Question [G2] Shieldwall / Jimmy + Tavi

First appearance: "The Big Apple Comes With Calamari" Part 1 by Astrodragon
Creator: Kristin

Edited to add Tavi (who doesn't show up until part 3 - no VI's allowed to run on aircraft under self power)

As you all have read... my character missed most of the fun. For now...

Cryptic wrote: I think Tavi kind of stole the show.

I made a comment the other day that my 'big' contribution to the G2 part of the universe is going to end up being just like G1, where my biggest influence was a result of GEO (which was a side-plot / metaphor for the events happening in my main character's story). In this case, that contribution being GridGear via Tavi.

Astrodragon wrote: Hey, you're probably allergic to squid anyway

No no. I loves calamari. There's a place around the corner and down a block that makes a really good calamari. Cajun spices, really good batter. It's not the best calamari I've ever had but proximity more than makes up the difference. And its a lot cheaper than the better one. About the only thing I don't eat is avocado. And too many sushi places around town use it in ALL their specialty rolls. Avocado for flavor is ok... but too much avocado is one of the few things I just will not eat. And sour cream. There's just a tipping point where it goes from being a taste to being too present and it trips a gag reflex.

Arcanist Lupus wrote: Tavi's described as ferret shaped, not mongoose shaped. But I can't help but wonder if he was inspired partially by Riki Tiki Tavi.

'tis indeed whence the name comes.

Domoviye wrote: I'm thinking the ferret KiKi from Sluggy Freelance, similar personality, but smarter.

Tavi's actually not terribly smart. He's technically classified in the WU 2016 world as a VI (virtual intelligence), well below the various classifications of AI's. What that means 'generally' is that Tavi is a tailored personality overlay/interface for an expert system designed for personal tutoring and education. The Philadelphia school district where Jimmy attended, prior to Whateley, is part of a test initiative to provide better educations for at risk city kids than is possible in the classroom setting. The expert system works with the known scope of education principles and theories, independently evaluates each student and tailors a curriculum and teaching program for them. Most of the kids access the system via generic interfaces or inexpensive private VI's... on state issued tablets. Jimmy transferred his account over to the GridGear he received as part of a reward for saving the Chief's life. The GridGear comes with credit for a VI... Jimmy found and installed Tavi.

So, it might not seem like it... but Tavi is technically Jimmy's personal tutor. But not so much 'smart' as 'connected.'

Also, nudging this up temporarily to avoid a second one being made...

GridGear looks a combination of a bracelet, a torc, and an athletic support wrist brace.

Say... shaped/positioned on the arm like: www.amazon.com/dp/B00N3IS6O8

But instead of being just cloth/rubber support, its base structure is more along the lines of www.amazon.com/dp/B00PGJM9YK
stretched out so instead of just watch band width it runs from the back of the hand up to mid fore-arm and it uses an electric charge to hold a couple adhesion points together instead of velcro, so the band that holds it together doesn't need any significant surface around, just overlaps long enough for those points to adhere. The computing system is built into this framework.

And then at several points along the length, you have 'torc' like bands that include the hologram and hard light emitters. The specific openings of the torc don't line up, but follow an algorithm designed to support projection coverage. These look something like www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBRVHC8 and they snake in and out of the main structure framework.

Also, the system comes with two electronics heavy rings that are used for sensing/scanning devices, projection support, etc... that look something like: www.amazon.comdp/B01EYITY1E .

The three rechargable batteries/spikes that power it look something like www.amazon.com/dp/B01BJ4LVB2 but fewer curves, more angles. They're designed to slot in halfway, do a quarter turn, slide in the rest of the way and the quarter turn back to lock into place.

They also have common forehead and eyebrow or over the eye lens peripherals for video usage, and a neck worn torc like option for more projection stability. Jimmy doesn't have any of these peripherals (yet).

I never asked kristin how nosy TAVI is programmed to be, so I assumed that he was not one of the invasive VI

JG wrote: I never asked kristin how nosy TAVI is programmed to be, so I assumed that he was not one of the invasive VI

Tavi is friendly, not nosy.

It's not the a tutoring VI's nature to snoop in other machines, and his ferret personality overlay's curiousity might express itself in getting to know people around Jimmy (it's student) but its not going to put them at risk by engaging in anything 'invasive'. And even worse for the poor VI... Tavi only has the normal GridGear defenses... which means he's about as easy to hack into as the average tablet or laptop. Better software is available on the market, but Jimmy doesn't have even commercial security software. So you can guess how 'safe' Tavi is from the average Whateley hacker.

Malady wrote: Shieldwall... Is his Thrown Projection under his control, or what?

Jimmy: Under my control? Uh... hmm. I don't know, I've never tried to control it once I throw it. I mean... it's ON someone. So controlling it would be, like controlling them.
Tavi: Jimmy Puppetmaster. Will turn to dark side and be villain now.
Jimmy: I'm not going to be a supervillain puppetmaster. It's not like its mind control.
Tavi: Is control of other person with mind. Is mind control.
Jimmy: Ok, its mind control... of the shell. But its... wait... you are asking this because you think I can control the shells after I throw them? I should definitely try that.

It's an independent energy construct with limited lifetime...?

Jimmy: Sort of. It is definitely psionic energy... which is what drives and powers most psychic abilities.
Tavi: Tavi protect self from psionic energies *the ferret dons a tin foil hat*
Jimmy: And, like most PK mutants, the docs say my psionic energy is able to resonate with my aura in a way that binds the aura into a protective barrier instead of the freely radiating energy layer that most people have around them.
Tavi blinks a couple times, looking at Jimmy like he's doing something unusual.
Jimmy: When I throw one of my shells at someone, its discharging that energy in shell shape to charge that other person's aura in the same way a PK normally does. Because they don't have any Psychic ability, the shell will mostly look like mine. The same blue... and the shape will even look something like 'me.
Tavi dances around with a royal blue Jimmy shaped shell around him... the ferret is literally floating in the middle of the torso of the two foot tall holo version of a shell.
Tavi: you didn't answer the question
Jimmy: What?
Tavi: asked about limited lifetime
Jimmy: Oh. Right. Well, ya... Shells take psionic energy to keep intact. Everyone has... some... I mean, you don't have to be a mutant to have some psychic ability. And there's those guys in Tibet who aren't mutants at all but can do all the same stuff as most psychic mutants. So the shells will last a little while on anyone... and as long as they are near me, my energy will sustain them just like a normal one. But once they get away from me... I don't know.. I guess it would depend on how much energy they have available to support it. Like... maybe a telepath could keep the PK shell up on their own and it would be on them until they turned it off.
Tavi: And maybe not. Is just guess.
Jimmy: Ya, I think they were just guessing too.

So sorta like what Jade makes, without sentience controlling it...

Jimmy: I don't know who that is.
Tavi: was old student, graduated years ago. Founded Wondercute. Her current professional data significantly conflicts with school records and public gossip. Unable to provide clear estimate of her abilities.
Jimmy: Ya... if Tavi doesn't know, I sure wouldn't.

What happens if he gives a shield to a PK user?? Are they boosted sorta like how stacking Jade charges lead to longer lifetimes?

Tavi: NO do.
Jimmy: Ya... the docs said don't do that. I'm not supposed to throw a shell to another PK mutant until we spend some time testing it in a controlled setting.
Tavi: bad things happen
Jimmy: maybe. They didn't know. Could work, could supercharge it. Could disrupt their shell... it'd be more energy available to run the shell, but conflicting psionic signatures to resonate with their aura. Could go a lot of ways.

Wondering what happens if Jinn is suborned by a Avatar with PK abilities*...

Jimmy: I don't know who that is, either.
Tavi: Is either sister of Jade... or name given to virtual construct created using devisor powers. Possibly both. Is common thread in history of Jade... names and pronouns were confused and misused.

Arcanist Lupus wrote: Can Tavi do the Rikki Tikki Tavi warcry?

He can do a surround sound projection of the original recording... so... yes. Would he? No. Tavi has yet to discover the Rikki Tikki Tavi connection to his personality overlay.

Remember, VI/expert systems like that acquire information through association. If Tavi learns about THAT movie... what 'category' of work does that add to his repertoire? Chuck Jones may not have been with Warner Bros when he made it, but he had for many years before they closed their animation studio... and started with them again the year after making Rikki-Tiki-Tavi, working on Looney Tunes (specifically Bugs and Daffy).

Ya, I'm fairly sure I haven't seen it since the late 70's.