tushanshu | [handset | video] one love, one life (backdated to 3/5 or so)

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[handset | video] one love, one life (backdated to 3/5 or so)

[The video flips on to show Erskine, gorgeous as always, and actually not looking dog-tired for once! In fact, he's smiling. This is possibly the happiest Erskine has looked on the network while sober.

...which probably has to do with the attractive redhead hovering in the background. Those who've seen Erskine's echo stone will recognize Hopeless. Those who haven't might recognize the man Erskine's been attached at the hip to for the last couple of weeks.]

Right, hello everyone. So, Hopeless had a question--

[The redhead in the background scoffs gently.]

Alright, we had a question. How old are all you Foreigners out there? We're interested in age demographics. You can be vague if you like, and you don't have to answer of course.

And in the spirit of sharing, I... missed my last birthday. It was in February. Which I suppose makes me 409 now.

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Might I ask what range of intervals you utilize to determine age?

[Because that might affect her numerical answer.]

Of course. Three hundred and sixty-five days to a year, twenty-four hours to a day, sixty minutes to an hour, sixty seconds to a minute.

[She loved it when the answer given to her was so scientifically precise.]

I see. Thank you.

One moment please.

[Her eyes glowed as she utilized this information to do a proper calculation. The entire process took less than three seconds before her eyes faded.]

While I currently do not have all the accurate data due to a potential discrepancy in terms of time-space and the Realm of Dreaming...as well as certain potential missing lapses of my memory database--[Which she was still not 100% happy about, but really, what could she do about that?]--I have come to determine that, colloquially...I am just shy of Five of your years.

[Give or take a couple months.]

[How interesting. Hopeless rests his chin in his hands.]

That's very young, by human standards. Even long-lived human standards. But if I may -- forgive me for the presumption -- you don't seem to be human. Would I be accurate in saying your people mature quickly, psychologically?

No.

[Stated matter-of-factly, because...well...it was not accurate for multiple reasons, none of which were his fault for not knowing.]

To the best of my knowledge, I am the only one of my kind. There have been other arteficial intelligences created by those who are responsible for my existence, but we are not the same. They are not alive, as I am.

In addition, I was not born with a physical form. What you see before you is a body I constructed for myself when it was made known to me that I could not be a Green Lantern without one. So I used the imprint of a Volkreig woman for visual reference. One I saw in the memories of someone...very dear to me.

[So, at least, in that sense, he was right. She wasn't human.]

[He is very nearly grinning.]

Artificial intelligence was only theory, in my time. It's my very great pleasure to meet you. Are you defining your age from the moment of your birth, or the construction of your physical body? The incorporeal beings with which I'm familiar aren't always cognizant of a linear concept of time.

I define it from the first memory in my database associated with consciousness. Before the construction of my body.

[Not necessarily her birth, then. Just when she "woke up"]

That's a fair assessment. I imagine you wouldn't have the same issues with memory lapses that organic beings do.

[Wryly.]

If I may ask -- what are the Green Lanterns?

Not usually.

[~~Only one. Because THANKS, SCAR, YOU ARE THE WORST MOM EVER~~.]

The Green Lanterns are a group of individuals chosen by Rings of Green Energy created by the Guardians of Oa. The best equivalent I have found to explain their purpose is to call them...'space cops'

Even space needs regulation, so long as there are people there. I take it you weren't created to be one, originally? Or they would have given you a body --

[He pulls himself up short with a cut-off breath and a wry smile.]

Ah -- forgive me. You must get questions from a lot of people.

[At first, Aya shook her head with a smile.]

You need not apologize. I do not mind answering questions. It is always far preferable to allowing others to make faulty assumptions based on insufficient information.

[Although, beyond that, the smile notably faded. Not because of him, but because of said information she was about to impart.]

I was not created to be a Green Lantern. I...do not know why I was created, specifically, although my original prime function was to serve as the navigational unit on the Guardian's highly advanced interstellar spaceship.

I became a Green Lantern because I chose to become one.

Did you have to argue very hard to convince the Guardians to let you?

[This is asked gently. The capacity for self-awareness and the ability to choose are marks of a properly sapient being, of course, but if she was built for something else, and is alive unintended -- well, Hopeless can't imagine that went over entirely well.]

No.

I neither argued with nor convinced them of anything. I simply chose to be a Green Lantern.

[And Hopeless would be right; though her fellow Lanterns each warmed to her at her own pace, eventually becoming a surrogate family unit, most of the Guardians...save for one (or two)...were not pleased. Including her creator.]

[That makes him smile, one that starts in his eyes and still manages to turn up his mouth.]

Would that all people were so cognizant of their own self-worth.

[... He's had some troubles over the years.]

It was...not an easy realization to make. Although I can truthfully state that I had help.

[<3 Papa Hal <3]

[The smile, if anything, becomes more intense, but smaller for it.]

That's good to hear. Everyone deserves to have help, but not everyone knows how to accept it.

...yes, that I can understand as well.

[Thinking of you, ~~rage bunny~~ Razer.]

So can I.

[A touch dryly. The Dead Men could be very stupid sometimes.]

Thank you for indulging me -- I.

[He laughs self-deprecatingly.]

I'm sorry. I didn't get your name.

I am Aya.

[As in A.I...ya. Blame Hal Jordan. No, really. He was the one who named her, literally after a bastardization of the pronunciation of the initials for Arteficial Intelligence.]

Thank you for indulging me, Aya. In the interests of fair play -- is there anything you'd like to ask in return?

[Since he was so kind enough to offer, there was something that still held her curiosity.]

I was wondering...precisely what your motivation for engaging in such a topic of discussion might be.

[It is, as a matter of fact, and subject he doesn't mind talking about at all. He leans his elbows on the desk, speaking earnestly.]

I like understanding people. Most conflicts which happen do so because of differing perspectives, and an inability to comprehend why someone might act the way they do. I believe that understanding people, on an individual and on a societal level, can enable others to know when and how to help, and to teach people how to take control of their own futures, and ultimately reduce the levels of suffering accepted in most societies.

With the Foreigners having such a broad range of experiences, not only personally but physiologically, I can't imagine there haven't been difficulties among their own demographic.

[Aya listened intently to his explanation, and by the time he was done, was smiling again. Visibly pleased by the response.]

I have learned much about carbon-based life forms through multiple interactions and the telling of personal anecdotes as well. It has been one of the most fascinating experiences of my time in this world.

Were most of the beings you used to interact with non-carbon-based?

[She shook her head.]

No.

However, excluding our travels to other planets, in which we only briefly interacted with the native species...there were only three I ever spent a significant amount of time with.

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