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week 3 | monday evening
[ It was really funny how things work. Men have a habit of dropping in her life where things are thrown - first a book to ..Booker... and now a tablet to her. She doesn't trust Jack as much as she would like, reminded that this was some sick game but... she does agree to meet up with him when he invites her to see games. She's gotten smarter about this, telling Fiona exactly where she was heading during this time frame. Just in case. She's uneasy, thinking a bit pessimistic about what could happen... but she shakes it off.
With a knock at his door, Elizabeth peps her voice up. ]
Mr. Jack? Is this a good time - I can come back if you're not ready!
With a knock at his door, Elizabeth peps her voice up. ]
Mr. Jack? Is this a good time - I can come back if you're not ready!
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[ This probably isn't the first response you want to hear when asking, but Jack really has gotten a bit engrossed in his pet project here. He looks up from his tablet, but it's quickly followed by standing and going to the door, though she might not hear that part. The hatch opens, and Jack is there to wave her... up. ]
No, it's not a bad time. I mean, hell, I'm the one that told you to come by. Come on-
[ At this point, he'll actually step more into view, though there's really nothing different about him. He's not dressed any more casually than he is normally, and he's still wearing the mask, naturally. ]
Would've talked about it more when it came up, but, y'know, figuring out the killer was kinda more important. Still surprised that you're interested, actually.
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Priorities... [ Right, killer first, Atari second. ] I had a lot on my mind, I would have shown even more interest, honestly.
[ Inside she goes, following his guidance into his little workshop. She's definitely going to look around and make some observations - nothing too judgmental, though. ]
It's not every day this kind of technology falls into my lap. I'd much rather concern myself with this than entertain myself trying to pick locks that don't even have pins or a cylinder. Pretend it's alright for a little bit longer, I suppose.
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Also, the closet door is open, which shows a sea of Hyperion Yellow. Yellow just might be his favorite color. Maybe. ]
Nah, it's fair! I mean- Okay, not that you were ever seriously being considered, but still? Kinda had your neck on the line there. In theory.
[ He drags another chair over to the desk, assuming there's a second one, then motions for her to take a seat when she'd like, but he'll just continue on. ]
But, hey, it's smart. I mean, when the future falls into your lap, you might as well take advantage of it. Hell, you'd be a fool not to, in my opinion, but, gotta admit, my view of that thing? Kinda different. Being a CEO means taking every advantage you can, so—!
[ He takes a seat with a grin ]
You know about lock-picking, huh?
[ Which might seem like a weird question to ask rather than jumping into explanations, but he's going somewhere with this... Probably. ]
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She doesn't linger too closely, instead she takes a seat, politely. Like a fucking grandma. ]
I'd like to avoid any chopping blocks.
[ Elizabeth says a little more serious. It was an awkward subject and surprisingly - what bothers her the most is that no one voted for her? Flattering, but that makes her look... naive. Too stupid to defend herself. Ugh, she feigns a smile as she leans closer, looking at the contents of the table now that she feels she's allowed to. ]
Then I guess there's no better teacher? Who would have thought throwing this at me would yield a student.
[ #1900SASS
She definitely sits up a bit when he asks her the question so boldly. ]
Yes. I read about them - had diagrams my entire life sitting in front of me. Practiced on jewelry boxes, small safes - Ha.. a cruel irony there was always one lock I could never open.
[ The one that kept her in her tower. ]
Why do you ask?
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The sass just gets him to laugh, and he turns the tablet to the side so that the keyboard pops up, and he gets to typing as he continues talking. What he types is probably dizzyingly fast for Elizabeth, who isn't used to this kind of technology in the first place, but even more than that, what he is typing probably doesn't even seem like words. It just looks like random combinations of letters, but that's just console commands for you... ]
Ha, yeah, no kidding? Hell, if that's the way to get people to actually learn a thing or two, maybe I should start throwing objects of interest at the idiots that work for me. —Kidding, by the way. Let me just get rid of this little bit I was working on...
[ He trails off, but even though Jack had said he was kidding, it's probably not how Elizabeth would be expecting. By "kidding," he more meant he wouldn't put forth that kind of effort. In Hyperion, it was easy enough to find someone smarter than it was to teach someone something new, so he wouldn't exactly do this normally. In fact, this is probably just a product of Jack's boredom.
The screen is swiped away with a flourish, only to be replaced by something... even more arcane looking. ]
So, you pick locks, and I've got a great analogy to start on. So, you think of these datapads as a fancy lock. They don't look like the kind you open with a key, but it's more like you're just trying to make the key yourself 'cause some dick won't just give it to you in the first place. [ alice ] So that's step one here. They really try and hide the lock so that you can't start working out the key yourself, but no one's perfect. So it doesn't look like much, but these numbers? They're the lock that's letting me do some fancier stuff on the datapads. I just do some math to figure out what the key looks like.
[ He gives her a nod with an expression that's asking her if that makes sense, but he does ask after: ]
So, what lock were you trying to open?
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How many people worked underneath you?
[ She asks idly, tapping the desk with the underside of her digit. It takes her a moment until she finally sees the red coloring flash onto the screen. Why were they different colors..?
His explanation goes quickly. She follows, nodding and glancing from screen to his face (which she never comments on, manners) to follow the lesson. It honestly still doesn't paint a clear picture, but the aspects do make sense. ]
So, the numbers and letters you're inputting are trying to find the pins to push upwards? [ see!! it makes sense!! kind of!! ] But, that's an infinite amount of combinations.
[ Elizabeth don't do it. Don't answer it. He asks in an actual ...oddly caring way, she assumes? He stopped his teaching to ask about the lock - he recalled something she had said. Her hand shoots up defensively against the ribbon on her hair, stroking her fingers through as she tries to ... answer, but be vague. ]
Uhm... my room. The ...one keeping me inside.
[ Nailed it. ]
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[ He waves his hand, not quite dismissing the idea, but there are definitely more interesting things here for him to focus on. He likes being CEO, hell, he loves it, but there are two things here he finds more interesting.
One, Elizabeth is right, at least for the most part. This was a hobby for him, but he had made it into his career to start. It was just ironic that he had climbed the ladder high enough that he barely had time for it anymore. This was almost nostalgic for him, and so even to his surprise, he's pretty happy to teach. ]
You got it. Even down to the problem of infinite numbers. But, that's why computers like this? That's why they're amazing. Figured out that those numbers in red are basically our "key," and yeah, trying to figure out the random combination of numbers and letters? That's impossible for a person. But, these things aren't built like they're supposed to. If this were a real lock and key, you'd have to try out billions of real keys to randomly find the right one. But using a pretty simple little theory—
[ He stops typing, just pressing enter with a flourish, and the numbers start to all flash in quick succession as they cycle through. ]
You can try every single combination until you find the right one. Luckily- Well, luckily I used to do this stuff waaaaay back in the day for fun, so this'll take, I dunno, ten minutes, tops? If we get lucky, I'll crack it before that. Took me longer to just get here in the first place.
[ And two, well. Number two is something much more subtle than that. It's a brief softness at the corners of his eyes, a pause in his explanation, but the falter is slight. He laughs, and that's noticeably a bit less harsh, and he shakes his head. ]
Hey, don't worry, kiddo. I'm not going to turn you in for trying to bust out of your room. I mean- [ He shakes his head ] Ahh, I dunno. I'm not gonna tell. Promise. Don't even think there's even someone for me to tell to, but.
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[ But, his words do make sense. They really do. She doesn't doubt he knows his way around the datapad. The way he moves - quickness and precision is something she both envies and feels intimidated by. There's no way... no way that could take into consideration during a murder, so she won't...totally freak out just yet. These tablets were for entertainment.
And she's totally disregarding the alarm clock last trial, okay.
Whatever, she keeps watching and the sudden succession of cycling on the screen nearly makes her head hurt. The flicker a bit much. ]
So you've streamlined the system, removing the variables that just won't add up... fascinating...
[ The sudden concern has her shake her head, waving it as if trying to correct him before he comes to the wrong conclusion. ]
Not here. These locks are too advanced for me to do much of anything but hope. It was back home. [ She shrugs a bit, clutching at her biceps. ] My .... paren-... someone kept me captive. In a tower. For 18 years.
[ Wow?? Just slipping it all out there. ]
Even by the standards of my time period, I haven't experienced much. That's why I was actually happy you invited me to learn this? Well, watch you...I suppose. It's all the same.
[ Please, her paranoia begins to freak her out a bit so she clutches her fists a bit onto her lap. ]
Please - let's continue with your teachings.
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[ The softness isn't tiredness, though. It's actually probably the most humble Elizabeth has heard him, but that too isn't quite for why she would naturally assume. But whatever that is, it's also quickly forgotten, since though Jack nods along with more of a smile as she starts to pick up on it, but the rest—
For the rest, Jack is glad that he's well-versed at hiding the kind of emotions that come up with this kind of topic. There are some things that he holds very, very near and dear to his heart, and as a result, he doesn't want anyone to know a thing about them. That was the nature of his work. Of Hyperion. Anything precious to you is something to be destroyed and exploited. So if you have goals as lofty as Jack's, there's only one thing you can do. You protect those things. You keep them safe and locked away so that no one even knows they exist.
That's the only way you know that your daughter will be safe. It's the only way she'll be able to live to see that world you're working so hard to build. ]
Captive—
[ He murmurs out that word, but even that has a nuance that wouldn't make sense to anyone else. It sounds concerned, and anyone would read it as concern for Elizabeth, but that's not it at all.
No. No, he knows he's right about this. Just because she thinks of herself as a captive doesn't mean it's in any way the same. It's not like she's a Siren, or her dad was working for a company that would kill your family for looking up at someone else's seat. It's different. Elizabeth could be a captive, hell, her father could be a huge asshole. It's strangely similar, but it's not the same.
If it were another week, he might ask more, but paranoia has him drawing back too. This part of the conversation is unexpectedly treading into very delicate territory for both of them, and he gets a few false starts as he speaks again, but it doesn't quite seem to be from nervousness. If anything, it's more like a nervous energy that has his brain moving a bit faster than his words can keep up with. ]
Yeah- I- I mean, after this? Ha, after this, then we'll be getting into a little more, because, well, yeah, this part isn't glamorous. You just plug away at the numbers, brute force it, and b—
[ The numbers turn green, and Jack stops, looking at the datapad incredulously. ]
Wow. I seriously couldn't have timed that better if I tried. Still, just to say it? Then, bam, you're in.
[ He swipes again, and a screen more similar to the first one that Elizabeth had seen pops up, full of arcane looking code, but at least words that are more readable. Jack gives it a look over himself, then nods. ]
So, found the key, unlocked the lock. Now? I can make whatever I want and put it on here. All those little things you tap, like the games and stuff? I can just write them myself now instead of relying on who even knows where. Still no communications, which is unfortunate, but gives me something to do, gives you something to learn.
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Her eyes remain on the numbers and the sudden flash of green piques her interest. He rambles and gives her nuggets of insight she understands. ]
Oh, so the man that works on the pipes! You'll be able to - [ No, she's not asking you to code mario because she doesn't want the tablet flung at her, okay. He's going to be busy, she assumes, but that brings up a good point: ]
What are the chances this.. key can also help you figure out a way to reach out to the world. A telegraph or such. I'm fine with seeing how you create something like a game, don't get me wrong! I don't think I slept for hours after I got to the underground portion of the game but.. I figure I should remain hopeful this can lead to more.
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Yeah I- I sure wish, but just to be realistic here, not really hopeful. It's like...
[ Jack trails off as he tries to think of a comparison she might understand, but it's as difficult for him to think of a world like Elizabeth's as it is for her to grasp the technology. Even the most remote parts of Pandora tended to have some kind of networking, and that was especially true once Hyperion had started stepping in. ]
Like all of this is fine and pretty cool to look at, but that part? That takes a lot outside of this. Hell, it could be possible that I could whip up something that could send a message, there might not be anything to pick it up. Like doing it the old fashioned way, it's like if you wrote a letter here. Same problem. There might not be any of the infrastructure to even come pick up the letter.
[ He taps at the desk thoughtfully as he looks at the tablet ]
I'm going to look, that's for sure, but I'm going to be pretty surprised if I can actually do anything with it.
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[ Elizabeth says point blank. It's like the words were begging to be pulled from her mouth, an impulsive burst of compliments to a man who doesn't need them. Or deserves them. If she was going to find herself with allies on this ship, it was best to speak her mind. Her mind wanders, thinking if this would be her own undoing. It was a nervous twitch, but distrusting someone that was now showing her - well... what she lacked most. Knowledge in tech.
She's going to listen to him as he discusses why her theory can't work. She figured as such, but at the very least this would offer some kind of bonding? Entertainment? Experience? It was all small steps, even if they weren't going to truly benefit from it. ]
It was worth a shot to consider. [ She leans over, adjusting the tablet a bit so she could see it further. She's honestly examining it, trying not to think of the downside. That they're still restricted. ] What would your first game be, do you suppose?
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What, you're still mad about that? Again, you caught it. Not like it smacked you. [ But before she can object, Jack continues on without giving barely a beat in the conversation. ] But I get your point. I get that. Kinda less often than the opposite, but, hey, you've just gotta carry yourself a certain way when you're a guy in my position is how I see it.
[ Not that Jack's bravado is fake in any sense, because you really can't carry around his self of importance and arrogance without believing it... But he at least seems to know it's off-putting. The bigger problem is that Jack doesn't tend to care, but that comparison he had drawn in his mind has him speaking a bit more in earnest, though that's not really a conscious decision on his part.
He pushes the tablet her way, giving it a tap for the keyboard to pop up. ]
First game? Aahhh, something simple, just text based. But you want to learn about these, we're starting with the basic of basics. The classic "Hello World." You just type what I tell you, and I'll explain as we go along.
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[ The thought that counts, damn it. Men make less sense to her than the plethora of code she's seeing scroll onto the tablet over the past few minutes. They were interesting creatures - inherently arrogant in their own existence. Their ace they were given since birth. Elizabeth may have read a few of Rosalind Lutece's books more closely for her insight on being a woman of science, but neither here nor there.
The driver's wheel was given to Elizabeth and she's - okay, she's done this before! She's looked up names and wrote letters on her tablet! She can totally handle this, she thinks. She's going to jump ahead and type HELLO WORLD, snatching her gaze back to him as if seeking approval. Well, more-so confirmation. ]
Just like that?
[ Even if she got ahead of herself, she knows what backspace is at least! ]
Okay, just guide me and I'll fare well.
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[ It's the very mature response, ok... But as she types out the words, Jack laughs, nodding along. ]
I mean, kind of. But think about it— How does this thing know what you're typing? How does it figure that out and then show it back to you? That's what we're going to do. Granted, not quite as complicated as the whole process there, but the basic. It's all about thinking differently, not taking what you're seeing in front of you at face value.
[ At least at this point, Jack will start actually explaining the process, though definitely with more colorful explanations, since, well, it's Jack. But I can't type that out IC because I program too much anyways free me ]
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Okay... so... that should be everything.
[ She pauses. ]
Once this new language, or whatever this is, is complete... what do we do?
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[ Jack gives her work so far a look over, since he'll at least spare her the frustration of a compile error on her first try. But with a nod, he sits back and crosses his arms. ]
Easy. Y'see that button there? The one that looks like a pla— Well, the sideways triangle.
[ He nods to it, though the gesture doesn't actually mean too much, since he's basically just nodding at the whole datapad. ]
Just press that, and it'll run.
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[ It takes her a minute to agonize over his reaction. Would he make fun of her? Would he be cruel? She's waiting and waiting and finally Jack gives a nod. Why was that so tense? Elizabeth's fingers tapped against the surface, anxiously so.
Shifting in her seat a bit, she does follow his instruction. She reaches forward, tapping the little triangle. It was nerve-wracking! The science behind this was still unknown but she tries her best to follow accordingly. So... did it compile?
TELL HER IF SHE DID GOOD, JACK. ]
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There you go, kiddo- You managed to tell the computer to show ya something without you having to type it.
[ Minus writing the program itself, but that's not the point!! ]
That's your first step to coding, weirdly enough. I mean, everyone does that program first. Every one, me included.
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[ Excuse her, she's like a grandma who just learned how to Skype for the first time. She looks pleased - beaming from ear to ear. It was a nice distraction, one that makes her smile with the smallest sense of accomplishment. ]
I don't think I will have much use for it, you seem far more skilled than I ever will be... however... thank you for taking the time to show me. It's fascinating to see what skills people possess.
[ Hers is a lot more Serious Business and restricted right now, honestly... ]
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Well, probably, but y'know? Not the point. Especially with this kind of thing, there's always gonna be someone better than you. It's all about being clever, finding your niche that you kick ass at.
[ Which, granted, Elizabeth wouldn't just because this will probably be her only chance to do it... But that's something that ruins the point of his words, so he just ignores it, and he ends up shrugging. ]
But- Yeah, it's no problem. Gotta admit, I'm pretty fascinated myself by what everyone can do here. Pretty wide array of crazy stuff, and that's coming from a guy who's seen— [ He catches himself here, and he waves a hand dismissively. ] No, nevermind. Proooobably best to not talk more about the weird crap Pandorans do if I don't have to.