Questionable Content 10: La Li Lu Le Lo

[John Cribati]

The other option: Bubbles doesn't want the memories back, but Corpse Witch can forcibly upload them through... wi-fi or something.

[Mith]

If Corpse Witch is threatening Bubbles with a forced flashback, I suspect the memories are locked away in Bubbles mind, so all Corpse Witch needs to do is use a code to unlock them.

[Lethologica]

If Corpse Witch is threatening Bubbles with a forced flashback, I suspect the memories are locked away in Bubbles mind, so all Corpse Witch needs to do is use a code to unlock them.

If Bubbles possesses the memory storage, Corpse Witch can't threaten Bubbles with anything. Bubbles can just leave. For that matter, Bubbles can probably get someone to hack her memories if she really wants them. CW has to have the memories or she has no leverage at all.

[memnarch]

If Bubbles possesses the memory storage, Corpse Witch can't threaten Bubbles with anything. Bubbles can just leave. For that matter, Bubbles can probably get someone to hack her memories if she really wants them. CW has to have the memories or she has no leverage at all.

If they're encrypted memories, then it doesn't matter if Bubbles possesses the memory storage or not since Bubbles wouldn't be able to access them without the key. Heck, there's even malware that can basically do that to your own computer files already. (cryptolocker for example)

[Morquard]

If Bubbles possesses the memory storage, Corpse Witch can't threaten Bubbles with anything. Bubbles can just leave. For that matter, Bubbles can probably get someone to hack her memories if she really wants them. CW has to have the memories or she has no leverage at all.

I think you severly underestimate how hard it is to hack a proper security algorithm. Movies and TV shows always go "This is the most secure code I've ever seen! Give me 5 minutes!" - "You have 2!" - "I'll do it in 1!"
That's not how it works. To brute force your way through a decent algorithm these days would take longer than the sun has left to live even using a supercomputer.

So unless the encryption came with a backdoor or has been cracked since then, there's pretty much no chance of that.

[Shadow of the Sun]

I think you severly underestimate how hard it is to hack a proper security algorithm. Movies and TV shows always go "This is the most secure code I've ever seen! Give me 5 minutes!" - "You have 2!" - "I'll do it in 1!"
That's not how it works. To brute force your way through a decent algorithm these days would take longer than the sun has left to live even using a supercomputer.

So unless the encryption came with a backdoor or has been cracked since then, there's pretty much no chance of that.

To be fair, given the knowledge of the QC universe we have, there might be such things as quantum computers or methods of factorising large numbers that make breaking decent encryption not unbelievable.

[Knaight]

To be fair, given the knowledge of the QC universe we have, there might be such things as quantum computers or methods of factorising large numbers that make breaking decent encryption not unbelievable.

That's very possible. On the other hand, the standards for good encryption could easily be boosted.

[Morquard]

To be fair, given the knowledge of the QC universe we have, there might be such things as quantum computers or methods of factorising large numbers that make breaking decent encryption not unbelievable.

Absolutely true, most of todays encryption will be obsolete then. But it will also open up the possibility of so many more options for encrypting things I guess.

[eee]

The thing is, that isn't a sustainable relationship. Either bubbles doesn't ever want the memories back, in which case CW has no leverage, or she does anticipate wanting them back, at which point CW still doesn't have any leverage, because Bubbles can break her in so many different ways.

Pretty clearly Bubbles DOES want those memories back, and badly enough so she'll do what Corpse Witch wants despite her own desires. That's why CW has powerful leverage on her. But consider Bubbles' options. Yes, she may be able to inflict damage on CW in a variety of ways, and over a prolonged period of time; but will that ever force the Witch to talk? Or could she just permanently delete the key code from her memory, insuring Bubbles will never remember what she wanted at one time to forget? Also, attacking CW will make Bubbles guilty of Assault, and there have been indications that some IAs can access the Internet. Bubbles rips off CW's arm and offers to continue until CW talks, CW calls the police in her own head and informs them what's happened, Bubbles' loses what little she's got, becomes a criminal in Robot Jail, and STILL doesn't get her memories back.

Unless something happens that changes the situation, this set of circumstances can be sustained as long as CW wants.

[AvatarVecna]

Unless something happens that changes the situation, this set of circumstances can be sustained as long as CW wants.

Bubbles to rookie cop: "I would like to report a crime of blackmail/extortion. Also, potentially theft."

[Lethologica]

If they're encrypted memories, then it doesn't matter if Bubbles possesses the memory storage or not since Bubbles wouldn't be able to access them without the key. Heck, there's even malware that can basically do that to your own computer files already. (cryptolocker for example)

As always it depends on the security and cracking regimes available in the setting. But my point was mostly that only having the key means the other party can just walk away with the data itself if she decides the memories aren't worth whatever the current conflict happens to be. Retaining the information and the ability to expose that information, whatever it is, is much more powerful.

[memnarch]

As always it depends on the security and cracking regimes available in the setting. But my point was mostly that only having the key means the other party can just walk away with the data itself if she decides the memories aren't worth whatever the current conflict happens to be. Retaining the information and the ability to expose that information, whatever it is, is much more powerful.

Sure Bubbles could just walk away if it's not something that Corpse Witch could just push onto her. But my point was that if you've got files that have been encrypted and you don't have the key to open it, then you don't really have encrypted files anymore as it's effectively now meaningless junk data to anyone except those with supercomputers and lots of spare time. Up to now, Bubbles has been pretty isolated from society so losing the memories wasn't very valuable compared to leaving as she wouldn't be able to get those memories back.

[Keltest]

Sure Bubbles could just walk away if it's not something that Corpse Witch could just push onto her. But my point was that if you've got files that have been encrypted and you don't have the key to open it, then you don't really have encrypted files anymore as it's effectively now meaningless junk data to anyone except those with supercomputers and lots of spare time. Up to now, Bubbles has been pretty isolated from society so losing the memories wasn't very valuable compared to leaving as she wouldn't be able to get those memories back.

You know who probably has supercomputers and lots of spare time? Hanners. The idea that Bubbles could bypass the need for the key is plausible, though it seems a somewhat anticlimactic resolution to the plot.

[Lethologica]

You know who probably has supercomputers and lots of spare time? Hanners. The idea that Bubbles could bypass the need for the key is plausible, though it seems a somewhat anticlimactic resolution to the plot.

True now, but not necessarily something they would have accounted for when setting up the arrangement.

[Shadow of the Sun]

I'll be damned. Jeph managed to come up with a plot line that I find actually interesting.

As someone with depression and anxiety issues what Bubbles is explaining seems to me to be a very interesting line. In fact, I think what she has had undertaken is quite a lot like being on antidepressants - the underlying causes/memories/thoughts/whatever are still there, but their impact isn't as powerful as it once was.

This opens up an interesting exploration about the nature of AI and that of the mind in general.

[The Glyphstone]

I felt a great disturbance in the force, as if a million puppies cried out and were suddenly kicked.

[eee]

OK, how do they force CW to give up the key, or break the encryption without it? I assume Pintsize is listening to this. He might know someone capable of such a thing. He might even have followed up on Marten giving him Station's contact information and be in touch with the most powerful AI of all. Perhaps Station could help.

Let us hope CW did just partition off those memories and not erase them instead.

[Dorath]

Hack the planet!

[Ibrinar]

The resolution will be that AIs like humans are really bad at security and she wrote down the key on a post it note!

[Thialfi]

The resolution will be that AIs like humans are really bad at security and she wrote down the key on a post it note!

I'm reminded of an old Star Trek: The Next Generation show where Data went rogue and took over the Enterprise. He locked down the computer with a encryption code so long that they had to go to a commercial break in the middle of it.

[Traab]

They need to find a way to deactivate her until they can locate the key (and a billion other bits of data they need to put her away) Im also still holding out for a bluff. Basically, corpse witch got ahold of bubbles and implanted this entire scenario. There were no unbearable memories, there is no data held behind encryption other than that fact. She implanted this whole thing in her memory to force bubbles to work for her. Perhaps she was doing a robo fight and got damaged and corpse witch fixed her, and took the opportunity to get herself some brawn as a pawn.

[John Cribati]

So basically, Nale got his mind downloaded into an AI?

[Beelzebub1111]

I feel like Faye is an audience surrogate here. Like Jeph thought he came up with an airtight thing, and the audience goes "Wait, what about...?" and then he goes "Ah ah...no...I...totally remembered that thing and it won't work any other way than what I planned things to happen because reasons"

In other words, He's a railroading GM.

[The Glyphstone]

I can't see that. We the audience came up with the idea to crack the encryption, but then we also very reasonably realized that it's not difficult to make an encryption that is almost impossible to crack. Similarly, Hannelore's father is an obvious backup solution so we weren't surprised. If anything, Jeph is just predictable, we saw the 'twists' coming well ahead of time.

[stsasser]

'friggin'? When did Faye ever use a euphemism??

First contractions and now this...

[AvatarVecna]

So what Bubbles is saying is that a civilian with questionable motives and loose ethics has gone into the programming of a military AI and done...something that's impossible to say exactly what she did? And now Bubbles is afraid to do anything, for fear of what Corpse Witch might do? Even when her close trusted friends are trying to help with solutions, looking for a way to get her out of the horrible situation she's in where her actions are dictated by the whims of another? That's called an abusive relationship, except it comes with convenient blackmail/extortion attached! What Faye needs to do now is smile, nod, escort Bubbles back to the door, and then when Bubbles is gone, call the ****ing authorities. It may end with Bubbles losing her memories, and Faye losing Bubbles' friendship, but part of loving somebody is being willing to suffer for their health, well-being, and happiness, even if it means doing something for their own good.

Also, Bubbles needs to cool it with the melodrama. A bomb? What, like a computer virus lurking in Bubbles' head that will spread through the world and...what? Send the government into disarray? Make all the money belong to CW? Sell the moon? Such viruses either wouldn't accomplish enough to be worth the heat they'd bring down on CW, or if they are, mean she should be getting shot by James Bond in her volcano lair, not slumming it up in an illegal bot-fighting ring. Or maybe she means a literal bomb, the kind that could cause collateral damage to Corpse Witch. Oh yeah, CW's all about controlling the employees she closely works with through threats of blowing herself up. Maybe it's just something that wipes out the rest of Bubbles' mind, which would suck, but would essentially be the AI equivalent of murder. If that's the direction Jeff ends up going in, I'll give him props for killing a well-liked semi-main character, but I don't really think he's got the balls to do it. Couldn't really blame him either, to be honest; I'm not sure what would be worse, the fan response of people raging about him killing off Bubbles, or the fan response of people raging about him not killing some other character off instead.

Also, final thought, and making this whole post kinda muddled: if Corpse Witch is as manipulative as Jeff is leading us to believe, and had this kind of access to Bubbles's mind, why not wipe out the personality, or at least the emotions? At the very least make her a good bit more apathetic, to the point that people wouldn't get close to her and she wouldn't get close to people? Then there'd be nobody to question anything, they'd just see an emotionally-stunted war droid and figure "guess something bad happened out there"...and they'd be right, although they would never know that what she's seen isn't directly responsible for what she's like. So why didn't CW do that?

[Keltest]

So what Bubbles is saying is that a civilian with questionable motives and loose ethics has gone into the programming of a military AI and done...something that's impossible to say exactly what she did? And now Bubbles is afraid to do anything, for fear of what Corpse Witch might do? Even when her close trusted friends are trying to help with solutions, looking for a way to get her out of the horrible situation she's in where her actions are dictated by the whims of another? That's called an abusive relationship, except it comes with convenient blackmail/extortion attached! What Faye needs to do now is smile, nod, escort Bubbles back to the door, and then when Bubbles is gone, call the ****ing authorities. It may end with Bubbles losing her memories, and Faye losing Bubbles' friendship, but part of loving somebody is being willing to suffer for their health, well-being, and happiness, even if it means doing something for their own good.

That sounds like the nuclear option to me. As it is, while Bubbles is not exactly happy with the status quo, it isn't terribly dangerous for anybody involved, either. If a solution can be devised that doesn't involve saying 'Hey, this nigh-invincible robotic super soldier has been compromised to an unknown extent, please help" then that is probably a better solution.

Also, Bubbles needs to cool it with the melodrama. A bomb? What, like a computer virus lurking in Bubbles' head that will spread through the world and...what? Send the government into disarray? Make all the money belong to CW? Sell the moon? Such viruses either wouldn't accomplish enough to be worth the heat they'd bring down on CW, or if they are, mean she should be getting shot by James Bond in her volcano lair, not slumming it up in an illegal bot-fighting ring. Or maybe she means a literal bomb, the kind that could cause collateral damage to Corpse Witch. Oh yeah, CW's all about controlling the employees she closely works with through threats of blowing herself up. Maybe it's just something that wipes out the rest of Bubbles' mind, which would suck, but would essentially be the AI equivalent of murder. If that's the direction Jeff ends up going in, I'll give him props for killing a well-liked semi-main character, but I don't really think he's got the balls to do it. Couldn't really blame him either, to be honest; I'm not sure what would be worse, the fan response of people raging about him killing off Bubbles, or the fan response of people raging about him not killing some other character off instead.

Bubbles is a nigh-invincible super soldier. It doesn't have to be a literal bomb to be dangerous. As you say, it could wipe out Bubbles' personality and memories, or it could give Corpse Witch direct control over her. It could cause her to become super violent when in the presence of humans. There are a number of scenarios that could involve Bubbles that I would consider to be at least as bad as a bomb going off.

Also, final thought, and making this whole post kinda muddled: if Corpse Witch is as manipulative as Jeff is leading us to believe, and had this kind of access to Bubbles's mind, why not wipe out the personality, or at least the emotions? At the very least make her a good bit more apathetic, to the point that people wouldn't get close to her and she wouldn't get close to people? Then there'd be nobody to question anything, they'd just see an emotionally-stunted war droid and figure "guess something bad happened out there"...and they'd be right, although they would never know that what she's seen isn't directly responsible for what she's like. So why didn't CW do that?

Maybe she wasn't as manipulative at the time? Or perhaps she simply couldn't. Its possible that an AI's personality is not in the same digital location as their memories, and Bubbles would probably be aware if CW was messing with something she wasn't supposed to.

[geoduck]

So what Bubbles is saying is that a civilian with questionable motives and loose ethics has gone into the programming of a military AI and done...something that's impossible to say exactly what she did? And now Bubbles is afraid to do anything, for fear of what Corpse Witch might do? Even when her close trusted friends are trying to help with solutions, looking for a way to get her out of the horrible situation she's in where her actions are dictated by the whims of another? That's called an abusive relationship, except it comes with convenient blackmail/extortion attached! What Faye needs to do now is smile, nod, escort Bubbles back to the door, and then when Bubbles is gone, call the ****ing authorities. It may end with Bubbles losing her memories, and Faye losing Bubbles' friendship, but part of loving somebody is being willing to suffer for their health, well-being, and happiness, even if it means doing something for their own good.

It was "the authorities" who kicked Bubbles out onto the street with nothing but her body and crippling memories, leading to this situation in the first place.

[AvatarVecna]

It was "the authorities" who kicked Bubbles out onto the street with nothing but her body and crippling memories, leading to this situation in the first place.

Yes, Bubbles memory of what lead her to Corpse Witch is very damning and totally not questionable. I know when I spend good money on a top-of-the-line military bot with artificial intelligence, I'm doing it for the lulz because I like watching taxpayers money burn.

Wait, you're right, that does sound plausible!

[Cazero]

We're talking about the authorities that somehow lost a military grade chassis with a war laser installed in a supermarket. And the Vespavenger, seriously that warmachine can disguise itself as an inoffensive civilian vehicle and that's probably banned by the new Geneva convention.
A stupid decision concerning post-trauma therapy of robot soldiers doesn't sound implausible after that.