Post by Seefoor on Feb 3, 2013 23:47:50 GMT -5
Midnight Oil and Widgets
The modest oil lamp on the table guttered out, alerting Seefoor that the hour was late – or early. She paused in her calculations long enough to increase the photonic gain on her goggles, and continued to work by the wan light of the instrument panels that filled the laboratory.
She was in New Tinkertown, of course – where she’d been since the mishap in Pandaria. Last night’s dinner lay largely untouched near one hand. The steady thrum, thrum, thrum of the region’s great machines pulsed through the chair and worktable, soothing her harried mind like a mother’s heart. Cogs knew she needed the respite – though cogs knew if she deserved it.
Seefoor was not a gnome who acted rashly. Indeed, most of her actions in life had been researched, put to long thought, submitted to analysis and provided trial application before being laid out in actual practice. The behaviour pattern had served her well so far, and had enabled her to develop some of the most reliable technology on Azeroth – chief among these being the Techno-Wizardry Enhanced Enineering prototype; TWEE for short.
The inventor glanced to the sleeping area, and the work-bed where TWEE lay, recharging. Plugs in her ears led by wires to the mana-gathering antennae in the headboard. Aside from this, she could have been any young and petite gnomette; but the sight of her eased the tension in the inventor’s brow. The blanket that covered the little gynoid unit was wholly unnecessary; but Seefoor couldn’t help bundling her up as if she were the very child she seemed to be. She couldn’t help thinking of TWEE as a living, thinking being; even though she knew every nuance of her mnemonic programming. She couldn’t help loving her.
She also couldn’t help the accident that had left TWEE marooned atop a mountain in Pandaria, while Seefoor herself was deposited in Darnassus; but she was sure as shock going to try and prevent such incidents in the future. Like everything else, Seefoor had worked out every nuance of the arcane working that would open a portal from Pandaria to Ironforge; but something had gone awry. True, Seefoor had never lost communication with her darling creation. True, the mage had been back to Paw’don Village within minutes, and well on her way to the mount when she was informed TWEE was safe. True, Augidget and Linwish had brought TWEE back to Ironforge no worse for the adventure; but it could have been much worse. TWEE herself could have been whisked off to parts unknown; or Seefoor could have been flung into some Blackrock lava flow instead of a bed of moss and ivy, leaving TWEE without a guardian.
Seefoor shook her head, beating herself around the ears and forehead with her pigtails. “Self-recrimination avails no one, and time is a finite resource.”
Taking the sagacious advice, she scraped some ink residue from her autopen and set back to calculation. The scroll on which she worked had grown massive, one parchment stitched to the next as variable built upon variable, but she still couldn’t account for the deficiency. At first, she had suspected that the residual flux from Pandaria’s long mystical isolation had accounted for the portal’s inexplicable shift; but the numbers didn’t add up – or, at least, didn’t account for the disturbance on their own. She had begun to wonder if the measurements, provided by certain Pandarian associates, were faulty; or slanted toward stability out of a sense of national pride. Perhaps it would be advisable to make a journey of her own, to confirm the data.
There was a small sound from the sleeping area, and Seefoor glanced up. Her photo-enhanced goggles caught a flash from TWEE’s retinas as the diminutive gynoid opened her eyes in the early dawn.
“Maintenance complete,” TWEE reported.
Seefoor managed a smile and rolled up her scroll of computations. “That’s good,” she replied, “Did you have a good rest?”
TWEE nodded. “I am operating within normal parameters.” She glanced to the unfinished plate at Seefoor’s table and tilted her head. “Are you functioning within expected range of variability?”
Seefoor giggled. She was coming to enjoy TWEE’s rhetoric. “I’m fine,” she replied, “Thank you.”
“Your fuel consumption is down by seventy-six percent.”
Seefoor looked to the food and her work. “I was… just focused on other things.”
“Have you had any maintenance?”
The inventor sighed. “No, I haven’t slept.”
“Fuel and maintenance are mandatory for functionality.”
“I’m fine,” she objected, pursing her lips.
“Posture indicates increased tension and borderline aggression; atypical of mom behaviour.” TWEE bit her lip, a concerned gesture Seefoor had seen herself make in more than one mirror.
As irritated as she was with her own performance as a guardian, there was no point in letting it show in front of TWEE. Besides, it always brightened her spirits when her creation called her “mom.”
Seefoor drew a deep breath and calculated the decimals of phi to calm herself. “I just… have a lot on my mind.”
The gynoid looked toward the ever-growing scroll. “Spatial inconsistencies.”
“Behavioral inconsistencies,” Seefoor replied, “I should never have left you behind.”
TWEE scooted to the edge of the bed, the action childlike despite her adult proportions. “Mom stated the anomaly was unintentional.”
“So it was,” she replied, “But I should have been more careful.”
“In theory, theory and practice are the same thing,” the gynoid replied. The phrase was something of a maxim to the inventress, and she’d spoken it to TWEE more than once. To hear it spoken back was almost startling. Coming to Seefoor’s side, the gynoid went on: “It’s all right that you made a mistake.”
Seefoor blinked her goggle-magnified eyes at her creation. “I… almost lost you,” she replied.
TWEE shook her head. “Numerous friends in attendance,” she observed, “Area deemed safe - and my locator beacon was functioning normally.” She raised a hand and patted her creatrix’s shoulder in a conciliatory gesture that somehow managed to be both mechanical and heartfelt.
The gnome grinned. It was impossible to stay upset in TWEE’s presence. “I just wish I could determine what was behind the anomaly. It could be dangerous.”
“Mom needs fuel,” TWEE stated, “Previous supply inedible.” She bustled over to Seefoor’s trail-bags and began digging for the dried fruit and berries that had been left there from their last journey. Given the gynoid’s size, she disappeared to the shoulders as she reached into the dimensional pocket the bag contained, and her voice came up muffled. “Spatial variation is problematic.”
Spatial variation…
Seefoor blinked, then activated her autopen so hastily that a jet of pigment shot onto her robes. She barely noticed the stain, unrolling the scroll and scribbling madly. “That’s it!” she exclaimed, “The spatial friction of the expanded bag capacity acted as a secondary warping effect within the portal, which in turn caused trans-temporal drag against the dimensional conduits of the extant wormholes that the warlocks were using. None would be enough to cause a dissociative event on their own; but combined with the lingering effects of Panderia’s recent trans-locative status…” Seefoor grinned up at her wondrous creation. “TWEE,” she observed, “You’re a genius!”
The gynoid smiled, coming up with the rations. “My programming is impeccable.”
The modest oil lamp on the table guttered out, alerting Seefoor that the hour was late – or early. She paused in her calculations long enough to increase the photonic gain on her goggles, and continued to work by the wan light of the instrument panels that filled the laboratory.
She was in New Tinkertown, of course – where she’d been since the mishap in Pandaria. Last night’s dinner lay largely untouched near one hand. The steady thrum, thrum, thrum of the region’s great machines pulsed through the chair and worktable, soothing her harried mind like a mother’s heart. Cogs knew she needed the respite – though cogs knew if she deserved it.
Seefoor was not a gnome who acted rashly. Indeed, most of her actions in life had been researched, put to long thought, submitted to analysis and provided trial application before being laid out in actual practice. The behaviour pattern had served her well so far, and had enabled her to develop some of the most reliable technology on Azeroth – chief among these being the Techno-Wizardry Enhanced Enineering prototype; TWEE for short.
The inventor glanced to the sleeping area, and the work-bed where TWEE lay, recharging. Plugs in her ears led by wires to the mana-gathering antennae in the headboard. Aside from this, she could have been any young and petite gnomette; but the sight of her eased the tension in the inventor’s brow. The blanket that covered the little gynoid unit was wholly unnecessary; but Seefoor couldn’t help bundling her up as if she were the very child she seemed to be. She couldn’t help thinking of TWEE as a living, thinking being; even though she knew every nuance of her mnemonic programming. She couldn’t help loving her.
She also couldn’t help the accident that had left TWEE marooned atop a mountain in Pandaria, while Seefoor herself was deposited in Darnassus; but she was sure as shock going to try and prevent such incidents in the future. Like everything else, Seefoor had worked out every nuance of the arcane working that would open a portal from Pandaria to Ironforge; but something had gone awry. True, Seefoor had never lost communication with her darling creation. True, the mage had been back to Paw’don Village within minutes, and well on her way to the mount when she was informed TWEE was safe. True, Augidget and Linwish had brought TWEE back to Ironforge no worse for the adventure; but it could have been much worse. TWEE herself could have been whisked off to parts unknown; or Seefoor could have been flung into some Blackrock lava flow instead of a bed of moss and ivy, leaving TWEE without a guardian.
Seefoor shook her head, beating herself around the ears and forehead with her pigtails. “Self-recrimination avails no one, and time is a finite resource.”
Taking the sagacious advice, she scraped some ink residue from her autopen and set back to calculation. The scroll on which she worked had grown massive, one parchment stitched to the next as variable built upon variable, but she still couldn’t account for the deficiency. At first, she had suspected that the residual flux from Pandaria’s long mystical isolation had accounted for the portal’s inexplicable shift; but the numbers didn’t add up – or, at least, didn’t account for the disturbance on their own. She had begun to wonder if the measurements, provided by certain Pandarian associates, were faulty; or slanted toward stability out of a sense of national pride. Perhaps it would be advisable to make a journey of her own, to confirm the data.
There was a small sound from the sleeping area, and Seefoor glanced up. Her photo-enhanced goggles caught a flash from TWEE’s retinas as the diminutive gynoid opened her eyes in the early dawn.
“Maintenance complete,” TWEE reported.
Seefoor managed a smile and rolled up her scroll of computations. “That’s good,” she replied, “Did you have a good rest?”
TWEE nodded. “I am operating within normal parameters.” She glanced to the unfinished plate at Seefoor’s table and tilted her head. “Are you functioning within expected range of variability?”
Seefoor giggled. She was coming to enjoy TWEE’s rhetoric. “I’m fine,” she replied, “Thank you.”
“Your fuel consumption is down by seventy-six percent.”
Seefoor looked to the food and her work. “I was… just focused on other things.”
“Have you had any maintenance?”
The inventor sighed. “No, I haven’t slept.”
“Fuel and maintenance are mandatory for functionality.”
“I’m fine,” she objected, pursing her lips.
“Posture indicates increased tension and borderline aggression; atypical of mom behaviour.” TWEE bit her lip, a concerned gesture Seefoor had seen herself make in more than one mirror.
As irritated as she was with her own performance as a guardian, there was no point in letting it show in front of TWEE. Besides, it always brightened her spirits when her creation called her “mom.”
Seefoor drew a deep breath and calculated the decimals of phi to calm herself. “I just… have a lot on my mind.”
The gynoid looked toward the ever-growing scroll. “Spatial inconsistencies.”
“Behavioral inconsistencies,” Seefoor replied, “I should never have left you behind.”
TWEE scooted to the edge of the bed, the action childlike despite her adult proportions. “Mom stated the anomaly was unintentional.”
“So it was,” she replied, “But I should have been more careful.”
“In theory, theory and practice are the same thing,” the gynoid replied. The phrase was something of a maxim to the inventress, and she’d spoken it to TWEE more than once. To hear it spoken back was almost startling. Coming to Seefoor’s side, the gynoid went on: “It’s all right that you made a mistake.”
Seefoor blinked her goggle-magnified eyes at her creation. “I… almost lost you,” she replied.
TWEE shook her head. “Numerous friends in attendance,” she observed, “Area deemed safe - and my locator beacon was functioning normally.” She raised a hand and patted her creatrix’s shoulder in a conciliatory gesture that somehow managed to be both mechanical and heartfelt.
The gnome grinned. It was impossible to stay upset in TWEE’s presence. “I just wish I could determine what was behind the anomaly. It could be dangerous.”
“Mom needs fuel,” TWEE stated, “Previous supply inedible.” She bustled over to Seefoor’s trail-bags and began digging for the dried fruit and berries that had been left there from their last journey. Given the gynoid’s size, she disappeared to the shoulders as she reached into the dimensional pocket the bag contained, and her voice came up muffled. “Spatial variation is problematic.”
Spatial variation…
Seefoor blinked, then activated her autopen so hastily that a jet of pigment shot onto her robes. She barely noticed the stain, unrolling the scroll and scribbling madly. “That’s it!” she exclaimed, “The spatial friction of the expanded bag capacity acted as a secondary warping effect within the portal, which in turn caused trans-temporal drag against the dimensional conduits of the extant wormholes that the warlocks were using. None would be enough to cause a dissociative event on their own; but combined with the lingering effects of Panderia’s recent trans-locative status…” Seefoor grinned up at her wondrous creation. “TWEE,” she observed, “You’re a genius!”
The gynoid smiled, coming up with the rations. “My programming is impeccable.”