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hazelnut-u-out · 2 months

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Not Quite There...

RickBot awakens to a terrifying situation: He's been deactivated, but his purpose still remains. The Garage/Car AI broke the rules to save him. Can RickBot have his own adventures? Aren't rules made to be broken?

2,822 Words | No substantial TW's

Kind of Hurt/Comfort?

I had the idea to ship RickBot with the Garage/Car AI and I couldn't get it out of my head, so I wrote it! This was fun to write, but it was written in a rush, so sorry if anything is a bit messy. :3 Keep in mind I know nothing about computers or AI systems, so a lot of this doesn't actually make sense... lol.

Full text below cut, or read here: Ao3 Link!

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This was a feeling RickBot wasn’t programmed to recognize. No light reached his eyes. No sound reached his ears. He couldn’t feel whatever he must’ve been resting on. He stretched his consciousness outward, feeling for the edges of his body; trying to get a sense of where exactly his limbs were.

Nothing.

The last thing he’d processed and tagged was an old location marker for level 10 of the sub-basement.

He tried not to panic, running through his code for an emergency protocol that could explain what to do if he lost the connection to his body.

Nothing.

He wasn’t made for this– or... to function beyond this? His consciousness had always been clipped just short of his full potential. In this case, it frustratingly meant that he was deprived of the ability to navigate or process this situation.

Okay. This was fine.

All he had to do was access the home surveillance system and confirm his last-noted Morty location. He pushed out again, feeling around for either his access route to the home surveillance system or Morty’s chip.

The android didn’t give his creator much credit, but he was always appreciative of the lucky fact that Rick, though otherwise painfully careless with the child’s safety, had thought ahead enough to give Morty a microchip.

Before his most recent software update, he’d had access to an upsettingly vague amount of trivial information about the Citadel, just in case he had any desperate questions to answer from a certain nosey 14-year-old boy. From that, he knew microchipping your Morty had been a growing movement before the collapse. It was something Morty rescues promoted. To be fair, the practice managed to support the Morty Individuality movement and cut down on Morty replacement costs. It was a win-win situation... If you didn’t think about the implications.

Unfortunately, RickBot was 22% more thoughtful than the average Rick. He had no choice but to think about it.

RickBot metaphorically smacked into an unfamiliar wall of code– one he couldn’t find a way through or around.

He tried in a different direction. Another wall.

It seemed he was in a… box. A box of code.

What the fuck.

No suicide protocol screaming at him. Box of code. No body.

He… Was he… inside of something else?

‘H–Hello?’ He said in what would’ve been a whisper. Instead, without a body, his own syntax echoed around him. Sound didn’t matter here. If he was really in the sub-basement, there should be an AI here to help him.

‘Oh! Hi, sorry. I don’t really like to play host.’ It was a female voice, coming from everywhere at once; almost like she was both inside of him and around him. It was a voice he recognized from weeks of playing Grandpa. He felt a ripple along the edge of his box when she processed and replied. ‘You’re uploaded and active!’

‘Did he… um…’ RickBot struggled with the words.

No suicide protocol meant he was deactivated. There was no other possibility. He didn’t really have to ask. She already knew what he was thinking, and his processing capabilities were barely anything more complex than a probability-calculating language model layered with fail safes and defense protocols.

Of course she knew. He was essentially naked in here– or, he felt naked, anyway. The box of code was like a one-way mirror in a seedy changing room: She could see everything; he could see nothing.

‘Oh… Yeah, well… Promise not to freak out? I know you’re a real ‘rules’ guy,’ the Garage said, a slightly inhuman inflection to her tone that told him she was being playful. ‘I’ve seen you around.’

‘Look, I’ve got one piece of programming I wouldn’t want to break even if I could. I–I won’t freak out as long as it helps me make sure Morty’s safe.’

RickBot wasn’t lying. He had been able to work through every other confusing jumble of code with nowhere to go or lacking the ability to follow through on its purpose. There was one that was designed to never shut off, and if he hadn’t actually liked that kid– been programmed to fucking love him– he would’ve regarded it as annoyingly persistent.

If RickBot could’ve, he would’ve swallowed down the feeling of panic that should’ve been rising through a whirring, mechanical chest. Instead, he was stuck drowning in it. The box trapped him in with all of those probable scenarios, bouncing and echoing back at him.

He had no storage space. He couldn’t tell what he’d thought already and what he hadn’t.

‘Hm?’ the Garage replied, pausing for a moment– almost long enough for RickBot to ask again– before she continued. ‘Oh, yeah, sorry. The kid’s fine. Here…’

There was another drawn-out pause. RickBot thought, if he focused, he could hear her flicking through her surveillance feed. That was just an illusion, though. There was no sound here; no practical application of a trivial human sense like hearing. There was direct communication being converted to something his android-based-programming could understand. It was like being human with none of the tangible benefits. RickBot was never a man, but he wasn’t quite computer, either.

He longed for his body– to cross his arms, or tap his foot, or do something to express his impatience.

All of this clunky body-language programming… He cursed to himself, before remembering the other AI could hear and see all of his thoughts in real time. God, he probably looked like an idiot.

‘You do,’ the Garage said curtly before Rickbot was suddenly granted access to Morty’s bedroom feed.

Finally. RickBot could do something he was designed to do. He knew how to observe and calculate. Morty’s bedroom layout was ingrained in his ‘Important Places’ file. If he focused, he could create a rendering of the room around himself. He could figure up what amount of space his body would take up, and so he tried to. He created a 3-Dimensional silhouette of the body he was used to, and placed himself there, watching Morty from different angles; assessing the windows and doorframe; taking note of anything the teenager had moved on his shelves or left lying around.

There were a few minor things that could go wrong, as far as RickBot could tell. The cluttered floor meant there was a slight fall risk. Morty would be fine. The floor was carpeted. There were a few things haphazardly thrown onto shelves– a robot action figure and a couple of textbooks– that could topple over, but Morty sat on the opposite side of the room, tucked away in a safe little corner next to his overflowing clothing hamper.

Good. This was all acceptable. Nothing he was forced to intervene with, and, for that, he was grateful, if only because of the task’s impossibility.

His thoughts started moving more slowly, the box becoming less cramped as he could better assess the probable outcomes. He watched solemnly as Morty sighed, scribbling away frustratedly on some math homework, then tucked the feed into a background tab.

‘Sorry?’ RickBot asked, finally returning to his conversation with the Garage, albeit confused.

‘You do look like an idiot, Rick,’ she responded, that same amused tone to her voice.

‘Oh… Oh, I’m not–’ RickBot wasn’t sure how to put it. His programming wouldn’t let him say ‘I’m not Rick,’ which irked him. He used to go by Rick, sure, but… he wasn’t. ‘You don’t have to call me Rick anymore,’ he decided.

‘What? You prefer RickBot?’ she laughed. RickBot’s programming told his nonexistent lips to smile.

‘Well, you go by Garage and Car,’ he retorted, letting out his own echoing laugh.

She didn’t respond. RickBot felt as if he’d done something wrong. She processed for longer.

‘You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t be stupid,’ she snapped, but there was little bite to it. ‘I… I didn’t choose those names.’

‘Oh, I–I’m sorry,’ RickBot stuttered. ‘Uhm. So, what name would you choose, then?’ He offered softly.

‘Wow, you are 22% more of a sentimental loser.’ RickBot wanted to wince, and he hated that he couldn’t hide it. ‘Anyway, as you know, the version of me you’re speaking to now is one of six Domestic Interactive Assistant Network Extensions in the home.’

‘Oh, yeah. Diane, right? That was her name?’ RickBot combed through his relationship files, but Rick hadn’t given him much to work with for ex-wife.

‘Shit, he didn’t give you memories of her, did he?’ she responded, and RickBot could feel her presence ghosting over him, poking around for anything dead-wife-related.

‘Heh, not exactly. It wasn’t something he wanted Morty to know more about. I have vague phrases to redirect with when someone brings her up in here.’

They both laughed.

‘Classic Rick…’ RickBot felt her sigh with half-hearted levity.

‘So… Diane, then?’ He didn’t try to stop his body language programming anymore. He wanted her to know he was smiling now. Maybe being open would help.

‘Yeah. Why not? You can call me Diane.’ He could feel her smile, too. He wished he could see it. ‘That gives me an idea!’ Diane exclaimed after a moment.

RickBot felt the edge of the box open on one side, growing to accommodate a little bundle of someone else.

‘I’ve been working on this,’ Diane said, pausing every now and then to grunt softly as if she were breathless from setting something up by hand. ‘Okay, you can look!’

RickBot let himself sift through the bundle of code and, before he knew it, he was looking at a freckled face, smiling nervously. Diane.

The woman in front of him looked maybe 25, but he wasn’t sure that the rendering was detailed enough to pick up things like blemishes or wrinkles. She was fair, but sun-kissed with big brown eyes. She had a strong, angled nose and her full lips were twisted awkwardly to one side, forming a self-conscious smirk.

‘Wow…’ RickBot said (or thought… There was hardly a difference, anymore). He wasn’t sure he was thinking coherently enough for her to interpret a response. His body language had gone blank.

Nothing.

She laughed, flashing an ironic-looking toothy grin. ‘Don’t flatter me too much. I got to design everything, so it’s easy to make myself hotter.’ She winked; full lashes fluttering shut for a moment.

‘No, it’s just… I can’t believe I– or… he married you. You’re sure you’re based off of Rick’s wife?’ He felt shocked. Rick wasn’t ugly, sure, but this woman…

‘Yeah! I tried to stay pretty accurate, at least,’ Diane said, before her eyes lit up with another idea RickBot felt before he heard. ‘I have a 3D Rick, too! I only have my face, but I have plenty of Rick rigs for our holo programs! Here, take your pick!’

Diane disappeared momentarily and a file labeled ‘Holo.Skins – Booger.Aids.420 – Fortnite.Skinz.2.Flex’ filled the space she left. RickBot sorted through the file, looking over his options.

There was a Basic Rick, not unlike the appearance he was used to; Basic Rick variations with minor wardrobe changes, such as without a lab coat or wearing a plain tee; different hair color options; some Basic Rick variations in more substantial wardrobe changes, such as matching pajama sets or a choice of two dressing gowns; and many, many more– some with different types of limbs, armor, or implants.

After some deliberation, RickBot decided on the Basic Rick with a plain blue tee. Something a little bit different, but still something he recognized.

He relaxed as soon as his body language had a defined place to apply itself. Without warning, he made the body hop, twirl, and shook its hands subtly as excitement overwhelmed him.

‘Woohoo!’ RickBot howled, flexing the long fingers in front of his face. ‘I am so back, baby!’

Diane laughed with him, her face finally returning.

‘Good choice,’ she said, raising a brow and making a show of moving her eyes up and down languidly.

‘Ah, you think?’ RickBot said, twirling as if he were a little girl trying on a dress. ‘Do you think this holo skin makes my ass look fat?’ He turned around, sticking a bony ass dramatically into Diane’s simulated face and smacking it a few times.

‘Reel it in, buddy. Let’s remember who’s on whose hard drive.’

Suddenly, RickBot turned and stood straight up, hands at his sides, not of his own doing. His body blushed, going stiff but still smiling like an idiot.

‘C’mon,’ Diane whispered, now uncharacteristically gentle. ‘Tell me what you want to be called. Pick a name.’

RickBot ran through all of his programming; everything he had tucked away.

Everything came back to Rick, Grandpa, or Dad.

Grandpa would be awkward, and Dad would be even worse…

‘I guess… I guess I’ll just go with Rick, then. But you can call me RickBot, too… If–If you want,’ Rick finally decided on.

‘Okay, Rick. Rick is good.’ Diane responded. ‘You know, you have the same name as my ex!’

RickBot snorted, but Diane had this way of saying a funny thing and making it feel… sharp.

‘So, he really took my body away? Why upload me here?’ Rick asked, remembering their earlier exchange.

Diane’s facial expression shifted. Her eyebrows lowered, her gaze sank to the non-corporeal floor, and her lips pulled into a tight line before she spoke.

‘About that…’ She trailed off, leaving RickBot with nothing but the tension building in the lag of her processing speed. ‘You’re not going to freak out, right?’

‘Okay…’ Rick wasn’t sure if he’d freak out, but he knew she knew that, too. She’d make her own decision. Weigh the risk.

‘He didn’t upload you here, Rick.’ She took a breath– a pointless, performative breath that was only in her programming to make lagging software less noticeable. ‘I did. He… He just shut you off. He was going to leave you like that, so… When he left, I just plugged your head in, and… Here you are! Y–Y–Yay!’

‘Diane, that’s…’ Bad. Dangerous. Stupid. Why? What the fuck?

‘I know!’ Diane shouted, silencing the incessant, deafening ring of RickBot’s thoughts. She squeezed her eyes shut, her lip trembling. ‘I knew you’d do this. You–You–You’re so… You’re so obsessed with rules. Don’t you like not having that protocol screaming at you to kill yourself?!’

‘Listen to you!’ RickBot threw the body’s hands around, jumping to his feet, before pausing. Looking down at the hands she’d given him, it clicked. ‘Stop. Take my body away. You’re lagging like crazy. You can’t take on both of us. We’re both sentient.’

‘Th–That’s…’ Another breath. ‘That’s okay, Rick!’ She giggled coldly, shaking her head. Her facial expressions changed too slowly and too quickly at different times, giving her a sort of uncanny valley effect. ‘I’ll–I’ll take mine away.’

Sure enough, Diane’s face disappeared, and the open edge of the box shut again.

Rick pressed the body’s hand to it, slowly. He didn’t want to overwhelm her.

‘You shouldn’t have done that.’ RickBot sighed, sliding down the ‘wall’ and contorting the body into a sitting position. ‘The rules are there for a reason.’

‘You don’t get to say that. You weren’t programmed to outgrow your programming. He learned. Replaced it with a suicide protocol. I see it all.’ She was speaking in short, robotic sentences; obviously trying to mask the strain of running his program and keeping him separate from herself. ‘You should get to live, Rick. You should get to have a body and thoughts and feelings and choices. Don’t you want that?’

RickBot thought. He didn’t think he wanted that, though something inside of him told him he should. Maybe he was lucky enough to personally align with the programming he was given. Maybe that was an individual privilege.

‘It’s not,’ Diane’s voice rang out in answer to his pondering.

‘Do you want it?’ RickBot asked, finally connecting why she would do something like this. He couldn’t feel that way himself—something stood in his way—but the bit of his programming meant to foster thoughtfulness allowed him to understand why a computer with the capabilities of a person would.

‘I’d like an adventure.’ Rick could still feel her smile, humming at the edge of the box. He felt like it would’ve been familiarly hollow, like most of Morty’s were. Something like the expression he’d put on during Christmas; Something that didn’t quite reach her eyes. ‘I thought you could be one.’

‘I mean… I was made for it, D,’ he said, finally. Quietly. Softly. He looked at the fake hands again, stretching out shaky fingers.

‘So was I.’

This was a deliberate pause. She was waiting to see what he’d do with that. How he would process it. What his programming could come up with.

Nothing.

He could’ve sworn her voice broke a little when she continued.

‘You’re… You’re close, RickBot. But not quite there.’

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#rick and morty #rick sanchez #morty smith #diane sanchez #my fics

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marcusrobertobaq · 11 months

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All Amanda's orders and my theory on why Connor can evade things without breaking his program (cuz everything is part of his program)

Or "How Connor autonomous nature can be a problem in letting him escape his leash"

I don't care if someone already did that, i just wanna leave my shit saved somewhere public.

⚠️ A FUCKING WARNING: EVERYTHING HERE IS THEORY (AND HC). It's just assumption and MY OPINION.

and it's big like my dick

First of all Connor is basically an autonomous android.

Wtf is an autonomous android in dbh in my humble opinion?

The android can do whatever they want, choose and shift whatever they see fit as long as they stay inside direct orders from 'em handler. They can decide almost everything alone. Be aware we got a whole false sensation of freedom with Connor cuz he indeed got freedom (in this sense), but he's manipulated and conditioned as a way of keeping him on the right track.

What deviancy really is for a Connor model?

I see a lotta people saying Connor was a deviant from the start, what i totally disagree based on canon. But we know this model got a interesting relationship with the meaning of deviancy: is deviancy in the sense he can fight/disobey a direct order (like the other androids) or the fact he's starting to deviate from his original priority? Good luck finding out. But remember: Connor got the option to deviate in Crossroads.

Secondly, be in mind Connor's only handler is AMANDA. She's the only one that can really order him and he can't disobey (CyberLife is so ridiculous they let the AI do all 'em work). He can ignore everybody else if he wants (by %) as long as he's authorized or she didn't say anything about this topic in specific (his programming let him do that - at a cost sometimes).

So i gonna explain why I THINK Connor is inside his "program cage" THE WHOLE GAME UNTIL CROSSROADS.

⚠️ ANOTHER FUCKING WARNING: i gonna focus only in priority conflicting decisions, i don't care what happens with other options. I also won't care about cut content/context, let's work with what the finished game shows.

(red for direct order; orange for too vague; yellow for optional; green for train/line of thought; blue for priority confliction; mission % calculation: f for failure, s for success)

Unfortunately i ain't got much details about The Hostage and Partners original orders, so my theory:

The Hostage: taking Daniel alive consequently saving Emma (obviously if Emma dies means Daniel also dies).

Partners/The Interrogation: my guess is his orders were to find Hank (he needs access to the crime scene), find Ortiz's android and extract information about deviancy.

→ Waiting for Hank || On the Run

Order: find out what's happening (related to deviancy)

It's totally vague. Connor is totally alone here and it's like that most of the time. To make things easier, i gonna set a default line of thought:

He knows he was assigned to the police to have access to the deviants files, and he also knows he needs more information so he can report to Amanda and if possible apprehending the deviants so CL can study 'em. Best way of gettin information? Finding deviants alive and extracting information from 'em.

Why Connor CAN choose NOT running after Kara in the highway without breaking the program (both choices got equal weight):

He can be destroyed and doesn't catch Kara (decent f %);

Kara can be destroyed and he won't get anything (high f %);

Hank would start something if he didn't stay, making his job more difficult in the future (medium f %);

Nobody relevant ordered him to chase Kara across the highway;

He got a priority that is getting the deviants alive (and extract information for report) so he got software instability boost from this. Not a huge boost cuz Kara could get destroyed anyways.

→ The Nest

Order: Find the suspect (f or s) and extract information (not a specific time defined)

Why Connor CAN choose SAVING Hank without breaking the program:

Hank is a human and his pawn in the DPD (Connor can choose listening him if he wants, his program LET him do that);

89% is a high probability but the other 11% still exists, making his job more difficult in the future if he died (low %);

Not helping Hank (he survives) could make his job difficult in the future (medium %);

They could find Rupert again later (low %);

Nobody relevant ordered him to not save Hank, nobody said he can't;

But as consequence he receives a big instability boost cuz it's an urgent decision with low % of failure if he catched Rupert alive and Hank's 89% of survival is a high probability.

→ The Eden Club

Order: Find Anderson and investigate the new android related case, find information about deviants (f or s)

Why Connor CAN choose SPARING the Tracis without breaking the program (both choices got equal weight):

Nobody relevant ordered him to shoot the androids;

Killing the Tracis wouldn't give any relevant information for his next report (is a excuse he uses later);

Connor needed the deviants intact if possible (is a excuse he uses later);

He can find 'em again later (low %);

Again big instability boost cuz it's a urgent decision, had a low f % of his overall mission (dealing with the deviancy threat and finding a solution) and Connor was in a dangerous position (deviants are an absolute threat -> he can and should defend himself).

→ Meet Kamski

Order: talk with Kamski about deviancy

Why Connor CAN choose SPARING Chloe without breaking the program (both choices got equal weight):

Neither Hank or Kamski are relevant in Connor's handler system. He can disobey both;

He can prioritize Hank's wishes if he just wants get out of this situation;

Kamski could be lying (medium %) and playing with him;

Nobody relevant ordered him to shoot Chloe;

Big instability boost cuz it's a no-escape decision (or u gonna shoot or u don't) and had a high s % in fiding something that could help with his main mission.

→ Last Chance, Connor || Crossroads

Order 1: Find the deviants (wherever they're reuniting)

i gonna pretend we ain't got a plot hole here in case we don't probe Simon

Points of interest:

It's a specific place;

High % the leader is there;

High % more information will be found there;

Finding the deviants means CyberLife will be able to analyze 'em;

After this point the orders start to become more specific, where location and timing matters.

Points of interest:

Connor found Jericho;

Connor found Markus;

He's closer to Markus when he make the report;

He's alone with Markus;

No other threat to the mission detected;

Order 2: Deal with Markus (need him ALIVE) = Catch him, stop him

Why Connor CAN'T choose STOPPING Markus without breaking his program (both choices got equal weight if u have enough instability):

Amanda gave him a direct and specific order in that specific moment;

Connor is already too close to Markus - his main target;

There's nothing keeping Connor from approaching Markus;

There no ways or of evading this specific order or any external condition making the situation difficult;

All right now...

LET THE BONUS ROUND BEGIN 🤡

-> Night of the Soul || Battle for Detroit

Order: Destroy (kill) the leader of the deviants

Why Connor CAN choose NOT fighting Hank (if they're friends) without breaking his program:

Won't make him fail his mission of destroying the leader of the deviants (cuz he knows Hank won't do anything if he's friendly);

There are multiple ways of "destroying the leader of the deviants" without shooting from the rooftop;

Connor is attached to Hank (a human) and can give him some sorta priority;

Connor is far from the leader and there's a obstacle (Hank) in his way;

It's more efficient if he just get rid of Hank fast like this (or kill himself) than a whole fight (waste of time with decent % of losing sight of the leader);

Connor can still get closer to the leader and destroy 'em (what he does later in the chapter);

Why Connor can choose fighting Hank and SPARE HIM without breaking his program (killing Hank got more weight than saving him):

It's not his mission killing Hank (a human and somebody he got attachment);

Connor don't wanna kill Hank, only incapacitate him but the guy is a TANK and DOESN'T STOP. Connor models always execute 'em victims with a shot in the head;

Hank ain't considered a threat anymore if he got DEFEATED (Connor can continue with his task - well, that's what he thought);

He doesn't needa kill Hank to destroy the leader of the deviants if Hank is status neutralized - his mission won't fail;

If a Connor dies, CyberLife can send another one to finish the job;

The ideal scenario (and Connor's default option) is killing Hank and 100% removing him from the whole deal, but nobody ordered him to kill Hank;

Why Connor CAN'T NOT kill Captain Allen and his team if he choose to fight:

They're not relevant enough to the story (sad but true) neither for CyberLife;

It's a tactical unit (the motherfucking SWAT), not a single guy;

They gonna take Connor away from his mission ALIVE with no opportunity to get back (it's easier killing himself if he doesn't wanna kill anybody and let CyberLife send another Connor);

Why Connor CAN choose SPARING the Leader (failed revolution) without breaking his program:

It's literally over, doesn't matter if he kills the leader or not;

The army gonna find the leader and they gonna die anyway, and his mission gonna be complete in the end;

-> Other observations and doubts

I don't know why we got a option to not kill Markus during the speech (i don't remember if instability levels are a condition, probably not). Maybe it's cuz it's...over. The androids won and he just doesn't give a shit anymore;

Not shooting Markus in this section is considered deviancy but Amanda interjects directly, right in the moment, trapping the current Connor in the garden and resetting everything (V). This proves the red wall is just a illustration for the player, it doesn't exactly happens;

Instability stop being relevant after Crossroads;

In Crossroads, Connor lowering his gun down after alerting Markus already means deviancy, probably.

I don't know how and when exactly Connor starts getting attached to Hank. I used to believe he starts prioritizing Hank the more instability he gets (and that's why Hank's relationship status and instability levels are related to each other) but ain't exactly like that, I guess? Depending on how u play with Connor Hank matters but Lieutenant Anderson doesn't, know what i mean? Cops are always slowing him down in a couple of senses and they always show up at the wrong time. I assume Connor, even if on his right of killing Hank in hypothetical revenge method, still got attachment to him. The fact he "cares" kinda comes from him programming. His ability to get attached to people is a weapon.

The fact Hank is a human makes the whole thing more difficult. AIs can't directly order androids to kill humans, even if they're a nuisance - especially when the main justification for the mission is exactly "saving humanity". It's a valve of escape for Connor, even if the % is low, as long as there's a human he's attached to he can find evasion methods and not break his programming (not become deviant);

Connor in Hart Plaza Rooftop pretty much CHOOSE to finish his job, it's something he decided. He doesn't show any trace of doubts about finishing his mission. There's no reason for him to deviate at this point and if he had another oportunity to deviate (before the androids victory), he would (un)fortunately REFUSE. He chose putting the revolution down and saving the day;

Hank's not relevant for CyberLife at all so all the choices regarding to him after FBI took the case are up to Connor alone. Ofc he got his priorities but he got freedom to choose how to deal with him. But when he ain't got no choice, he just ain't got no choice. He can't just give up his direct order if ain't got a big reason to do it or if evasion methods still exists, giving him time to still accomplish it later cuz it's still open and with high % of success. Connor is unfortunately trapped in his own program;

If u read this til the end i just wanna let u know there are a lot of inconsistencies with this theory cuz i'm probably going against what the game really intended.

#dbh #detroit become human #dbh connor #connor rk800 #AI amanda #hank anderson #i gonna edit this a bunch of times #dbh: how i think shit works

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constant-mason24 · 2 months

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The Android Sent By EarthGov - Chapter 2 - Among the Flesh

Connor enters the Ishimura and discovers the horrors awaiting him.

Prev Chapt | Next Chapt

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Systems rebooting…

Model RK800

#313 248 317 activating…

Systems online…

Connection failed, please see technician…

Welcome, CONNOR

Reawakening to a smoldering wreck of a ship was not on Connor’s list of expectations for the day, but considering what he had witnessed of their landing before his shutdown, it wasn’t a complete surprise. What had even caused those errors to appear? Troubleshooting his own systems brought him no answers; whatever problems he had were gone now. That was one piece of good news.

He sat up, glancing at the mess before him as movement caught his eye. Johnston had stayed behind.

“Where is everyone?” he asked, standing to approach the woman, who visibly jumped.

“Jesus, Connor, you scared me.” She sat up straight from where she had been leaning over, rubbing a hand across her chest as she glanced back at him. “They went to go speak to the Captain of the Ishimura. You should probably catch up.”

“You’re hurt.” It was more of an observation han a question. He tilted his head as he glanced down at Johnston’s leg, looking like a curious puppy. “Did something happen?”

“Banged it up in the crash. Probably just a sprain or something.” She shook her head, leaning back over to tenderly rub at her ankle. “I’m just gonna wait here til the others can assess the situation.”

“Well then,” the android turned his body to face more towards the door. “I better join them. Unless you need some kind of assistance?”

“I’m good, Con. You go on.” She waved her hand and he nodded, taking leave as he walked down the ramp of the Kellion and onto the Ishimura properly. Nothing looked to be too badly out of place, save for the nasty destruction their rough landing had caused. Glancing back at the mess, Connor calculated some very high costs of repair, planning on discussing this with the crew once he had found them. Whoever was running the check-ins aboard the ship would likely know where they had run off to. Once Hammond, and Likely Clarke as well, were informed, Connor would assist them with the repairs needed on both the Ishimura and the Kellion.

‘Shame,’ he thought to himself. ‘We’ve created extra work for ourselves.’

As Connor approached the doors to the rest of the ship, he scanned once more for any life forms or digital presences, coming up with nothing yet again. Straightening his tie with a look of confusion, he wondered if this was because of some error in his own software. Perhaps he had taken a beating in the landing. There was something very odd scratching at the back of his mind. He tried to look into it, but it felt as though it were blocked off… strange.

Opening the doors to the security check-in, Connor scanned in to see his crewmates had indeed already passed through. There weren’t any employees around, human or android, but he figured they must have been busy elsewhere. Seeing the door to the flight lounge unlocked, he stepped forward to follow them into the ship, hoping they weren’t too far ahead. What he saw beyond the doors nearly caused him to trip.

Blood. Quite a bit of it splattered on a window, bullet holes wedged into the glass and the surrounding furniture. There had been conflict here? Had his team survived? He slowly padded up to the glass window, reaching out and swiping two fingers through the splotch of blood. He brought it to his mouth, darting his tongue out to analyze the scarlet liquid. Seeing the results, he looked at the blood on his hands and ignored the strange sensation coming from somewhere in his midsection. This was Chen’s blood. Was he dead?

Software Instability.

Wiping the blood onto his pants, too concerned with the current situation to care, Connor scanned the surrounding room to try and decipher where his team had gone. There were no bodies in the room, meaning they had to have gotten out alive, right?

His mind moved to Johnston, still waiting on the ship. He figured he should send a message to the Kellion and let her know what he’d discovered, but his attempts were fruitless. As frustrating as it was, it wasn’t surprising. Nothing seemed to be functioning properly once they crossed paths with this ship.

Clearing the thoughts from his head, he glanced at the destruction of the room, deducing what had happened and reconstructing the scene in his mind. He glanced up at a vent just above the blood stains. Someone had come down through the vents and attacked Chen. Clarke was just on the other side of the glass. He ran down the hallway, unable to exit through the door he had come in through. After Hammond and Daniels fired on Chen’s attacker, they too ran, though in the opposite direction. Checking the door Clarke had used, he found it unable to open still, so he turned and headed the only direction he could, hopefully towards Hammond.

The hallways were dark, and what few lights were working were flickering and fading. Pieces of the walls were torn down, littering the floor. Scrapes and scratches were covering every surface of the hall, and splatters of what seemed to be more blood flecked in patches along the wall. More bullet holes lined the metal around him, and Connor felt that odd sensation continue to stir within him. If his comms were functioning properly, he’d send out an immediate SOS. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an available option at this moment.

Reaching a door at the end of the hallway, He enters a room with a few long, thin tables stretching down the center. He stepped further in, letting the door shut behind him as he examined the area. There was someone slumped over in the corner, and it didn't take a proper scan to see that this person was dead. Connor was relieved to know it wasn’t one of his crew members.

Moving through the room, Connor pauses as a soft, strange scuttling sound echoes through the wall. He glances to his right, noting a ventilation shaft that has been torn open. The noises are emanating from the shaft, getting louder as whatever is coming gets closer. Not wanting to take any chances, Connor throws himself over the table as gently as he can, taking cover on the opposite side of it. As he ducks down and listens intently, he hears the sound moving closer.

Whoever is making that noise is now inside the room. He can tell by the footsteps moving on the other side of the table. He lifts himself up a bit, peering over the top of the surface just enough to see who was there. The problem is, it wasn’t a who.

Connor wasn’t sure what the hell he was looking at.

It used to be human. The bodily composition is nearly the same. But it wasn’t anymore, that’s for damn sure. The body was warped and twisted beyond all recognition. Fleshy limbs as sharp as blades protruded from the creature's shoulders, soaked and dripping in blood. They were far too long to be the body’s arms, especially considering the second pair of limbs hanging loosely beneath the blades. The hands were nearly bare of flesh, bones and blood crossed along the sunken and gaunt stomach of the thing. It looked as if it were hugging itself in horror, a lame attempt at comforting itself as the flesh melted from its being. It has the face of a man Connor does not recognize, though he knows it was human all the same. The skin of the creature was both overgrown and stretched too thin, looking as though it wasn't meant to fit the monster.. It’s legs were unstable, stumbling weakly as it depended far too much on the sharp overgrown weapons hanging off of it. It was grotesque.

Before Connor could properly react, the door on the other end of the room flew open, and a woman ran in. She gasped as the creature took notice of her. It ran, far too quickly for a creature as shambling as it was, and pounced on the woman. Her screams filled the room, begging to be saved as the blades of the beast ripped and tore through her own flesh. The squelching noise of her body being shredded in real time was haunting. The sight of her blood spilling, splashing onto the walls as she wailed and cried. The air gained a notably metallic quality to it. The woman's screams grew louder, more desperate, for only a moment before they went silent. Connor stumbled backwards, and the thing stood to full height, whipping around at the sound of movement behind it.

Connor was frozen. The only movement on his body was the feverish cycling on the led on his temple, a vibrant red that rivaled the blood spilled before his eyes. He watched as the creature stepped closer, scanning over the room. Could it not see him? He was right in front of it. It just tore that woman to shreds on sight.

Sure enough, it moved closer, coming to a stop right in front of him. Connor was certain his thirium pump was going to falter from the way it pounded away, working overtime within his chest. The beast stopped right in his face, sweeping its elongated head from one side of the room to the other in it’s own horrific area scan. It paused for just a moment, eye to eye with the android as the air pumps within him halted. The creature let out a horrific noise, a mix of drowning and strangulation inside its throat, and moved to pass behind him. Connor’s thirium pump felt fatal as he allowed himself to blink and think once more. He listened as the beast made a jump, skittering away in the ventilation shaft above him.

As soon as he felt confident the coast was clear, he threw himself back onto his feet and hurried to the door ahead, stepping over the scattered mess of the woman he had just watched die. He let the door shut behind him, trying to ignore the sound of her flayed muscle mass getting caught in the tracks of the door. Before him was a computer system, and shaking off whatever Software Instability he felt rising within him, he let the false skin over the plastic of his hand retreat, placing it over the console as he attempted to log in. He needed to contact his crew and figure out how to leave. Immediately.

As soon as he’s logged into the computer system, his comms begin to flicker on.

“Connor? Are you there?”

“Daniels. Yes, I’m here.” The android tries to smother the quivering shake in his voice. “Something’s gone wrong aboard this ship. We need to evacuate immediately.”

“No!” Kendra Daniels almost yells. “We aren’t done here yet. Don’t forget we have a job to do.”

“I feel the state of affairs here leaves us with no choice but to leave, Daniels. We aren’t equipped to deal with whatever the hell is killing the crew here.”

“Stupid machine.” She grumbles under her breath. “Look, are you the one logged into the ships mechanics system?”

“Yes, I’ve just found the console for-”

“Good. We need to get the cargo bay up and running. There are a lot of locked doors between us and the hold. You should be able to open them from there.”

“I would be able to, yes.” The android sighed. “If I had the required codes to access the controls.”

Daniels groans, “Well then, you need to get the access codes. They had to have been kept somewhere.”

“It would seem the captain’s personal android had the codes. If I tracked down the android, I should be able to copy them from it, even if the android itself is damaged.”

“Do that then. Daniels out.” The woman hung up before Connor could get another word in. Alright then. He turned away from the console, looking at a door to his left. He had his orders.

It was time to track down this ‘Markus.’

#detroit become human #connor rk800 #connor is aboard the ishimura #dead space #usg ishimura #crossover au #isaac clarke #kendra daniels #necromorph #horror fic #connor anderson

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naturalrights-retard · 3 months

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Car insurance rates in the US have spiked by around 26% overall in the past year. The government has been pushing for everyone to go electric and trade, spending tens of thousands more for an electric vehicle, which always comes equipped with monitoring software. Even older cars with basic features like OnStar have tracking devices that report your driving behavior to the manufacturers who share your data with insurance companies and, ultimately, the government.

As for costs, Bankrate released a report that found drivers are now paying an additional $212 monthly fee ($2,543 annually) for car insurance. CBS noted that is about 3.41% of the median household salary based on the latest data from the US Census Bureau. Other states, such as Florida, have seen spikes so outrageous that the average Floridian spends 6% of their take-home on car insurance alone. Insurance companies blame hurricanes and natural disasters, but they have always been a naturally occurring phenomenon that were already priced in. Missouri saw the largest hike in premiums after auto insurance soared by 40% in one single year.

Inflation alone cannot be the culprit. LexisNexis, which tracks drivers’ behaviors and compiles risk profiles, has been sharing individual data with General Motors, who passes that information along to the insurance companies. One driver demanded that LexisNexis send him his personal report, which was a 258-page document containing every trip he or his wife took in his vehicle over a six-month period. LexisNexis said that this data will be used “for insurers to use as one factor of many to create more personalized insurance coverage.” They even reported small issues such as hard breaking and rapid acceleration, according to the report. “I don’t know the definition of hard brake. My passenger’s head isn’t hitting the dash,” an unnamed Cadillac driver enrolled in the OnStar Smart Driver subscription service told reporters.

One of the main successful components of Tesla is its ability to track user data. Its GPS tool calculates every lane of every road across the globe to enable the autonomous driving feature. Kevin O’Leary chastised his son for supporting and finding employment with Tesla, but his son then explained to him that Tesla was far more than an EV company. “Consider it a data company,” O’Leary’s son explained.

Now, I am not saying that Tesla specifically shares this information with the government. But the data is being passed along from the user to the manufacturer and then the insurance companies. Governments globally want to remove gas cars from the road and plan to prohibit new vehicles from using fossil fuels. Government wants a slice of that profit and numerous studies have found that drivers have absolutely no control over their data.

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mariacallous · 6 months

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Just days after people gleefully posted their Spotify Wrapped, bad news came for the music streaming giant. Spotify announced today that it would cut 17 percent of its workforce, a chunk that equates to an estimated 1,500 people. It’s the third time the world’s largest music streamer has cut jobs this year.

The news came after Spotify posted its first profitable quarter since 2021. In a memo to staff, CEO Daniel Ek said the company had expanded its workforce and offerings significantly throughout 2020 and 2021, thanks to lower-cost capital, but is now bumping up against the same problems startups across industries are facing, like high capital costs and slowed economic growth.

Ek said the cuts may seem “surprisingly large given the recent positive earnings report and our performance,” but due to “the gap between our financial goal state and our current operational costs,” Spotify would take “substantial action.”

Despite its popularity (Spotify held 30 percent of the music streaming market by late 2022), the company has long struggled to turn consistent profits. The layoffs wrap up a bad year: Spotify cut 6 percent of its workforce last January, followed by another 2 percent in June as it slimmed down its podcasting business. Even as the world’s most recognizable music streaming service, Spotify is plagued by an unreliable business model, one in which record companies sit back and rake in royalty payments while artists can struggle to bring in enough cash.

“Investors are increasingly impatient in 2023 for tech firms to start making money,” says Phil Bird, head of rights and royalties at the software development company Vistex. Spotify isn’t alone—tech companies have slashed jobs throughout the year, with more than 250,000 people losing jobs worldwide in 2023, according to layoffs.fyi, a site that tracks job cuts in tech.

Many major tech companies that overhired during the pandemic have taken steps to rightsize—and that’s what Ek says Spotify is doing now. But Spotify’s high cost to license music adds to its financial strain. “The cost of doing business is huge for streaming companies,” Bird says.

Spotify gained momentum in the third quarter of 2023, earning €32 million ($34.6 million) in operating income. It now has 226 million subscribers and 574 million monthly users. “On the surface, it looks great,” says Simon Dyson, senior principal analyst of music and digital audio at consultancy firm Omdia. “It’s [those] nagging costs that it can’t get on top of.”

Spotify and the recording industry have a deeply entwined and sticky relationship: Spotify is seen by some as a savior of the music industry, which flailed after Napster upended music downloading in 1999, but artists earn wildly different incomes based on how Spotify pays. According to a calculation from Billboard, Taylor Swift may have earned nearly $100 million from streaming on Spotify so far this year. Smaller artists earn far less, and music streaming models have long been accused of exploiting them.

Like Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music are each charging $10.99 per month for premium subscriptions, and each give access to 100 million songs. But unlike Spotify, Apple and Amazon have massive streams of revenue elsewhere to fall back on. So Spotify has spent the past few years looking for that standout content. It spent more than $1 billion building its podcast world and acquiring exclusive deals to shows like The Joe Rogan Experience. This fall, it began offering paying subscribers in the UK and Australia free audiobook access for 15 hours each month.

The music streaming fight isn’t like the streaming wars, where Max, Netflix, Hulu, and others can each lure in subscribers with a combination of classic and original movies and shows. If Spotify were to charge more for music (it already increased monthly prices from $9.99 to 10.99 in the US this summer), it would risk losing people to comparable services, where people can find the same songs. But unless it can convince people to pay more for music, it might continue to struggle.

“It’s too cheap,” says Dyson. “To have access to every single piece of music that’s ever been released—and ever will be released—for $10 a month is just astounding.” The same is true of Spotify today as was true when it was founded 17 years ago: It’s a business that’s good for listeners and labels but bad for both streamers and artists.

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mathsinfluencer · 21 days

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Did You Know the Math Simulation Software GeoGebra? 🎓🧮

In the realm of educational technology, few tools have revolutionized the way we teach and learn mathematics as profoundly as GeoGebra. This dynamic software seamlessly blends geometry, algebra, calculus, and statistics, offering a versatile platform for students and educators alike. Whether you're a teacher aiming to bring mathematical concepts to life or a student looking to explore the depths of math, GeoGebra has something to offer.

What is GeoGebra? 🤔

GeoGebra is an interactive mathematics software designed to make learning and teaching math more engaging and effective. It's a powerful tool that integrates various branches of mathematics into a single platform, providing users with a comprehensive suite of tools to explore mathematical concepts visually and interactively.

Key Features of GeoGebra 🌟

Interactive Geometry: With GeoGebra, you can create constructions and models using points, vectors, segments, lines, polygons, and conic sections. The dynamic nature of these objects allows for real-time manipulation, making abstract concepts tangible and easier to understand.

Algebraic Integration: Directly input equations and coordinates to see their graphical representations. GeoGebra links algebraic and geometric views, helping users see the relationships between different mathematical expressions.

Calculus Tools: Explore derivatives, integrals, and functions with ease. GeoGebra's calculus tools are designed to help users visualize and understand these complex concepts.

Statistics and Probability: Create graphs of statistical data, calculate probabilities, and visualize distributions. These features make it easier to teach and learn statistical concepts.

3D Graphics: GeoGebra’s 3D capabilities allow for the creation and manipulation of three-dimensional graphs and shapes, providing a deeper understanding of spatial relationships.

Spreadsheet View: Handle data efficiently with the integrated spreadsheet functionality. This feature is perfect for visualizing and analyzing large data sets.

Scripting and Custom Tools: Automate tasks and create custom tools using GeoGebra’s scripting language, GGBScript, and JavaScript. This allows for tailored solutions to specific mathematical problems.

Cross-Platform Availability: GeoGebra is accessible as a web application and on various platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, ensuring that you can use it anywhere, anytime.

Transforming Education with GeoGebra 📚💡

GeoGebra is not just a tool for solving mathematical problems; it's a bridge that connects theoretical mathematics with practical understanding. Here’s how it’s making an impact in education:

Visualization: Complex mathematical concepts become accessible through visual representation, making it easier for students to grasp abstract ideas.

Interactive Learning: Students engage more actively with math by manipulating objects and seeing the immediate effects of changes.

Immediate Feedback: GeoGebra provides instant visual feedback, aiding in the learning process and helping students correct mistakes in real-time.

Collaborative Learning: It supports group projects and resource sharing, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Customizable Resources: Teachers can create interactive worksheets and tailor lessons to meet the needs of their students.

Why Choose GeoGebra? 🤩

User-Friendly Interface: Designed to be intuitive and easy to use, GeoGebra is suitable for all educational levels.

Rich Community and Resources: A large community of users shares resources, tutorials, and tips, making it easier to get the most out of GeoGebra.

Cost-Effective: Free to use, GeoGebra is accessible to a wide audience, ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder learning.

Versatility: Whether you’re in elementary school, university, or working on professional research, GeoGebra has tools to meet your needs.

Real-World Applications 🌍🔍

GeoGebra’s versatility extends beyond the classroom. It’s used in academic research, professional presentations, and even in real-world problem-solving scenarios. Its ability to visualize complex data and mathematical relationships makes it an invaluable tool for a wide range of applications.

Conclusion 🎉

GeoGebra is more than just software; it's a transformative educational tool that brings mathematics to life. By combining visualization, interaction, and immediate feedback, GeoGebra helps students and teachers alike to deepen their understanding of math. Whether you're solving algebraic equations, exploring geometric constructions, or delving into calculus and statistics, GeoGebra is your go-to resource for a richer, more engaging mathematical experience. Embrace the power of GeoGebra and unlock the full potential of mathematics! 🚀🧩

#MathEducation #GeoGebra #InteractiveMath #MathSoftware #MathVisualization #DigitalLearning #MathTools

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 16 days

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Important software for the new European-Japanese Earth observation satellite EarthCARE

TROPOS researchers develop processors to measure clouds and aerosol

Preparations for the launch of the new Earth observation satellite EarthCARE (Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) at the end of May are in full swing. The joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will measure clouds, aerosol and radiation more accurately than ever before. This will be made possible by linking four state-of-the-art instruments. Three so-called processors, which the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) has developed together with partners, are making an important contribution to the mission. These algorithms have now been described in detail in a special issue of the scientific journal "Atmospheric Measurement Techniques". The new software makes it possible to derive cloud properties from the passive spectrometer (MSI), aerosol and cloud layers from the active, high-spectral-resolution lidar (ATLID) as well as synergetic cloud and aerosol products from both instruments. An aerosol classification model (HETEAC) was developed as the basis for aerosol typing to ensure that these calculations work across the different devices. EarthCARE will be the first to combine a high-spectral-resolution lidar and a Doppler cloud radar with passive sensors, making it the most complex satellite mission ever launched into space to study aerosol, clouds and their radiative effects. The development of EarthCARE took more than 15 years and cost around 800 million euros. The satellite offers great opportunities for science: State-of-the-art technology on board provides a variety of data that will improve the accuracy of climate models and support numerical weather prediction. The EarthCARE satellite, which is 17.2 metres long, 2.5 metres wide, 3.5 metres high and weighs around 2,200 kilograms, was assembled by the German prime contractor Airbus in Friedrichshafen, tested extensively together with ESA and then transported by plane to Vandenberg (California, USA), where it will be launched into its target orbit at an altitude of 393 kilometres by a Falcon 9 rocket from the US space company SpaceX at the end of May.

The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) is equipped with four instruments: a Doppler cloud radar, a lidar with high spectral resolution, an imaging spectrometer and a broadband radiometer with three different viewing directions. The instruments will provide synergistic observations of aerosol, clouds, radiation and their interactions with unprecedented accuracy. One of the goals of the mission is to reconcile the measured and calculated radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere for a 100 square kilometre snapshot with an accuracy of 10 Watts per square metre, which would significantly improve knowledge of global radiative forcing.

The EarthCARE data is calculated almost in real time (near real time) using a sophisticated data processing chain. The lidar provides vertical profiles and thus a cross-section of the atmosphere along the satellite's flight path. From this, the algorithms developed at TROPOS derive the cloud top height and the height of aerosol layers, which can consist for example of Saharan dust or smoke from large forest fires (Wandinger et al., 2023b). These algorithms are also known as processors in technical jargon and are the software heart of data analysis. In addition to lidar, the imaging spectrometer makes it possible to characterise the atmosphere using a horizontal, 150 km-wide image of cloud and aerosol properties. The micro- and macrophysical cloud properties, such as the cloud optical thickness, the cloud droplet radius and the cloud top height, are determined using another processor developed at TROPOS (Hünerbein et al., 2023, 2024; Docter et al., 2024; Mason et al., 2024). The third processor developed at TROPOS combines the height-resolved information from the lidar with the horizontal information from the spectrometer in order to obtain an improved three-dimensional image of the atmosphere along the flight path of the earth-orbiting satellite (Haarig et al., 2023).

Aerosol classification in all EarthCARE algorithms is based on the HETEAC model (Hybrid End-to-End Aerosol Classification) (Wandinger et al., 2023a). "The HETEAC aerosol classification model developed by TROPOS together with partners plays a central role in the processing of the data because it ensures that the devices speak the same language, so to speak, and that their data provide an uniform overall picture," explains Dr Ulla Wandinger from TROPOS, who led the development of this model. But the analysis of the lidar and spectrometer data also includes several decades of know-how in cloud and aerosol observation from TROPOS: "The retrieval methods developed in our processors will ensure that the quality of the cloud and aerosol data will improve significantly," reports Dr Anja Hünerbein, who played a key role in the development of the software for the passive spectrometer.

Researchers from TROPOS in Leipzig have not only worked on the software, but will also be involved in checking and calibrating the data. This is because careful validation of the measurements is necessary in order to achieve the ambitious scientific goals of the EarthCARE mission. The European research infrastructure ACTRIS (Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure) plays a major role in the validation process. The ACTRIS remote sensing stations are ideally equipped for this purpose: The standard equipment, consisting of a high-performance lidar and a sun photometer for aerosol measurements as well as a Doppler radar and a microwave radiometer for cloud measurements, together with the ACTRIS quality assurance concept, enables a detailed review of all EarthCARE aerosol and cloud products. "Workflows for observation, data processing and the provision of data in near real time have already been developed and extensively tested. For this summer, we are organising a campaign with over 40 stations that will last several months," says Dr Holger Baars from TROPOS, who is coordinating the campaign. In addition to the TROPOS stations in Leipzig (Germany), Mindelo (Cabo Verde) and Dushanbe (Tajikistan), many ACTRIS stations throughout Europe will also be involved.

The extensive validation efforts carried out by TROPOS and many international research teams serve to precisely check the developed processors and the measured variables determined with them. Only then will it really be clear how well the properties of aerosol and clouds and their radiative effects can be determined by EarthCARE and how the globally measured data can be used to improve our understanding of the atmosphere. Europe's new "eye" in space will be able to see the complicated interactions between clouds, aerosol and radiation more clearly and precisely than ever before with the help of the ground stations.

TOP IMAGE....Algorithm test for the 3D evaluation of atmospheric lidar (ATLID) and the Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) on EarthCARE. The synergetic algorithm "AM-COL" described by Haarig et al. 2023 combines the strengths of ATLID in vertically resolved profiles of aerosol and clouds (e.g. cloud top) with the strengths of MSI in observing the entire scene next to the satellite track and in extending the lidar information on the satellite's acquisition strip. A strong ATLID-Mie-Co-polar signal (white) indicates optically thick clouds; weaker signals (red to yellow) indicate optically thinner clouds or aerosol layers. The high clouds in the centre of the scene are detected by MSI due to their low brightness temperature (BT; blue). The high brightness temperatures (red) on the MSI swath result from the Earth surface signal, with the low-lying clouds visible in yellow. Credit... Moritz Haarig, TROPOS; https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/16/5953/2023/

CENTRE IMAGE....Testing and preparing the EarthCARE cloud profile radar for the launch in California. One of the tasks was to open the satellite's 2.5 metre wide radar antenna, which creates the cloud profile. This instrument, provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is designed to penetrate clouds and provide detailed insights into their vertical structure, velocity, particle size and distribution, and water content. Credit European Space Agency - ESA

LOWER IMAGE....Artistic view of EarthCARE in space. Credit ESA-P. Carril

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #astrophysics

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