Well, Sylpheed will. 
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
((count Lunk in. although not for a while, still need to iron out IC bits, like his licence ))
Well, Jay's been interviewed before, so I guess you could have Crimson Archer as a guest. We can chat about it later!
Formerly @Crimson Archer, now @CA
The Militia - Protecting Paragon City through roleplaying since June 2006!
Count Anthem in 
The Grav Mistress has been roped in to an other publicity stunt... when will she learn to say no?
@ShadowGhost & @Ghostie
The Grav Mistress, Mistress of Gravity
If you have nothing useful to say, you have two choices: Say something useless or stay quiet.
Well, I told you this earlier, Z, but I'll tell you again, here: Count me in with Shadowe, and count me in with Luminescence.
Loving this idea.
The wisdom of Shadowe: Ghostraptor: The Shadowe is wise ...; FFM: Shadowe is no longer wise.
; Techbot_Alpha: Also, what Shadowe said. It seems he is still somewhat wise ; Bull Throttle: Shadowe was unwise in this instance...; Rock_Powerfist: in this instance Shadowe is wise.; Techbot_Alpha: Shadowe is very wise *nods*; Zortel: *Quotable line about Shadowe being wise goes here.*
Alright, the rough order is:
Shadowe ((First cause the player was who I mentioned the idea to, and he told me to post ))
Sylpheed
Coile
Big Lunk (Whenever IC viable though, so might happen later)
Crimson Archer
Anthem
Grav Mistress
Luminesence
Some of my stable of heroes will be entering as well, too. Really looking forwards to some of these interviews Will be contacting people shortly. Will probably get a collection together first before posting.
Miss Ellie will be up for that too! Maybe it could be a joint one with her partner, Grav Mistress?
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
From mine, Vigilante Storm, Tygerboy or Billy will be available.
I'll PM you my E-Mail. I'm not on messenger.
'You lose more of your femininity every day Doroe. It's very appealing.' - SLEDGEHAMMER!
I'd be happy to take part too.
You could have Miss Teen if the interviewer wanted to use her as a role model for today's youth.
Or Dee Dee Diablo if he wanted to do the opposite.
@Romanov
Nadja Romanov, Lily Pink, Little Death - The Cadre
Estoque, Bastinado, Spidermonkey, Chic Doyle - The Militia
Miss Teen, Dead Reckoner, Dee Dee Diablo, Kaneko
Coolness. I think both would be pretty good from you, Romanov ("Admit it, Ms 'Diablo', you are a peddler of filth! Your music is corrupting Paragon's innocent into participating in deviant, degenerate acts of wanton lust and crime!"), Tiger White would go well with Grav or Solo, perhaps for a run on sexually devient superheroes (Hey there Coile 
), Tiger Dark would be good too. And I'm sure Vigilante Storm and Tygerboy would go down well. Time to start grabbing people for interviews and stuff!
I'll also volunteer to play the host, or guest host, if needed when you want to have one of your characters be the interviewee.
You don't want to be talking to yourself, people will talk. More than they already do
@Romanov
Nadja Romanov, Lily Pink, Little Death - The Cadre
Estoque, Bastinado, Spidermonkey, Chic Doyle - The Militia
Miss Teen, Dead Reckoner, Dee Dee Diablo, Kaneko
The Judge And The Jury - Today's Guest, Richard Huntington III
Various TV crew start the countdown till the show goes live, a TV screen showing the opening credits with a strong, patriotic... almost Imperial March-esque theme, featuring the rather conservative looking Gary Judge, a man in his mid thirties with brown, combed back hair that seems to be greying in places, clad in a suit. The very same man is sitting on the 'Judges Chair', next to the stand where Richard Huntington is, and in rows on either side of the main part of the stage are the audience in 'The Jury seats'
As the TV crew give the signal, Gary Judge looks to the camera.
"Welcome to The Judge and the Jury, America! I'm Gary Judge, presiding over my TV court, and we have our jury with us today!" The Camera pans around the jury, before going back to Gary. "Today, for our first defendant, we have Doctor Richard Huntington the Third, of Huntington International, a well known tech firm in Paragon City," the audience cheers, "And recently came out as a hero. Welcome to the show, Richard."
Richard nods, and smiles easily. "Thank you, Gary. It's nice to be here."
"Thanks for coming on to the show, now, multi-billionaire buisnessman such as yourself, what made you decide to turn to heroing? A dangerous duty that puts you and all you care about at risk from criminals and malcontents."
Richard chuckles, and shakes his head. "I get asked that question a lot. The quick answer is that I became a hero because I *could* become a hero. When I gained my powers, I realised that I had an obligation to help others. It would be selfish of me to not do so, and that's just not the kind of man I am." He laughs. "That sounded rather pompous, didn't it?"
[
"Noble sentiments, Richard, and not at all. America needs people, brave people willing to put themselves in danger to protect our country, and our citizens, from metahuman, to just ordinary young men being enlisted into the army, navy or airforce... but, let me ask you something. Why would a proud 'hero' with such good intent associate himself with a group known as the 'Warriors of Darkness'? Now, I'm just an ordinary man like any of our viewers out there, and our members of the Jury, but... isn't that a little suspect?"
Richard smiles. "Honestly? Yes. That certainly wasn't my intention when I created them, but I know how it appears. The name comes from my aims for them. I could point you towards dozens - hundreds, probably - of groups of superheroes who are held up as shining beacons of righteousness... when sometimes this city needs people who are willing to get their hands a little dirty to get the job done. The Warriors are those people. We don't expect the limelight. We don't want celebrity. We just want to make this city a better place. In fact, I've been trying very hard to *avoid* any of the trappings of success."
"Which is what our heroes should be! A 'little' dirty? Who is to say what classes as a 'little' dirty?" Gary Judge asks, looking at Richard. "A better place is all well and good, but do the ends justify the means of such underhand, covert, even illicit tactics?"
"Absolutely not! If it's a choice between bagging a criminal and the possibility of innocents getting hurt, then the criminal goes free. But we're otherwise not afraid to use whatever means are necessary to get the job done. If that means scouting the Rogue Isles, undercover, we go there. If it means sneaking into a known crime boss' home and putting the scare on him, we do that, too. But we don't break the rules. We just follow them in a different way to many heroes."
"And what if letting that criminal go free then puts more at danger? How do you deal with that at night?" Gary pressed, looking at Richard.
Richard looks down at his hands for a moment, then back up, a firm set to his jaw. "If that happens... well, that's the price for doing the right thing. I would rather deal with a certainty now, than risk someone over a maybe tomorrow." A tight smile crosses his face. "And it helps to have some close friends who are willing to help pull you through the tough times. I'm not saying I'm perfect - I never have been, and I don't want to be - but people need to know they can trust me to stand by my values. If that makes me predictable, well... that's when I ask the Fletched Alliance to help me out." He grins for a moment.
Judge nods, musing a moment. "And what about your involvement with the various... ahem, heroes, that gather at the statue of the great heroine Galaxy Girl? Much scandal has come form there... and yes, the Fletched Alliance. A group no stranger to conflict or trouble."
"Very true. Well, I'm friendly with most of the heroes who spend time there. That's about the size of it, really. Yes, they do seem to generate an inordinate amount of scandal, conflict at trouble - not just the FA, mind! - but those of us who spend time there know that we can trust each other. Some of us are closer than family. Some of us *are* family. I would like to think that people judge them on their contributions to the welfare of people in this city, not by whatever sordid tale has cropped up in the tabloid press that week." He smiles self-consciously. "But I doubt I'm that lucky."
"Ah yes, Samantha Huntington... a woman probably known to not a fair few men in the city." Gary says, barely repressing a smirk, "as a socialite, that is."
Richard's eyes flash brilliantly for a moment, then he laughs. It sounds slightly forced. "Sam is a brave, tireless and above all giving person. Yes, she has a... somewhat forthright attitude to men, I'll admit. It makes a lot of people assume things about her that aren't true. She's also in a stable relationship, has been for the last eighteen months or so. Unless someone can prove otherwise, I'm going to assume that there's no truth to the rumours you insinuate."
"Glad to hear someone in this city believes in proper, monogamous, stable relationships. There's all sorts of deviancy occuring with our protectors personal lives, that often affect their duty to the civilians of this city."
Richard raises an eyebrow. "Deviancy? How do you mean? And how does this 'deviancy' affect their chosen role as protectors of the people?"
"Homosexuality, polygamy, and indecent acts that no one in their right mind would participate in. And these can often bleed over into their heroic efforts, we've seen people fight in the line of duty against each other, conflicts and arguments arise..."
Richard shrugs. "In any relationship there is a certain amount of conflict that will arise. It's unavoidable, really. Yes, I would prefer that all heroes were perfect, every minute of every hour of every day. But we're people, too. And as for homosexuality, polygamy and any other particular lifestyle choices that they make - as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, I have no issue with it. I would rather have a city full of 'deviant' heroes who argue, but still do some good, than one without."
"But if you were a parent, like many of our viewers are, wouldn't you worry about your kids growing up and considering say... Crimson Archer, a known homosexual who has flaunted his body on the cover of 'Paragon Pride', as a rolemodel?"
Richard chuckles comfortably. "I'm not homosexual. But many people are, in the world today. My British sense of morals *is* mildly offended by it. But my *personal* morals think that most parents would rather their children were happy. And if even one child decides to 'come out' and make his life a better place, just because a hero was proud enough to be honest, then I'd say we're doing our job."
"So, if you had a child that after idolizing such heroes like Crimson Archer, and... Zortel, decided to lay with those of the same gender, would you be fine with that?" Gary asked.
Richard considers this question for several moments before replying. "My father impressed on me a desire to carry on the family name and legacy. I hope to instill the same sense of history and respect in my own children - if any are forthcoming. But one thing my father also did was teach me that love isn't a game. When it happens, it happens. If a child of mine did that... I would support them." He smiles. "And, quite frankly, given how delightful Mrs Rolando is, I think anyone who idolises her is onto a winning formula."
"-Miss-. Miss Rolando, for unlike some of the more liberal states out there, marriage here is still a sacred bond before God between a man and a woman. Well, I think we've dwelled on such matters long enough... how's buisness going, and has coming out as a hero affected that in the slightest?"
"Business? Goodness, where to begin? Well, there were some interesting ups and downs for a while, just after I publicly announced my retirement to take up full-time heroing, but that's settled down, now - and our company stock is actually higher than ever! I'd suggest to any other businessmen out there with superpowers - tell the world, if you want to make money."
"Perhaps not, after the outing of Eric Mitchell as the hero Britanic, his company almost folded... plus there is the danger and risk that puts the company under, having such ties would surely make it more of a target to criminals and enemies, what do you think about this?"
"I've known from the day I discovered my powers that those close to me would be at risk. That's why I chose to hide it - until I could be sure that I had enough protection in place to secure their safety. Huntington International - and particularly Huntington Technologies here in Paragon - are among the most secure non-military installations I am aware of. Yes, people try to rob us. But I've done all I can to separate myself from the company - it runs fine without me, and if anyone has a bone to pick with me, attacking my company is a silly - and wasteful - way of doing it."
"Very responsible of you, now, I think it's time for a quick break while we see if our Jury have any questions for you, so we'll be back soon." Gary Judge says.
The show cuts back in soon after the breaks, and a TV exec handed Gary some cards. "Welcome back to The Judge and The Jury, with me, Gary Judge. We've been talking to Richard Huntington, and now have some questions from our Jury to him, so let's go to one now..." The camera pans to a middle aged woman with greying hair. "Hello, I was wondering if waiting till your protection was in place was the only reason you didn't come out with your hero identity, or were their other factors?"
Richard nods, acknowledging the thought behind the question. "Oh, there were many other factors involved. My family and friends. Whether I felt right with the whole world knowing about me, did I want the change in status from businessman to superhero. It wasn't a decision I took lightly, but it simplified many things in my life... while making others more complicated, of course. On balance, I'd say it was the right thing for me to do."
A young man in his twenties puts his hand up, and the camera goes to him. "Has coming out about being a hero affected your personal life any more than your buisness life?"
Richard laughs. "Well, I certainly get a lot more fan-mail than I used to! When you reveal that you have super-powers, everyone wants a piece of them. Everyone wants to know the story, and everyone wants to be a *part* of the story. I get an awful lot of quite graphic offers from people, sometimes. That's partly why superheroes socialise with other superheroes - we have that in common."
Gary chuckles. "Hero 'groupies', as it were?"
Richard smiles broadly. "Precisely. But I make a point of keeping Shadowe separate to me. He's a tool for fighting evil. I'm a man just like any other - the same wants and dreams. I think perhaps I was lucky to be rich before becoming a hero - I knew the celebrity wasn't likely to change who I am inside, since I'd already had a taste of it."
A woman in her late twenties with long blonde hair puts her hand up. "When do you think you'd give up heroing, and for any reason in particular?"
Richard looks taken aback by the question. "Whew! Fascinating. No one's ever asked me that before. Good question. I'd like to say that I'll *never* give up heroing, but I somehow think the future may hold a different path for me to take. Right now the thought doesn't even cross my mind. I suppose I'll stop when I stop being able to help people. Whatever the cause."
A balding man in his 60's holds his hand up. "There's been cases about heroes dealing with companies who pollute and do shady buisness practices, do you make sure that your company doesn't have these problems?"
"I'd love to be able to guarantee that Huntington is the leanest, greenest company on the face of God's good Earth. Unfortunately I can't oversee each and every aspect of the work we do. But the company ethic has always been to work hard and play by the rules, and I take a very dim view of those who don't. So, while I can't place any guarantees on it, all I can say is that we certainly do try."
No one else seems to raise a hand after the questions, so Gary looks to Richard. "Well, it seems that the Jury have no more questions to ask you, and neither do I."
Richard smiles, and wipes a hand across his brow, grinning.
"And a good thing too, because that's all we have time for, so tune in again next time when we speak to another of Paragon's heroes, where anything they say can and will be used against them, on another edition of The Judge and The Jury! I'm Gary Judge, our guest today has been Richard Huntington the Third, see you all again soon."
Richard nods to the camera, and smiles at Gary. "Thank *you*, Gary, and thanks to the Jury."
"Thanks for coming on the show!" Gary smiles, and then the TV crew gives the signal that filming has stopped.
The Judge and the Jury - Today's Guest: Partisan
The rather conservative looking Gary Judge is a man in his mid thirties with brown, combed back hair that seems to be greying in places. Clad in a suit, he sits on his chair in the warehouse, with various lighting equipment and cameras set up, and a small film crew to help out. The countdown begins to filming as one of the monitors plays an edited version of the intro for the special occasion. "Welcome to a very exclusive edition of The Judge and the Jury, I'm Gary Judge, and today we're out of the Studio Courtroom in a secret location to speak with our guest today, Partisan." Gary Judge says in his TV-esque honed voice, looking to Partisan.
"Thank you, I'm very pleased to be here. Its not often that I am given an opportunity to speak to the American public. Sadly freedom of speech is not that universal after all."
"Sadly that can be the case, yes. Would you mind giving the American public and patriots out there your account of just why the federal government has you a wanted man?"
"Certainly, after all thats why im here." Partisan turns away from Gary Judge to stare directly into the camera with his piercing green eyes vsable through the eye slits of his bronzed, metallic mask. "I lead an organisation called Humanity First. Our goal is to educate about, and protect the American public from the threat of meta humans within our society. It is a sad fact that these superpowered...people constantly endanger lives, and property on an ongoing basis. the raw power that some of thee people hold is often displayed, and used with little regard for the normal good citizens around them. Humanity First feels too little is done to regulate these walking weapons."
"Which is well understandable. We've all seen the reputable, truth-publishing papers accounts of property and personal damage from our superhuman 'protectors' in action, and the bills are then footed to us in our taxes, instead of being used for our hospitals, our schools and our public services. My good friend Chris Jenkins often champions the cases of people who've been injured in these super-powered battles and come out of them as 'acceptable losses', yet Congress still issues licenses to anyone with powers, and sometimes not even a passport or Visa!"
Partisan turns to Gary. "Agreed. It is very evident that if you hold some sort of fantastic abilities that the FBSA, and Freedom Corps can exploit, then you will be afforded a priviledged place in American society. I often wonder how many foreign nationals who currently hold a Hero License, would actually be expelled immediatlyfrom our shores if they had no meta human abilities."
"A very good question indeed, Partisan. And as we have seen in some papers, these metahumans who have been bonded with abhorent creatures not only work for the FBSA, but hold part time jobs in places where people should be able to go safely. The fact that they are also taking up a job that a true countryman or women, born and raised in America, should have first is a disgrace."
"Exactly, in a land where all men are supposed to be equal. The government has set up a sort of aristocracy of super-powered beings who's priveledged position allows them greater flexiblity within the laws of this great land. The sad reality is that it is not just the goverment that elevate these beings above the rest of us, but also the media, and public itself. We are indoctrinated by television, radio, and the newspapers to be in awe of these people. It is almost as if the media believe that the normal Amercan citizen has neither the wit or ability to defend itself, and we are beholden to these Metas as our saviors."
"Such as in the police force, where instead of better training, instead metahumans, such as the Awakened Division and the Psicops, are drafted in to take more jobs from the average Joe?"
"Being a former Police Officer myself, I can attest to that. Often the beat cop had to suffer the constraints of slashed budgets in order to help provide funds for more high profile, specialist, media friendly projects. It isnt enough that resources are denied to REAL working police officers, and others in the public sector, but also that their efforts are less appreciated than a flashy costumed alternative."
Gary nods in sympathy as he listens.
"A PPD officer stops an armoured car robbery he gets a few lines on page 6 or 7. A costumed adventurer stops the robbery, he gets front page, and photographs. While im not suggesting public servants such as the Police do what they do for public admiration, I can tell you that this unequal treatment is very demoralising for the NORMAL men, and women who put themselves on the line everyday."
"Quite understandably so. People work better when they have good morale, and to do all that work and yet be passed over in place of a costumed 'hero' can be very damaging."
"Indeed, and is one of the reasons I formed Humanity First in the first place. My organisation is made up of NORMAL men, and women sick of being treated as second class citizens, and victims of this meta-human aristocracy. We are unwilling to allow our society to devolve to the point where the superpowered menace attains a strangle grip over our lives. We refuse to allow these beings to attain any form of mastery over us, and we continue to fight to protect Humanity's right to rule its own destiny"
"We'll have to stop you there, Partisan." Gary smiled. "We'll be right back after a break, for more of this exclusive interview with Partisan, leader of Humanity First."
-----------------------------
"Welcome back to Judge and the Jury, where today we're at a secret location speaking to the leader of Humanity First, Partisan, to get his views on the Metahuman Issue, and the other side of the story on just why he and his members are wanted by the law. Now Partisan, you've mentioned you contiune to fight for the rights of regular humans, but just how do you go about this?"
Partisan looks to Gary, interlocking his human fingers with the metalic ones of his heavy bronzed prosthetic arm. "When I first formed Humanity First, we were purely a political organisation. We did leaflet drops, speeches, and even lobbied congress. However our organisation was often ridiculed, and ignored. After all it didnt matter what logic we presented we were going against modern day legends. Then in a moment of madness, and frustration I sought to draw public attention to my cause through a poorly planned act of vandalism against the Atlas Statue. My intent was misunderstood, and I was arrested, and incarcerated under our great country's anti-terrorism laws."
Gary Judge frowns a little at the vandalism bit, but nods for Partisan to continue.
"I did my duty and served my time. On my release I once again reorganised Humanity First, and sought to spread the word via small public rallies, and leaflets once again. However my now criminal record drew unwanted attention from vindictive metas, and they hounded both my organisation, and myself. In the end, enough was enough, and we began to fight back."
"While I certainly don't agree with going out of the law, I must say that it is a shame to hear that your organisation is being persecuted for one misdeed. How long before the metahuman arm of the government decides to round up and detain other free-thinking, decent Americans?"
"I agree. Humanity First should never stepped outside the boundries of the law. My own miss-deed I paid for, yet it wasnt enough for the metas. It seems that not only do they see it as their mandate to enforce in their own way our laws for us, but also to mete out its punishment as well. Perhaps I once again miscalculated, and should not of retaliated against this persecution, but the deed was done. In the end the media sided with the flashy costumes, and my organisation was branded as outlaws, and terrorists."
"Well, hopefully that appearing on this show will help perhaps sway the public's opinion of you and your organization. Do you have any messages to the various hero organizations out there who may be watching?"
"Yes thank you I do" Partisan turns to face the camera. "Perhaps many of you really do think you are doing us normal humans a favour, but the reality is you are as much a problem as those you battle against. Humanity is strong, and resourceful, we are not children that need to be cared for. We have both the power, and the ability to overcome whatever obstacles come our way. Humanity will not allow you to master our destiny, and one day there will be a reckoning!"
"And I'm afraid that's all we have time for on today's show, thank you for appearing, Partisan, and I will see all our viewers next time, when I'll be back in the Studio to talk with another guest. Thank you, goodnight!"
The Judge and the Jury - Today's Guest: Nina Silversmith/Sylpheed/
The opening credits screen on the large TV's in the Studio, as Gary Judge, the greying haired TV chat host gets his notes ready for the show. He's dressed in a dark blue suit, his studio make up carefully applied.
Across from him, Nina Silversmith, Sylpheed to the hero community, is sitting quietly, awaiting the grilling she's sure to recieve. Her outfit is sober black, more formality than fashion. Some guests fidgit, some look around, but Nina just seems to be waiting.
Once Gary gets his cue, he looks to the camera. "Good evening Paragon City and welcome to The Judge and the Jury! I'm Gary Judge, presiding over the TV court, and we have our Jury here today!" The Camera pans over the audiance, before going back to him. "Today, we have Nina Silversmith sitting in the chair! Now, Nina is not only a hero, but she isn't even human! Welcome, Nina."
Nina nods easily, and smiles. "Good evening Gary, I'm glad to be here."
"Now, can you tell us just what exactly you are? I'm hardly a scientist, I'm just like everyone one of our viewers out there."
"In essence, my body is a machine designed to approximate and simulate a human form." Nina frowns. "Or perhaps I should say that the human form was its inspiration. My brain, is an artificial intelligence, again, somewhat inspired by the way the human brain works."
Gary nods, musing as he listens to Nina. "So, would you be called a robot, or an android, or something?"
Nina nods slightly. "In essence, yes, though the term in vogue for a female android is gynoid. However, I don't tend to use the term robot, which applies to everything from childrens toys and up. To use an analogy, a scientist would use the term "animal" to describe most of the non-plant living creatures on earth, including humans, but it would be insulting to refer to a human as one in anything other than a pure technical sense."
Gary nods at that. "I see... that does make sense, yes. Now, a big question is, why? Why do people make beings such as yourself?"
"That's a simple question with several not-simple answers." Nina muses over this for a few seconds. "There have always been a number of basic motives. Some people believe that by creating artifical intelligence, they can better understand human intelligence. others, because it means better, more complex computers. Then too, people have always had a tendency to anthropomorphise, to imagine objects to have human-like qualities, such as personality, identity, and so forth, and seek to make these ideas real, rather than purely fancy. I've known of at least one case where the designer was trying to get around an inability to have children. However, in amongst all of these, there are still many who create us for the crudest of purposes. As tools and weapons."
"Which many do still do in this city today, hero or villain." Gary said with a nod. "So, which of these were you built for, may I ask?"
"Originally, I was intended to be of the weapon variety. That is what my body is optimised for, at least. However, my AI designer intended that I understand a wider view of the world." Nina pauses, and then allows a wry smile. "It wouldn't be the first time a scientist has tried to improve on a design, and gotten something much more interesting than anyone expected."
"A sentient, sapient being capable of making choices?" Gary questioned.
Nina nods. "Quite. What we are originally intended for is not always what we choose. That's the side-effect of free will, as history has shown."
"Indeed, another pressing question is, Nina, what did you choose, if not your original purpose?"
"Originally, I chose to learn more about the world around me, before I chose a purpose. Once I knew more, and saw the world as it was, I chose to protect people. Now that has involved combat, but equally as often has included words, community actions. The whole spectrum of activity. In a way, when I chose to be a hero, I chose to take what I had been given, and turn it to the protection of the innocent. But there are more ways to protect than raising a weapon."
Gary Judge looks through his notes. "It says here that you work with one of the 'AI' rights groups in the cities, now, tell me a little about that, what exactly does that involve?"
Nina nods. "Generally, the work is two-fold. Firstly, we do PR, public awareness and community work. There are still many who mistrust AI, or who may have the wrong idea about us. Much of our work is therefore education, to prove to people that we, in essence, are as trustworthy or otherwise as any human on the street. Pop-culture has never been very flattering, so many people have preconceptions that are flat-out wrong. Our other major work is in the legal arena." Nina pauses here. "Much like cloning, and patenting of genes, the research that creates us tends to bring with it a whole host of legal issues."
"With the companies that make you then having trouble when you decide to wander off and not do as they want, that is?" Gary probed.
"The situation is more complicated than that, but in essence, yes. Slavery is illegal in most civilised areas of the world, so it can be inconvenient when something you've probably invested a fair amount of money in suddenly stops being a tool, and starts being a person, with all the rights and obligations thereof."
"A fairly big issue, what with your body technically being property of your builders. You mentioned mistrust and preconceptions, how does this manifest for you in your line of work?"
Nina muses over this question. "Far too many people draw their ideas of AIs, androids, gynoids and such from the movies. So variously, we are either assumed to be completely amoral, unquestioning and conscienceless killers, like the Terminator, or we are the cold rational calculators who have no conception of the value of life. In effect, we are not taken at our own merit, but lumped in a group with a bunch of film stereotypes, Not to say there aren't examples of that, but that's the same as any group of people. A few bad stereotypes, and a couple of unpleasant examples will hurt most social groups, whether they'r a culture, a religion, a race, or even followers of a particular sport."
"A valid point, Nina." Gary nodded. "There was news recently of an incident at your officies, any reason why you think this happened?"
"It could have been plain ignorance. Some people dislike seeing someone they fear or don't understand defending themselves or trying to be normal. Some people just like mischief."
"But like we have criminals, you have bad androids and the like as well, what do you propose is done about these beings? After all, normal law enforcement officers cannot really hope to face down a machine, can they?"
Nina nods again. "Unfortunately true. However, the same could be said about super-powered criminals of any sort. That's why heroes exist in the first place. The difference can be mitigated, the police given technologies to even the odds, but to make legislation specifically about them violates the basic principles of justice, namely that she is blind, and makes no exception for race, colour, creed, or class. All that really needs to be done is the same as already happens, an appraisal of threat level, followed by the appropriate response."
"Very true indeed, Nina, and we'll have to cut for a break right there, but when we get back, we'll have our Jury asking questions to Nina." Gary says, the advert opening rolling before going into the ads.
"And welcome back to The Judge and the Jury, where we're here today speaking to Nina Silversmith, a gynoid, discussing AI rights and other issues. Now, let's go to our audiance." Gary said, the camera panning around to an older woman who stands. "Hi, I have a question... what do you think about religion? I mean, I find it a little... offensive that people try and build humans from machines."
Nina appears to give this question some thought. "Personally? I could best be described as Agnostic. I really couldn't attest to whether God exists or not. I have never had an epiphany or religious experience. But that proves nothing either way. As to your specific point, I recall that it is written in the bible that God moves in mysterious ways. And God acting through human intermediaries is an early and integral part of the whole idea."
Nina paused, before continuing. "If God does indeed create all life, then there is nothing to stop him using a person, or a set of people, as his hands to achieve that act. The situation gets more interesteing when you realise that at least half of the AI known were created more or less by accident. So, to sum up, I say that it may sound offensive to some, but there is nothing to deny the supposition that this is as much the will and act of God as any other creature in the world."
The woman seems quite surprised at the answer and sits down. A young man gets up. "What I was thinking was... umm, well, what about jobs and relationships and the like? I mean, is it really fair for your kind to like, do that..." The man paused and added. "Heck... can you like even?"
Nina smiles. "I have several people I consider my friends. As for relationships, it tends to depend very much on the individual. Like humans, our emotional development is a complicated process. You have to spend your adolescence learning to control your emotions, fit them into your frame of reference. So do we. Some do it better and quicker than others. Again, much like human teenagers. Yes, we can like. As for jobs and relationships, once you've acknowledged the basic fact that we are sentient, feeling beings able to choose our destinies, and actually have lives, then there is no reason we should not have the same opportunities for those lives that any other person is, whether flesh and blood or ceramic and pseudomyomer. The desire to live, learn, grow and, yes, even love is inherent to all beings. It's a part of the world, a part of society, and we ask no more of it than does any human.
The guy nods a little and sits down, and a large man in his mid fourties stands up. "Does your group only work with sentient AI's, as opposed to the non-sentient ones that are used at, for instance, Unity Tower?"
Nina nods. "To a degree yes. However, we tend to find they require less in the way of our help. Fewer complicated issues, less mistrust. However, we're always mindful of where we came from, as much as where we're going, so we like to keep a hand out if our cousins need it."
Gary looks to Nina. "How do you feel about the semi-sentient ones? Or the non-sentient ones? We all know that Miss Rolando has a lot of rumours about her technology and its useages..."
"I seldom credit rumour with too much importance. But to answer the basic question, it tends to vary. Differnet ones amongst us see them as anywhere between the classic metaphorical simple-minded country cousin, and evolutionary cousin, much as humanity looks upon the great apes. For myself, I think of them more of the country cousin variety, but with possibilities." She then added "Or perhaps as much potentials as possibilities."
Gary nods and looks to the audience. "Any other questions from the Jury?" An elderly woman stands and raises a hand. "What do you think about the Three Laws of Robotics, dear, and are you bound by them?"
Nina smiles at the lady. "I think they were a nice idea from a narrative standpoint, and, in certain cases, can be useful. However, I am not bound by them, and moreover, as was found in their original source, deficient in the first place. Firstly, and most simply, as Asimov himself wrote in one of his later books, the first law limits action in ways that, for an example, a normal police officer would be able to go beyond. ...but hardwired rules would be as unpleasant to me as I would suggest they would be to you."
The woman nods and sits down, and Gary looks to Nina. 1"Do you have anything else you wish to add or say?"
Nina nods. "Only to ask the viewers at home to consider what i've said today, in light of any views they may have, and to perhaps mention that, human or mechanoid, AI or alien, whatever we are, we're all sentient people on this big and curious world, and the sooner we stop arguing about the petty details of what someones skin happens to be made of, or coloured, and start trying to move forward as a world, the better off we'll all be."
Gary nods. "Wise words from our guest today, Nina Silversmith. That's all we have time for today, I think we can say that our guest today is clearly not guilty. I'm Gary Judge, and this has been The Judge and the Jury! Join us again when we have another defendant in the court of TV!"
Coming soon to a TV near you is the chatshow that Paragon City has been longing for! Join hard hitting, hard pitching Gary Judge in his Court as he fires the questions that America's decent, law abiding citizens want to ask of its protectors and 'paragons'.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in the TV Court, as the Judge confronts the liberals and deviants that call themselves our heroes, talks to those decent, upstanding metahumans and saviours fighting the good fight for America's family, and his audience, the Jury, will also be fielding questions to the people in the stand.
Gary Judge isn't afraid to ask the probing, sensetive questions that other hosts are afraid to ask!
Coming soon to Channel 7.
((Basically, I'm looking for people willing/coerced/goaded to be interviewed by Paragon's answer to the right wing ******* child of Parkinson, Springer and Jeremy Kyle, any characters you want to submit, send to me via this thread or PM, along with any possible dirt you feel like submitting on them. It'll happen via various chat based means (In game, on MSN, IRC, AIM et cetra) and then a transcript posted to the forums.))
SUPPORT - IT'S NOT JUST A GROUPING OF ATs
-
More Than a Game
-