[Xer 2 Chapter 6]

[Starcat5]

06-01 - The incantation of Xuk'ul is known to me, the orb of summoning (earned with bloodshed)

Faith in an all-powerful abstract concept is a lot easier when you've actually met the guy.

[Raskahn]

If religion work like that IRL, it'd be riddled with microtransactions and subscription models. "We're sorry, your prayerbucks™️have run out, please check the closest prayerstation™️ to top them off.

[ProfesseurRenard]

06-01 - The incantation of Xuk'ul is known to me, the orb of summoning (earned with bloodshed)

Faith in an all-powerful abstract concept is a lot easier when you've actually met the guy.

He may not have, for instance, felt the guy's wrists for nail holes or stuck his finger in the old belly wound, but yeah, he's gonna see great things from this guy.

[ProfesseurRenard]

06-02 - Quirk preens his dress in case Bob is looking

Amusing flavour text there.

[Starcat5]

06-04 - And, no, they don't have LLMs

Ok, I am too Marvel pilled, and my first thought was "That isn't how you abbreviate 'Live Model Decoys'". Had to Google it to realize you meant "Large Language Models". 

[Tapewolf]

06-04 - And, no, they don't have LLMs

Ok, I am too Marvel pilled, and my first thought was "That isn't how you abbreviate 'Live Model Decoys'". Had to Google it to realize you meant "Large Language Models". 

LLMs are what is being marketed as "AI" by the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic.  Without revealing spoilers, it was necessary to differentiate those from the sentient AI that are present, such as Xerian, Lautrec, 'Zuki, Rex and so forth.

In addition, LLMs work because they were able to ingest the sum of human knowledge and perform statistical analysis upon it.  Protogens, having originated as slaves, are unlikely to have such a rich corpus of media to hand.  And even if they did, the Emperor would not want facts and knowledge that contradict his supremacist doctrine to be part of the training material.

Hence, they can't just get Claude to go in and fix their security holes for them.

[ProfesseurRenard]

06-04 - And, no, they don't have LLMs

Ok, I am too Marvel pilled, and my first thought was "That isn't how you abbreviate 'Live Model Decoys'". Had to Google it to realize you meant "Large Language Models". 

LLMs are what is being marketed as "AI" by the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic.  Without revealing spoilers, it was necessary to differentiate those from the sentient AI that are present, such as Xerian, Lautrec, 'Zuki, Rex and so forth.

In addition, LLMs work because they were able to ingest the sum of human knowledge and perform statistical analysis upon it.  Protogens, having originated as slaves, are unlikely to have such a rich corpus of media to hand.  And even if they did, the Emperor would not want facts and knowledge that contradict his supremacist doctrine to be part of the training material.

Hence, they can't just get Claude to go in and fix their security holes for them.

And even if they could, there's always the chance Claude would hallucinate and instead of winkling out the hackers, they'd see their ship suddenly start flying backwards.

[Starcat5]

06-05 - Special delivery

Oh, hay! I know that pup. But which version of him is he I wonder...
(Yes, I have read the script. Just setting up conversation for those who haven't.)

[Raskahn]

06-05 - Special delivery

Oh, hay! I know that pup. But which version of him is he I wonder...
(Yes, I have read the script. Just setting up conversation for those who haven't.)

Also: I don't recall calling *that* specific delivery service but hey.

[ProfesseurRenard]

06-05 - Special delivery

Oh, hay! I know that pup. But which version of him is he I wonder...
(Yes, I have read the script. Just setting up conversation for those who haven't.)

Hello, R. Niall.

[Raskahn]

06-05 - Special delivery

Oh, hay! I know that pup. But which version of him is he I wonder...
(Yes, I have read the script. Just setting up conversation for those who haven't.)

Hello, R. Niall.

Guess Niall's not region locked.

[ProfesseurRenard]

06-06 - Toto, I don't think we're i̘n̜ K͉͐a̅n̟s͖͑a͂s̬ ạ̥͈͖̗̟̏̀ͪͦ̾nͥͫͤ̋̄̊yͧ͗̒͊m̫̥͚̺ͮ̊͂͑ͮȏ̩͂̋r͎̺̘͕e̺͂

Interesting that Quirk can't understand R. Niall. Makes me wonder if Xerian and Lautrec have a TARDIS-style translation module...

[Tapewolf]

Interesting that Quirk can't understand R. Niall. Makes me wonder if Xerian and Lautrec have a TARDIS-style translation module...

That's actually been hinted at in chapter 4.  Quirk's the one with the translation module.  Because the Emperor is invading the Outer Rim and they've been doing a lot of reconnaissance and recording broadcasts from the planet , they've built up translation data for Xerian's language, which Lautrec has also learned since his departure from Furrae.  Hence, all the protogens on the ship can understand and speak the Outer Rim language.

However, Niall doesn't know Outer Rim and Quirk doesn't know Furrae Common.

[ProfesseurRenard]

Interesting that Quirk can't understand R. Niall. Makes me wonder if Xerian and Lautrec have a TARDIS-style translation module...

That's actually been hinted at in chapter 4.  Quirk's the one with the translation module.  Because the Emperor is invading the Outer Rim and they've been doing a lot of reconnaissance and recording broadcasts from the planet , they've built up translation data for Xerian's language, which Lautrec has also learned since his departure from Furrae.  Hence, all the protogens on the ship can understand and speak the Outer Rim language.

However, Niall doesn't know Outer Rim and Quirk doesn't know Furrae Common.

Silly me.

[ProfesseurRenard]

06-07 - Yes, Niall brought his tool belt

Nice glyphs.

See how good I am at translating (I'm cheating a bit with the first panel):

[Panel 1] <This is Niall Daryil, one of the people who saved me in Furrae, I think... There are two of him, and I don't know which one we've got.>

[Panel 2] <R. Niall, I'm afraid...>

[Tapewolf]

06-07 - Yes, Niall brought his tool belt

Nice glyphs.

See how good I am at translating (I'm cheating a bit with the first panel):

FWIW it's Lovecraft's Diary, which I think I got from it being used in DMFA years ago