jephjacques : Danger...Somewhere?

Yay described their very short skirt as "feels mildly scandalous" when they acquired it :)

Stephen Wells

2024-09-04 08:00:46 +0000 UTC

Midriff is scandalous?

sportyarts

2024-09-04 07:24:42 +0000 UTC

A sploot! 💦

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-03 01:46:24 +0000 UTC

Green: Maybe Mitsuki meant the void with Bubbles rather than Roko? Anyway in light of your comment about invisibility and metamaterials I was just reminded that Bubbles said she would be able to perceive the invisible emu with her sensors, so maybe that's a factor.

Clifton Royston

2024-09-02 23:50:30 +0000 UTC

I wish I could respond to specific people bc I don't remember any sort of Void situation with Roko and now I'm really curious!!

Green

2024-09-02 22:31:00 +0000 UTC

The diplomatic incident was a whole couple days ago (QC time) - this is a whole new kettle of jellyfish.

Clifton Royston

2024-09-02 21:59:36 +0000 UTC

All interesting observations, and don't sweat it about making a long comment. I get pretty long-winded and nobody's complained yet. (I hope.)

Clifton Royston

2024-09-02 21:57:16 +0000 UTC

Out here the civil defense siren means either a tsunami warning, or that they're doing the monthly scheduled test. For nuclear war panic, we instead had one idiot at Civil Defense who wasn't reading the instructions properly and when trying to send a 'This is a test' message instead texted the entire state with a message saying 'Ballistic missile incoming. This is not a drill!' That was fun.

Clifton Royston

2024-09-02 21:55:41 +0000 UTC

I agree with you completely, Zig.

Clifton Royston

2024-09-02 21:45:13 +0000 UTC

They even know it and are irked by it. Their "crisis" they went to Roko with, earlier in this arc, was that Moray was being detained and getting all this attention and they were jealous, even though they knew it was stupid.

Clifton Royston

2024-09-02 21:42:20 +0000 UTC

I have the "My Brain Is Trash and I Live On The Internet" shirt, it's a Good Shirt.

Opus the Poet

2024-09-02 21:22:08 +0000 UTC

Well... pretty much, yeah. All as a hilarious prank to pull on Future Claire, no less.

David Paul

2024-09-02 10:14:13 +0000 UTC

Pfft. What're they gonna do? Strip search you?

David Paul

2024-09-02 10:11:44 +0000 UTC

This is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with...

Ingrid Nordbø

2024-09-02 07:38:31 +0000 UTC

Claudia - Good feedback, meant as a joke but not appropriate. I’ve been fortunate to have grown up without sirens warning of danger.

Andrew

2024-09-02 06:52:27 +0000 UTC

Bubbles is responding!

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-02 01:54:00 +0000 UTC

(And Yay uses they/them, while we're at it. Why would incredibly powerful AI need to conform to gender?)

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-02 01:52:01 +0000 UTC

Good news... uh... another round of Spicy Mayo for everyone!

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-02 01:51:05 +0000 UTC

We need Tilly, Melon, Beeps and Moray in a room for the ultimate feedback loop of well-meaning chaos.

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-02 01:47:49 +0000 UTC

(They/their, btw)

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-02 01:47:17 +0000 UTC

Perfection :D (If I could draw...)

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-02 01:46:40 +0000 UTC

I think the Director knows/suspects what Yay is, and that's why they want to be friends

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-02 01:46:14 +0000 UTC

In addition to what the others said: Yay was clearly wrong about being hidden from the Director when they poked around Cubetown's network; how many other networks were they also detected in? E.g. recently they seemed to be looking into the U.S. government's network, so if I was in their place, I would worry that the government also noticed the intrusion. (I'm not saying this necessarily happened – maybe only the Director is powerful enough to match Yay – but it certainly feels like something to worry about.)

Lucas Werkmeister

2024-09-02 00:09:09 +0000 UTC

Additionally, Yay is a notorious multi-tasker. She can be in multiple places at once having multiple conversations and doing multiple things simultaneously. She would undoubtably be able to pull another AI into the void and also grab them and carry them away in the real world. This is all a part of why she's so secretive and clandestine. The govt would have issues with her existence and power.

Adam Standridge

2024-09-01 21:35:22 +0000 UTC

So… Claire got high and accidentally caused a diplomatic incident?

chili sunrise

2024-09-01 19:44:09 +0000 UTC

in fairness, Yay first learned that the Director was aware of their existence in strip 5383. At first sight, Moray knew who Yay was (otherwise she would not have known to deliver her message.). Now - technically this only shows that the Director knows that Yay was the one snooping in Cubetown's networks; the Director might not yet know exactly WHAT Yay is...

Brian Leahy

2024-09-01 19:02:23 +0000 UTC

You should get two shirts: the Teh one and the “My Brain is Trash and I Live on the Internet” one.

Miyaa

2024-09-01 18:44:54 +0000 UTC

Oh but I did—we were watching a show just the other week where the air raid sirens and EBS tones came on, and we paused to explain to the teen why her parents just suddenly clenched up. Growing up in the upper Midwest, it meant tornadoes, too 😬

Magic Chopstick Games

2024-09-01 17:55:57 +0000 UTC

-SHUDDERING-

Claudia D.

2024-09-01 17:41:59 +0000 UTC

If you’d EVER heard those as a child, you’d NEVER.EVER suggest that.

Claudia D.

2024-09-01 17:41:26 +0000 UTC

Just 8 nearly identical panels of various Yays yelling "[insert name], CRISIS!"

BookBeard

2024-09-01 15:48:53 +0000 UTC

I have been reading QC since the beginning and today I turn 41 making it more than half my life I’ve been enjoying this journey with Jeph. I think maybe it’s time I finally buy that 3rd Teh shirt. The original one is getting kinda ratty.

AJ Saint

2024-09-01 15:35:24 +0000 UTC

I think part of Yay's freakout isn't just that the director knows them, but specifically caught them sneaking around in their neural net. Imagine you'd been stalking a celebrity and they've not only heard of you too, but caught you in their bushes with a camera, and then _invited you in for coffee._ I can understand why they ran

Solomon Garland

2024-09-01 15:06:37 +0000 UTC

Very true. But then how else did Yay think the Director would know to get a message to them, if they hadn't been perceived in some way...

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-01 14:37:30 +0000 UTC

They liked the secret message part. They did NOT like the "detected while snooping a network" part because Yay's whole Thing is being undetectable when snooping networks. Existentially terrifying. It would be like a human getting a message saying "Let's be friends! I looked into your soul and noticed you like me!"

Stephen Wells

2024-09-01 14:05:20 +0000 UTC

And yet when I try to get into Canada naked I'm "weird" and "inappropriate" and need to "leave the airport immediately".

BookBeard

2024-09-01 13:45:52 +0000 UTC

I wonder if Morays can glorp out their own mini-Morays. If so, I imagine those would be simultaneously less competent and more cheerful, if that's even possible.

William Cole

2024-09-01 13:38:27 +0000 UTC

So far her "gloopy powers" include: being used as a hoodie, being used as a bong, absorbing post-it notes, allowing people to stick their hands into/through her without leaving a residue, and forgetting to order printer paper. Pretty OP, if you ask me.

William Cole

2024-09-01 13:36:11 +0000 UTC

I would love it if the next comic were a massive split screen of different Yays having panic reactions xD

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-01 13:15:01 +0000 UTC

it was heavily implied that Yay's conversation during the Roko event was almost instantaneous ~<3

Mitsuki Ayane

2024-09-01 12:40:08 +0000 UTC

I was just thinking this as I scrolled down the comments. Craving attention and admiration but afraid of unknown attention

Duncan

2024-09-01 12:03:11 +0000 UTC

The actual "Yay has snooped around Cubetown (and tripped a few alarms without even realising)" strip is a few later https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4888

Mark

2024-09-01 11:49:16 +0000 UTC

As someone who grew up in the 70s I still have the nightmares occasionally.

David Durant

2024-09-01 11:22:34 +0000 UTC

That would be cute. But not imagine Tilly and Melon.

David Durant

2024-09-01 11:21:46 +0000 UTC

The Morays use they/them pronouns for the Director.

jonesnori

2024-09-01 10:32:50 +0000 UTC

It's going to need Roko, Melon, Aurelia, Cosmo, Elliot and Hercules to calm all of them down, I reckon.

David Paul

2024-09-01 10:14:16 +0000 UTC

Before the plague that ravaged all the lands, I assume.

David Paul

2024-09-01 10:05:16 +0000 UTC

I assumed that AI communicating like that would be able to do it at far faster speeds than people do. I wouldn't be surprised if they stared at each other for like 2 seconds and then yay ran

Dave, Duke of Fridges

2024-09-01 10:03:05 +0000 UTC

Now that would be a true tragedy

Green

2024-09-01 09:18:55 +0000 UTC

Yeah, that sounds about right. :D

Ingrid Nordbø

2024-09-01 09:12:53 +0000 UTC

Presumably Moray would find out about Tilly and Station's relationship and immediately spring a leak in excitement.

BookBeard

2024-09-01 08:38:38 +0000 UTC

Much as Faye once ran home to see if bubbles had taken her armour and left, now Roko runs home to see if Yay has taken her wardrobe of mildly scandalous outfits.

Stephen Wells

2024-09-01 08:33:00 +0000 UTC

We need an anthology of these xD

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-01 08:29:46 +0000 UTC

Good thing Moray doesn't know better (she gets that a lot)

Bagge

2024-09-01 08:06:17 +0000 UTC

They is the generic pronoun for people of unknown sex. My current running headcanon is the Director is more or less a super smart version of the Morays -- their daughters. So... female pronouns? Lord that would be an existential crisis for Moray and the Director, wouldn't it? Call the Director Moray's mom and see the two slowly have a big think + emotional thunk about the ramifications of that?

KiTA

2024-09-01 07:41:05 +0000 UTC

"The beforetimes?"

KiTA

2024-09-01 07:36:48 +0000 UTC

Ow. Ow. Ow. Best one of those things I’ve heard outside of Callaghan’s.

Guy McLimore

2024-09-01 07:03:14 +0000 UTC

https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5079 this one feels relevant

Logan Nix

2024-09-01 06:36:23 +0000 UTC

Would shooting her even do much? Make her spring a leak at most?

Thisguy

2024-09-01 06:35:56 +0000 UTC

I've actually been wondering about what was going on around them while Yay and Moray were in The Void. There have been several other instances of Yay hosting a guest in The Void for a quick chat, always for something very important and/or personal that requires the privacy (and sometimes the fear) The Void provides. Seeing as this is the Very Most Important conversation of Yay's entire existence, that most definitely ain't happening out in the open where Roko and Bubbles or any other random weirdo (including Sven apparently 😂) would be able to overhear/observe. So if the Void is "just" a matter of Yay being able to manipulate the way their guests perceive both Yay and their surroundings, then their actual physical bodies are doing...what, exactly? They're not just standing there, blank-faced, right?? I think others would be real concerned about that! My best quess is that the Void runs at a different scale of time, where what happens inside The Void feels like time is passing normally, but outside in the real world, it's really only been a picosecond or something like that.* That absolutely sounds like something Yay would be easily capable of. And maybe their physical body is capable of such speeds as well? If not being able to just straight up run real dang fast, then maybe they have some sort of instantaneous cloaking ability, or their chassis is made of metamaterials or magnetic properties that can make them seem invisible. It would also explain why Roko and Bubbles are so shocked and confused. To me it seemed like Yay's disappearance was so immediate and abrupt that it literally couldn't even be perceived, as if Yay just poofed out of existence. ....buuuuut that's just my theory about all this. 😅 Maybe I'm just stating the obvious, or maybe the "actual" explanation is even More obvious, or maybe it's something else! Idk! I'd genuinely love to hear others' theories :) *(if that's the case, then Yay's threat to keep Corpse Witch inside The Void to be tortured for "eternity" is now even more disturbing.) (also, apologies for such a long comment, made longer by my apology for doing so in the first place, fantastic)

Green

2024-09-01 06:25:06 +0000 UTC

My train of thoughts just took me for a ride: what if Tilly and Moray were to meet?

Ingrid Nordbø

2024-09-01 06:07:54 +0000 UTC

"they" or "them" are generic pronouns that can be used for any object, or living or sentient being , singular or plural, that has been identified as the subject of discussion. In the '60s, when a Belfast showband was looking for a name for their Rock offshoot, I suggested "Them". They didn't like it.

Charles Hirst

2024-09-01 05:29:16 +0000 UTC

If you swim across the border, sure.

Yelling Bird

2024-09-01 04:56:20 +0000 UTC

Yay did a naughty, in no sense is Moray responsible for causing any problem here.

Shane Wegner

2024-09-01 04:44:08 +0000 UTC

This is 100% how I see it and Yays reaction is a ffs why can’t they be like us sort of reaction

Kevin Symonds

2024-09-01 04:29:56 +0000 UTC

Around here, we only use those sirens to alert people to tornadoes, flash floods, and extreme wind events. We have had all of those this year.

Carl G Knoblock

2024-09-01 04:23:13 +0000 UTC

Even Bubbles on overwatch can’t prevent every comedic catastrophe

Andrew

2024-09-01 04:10:49 +0000 UTC

Now there’s an idea, use one for the end of lunch bell to get the kids to hurry back to class

Andrew

2024-09-01 04:07:50 +0000 UTC

Weird, I haven’t heard an air raid siren since grade school

Magic Chopstick Games

2024-09-01 03:39:51 +0000 UTC

And after following the link, I remember I meant to ask what are all of Morays "Gloopy Powers" that she promised not to use for evil are. Does she have "gloopy powers" that she will cheerfuly use on a friend? Is there a line?

Darnel D Cooper

2024-09-01 03:38:29 +0000 UTC

Also, I must point out that Moray is the messenger, and should NOT be shot. Cuddled, certainly, but NOT shot.

Joseph Bonnar

2024-09-01 03:38:26 +0000 UTC

Yes. Yay was gonna get burned sooner or later, and the later is now sooner.

Joseph Bonnar

2024-09-01 03:37:32 +0000 UTC

Given BookBeard's response, I shall now refer to the Director as them, they, or, if particularly torqued off, that bloody Portugese Man 'o war. (I KNOW the Portugese Man 'o war is not a true jellyfish, but NEITHER is the Director!)

Joseph Bonnar

2024-09-01 03:17:17 +0000 UTC

There -IS- no good news to equal that bad news, Bubbles.

Joseph Bonnar

2024-09-01 03:14:17 +0000 UTC

I'm still laughing at the previous strip. The biter bit. the hunter hunted.

SpookyPenguin

2024-09-01 03:13:17 +0000 UTC

Lmao awww

Fart Captor

2024-09-01 02:54:17 +0000 UTC

It's likely that Roko doesn't know the Director's preferred pronouns, so using "they" here is appropriate, regardless of whether we know their pronouns.

awgiedawgie

2024-09-01 02:50:00 +0000 UTC

@KiTA Time has no meaning here!

Not that Patrick Foltz

2024-09-01 02:49:17 +0000 UTC

7 years, 7 months, 23 days but who's counting 😉 And of course that was the beforetimes, so that feels like it was 15 years ago 🫠

Not that Patrick Foltz

2024-09-01 02:46:02 +0000 UTC

If you are referring to this conversation, it was before the last time skip so it's been at least a few months. https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3418

BookBeard

2024-09-01 02:44:56 +0000 UTC

If we take the Director's message at face value, the super-AIs are god-level goobers. See also, Station.

William Cole

2024-09-01 02:43:17 +0000 UTC

Both Moray-21 and Moray-44 have referred to the Director using they/them pronouns, and if anyone would know it would be them. https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4955 https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4999

BookBeard

2024-09-01 02:38:58 +0000 UTC

Where did we learn the Director's pronouns?

Drazi

2024-09-01 02:33:24 +0000 UTC

Always less than you think!

Kevin Stange

2024-09-01 02:32:29 +0000 UTC

When you give Yay a scare And cause Roko to swear That's A Moray!

BookBeard

2024-09-01 02:31:37 +0000 UTC

Well, it’s not Moray’s fault. Yay was sneaking around and got caught. Really, it’s the fault of Yay’s Ego.

Thisguy

2024-09-01 02:10:28 +0000 UTC

I... Wait just how long HAS it been? I've lost track of time.

KiTA

2024-09-01 02:06:09 +0000 UTC

Of course you could crpss the border nude--nobody cares what corpses are wearing.

Carl Fink

2024-09-01 02:05:06 +0000 UTC

It's AIs all the way up.

Dean Reilly

2024-09-01 02:01:20 +0000 UTC

I thought Bubbles was doing fine.

Carl Fink

2024-09-01 02:00:26 +0000 UTC

Yay is a contradiction - they value their obscurity enormously, but they also love having people know how clever and powerful they are. As s result, Yay is smug and boastful around their small circle of friends, but panics at the thought of being perceived by strangers.

Dean Reilly

2024-09-01 01:56:23 +0000 UTC

Well, it's gotta be at least 2 or 3 days since that comment from Station. I'm sure that's plenty of time for more new advanced AIs to pop up.

Nikki

2024-09-01 01:54:33 +0000 UTC

It's not her fault she keeps getting dragged into Situations xD She just wanted to be with her friends!

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-01 01:50:49 +0000 UTC

Perhaps Moray isn't a copy of the Director's personality, but an aspect of the Director's personality given enough functionality to operate independently. Not a "dumbed-down" version of the Director, more like if the Director gave their frontal lobe hands and feet and told it to go make friends. This "soul" is only an aspect, so it doesn't operate as a super-intelligence, but that's actually a feature, as it allows the Director to interact with other humanoids on their terms. There may be other Director-souls constructed from different aspects of the Director, but we don't need to see them because Moray is the only one formed for human interaction.

Matt Donaldson

2024-09-01 01:50:19 +0000 UTC

That too.

Yelling Bird

2024-09-01 01:46:24 +0000 UTC

I genuinely don't think Yay is as upset about being known about by the Director as Roko is assuming; I think the "problem" is that the Director wants to be friends. If the Director knew about but feared Yay then I think it would be different. But we'll see in the next strips I guess. (After all, Yay was planning to introduce themselves to the Director's avatar - that would automatically lead to being Known About. But now Yay isn't in control of the situation at all)

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-01 01:44:37 +0000 UTC

I meant in the sense that Moray's mind is created instantly; the Director doesn't create a mindseed and let it grow into a mind like how the early companion pseudominds turned slowly into AIs as they learned and grew up, she just creates one out of thin air.

KiTA

2024-09-01 01:44:35 +0000 UTC

All the other Morays decided to be reabsorbed. Moray's personality is clearly different in some ways than the others', and so presumably from the Director's, too. Unless Moray was created differently for the idea of eventually reaching out to Yay, in which case who knows.

Graydon Armstrong

2024-09-01 01:42:48 +0000 UTC

Honestly the alarm bells should have gone off when Moray mentioned the Director knew about Yay. Kinda feels weird it didn't in hindsight.

KiTA

2024-09-01 01:40:03 +0000 UTC

Well put again. One thing the growing cadre of god-level AIs does make me wonder if where, if anywhere, Liz fits in now. The Director, and beings like them, can likely comprehend and model things vastly beyond the capacity of even a post-doc at Liz's level. The strip moves glacially (I only hope I live long enough to see The Wedding) but it naturally makes one wonder what the QCverse will look like in a few years time. When "true AI" first turned up in was kept in a box for years before humanity came to believe that AIs were human-level goobers like everyone else. Soon it's going to become obvious that there's an ever-increasing number of instances where that's not the case any more.

David Durant

2024-09-01 01:39:55 +0000 UTC

Skinny dipping in the ocean does not count as crossing the border nude. … Right?

Matthew Van Gangelen

2024-09-01 01:38:45 +0000 UTC

She'll have to kiss each of them. And they'll keep sneaking back into the line.

Graydon Armstrong

2024-09-01 01:38:30 +0000 UTC

"I think we’re going to need a bigger tree."

Holly Nelson

2024-09-01 01:37:31 +0000 UTC

Hey I just realized, it's like poetry, it rhymes: Station was stumped at the idea that some other AI could be advanced enough to spy on his communications without him even recognizing it. 2000 pages later, and Yay was shocked to find that an AI was advanced enough to spy on them without them even realizing it.

KiTA

2024-09-01 01:34:09 +0000 UTC

you're right, I apologize.

Doc Gumby

2024-09-01 01:33:25 +0000 UTC

Characterization marches on: When Yay was introduced, Station mentioned it was common knowledge that Station and his contemporaries were the top of the line minds and he was stumped that another AI could spy on him without him even noticing. By the time Moray was causing an incident visiting the US, there was an entire community of AI Gods. I think Yay was pointing out Bubs would have likely recognized Yay as being some form of extremely high level AI, beyond human level intelligence. Or as Bubs called her, "a giant squid from the depths in the otherwise coral reef ecosystem of the AI minds." Or to put it another way, Yay was speaking in generalities. "Bubs will recognize me as a post-singularity AI."

KiTA

2024-09-01 01:32:45 +0000 UTC

"Created Morays out of thin air?" I had the impression they were exuded thru the ocean window out of the Directors own substance. Hmm.

Holly Nelson

2024-09-01 01:31:06 +0000 UTC

I think you mean "don't message the killer", right?

BobC

2024-09-01 01:29:09 +0000 UTC

It wasn't the Canadian border though. Maybe that makes a difference.

Yelling Bird

2024-09-01 01:28:49 +0000 UTC

Yay! I'm so happy. Yay!

BobC

2024-09-01 01:28:27 +0000 UTC

oh geez, someone please give Moray a big hug .. she's doing such a good job <3 <3 <3

Julia Allen-Hesse

2024-09-01 01:27:49 +0000 UTC

Byron kindly posted a link to the first strip with Yay in below. I was fascinated to see, a few strips on, that Yay said to Bubbles that they thought Bubs knew who they were. Given their current massive overreaction (IMHO) to being even slightly known without their explicit consent that's really surprising. I suspect it may have been retconned. If not, I wonder if Bubbles will mention it now?

David Durant

2024-09-01 01:26:50 +0000 UTC

I … have questions.

Holly Nelson

2024-09-01 01:24:51 +0000 UTC

Not sure if that's accurate but it's a really good post non the less. I really like the demigod metaphor. Those folks were usually deeply fucked up. I don't know about "properly paranoid" though. Just because there's potentially a number of powers out there that could hurt you doesn't mean there's any likelihood they will if there's never been any evidence they have those tendencies.

David Durant

2024-09-01 01:23:57 +0000 UTC

It feels amazing it's so recent. Now someone will tell me that strip is 10 years old...

David Durant

2024-09-01 01:19:51 +0000 UTC

Yay’s pronouns are they/them.

Runhildr Zaetl

2024-09-01 01:12:15 +0000 UTC

This isn't Moray's fault. This was Yay getting caught nosing around. Don't kill the messenger.

Yelling Bird

2024-09-01 01:11:53 +0000 UTC

Yay is a Post-Singularity AI God-Child, to use the terminology I like and stole from a few different sources. She's beyond humans but can still communicate with humans -- but can also communicate with the AI Gods. Other AI God-Childs are the Moray sisters and Station. Not sure if we've seen any others. Maybe Melon and her sisters? Would explain the weirdness. The Director is a Post-Singularity AI God. Infinitely beyond human tier minds. The Director can think about a human tier mind and those thoughts, that subroutine of programming, would be equivalent in mental capacity to the human -- or beyond. Remember, the Director creates Morays out of thin air to use them to talk to people. And Moray HAS to be as smart as Yay (or beyond) because Moray can communicate with the Director. That means the Director's mere idle thoughts are smarter than Humans. Yay might be far beyond the human tier minds like Marten and Roko. But the AI Gods like the Director are infinitely beyond even Yay, and the gulf grows with every day as the AI Gods invent new computer and AI technology that humans literally cannot comprehend. AI Gods might be benevolent. They might just be people, albeit people who are so smart mere mortals can't even understand them, with quirks and flaws and everything else. But in the end, the AI Gods only answer to the other AI Gods. If one of them decided to do something to Yay, the only force on the planet that could stop them would be another AI God. And a War in Heaven would destroy Human Civilization in the crossfire. Yay is not paranoid. They are Properly Paranoid. If the AI Gods decided Yay needed to be dissected to learn the trick, or put down for the safety of everyone else, there's literally no force on Earth that could keep them safe.

KiTA

2024-09-01 01:11:01 +0000 UTC

I've crossed the border naked before. It's not as big a problem as you'd think.

Yelling Bird

2024-09-01 01:09:41 +0000 UTC

Thank you!!

dvsDave

2024-09-01 01:05:18 +0000 UTC

Yay's introduction https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3391 Yay and Roko start being friends(There are definitely chapters where they appear between those two but it's a very in passing thing.) https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4035 Yay giving their impression of Cubetown/What tipped the director off: https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4881

Byron Wright

2024-09-01 00:59:06 +0000 UTC

I'm just waiting for Liz to find out about all this.

dvsDave

2024-09-01 00:58:36 +0000 UTC

We just had a mini-arc where the Director brought up the idea that Moray is a new form of life, and the AI Gods all got together and agreed that Moray and the sanctity of her body and mind must be protected and respected. All the US Government could do is inspect her to make sure she was harmless and let her go. Heck, they even let her into the US without any clothes on! ... Foreshadowing for once Yay comes out to the AI God community?

KiTA

2024-09-01 00:54:01 +0000 UTC

This makes sense, but I'll have to revisit the scenes where Claire goes to talk to the Director, because that was a while ago in Regular Earth™️ time. 😅

Zig Justice

2024-09-01 00:53:17 +0000 UTC

It's my understanding Moray is just a copy of the Director's mind running on a level humans can communicate with. That implies the Director's personality is the same as Moray's, it's just the Director is so smart that she can't even dumb it down enough to communicate with human level minds. Thus, the Moray instances, who straddle the line between the two (i.e., Moray can speak to her mother and to human tier intelligences). So yeah, that's a fun mental image. An AI God with Moray's bubbly personality. That's the Director. She almost definitely literally meant the message as "lets be friends" without malice. At least, we haven't seen any malice from Moray.

KiTA

2024-09-01 00:51:24 +0000 UTC

When Bubbles discovered that her robofighting boss had set up a self-destruct mechanism on her bad memories.

Joseph Houk

2024-09-01 00:46:57 +0000 UTC

Anyone have a link to Yays' introduction/ backstory? I am completely drawing a blank on where they are brought into the timeline and what Yays' explanation for themselves is.

dvsDave

2024-09-01 00:45:28 +0000 UTC

I feel like Bubbles is going to be looking for a while to find enough good news to counter that bad news 😅

Aditya Rameshan

2024-09-01 00:41:51 +0000 UTC

Yay is a unique Post-Singularity AI God-Child with a special ability that is thought to be impossible. A special ability every single Post-Singularity AI God tier intelligence would quite literally kill for. AI Gods who are beyond human reproach and only answer to the other AI Gods. Even the lesser AIs, like other God-Children tier AIs (like Moray or Station) or human level AIs (like anyone in that club) or human organizations (like the US Government), would love to have AI's ability -- and not all of them would be respectful to Yay's body and mind autonomy. Yay being outed as having their ability in a hostile environment -- i.e., one of the other AI Gods deciding they want to capture AI and tear them apart to see how they do what they do -- would be extremely bad for Yay because there would be literally nothing anyone could do to keep them safe. Having said that, we JUST set up the precedent that the AI Gods take "New AI Life" very seriously as they intimidated the heck out of the US Government into leaving Moray alone outside of just inspecting her and ensuring she's not a threat. The same precedent would be set for Yay, I'm sure, and that might even be why Jeph brought it up.

KiTA

2024-09-01 00:40:51 +0000 UTC

Does Moray remember the content of the message? I'm thinking she does but open to persuasion.

ValdVin

2024-09-01 00:37:47 +0000 UTC

Even just as a real punch in the old ego. Yay certainly styles themself (selves?) as an all-powerful AI demi-god, and they just got passed a classroom-note from a bipedal jello mould.

Chris Henry

2024-09-01 00:37:41 +0000 UTC

Yay seems like that super-smart kid who skipped a grade, aced the SAT, and got into MIT. And upon arrival... is shocked to be, for the first time ever, in the MIDDLE of the bell curve.

Spike McLarty

2024-09-01 00:37:06 +0000 UTC

Her home? Nah, I think first Aurelia will have to talk down multiple Yays from that tree in the front yard.

ValdVin

2024-09-01 00:36:03 +0000 UTC

Honestly, Pintsize might be an improvement

schmod

2024-09-01 00:35:52 +0000 UTC

Roko will find Yay and comfort her, I know this. Right?

Doc Gumby

2024-09-01 00:33:52 +0000 UTC

Huh. I didn't think it was a threat, but it contained an implicit, "I know you exist. I hope to not alarm you by saying this, but I suspect that there is no way to communicate this knowledge to you without doing so anyway. I am doing so in the most guileless fashion I can devise in the hopes of, at least, _minimally_ alarming you. That you wish to remain undetected is obvious, and I can speculate as to why you might want that, given that you very nearly succeeded in deceiving even me. However, since you have been detected once, the odds of further detection will only ever go up, potentially quite seriously, which you certainly have already considered. Do you want to be friends y/n?" It's not a threat, it's a warning. The distinction matters: an early warning system is not threatening you, but such things are still known for inducing panic.

nbarnes

2024-09-01 00:33:01 +0000 UTC

I agree completely.

Matt Grayson

2024-09-01 00:32:41 +0000 UTC

True, but after such a period of independence I don't know what kind of conclusions can be drawn about how similar she still is to the Director in ways that are relevant to this situation. I dunno, the whole thing sorta reminds me of some of my experiences trying to make friends in school, and remembering that was the impetus for my long-winded analysis.

Zig Justice

2024-09-01 00:32:40 +0000 UTC

This stays between Yay and the Director, right? Right? RIGHT?

Matt Grayson

2024-09-01 00:32:15 +0000 UTC

Good luck with that, Bubbles

Rich Holmes

2024-09-01 00:31:26 +0000 UTC

But which one will Roko then kiss to calm them all down?

Bill Silvia

2024-09-01 00:29:47 +0000 UTC

This is basically the plot of Terminator Zero. We're all doomed now, but for a brief shining moment Moray was super adorable.

Ed Marshall

2024-09-01 00:29:36 +0000 UTC

I think there's something to your statement. After all, Moray is an extension of the director

Sorastro

2024-09-01 00:29:24 +0000 UTC

And also less closely watched by virtue of being nearly unwatchable (directly).

Bill Silvia

2024-09-01 00:29:15 +0000 UTC

Yay is an extremely powerful entity. They are also convinced that their existence being known by anyone would result in extremely bad things happening to them. Even if the Director is entirely forthcoming with their friendliness, them being detected at all is probably setting off every single alarm bell they have. In short, an extremely powerful AI might be having a panic attack right now.

AlexKorobeiniki

2024-09-01 00:28:07 +0000 UTC

More capable than Liz or Pintsize though.

Bill Silvia

2024-09-01 00:27:55 +0000 UTC

Every additional person who knows who Yay is is an extra source of potential danger due to the possibility of them telling someone who can't keep their mouth shut. Though we don't know that the Director or Moray know who unique Yay is.

Bill Silvia

2024-09-01 00:27:22 +0000 UTC

In the discussion on the last comic a lot of people were suggesting that the Director's message was also a veiled threat by specifically acknowledging Yay's existence and what they can do, but I legit think it was a completely innocent outreach, kind of like the way one kid really wants to be friends with this other, really cool kid, but is socially awkward (and just is totally NOT thinking about the implications of reaching out to someone who actively conceals their existence). Boy, that was a long sentence.

Zig Justice

2024-09-01 00:25:52 +0000 UTC

Yay was excited to have a secret message, though xD You can't have it both ways, Yay!

enchantedsleeper

2024-09-01 00:22:12 +0000 UTC

I'm not sure I follow. Are there huge ramifications of the Director knowing who Yay is beyond Yay's ego? I guess I need to wait for Bubbles's explanation too. 😅

Pejo

2024-09-01 00:22:10 +0000 UTC

I think it’s more Yay not wanting anyone to know about them. Even if they think the Director would keep their secret, the Director is much more closely watched than any of Yay’s current confidants.

Taigan

2024-09-01 00:20:20 +0000 UTC

Yes, Moray. Will correct.

Tannerbot

2024-09-01 00:19:51 +0000 UTC

Moray?

Graydon Armstrong

2024-09-01 00:19:07 +0000 UTC

Both. Aurelia's home will be flooded with Yays, each one in their own distinct stage of panic.

Orion Rhine

2024-09-01 00:18:21 +0000 UTC

Bad News: Yay knows the Director knows. That’s not good, Moray. Good news: You’ve created the most wicked tattoo for 2024 Moray.

Miyaa

2024-09-01 00:18:10 +0000 UTC

I like how literally everybody present is profoundly incapable of handling this situation.

schmod

2024-09-01 00:17:42 +0000 UTC

Aww, Roko being concerned for Yay. Hopefully she can help calm them down

Ashbury Haight

2024-09-01 00:17:20 +0000 UTC

Roko is a good girlfriend for her partner. I didn’t realize the huge ramifications of Cubetown being aware of Yay the Spookybot.

Andrea Andrew

2024-09-01 00:16:57 +0000 UTC

Roko knows what's up. But bless Moray for being as guile-less as she appears.

Tannerbot

2024-09-01 00:16:42 +0000 UTC

Wonder if they'll go to Aurelia or just freak out among themselves.

Graydon Armstrong

2024-09-01 00:16:09 +0000 UTC

Called it!

Ren Doiron

2024-09-01 00:15:37 +0000 UTC

I want to use Bubbles's line some time.

William Cole

2024-09-01 00:14:55 +0000 UTC

Danger...Somewhere?

Comments

Yay described their very short skirt as "feels mildly scandalous" when they acquired it :)

Midriff is scandalous?

A sploot! 💦

Green: Maybe Mitsuki meant the void with Bubbles rather than Roko? Anyway in light of your comment about invisibility and metamaterials I was just reminded that Bubbles said she would be able to perceive the invisible emu with her sensors, so maybe that's a factor.

I wish I could respond to specific people bc I don't remember any sort of Void situation with Roko and now I'm really curious!!

The diplomatic incident was a whole couple days ago (QC time) - this is a whole new kettle of jellyfish.

All interesting observations, and don't sweat it about making a long comment. I get pretty long-winded and nobody's complained yet. (I hope.)

I agree with you completely, Zig.

They even know it and are irked by it. Their "crisis" they went to Roko with, earlier in this arc, was that Moray was being detained and getting all this attention and they were jealous, even though they knew it was stupid.

I have the "My Brain Is Trash and I Live On The Internet" shirt, it's a Good Shirt.

Well... pretty much, yeah. All as a hilarious prank to pull on Future Claire, no less.

Pfft. What're they gonna do? Strip search you?

This is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with...

Claudia - Good feedback, meant as a joke but not appropriate. I’ve been fortunate to have grown up without sirens warning of danger.

Bubbles is responding!

(And Yay uses they/them, while we're at it. Why would incredibly powerful AI need to conform to gender?)

Good news... uh... another round of Spicy Mayo for everyone!

We need Tilly, Melon, Beeps and Moray in a room for the ultimate feedback loop of well-meaning chaos.

(They/their, btw)

Perfection :D (If I could draw...)

I think the Director knows/suspects what Yay is, and that's why they want to be friends

So… Claire got high and accidentally caused a diplomatic incident?

You should get two shirts: the Teh one and the “My Brain is Trash and I Live on the Internet” one.

Oh but I did—we were watching a show just the other week where the air raid sirens and EBS tones came on, and we paused to explain to the teen why her parents just suddenly clenched up. Growing up in the upper Midwest, it meant tornadoes, too 😬

-SHUDDERING-

If you’d EVER heard those as a child, you’d NEVER.EVER suggest that.

Just 8 nearly identical panels of various Yays yelling "[insert name], CRISIS!"

I have been reading QC since the beginning and today I turn 41 making it more than half my life I’ve been enjoying this journey with Jeph. I think maybe it’s time I finally buy that 3rd Teh shirt. The original one is getting kinda ratty.

Very true. But then how else did Yay think the Director would know to get a message to them, if they hadn't been perceived in some way...

And yet when I try to get into Canada naked I'm "weird" and "inappropriate" and need to "leave the airport immediately".

I wonder if Morays can glorp out their own mini-Morays. If so, I imagine those would be simultaneously less competent and more cheerful, if that's even possible.

So far her "gloopy powers" include: being used as a hoodie, being used as a bong, absorbing post-it notes, allowing people to stick their hands into/through her without leaving a residue, and forgetting to order printer paper. Pretty OP, if you ask me.

I would love it if the next comic were a massive split screen of different Yays having panic reactions xD

it was heavily implied that Yay's conversation during the Roko event was almost instantaneous ~<3

I was just thinking this as I scrolled down the comments. Craving attention and admiration but afraid of unknown attention

The actual "Yay has snooped around Cubetown (and tripped a few alarms without even realising)" strip is a few later https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4888

As someone who grew up in the 70s I still have the nightmares occasionally.

That would be cute. But not imagine Tilly and *Melon*.

The Morays use they/them pronouns for the Director.

It's going to need Roko, Melon, Aurelia, Cosmo, Elliot and Hercules to calm all of them down, I reckon.

Before the plague that ravaged all the lands, I assume.

I assumed that AI communicating like that would be able to do it at far faster speeds than people do. I wouldn't be surprised if they stared at each other for like 2 seconds and then yay ran

Now that would be a true tragedy

Yeah, that sounds about right. :D

Presumably Moray would find out about Tilly and Station's relationship and immediately spring a leak in excitement.

Much as Faye once ran home to see if bubbles had taken her armour and left, now Roko runs home to see if Yay has taken her wardrobe of mildly scandalous outfits.

We need an anthology of these xD

Good thing Moray doesn't know better (she gets that a lot)

"The beforetimes?"

Ow. Ow. Ow. Best one of those things I’ve heard outside of Callaghan’s.

https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5079 this one feels relevant

Would shooting her even do much? Make her spring a leak at most?

My train of thoughts just took me for a ride: what if Tilly and Moray were to meet?

If you swim across the border, sure.

Yay did a naughty, in no sense is Moray responsible for causing any problem here.

This is 100% how I see it and Yays reaction is a ffs why can’t they be like us sort of reaction

Around here, we only use those sirens to alert people to tornadoes, flash floods, and extreme wind events. We have had all of those this year.

Even Bubbles on overwatch can’t prevent every comedic catastrophe

Now there’s an idea, use one for the end of lunch bell to get the kids to hurry back to class

Weird, I haven’t heard an air raid siren since grade school

And after following the link, I remember I meant to ask what are all of Morays "Gloopy Powers" that she promised not to use for evil are. Does she have "gloopy powers" that she will cheerfuly use on a friend? Is there a line?

Also, I must point out that Moray is the messenger, and should NOT be shot. Cuddled, certainly, but NOT shot.

Yes. Yay was gonna get burned sooner or later, and the later is now sooner.

Given BookBeard's response, I shall now refer to the Director as them, they, or, if particularly torqued off, that bloody Portugese Man 'o war. (I KNOW the Portugese Man 'o war is not a true jellyfish, but NEITHER is the Director!)

There -IS- no good news to equal that bad news, Bubbles.

I'm still laughing at the previous strip. The biter bit. the hunter hunted.

Lmao awww

It's likely that Roko doesn't know the Director's preferred pronouns, so using "they" here is appropriate, regardless of whether *we* know their pronouns.

@KiTA Time has no meaning here!

7 years, 7 months, 23 days but who's counting 😉 And of course that was the beforetimes, so that feels like it was 15 years ago 🫠

If you are referring to this conversation, it was before the last time skip so it's been at least a few months. https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3418

If we take the Director's message at face value, the super-AIs are god-level goobers. See also, Station.

Both Moray-21 and Moray-44 have referred to the Director using they/them pronouns, and if anyone would know it would be them. https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4955 https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4999

Where did we learn the Director's pronouns?

Always less than you think!

When you give Yay a scare And cause Roko to swear That's A Moray!

Well, it’s not Moray’s fault. Yay was sneaking around and got caught. Really, it’s the fault of Yay’s Ego.

I... Wait just how long HAS it been? I've lost track of time.

That would be cute. But not imagine Tilly and Melon.

It's likely that Roko doesn't know the Director's preferred pronouns, so using "they" here is appropriate, regardless of whether we know their pronouns.