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Post by Perceptor on Sept 8, 2010 15:23:13 GMT -5
"Yes, yes, of course laterally," Perceptor replies with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Assuming, of course, that such a margin of error cannot be wholly eliminated in the first place." Which is clearly his preference, if his tone is anything to judge by. "I have no desire to abrogate physics by embedding someone within extant matter, thank you. Additionally, even lateral misplacement is inherently dangerous. I aim for more accuracy than your notes indicate." He almost seems apologetic about that.
"I have learned, Xaaron, not to assume anything in regards to a topic of conversation with you," he replies wryly. "Your need to understand one's motivations and actions are as ingrained in you as my vocabulary is in me."
"But, yes, I agree. Periodic re-examination is vital to maintaining a balanced viewpoint in all things. Whether it be one's ethics and mores or one's approach to scientific method. Constant re-examination, however, opens one to doubt and indecision, and in many cases, the lack of ability to make a decision is worse than making the wrong decision. After all, a wrong decision can be based upon incomplete intelligence, or a lack of appropriate grasp of tactics, both situations which can be rectified with briefings or education. Indecision, however, is indicative of a lack of fortitude and an overabundance of fear, conditions which are not so easily rectified."
"Complacency is deadly. A lack of conviction can be just as deadly, however."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Sept 8, 2010 21:32:09 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron is not insulted by Perceptor oh-so-gently dissing his universe's technology. It was a vomit comet. If Perceptor can do better, great! If Perceptor can do the same, okay. If Perceptor can manage something slightly worse but still nonlethal, Emirate Xaaron will take even that.
He does smile slightly and shrugs. Some people play sports or games. That's too easy for Emirate Xaaron. He plays other people. Emirate Xaaron admits, unashamed, "Perceptive."
"I'm just saying... if new evidence comes up, re-evaluating one's premises is not only acceptable but to be encouraged."
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 2, 2010 14:39:35 GMT -5
"My designation is Perceptor, after all," he remarks with a wry grin. "Nor do I disagree in the least."
He turns back to his notes, frowning suddenly as something occurs to him. Perceptor has a puzzle to solve, a very intriguing puzzle, and a little thing like courtesy is not going to stop him from working on it in the middle of a conversation when a theory suddenly popps into his head. Sorry, Xaaron.
"You speak, however," he remarks absently as he scribbles down notes and sketches out a few little drawings, "as if you are aware of such new evidence? Or are you merely continuing to express hypotheticals?"
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 2, 2010 15:09:18 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron doesn't mind that Perceptor's working on work! He does remark, "Being hypothetical doesn't make them mere. Now, I'd never be caught without a trick in my subspace pocket, but I think I've laid enough cards on the table for today. If you're clear on the project..."
As fun as hassling Perceptor is, Emirate Xaaron can't spend all day messing with Perceptor's head. Nothing would get done!
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 3, 2010 4:15:20 GMT -5
Perceptor nods, pausing to nibble on the end of his stylus for a moment as he frowns at the notations he's made. "Quite, quite. Portal technology. Reduce the variables. Eliminate the extreme vertigo. Point A to Point B in a functional manner. Yes, I am clear," he babbles absently. "Hmm... the quark to boson ratio is inverse at this point, but proportional here? How curious..."
ooc: time skip to Perceptor calling him back, then?
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 3, 2010 14:50:29 GMT -5
Much later, Emirate Xaaron returns! He has just pulled a bowler cap off his head, and Perceptor might catch the purple flash of the bowler hat vanishing into subspace (just like in the cartoon, when there was a purple flash with Kickback pulled out his rifle).
He leans against the doorjamb, one arm above his head, the other loose and slack at his side, peering around, and he asks, "Yes?"
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 4, 2010 1:20:08 GMT -5
Perceptor wears a lab coat to work, so he can hardly say anything about Xaaron's bowler. Except that it seems oddly fitting - or rather, that, curiously, it suits the Emirate quite well, not that it fits him in a poor manner.
There are more datapads scattered across the work surfaces now, all of them filled with calculations and sketches and formulae with characters from at least six different scientific disciplines. There are also a pair of platforms on the floor, the bases just large enough for a single large mech, or a couple of smaller ones to stand upon, and covered in tiny lights that blink in random patterns. They look, actually, quite similar to the portal that he had been working upon when they had managed to intersect a junction of realities between their own on Gillanan, and the curious, mirrored universe with their opposite counterparts. The only thing these platforms are lacking are the frames that the previous portal had possessed.
"Ah! Xaaron!" he greets, rising from where he had been kneeling beside one of the platforms, tweaking something in the circuitry. "I wished to show you the initial prototypes. I am starting with a target-to-target system utilizing two system interface platforms, merely to perfect the actual transport technology, and will eliminate the need for a second platform and perfect the targeting aspect of the information transmission once I am fully satisfied that the gating technology has been appropriately developed. I thought, perhaps, that you would like to see the current prototypes and assist with testing? I did not feel any significant episodes of vertigo when I tested the units myself, however, I need to ensure that it is not a function of individuals from your reality interacting with the actual nature of the transport system in an adverse manner, before continuing."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 4, 2010 11:27:49 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron enters and kneels down to examine one of the platforms, though he does not touch it. He looks up at Perceptor and asks, "Is there still a dimensional doorway or is this more a tear-apart kind of technology? Some have religious objections to the latter - if the body is broken down into energy and then reconstituted into matter, where does the soul fly in the instant of death?"
His voice is overall neutral, not judging. Emirate Xaaron doesn't have a problem with the idea of a tear-apart himself, his soul has suffered enough at his own stainless gold hands, though he thinks it would be problematic for Rodimus Prime, who must stay a living Prime, lest Unicron slips his bonds.
Then it hits Emirate Xaaron that Perceptor is saying he actually tested it himself. Emirate Xaaron stares.
"Why didn't you call me sooner?"
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 4, 2010 13:06:12 GMT -5
"Hmmm, I suppose in a truly simplified manner, that it would be considered a portal," Perceptor replies after some thought, "rather than 'tear-apart technology'. In reality, it is more of a folding of space-time to allow two normally non-contiguous portions of reality to briefly occupy the same space. There is, of course, some initial quantum entanglement invoked in order to maintain the bonds between the matter being transported and the 'here' portion of the folded space, in order to prevent the matter from becoming interwoven into the 'there' portion and thereby lost to the interstitial spaces of reality... But it is a very brief moment of entanglement, and does not involve the conversion of matter into energy. Such a method is prohibitive in terms of energy required to perform the necessary calculations and transmission, much less the energy required to convert matter into an energized state, and we, quite frankly, do not have that energy to spare."
He shrugs, resting one hand on a hip as he visually inspects the two platforms. "As I said, the only reason that I have initially utilized a point-to-point system is to perfect the actual transfer technology without having to deal with the uncertainty of targeting. It would have been very inconvenient to initiate testing if I was forced to search the entire ship after every transmission attempt to find my test article!"
"As for why I did not notify you sooner, I did not wish to impose upon your day until I had verifiable results to show you," he explains, frowning at Xaaron's expression. Is the Emirate angry with him? For conducting his own testing? "It seemed foolish to call you merely to watch failed attempts?"
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 4, 2010 16:09:53 GMT -5
What. Perceptor was testing weird and dangerous science, and he didn't call Emirate Xaaron? If Emirate Xaaron can't get his fix of Not Asking His Men To Do Anything He Would Not by throwing himself into reactors around here, Perceptor could at least invite him over!
He throws one arm in the air and explains, "Perceptor, you could have stranded yourself in paradox space forever, and no one would have known! Besides, I would never ask you to take such dangerous testing upon yourself. You should have called me first."
So, in short, Emirate Xaaron is angry but because he cares. Is this better or worse than Emirate Xaaron being disappointed because Perceptor is too nice?
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 4, 2010 16:22:27 GMT -5
"I tested the portals with other objects before risking myself!" he refutes, stung. Not too stung, though; he does understand that Xaaron is irritated out of concern for him. Still... "Why would it be better to risk you, our commander, than me, one of several scientists aboard?"
Okay, so Botanica probably couldn't build an interstellar transport out of a child's toy, but...
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 4, 2010 16:29:07 GMT -5
"That gets into the ethics of volunteering," Emirate Xaaron replies, standing and straightening. "If I ask for a volunteer, can the volunteer really be said to have volunteered of his own free will? As commander, there are inherent social pressures to obey me. If I ask for volunteers, there may be a social stigma attached to not answering the call - someone who opts out could be seen as a coward or lazy. So when I ask for volunteers, are they really volunteers?"
He folds his hands behind his back and peers at Perceptor, asking, "So why shouldn't I risk myself? I know for certain that my will is my own."
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 4, 2010 19:00:54 GMT -5
"I understand the quandary, however, such an issue is not applicable in this case. It was my own work, which I was eager to test without the necessity of being asked by anyone to do so," Perceptor replies with a quirk of one brown ridge and a small smirk. He holds up a quelling hand and continues, "And while it may be true that you set this task to me under the assumption that such technology would be tested, it was not a distinctly noted part of the task, yet again, rendering your concerns void. Additionally, it is customary for the scientist in question to test the hypotheses he or she develops in the course of his or her work. It could be argued, in such a case, that merely setting the task to me that you did, it might perhaps fall under the heading of 'implied volunteerism' as noted by your concerns. However, in such a case, you should have been aware of that, if it truly was your intention, and thus, made a specific notation to me had you not wished to imply that you were requiring me to test the transporters myself."
Logic and cant, what?
"Additionally, while you would know for certain what your own will is regarding accepting a given task, there is an inherent risk in testing any untried technology, which you already pointed out. Which of us, then, has greater value? One scientist among several - one of which being yourself - or the leader who maintains structure and order amidst such a diverse group of individuals in a very tenuous situation?"
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 4, 2010 19:12:21 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron sighs, and while Perceptor is rambling on about ethics, steps onto one of the platforms and starts looking for anything that looks like controls. After all, he's a master of pushing buttons.
All he says is, "I'm not afraid."
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 4, 2010 19:34:16 GMT -5
Perceptor could continue to go on and on.... and on... about ethics and such, but Xaaron is obviously bored with the discussion. Happens all the time to Perceptor; hes grown quite accustomed to the response.
"I did not mean to imply that you were! However... it is the yellow button," he replies, nodding toward the base near Xaaron's foot. "There will eventually be a separate control panel to input coordinates and such, but for now, this works."
"Would you like to test a solo trip?"
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