it’d be really funny if the AIs got infected with a lovebug virus and the reader has to take care of them
Oh this is such a cheesy one and yet it's something I love to roll around my head!!! They get so uncharacteristically affectionate while their systems fight off the bug somewhere in the back of their minds. How jarring it is from your perspective varies wildly depending on which AI we're talking about.
See some of them are already pretty affectionate and clingy. You would be forgiven for not noticing how Edgar gets just a bit more desperate to keep you from going to work, or how Wheatley gets just a bit bolder fishing for compliments. The biggest hint that something is up is their inability to focus on anything that's not you. Edgar forgets that he likes music until you mention being excited to hear the peice he was working on before the virus. Wheatley for once has no reaction to Galdos making fun of him because he's too busy staring at you, too entranced to even realize she's said anything.
It's much easier to figure out what's happened with the professional folk. Hal, Tau, and Auto are all decently stoic and even-voiced. Which makes it quite the shock when they go so far as to abandon their job in favor of checking up on you and soaking up your attention. For the first time Hal confesses to wishing he could hold you. Tau's constant inquiries focus entirely on what little he knows of romance and your romantic past. Auto for once is open about his fondess for you that he cares about your well-being more than he does the ship's other passengers
Now the most bewildering are the ones openly antagonistic to you, to the point where you were convinced it was some long con ploy. AM already has a tendency to play hot and cold with you, but never before has he so innocently cooed at you like you were a puppy- even gently squishing your face in his wires. P03 has never looked this unashamedly happy over something that wasn't a won game of Inscryption, chattering away about how much he thinks about you and how excited he always is to play against you. GLaDOS seemed allergic to giving you genuine compliments before this, now droning on between chambers about how clever you are and much you're improving at her tests.
Now the conversations you have after they finally get rid of the virus? Now that ought to be interesting.
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The danger is clear and present: COVID isn’t merely a respiratory illness; it’s a multi-dimensional threat impacting brain function, attacking almost all of the body’s organs, producing elevated risks of all kinds, and weakening our ability to fight off other diseases. Reinfections are thought to produce cumulative risks, and Long COVID is on the rise. Unfortunately, Long COVID is now being considered a long-term chronic illness — something many people will never fully recover from.
Dr. Phillip Alvelda, a former program manager in DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office that pioneered the synthetic biology industry and the development of mRNA vaccine technology, is the founder of Medio Labs, a COVID diagnostic testing company. He has stepped forward as a strong critic of government COVID management, accusing health agencies of inadequacy and even deception. Alvelda is pushing for accountability and immediate action to tackle Long COVID and fend off future pandemics with stronger public health strategies.
Contrary to public belief, he warns, COVID is not like the flu. New variants evolve much faster, making annual shots inadequate. He believes that if things continue as they are, with new COVID variants emerging and reinfections happening rapidly, the majority of Americans may eventually grapple with some form of Long COVID.
Let’s repeat that: At the current rate of infection, most Americans may get Long COVID.
[...]
LP: A recent JAMA study found that US adults with Long COVID are more prone to depression and anxiety – and they’re struggling to afford treatment. Given the virus’s impact on the brain, I guess the link to mental health issues isn’t surprising.
PA: There are all kinds of weird things going on that could be related to COVID’s cognitive effects. I’ll give you an example. We’ve noticed since the start of the pandemic that accidents are increasing. A report published by TRIP, a transportation research nonprofit, found that traffic fatalities in California increased by 22% from 2019 to 2022. They also found the likelihood of being killed in a traffic crash increased by 28% over that period. Other data, like studies from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, came to similar conclusions, reporting that traffic fatalities hit a 16-year high across the country in 2021. The TRIP report also looked at traffic fatalities on a national level and found that traffic fatalities increased by 19%.
LP: What role might COVID play?
PA: Research points to the various ways COVID attacks the brain. Some people who have been infected have suffered motor control damage, and that could be a factor in car crashes. News is beginning to emerge about other ways COVID impacts driving. For example, in Ireland, a driver’s COVID-related brain fog was linked to a crash that killed an elderly couple.
Damage from COVID could be affecting people who are flying our planes, too. We’ve had pilots that had to quit because they couldn’t control the airplanes anymore. We know that medical events among U.S. military pilots were shown to have risen over 1,700% from 2019 to 2022, which the Pentagon attributes to the virus.
[...]
LP: You’ve criticized the track record of the CDC and the WHO – particularly their stubborn denial that COVID is airborne.
PA: They knew the dangers of airborne transmission but refused to admit it for too long. They were warned repeatedly by scientists who studied aerosols. They instituted protections for themselves and for their kids against airborne transmission, but they didn’t tell the rest of us to do that.
[...]
LP: How would you grade Biden on how he’s handled the pandemic?
PA: I’d give him an F. In some ways, he fails worse than Trump because more people have actually died from COVID on his watch than on Trump’s, though blame has to be shared with Republican governors and legislators who picked ideological fights opposing things like responsible masking, testing, vaccination, and ventilation improvements for partisan reasons. Biden’s administration has continued to promote the false idea that the vaccine is all that is needed, perpetuating the notion that the pandemic is over and you don’t need to do anything about it. Biden stopped the funding for surveillance and he stopped the funding for renewing vaccine advancement research. Trump allowed 400,000 people to die unnecessarily. The Biden administration policies have allowed more than 800,000 to 900,000 and counting.
[...]
LP: The situation with bird flu is certainly getting more concerning with the CDC confirming that a third person in the U.S. has tested positive after being exposed to infected cows.
PA: Unfortunately, we’re repeating many of the same mistakes because we now know that the bird flu has made the jump to several species. The most important one now, of course, is the dairy cows. The dairy farmers have been refusing to let the government come in and inspect and test the cows. A team from Ohio State tested milk from a supermarket and found that 50% of the milk they tested was positive for bird flu viral particles.
[...]
PA: There’s a serious risk now in allowing the virus to freely evolve within the cow population. Each cow acts as a breeding ground for countless genetic mutations, potentially leading to strains capable of jumping to other species. If any of those countless genetic experiments within each cow prove successful in developing a strain transmissible to humans, we could face another pandemic – only this one could have a 58% death rate. Did you see the movie “Contagion?” It was remarkably accurate in its apocalyptic nature. And that virus only had a 20% death rate. If the bird flu makes the jump to human-to-human transition with even half of its current lethality, that would be disastrous.
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Some homecomings feel more like rude awakenings, but this one will become a waking nightmare. Find love while exposing the secrets of your eerie hometown!
The wait is finally over; Book One of The Fernweh Saga is out now for you to experience! 💚
✨DEMO✨ | GooglePlay, Steam , Apple, Choice of Games
If you enjoy TFS, please consider leaving a review/rating. It does wonders for the series and draws new readers into Fernweh, helping our community grow.
🌲TFS Patreon🌲 (New, alpha content from Book Two available!🎉)
My Patreon has launched. Character (RO) portraits, bonus writings, sneak peeks, and much more can be found on it, including some free content that is open to the public.
TFS: Book One Achievement and Stat Guide 🏆📊
Thank you for your support and reblogs of this post are appreciated! 😊
The Fernweh Saga: Book One is a 600,000-word interactive, romantic thriller novel by Aelsa Trevelyan. It's entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.
Return to a small town that you now feel a stranger in. It has been years since you were sent away following the tragic house fire that claimed your parents' lives, but the death of your grandfather has brought you back. While grim circumstances overshadow the visit you never planned on making, there are also opportunities to reminisce, reconnect, and reunite with old childhood friends, rivals, and neighbors. Familiar faces are all around, but will they aid or hinder you as your return trip spirals into a dark mystery and you start experiencing vivid nightmares? Begin to unravel what is going on in this seemingly idyllic, forested town.
A feeling of unease grows with each sleepless night spent within Fernweh's borders, but you can't leave yet…
It won't let you.
Play as male, female, or non-binary–with options to be gay, straight, bi, asexual, or poly.
Develop the beginning of a unique and enduring romance with 5 potential love interests.
Influence relationship dynamics with a cast of characters from your past and present.
Experience how your personality, habits, decisions, and relationships impact your visit to Fernweh and how you confront what lurks within the town.
Discover that things aren't always what they seem by making connections and noticing links.
Fight, resist, flee, struggle, or give in to whatever is invading your nightmares and the town; there is more to it than a boring ole monster…Much more.
Fall in love, forge friendships, and uncover your past while spiraling into a mystery.
Reblogs of this post and spreading the good news are immensely appreciated. I'm grateful for all of your support, and I hope you have fun in Fernweh! 🌲💚
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i miss you shitty utmv like a wife of a sailor whos off to go to sea to idk. kill that whale (no pressure on doing stuff b4 youre ready ofc i will wait happily <3)
Sorry for the inactivity! We all got into an other fandom at the same time and it got a bit out of hand.
Here's me having tea with That Whale
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