[As always, the delay of a response is telling in its own way. Markus goes over the message twice, as though the contents might change the second time through.
An android, killed by an EMP blast. The whole of the apartment effected, the implication being that the attack was widespread — and, of course, purposeful. Given the history of this world, his mind jumps to the easiest, most obvious conclusion. The seed planted by the mention of Elysian.]
And you think what you found was a scene from the aftermath of the war?
[Emblematic of his kind being wiped out, electronic disruption tech and viruses wielded against AI life in a war that claimed too many on both sides.]
[ A delay in time, a gap between them that he wishes he could cross with a gesture or touch, but it's better that Markus can process this on his own. As much as Fitz sympathises — has always sympathised, even in the midst of his own piss-poor decisions, from the moment Dr Radcliffe said it, and he countered she — this isn't his tragedy to claim.
His moment passed in that godforsaken apartment, as he scrubbed the back of his hand over his eyes. ]
I do. She was an Elysian model. I checked.
[ always thinking, even when at the heart of something big. ]
Between that and the era of technology in the apartment, we have our timeline. The anti-AI cause likely wouldn't have resorted to EMPs that powerful from the jump, given the high levels of collateral damage. I'd put the scene near the end of the conflict.
Long enough for the perspective of the "enemy" to have been forgotten. If it was ever considered to begin with.
[In the end, Fitz is relaying to him nothing that they don't already know; he's just filling in the details. EMP blast, instead of nebulous battles being fought on a nebulous battlefield. An android corpse indistinguishable from a human, instead of the malleable mental image of AI life, in whatever form it took.
Somehow, though, that makes it worse.]
Thank you for telling me.
It's hard to believe that even now, centuries later, there's no trace of the AI lives that were lost in that war. That mankind wouldn't have stored a few corpses for salvageable parts, or research, in case they'd find a similar war at their doorstep. AI-proof the future beyond just the restrictions put in place.
[Answers, somewhere in this world. That's all he needs, knowing he cannot undo history to such an extent. He wants to know the reason for Elysian's deviation, and the reason behind such a violent reaction.]
[ it's a truth both owed and freely given. Markus deserves to know the whole of it. ]
Speaking as a scientist, I never would have discarded everything. Especially not if I helped make the project a reality. The engineers of a better tomorrow are inclined to choose curiosity over orders and precaution every day of the week.
[ there's a difference between truth-telling and oversharing so, uh, not gonna mention that he put AIDA's head in a fucking SHIELD locker like a creepazoid. his point stands well enough on its own. ]
And life of any kind has a tendency to survive against the odds.
[ he doubts the AI are gone, unless the war ended before it began. ]
[Or someone/something claiming to be an AI and setting the sit on metaphorical fire. That could happen, too.
But for now-]
You're right, we will. Stubborn as our group can be, and just as curious.
We'll see what opportunities open up going forward. I almost hate to say, but there's no guarantee we won't find ourselves dreaming again sooner or later.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
An android, killed by an EMP blast. The whole of the apartment effected, the implication being that the attack was widespread — and, of course, purposeful. Given the history of this world, his mind jumps to the easiest, most obvious conclusion. The seed planted by the mention of Elysian.]
And you think what you found was a scene from the aftermath of the war?
[Emblematic of his kind being wiped out, electronic disruption tech and viruses wielded against AI life in a war that claimed too many on both sides.]
no subject
His moment passed in that godforsaken apartment, as he scrubbed the back of his hand over his eyes. ]
I do.
She was an Elysian model. I checked.
[ always thinking, even when at the heart of something big. ]
Between that and the era of technology in the apartment, we have our timeline.
The anti-AI cause likely wouldn't have resorted to EMPs that powerful from the jump, given the high levels of collateral damage. I'd put the scene near the end of the conflict.
no subject
[In the end, Fitz is relaying to him nothing that they don't already know; he's just filling in the details. EMP blast, instead of nebulous battles being fought on a nebulous battlefield. An android corpse indistinguishable from a human, instead of the malleable mental image of AI life, in whatever form it took.
Somehow, though, that makes it worse.]
Thank you for telling me.
It's hard to believe that even now, centuries later, there's no trace of the AI lives that were lost in that war. That mankind wouldn't have stored a few corpses for salvageable parts, or research, in case they'd find a similar war at their doorstep. AI-proof the future beyond just the restrictions put in place.
[Answers, somewhere in this world. That's all he needs, knowing he cannot undo history to such an extent. He wants to know the reason for Elysian's deviation, and the reason behind such a violent reaction.]
no subject
[ it's a truth both owed and freely given. Markus deserves to know the whole of it. ]
Speaking as a scientist, I never would have discarded everything.
Especially not if I helped make the project a reality.
The engineers of a better tomorrow are inclined to choose curiosity over orders and precaution every day of the week.
[ there's a difference between truth-telling and oversharing so, uh, not gonna mention that he put AIDA's head in a fucking SHIELD locker like a creepazoid. his point stands well enough on its own. ]
And life of any kind has a tendency to survive against the odds.
[ he doubts the AI are gone, unless the war ended before it began. ]
We'll find something.
[ a spec, a clue, a trace. ]
no subject
But for now-]
You're right, we will. Stubborn as our group can be, and just as curious.
We'll see what opportunities open up going forward. I almost hate to say, but there's no guarantee we won't find ourselves dreaming again sooner or later.
no subject
I'm too tired to dream, and that sounds bloody nonsensical.
[ SIRI WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUFFERING ]
Let me know if you need me, Markus.
[ y'know for non TERRIBLE AI NEWS things... ]
no subject
I will. Same to you, Fitz.