House Visit [Day 1, ME]

There was a lot of potential and promise in the former Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil. Unfortunately, it never lived up to its intended vision.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Boogiepop » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:20 am

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Sgt. Curtis

"Alright, good come with me," he said before he gave them a wave to follow him. While he was used to dealing with corporate types, this unplanned visit was most certainly not formal. At least, he would hope.

Once they were inside the elevator, he would slide the door shut and they began to slowly descend down to the lower levels of the building. Most of the building was seemingly built with thick drab grey concrete. If Nadia had any passive connection to the Network as they went down, she would notice that it would fade easily over time, like a combination of the material of the building and perhaps some jamming installed.

The elevator would take them down to what looked like rather a large warehouse space with bright lighting that bathed the place with the same intensity of daylights. There were several servers found here, lined one against each other to look like a fully equipped megacorporate server found in some offices. A few people milled in white jumpsuits going about their respective duties, either on their terminals or calibrating the hardware. The interior didn't have any real walls other than glass and metal dividers that made the whole arrangement look like office cubicles from above. They could see living quarters, a kitchen, a recreational room for the staff, and among other cramped facilities that would indicate that they would be living here long term. Up above, there were a few armoured Argu Security guards that roamed the catwalk from their vantage point, keeping an eye on what was happening below.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Leo Knight » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:36 am

Leo's bland look grew even blander. Behind the grim, unexpressive mask, he began to calculate how also shooting Nadia would affect his odds as he shot his way out of the place.

For the moment, though, he merely looked casually around as they walked.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Nadia Avaline » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:46 am

As the net dropped it made it easier to focus on all the other parts of her surroundings that she might otherwise have overlooked, though she did feel a little naked without access to it. As she follows along wherever the guard might end up leading her she'd continue to observe everything. Eyes glowing not the usual brightness but dimly more than the natural appearance as she passively takes down notes on her PAD still attached to her arm, under the suit sleeve.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Boogiepop » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:00 am

Nadia would still be connected to the PAD and all local machinery. However, communication with the outside world was another issue. They might as well be considered to have dropped off the face of the earth all things considered.

The elevator would stop at the level of the catwalk where the Argus guards were situated and the sergeant would take them the rest of the way by foot, descending a set of stairs before they were taken to what looked like a hallway made of metal bars with a secured door on the other side. The guard would brush against a sensor, likely some sort of biometrics, activating the door to open and he would guide them through. They would be taken to the main floor where there was plenty of staff working on what looked like to be coding. Certainly, a lot of Network architecture seemed to be constructed here from what she could see on screen.

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Sgt. Curtis

"Hey! Doc! You got visitors, brought in by the board." The sergeant would call out to one of the workers. The last part was probably more of his assumption but with Elizabeth's name attached, that was an educated guess.

There was a lone man who answered that call, tall and perhaps slightly on the gaunt side. He was dressed in a lab coat and had distinct cybereyes that seemed to be a tool of the trade when it came to people working on the Network.

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Doctor Homes

"Good morning," he would greet them as he walked over to meet them, adjusting his lab coat as he walked. There was a pause when he realized that might not be exactly the right timezone. "Sorry, it seems that my time was incorrectly synchronized. Good evening. I am Doctor...Homes. Are you here to see our work?"

His name was probably not Doctor Homes.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Nadia Avaline » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:16 am

"Good evening Doctor Homes. I am," she says, a slight mirth infecting her tone. Something that was noticed first with the slight widening of her eyes as Nadia started to pick up traces of what they were working on here. Though she seemed to look over him like one might suspecting some sort of deception, she suspected no such thing. Instead she was merely allowing herself to be a touch more overtly curious. Though this overt curiosity too was not something she allowed intentionally.

"Elizabeth Mills sent me to look into this place. I would like to learn as much as I can," she says, dutifully.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Boogiepop » Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:45 am

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Doctor Homes

"I thought so." He gave an accepting nod on the matter. "Forgive the mess, as you see much of the work is still in progress. You've caught us when we've found outside in a last-minute crunch. Mister Perez had informed me that we would have a little more time..."

His gaze would veer off toward Curtis for a moment.

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Sgt. Curtis

The sergeant would merely nod.

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Doctor Homes

"But yes, I'd be happy to show you what we have so far and fill in the rest with any questions that you might have. As you can see here, this is the main floor where we do much of our work." He would gesture at the open space around them and them to a brief walk around. Most of the area here was taken up by large holographic screens, large rigs, and a variety of hardware. "We started out with a meagre staff of ten, at first, but over time, Mister Perez has been kind enough to bring in other personal and experts from outside. Here is where we write the development of the world. The city actual has mostly been completed but we continue on refining certain aspects to make it more believable, rather than just main areas of interest. Removing the invisible walls, so to speak."
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Nadia Avaline » Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:42 am

Nadia looks at him a little strangely at the mention of a last minute crunch, but her brow settles a moment later as she more or less gets a sense of it. Looking where was gestured, taking in the sights again, she'd all too happily- though it wasn't outwardly shown- join to his side as the doctor would walk them around. Eyes glinting a little as she looks from interesting piece of net-tech to interesting piece of net-tech she always loses herself a very brief moment before her brow furrows.

An innocent question, "What is it you're doing here, exactly?" she asks, the furrowed brow settling into her typical more blank expression. A guarded one she'd picked up as 'proper' from Elizabeth.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Boogiepop » Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:06 pm

The server farm they had seen on the way down, just found on the other side of the work floor, was indeed very impressive. It wasn't exactly the most advanced one that Nadia might have heard of but the scale itself might have easily rival some found in a few Weyland Consortium properties. Everything done here seemed to be completely localized.

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Doctor Homes

"Ahh, to the point." He gave a few nods on the matter. While he was pleased to show every little detail and ramble but time was money to these executives, or executive representatives in this case. His gaze would take note of the cybereyes that both of them had and got the sense that he didn't have to speak in complete layman's terms.

The doctor took a breath and put his hands together before speaking. "Well, my and my team's long-term goals in this project are to achieve some semblance of transhumanism, transferring the human mind to a digital medium. The concept in itself is preposterous, I know. However, I'd like to think that we are only mere a few decades from this breakthrough, less than a decade away if I can help it. Much of what we're doing here is only the preliminary stages of that, building blocks along the way as we continue to finetune our brain scan techniques to replicate the human mind."

"So, I suppose Perez has smaller things in mind for us to start," he said as he gestured to one of the larger screens as one of the technicians brought up what looked like a coastal city rendered in life-like detail. Anything fictional could be rendered in life-like detail nowadays, admittedly. "His interest is in real estate, virtual real estate to be exact. The idea is that while real estate becomes an increasingly expensive commodity, he can offer an alternative to the real thing and people can either choose to split their time between working in the real world and living in the virtual one...or potentially live their entire lives there full-time if they wish."
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Nadia Avaline » Tue Sep 14, 2021 7:58 pm

Nadia, naturally, was conditioned toward giving a person her undivided attention. However, when he spoke of the concept he'd gained her interest totally, there was that spark of something real that was expressed through the cybernetic eyes. Switching arms with the rig she carried in a discreet satchel before resting the original holding hand in her jacket pocket. As he would explain her eyes wouldn't travel without direction, viewing what he gestures to and returning her focus on him.

"That is an amazing prospect," she says with unfiltered awe. A furrow of her brow returns, the professional she was made to be arising, even through it all a level of detachment to her words, "Though what you would need for such a thing to exist is immense. That is without considering the cost one would need to invest into security to maintain such a space. Runners could pose a dangerous threat to such a place?" she says, it's not as direct a question as it appears. After all, the question as stated was rather assured but it was the preparations or plans they had in response to it that truly had her curiosity.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Boogiepop » Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:34 pm

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Dr. Homes

"Thank you," he said with a few nods, pleased to have her approval and feedback on the ramble. "Mister Perez has been very kind in ensuring that we get almost everything that we need to work on our project and I am told that a large number of funds have been invested in the project. Naturally, an effort like this isn't sustained in secret forever and I supposed eventually other sponsors need to be brought it, like yourself and Miss Mills."

"Ah, yes. Normally, it would be but I'm sure you've realized upon your arrival that this area is completely devoid of connection to the Network, a dead zone made possible with layers of plastcrete and exterior jamming. Only everything here is connected to each other in an enclosed loop. Runners would have to have physical access to the premises in order to access any information and it's heavily guarded thanks to the Argus Security contractors. It's made the efforts difficult, admittedly, but we make do with what is provided to us. I mean, we must make the best of what we've been given."
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Nadia Avaline » Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:40 pm

"No, I noticed the current state as we entered," she said, hollow tone as her attention drifts to some of the many machines within sight. "I meant in the future. When your project reaches completion," she seems to question herself if that's the right way to phrase it for a moment, but with a thoughtful nod to herself decides it is. "It would have to be more open, wouldn't it? If you were to start offering this virtual life to people it would not still be secured here, would it?"
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Boogiepop » Wed Sep 15, 2021 1:03 am

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Dr. Homes

There seemed to be a moment of thought from the doctor before he answer the question. "No, of course not. I suppose that might have been a bit short-sighted on my part. We're still working away to have something tangible for the public and admittedly Network security is not exactly my field. Something so great as of this will likely have many ports of entry and will require layers of ICE behind them to make it sure. I could imagine something really catastrophic would happen if somebody were to tinker with both the data and the minds of the residents."

"When it comes to application, admittedly some testing has already been done." He nodded and had one of his aides cut away from one of the cameras of the facilities to a few people on a reclined chair and hooked up to what looked like a virtual reality setup. "The experience is not perfect but people have at least mentioned that it is more convincing than what's on the current market when it comes to virtuality experience. We seek to not present a one-sided interaction where the user merely inputs, which is what we have now, but rather connect with their memories, tapping into experiences of the past and making it feel just as real. I believe that it is Mister Perez's intention that we roll out something usable so that retirement communities could plug their residents into these experiences rather than cramming them into conventional homes."
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Leo Knight » Wed Sep 15, 2021 1:09 am

Leo wasn't sure whether he should be trying to remember as much of this as possible, or if looking like he was paying too much attention would earn him a bullet in the head.

He settled for what he hoped was a comfortable middle ground, listening casually, without much understanding.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Nadia Avaline » Wed Sep 15, 2021 1:25 am

As she listens, Nadia's soft glow of her eyes maintains. Small notations made onto her PAD continue to ensure she gets a thorough enough report for Elizabeth to be given when she returns. Less fanciful wording and merely notations at the moment as they were she'd reorganize them when they got back to the car.

"Are there any known risks?" she asks, the same curious glance moving from screen to Homes. The splitting of her attention not bothering her as much as it might bother another individual.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Boogiepop » Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:05 am

Leo's passing attention did create an opportunity at the very least to get some baring of his surroundings. With all of the talk of the Network and transhumanism, there was a good abundance of Argus Security guards that were standing by. One of them was Sgt. Curtis, which Leo might have not let out of his sight as the man on the floor with the big laser rifle.

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Sgt. Curtis

[OOC: Leo may roll Perception (Cunning) at Average Difficulty with one Upgrade, if he wishes.]

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Doctor Homes

"At the moment, none above the standard ones associated with virtual reality experiences. I suppose there have been a few testers that have found the experience convincing enough to find some appeal in it, wanting to remain in the city that we call Los Arboleda, but of course, the body can only take so much. Some issues when it comes to sores, muscle aches, reality distortion, dehydration, nausea, and such. These are minor and I imagine as we get further along and make more leeway, more physical issues might arise. That might be more encouraging than not, sadly enough." He nodded on that point.

"When compared to the spiritual practitioners found in some circle of India...we might be behind the curve. Of course, they've had years of practice, discipline, and most importantly, religious fanaticism. I believe while that's admirable, there must be a way to make the whole transition possible by science with a click of a button."
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Nadia Avaline » Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:22 am

"Would I be able to access it?" she asks, her focus on the doctor very direct as she asks the question. Eyes dimming for a moment as she grants the question all of her attention and finishes taking notes for the moment.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Boogiepop » Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:49 am

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Doctor Homes

The doctor seemed to eye Nadia with his cybereyes, making perhaps an evaluation of the woman before her for the first time. There was certainly something unusual about her that he hadn't really considered until now. His eyes seem to glow slightly with a backlight before fading off. "You may...but I'm afraid right now is not exactly a good time. All of our trial stations are occupied and there's certainly an orientation that we need to prep you on, depending on how long you intend to stay in the experience. With how the system is built, it often works best when the subject has several years of experience to build on. We haven't tested it with a subject of your age but I imagine the experience might seem a bit...bland by the neural reflection and referencing."

His gaze seemed to go to Leo for a moment, noticing his age, but ultimately dropped him from consideration.

"Perhaps, another time?" He offered to Nadia.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Nadia Avaline » Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:59 am

Nadia nods, looking down to consider for a moment. "I do not think Ms. Mills will be too upset by this," she says, though there's a slight nervous twitch of her bottom lip. Something she ultimately worked past as a thought did cross her mind, "I am equipped with a interface device, and am more experienced with the experience than I might seem perhaps?" she says, hand slipping out of her pocket and resting atop the edge of the satchel held by her other hand.
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Boogiepop » Wed Sep 15, 2021 3:29 am

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Doctor Homes

"Of course," he said plainly on the matter. "Admittedly, this has less to do with skills or expertise. These elements are admittedly very useful when it comes to function and operation but not so much when it comes to life experiences. The brain draws from a combination of experiences and opinions, which is what the servers here collect and record in each subject."

He took a glance at the server farm and shook his head. "However, I might be going about this the wrong way. You're probably here to see than experience...I suppose there is a neutral server we can prep, using the experiences collected here and walking through that. It won't be quite the same, more akin to a conventional virtual experience, but something to show for at the very least."
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Re: House Visit [Day 1, ME]

Post by Nadia Avaline » Wed Sep 15, 2021 4:03 am

"I am in need of as much information as I can provide Ms. Mills," she said, that same detachment to her tone. However, there's a slight widening of the eye and curl of the lip into a very brief smile that was noticeable despite the very brief existence it had. Breaking from looking to Doctor Homes for a moment, Nadia would look to Leo. Since they'd come in together there had been little time her attention wasn't overtaken by all she was witnessing and learning. Yet in this brief pause, a moment where she's realigning herself, she feels the compulsion to check in on his status with just the glance.
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