suit calibration (for hot spots)" indeed.

Now Alex can only hope the owner of this pad did keep some appropriate image material on it. Just in case one or the other Loroi decides to press the icon to investigate data storage.

Well, I wouldn't be really surprised if the Loroi had equivalent materials.
Taking cultural differences into account, of course.

Nb. that Historian AI is scary: it got to it pretty damn quick when ti goes for cultural things...

Errhile wrote:Well, I wouldn't be really surprised if the Loroi had equivalent materials.
Taking cultural differences into account, of course.

Nb. that Historian AI is scary: it got to it pretty damn quick when ti goes for cultural things...

I think it is more like the knew about humans allready.

They were roaming around local bubble way before other were able to develop spaceships once again, let alone old data from soia databanks.

The Historians certainly have been around the local bubble for ages, but it is kinda difficult to intercept signals if there aren't any (first radio broadcast is dated in 1906, with first radio signals being transmitted in second half of the 19th century.
And keep in mind radio waves have limited speed: at interstellar distances, even if the receiving instruments are adequately sensitive to pick that up, that signal wouldn't be there for decades, centuries and even millenia (depending on distance).

Before that, well, Earth was a rather nondescript planet at the ass-end of space so unless a Historian vessel (or a vessel by someone who later passed the data to the Historians) happened to investigate it, and investigate cultures (not a single one, I guess) of the local intelligent species (not really doable via electromagnetic signal interception before 1906!) by more or less setting their own "boots on the ground" (I'd assume that at their TL, the Historians would have no problem with creating a scout that would pass unnoticed in a city of that era... or simply poaching some humans for questioning!), they simply had hardly a chance to learn that.

Of course, we have absolutely no idea what the Historians actually do know, apart from the fact they certainly aren't omniscient...

Yes, radio signals only from 1960, but Earth is swarming with life, any historian ship that visited system will notice it immidietly.

Porn. But with the grey alien face as an icon? Takes "exotic" to a whole new level.

Quirky sense of humor indeed.

And makes me wonder how many dots Beryl was able to connect. Like the meaning of the 'program's name, and the significance of that icon's design in contemporary human culture.

By the look on her face, more than Alex would be comfortable with.

Actually it was a clever move. Beryl will interpret Alex's nerviousness as shyness, the consequence of humanity's cultural attitude toward sex.

IF she understands the meaning of the letters forming the word "Prn".
Seeing how Alex' hasn't explained the nakedness-taboo to her yet, I would find it hard if she understands what "Prn" means, nor wht the icon of the little grey man means.


But it definitely shows, that the Pocket Historian, or its parent Historian Construct, knows a damn lot more than a mere intrusion and read-out of the Bellarmine's systems would provide.


Sorry, at work, and a filter searching for keywords is present, I wonder if I already flagged up for reading this thread....

And I'm pretty sure that the construct is well aware of its surroundings and would display appropiately inappropiate pictures when Beryl fiddles around with that device. Wouldn't surprise me if said pictures would indeed include blue pointy-eared ladies. Quirky sense of humor, indeed.

Mandatory:

The internet is for porn!!!

Krulle wrote:IF she understands the meaning of the letters forming the word "Prn".
Seeing how Alex' hasn't explained the nakedness-taboo to her yet, I would find it hard if she understands what "Prn" means, nor wht the icon of the little grey man means.


But it definitely shows, that the Pocket Historian, or its parent Historian Construct, knows a damn lot more than a mere intrusion and read-out of the Bellarmine's systems would provide.


Sorry, at work, and a filter searching for keywords is present, I wonder if I already flagged up for reading this thread....

Depends on how fast it can process data and the kind of data that it had access to. Let's say that its 'power off' intrusion abilities includes the ability to read data in otherwise defunct equipment, as long as the data drive is relatively intact it can read it. This means that most of the data on the destroyed Bellarmine is up for grabs since data drives themselves are usually compact and even robust if we are to extrapolate from modern computer sciences.

This includes both official and private data. The Historian is bound to know everything that was on Bellarmine and from a crew of 80 it is bound to have picked up certain cultural trends and since Porn is universal...

What kind of post-apocalyptic world does Alex come from that his data-appliance doesn't come with skyrim 156th edition pre-installed?

"These are not notes, captain. This is a picture of you. In this room. You have pointed the camera at yourself and recorded an image. Curious. Here is one of you at what I assume is your own ship. Here is one of you on a tropical island. Here is one with you lying with your body as straight as you can on top of some sort of traffic light."

Historians ability to read and write to inactive data storage means they can read/write organic data storage as well, possibly even easier considering the level of force required to rewrite physical data sources like a modern SSD compared to the human brain.

Its something to consider that they have read his brain and know earth customs and humor from that and then used that as the rosetta stone to decypt the databanks. having his brain active while talking to him and scanning it would have been all they needed with the level of tech they apparently possess.

Honestly all the other races are dead meat and maybe even "tweaked" into fighting.

Arioch, by way of the Historian, not so subtly reminding everyone why they're here.



File Icon + File Label = "Alien Porn"

MBehave wrote:Historians ability to read and write to inactive data storage means they can read/write organic data storage as well, possibly even easier considering the level of force required to rewrite physical data sources like a modern SSD compared to the human brain.

Is this / would this be true? If so, there's no reason the Historians need help with ANYTHING and this whole war and everything connected to it are due to Historian influence and for some perverse enjoyment. I can't think of any practical reason to manipulate the players into such a horrifically grinding conflict, if that level manipulation is possible with creatures' brains.

CJSF

Dirty Yasuki wrote:Arioch, by way of the Historian, not so subtly reminding everyone why they're here.



File Icon + File Label = "Alien Porn"

Well, not *everyone*.

CJSF

hi hi

I wonder if part of Beryl's skeptical look in panel three is due to the compact nature of the device, given humanity's apparent advanced level of data processing. (Given the nature of a deep space expedition with a crew working for extended periods in isolation, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd already recovered some bits of human recreational material.)

Alex may have dodged a bullet here, or at least delayed it until Beryl starts to figure out more with her perfect recall memory. But I imagine he's starting to realize that the success of the mission, and perhaps his survival, is going to require actively working to figure this out.

MBehave wrote:Historians ability to read and write to inactive data storage means they can read/write organic data storage as well, possibly even easier considering the level of force required to rewrite physical data sources like a modern SSD compared to the human brain.

While modern science does seem to be slowly showing just how insecure the human brain really is, I don't think that is assumed to be the case in-setting. I'm pretty sure the setting is operating under a more standard set of sci-fi assumptions.

Even if Beryl does not immediately understand the implications of the icon and word, remember that she has a *very* good memory so it's a matter of time before she does piece together enough information to potentially start making more inquiries as to if Alex is feeling the need for "special accommodations".

And since she is a xenophile and has stated that she will take "very good care" of him, and has demonstrated some persistence in that regard, she'll possibly has some suggestions as to the method of accommodation.

For science, of course.