Wow. Well, maybe this can be a learning opportunity. A chance to, I don't know, start doing things differently, get closer to people. :)
[He honestly doesn't mean anything passive-aggressive by that - it's just that he's getting an impression from Jack that isn't altogether unfamiliar to him, of something like an emotionally distant businessman so far removed from the common man he can hardly see things from the common man's perspective; like some business partners he's known, except... on a futuristic, cosmic scale.
And heck, it's not like Marco himself hasn't been guilty of similar lacks of perspective in the past.]
yea i've ben getting the feeling rich ppl in other places aren't usually as rich as i am back home. n nobody else comes from a corporatocracy. it's weird. cause a lot of people come from like similar worlds? or places with shit in common?
but i guess u gotta point. ben a long time since i wasn't apparently ludicrously wealthy n in charge of everything.
yea c in space shit's not divided up by countries or planets, it's companies. like i don't say i'm tantalaen, i'm hyperion. that's my company, that's my allegiance. wut planet i come from doesn't matter. but companies r the 1s in charge of public services, law enforcement, civic infrastructure... i mean actual politicians n shit do that stuff, there's mayors n sheriffs n some companies have human armies - we don't, we use robots since...why send a bunch of ppl 2 die when robots? n there's like a whole board of ppl to approve n vote on shit...
but yea 'president of x company' doesn't just mean president of the company, it means PRESIDENT.
[And true to his word, Jack is indeed waiting, feeling like an idiot without a coffee to drink or a cigarette to smoke. He never knows what to do with his hands these days. Weird things that come with changing into a robot.]
[But it's nice to get out, and with somebody who isn't Rick. A guy needs variety! Marco's a cool enough dude, from all Jack can tell, and he sure as shit could use some help picking out some kind of gift for his double. Dude's been mopey, it's bumming him out.]
[For his part, Marco just appreciates going out, especially if someone's inviting him to. Not that he doesn't get many invitations - he wasn't entirely truthful with Jack, there - but, well, it's important for him to be out there and do things. He knows himself well enough now to realise that nothing good comes of stewing in his own thoughts alone for too long.
So here he is, that usual courteous smile on his face. It's kind of chilly out today, but that's how he likes it.]
Nah, I just forget that it takes me quicker to get around now just walking. Robot legs. Gotta say, annoying as a lot of the bot shit is...don't mind not having an aching back and knees that freak out every time it gets cold!
[It's undeniable that Jack is far healthier and in far better shape as he is now.]
[But he's amiable and enthusiastic when he pushes off from the decorative post he's been leaning against.]
And I'm pretty sure robots don't physically age, so...score on that part!
Yeah, I got oil and sealants for that! And ya know what works great on my whole exoskeleton or whatever? Car wax!
[Jack seems really excited about that fact. Which he is, for some unknown reason. He sets off walking in the direction of the shops, whirring and clicking softly as he moves.]
[He is not a quiet monster.]
Now there's something I gotta get one of these days, a car.
Car wax... Wouldn't that be bad for you? [Marco thinks to himself, and after a while, his eyebrows rise as if to indicate the end of his own internal debate.] I guess not.
[That said, for some reason, he's having a little trouble with the image of a robot inside a car?? Hm.]
You could ask Mana for wheels. [WAIT. SUDDEN THOUGHT.] ... Could you become a car?
Nah, makes my metal bits look all shiny and buffed!
[It is not great for his synthetic skin, though, he has to be careful. It just sort of stains it and makes him look dirty.]
[Then he turns to Marco, wishing very much that his expression changed, because he'd be giving the other man a very perplexed look.]
Are...are you asking me if I'm a Go-Bot or some shit? Or...suggesting I ask Mana to be? I...look at me, how big a car could I possibly turn into? But I guess that doesn't matter, I seen some people during the fog...
[A pause as Jack gives this idea some honest consideration.]
Okay, but I'd wanna be something way cooler than a car. Like a motorcycle or some shit.
[Wow. It's amazing, the kinds of things that appear to be a universal constant. Also, some might find it odd that Jack is actually giving the idea some thought, but for the most part, Marco is just glad not to get a reaction like "where the hell did that come from" or something similar.
Because, well, sometimes he doesn't really get where his ideas come from, harmless or otherwise.]
Oh, but that reminds me! Do you know if your friend likes virtual pets?
They were a thing, I guess. Plenty of old Earth shit made it into space. Hell, my favorite musician's Taylor Swift. Incredible talent, the woman was a goddess.
[Do not pursue that thought, Marco, Jack will never shut up about Taylor Swift.]
Huh? Oh...uh, I think he likes real ones? So...maybe! That a thing here?
[Taylor Swift? Really?... Jack is full of surprises.]
Not only is it a thing, it's one of the trademark products of McGucket Labs. [And now his smile is right between "friendly" and "delivering a message for PR purposes."] You haven't heard?
Well, you could call it a moderate success. They're these little toy machines with an LCD screen, you see - [and Marco traces a shape slightly larger than a regular tamagotchi in the air with his fingers] - with more intuitive controls for ease of use.
They're less demanding than the classic fare, too, so you can go to school or work without worrying about your pet dying.
Oh yeah? Well, I get the feeling my buddy's into pets for the something warm to snuggle aspect, but I wanna check out your virtual thing.
[Because even something primitive is pretty impressive, with the limitations of this world. And Jack appreciates anyone who's pushing the boundaries of possibility. That's what Hyperion's built on.]
Did you have some kind of base to start out with, or did you just do everything from scratch?
Mostly from scratch. The original idea wasn't ours, of course, but we did largely have to code it from a blank slate. There wasn't really anything like it in Ryslig before, to my knowledge.
[Some people make tamagotchis, other people figure out meme generators, and all of this is valid.
... Marco isn't much of a meme guy, but he can appreciate Wrench's work, conceptually speaking.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
<marco>
Just not as much as I used to.
[Not that Marco's the type to brag about it!... Something about what Jack said just rubbed him the wrong way, that's all.]
Well, sure, a gift basket is also an option.
You know, maybe we should just start looking and you're bound to think of something eventually.
< H.Jack69 >
yea ur probly rite
thanx n all that
and u kno...it's not like i never give gifts or anything. i just used to have secretaries and assistants 2 do this shit 4 me.
<marco>
Well, maybe this can be a learning opportunity.
A chance to, I don't know, start doing things differently, get closer to people. :)
[He honestly doesn't mean anything passive-aggressive by that - it's just that he's getting an impression from Jack that isn't altogether unfamiliar to him, of something like an emotionally distant businessman so far removed from the common man he can hardly see things from the common man's perspective; like some business partners he's known, except... on a futuristic, cosmic scale.
And heck, it's not like Marco himself hasn't been guilty of similar lacks of perspective in the past.]
< H.Jack69 >
but i guess u gotta point. ben a long time since i wasn't apparently ludicrously wealthy n in charge of everything.
<marco>
I'm sorry, a corporatocracy?
[Marco Evangelisti, former capitalist who tried not to be as bad as most capitalists (to debatable success), is sensing some Red Flags.]
< H.Jack69 >
but yea 'president of x company' doesn't just mean president of the company, it means PRESIDENT.
i'm a world leader, bb!
<marco>
[That's... kind of scary...]
I was just a regular old CEO.
Ha.
< H.Jack69 >
now i am not.
<marco>
That's life.
So, when/where are we meeting up?
< H.Jack69 >
<marco>
There are a few shops nearby, so...
no subject
[And true to his word, Jack is indeed waiting, feeling like an idiot without a coffee to drink or a cigarette to smoke. He never knows what to do with his hands these days. Weird things that come with changing into a robot.]
[But it's nice to get out, and with somebody who isn't Rick. A guy needs variety! Marco's a cool enough dude, from all Jack can tell, and he sure as shit could use some help picking out some kind of gift for his double.
Dude's been mopey, it's bumming him out.]
no subject
So here he is, that usual courteous smile on his face. It's kind of chilly out today, but that's how he likes it.]
Oh, I hope I didn't keep you waiting.
no subject
[It's undeniable that Jack is far healthier and in far better shape as he is now.]
[But he's amiable and enthusiastic when he pushes off from the decorative post he's been leaning against.]
And I'm pretty sure robots don't physically age, so...score on that part!
no subject
... You might still rust, though.
[Marco honestly doesn't mean anything by it. It's just an observation.]
no subject
[Jack seems really excited about that fact. Which he is, for some unknown reason. He sets off walking in the direction of the shops, whirring and clicking softly as he moves.]
[He is not a quiet monster.]
Now there's something I gotta get one of these days, a car.
no subject
[That said, for some reason, he's having a little trouble with the image of a robot inside a car?? Hm.]
You could ask Mana for wheels. [WAIT. SUDDEN THOUGHT.] ... Could you become a car?
no subject
[It is not great for his synthetic skin, though, he has to be careful. It just sort of stains it and makes him look dirty.]
[Then he turns to Marco, wishing very much that his expression changed, because he'd be giving the other man a very perplexed look.]
Are...are you asking me if I'm a Go-Bot or some shit? Or...suggesting I ask Mana to be? I...look at me, how big a car could I possibly turn into? But I guess that doesn't matter, I seen some people during the fog...
[A pause as Jack gives this idea some honest consideration.]
Okay, but I'd wanna be something way cooler than a car. Like a motorcycle or some shit.
no subject
[Wow. It's amazing, the kinds of things that appear to be a universal constant. Also, some might find it odd that Jack is actually giving the idea some thought, but for the most part, Marco is just glad not to get a reaction like "where the hell did that come from" or something similar.
Because, well, sometimes he doesn't really get where his ideas come from, harmless or otherwise.]
Oh, but that reminds me! Do you know if your friend likes virtual pets?
no subject
[Do not pursue that thought, Marco, Jack will never shut up about Taylor Swift.]
Huh? Oh...uh, I think he likes real ones? So...maybe! That a thing here?
no subject
Not only is it a thing, it's one of the trademark products of McGucket Labs. [And now his smile is right between "friendly" and "delivering a message for PR purposes."] You haven't heard?
no subject
[With the kind of tech here, he's a little surprised they'd pulled it off. And there's gotta be some demand for it...]
I'm guessing it's a big seller?
no subject
They're less demanding than the classic fare, too, so you can go to school or work without worrying about your pet dying.
no subject
[Because even something primitive is pretty impressive, with the limitations of this world. And Jack appreciates anyone who's pushing the boundaries of possibility. That's what Hyperion's built on.]
Did you have some kind of base to start out with, or did you just do everything from scratch?
no subject
[Some people make tamagotchis, other people figure out meme generators, and all of this is valid.
... Marco isn't much of a meme guy, but he can appreciate Wrench's work, conceptually speaking.]