A couple of joors later Jazz received a ping from the server. 'Faster than I expected.' Jazz disconnected from the server, rematerializing in his Connection Room. The new AI would be waiting in his private room, already loaded up to simulate a casual greeting area similar in appearance as his CR but with plush couches.
He stepped into the room, the motion lagged briefly as Somnus switched his server location, and stopped to examine the fake-mech presented before him. The mech appeared entirely real as he sat on a white-and-grey couch, behind the entertainment table. His hands were neatly folded in his lap, and he almost blending with the furniture if not for the stark red chevron and pale blue inquisitive optics. The red was an unexpected addition, but not one he minded.
The mech stood straight, but his hands remained folded. He canted his helm in greeting. "Hello, I'm Prowl."
Jazz nodded back, waiting to see how the AI would behave.
After a few kliks of silence, the AI asked, "The system's information refers to you as Jazz; shall I call you by that name?"
"Yeah, please do." Jazz looked the total-virtual mech over from what he could see in this position. "Prowl, huh? Nice name. I was slightly worried the 'reused self-designator coding' would be something ugly."
Prowl offered a small smile at the compliment. "Thank you for the appreciation. However, as the contract says my primary duty is to teach you how to behave in certain situations, such as military personnel politics, you might want to substitute 'ugly' with 'unpleasant' or 'difficult to pronounce'."
"Ah, right. Because ugly can be taken as an insult, even if I'm saying you're not it." Jazz wasn't socially inept, quite the opposite, but he humored the AI's forthright efforts. A reminder to treat the AI-mech as a real-mech, since that's what Jazz wanted. The AI would react to unexpected bluntness just like any one else.
"Correct. May we sit and discuss more of what your concerns and how I'm to address them? I reviewed the 'Purpose' section of your contract, but I noticed some inconsistencies with it and the submission's personality traits."
"Sure," Jazz said, both to sitting down and discussing whatever confusion the documents were creating. This was his first privately-contracted AI, so he had a bit of a learning curve to overcome himself.
When Jazz sat opposite of Prowl, the Praxian took his seat. Two tablets appeared on the short table between them. Jazz's optics snapped between them and the fake-mech, his optic movements hidden by his visor. "You can alter my VR settings or object configuration?"
"Not without you assigning me such permissions. I can only pull up the AI Request submission and AI Usage contract as I need." One tablet snapped to Jazz's lap and the screen flashed the contract's "Purpose" section. "You indicated in this that you need help with discipline in a military environment so that you may improve your standing with your superiors, as well learning how to approach certain training missions with a mindset of becoming of a command-trusted agent."
Jazz cycled his optics behind his visor, a bit amazed at how well Prowl cleaned up Jazz's lazily written explanation. He figured it was an administrative deal, ignored unless something happened where Somnus's administrators needed to investigate him for something. "Yeah, that's basically it."
"In your submission you selected an AI with an occupational background of mid-grade Enforcer. You placed heavy emphasis on planning capabilities, which combined with your Purpose statement might be interpreted as tactical capabilities. Why did you want an Enforcer instead of an officer?"
Now Jazz was nearly gaping as he stared. Perhaps he placed too high of an emphasis on intelligence! Was there a non-offensive way to tell a mech (for all tense and purposes) that he picked that mech's occupational background because of a personal kink, in case he found said mech plenty fun? 'Oh, so awkward and I haven't even done much more than say "hi". Except I didn't even say that. Wow, total fail, Jazz.'
The young Polyhexian scratched his audial horn, feeling embarrassed at his absence of decent behavior. "Can we start again?"
"Certainly. I have no objections how you want to direct this conversation, assuming that you remain true to the contract."
Jazz laughed a little, trying to ease his self-consciousness. "Hi, I'm Jazz. Welcome to my pad." He leaned forward enough to grasp Prowl's forearm, a common greeting among friendly soldiers/Enforcers, and his apologetic offering for being unreceptive to the AI's arrival.
Prowl returned the greeting. "A pleasure to meet you, Jazz. How's your orn fared?"
"Not well," Jazz admitted, seeing no reason for false small talk. "I got into trouble again with my first-line commanders, Ultra Magnus and his acting-second for the mission, Clamp Down. We had a simulated battle and I got us the victory and saved my team, when we nearly lost both – from a too-simple plan ordered by Magnus, in my opinion – but they strongly disapproved of how I did it. Clamp, a former Enforcer, disapproved of it so much he called it the last draw and left. Magnus has scheduled me for an early beating with his unabridged regulations tablet."
"I see. Did you request advice from an Enforcer since you were rejected by one?"
"Something like that." While he figured the AI meant that in a purely profession sense, it was partly from him still smarting a little thanks to his ill-placed crush. Clamp Down and he never had much more than a few kisses here and there, although it didn't bother Jazz too much because he had other options for settling his stronger charges. If anything, he was saddened by losing the closest he got to someone with an actual Enforcer background, his regulation-loose attitude a bit of an immediate turnoff to them. Hence why Enforcers were on his mind when selecting Prowl's occupation.
Prowl nodded. "How long will you be in recharge?"
"Dunno, will have to check my CR. Normally I just do what I want until it pings me warnings. I opted for a full defrag; you know, clear the mind and whatnot."
"A full defrag optimizes a processor but doesn't necessarily clear the mind," Prowl pointed out. "Are you worried about your meeting with Ultra Magnus?"
"Yeah. It'll be hard to keep still and maintain focus during his lecture, and considering it's a lecture about how he finds me too impulsive…" he shook his helm. "Don't think I'll pass soldier inspection, or whatever to call it."
Prowl's gaze settled more fully on him and Jazz almost squirmed from the piercing blue. "How about something to ease your tension while helping you improve your self-discipline?"
"Yeah? Like what?"
"A game on the public servers. It's an open game, but it allows for two-mech private play. I suspect it may appeal to your preexisting training enough to keep you from growing restless, but still force you to take control of your issues."
"What game?"
The corner of Prowl's mouth lifted into a faint smirk. "I'd prefer it if you didn't know ahead of time. While you know the general purpose behind your upcoming meeting, you won't know how it'll progress or what arguments Magnus might bring to the table. Likewise, you'll know we're heading into a game but not what kind. Adaptable self-discipline."
Jazz grinned. "I'm up for a challenge. Let's go."
The tablets disappeared and Jazz stood to re-enter his CR. The necessity to come and go through his CR wasn't strictly required by Somnus, but by his own imposed safeguards for moving between public and private servers. Special Ops trainees had some of the toughest CR encryption to prevent a body-jack, and by passing through it, hackers hiding on public servers couldn't trace him to his private server.
"Jazz, please wait." When Jazz looked at him a raised optic ridge, Prowl explained. "I can't follow you into your CR, unless you authorize it. Each time."
"Really? Even as an AI of Somnus? Isn't that like saying a mech's body is allowed to transform into his alt mode, save his hand? Kinda self-crippling."
The first real hint of a smile touched Prowl's face, but hardly more than a faint smile and optic glint. "A safety precaution against hackers masquerading as AIs."
"How am I supposed to know the difference?"
The optic glint disappeared, replaced by a neutral expression. "To have someone like me cross into your CR, you take their hand." Prowl extended his hand, palm sideways.
Jazz reached back and carefully grasped the hand, feeling for solidity. Not only did the hand feel as firm as his, but it felt very cool to the touch, like a mech with his engine stuck in a prolonged idle state. "Wow, a lot of detail."
"Pardon me?" Prowl inquired curiously.
"I didn't know AIs felt like mechs, much less like one taking a long recharge."
Prowl's optics flickered. "Do you wish Somnus to change that? The perceived temperatures vary among Somnus-controlled mechs, depending on a few variables."
"It's fine. Now what?"
"Now I send you my unique system ID and you store it for verification each time." Jazz's fingers tingled before a lengthy code popped up in his HUD.
Jazz's mouth fell into a little 'O.' "I see why I should store it and not even bother memorizing it. That is a lot of characters."
"It's 32 characters long. Don't let go of my hand until after we both successfully load into your CR."
Jazz tugged and walked across the door's threshold into his CR, the lag lasting slightly longer than normal. When he felt Prowl's hand stabilize, the coolness returning to a steady sensation, Jazz let go. He allowed Prowl to look around, taking a moment to glance at the primary screen. He still had enough time for whatever Prowl intended, if the hint was anything to judge by.
Prowl's gaze fixated on the window. "Is that Kaon's skyline?"
"Yeah," Jazz replied, amazed at the observation. "How'd you know?"
"I've seen images of all the city-states."
"Ah." Maybe a little less amazed now, although there was something to still be said about the inquisitive nature to search for a matching city-state profile. "The window shows the skyline of whatever city-state I'm recharging in. It rotates photos every time I recharge. I think there are about 30 right now for Kaon? I never counted what's in the package."
Before Jazz could point out the timer a different thought interrupted him. "How long have you existed?"
"Excuse me?" The befuddled look on Prowl's face was something Jazz instantly liked and he was disappointed when it lasted only kliks before returning neutral.
"You said you've seen images of the city-states. You're new because of my customer order, unless I'm really not as unique as I think. I know the submission form stated that recycled codes would be reused where apt but it didn't say how much."
"I've existed for awhile. I'm uncertain on the duration of my existence here."
Jazz nodded, accepting that vagueness for what it was for the moment, and changed subjects. "See that screen?" he pointed to what was mounted by his portal door. "The countdown in the top right corner is the estimated time until my recharge is complete. Plenty of time, right?"
Prowl studied the countdown. "If you needed to disrupt your recharge from here, could you?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm only curious. Regarding your question, yes that's enough time. Is the console below it how you control access to the public servers?"
"Yup. That and configure my private server to whatever simulation I want. You need access authorization or do you want to tell me now?"
"Please grant me access authorization." That faint, pleasant smile returned.
Jazz approached the console and added Prowl's lengthy identity code into the "access authorized" database, formerly a database of one. He stepped back. "All yours."
Prowl stepped up and started pressing the controls but immediately stopped when the screen changed. He glanced at Jazz. "Don't look."
The saboteur-in-training snickered. "Okay," he promised while turning around.
Only a few kliks passed and then he felt Prowl's hand brush slightly against his shoulder. "The designation is still on the screen…" the voice behind him hesitated. "If you'd humor me and walk backwards through the portal?"
Jazz's snicker turned into a light chuckle. "Alright, just make sure I don't hit the wall."
They made it without colliding and Jazz felt not only the world change around him, but also his body change into a new avatar. When his vision focused he took in his surroundings. Green pointy things surrounded him and he could no longer see straight in front of him, only to the sides. When he tried to speak he found himself unable to vocalize words, emitting weird sounds. An alert popped up in the corner of his eye, a request for opening private communication line. He accepted and initiated communication before Prowl could try. ::I'm a fuzzy organic creature in an organic world! What am I standing in?::
::It's called grass,:: the amusement in the explanation very clear. ::This field and the surrounding forest is uninhabited by other players. There are computerized animals throughout, though, so we may be the only two players but not the only two moving parts. This is a simple race-and-catch game, but the variable in here is that you aren't afforded the comfort of playing in your normal alt mode.::
::Unafforded comfort, indeed. I don't even know what I am!::
::The administrators labeled it a rabbit, from some planet an explorer documented well enough for imported game play. I'll start easy on you. Take what time you need to familiarize yourself with the body, its limitations, and the senses.::
Jazz did as instructed while grumbling, ::When I asked for an AI with an open mind, playing organic wasn't what I had in mind.::
He swore he heard a tiny laugh. ::My other function is catching game cheaters. I'm familiar with almost all games available on the Somnus public servers. Organic-based games often prove the most challenging for self-discipline, given the many differences between them and us.::
Jazz muttered about "the many differences" as he familiarized himself with the strange movements of a rabbit. When he felt confident with interpreting the senses, and adjusting for the vision changes, he surveyed his surroundings. ::Where are you?::
::That's part of this exercise. The current avatar you're fitted with is a fast creature, capable of darting quickly across fields and hiding in forests. Your brown-black fur color is designed to blend in with dirt patches and thick shrubbery. Your job is to not let me catch you before you identify me. I'm giving you a 2 breem head start, once you start moving.::
::What and where are you?::
::That's what you have to identify, through your senses and a database for all the possible animals I might be. You also have access to a basic map. This will require focus for figuring out what and where I am, and may or may not be an exercise in withstanding boredom. That depends on what I do. There's also a self-discipline challenge. Your avatar's instincts will be to run.::
::This is really weird…:: Jazz shook his paws and flexed each claw set. He liked that part.
::You said you were up for a challenge. Are you backing away from your declaration?::
Jazz groaned playfully, realizing that Prowl was one to not only hold him to his words, but push them, too. Taking in what he could see and comparing it to the map, he whooped, ::Never going to catch me!:: He took off, amazed at the unconventional view of the ground so close to his nose as he headed into the forest.
::We'll see:: Prowl replied without his tone rising to the taunt. ::I'm not planning to be quick about it, so you'll have plenty of learning time.::
::Seriously?::
::Maybe.:: That same tone gave nothing away, whether his previous statement be truth or lie.
By the time Prowl called the 2 breem mark, a shrub-covered Jazz had a strong hunch his private instructor would be all he hoped.
