Honestly, I didn't find his reaction frustrating but more relatable! It might be because I've been in a bit of a slump too but it was nice to see that Kaminski is only too human, that despite everything supernatural & sci-fi going on in this story, not everyone has this hardass persistence to keep going all the time without even blinking. I enjoyed reading it & it definitely gave the scene some unique flavour!
Thanks, Vanessa! It’s so easy to drift into Heroic Action, and that’s really not supposed to be the vibe of Triverse. Not on a regular basis, at least!
Zoltan "giving up" is not entirely unexpected. As you've noted, it's been a highly stressful situation, and we've already seen Holland lose it.
Zoltan has one thing which should get his head back up next chapter - his love for Nisha, who is injured and unconscious. If that love is the healthy relationship I believe it is, Zoltan will get his shit back together for her.
*re-reads my own comments from last week to refresh self on own thought stream*
I didn't, but SHOULD HAVE expected half the police to be robotic. I also - stupidly - assumed Justin wasn't in a body, but directly in the control software of Beagle, since, while a quantum AI thinks quickly and can manipulate a body much faster than a human can act, there's still delay in implementing pilot decisions via hands than direct software command - but, these ships would be designed for routine use where response speed isn't a primary design consideration, and a pilot body is a good reference point for passenger communication instead of talking to the air. Also, there's nothing that says Just Enough* wasn't just hanging out in Beagle's computer during maneuvers, shifting to the body after the crash.
Anyway, Probably Better has an available robot army. Terminator chase it is. But can Justin start grabbing more police bodies to slow pursuit as half of the bodies have a Terminator brawl^? Only the author knows for sure!
Terminator chase is probably less destructive to the city than shooting up the portal station. Of course, if I were the evil AI I'd both bombard the station AND use my robots on the ground. There's two more portals. It's not like trade would halt if it takes a year to clear away the rubble in Addis - and such would strengthen the power and influence of London, which might not be bad from the conspirator viewpoint.
Hey, why present either/or when one can have both?
Jiraa is pretty awesome. Hope he makes it.
*I've noticed in my own comments I've consistently parsed "Just Enough" to the AI when presented in a ship or terminal, and "Justin" to the AI when in a robot body. I suppose this is me also assuming that Just Enough "puts on some extra personality" when interacting as "Justin."
^Next week I'll pull a different media reference for bot battles. There are plenty of other choices. Maybe, at least right now, "Justin" is "Robocop" while Probably Better is a phalanx of "ED209s."
My read on Justin and the Beagle is that he would be interfacing directly with the ship for flight. The pilot is for show, really: in normal times it's an avatar with which to better communicate with the passengers. Likely a less physically capable model, which wouldn't ordinarily be expected to leave the ship itself.
Just Enough is a very unusual character to write: a lot of how they present is to make humans feel more comfortable. And they can switch body easily - they've looked different each time we've met them, after all. Gender is meaningless. Much of them is an illusion: in reality they're a large quantum AI in space, fusion powered and unknowable. That they present the personality of a jovial, helpful person is a fabrication, really. A construct. Does that mean it is fake, though? I'm not sure.
So, basically, I'm spot on with the pilot body being a "reference point*" for passengers to talk to, and Justin "putting on extra personality" when dealing with humans. I can figure these things out when I take the time to think it through!
*Was mulling over where I pulled "reference point" from - it's Blake's 7. The first time Zen (computer on the Liberator) communicates with the crew they say something like "Where are you? Show yourself!" and Zen replies with "Your species requires a visual reference point." *audio reactive wall lights up* "THIS is your reference point."
Honestly, I didn't find his reaction frustrating but more relatable! It might be because I've been in a bit of a slump too but it was nice to see that Kaminski is only too human, that despite everything supernatural & sci-fi going on in this story, not everyone has this hardass persistence to keep going all the time without even blinking. I enjoyed reading it & it definitely gave the scene some unique flavour!
Thanks, Vanessa! It’s so easy to drift into Heroic Action, and that’s really not supposed to be the vibe of Triverse. Not on a regular basis, at least!
Zoltan "giving up" is not entirely unexpected. As you've noted, it's been a highly stressful situation, and we've already seen Holland lose it.
Zoltan has one thing which should get his head back up next chapter - his love for Nisha, who is injured and unconscious. If that love is the healthy relationship I believe it is, Zoltan will get his shit back together for her.
*re-reads my own comments from last week to refresh self on own thought stream*
I didn't, but SHOULD HAVE expected half the police to be robotic. I also - stupidly - assumed Justin wasn't in a body, but directly in the control software of Beagle, since, while a quantum AI thinks quickly and can manipulate a body much faster than a human can act, there's still delay in implementing pilot decisions via hands than direct software command - but, these ships would be designed for routine use where response speed isn't a primary design consideration, and a pilot body is a good reference point for passenger communication instead of talking to the air. Also, there's nothing that says Just Enough* wasn't just hanging out in Beagle's computer during maneuvers, shifting to the body after the crash.
Anyway, Probably Better has an available robot army. Terminator chase it is. But can Justin start grabbing more police bodies to slow pursuit as half of the bodies have a Terminator brawl^? Only the author knows for sure!
Terminator chase is probably less destructive to the city than shooting up the portal station. Of course, if I were the evil AI I'd both bombard the station AND use my robots on the ground. There's two more portals. It's not like trade would halt if it takes a year to clear away the rubble in Addis - and such would strengthen the power and influence of London, which might not be bad from the conspirator viewpoint.
Hey, why present either/or when one can have both?
Jiraa is pretty awesome. Hope he makes it.
*I've noticed in my own comments I've consistently parsed "Just Enough" to the AI when presented in a ship or terminal, and "Justin" to the AI when in a robot body. I suppose this is me also assuming that Just Enough "puts on some extra personality" when interacting as "Justin."
^Next week I'll pull a different media reference for bot battles. There are plenty of other choices. Maybe, at least right now, "Justin" is "Robocop" while Probably Better is a phalanx of "ED209s."
My read on Justin and the Beagle is that he would be interfacing directly with the ship for flight. The pilot is for show, really: in normal times it's an avatar with which to better communicate with the passengers. Likely a less physically capable model, which wouldn't ordinarily be expected to leave the ship itself.
Just Enough is a very unusual character to write: a lot of how they present is to make humans feel more comfortable. And they can switch body easily - they've looked different each time we've met them, after all. Gender is meaningless. Much of them is an illusion: in reality they're a large quantum AI in space, fusion powered and unknowable. That they present the personality of a jovial, helpful person is a fabrication, really. A construct. Does that mean it is fake, though? I'm not sure.
So, basically, I'm spot on with the pilot body being a "reference point*" for passengers to talk to, and Justin "putting on extra personality" when dealing with humans. I can figure these things out when I take the time to think it through!
*Was mulling over where I pulled "reference point" from - it's Blake's 7. The first time Zen (computer on the Liberator) communicates with the crew they say something like "Where are you? Show yourself!" and Zen replies with "Your species requires a visual reference point." *audio reactive wall lights up* "THIS is your reference point."
Figured "New Job Mode" was gonna delay the B5 blog for a week or two. Besides, we're about to watch the show's biggest gut punch since the Markab.
Yeah, should be back on the B5 train next week no problem! If something’s gotta give, it’s usually the B5 rewatch, alas.
If something's gotta give it SHOULD be the re-watch. There's a priority order you have to use. Probably:
Family.
Work (supports family).
Triverse.
Writing musings.
B5.
A fun read and a great listen.
Thanks, Apis!