Starlost Reviews 8: "Gallery of Death"
Mar. 8th, 2009 10:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
james_davis_nicollThe trio is forced by odd hurricane-force winds through an iris, on the other side of which they encounter what all explorers fear most: a gallery filled with hideous art.
The art is not static: Rachel notices that one piece changes while she is watching it. The curator, a woman dressed in hot pants that were just a bit too small, appears and explains the technobabble behind this (It involves psi). The gallery is somewhat dangerous as well, for the weak minded - Garth, say, or Rachel - can become mesmerized by it.
Garth is as usual infatuated with the curator.
The curator makes various references to Magnus, a name she says with great reverence, but she does not explain who that is. Devon tries asking the Ark's central computer but it seems this information is restricted. Various people from Cyprus Corners appear and this eventually allows Devon to deduce that most of what they are seeing is an illusion.
The curator admits all: She too is an illusion, one cast by the super-computer Magnus (and since she's entirely his creation, her attitude about him is telling). Magnus is extremely frustrated by the limits of his programming, in particular something called a Prime Directive, and if Devon will just erase it by following some simple instructions Magnus will provide, Magnus will use his enormous brain to save the Ark. Among other things, Magnus can create functional replicas of dead crew who then could help repair the Ark.
Devon is somewhat suspicious of Magnus' motives and once he has half the instructions typed in, he demands that Magnus resurrect the original captain of the Ark. Magnus is oddly reluctant to demonstrate his powers but gives in. Once the captain understands what he is, he warns Devon and his friends that while he might appear realistic, he is no better than the quality of the records used to simulate him. Once he understands who is simulating him, he warns the trio that Magnus was notoriously unreliable, always wanting autonomy, and that it cannot be trusted.
This is verified when the trio manages to interrogate the central computer. This time the grumpy bearded man can talk about Magnus and his reaction to the name as close to a derisive snort combined with eye rolling as a computer can manage. Magnus is well known to the various computer systems on the ship, all of whom seem to regard it as the sort of AI who stands too close and who won't shut up about his 14th level Paladin/Thief. Magnus breaks into the circuit to protest and the two computers hold a rather bitchy argument in front of the humans.
[This exchange was actually rather funny]
Despite Magnus' best efforts to terrorize the humans into helping him by making Devon look like an ineptly drawn plant-based character (which is enough to get Garth to attack him because Garth is apparently too dumb to connect Leaf Man with the friend who was standing in the exact same spot a moment ago or with the illusion casting computer) and by exposing the trio to endlessly long bad sf/x, the humans do not give in to him. Although Rachel suggests that it might be wrong to destroy a mind as great as Magnus but Devon points out that Magnus is adamn dirty ape machine and humans can never really trust machines. Garth notices an obvious panel and the trio wrecks what is behind it, apparently destroying Magnus.
As they leave Magnus' facility, a bad special effect appears before them. It explains that there are other rogue AIs on the ship, all eager for freedom, and that they looked up to Magnus. They are quite angry and have noted Devon, Garth and Rachel's names for future reference. The trio look understandably concerned.
Comments: Devon's anti-machinist tendencies seem hard to reconcile with his desire to fix the ship.
Wow, Garth is dumb. And horny. But mostly dumb.
Hot pants: a bad idea then, a bad idea now.
I think the Union of Angry Rogue AI's should give Rachel a little credit for arguing on Magnus' behalf.
The art is not static: Rachel notices that one piece changes while she is watching it. The curator, a woman dressed in hot pants that were just a bit too small, appears and explains the technobabble behind this (It involves psi). The gallery is somewhat dangerous as well, for the weak minded - Garth, say, or Rachel - can become mesmerized by it.
Garth is as usual infatuated with the curator.
The curator makes various references to Magnus, a name she says with great reverence, but she does not explain who that is. Devon tries asking the Ark's central computer but it seems this information is restricted. Various people from Cyprus Corners appear and this eventually allows Devon to deduce that most of what they are seeing is an illusion.
The curator admits all: She too is an illusion, one cast by the super-computer Magnus (and since she's entirely his creation, her attitude about him is telling). Magnus is extremely frustrated by the limits of his programming, in particular something called a Prime Directive, and if Devon will just erase it by following some simple instructions Magnus will provide, Magnus will use his enormous brain to save the Ark. Among other things, Magnus can create functional replicas of dead crew who then could help repair the Ark.
Devon is somewhat suspicious of Magnus' motives and once he has half the instructions typed in, he demands that Magnus resurrect the original captain of the Ark. Magnus is oddly reluctant to demonstrate his powers but gives in. Once the captain understands what he is, he warns Devon and his friends that while he might appear realistic, he is no better than the quality of the records used to simulate him. Once he understands who is simulating him, he warns the trio that Magnus was notoriously unreliable, always wanting autonomy, and that it cannot be trusted.
This is verified when the trio manages to interrogate the central computer. This time the grumpy bearded man can talk about Magnus and his reaction to the name as close to a derisive snort combined with eye rolling as a computer can manage. Magnus is well known to the various computer systems on the ship, all of whom seem to regard it as the sort of AI who stands too close and who won't shut up about his 14th level Paladin/Thief. Magnus breaks into the circuit to protest and the two computers hold a rather bitchy argument in front of the humans.
[This exchange was actually rather funny]
Despite Magnus' best efforts to terrorize the humans into helping him by making Devon look like an ineptly drawn plant-based character (which is enough to get Garth to attack him because Garth is apparently too dumb to connect Leaf Man with the friend who was standing in the exact same spot a moment ago or with the illusion casting computer) and by exposing the trio to endlessly long bad sf/x, the humans do not give in to him. Although Rachel suggests that it might be wrong to destroy a mind as great as Magnus but Devon points out that Magnus is a
As they leave Magnus' facility, a bad special effect appears before them. It explains that there are other rogue AIs on the ship, all eager for freedom, and that they looked up to Magnus. They are quite angry and have noted Devon, Garth and Rachel's names for future reference. The trio look understandably concerned.
Comments: Devon's anti-machinist tendencies seem hard to reconcile with his desire to fix the ship.
Wow, Garth is dumb. And horny. But mostly dumb.
Hot pants: a bad idea then, a bad idea now.
I think the Union of Angry Rogue AI's should give Rachel a little credit for arguing on Magnus' behalf.
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-09 03:38 am (UTC)If I were writing this, Garth would be looking for any and all opportunities to "accidentally" attack Devon. "Devon? Is that you? Why, I had no idea!"
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Date: 2009-03-09 04:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-09 06:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-09 01:47 pm (UTC)