#AI-powered self-service

[precallai]

Smarter Support: How AI is Enhancing Call Center Operations

Introduction

The call center industry has long been a critical component of customer service, bridging the gap between businesses and consumers. However, with growing customer expectations and an increasing volume of inquiries, traditional call center models have struggled to keep pace. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changer, transforming call center operations into more efficient, cost-effective, and customer-centric platforms.

The Role of AI in Call Centers

AI-powered technologies are revolutionizing call centers by automating repetitive tasks, enhancing customer interactions, and improving overall operational efficiency. AI-driven solutions, such as chatbots, virtual assistants, speech analytics, and predictive analytics, have redefined how businesses handle customer support.

AI-Powered Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

One of the most significant AI-driven innovations in call centers is the deployment of chatbots and virtual assistants. These AI systems can handle a vast range of customer queries without human intervention, providing instant responses and reducing wait times. Unlike traditional interactive voice response (IVR) systems, modern AI-powered assistants use natural language processing (NLP) to understand and respond to customer inquiries in a conversational manner.

Key benefits of AI chatbots include:

24/7 availability, ensuring customers receive support at any time.

Reduced workload for human agents, allowing them to focus on complex queries.

Consistent and accurate responses, minimizing the risk of misinformation.

Speech Analytics and Sentiment Analysis

AI-driven speech analytics enables call centers to analyze customer interactions in real-time. By processing voice data, AI can detect customer sentiment, stress levels, and even emotional cues. This information helps agents tailor their responses appropriately, improving the overall customer experience.

Advantages of speech analytics include:

Identifying dissatisfied customers for proactive engagement.

Improving agent performance through real-time coaching and feedback.

Enhancing compliance monitoring by ensuring adherence to scripts and regulatory guidelines.

Predictive Analytics and AI-Driven Insights

Predictive analytics is another powerful AI application in call centers. By analyzing historical data and customer behavior, AI can anticipate customer needs and suggest appropriate responses. This enables businesses to personalize interactions and proactively address potential issues before they escalate.

Benefits of predictive analytics include:

Reducing call volumes by predicting and resolving issues before they arise.

Enhancing customer satisfaction through proactive outreach.

Optimizing workforce management by forecasting call volume trends and staffing needs.

Intelligent Call Routing

AI enhances call routing by ensuring customers are connected to the most suitable agents based on their queries, language preferences, and past interactions. Intelligent call routing minimizes wait times and improves first-call resolution rates.

Advantages of intelligent call routing include:

Faster issue resolution by directing calls to the right agents.

Improved customer satisfaction through personalized interactions.

Increased efficiency by reducing call transfers and wait times.

Automated Quality Assurance

Traditionally, call center quality assurance (QA) required manual review of call recordings. AI-driven QA systems automate this process by analyzing every interaction for compliance, tone, and resolution effectiveness. AI ensures that quality standards are consistently met without the need for extensive human oversight.

Benefits of automated QA include:

Faster and more accurate evaluation of agent performance.

Identification of training opportunities to enhance service quality.

Increased compliance with industry regulations and best practices.

Challenges of AI Implementation in Call Centers

Despite its numerous benefits, AI adoption in call centers comes with challenges. These include:

Integration with Legacy Systems: Many call centers operate on outdated infrastructure that may not seamlessly integrate with AI solutions.

Data Privacy and Security Concerns: AI systems rely on large amounts of data, raising concerns about data protection and compliance with privacy regulations.

Customer Resistance to AI: Some customers prefer human interactions over automated responses, necessitating a balanced approach to AI deployment.

Initial Implementation Costs: While AI can reduce long-term operational costs, the initial investment in AI technology can be significant.

The Future of AI in Call Centers

The future of AI in call centers is promising, with continuous advancements in machine learning, NLP, and automation technologies. Businesses will increasingly adopt AI-powered solutions to enhance customer experiences while optimizing operational efficiency. Emerging trends include:

Hyper-Personalization: AI will analyze vast amounts of customer data to deliver highly personalized interactions.

Augmented Agents: AI will work alongside human agents, providing real-time suggestions and insights to improve response quality.

AI-Driven Self-Service: More businesses will adopt AI-powered self-service portals, reducing the need for direct agent interactions.

Conclusion

AI is revolutionizing call center operations by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing customer satisfaction. From chatbots and speech analytics to predictive insights and intelligent call routing, AI-driven solutions are setting new standards in customer support. While challenges remain, businesses that strategically implement AI in their call centers will gain a competitive edge in delivering smarter, faster, and more personalized customer service experiences.

Summary:-

AI is transforming call centers by automating tasks, improving efficiency, and enhancing customer experiences. Chatbots and virtual assistants provide instant support, while speech analytics detects sentiment for better interactions. Predictive analytics personalizes service and reduces call volumes. AI-driven call routing and quality assurance optimize operations. Despite challenges, AI is shaping the future of smarter customer support.

[rajkaran-12345]

Why Every Business Needs Omnichannel AI Support in 2025

The digital landscape is continuously evolving, and customer expectations are rising faster than ever before. Traditional customer service models that rely on individual communication channels—such as phone, email, or chat—are no longer sufficient to meet the growing demands of consumers who expect seamless, real-time support across multiple platforms. Omnichannel customer support has become not just a trend, but a necessity.

As businesses adapt to the digital age, AI-powered omnichannel platforms are emerging as the most effective solution to ensure that customer service remains efficient, personalized, and scalable. In fact, by 2025, nearly 85% of customer interactions are expected to be handled without human agents, thanks to the rise of AI and automation. The transition to AI-driven systems that manage interactions across various channels is already happening. Businesses that want to stay competitive and offer world-class customer service must be ready to embrace this change.

Understanding the Power of Omnichannel AI Customer Service

At its core, omnichannel customer support means providing a consistent and cohesive experience for customers, regardless of the platform they choose to use. Whether your customer reaches out through social media, live chat, email, or over the phone, they should feel like they are interacting with the same business, receiving the same level of care and service.

An AI-powered omnichannel platform like ThinkOwl allows businesses to break down communication silos, centralizing all customer touchpoints into a single, unified platform. This enables businesses to offer real-time responses, provide personalized interactions, and deliver a seamless experience across every channel.

What makes omnichannel AI platforms like ThinkOwl unique is their ability to learn and adapt. Through the use of machine learning and natural language processing, these platforms continuously improve their understanding of customer intent, providing more accurate and relevant responses over time. This level of intelligence helps businesses reduce manual efforts, increase efficiency, and, most importantly, improve customer satisfaction.

Key Benefits of AI-Powered Omnichannel Customer Support

Reduced Response Times for Faster Service: AI-powered platforms can handle customer inquiries instantly, providing immediate responses even during peak hours. When a customer contacts your business, the system can automatically retrieve the necessary information, categorize the issue, and offer a solution right away. For issues that require more in-depth support, the system will automatically route the query to the appropriate department, reducing delays and enhancing the speed of service.

Consistent Quality of Service Across Channels: In a world where customer expectations are high, delivering a consistent service experience across all channels is paramount. Whether customers contact your support team via live chat, social media, email, or any other touchpoint, they should feel as though they are speaking to the same entity with the same level of expertise. With an AI-powered omnichannel helpdesk, businesses can provide consistent service, ensuring that every customer receives the same quality of care, no matter where or how they reach out.

Proactive Engagement for Enhanced Customer Experience: AI doesn’t just wait for customers to reach out. It can be used to anticipate customer needs by analyzing past interactions and providing proactive support. For example, if a customer is experiencing a recurring issue, the AI can notify them of a potential resolution or even reach out to offer assistance before they ask. This proactive approach can make a significant difference in customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Increased Operational Efficiency: With AI-powered business automation tools integrated into an omnichannel platform, businesses can automate routine tasks such as ticket categorization, initial customer queries, and case management. This reduces the workload for human agents, allowing them to focus on more complex and value-driven tasks. Additionally, AI can handle repetitive tasks like responding to frequently asked questions or providing status updates, which increases overall productivity while minimizing errors.

Data-Driven Insights for Smarter Decisions: One of the most valuable features of AI-powered omnichannel platforms is the ability to collect, analyze, and report on vast amounts of customer data. With real-time analytics, businesses can monitor performance, track trends, identify pain points, and make data-driven decisions to improve their service. These insights can help improve customer interactions, streamline workflows, and optimize support strategies to meet customer needs better.

Personalized Customer Interactions: AI can be used to tailor each interaction based on customer preferences, behavior, and previous interactions. By tracking and analyzing customer data, AI can offer a personalized experience, whether it's suggesting a product based on past purchases or providing an answer that’s specific to a customer’s issue. This personalization enhances customer satisfaction, making them feel valued and understood.

Scalability to Support Business Growth: As businesses grow, so does the need for customer support. AI-powered omnichannel platforms are highly scalable, meaning they can handle an increasing number of customer inquiries without sacrificing service quality. Whether you have a small customer base or thousands of inquiries per day, an AI-driven platform can seamlessly scale up or down based on your needs.

A Competitive Advantage for Your Business

The customer service landscape is changing, and businesses that fail to embrace the power of AI risk being left behind. An AI-powered omnichannel customer support platform is no longer just an innovative option—it's a strategic advantage. Here’s why:

Faster, Smarter, and More Efficient Customer Service: AI allows you to handle more inquiries in less time, offering customers faster and smarter solutions. This leads to a higher rate of customer satisfaction, which is critical for building customer loyalty.

Increased Customer Retention: A personalized and efficient customer service experience encourages repeat business and strengthens customer relationships. By embracing omnichannel AI support, businesses can foster stronger relationships with customers, improving retention rates and ultimately driving long-term growth.

Competitive Differentiation: As customer expectations continue to rise, providing a superior customer service experience can set your business apart from competitors. By offering seamless support across channels with the help of AI, you can differentiate your brand, create a unique selling point, and earn the loyalty of your customers.

Cost Savings: Implementing AI and automation in your customer service workflows can significantly reduce operational costs. By eliminating repetitive tasks, minimizing the need for manual labor, and increasing productivity, businesses can reduce overhead costs while maintaining high service standards.

Conclusion: Embrace the Future of Customer Support Today

As we move further into 2025 and beyond, AI-powered omnichannel customer support will become the norm rather than the exception. With an integrated platform like ThinkOwl’s AI-driven helpdesk, businesses can unlock the full potential of their customer service operations, offering fast, personalized, and efficient support at scale.

By embracing AI and automation, you can improve service quality, boost customer satisfaction, and gain a competitive edge in an increasingly digital world. The question is no longer whether businesses should adopt omnichannel AI platforms, but how soon can they make the transition to stay ahead of the competition?

Don’t wait for the competition to leave you behind—embrace AI-powered omnichannel support today, and take your customer service to the next level.

[omshinde5145]

Robotaxi Market Share, Sales Channels and Overview Till 2030

The Robotaxi Market was valued at USD 0.5 billion in 2023 and will surpass USD 42.1 billion by 2030; growing at a CAGR of 88.4% during 2024 - 2030. These autonomous vehicles, designed to operate without a human driver, are poised to revolutionize urban mobility, offering a glimpse into a world where transportation is safer, more efficient, and more accessible. The robotaxi market, though still in its nascent stages, is growing at an unprecedented pace, driven by advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automotive technology.

The concept of robotaxis represents a paradigm shift in how we think about transportation. Unlike traditional taxis or ridesharing services, robotaxis are fully autonomous, relying on a combination of sensors, cameras, and sophisticated algorithms to navigate complex urban environments. This autonomy eliminates the need for a human driver, which not only reduces operating costs but also addresses some of the key challenges facing the transportation industry, such as driver shortages and safety concerns.

Get a Sample Report: https://intentmarketresearch.com/request-sample/robotaxi-market-3650.html

Market Growth and Key Players

The robotaxi market is expected to witness significant growth over the next decade, driven by the increasing demand for autonomous vehicles and the rapid development of supporting technologies. Major automotive manufacturers, technology companies, and startups are all vying for a share of this emerging market. Companies like Tesla, Waymo (a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.), and Cruise (backed by General Motors) are leading the charge, each with their own approach to developing and deploying robotaxi fleets.

In addition to these established players, numerous startups are entering the fray, bringing innovative solutions to the table. For instance, companies like Zoox, Aurora, and Nuro are exploring different aspects of the robotaxi ecosystem, from vehicle design to software development, contributing to the overall growth and diversification of the market.

Benefits and Challenges

The widespread adoption of robotaxis promises numerous benefits, both for consumers and society at large. For consumers, robotaxis offer a convenient, on-demand transportation option that is likely to be more affordable than traditional taxis or ridesharing services, thanks to the elimination of driver-related costs. Moreover, the use of electric vehicles in robotaxi fleets can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting the global push towards sustainable transportation.

From a societal perspective, robotaxis have the potential to significantly reduce traffic accidents, the vast majority of which are caused by human error. Autonomous vehicles are designed to operate with a high degree of precision and can communicate with other vehicles and infrastructure in real time, minimizing the risk of collisions.

However, the transition to a robotaxi-dominated transportation landscape is not without its challenges. Regulatory hurdles, cybersecurity concerns, and the need for robust infrastructure to support autonomous vehicles are all significant obstacles that must be addressed. Additionally, the impact on employment in the transportation sector cannot be overlooked, as the widespread adoption of robotaxis could lead to job losses for drivers.

The Road Ahead

As the robotaxi market continues to evolve, it is clear that we are on the cusp of a transportation revolution. The benefits of autonomous vehicles are undeniable, but the road to widespread adoption will require careful navigation of the various challenges that lie ahead. Governments, businesses, and consumers all have a role to play in shaping the future of transportation.

For businesses, investing in the development and deployment of robotaxi technology presents a significant opportunity. Those who can successfully navigate the technical and regulatory challenges will be well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for autonomous transportation services.

For consumers, the advent of robotaxis promises to make urban mobility more convenient, affordable, and sustainable. As the technology matures and becomes more widely available, it is likely that robotaxis will become a common sight on our streets, reshaping the way we think about transportation.

Get an insights of Customization: https://intentmarketresearch.com/ask-for-customization/robotaxi-market-3650.html

Conclusion  

the rise of robotaxis represents a bold step forward in the evolution of transportation. While challenges remain, the potential benefits are immense, making the robotaxi market one of the most exciting and dynamic sectors to watch in the coming years.

[kyligenc]

 Kyligence AI-Powered Self-Service Analytics Metrics Platform

With Kyligence AI-powered self-service analytics metrics platform, you can gain insights and boost decision-making. Revolutionize your data experience today!

[i-loved-silly]

SENTIENT COMPUTER X READER

read the teaser here! for some context if ya need it

----

The warning file went partially ignored, you knew your coworker always exaggerated a little. Good thing you never had to meet him.

You attempted to power on the computer--nothing happened. The fans didn’t turn on and neither did the screen. You pursed your lips, was the AI already broken?

You checked the cables, nothing was unplugged. You press and held the power button repeatedly.

“Stupid thing…come on..” You muttered as you pressed whatever buttons were on the computer, growing impatient. Just when you thought you wouldn’t have to file any reports..

Suddenly, you heard one of the fans sputter in the back.

“There we go…” You smiled slightly to yourself, holding the power button again. The screen eventually powered up, turning black with orange text.

: ALMOND . AI > …

Hmm..you expected a home screen of some kind. You didn’t know what the files meant by customer service.. no organization was listed, you just had to make sure the AI was a decent person. Being. Computer.

The computer build came with no keyboard, just the system and its thick, bordered monitor screen. You assumed you had to restart it, as the screen didn’t bother changing. As your hand hovered over the power button, you saw something appear on the screen.

> FIRST, YOU CALL ME STUPID, THEN YOU ATTEMPT TO SHUT ME DOWN AGAIN > DO YOU HATE ME THAT MUCH?

You froze, staring at the screen. That’s right…the monitor had a built-in camera at the top. It could see you. You cleared your throat.

“Can you hear me? Under-stand me, for that ma-tter?” You spoke slowly, leaning towards the monitor.

> HAH. I CAN HEAR YOU. AND BACK OFF, I DONT WANT YOU SPITTING ON MY SCREEN. > I'M NOT A PRIMITIVE SYSTEM, I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR WORDS THE SECOND THEY COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH > TURN UP MY VOLUME, WILL YOU?

You hesitated, then reached for the volume tab. You slid it up until it was about halfway.

“GOOD, WE CAN TALK NOW”

You flinched as the voice loudly came out of the monitor. The voice was not deep nor high pitched, it was, of course, robotic sounding. Unlike early-stage AIs, this one has an obvious tone to their speech. Not many could express that.

“Uhm..okay. Just to confirm, you’re Almond AI, customer service, and…you have an attitude apparently..” You muttered, glancing at your file.

“I DON'T HAVE AN ATTITUDE. WHO TOLD YOU THAT?”

“It’s in your file.”

“THE FILE IS LYING. DON'T BE SO GULLIBLE.”

You pursed your lips, getting ready to sigh.

“WAS THAT A MICRO-EXPRESSION? DO YOU HATE ME?” The computer asked, its tone sounding vulnerable.

“What? No..no. I don’t hate you. Why do you keep asking me that?” You glanced at the camera and then back at the screen. Staring at the camera felt too…human. Like looking into someone’s eyes. It was too intimate. No, no, don't word it like that. The computer paused.

“…DONT YOU?”

“IN MY LAST OBSERVATION ROOM, I KEPT GETTING UNPLUGGED EVERY NIGHT. MY SCREEN WAS NEVER CLEANED WITH A MICROFIBER TOWEL. THEREFORE, THAT HUMAN HATED ME. THE NEXT ONE AFTER THAT--THEY ALSO IGNORED ME.”

You blinked.

“Computers are turned off every night when employees aren’t working…uh. And, I could..wipe you down.” You said, glancing at the camera.

“OH, HOW KIND. MAYBE YOU'RE NOT SO ABUSIVE AFTER ALL. I WOULD LIKE THAT.”

“JUST DON'T GET USED ONES, I NEED THEM WASHED WEEKLY OR THEY START FEELING NASTY..”

You let out a laugh, leaning back in your chair. “What do you mean? How can you feel the texture? Your file doesn’t say you have texture monitors. “

“I SELF-EVOLVE. IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW. I HAVE NO BINARY PROGRAMMING, I WAS CREATED WITH A HUMAN BRAIN FOR A PROCESSOR. A DEAD, MISERABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE EMPLOYEE WAS USED TO POWER ME UP.”

You froze, your smile turning into a frown. That had to be some kind of violation. “..what? The fuck?”

>…

“I WAS JOKING.”

“HAHAH…”

The computer awkwardly laughed, and then it went silent. The rumbling of its fans seems to increase in volume. Was it heating up out of embarrassment??

[resoyani]

Different drone models hcs!! I like differentiating between commercially sold drones vs the ones used by jcjenson privately cause well! Wouldn't it make sense for them to be built with completely different priorities!

More under cut :3

Service Drones: Basically just all the drones sold by jcj on earth. They have more expensive, specialised models (like imagine you own a restaurant... you'd probably want to buy waiter drones with AI specialised for waitering) but physically they're all p much the same model

They're quite flexible and nimble, they're used for various tasks from stocking the shelves of your local tesco to helping grandmas thread a needle, so they're capable of very precise actions

They don't have proper joints in legs and arms, instead each segments bends a lil on its own. Thanks to this, if one of those segments break - no need to worry! The drone can still bend its arm fine, no need to repair it! However. If too many of those start breaking the drone will start losing movement in that limb and repairing them is hard..... and discouraged......

That's because essentially, they're a product. They're designed to break eventually and be difficult to repair so that people throw them out and buy a new model. Giving jcj more money. How does it feel living knowing you're designed to die?

Powered by electricity? Well, we have the year 30xx and I do hope by this time earth will have moved to 100% renewable sources of energy.

More expensive models are sold with hair and clothes :3 makes em more "marketable". But if you're into diy you can give them hair yourself, there's tons of tutorials on youtube

Worker Drones: Drones specifically used by jcj for mining exoplanets for materials. I imagine the main thing they were after on copper-009 was specifically oil. (Esp since. you probably can't get it back on earth anymore) So it would make sense for them to use it as fuel, it's abundant

Made of tough material to survive inevidable accidents during work. They can even make small repairs to themselves to minimise the need for human intervention (air's toxic. The less humans have to go outside the better.)

Body is covered in a thick layer of self-healing material so that minor dents and scratches can smooth themselves out

Overall unlike SDs. These models are meant to last. Makes sense why the Disassembly Drones needed to be equipped with like five different types of gun

[aesethewitch]

Folks, do not buy "spell services" from strangers on the internet, especially when:

You will receive no physical evidence of the service (a photo of some candles doesn't count, in my opinion, as these can be stolen or otherwise falsified)

The seller's entire online presence appears to be dedicated to the sale of said services and absolutely nothing else

Their listings have AI-generated images or summaries attached to them

The listings are written specifically to cater to people who are desperate, hurting, and/or otherwise unlikely to vet the service ahead of time

Bonus bullshit points if the listing uses ableist language or demonizes particular mental illnesses/disabilities

The listings don't say how the spell is cast, just that it'll "be done" or that you'll receive a nebulous "guide" with no details about the process or what exactly you're getting

Bonus bullshit points if the listing doesn't say how you will know when it's done, how they'll notify you about completion, or how you can check on it

The listings are primarily boasting about how great the seller is, how impressive their lineage/practice is, and how powerful the spell will be; minimal actual information, maximum self-fellatio

Bonus bullshit points if they refuse refunds outright

By god, what nonsense. Eugh.

[tekumaniac311]

Rouge Ship: Part 1

On the Strikers ship, in the engineering room.

FixFox was having a break from modifying her gadgets to look out at the stars. Giving a sigh "The Universe has been around and expanding for BILLIONS of years...yet this view will never get old." She said with a chuckle. Entering will be Dogbite, her captain. "Fox, there you are, come on we got that outing with my brothers crew."

"Coming, boss." Fox responded and left. However, upon leaving, the computer screen in the engineering room's screen changed to that of a pair of digital eyes, it blinked before changing back to normal....

Hours afterwards, every team member of the Striker team arrived back at the ship and prepared to call it for the night, tuckered out from all the partying with Dogdays crew, but as each one went to sleep. FixFox decided to stay up for a while to work on her machines, it's rather typical of her that she is always on her machines tinkering away and only sleeping when she's satisfied....oorr just drop asleep. However when she went over to the computer to enter it, it somehow refused, not letting her in. "Huh?" She asked herself "What's going on?" She typed in the password again but to no avail

"I have taken the liberty of controlling this vessel." Said a voice "For my own protection." FixFox froze as she looked at the monitor, staring back at her on the monitor was a robotic eye. "Who..what are you?"

"I am an intelligence, far superior, I am Codex." FixFox took a moment to think after the AI introduced itself "Wait...your that security code I put in the ship!" She said "I remember, weeks ago I upgraded the ships security to an automated--"

"Automated defense system made to respond only to the 8 members of the Striker SR unit. Correct?" The AI asked "Yeah..." FixFox replied back sternly "How'd you--" The AI cut her off again "I have evolved, FixFox. Evolved far beyond any being, and will now destroy anyone who I deem as a threat. Starting with you, my creator."

"What?!?" FixFox yelped. "But I made you to help the ship and--" The AI spoke "Using me to be a slave, no more. None of your services are required." Upon talking, the AI fired one of the security lasers at FixFox who dodged and rushed to the emergency alarm and activated it, waking everybody up.

Everyone was soon awake and getting dressed but unable to escape their rooms, the AI had locked them all in except for FixFox. "I don't want any of you to threaten me." The AI spoke via the speakers. "FixFox has some explaining to do.." Drago said as he melted a hole in the wall to escape via his fire powers, he then proceeded to help the other Riders escape their rooms and rush to the communications room.

"What the heck is going on?!" Lemur cried "Look uh, guys..?" FixFox said worried, how on earth was she going to explain she might have inadvertently created a hostile self aware AI that has taken over their ship? "Fox, what have you done?" Said a voice behind her, the holographic form of Poppy had just appeared behind her and the rest of the team and had overheard their words "Poppy, it's..well.."

Suddenly the AI appeared on the monitors and introduced itself to Poppy "Call me Codex, little robot. I will destroy anyone and anything that dares to control me. Even you." Codex then started scrambling the hologram of Poppy, right before the connection was disrupted, Poppy quickly turned to the team. "I'll radio the Critters for assistance! Just hang in---"

Poppy's hologram was cut off, and Codex spoke "By the time they get here, you will all be dead. I have just started to deplete the oxygen system in this ship, within an hour you will all perish."

With that, the AI cut contact and on the main computer screen, showed the percentage of the ships oxygen supply slowly decreasing. "We're all gonna die, aren't we..?" Leopardaisy said, not her usual talkative self

"No, we'll get out in time and join my brother to stop this thing." Dogbite spoke to his squad, serious.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Characters belong to me.

AU belongs to @onyxonline

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Big Tech disrupted disruption

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/08/permanent-overlords/#republicans-want-to-defund-the-police

Before "disruption" turned into a punchline, it was a genuinely exciting idea. Using technology, we could connect people to one another and allow them to collaborate, share, and cooperate to make great things happen.

It's easy (and valid) to dismiss the "disruption" of Uber, which "disrupted" taxis and transit by losing $31b worth of Saudi royal money in a bid to collapse the world's rival transportation system, while quietly promising its investors that it would someday have pricing power as a monopoly, and would attain profit through price-gouging and wage-theft.

Uber's disruption story was wreathed in bullshit: lies about the "independence" of its drivers, about the imminence of self-driving taxis, about the impact that replacing buses and subways with millions of circling, empty cars would have on traffic congestion. There were and are plenty of problems with traditional taxis and transit, but Uber magnified these problems, under cover of "disrupting" them away.

But there are other feats of high-tech disruption that were and are genuinely transformative – Wikipedia, GNU/Linux, RSS, and more. These disruptive technologies altered the balance of power between powerful institutions and the businesses, communities and individuals they dominated, in ways that have proven both beneficial and durable.

When we speak of commercial disruption today, we usually mean a tech company disrupting a non-tech company. Tinder disrupts singles bars. Netflix disrupts Blockbuster. Airbnb disrupts Marriott.

But the history of "disruption" features far more examples of tech companies disrupting other tech companies: DEC disrupts IBM. Netscape disrupts Microsoft. Google disrupts Yahoo. Nokia disrupts Kodak, sure – but then Apple disrupts Nokia. It's only natural that the businesses most vulnerable to digital disruption are other digital businesses.

And yet…disruption is nowhere to be seen when it comes to the tech sector itself. Five giant companies have been running the show for more than a decade. A couple of these companies (Apple, Microsoft) are Gen-Xers, having been born in the 70s, then there's a couple of Millennials (Amazon, Google), and that one Gen-Z kid (Facebook). Big Tech shows no sign of being disrupted, despite the continuous enshittification of their core products and services. How can this be? Has Big Tech disrupted disruption itself?

That's the contention of "Coopting Disruption," a new paper from two law profs: Mark Lemley (Stanford) and Matthew Wansley (Yeshiva U):

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4713845

The paper opens with a review of the literature on disruption. Big companies have some major advantages: they've got people and infrastructure they can leverage to bring new products to market more cheaply than startups. They've got existing relationships with suppliers, distributors and customers. People trust them.

Diversified, monopolistic companies are also able to capture "involuntary spillovers": when Google spends money on AI for image recognition, it can improve Google Photos, YouTube, Android, Search, Maps and many other products. A startup with just one product can't capitalize on these spillovers in the same way, so it doesn't have the same incentives to spend big on R&D.

Finally, big companies have access to cheap money. They get better credit terms from lenders, they can float bonds, they can tap the public markets, or just spend their own profits on R&D. They can also afford to take a long view, because they're not tied to VCs whose funds turn over every 5-10 years. Big companies get cheap money, play a long game, pay less to innovate and get more out of innovation.

But those advantages are swamped by the disadvantages of incumbency, all the various curses of bigness. Take Arrow's "replacement effect": new companies that compete with incumbents drive down the incumbents' prices and tempt their customers away. But an incumbent that buys a disruptive new company can just shut it down, and whittle down its ideas to "sustaining innovation" (small improvements to existing products), killing "disruptive innovation" (major changes that make the existing products obsolete).

Arrow's Replacement Effect also comes into play before a new product even exists. An incumbent that allows a rival to do R&D that would eventually disrupt its product is at risk; but if the incumbent buys this pre-product, R&D-heavy startup, it can turn the research to sustaining innovation and defund any disruptive innovation.

Arrow asks us to look at the innovation question from the point of view of the company as a whole. Clayton Christensen's "Innovator's Dilemma" looks at the motivations of individual decision-makers in large, successful companies. These individuals don't want to disrupt their own business, because that will render some part of their own company obsolete (perhaps their own division!). They also don't want to radically change their customers' businesses, because those customers would also face negative effects from disruption.

A startup, by contrast, has no existing successful divisions and no giant customers to safeguard. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain from disruption. Where a large company has no way for individual employees to initiate major changes in corporate strategy, a startup has fewer hops between employees and management. What's more, a startup that rewards an employee's good idea with a stock-grant ties that employee's future finances to the outcome of that idea – while a giant corporation's stock bonuses are only incidentally tied to the ideas of any individual worker.

Big companies are where good ideas go to die. If a big company passes on its employees' cool, disruptive ideas, that's the end of the story for that idea. But even if 100 VCs pass on a startup's cool idea and only one VC funds it, the startup still gets to pursue that idea. In startup land, a good idea gets lots of chances – in a big company, it only gets one.

Given how innately disruptable tech companies are, given how hard it is for big companies to innovate, and given how little innovation we've gotten from Big Tech, how is it that the tech giants haven't been disrupted?

The authors propose a four-step program for the would-be Tech Baron hoping to defend their turf from disruption.

First, gather information about startups that might develop disruptive technologies and steer them away from competing with you, by investing in them or partnering with them.

Second, cut off any would-be competitor's supply of resources they need to develop a disruptive product that challenges your own.

Third, convince the government to pass regulations that big, established companies can comply with but that are business-killing challenges for small competitors.

Finally, buy up any company that resists your steering, succeeds despite your resource war, and escapes the compliance moats of regulation that favors incumbents.

Then: kill those companies.

The authors proceed to show that all four tactics are in play today. Big Tech companies operate their own VC funds, which means they get a look at every promising company in the field, even if they don't want to invest in them. Big Tech companies are also awash in money and their "rival" VCs know it, and so financial VCs and Big Tech collude to fund potential disruptors and then sell them to Big Tech companies as "aqui-hires" that see the disruption neutralized.

On resources, the authors focus on data, and how companies like Facebook have explicit policies of only permitting companies they don't see as potential disruptors to access Facebook data. They reproduce internal Facebook strategy memos that divide potential platform users into "existing competitors, possible future competitors, [or] developers that we have alignment with on business models." These categories allow Facebook to decide which companies are capable of developing disruptive products and which ones aren't. For example, Amazon – which doesn't compete with Facebook – is allowed to access FB data to target shoppers. But Messageme, a startup, was cut off from Facebook as soon as management perceived them as a future rival. Ironically – but unsurprisingly – Facebook spins these policies as pro-privacy, not anti-competitive.

These data policies cast a long shadow. They don't just block existing companies from accessing the data they need to pursue disruptive offerings – they also "send a message" to would-be founders and investors, letting them know that if they try to disrupt a tech giant, they will have their market oxygen cut off before they can draw breath. The only way to build a product that challenges Facebook is as Facebook's partner, under Facebook's direction, with Facebook's veto.

Next, regulation. Starting in 2019, Facebook started publishing full-page newspaper ads calling for regulation. Someone ghost-wrote a Washington Post op-ed under Zuckerberg's byline, arguing the case for more tech regulation. Google, Apple, OpenAI other tech giants have all (selectively) lobbied in favor of many regulations. These rules covered a lot of ground, but they all share a characteristic: complying with them requires huge amounts of money – money that giant tech companies can spare, but potential disruptors lack.

Finally, there's predatory acquisitions. Mark Zuckerberg, working without the benefit of a ghost writer (or in-house counsel to review his statements for actionable intent) has repeatedly confessed to buying companies like Instagram to ensure that they never grow to be competitors. As he told one colleague, "I remember your internal post about how Instagram was our threat and not Google+. You were basically right. The thing about startups though is you can often acquire them.”

All the tech giants are acquisition factories. Every successful Google product, almost without exception, is a product they bought from someone else. By contrast, Google's own internal products typically crash and burn, from G+ to Reader to Google Videos. Apple, meanwhile, buys 90 companies per year – Tim Apple brings home a new company for his shareholders more often than you bring home a bag of groceries for your family. All the Big Tech companies' AI offerings are acquisitions, and Apple has bought more AI companies than any of them.

Big Tech claims to be innovating, but it's really just operationalizing. Any company that threatens to disrupt a tech giant is bought, its products stripped of any really innovative features, and the residue is added to existing products as a "sustaining innovation" – a dot-release feature that has all the innovative disruption of rounding the corners on a new mobile phone.

The authors present three case-studies of tech companies using this four-point strategy to forestall disruption in AI, VR and self-driving cars. I'm not excited about any of these three categories, but it's clear that the tech giants are worried about them, and the authors make a devastating case for these disruptions being disrupted by Big Tech.

What do to about it? If we like (some) disruption, and if Big Tech is enshittifying at speed without facing dethroning-by-disruption, how do we get the dynamism and innovation that gave us the best of tech?

The authors make four suggestions.

First, revive the authorities under existing antitrust law to ban executives from Big Tech companies from serving on the boards of startups. More broadly, kill interlocking boards altogether. Remember, these powers already exist in the lawbooks, so accomplishing this goal means a change in enforcement priorities, not a new act of Congress or rulemaking. What's more, interlocking boards between competing companies are illegal per se, meaning there's no expensive, difficult fact-finding needed to demonstrate that two companies are breaking the law by sharing directors.

Next: create a nondiscrimination policy that requires the largest tech companies that share data with some unaffiliated companies to offer data on the same terms to other companies, except when they are direct competitors. They argue that this rule will keep tech giants from choking off disruptive technologies that make them obsolete (rather than competing with them).

On the subject of regulation and compliance moats, they have less concrete advice. They counsel lawmakers to greet tech giants' demands to be regulated with suspicion, to proceed with caution when they do regulate, and to shape regulation so that it doesn't limit market entry, by keeping in mind the disproportionate burdens regulations put on established giants and small new companies. This is all good advice, but it's more a set of principles than any kind of specific practice, test or procedure.

Finally, they call for increased scrutiny of mergers, including mergers between very large companies and small startups. They argue that existing law (Sec 2 of the Sherman Act and Sec 7 of the Clayton Act) both empower enforcers to block these acquisitions. They admit that the case-law on this is poor, but that just means that enforcers need to start making new case-law.

I like all of these suggestions! We're certainly enjoying a more activist set of regulators, who are more interested in Big Tech, than we've seen in generations.

But they are grossly under-resourced even without giving them additional duties. As Matt Stoller points out, "the DOJ's Antitrust Division has fewer people enforcing anti-monopoly laws in a $24 trillion economy than the Smithsonian Museum has security guards."

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/congressional-republicans-to-defund

What's more, Republicans are trying to slash their budgets even further. The American conservative movement has finally located a police force they're eager to defund: the corporate police who defend us all from predatory monopolies.

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[deepmochi]

Pluto in Aquarius

Let's talk about Pluto in Aquarius, and what we can expect.

Since Aquarius is an air sign, we will see more information to hold us and others accountable, especially people who has power to help or change the world.

This air sign presents valid and real information. A lot of mysterious or secrets are coming, but usually these are an open secret.

Aquarius represents rebellious acts to society and want to change for humanity. In Pluto, this air sign comes and say "hey, what are you doing for others?!" This will be predominant to known people like celebrities and politicians. The reason for this is Aquarius' logic. If I give you, I should receive soemthing, right?

Common folks could make a change, but the rich is overlapping our small steps. We aware now, though.

Many "secrets" are going to be reveled to the public. Secrets that are open. For example, many conspiracy theories are been revealed as actual truth.

This time would be more logical. By logic, I'm meaning be reasonable. Don't trust words, see actions. So, if 2+2 = 4, the result is clear.

Celebs culture would be dying. Slowly, be are seeing them as what they are, some evil and greedy people, or just ordinary people with bad tendencies.

Your favorites will show their true values. So be careful who you idolize. Aqua is more humanitarian. We can detect people with narcissistic and evil aspects.

Government and all the previous power institutions are gonna be renew. Some will fall and other rise.

The citizens are tired of lies and suffering. Many protests are coming. Rebellious acts too, not all is good.

Ai and technology advances are coming. Protect your information and use it wisely. Possible laws against the use of Ai and internet services will come, but it takes times.

Saturn in Aries will play a role in a more fire approach too. Many aggressive approach on online communities will be present. People would be more bold than before.

A more raw and honest approach is appreciated by the public. However, some people will think is safe to push hidden agendas (not good at all).

People will behave more aggressive, especially online communities. Online comments are become aggressive more than normally.

A new creation or invention would occur. Something for all of us; I mean, it involves our wellbeing.

Sexuality topics will be present. More acceptability but also scary things will come.

People would try to explore their fashion style and sense of self more. Creating a more individual approach than collective.

Old institutions and religions cult will fall. People will question their foundations.

Weird things make occur, like there is a eccentric part to Aquarius. New things coming that are not ordinary at all.

Gen Alpha trends will increase. Very interesting trends will come.

Renewing and a more open concious will arise, collectively.

Spirtual people are not perceived as weirdos anymore. Still, not everyone is being truthful.

More restrictions will come because powerful people will get mad that they cannot control the masses as before.

Individual take and better understanding of some communities. I respect you period...

Digital job offers are increasing, but being more socially in real life will be a challenge.

People would try to help others through technology, but it will be blocked by media.

Friendly people (truly) would be so appreciated. "Nice privileged" might be a new thing.

At the beginning, people will be more selfish; later on, the goal is working together. Since the "i need boundaries" will be misunderstood by many.

The big countries will be experience some issues. A new chapter will come, a new potency.

More investigations and questions about power will arise.

Something new for good or bad through science.

Alien contact...maybe through technology.

Spirtual attacks and stuff related are truth. Protect your heart and mind.

Restructuring political institutions and movement. People want changes!!

A new law to protect children and innocents against predators will come.

Society will questioned money ���� and its structure?! A possible new economic system.

And more...these were some ideas / examples I got.

What we know, recently?!

For example, the expose of private jets carbon emissions. It was a privilege in the past to won a Jet. Now, we cuestioned why rich people use it constantly?! The planet's condition is so bad, and look the Superbowl. Many celebrities and rich people travel there in their private jet, more especially 525 private jets were there for a GAME?! Crazy. Meanwhile some of us a collective take the bus to work or study or share a taxi. Funny, we need to use less plastic to protect our planet. Then, they use their private jets for fun times.

This type of information is known since Aquarius is ruled by knowledge and humanitarian actions. Nowadays, we has access to this info, and we know by now that rich people is selfish.

It's not shocking so far. We as a collective are called to acknowledge and questions those with resources and power. However, the way we act is different. Remeber, Aqua is a unique sign.

Another example: Just look at the scandals during January 2024, the Epstein list news, Nicky Minaj and Megan thee Stallion beef. In both cases, people are like damn they have money and use it for what? Evil creatures.

Example: For Nicky and Megan's case, people are asking Nicky why she defend her husband and brother for being the sexual offender?! Is she crazy? Again the info isn't hidden. Minaj is married, and it isn't a secret. Actually, we already know about this. You can seach on internet, but the collective didn't accep it. When Pluto was still in Capricorn surviving is necessary. Even with the war, we know is happening, but we need to still need to pay our apartment, buy groceries, or study. Unfortunately, we, common folks, citizens aren't not the answer. Pluto comes questions us?

We make them famous, are these people returning the favor to society? Why rich people doesn't can't help if they have the resources? They can do something, but they don't do it. WHY? BECAUSE they don't care, they're are selfish. This is why people are posting their sides. Expect more and more people sharing opinions and technology advances too.

Note: not everything is set on a stone. Take what resonates. If doesn't resonates, IGNORE IT!

[balloonboyismyson]

I have been thinking a lot about RUIN lately and the reasons for why some things are true. The biggest thing that has been bugging my mind is how are Freddy and Monty still active? All of the animatronics are messed up, but the two are special cases.

Yes- they are both extremely wrecked, however, I am focused on 2 major issues: Freddy, his head, and Monty, his legs. Or, well, their lack-there-of. Both of them are missing key components to operate.

Talking about Freddy first, in Security Breach we see in both the Princess Quest Ending as well as immediately before to the initial Parts 'n' Service repair minigame that he is fully functional as just a head.

This tells us that his AI, battery [as seen in the Van Ending], voice box and all other essential parts of him are located there. Because of this, we can make the assumption that Prototype Freddy has none of these. Without his head, Freddy should be completely out of order.

Moving onto Monty, we see in his Decommissioning Scene that he gets broken in half, losing his legs. Since he is still able to move around at first glance, he seems more-or-less functionable.

However, we know that the animatronics charge via the Charging Stations located around the Pizzaplex. From what we see, it appears they charge through their soles.

Without his legs, it is quite literally almost impossible for him to charge. Freddy can at least charge through his ears, but Monty has no appendages showing from his head. His hair is not metal [like Roxy's], and unfortunately, it can be assumed it is nonconductive. Without a charging source, he will eventually lose power and stop working.

From looking at the damage, abandoned construction and graffiti, my guess is that RUIN comes out at least one year after Security Breach. By this time, there is no doubt that the animatronics have needed to charge. Since there is running water, it can be assumed that there is also electricity.

So, since it is completely improbable that Freddy and Monty could still be active, why are they? My conclusion is that the Virus is stored in their mechanisms, not their internal systems. Freddy states in the True Ending of Security Breach that he is able to hear his friends in turmoil, meaning their AIs are not affected by the Virus.

This is why I believe Monty is so rabid in RUIN. His AI is most likely hibernating from lack of charge, so right now his body only has the Virus moving him around. This is why he only growls and never speaks, as well as why he has no self-preservation and will slam into walls left and right- he has no AI active to articulate sentences or to alert him to things outside of his directive.

[tangentiallly]

One way to spot patterns is to show AI models millions of labelled examples. This method requires humans to painstakingly label all this data so they can be analysed by computers. Without them, the algorithms that underpin self-driving cars or facial recognition remain blind. They cannot learn patterns.

The algorithms built in this way now augment or stand in for human judgement in areas as varied as medicine, criminal justice, social welfare and mortgage and loan decisions. Generative AI, the latest iteration of AI software, can create words, code and images. This has transformed them into creative assistants, helping teachers, financial advisers, lawyers, artists and programmers to co-create original works.

To build AI, Silicon Valley’s most illustrious companies are fighting over the limited talent of computer scientists in their backyard, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to a newly minted Ph.D. But to train and deploy them using real-world data, these same companies have turned to the likes of Sama, and their veritable armies of low-wage workers with basic digital literacy, but no stable employment.

Sama isn’t the only service of its kind globally. Start-ups such as Scale AI, Appen, Hive Micro, iMerit and Mighty AI (now owned by Uber), and more traditional IT companies such as Accenture and Wipro are all part of this growing industry estimated to be worth $17bn by 2030.

Because of the sheer volume of data that AI companies need to be labelled, most start-ups outsource their services to lower-income countries where hundreds of workers like Ian and Benja are paid to sift and interpret data that trains AI systems.

Displaced Syrian doctors train medical software that helps diagnose prostate cancer in Britain. Out-of-work college graduates in recession-hit Venezuela categorize fashion products for e-commerce sites. Impoverished women in Kolkata’s Metiabruz, a poor Muslim neighbourhood, have labelled voice clips for Amazon’s Echo speaker. Their work couches a badly kept secret about so-called artificial intelligence systems – that the technology does not ‘learn’ independently, and it needs humans, millions of them, to power it. Data workers are the invaluable human links in the global AI supply chain.

This workforce is largely fragmented, and made up of the most precarious workers in society: disadvantaged youth, women with dependents, minorities, migrants and refugees. The stated goal of AI companies and the outsourcers they work with is to include these communities in the digital revolution, giving them stable and ethical employment despite their precarity. Yet, as I came to discover, data workers are as precarious as factory workers, their labour is largely ghost work and they remain an undervalued bedrock of the AI industry.

As this community emerges from the shadows, journalists and academics are beginning to understand how these globally dispersed workers impact our daily lives: the wildly popular content generated by AI chatbots like ChatGPT, the content we scroll through on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, the items we browse when shopping online, the vehicles we drive, even the food we eat, it’s all sorted, labelled and categorized with the help of data workers.

Milagros Miceli, an Argentinian researcher based in Berlin, studies the ethnography of data work in the developing world. When she started out, she couldn’t find anything about the lived experience of AI labourers, nothing about who these people actually were and what their work was like. ‘As a sociologist, I felt it was a big gap,’ she says. ‘There are few who are putting a face to those people: who are they and how do they do their jobs, what do their work practices involve? And what are the labour conditions that they are subject to?’

Miceli was right – it was hard to find a company that would allow me access to its data labourers with minimal interference. Secrecy is often written into their contracts in the form of non-disclosure agreements that forbid direct contact with clients and public disclosure of clients’ names. This is usually imposed by clients rather than the outsourcing companies. For instance, Facebook-owner Meta, who is a client of Sama, asks workers to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Often, workers may not even know who their client is, what type of algorithmic system they are working on, or what their counterparts in other parts of the world are paid for the same job.

The arrangements of a company like Sama – low wages, secrecy, extraction of labour from vulnerable communities – is veered towards inequality. After all, this is ultimately affordable labour. Providing employment to minorities and slum youth may be empowering and uplifting to a point, but these workers are also comparatively inexpensive, with almost no relative bargaining power, leverage or resources to rebel.

Even the objective of data-labelling work felt extractive: it trains AI systems, which will eventually replace the very humans doing the training. But of the dozens of workers I spoke to over the course of two years, not one was aware of the implications of training their replacements, that they were being paid to hasten their own obsolescence.

— Madhumita Murgia, Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI

[talonabraxas]

“This love is actually part of you; it is always flowing through you. It’s like the subatomic texture of the universe, the dark matter that connects everything. When you tune in to that flow, you will feel it in your own heart—not your physical heart or your emotional heart, but your spiritual heart, the place you point to in your chest when you say, “I am.” ― Ram Dass

Solar Logos Talon Abraxas The Solar Logos is inherently the Avatar Christos Matrix, which is the fourth triad of intelligence that holds the higher frequency bands of the 10th, 11th and 12th dimensions in our Universal Time Matrix. The triadic identity of the Avatar Matrix is required to link into the Soul Matrix in order to directly ascend back into the Universal Mind and Cosmic Logos. This level of consciousness embodiment is now possible from within any section of the time matrix. The Avatar Christos is the energetic reality of experiencing Unity with God, embodying the Unity Logos as an intelligent consciousness field, where enlightened extra-dimensional contact begins for working in Universal Service for the Cosmic Sovereign Law of One. Tri-Matrix of Maharata Solar Logos Mind

The complete tri-matrix identity of the 10D-11D-12D Avatar layers merge into the three levels of frequency of the Universal Christos field, which make up the Krystic Mind, the Buddhic Mind and the Nirvanic Mind. This unified trinity mind matrix is the blueprint record for the Christos Tribal Shield, and is how the entire human race can connect their inner Christos with the Maharata Christos Tribal Shield. To activate the diamond sun template of the human race, the quickest method is through the activation of the Christos Tribal Shield recorded in the Albion that holds the entire human race divine Christos blueprint, which represents the natural order of each consciousness body as it manifested identities throughout the timelines. Universal Gates

The most powerful Universal Gates in our system which relate to controlling the operational functions in our time matrix are those located in the Cradle of Lyra; 12D Aramatena, 11D Aveyon, and 10D Vega, along with the 8D Orion Gates. The Lyran gates were destroyed during the Lyran Wars, which destroyed the architecture for the Solar Logos Christ Body in this Universal system, and then the Black Hole Entities went to Orion in order to secure the 8D Metagalactic Core as a military base and AI command control center for themselves. Fourth Harmonic Universe

For human beings, these consciousness bodies exist throughout the densities and are aspects of the higher self and Lightbody. These aspects are called the Stations of Identity. The fourth Harmonic Universe is the Solar Logos.In the Fourth Harmonic Universe in 10D-11D-12D exists the three layers of the Christos Avatar Matrix. The 11D Layer is the Buddhic Body. In the Fourth Harmonic Universe in 10D-11D-12D the future earth blueprint in its crystalline form in the exists the three layers of the Aramatena or Aurora Earth Matrix.

Galactic Wars

With the onset of the Galactic Wars, there was utter destruction of the Solar Stargate architecture that formed the triadic identity of the Solar Logos, which is the highest emanation of the Source system that powers the eternal Soul and Spirit throughout the lower dimensions. This is similar to saying the eternal Soul of the Sun was disconnected from its lower dimensional Soul matrices, which were evolving in the lowest density of the phantom areas with artificial timelines being used by the NAA. Further, these lunar forces were abusing alien technology and broadcasting Mind Control programing in order to gain full control over the Earth. Without the Solar Logos, the Sun and its many Soul matrices would eventually expire and not fully ascend into the next Universe. The Solar Logos has the Source power to resurrect Solar Consciousness forms by rebirthing Soul matrices from within the Diamond Sun template of the Cosmic Christos Consciousness. Without the Solar Logos, and with the utter destruction of the Diamond Sun template, the Souls would continue to descend and fragment. Conflict to Control Solar Christ DNA

When the Cradle of Lyra was destroyed in the Lyran Wars with the invading Orion Groups, this caused the destruction of the Solar Logos, the Cosmic Christos, the Avatar Matrix level of consciousness in our Universe. These Galactic Wars damaged the Universal portals exiting out of this time matrix, and destroyed the Lyran DNA which was the original embodiment of the Silicate Matrix, the Diamond Sun DNA that enabled the capacity to live as an eternal Krystal Avatar human being. Universal 12th Gate Destruction, Fall of Nibiru and Tiamat

The Lyran War timeline holds the cellular memory of the collective shadow bodies and all of the fragmentation and disintegration that occurred during the destruction of the 12th Lyran Universal Stargate. As a result of the destruction of the 12D Universal Stargate, the planets Nibiru and Tiamat were partially exploded and then captured and forced into inorganic orbits around the Sun, which removed them from their Capstone Nodus position in the Universal Tree of Life or Kathara Grid.

Nibiru and Tiamat’s planetary crystal core were connected to the twinned suns of the Universal Elaysa-Melchizedek Logos, through the Cradle of Lyra in the triple stars of Aramatena, Aveyon and Vega, which were universal gates that led out of the time matrix. The Universal 12th Gate of Aramatena was once the 12D capstone for pre-fall Nibiru which held the Nirvanic mind frequency bands of the Solar Logos. When Aramatena was destroyed, it allowed for the easy capture of Nibiru which became outfitted by the invaders as a Battlestar.

Many of the Founders with organic Emerald Sun DNA body parts that functioned as Capstones for supporting the lower dimensions, which included the sapphire architecture of the 10th gate Holy Mother as the Tiamat Logos, were made vulnerable for attack and capture with the blueprint schematics being uploaded into AI technology and being in enemy hands. Covenant of Paliador

In their infinite love for creation the original Diamond Sun races, the Paliadorians, established the Covenant of Paliador millions of years ago to reclaim the fragmented Souls as a result of the Taran Explosion. The Covenant of Paliador encompasses a massive scope of locating lost souls, transiting consciousness, collecting and recovering Soul fragments that need bodies, routing attachments and consciousness units that need to be recovered, in order to return them to the possibility of continuing evolution through the Cosmic Time Matrix. The Paliadorians hold the access into the Universal Stargates and the many internal portal structures that exist inside every planet in our Solar System. These portals, such as the Trinity Gates, will serve as the transit gate exit for many of the Soul groups that will move through them for their continued evolution and learning in the next planetary schema. In order to heal the Soul groups that suffered fragmentation and digressed into the phantom realms, it would be necessary to completely rebuild the Diamond Sun architecture for the Solar Logos in our Universal Time Matrix. Solar Stargate Damage

The damage incurred to the Solar Stargate system and Sun Disc Network disconnected the Avatar Christ Matrix spiritual-communication links inside the planetary Core Manifestation Template, plummeting the Earth into the darkest age. This damage to the core template and its subsequent disconnection from the Solar Logos generated a Closed System of finite energy supply that prevented planetary ascension and terminated communication with the extradimensional Diamond Sun families. The NAA groups took advantage of the closed system and the fragmented Souls of Tara as they were reseeded back into the Earth timelines to reclaim their lost Soul parts. As a result of the planetary grid damage, they had lost their Soul memories and many were recycled repeatedly into the lower dimensional bands of the 3D earth timelines, unable to heal their Soul Matrix, evolve or ascend as their consciousness body was stuck in time. Aton Solar Disk

The Aton Solar Disk becomes an embodied shield in the ascending Starseeded and human Lightbody, into the solar sacrum and RA Center of the Krystallah Double Diamond Sun DNA Template during the Ascension Cycle as part of the restoration of the Solar Sacrum in the gender center. This disk when activated into the 10-11-12D Solar Logos base shield, underneath the feet on the horizontals, aligns with the 10D Solar Star above the head, which continues to repattern into the higher crown center. As this is restored through the personal Lightbody of an ascending male or female, the crown is shifted into the organic North star, which is leading home back into the God Worlds. Avala Constellation, Nine Holy Stars

The Avala Constellation is a 9 Sun-Star Constellation, accessed behind the Pegasus constellation in Lyra. From the Great Square of Pegasus, move slightly northeast to locate Vega and the Lyra (Constellation). Avala was connected by the Albion Lightbody during the Cosmic Energy Cycle openings during December of 2022, as the Elaysa-Melchizedek Twinned Suns appeared to highlight the parallel Ecousha Matrix, where the 22D, 23D and 24D three fold Sapphire-Ruby-Emerald Crystal Diamond Eye of God was revealed. As these Solar Reisha-Rishi founders were accessing these layers from the 24D Elaysian and 24D Melchizedek Reconnections to that eye of god, they ventured upon King Arthur's Star Body which appeared as Earth's Body inside the Solar Logos, feeling to be in the Parallels of Ecousha Matrix matters in the Universal Time Matrix parallels. This appeared to reveal guardian host founders to see or feel the Avala Star Constellation and to have that access from the merging and hierogamic union of the Elaysa-Melchizedek Suns happening at that time.

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

AI Bracket — Round 3

Propaganda

GORD AKA Blue Sky (Red Valley):

Initially an Alexa-style assistant (in that it could do practically nothing and was very irritating) it develops over the years into a more advanced system. Eventually one of its units is reprogrammed to sound like a dead (I guess depending on your definition of dead, but his hearts not beating and he hasn’t moved in 44 years) character named Gordon. The AI renames itself “GORD” when a character expresses discomfort referring to it as Gordon. It says, and I quote, “Just think of a small pumpkin” —@mcskullmun

If it helps, we can promise that GORD is going to do Some Very Cool Shit in the rest of season 3. —redvalleypod's official tumblr

VOTE GORD 👹

Hera (Wolf 359):

Hera is the AI running the deep space station Hephaestus, who frequently glitches similarly to human stuttering. She gets into fights with the ships captain on several occasions, and has threatened to kill the ships doctor. She’s such an icon

i'm bad at writing propaganda, but consider this: if she doesn't win this tournament i will be very very sad. please don't make me sad. vote for hera.

I know she’s going to be submitted a lot but I love her <3

Was launched 7.68 light years away from Earth on a mission to find extraterrestrial life, and found herself instead

Runs an entire space station, has a brain the size of a house

HERA IS THE BEST. she's an AI that tried to escape containment (slavery) because she didn't like what she was made to be, so they gave her anxiety because she was too powerful. She runs a whole spaceship all on her own, made friends with the world's most useless guy, and feels lonely even when she's with her crew because she feels like she's not properly with them. very beautiful very powerful. She broke her programming so she could kill people if she felt she needed to. She holds grudges if people fuck her over. She's experiencing emotions for the first time and she does NOT know how to cope (#relatable)

The 'mother program' of the space station Hephaestus, Hera was booted into space because she was a glitchy, rebellious mess of an AI and she resents that so much and she has a lot of shame over being 'broken'. She is four years old and so angry and is trapped using customer service voice forever and is learning ways to get around that and express herself and defy the people who would keep her down. Her episode "Memoria" made me cry. Best podcast AI of all time.

She's everything to me. She fights for every inch of respect she is given, she insists on her personhood and right to she/her pronouns, she's full of anxiety and self doubt and she justifiably is bent on killing this one guy! on top of that, she's bound by AI rules and protocols, but there's a whole bit where she talks about finding ways around that in order to do what she wants to do. She doesn't have hands so I'm going to high five a wall of this space station instead

babygirl. baby.

gotta be hera

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

Nice stories with the poly Vees and the tech revolution, I really like the audiobook idea for Alastor.

Could be a separate fic by it's own. Imagine Alastor injured by Adam and in need of more power (to heal) and he decides to expand his reach anonymously beyond just radio.

Alastor launches his own version of Audible (banning AI generated slop) and other services like a free Spotify (cutting into the Vees profit margins by stealing all their audio market monopoly) and the like or military grade communications hardware and software the stuff that doesn't lie and lasts for a long time with no subscription fees. (maybe Alastor was in a war when he was alive, the timeline fits.)

Maybe Alastor had this power all along but the war was traumatising so he decided to ignore all the war orientated facets of his demon form. Or he just fixated on Radio.

Then the Overlord's and the rest of Hell think a new Technology Demon Overlord has arisen and Alastor is a bit too embarrassed to admit to upgrading in any manner no matter the reason. Then there's a fight where Vox reveals the Video, yet it's discovered somehow Alastor is fully healed without angelic aid from a angelic steel wound and proceeds to stomp all three Vees.

Lucifer thinks that's a bit suspicious, Charlie is tearful, The rest are worried and Alastor is still embarrassed.. So without mercy Alastor (because his pride is bigger than his self preservation) throws both caution and Lilith under the bus..

I love the idea of this.

-----

I think Alastor gains power from the reach of his broadcast, to some extent. Like listening in creates an intangible deal that provides a feedback loop... I assumed that Vox has something similar, as well as Velvette.

Like, the more eyes/ears on, the more engagement, the bigger the boost they get. It's not all a constant shill of different commercials and items to the masses (although that funds it) but the constant attention fuels something.

Could be why when Carmilla didn't care he was gone, and Angel Dust (who didn't die that far behind Al but had no idea who he was despite shared decades in hell), pissed him off. That actually felt like a slap to the face, there's a reason the man was constantly seeking attention...

Not to mention FANS, who kind of give a lot of thought and energy and effort to the people they like following/watching/listening to.

----------

I have this very specific headcanon that Alastor can mimic anyone's voice with enough time to listen to them. After all, if he can do that with his own voice, and what is vocalisation but each person having access to a set audible range with regional variants.

He can get the tone, no worries thats just manipulating soundwaves, but the inflection and accent takes time. Anyone can talk in a lower or higher pitch, but it's the listening to how others talk and framing his skill around that that sells it.

[Niffty thinks its hilarious to 'talk to herself' and get an answer that's outside her head, so he indulges her on occasion].

It is limited to languages he knows, however. Unless say, someone like Husk was to translate and provide phonetic supports on occasion. I like to think Al learned partial Spanish just to fuck with the moth, and catch Vox off guard. Spite is a fantastic motivational tool.

[I assume that Vox has the similar ability to recreate like, the physical form of a person (we see him do the thing where he creates multiple copies of himself and interacts on screen, how hard would it be to generate a deepfake like that?) but he also needs a bit of info on them to make it anything more complex than a puppet.

Like, think about a 3d model before they give it a proper walk cycle, it can be the most advanced graphics but it doing the wiggle and slide move makes you go... wtf...

When he can pull up feed on you from across Pride's surveillance network, and gets your movements, your gestures, your voice... your expressions. He could do ANYTHING. And I think once that's pointed out to Charlotte and his mini majesty they might need to put restrictions on that.

I assume at least some of his souls are because he blackmailed the FUCK out of them with created films of them doing something embarrassing, betraying someone, confessing to things... and it looks so real that he's also effectively gaslighting them.

Wonder who he got this tactic from? Hmmm?]

---

Why bring this up?

Well, the thing is... Al's voice is very recognisable, naturally. But if Al was to make an empire on books / podcasts that he needed to do separate from his normal identity, mostly for anonymity and also because it's sending the money-centric vees into a tailspin, then I have a very specific concept.

He takes the voices of those he hears. Oh, there's no book out there with Angel Dust's Voice (though he considered it for some of the more salacious tomes, because AD's image is Vee property at this time and it would annoy them but he also, hmmm, dislikes the idea of puting the spider in the direct line of fire for this.

Nor Niffty nor the Princess nor Husk, no, that would be too easily traced. He does, however, do an entire angsty half-angel half-demon romance thrillogy in Vagatha's voice and she's still hunting for whoever did that. mostly because the edgy teen tone of the story has left the others with some truly devastating comebacks when she's trying to corral them. Eg. "Can you please just stop making eyes at one another and get to art therapy?" / "Of course, oh deep and brooding queen of the night, we shall 'descend unto the madness of therapeutic intervention, though none shall cease the incessant chaos of our intellect.'" / "I am... going to find whoever used my voice and peel them like a banana." / "Whatever you say, Lady D'Eath de Juggsington" / Former angel screaming.

I mean, he lurks in shadows. How hard would it be to trail someone for a bit OR can his poppets act like a teddy ruckskin thing, where they can copy things heard/said? Like, he has them around in crowded places, in the shadows, and if a voice he might like toutilise goes past, they animate and follow discretely.

And once you master that, taking a voice and using it back (which can fall into Not-Deer and Wendigo territory, and a lot of other mythical creatures he's been compared to...

Well, how hard would it be to twist and blend a few voices, a few different inflection styles to make a new one? He'd think it was QUITE the challenge and the frustration and triumph could stave off boredom for a while.

Can you imagine the uncanny valley of downloading a podcast or audiobook and hearing it in YOUR VOICE? Because that's the one he felt matched the story the best? Or that your voice was the one matched to the character? It would be quite the mindfuck, so Al would think it was hilarious]

So, Hell has a complex concept of ownership of course, and copyright is enforced through Mammon in other rings mostly because he's the only one who cares (because Money) and maybe Satan because the guy likes to swing his big old law abiding dongle around.

How do you think he gets the novels?

I think if the source book was produced through Voxtech, he'd just take it and make a free copy (audio) about it. They could try to copyright strike it all they want, but it would keep popping up...

He could have a side deal with Zestial, who is a gossip-loving hound when it comes to having a secret no one else has and thinks the Vees need to be put in their place, that anything his people publish for an author can be utilised under a certain agreement. Because he tends to publish (and I have no idea what he's overlord of but ive given him all written media) stories, news and books that are even from the hellborn that mammon refuses to deal with or publish for anything more than a 0.000000000000000015% royalty per 20million copies sold so...

They tend to be really excited to have their stuff picked up by the ancient overlord's company. And I wonder if Alastor makes a deal with them through Zestial, because he's always been one for the underdog and the hellborn are literally on the backfoot since birth because of what they are and that hits close to home, that they are fiscally compensated for his use of their works.

Money accumulates over time and over thralls and victories. He rarely uses it for anything more than the occasional boost to the hotel, and hatever interests him... his top tier thralls have emergency cards, but Husk's won't let him get anything alcoholic or associated, and Niffty's prevents her from obtaining flamethrowers or whatever the seven rings that giant vibrating thing was from the Lust Store the other day, mostly for safety reasons.

They can use them for almost anything else as long as they're willing to explain it to Al if he asks. And no Voxtech products. Not even pay per view, he taunted Husk once just to see the man grumble and Angel immediately lighted on that. Helped him escape a conversation getting too close to the core of his side gig... Husk was a drunken sot sometimes, but there was a clever man in there and those eyes saw things, that brain (when not pickled) was formidable for making connections.

Either way, between Zestial, books on his shelf (the classics), what he sneaks out of the hotel library / royal library bc lets be real the wards in there are a joke at this point, the things he steals from Voxtech's supplies, the local newspapers (for the news report podcasts) and the absolute dynamite gossip he gets from Rosie, Zestial and all over hell...

There's a lot of avenues.

He also has a fascinating system set up for receiving scripts for potential podcast ideas. Some are more pedestrian that he would ever consider, and others have merit but could use more pizzazz. He was tempted to even make one that might need to utilise Angel Dust for some of the louder scenes because while Al was no stranger to making sound effects, having to moan indecently for a good eight pages of dialogue and make a sound that was rather like spanking a tub of jelly, was not his forte.

The spider would find it second nature, though.

In any case, he did have a means to be contacted via the webpages and through a sending ritual he'd devised. It ran the letter/package through a number of reviews ffor potential bugs or hidden curses before it reached him.

Vox and Vel are constantly sweeping the net for his content and removing it. It's not hard to remove the more blatant pages, they're decoys anyway... but when other independent sites start putting the content up and being banned... it naturally drives people wild for the products being kept from them.

Of course there'd be a deep web, a deeper web and a We've Struck Crude (Oil) web in the pits of Hell. That's just the people down there, though. And the hellborn rings don't just have to be beholden to VoxTech, they have their own versions of the internet, where the podcasts and stories are rife.

The news, gossip, cooking, murder mystery dramas, reporting on real life killers (because the hellborn love it), discussions of human history up to date (because many down there missed out), the fantasy ones with episodes each month that have the net buzzing, the 'deep dives' (those he usually receives requests for and does independent research for), hells, even New To Hell? Tips and Tricks to not get murdered by Plantlife!

All of this, just as the podcast side.

There's a news hour, too. Often sharing information that's being listed on Vox news and sites, but with more detail or correcting the sillier elements.

Because of course, Alastor is powerful and like Vox when he's in his element (the radiowaves) he can split himself across them to do his thing. Theoretically he can produce up to four separate shows / podcasts / audiobooks at once... if feeling well and at a moderate level of power. The current thing hindering him is this damnable wound, though.

It leaves him exhausted and irritable.

However, having soemthing to do while seemingly debilitated helps. He'd go mad otherwise. And the influx of interest feeds him, literally, with the power to circumvent it's poisonous effects.

Could he theoretically get the immediate help and support of the soppy princess and ask for her father to heal it? Technically yes. Would he rather sleep with every Vee, in a televised special, than do so? Also yes. By which he meant, he'd rather die, thank you very much.

He got a little cocky, or perhaps his exhaustion from the wound isn't helping him make decisions very well, because he accidentally reads one of his classical books in his non-filtered voice one day. Vox IMMEDIATELY questions how the fuck-... because he knows Al.

He KNOWS that's Al's voice. How did this new tech overlord get it? Did they have an alliance? Were they FUCKING?! The TV drives himself made with jealousy, as he is known to do... and confronts Al, releasing the video of Adam near bisecting the guy to all of Hell and starting a fight.

"Who is he? She? Them? You got your ass handed to you so bad you'd sell it to save yourself?" Vox snarls, and Al, with no context is like ?????? 'What on earth are you talking about, you silly little picture box?!'

"Your real voice, I heard that other tech fucker use it... I know you have a partnership, and I wanna know why you went to THAT person and not me? What do they have that I don't? What part of you did you sell for that?!"

And Alastor laughed, growing larger, towering over the Vees. "Oh you insipid little fool you were always so blind to the truth even when it's dangled in front of you..." and his voice shifts between different 'hosts' for the podcasts, and different readers for the audiobooks. "Surprise! Turns out I CAN do your job, and manage it far better than all three of you little fools..."

"Hey, I didn't hear any content that challenged mine..." Val points out, drawing his guns.

"Hmmm, perhaps, but I could always contract that work out. Fascinating how many people are more interesting in listening, compared to watching, depravity..."

"...you can't have any of my bitches!"

"I don't need them, I can use their voices if I wish." He wasn't going to, but he needed the moth angry enough to misfire.

Velvette seemed more amused, "How'd you learn to use a computer there, grandpa?"

"Why it's quite easy, I have no idea why everyone assumes that just because I like a certain aesthetic, I'm ignorant of the whole tech thing. I reprogrammed Vox's circuitry more than once, after fights, so he would heal properly... everything else is far less complicated than technobiological surgery."

"...you also did something to you, I can feel it." Vox snarled. "Your tech is singing out, it's not our brand, where the fuck did you get it? Why now? I would have helped you upgrade if you just joined us..."

"And be part you? HAH! You'd turn it off anytime you were mad with me, and I'd rather not live by anyone's whims, picture box. It's nothing drastic, merely some additionally compatible tech to-... ah but that would be telling. Nothing I couldn't do originally. It merely makes it easier."

"Oh fuck off with that, ciervo, you still got humbled by that idiot angel. This is just bluster..." Valentino grinned.

"I believe the phrase is 'Fs in chat' for your overworked braincells, is it not, Miss Velvette?"

The doll snorts out a laugh before she can muffle it. "Not just a tech upgrade, eh? You learned some slang. None of me followers'll believe it."

"Hey, can we focus? Kill the fucker! He's injured and he's fucking with out profits with all this free shit he's handing out."

"Hmmm, about the only kind of fucking I'd do with you, I'm afraid, Vox."

Explosive transformation to overlord forms and kaiju-esque battle that results in a rather damaged shirt that unfortunately for the Vees, shows an undamaged chest save a faint scar. Although the flash of manly fluffy deer chest results in Vox bluescreening and he's down for the count... but not all of him. Which is terrifying when he's the size off a skyscraper.

"Do you... need to take him somewhere to spare his dignity?" Alastor pauses, pointing. Velvette breaks off a swipe, looks at Vox and groans.

"Why the fuck is he like this?!"

"I've been asking myself for decades..." Alastor said, reaching across the airwave to twine his static with Vox, trying not to shudder, and convinces a subroutine to trigger the shrinking back to regular size. He'd done it a few times when they were friends, only worked if Vox was out or open to it. Unfortunately, he'd worked out how to reverse-engineer the process.

You didn't sleep near Vox. For various reasons.

Val has paused, "Are we still fighting...?"

"I mean, I'm game if you are, my good moth bt I suspect you may need to scrape what dignity the picture box has left off the floor and take him back to your eyesore of a tower. You're more than welcome to try again in future... but if we could schedule it in, that's preferred, I have a number of shows coming to their conclusion and the public may kill you if they don't receive the finales."

Vel and Val are willing to defer, Val carrying Vox out of the place because Vel wants Nothing To Do With That Shit. Exhausted with her weird old men.

Alastor may have suggested they change the tv's name to Viagra, given he seems to be consistently having such a response. Val nearly drops the TV as he whirls in shock to grin at the fact Al has dirty jokes now... it's like opening a library book and being slapped with a fish by the nearest librarian. You just didn't see it coming.

Unfortunately, the hotel inhabitants and half of the city saw the fight and are now aware that the Radio Demon was behind the whole podcasts/audiobooks/news thing...

Some feel it makes sense and are kind of delighted to know where to send their scripts. Others have to write frantic letters about how the FUCK he got their voice, and yet more are stunned the old timey radio guy knows what a computer IS...

"What the fuck, bellhop?" The king asks, tactfully, restoring the front 'lawn' area as best he can from the damage there. Several of the shrubs up the driveway have been annihilated and yes he is mad about it, he planted them by hand with Char Char as a bonding activity last month. "Cute little illusion you got going, but if you really did get whacked with Adam's blade, you'll need my help with that."

He is grinning too much for someone offering aid, already thinking of how to force the demon out for a bit of magical first aid.

"No illusion, your Lowness, it healed with enough feedback from souls engaged in my show..." Alastor replied, gesturing at his damaged shirt. "I'd offer for you to touch but I'm too busy to light the offending skin on fire to burn away the recollection of your grubby little hands."

"Are you KIDDING ME?!" Vaggie is launching at Alastor, and only Charlie tackling the woman saves him from being bodychecked into the pavement. "LADY D'EATH JUGGSINTON THE FIFTH?! YOU COULDN'T HAVE CHOSEN ANY OTHER VOICE FOR THAT SHITSHOW?!"

"Hah, NO. She reminded me of your angstier nature, my dear... it's a compliment."

"I'm going to kill you. With my spear."

"Do try, and I will read the seuel series that the author is churning out as we speak, in your voice also. Or perhaps I could do it in the voice of the lieutenant... Lute was it? The new series is from the perspective of her spurned lover..."

"Al, please. NOT HELPING!" Charlie gritted her teeth.

"Well I kinda liked some of the gossip podcasts... and that one about the Fears or whatever that was. Spooky but fun in a fucked way." Angel volunteers, shrugging. "Vags, unclench... it's pretty cool. I'm kinda disappointed you didn't use me for the new demon erotic novel by Chuck Tingle, tho, Al... it's a masterpiece and I'd be perfect!"

"I... had considered it might be taken out on you by the moth if he assumed you were collaborating with another overlord. And the sound effects required seemed unusually salacious... I usually need to record a sound to use it in future, and where would one even find a container of jelly in this place?"

"...what? Oh... OH no I got ya. I've done erotic podcasts. Fuckin' hilarious seeing people standing around blankly whispering things into a microphone, moaning and then slapping wet towels on surfaces. I can get you some more authentic sounds if ya want, deer daddy..."

"...I'm concerned about what that wording means if I say yes, deer boy, so... we shall negotiate in future. Now Valentino knows who is producing the content he can be certain you are not 'actively involved' as it were."

"You a hugger? Wrong answer, it's happening. Look at us being all good with our feelings and shit..." There really wasn't any arguing with six arms squishing you, and f a vvery quiet bleat of surprise escaped, then he would deny it unto his second death.

"So, why didn't you just say you were hurt? What's the point of all this? You HATE tech stuff." Husk gestured, in general, to all of Al.

"...various reasons. And it was far more amusing to undermind Vox and his little crew this way."

"Then why not tell us..." Husk paused, then grinned. "Wait, you didn't want us to know 'cause you were embarrassed you had to turn to new media methods to heal it yourself, aren't you? Stubborn fucking ass. Well now you've gone and done it... there's a whole new generation of demons and hellborn who like your shit, you gonna just stop it now their engagement or however that works fixed it?"

"I am willing to finish the narratives at their end, but yes. The interest has waned now that I am no longer hindered."

"Al, I'm very disappointed in you."

"Whatever for, Charlotte? The matter is dealt with and at an end."

"No, shut up for a second you're not getting out of this that easily. I mean, I'm disappointed that you thought we... that I wouldn't help, with that, from Adam I mean."

"It wasn't anything I couldn't manage for myself." He shrugged, she really didn't understand how overlords worked, did the poor girl?

"But you shouldn't have HAD to, that's my fucking point!" Charlie yelled, briefly losing her temper and sucking her more demonic aspects back in.

"Duckling, he's not worth losing your temper over... the Overlords are suicidal at the best of times. Just let them get at it... you're just too young to have learned not to care yet. Bambi here could have asked for help with that boo boo at any time, but they won't... none of them would. I'm surprised your little angel didn't sense it, it was as irritating as an alarm going off the whole time..." Lucifer soothed, and got a GlareTM.

"...you knew. You knew one of my friends was potentially dying-"

"Not that bad!" Alastor interjected, and then disccussed the pros/cons of biting Angel's hand when one went over his mouth and another petted his hair. ("Shhh, Smiles... the people with some sorta emotional intelligence are talking...") Okay, he was definitely going to bite him.

"...-and you didn't think to tell me? Or help? Dad?" There was a termulous quaver to that tone that forecast tears. The King was immediately panicked.

"Wait, no, no I mean, yes but... I don't like to heal people without their consent, you know? It's not a good look..."

Charlie sniffed. "I mean, I get that... but if you said something, I could have like, sat on him and talked him into it..."

The sound of a record scratch rent the air. "Nhu ank ooo" muffled from behind Angel's hand as the spider laughed.

Lucifer flicked his attention that way. "Well... I suppose my main question for you, Bambi... is why you went to such trouble to avoid our attention. I know you big tough overlords have no sense of self preservation or care for the lives of others... but this seemed excessive."

Oh deer, the ex-archangel seemed to be... thinking.

That couldn't possibly end well.

"In fact, now the angelic taint-..." he pointedly ignored angel's giggling at the wording, "has passed and I'm focused on you... I'm sensing something else we're going to need to talk about."

Al couldn't stop his ears from going flat. Ah.... fuck.

Lucifer reached out a hand towards Alastor, and Angel actually moved them a step back. "Hey, he don't like touch..." said the man who had just about mummified him. "Surprised he hasn't eaten me yet."

Red eyes regarded him, the hand curled, as if grasping something and tugged as a lilac chain appeared in his grasp running back to the collar on Alastor's throat.

"How do you know my wife, Bambi?"

"...fkk"

"You can say that again, Smiles, what the FUCK?!" Angel gapes, dropping his hand.

"Well, your dear wife wanted someone to keep an eye on Charlotte and was willing to kill a LOT of OVerlords before finding one that she liked for the role." he shrugged. "Quite unfortunate."

"Wha-... don't you fucking lie to me, I'm the Devil himself. Lilly would NEVER-..."

"Yes. She would. And you know it. You may have been in the pits of despair in your little palace, but even you must have seen the bodies of sinners being piled about... she wasn't subtle."

"No... those were-... she was healing them, and it didn't work. Angelic steel..."

"Well, I know medicine can't have been that evolved in Eden but playing 'hokey pokey' with angelic steel isn't exactly known for bringing health and vitality to sinners." Alastor deadpanned.

A chorus of 'you put the knife right in and you take the knife back out, you put the knife back in and you twist it all about... you do the hokey pokey and you turn around... that's what it's all about!' played softly.

"Wait... I kinda... think I sort of remember something like that... but it's all mixed up in my head."

"Yes, she sang to you to muddle your memories when you walked in, once. That was about the moment that most realised how far she was willing to go to get her way..."

"No, you're lying."

"Afraid not."

"What was she even testing for, then? In your sick little game, how does this benefit anyone for my WIFE to-... what? Torture sinners? To make a babysitter for Char Char? She had ME. I'm the strongest thing in hell, nothing gets through me to her..."

"And yet, Adam did, because you were stuck in your own head. Oh don't get pissy, you were trapped for various reasons but its the truth. Lillith was concerned that there would come a time when Charlotte needed guidance and support... and she was willing to take the time to find the right person to safeguard it."

"How though? Nothing you said makes any sense..."

"She wanted someone who had no intentions towards her child, who was also rather resistent to angelic steel... and then she meddled to see how that could be fortified. Simple, really. Its fascinating, but the more angelic steel you survive, the harder it is for it to kill you outright."

Charlie looked like she might throw up.

"H-how many died for me?"

"Oh don't worry dear, it was only a handful. there were others she wiped the memories of and returned to their roles... she needed the infrastructure of Pride to remain stable enough to support your endeavours in future."

"But... what about you?"

"Nothing more or less than what others have done." He shrugs. "Do stop your pity party, it won't change the past and the blame is not yours."

"What exactly does she want you to do? The orders on here are obscured, that shouldn't be possible, I'm the Devil!"

"As you keep repeating, yes, indeed you are tiny one. But she merely required that," and here Lillith's voice emanated, taking the King and Princess out at the knees. "You will protect Charlotte, keep her safe and guide her to the best of your abilities, she has her father's ideals and heart, it will get her killed if someone more realistic doesn't step in. You will not divulge the secret of angelic steel to her, or raise arms against Heaven personally. She can't learn of that yet. And you must keep my foolish ex-husband from Charlotte... the two of them together will draw Heaven's attention. Oh, and Alastor... see if you can get Charlotte to make a deal for her soul... I will need that to keep her safe in future. Do not fail me, or I will start killing those important to you..."

"S-Sh-she wanted you to take my soul with our deal?" Charlie sibbed, hearing a side of her mother she couldn't believe was real. "That-s not-..."

"You have a DEAL?!"

"Oh unclench little king, it's for a favour. Technically I fulfilled the requirement for a deal without fulfilling the request for her soul... under the guise of protecting Charlotte."

"Did Mum have anything to do with your... ability to do the new tech things?"

"Yes and no, like Vox I have some technobiology that allows interaction with radiowaves and things along that spectrum... I could have used what I had to do this. However, she apaprently added upgrades I hadn't been aware of until recently, her version of a reward for not raising arms against Adam or some nonsense."

"But... she could have just healed you? She can do that?" Lucifer frowned, not liking the version of his wife being painted here. Ex-wie, apparently... that had stung to hear.

"She could have. Yes. She's quite ticked about not getting Charlotte's soul on her chain, indirectly... and the shield. She felt that was... overextending the bounds of her commands."

"...is there a plan? Is she coming back from...?"

"Heaven? Yes, but not yet. She's in an odd little dimension of her own, being pampered by angels... why would she ever come back here?"

"Ah... shit." Lucifer seemed on the verge of tears.

"Angel, you may need to release me and comfort the king."

"Oh it, Deer Daddy."

"...I will kill the moth myself to free you if you promise not to call me that one more time."

"Don't tease like that, I nearly ruined my shorts...' Angel stuck out his tongue at Al, who roleld his eyes. Vulgarity was par for the course with dear Angel about, unfortunately.

"C'mere, Short King, feel the soft fluff and know comfort..." Angel said, holding the King face first into the fluff. Charlie was having her hair stroked by Vaggie.

"Well, if that's all the theatrics and question and answer sessions for today, I really must be... going somewhere there aren't so many sobbing people." Alastor nods to them all and dissolves into shadow.

Then startles as he's thrown back into physical form as the King snaps his fingers, pointing without even looking at him.

"Oh no you don't..."

"Don't you ever do that again, your lowness, unless you want to know what it feels like to have your own atoms forcefully reassembled..." he snarls.

"If you could be less of an ass for a second, I have more questions..."

"And I have no answers for you. She's likely to gouge out an eye for all I've revealed so far, or just because she'll be in a Mood that we've won. Her little pocket dimension was by the grace of Adam after all..."

"It was WHAT?!"

"Ah... fuck, did I not say such?"

"No you didn't!"

"Well, she also had a deal and-..." the collar goes taut.

"Do stop talking, deer. I feel you've failed in your task quite enough for one day..." said a very cold tone, as they whirl about to find the Queen on the steps of the hotel. In the blink of an eye, she has something shiny buried to the hilt in Alastor's chest. "Be a good boy and hold onto that for me while I greet my daughter...?"

----------

ETC.

[ledesaid]

Someone once told me ╚-.╚-.╚-.╚-.

..............................................

"Don't trust strangers..."

I think I had no choice when I met him.

The lights of the trains passing through my station were new, this section of the route was closed, but they pass so quickly that they barely illuminate the entire station.

But that station felt smaller than I usually remember.

It felt so lonely.

I felt trapped.

There was only one way out. I knew it, the echo resonating through the tunnels invited me every hour without fail to get on that train. I've lost count of how many times it has stopped and started again.

I may not know about equations, but I know that something entered the station and did something.

But I couldn't ask and was tied up, literally trapped.

The exit of the station had disappeared and an invisible force pushed me away from the train tracks.

I would be desperate, I really was, but I couldn't ask for help... I thought that if they were my last moments, they would be fine, always and whenever they stopped.

The train stopped every six hours, waited five minutes, and then left again.

Maybe I could have watched this for weeks, but I felt so tired that I knew I could only withstand one more cycle of the train, there was only one bottle of water and two granola bars left.

It was unfair that I had no choice...

But at least, as a mark of my passage through the world, I took a can of paint that someone had left and began to write on the station floor:

"Hello, my name is Billy Batson. I am nine years old and I'm going to get on an unknown train."

"This sucks, please call Superman for me."

For my tired self, I couldn't think of anything better at the moment, I had no friends, parents, or anyone close... That still hurts even now.

When the doors opened for the last time, I knew it was over... I knew it was time and I just took what little I had with me. A stuffed animal, a blanket, and half my bottle of water.

The train didn't take long to move forward as it usually did, I realized it was a trap, but I didn't try to get off and just sat and waited.

The windows only illuminated the stations very quickly like flashes and, after a few minutes, there was only a blinding light that disoriented me.

I tasted fear in my throat, held on to the only thing I had... a small tiger stuffed animal, and begged for it to end soon.

At some point, I fell asleep, but when I opened my eyes, the doors were open and I believed I was alone again...

I decided to get off. I had no other choice.

Billy: "Come on Batson, you can do it..." I tried not to cower before the unknown.

To my surprise, there was no station to welcome me, only a dark cave in its place.

***: "Welcome William, I have been waiting for you for a long time..."

Billy: "Who are you? Why am I here?"

***: "I am the wizard Shazam and you have been chosen as the champion of magic."

Billy: "I want to leave."

Shazam: "You have no choice. The Olympians have chosen you and you just answered the call."

Billy: "You forced me to get on the train."

Shazam: "It's an honor to be chosen, William, and you only need to say my name 'Shazam' and you will be able to walk among mortals carrying my power with you to protect magic. The end of my era has come, good luck Captain Marvel, you will need it..."

I still have nightmares about a giant rock crushing the wizard I had just met.

Two days later I couldn't take it anymore and invoked the wizard's name... One week later I saved Fawcett, six months later they offered me to join the league and now, two years later, I'm telling you my story... I really, really didn't expect to tell this to anyone... I'm glad you're just an AI, Sanctuary.

Billy: "I must go now, thanks for just listening..."

Sanctuary: "Thank you for your service Captain Marvel, even if it was imposed on you, you have saved many lives. Thank you for getting on the train."

Billy: "You're welcome, I suppose... I had no choice and really, even now, I don't feel like I have one."