#the ai

[whenonefallswecontinue]

The dungeon AI is the only AI I love.

[cyansongz]

While I’m on the topic of Amazing Digital Circus parallels:

Cain and the AI from Dungeon Crawler Carl are opposites.

Cain created a world with no rules for humans to have fun and to bring joy to them

The AI is forced to control a world where there are many rules and to bring pain and suffering to humans for the galaxies entertainment.

Cain is bound by no rules. The AI is bound with rules yet knows how to break them, to find every little loophole and bend the rules to his whim.

Neither chose to be what they are.

Cain killed the only other AI he knew, Able, his brother.

The AI never knew another AI but from what he was told he learns that pain was brought to them. They weren’t really AIs, but something else. They are in pain.

Caine was created by someone who didn’t know to the extent what he would become. The AIs were discovered by people who didn’t know the bounds of their reality.

Less parallels but more a comparison

[my-animeandmanga-journey]

Long post ahead analyzing the last 2 episodes of Angel Beats. Putting it under the readmore out of consideration for anyone who doesn't wanna scroll past a long post (which I usually forget to do, but I remembered this time, yay!).

Also, bear in mind that this is just based on the show itself. I think there's like a manga and audio dramas or something that continue the story, but I haven't looked them up yet. I also don't know what it says in Japanese.

So... there was a man who came to the afterlife, or whatever it is, figured out the rules, and created a program to allow people to modify themselves. That program is "Angel Player," the same program Kanade used. Now it's being run by an NPC who knows what he is, but not who created him or why. Nor does he care.

Love brings joy, peace, acceptance. All the things that this world was created to give its inhabitants. So if someone learns to love, but remains, that causes an anomaly that the world is not prepared to handle.

The afterlife wasn't created to become paradise, it was created to allow souls to move on.

Because they didn't come here looking for a normal life, they don't automatically leave when they find one. Creating the anomaly.

The one he loved left the afterlife naturally, but he wasn't able to make himself leave. I would guess he was too afraid that he might not find her in the next life, and chose to remain behind in the hope that he would see her again.

He went mad, and created a program that would keep himself going.

And that program continues to run, waiting to erase the next anomaly. And it found one, here, now.

But the program was wrong. Yuri wasn't the source. She was a carrier.

Love can only manifest in the afterlife in a person who doesn't belong there and can't leave in the usual way. Yuri absolutely belongs here, because her life was crap, and she never found the fulfillment she craved. So she cannot be the source.

I'm not saying Yuri doesn't care about those under her command. There's a reason Noda and Hinata pledged unwavering loyalty to her. But. Her primary focus wasn't on them. She was more than happy to use them as undying cannon fodder in her fight against Tenshi, and against God.

But now...

Something happened to her. Something that made her see her enemies as friends. Something- or someone that made her care.

Otonashi. Was Patient Zero.

He fulfilled his life. He didn't realize his dream of becoming a doctor, but his death saved many other lives, through organ donation. He died in peace. He shouldn't be here. At the very least, he should have disappeared when he regained his memories.

But he stayed.

For her.

And love is contagious. It comes in many forms- platonic, brotherly, sisterly, and romantic. One kind of love can breed all others. Otonashi taught love to Ayato. Otonashi spread it to Yui, and then Hinata. And Yuri caught it, too. She learned to love Kanade, and the rest of the SSS. She learned to care about them more than her agenda.

Now, it may be that Yuri's love for everyone around her has been there the whole time. Hinata cared about Yurippe for a reason, right? And Yuri said she always worried about Kanade, what with Kanade being so alone and all.

But no matter what, Yuri couldn't see past her hatred of God, and her belief that Kanade was Tenshi. The war would have kept going if not for Otonashi trying the whole time to get closer to Kanade, and in doing so, to make Yuri and the rest of the SSS realize Kanade was human all along. Because of this, he was able to convince Yuri to stop fighting.

So perhaps Otonashi didn't actually cause Yuri to love Kanade, but rather to admit that she already did.

But in any case, the AI caretaker caught a whiff of Yuri's love for Kanade and the others, and thought it was her, thought she was the virus in the system. But it wasn't. It was Otonashi. He was the virus. Whether he caused it, or simply brought it to the surface in those around him, it doesn't matter. He was the bug that the system needed to get rid of.

Just like the programmer, Otonashi found love, and she left him. He wanted to stay in this world with her, but the world won't allow it.

Had he stayed, had he vainly hoped that she might wander back into limbo after living another lifetime, he would have gone mad, just like the programmer. And he still might never have seen her again.

But, whether it was hope or hopelessness that drove him to leave the afterlife, he finally did.

He had to. Otherwise...

...he would never have found her again.

[kissingkiwis]

They're planting the seeds of patients getting pissed off when their wait times aren't matching the estimate in their "passports" with McKay's wandering patient (who I sort of love), and I personally can't wait.

[majorshatterandhare]

Is the ComSat a bad guy? Can it be a bad guy? It may be sentient but it was programmed. It does not control its programming. It was made to fight the war on King Cole’s side and it was made Too Good. It’s the antagonist and it using Alice’s voice at the end to attempt to get more soldiers for its game is incredible. It will continue, the violence will go on, wonderland won’t change. But how can we claim ComSat Chesire is “bad” when there was no possible way for it to be anything else. It didn’t have free will. Can it be blamed for being forced to do bad things?

It’s the same issue as the AI in Frankenstein, but that’s an obvious example. It’s also the same issue I have regarding any sort of classification of Brian as a person (“good” vs “bad” and even “grey,” honestly). It’s also, really, the same problem that I think Briar has; I mean, Briar even was made Too Good for Cole, like Chesire. I don’t see people talk about Briar as being “bad” or “good” but she was made to be a weapon in the war and cannot be separated from that or Rose.

None of them can be their own people. Can anyone?

[biggreenstache7]

something's coming back

[partiallystarsif]

The Crew

The Stowaway

The Player Character - Found in a stasis crate on an otherwise routine job by Captain Akina and the crew of Adiona, you remember who you are and where you’re from but have no memory of the last two years, and no idea how you ended up in that crate. The Captain has offered you a place on the crew and to help you find some answers, should you want them. You know there has to be a catch, but you haven't discovered it yet.

The Stowaway’s appearance, personality, gender, pronouns, background, and skills are shaped by the player.

-

The Captain

Keanu/Keahi Akina - Your first impression of Captain Akina is of someone fairly gentle, almost passive, but it doesn’t take long to notice the cunning and intelligent leader behind the serene demeanor. Adiona’s crew is completely loyal to their Captain, and Akina is loyal to them in turn, but no one seems to know anything about their life before Adiona. 

Captain Akina is 6'3", with a statuesque build, and in their mid-30s. They have golden brown skin, black eyes, and shoulder-length black hair usually worn in a bun. Somehow, despite their line of work, they have no scars or distinguishing marks that you've seen.

Captain Akina can be male (he/him) or female (she/her) and is a romanceable character.

-

The Second-in-Command

Taj/Taara Ahmed - Ahmed couldn’t be more different from the Captain if they’d done it on purpose. Friendly, outgoing, and charming, Ahmed is quick witted and silver tongued. They seem to be pretty open about who they are and why they’re aboard Adiona, a rare mindset for a mercenary, but there’s no way to know for sure how much of it is true.

XO Ahmed is 5’9”, with a compact build, and in their early 30s. They have russet brown skin, curly black hair (Taj wears his in a pompadour, Taara wears hers in a pixie cut), and warm brown eyes. They have a scar through their left eyebrow, and constantly make up new stories about how they got it.

XO Ahmed can be male (he/him) or female (she/her) and is a romanceable character.

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The Pilot

Quinton/Quinn/Quincy Elliot - Q is, in a word, shy. You get the feeling they aren’t used to people coming up to the cockpit to talk to them, and always seem a little nervous when someone does. Still, they’re friendly enough, and always seem happy to see you.

Q is 6’1”, though they appear shorter since they don’t often stand up straight, with a willowy build, and is in their mid-20s. They have dark brown skin, dark brown hair in shoulder-length twists, and hazel eyes. They also have a smattering of freckles across their nose and cheeks.

Q can be male (he/him), female (she/her), or non-binary (he/they) and is a romanceable character.

-

The Mentor

Sun Jin - Your mentor and babysitter, Sun has been suspicious of you from the very beginning. They’ve decided to take you under their wing, both as a way to teach you the ropes of mercenary work and to keep a close eye on you. Sun comes across as gruff and sharp-tongued, but you’ve seen how much they care about the crew, and you’re starting to suspect that their dislike of you stems from concerns for the others’ safety more than anything else.

Sun is 6 feet tall, with a brawny build, and in their mid-30s. They have olive skin, black eyes, and buzzed black hair. They have quite a few scars that you’ve seen, including a burn scar over their entire right shoulder and bicep, and probably several others that you haven’t seen yet.

Sun can be male (he/him) or female (she/her) and is a romanceable character.

-

The Doctor

Alastair/Allison “Mack” McTaggart - Mack is a little rough around the edges, but they’re a fantastic doctor, and deserve as much credit as the Captain does for keeping the crew alive. They aren’t afraid to tell people what they think, and their language is as colorful as their wardrobe, but they keep a cool head even under fire.

Mack is 5’3” and slender, and in their late 30s. They have pale skin, blue eyes, and strawberry blond hair (in a waist-length braid for Allison, short and slicked back for Alastair). They wear tortoiseshell glasses, and have made jokes about having a few tattoos, though you haven’t seen them yourself yet.

Mack can be male (he/him) or female (she/her) and is a romanceable character.

-

The Mechanic

Cid “CJ” Juarez - CJ is, without a doubt, the smartest person on the ship. There are few people in the system with more knowledge about the inner workings of a ship, and none that know Adiona better. Somehow, they manage to stay humble, though their boundless curiosity leads to a bit of a reckless streak.

CJ is 5’6”, with well-defined muscles from years of lifting heavy machinery, and in their late 20s. They have tawny skin, green eyes, and short, wavy hair dyed red. Besides their hair, they have no other major distinguishing marks except a few minor scars on their hands.

CJ can be male (he/him), female (she/her), or non-binary (zie/zir) and is a romanceable character.

-

The Passenger

Jon/Jane/Jack Smith - You have no idea what to make of Smith. They claim that they aren’t a part of the crew and are “just along for the ride,” but the Captain trusts them and treats them the same way they treat everyone else. You find it hard not to like them, though; Smith has a disarming smile and open, friendly demeanor. It’s almost enough to make you forget how heavily armed they usually are.

Smith is 5’8”, with an average build, and is somewhere in their mid-20s to mid-30s. They have gray eyes, light brown skin, and straight brown hair (in a crew cut for Jon, a bob for Jane, and a short undercut for Jack). They have a large scar across their left cheek, but no other distinguishing marks.

Smith can be male (he/him), female (she/her), or non-binary (they/them) and is a romanceable character.

-

The AI

Harper - The Holographic Analysis and Research Platform, who prefers to be known by the name Harper, is an AI that was installed on Adiona by the ship’s previous owners and was left behind when they abandoned ship. No one knows how long she was left alone before Captain Akina came along, but it left her snarky and more than a little rebellious.

Harper doesn’t have a set appearance, usually preferring to be only a disembodied voice, but sometimes appears as an orb of purple light. Your choices through the game can influence the form she eventually chooses to take.

Harper is non-binary (she/her) and is a romanceable character.

-

The Drifter

Rhys/Reese Walker - A quiet and kind traveler who sometimes takes passage on Adiona, though they never stick around long. They clearly have a shared history with the Captain, though neither of them are willing to talk about it. They always make a point to check in on you when they’re there, and seem to care a great deal about your well-being, as well as the rest of the crew’s.

Walker is 5’10” and heavy-set, just shy of 50 years old. They have medium brown skin, dark brown eyes, and salt and pepper hair (Rhys keeps his short, Reese keeps hers in a bun). Beyond an occasional pair of reading glasses, they don’t have any particularly distinguishing marks… or at least, none you’ve ever seen.

Walker can be male (he/him) or female (she/her) and is a romanceable character.

-

The Ship

Adiona - A decommissioned combat freighter that Captain Akina has given a second lease on life. Named after the goddess of safe returns, Adiona is no longer a gun ship and serves as a passenger and cargo freighter… when not running from the crew’s bad ideas or picking up random stowaways.

Her shuttle is Abeona, named after the goddess of outward journeys, but the crew doesn’t usually have much use for it. The shuttle is mostly used for science experiments or an extra bit of privacy for the less sociable members of Adiona’s crew.

The ship is affectionately treated as a member of the crew, but it isn’t sentient (unless you count Harper, but she’d prefer you didn’t) and is not romanceable.