6518/Turing Tests

Turing Tests
Date of Scene:	15 February 2019
Location:	SHIELD Medical Wing - Secure Room
Synopsis:	Skye comes in to test Sam (Nyx) with a computer game that could determine her future.
Cast of Characters:	Nyx, Quake

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Nyx has posed:
Several days have passed for Samantha. She wonders several times if her parents were notified about any of this. She isn't a minor but she is still their daughter and she lives in their basement. So this may be shocking for them.

The tests, and there have been many careful tests by a variety of SHIELD science nerds haven't really bothered her too much. Not yet at least. The only technology brought near her for the last week were the scanners carefully wheeled in and out, or hand held. This was a potential risk but to check anything about Tony's scans it had to be done. The results confirmed everything Tony had seen and showed further progression in some areas.

The other tests were a bit more annoying, like all the psyche tests. Paperwork and talking to someone for hours. That was frustrating and definitely thrummed the teenager up. At least the results say Samantha is a pretty normal teenager.

So all said a very odd week in SHIELD's guest suite for Samantha, and four days since Acting Deputy Director May, Agent Johnson, and Hawkeye visited her. Sam isn't sure what to expect next, and right now she is watching Inside Out on the TV, all of the options on that close circuit ancient box are out dated but Pixar ages well.

Quake has posed:
A subtle word was sent Samantha's parents way - not where she was, but that she was safe, and would soon contact them herself. If only because it was uncertain what the girl herself wanted. Plus, as Skye well knew, not everyone took to their children or friends and family suddenly developing 'powers' - and given Samantha had, by all accounts, been hidden away in a basement... They knew she was safe. That was really all they needed to know right now.

The results from the tests all come back, seeiming to indicate that whatever had happened to the girl, it was permanent, and that the only recourse left was training her if it could be done, or, worst case scenario, isolating her away permanently from any tech that she could infect and destroy.

Skye, resident Inhuman, and voice for the underdog in this, was hoping for training. And given she was also the resident expert in hacking and clean systems, the lot fell to her to initially assess and set up scenarios to test Samantha's abilities, reactions, and ability to control herself.

The sooner the girl got control, without the random outbursts and attacks, the sooner she could be given some limited freedoms.

Today, though, the bulk of the initial tests were over, giving Skye a first chance to set her 'charge' down to something a little less invasive, and she hoped, a lot more fun.

Two clean computers were prepared. Linked only to themselves. They'd be destroyed after. Skye clears security, and empties her pockets and person of all things but those two computers.

"Hey!"

Nyx has posed:
The assumption that what has been done is permanent is a pretty prevailing one, though the science and medical nerds are still arguing about it. This whole case is a really exciting puzzle with people coming out of the wood work to get a look at the scans and chime in with their two cents.

The main issue is that it looks like several organs are replaced with alloy, constructions, or techno-organic materials. Purging the nanites entirely from Samantha would likely result in multiple organ failures and untold damage to the teenager. Not that anyone has told Samamtha that though yet. She doesn't even have a clue about the state of her health or what people have managed to piece together from all those medicals tests.

It was bright spot that the scanning equipment showed no signs of being hacked or tampered with when it was brought out and checked then wiped.

Samantha looks up when Skye comes in and relaxes a little. There was some tension that it might be another doctor wanting blood samples. She has given a lot of those. Skye at this point actually gets a brief smile then a pensive look. "So.." she peers at the laptops. "So uh..what is the word. Am I crazy or dying of space cancer?" she tries to make a joke out of it but the girl is worried. She has spent a week in SHIELD being poked and prodded.

Quake has posed:
Skye? Not a science or medical nerd. If they're telling her it's likely permanent, she's willing to go with that. Skye's own changes? Totally permanent. And what she's heard of Nyx, while going over her head in places, sounds a whole hella lot like there are changes to Nyx's physiology that aren't going to be returned to pre-crater.

"Word is you're not any crazier than the rest of us here," she declares with a lopsided grin. "That might not be a relief, but it does mean we get to move on to the next phase of things. Likely a heck of a lot more fun for you, too. Not sure what you actually know about computers? But your thingies.. the nanites.. they do. So for now you're still in here, but we're going to see what you can do do. Or not do. And get a baseline to go from."

She sets up the two laptops, one for Nyx; one for herself.

"Ever play head to head games?"

Nyx has posed:
There is some relief despite Skye saying that might not be a relief. The young woman does smile a bit as well though then Samantha notes "Ah.. mmm I suppose that may mean I am a bit crazy because who works for a giant Spy Agency... or is it defense agency. Definitely not dentists and accountants right?" actually SHIELD probably has both. Alas.

Samantha will slide off the bed and come over to the table where the laptops are setup now and look unsure before pulling out a chair and settling in. "I know how to use my smartphone and we did a lot of our homework on laptops. I wasn't good at computer class really though." she peers at it then at you. "Like video games?"

Quake has posed:
Skye puts a finger in front of her lips, "Shhhhh, we're a secret." Then she laughs. "A little of both, really. Pretty sure there are days some of us wish we were dentists or accountants, but that would be a nope on that. Actually, we do have accountants. But that's a whole other division."

When Nyx settles, Skye nods. "Exactly like a video game. This one is really pretty simple. Depending on how you do here, we'll work our way up."

And with that, she introduces Nyx to the age old classic that is pong.

"So, what I'm thinking is we'll play a bit and let you get a feel for the game, then we'll see if you can modulate the game at all without using the controls. No pressure if you can't. This is just for fun right now. And there's no wrong way to do it. You can't break anything, so just let it happen."

Of course external scans will be monitoring, because that information will be useful and vital as well. However, they aren't invasive things in terms of poking or prodding.

Nyx has posed:
Samantha blinks at the game that is loaded up on the laptop. "So am I .. " her brow furrows and then she nods. "Okay. So don't try to not do whatever I was doing before that made everyone freak out."

Sam looks up to you from the laptop "Okay. Sure." she is nervous, because while you imply this isn't a test and no wrong way to do it. She is very worried about never getting out of here and it shows.

On a bright side the laptops aren't assaulted by the wifi scans or pings like previous devices. Maybe things are already more controlled.

Sam starts to play the game against you on the laptop, or the computer, she can't tell if its live head to head or if you are just monitoring. When her fingers touch the device, while there aren't any wifi scannings, there is definitely an instant intrusion on the laptop when she touches it. Though it's so isolated all she is doing is playing the game. "Ok this isn't so hard."

The scans don't seem to reveal much in the room or on her, no change in body temperature. No electrical discharge. The laptop though, it is scanned and filed way by Nyx.

Quake has posed:
"Pretty much," Skye grins. "I actually want you to try to this time. Well, after you figure out how the game works, but it's pretty simple. Move the paddle. Send the ball back to me."

She demonstrates, starting the game and plays a few rounds of sending the ball back and forth.

"Classic pong, things carry on and stuff happens. Ball goes faster. Paddles get bigger or smaller. Sometimes the ball explodes into lots of balls. You don't want the ball to hit your wall. If it does, I get a point."

"So, what I want is when you're comfy, see if you can make any of those things happen. Pay attention to what it feels like if you manage to do it. Like anything in your body that feels different. Doesn't matter what. And there's no right or wrong, or worries if you can't make anything happen. We're just playing a game."

She says it all so calmly and casually.

Nyx has posed:
This is actually pretty well designed. Not that Samantha knows enough to compliment Skye.

Samantha nods "Right with my mind or .. something." it is muttered but she does seem to catch on to the nature of the test and the situation. "Is this a good thing or a bad thing if I can do this..." she actually asks without a lot of guile.

Still the game goes on and Sam focuses on it touching the laptop. "I can..." her brow furrows "I can feel it against my fingers.. and i'm not being sarcastic or anything. I mean I can feel .. it all."

Sam nips her lower lip and thinks about the game and stops pushing the buttons. The paddle in the game jerks this way and that way, not predictable or under control. Samantha seems to be concentrating pretty hard too. Still it is happening.

The logs and scan are pretty indicitive. The laptop is just registering commands being sent on the normal command channels, like a keyboard or other interface were controlling it.

Nyx meanwhile watches patiently, letting Samantha struggle through it, not hiding any of information from her for once though.

Quake has posed:
"Sweet," Skye says of feeling it. "One of the first things I noticed was how loud things were. Everything was buzzing. It was really hard to focus on anything. Feeling it.. that's a start. And don't worry if you can't isolate at first. You've likely got a whole lot going on."

When the paddles and ball start to respond in ways that neither Skye, nor the game, have set up, there's a smiling nod from Skye. "Good. Good. No wrong answers here. You should have seen my first efforts. Lots of broken things. Lots. Say, try to focus on the ball. See if you can slow the ball down. Let the other things go, just that one thing."

Now that Samantha has started to 'feel' what it's like to make things happen, Skye is hoping that isolating it further will help her to actually *feel* how it is she's doing things. Like learning to catch a ball, first you do it two handed with a big ball, then you slowly graduate to smaller balls, and one hand. Only what they've got is closed circuit pong.

Nyx has posed:
Sam looks up encouraged by Skye's encouragement. Then she looks back down at the screen. "This is really trippy" she mutters softly. "I'm not even sure how to describe it.. beyond I can feel it all. Also the drives are really empty...." no she hasn't checked the computer outside the game. It is a wiped system really.

"I don't want to fail." Sam notes when you say no wrong answers. "I also don't want to be locked up forever." sure she could kick down the door, but then Iron Man and SHIELD would be on her ass.

At the request that Samantha slow down the ball she blinks. that isn't moving the paddle and controlling input. That would be altering the way the game or system runs or works. "Okay.."

She was getting pretty good at moving and intercepting. Controlling the game with her mind. This is a big step and she just narrows her eyes. She is trying to will the ball to slow down. Sam has no idea what she is doing.

What Skye registers though trough her monitors is that the system itself, the processor and memory start to slow which does make the ball slow on the screen. The brute force of it is there, not the finesse (yet at least) of tweaking the game.

Quake has posed:
"Can't fail," Skye says simply. "Nothing you do right now is a mistake or a fail. You're learning to throw a ball. Can't expect you to be a major league pitcher yet."

She laughs. "I can't believe I just made a sportsball joke. And yeah, the systems are clean. All that's on these is the game. So you can't actually do anything but things to the game. So have at. Play around."

She sits back, and lets Nyx play with the system.

"If you want to get really fancy, try moving mine too. Game I used to play in hacking was to intercept my own programs. See how I'd counter them." Amongst other people's programs. But the gist was the same - like the head to head she'd entered into with Natasha Romanoff.

Nyx has posed:
"Okay no wrong anwers." Samantha murmurs softly and focuses on the computer again, watching the ball on the screen. Samantha manages to halt the whole thing locking the system up and freezing the ball on the screen. "Got it" she notes with enthusiasm. The processor and everything has just stopped cold. Then the girl lets go and the ball bounces back into motion flying across the screen. That was all sorts of brute force.

"This.. I think I am going to need a lot more practice if I want to understand what I am feeling here..." that said Samantha still reaches out and leans over the table a bit. She doesn't touch your laptop at all ... the connection between the laptops surges though with activity and the logs register an input a lot like when Sam was making her own paddle move. She can't seem to make your paddle actually hit the ball though blindly.

At least until she closes her eyes. At that point she manages to start intercepting the pong ball on your side, and her side "holy.. shit I can feel where the balls are..."

Quake has posed:
There's a near triumphant laugh from Skye. "Fuck me, I thought that might work." Of the eye closing. And that Nyx could do that. "I bet with practice you'll be able to do it with your eyes open, but for now, have at. You're doing exactly what I hoped for. Play. Make the balls do what you want. See how you can or can't affect the system. Worst you can do is lock it. pffft, I've done worse."

Nyx has posed:
Samantha keeps her eyes closed "This.. isn't going to freaking people out even more Agent Johnson?" she is definitely worried about freaking people out.

Meanwhile though Samantha is playing against herself, moving the paddles on both laptops. Controlling the movements. The game stutters and switches game modes, speeding up some as the difficulty setting is tweaked and she keeps on controlling both laptops.

"The machine is less empty though, the more I keep playing it keeps filling up." the log files and scans of the system.

Quake has posed:
"Enh, by the time we're done with you here, nobody is going to look twice at you." Skey grins lopsidedly. "Look at me. Do I look like I can cause minor earthquakes?"

She shrugs. "The point is, you're not going to be doing this willy nilly everywhere. In fact, you probably might want to consider how you're going to carry on after all this. Like, return to normal? Look for a job with someone like us? What you can do is pretty unique."

Nyx has posed:
"I more meant freaking out your boss with her worries about me in the white house Skye..." she cracks an eye open and looks at you now and then goes back to playing the game. "Also no you do not look at all like you can cause an earthquake. Though I totally believe you." there is a smile as the ball speeds up even more.

"I. Skye I worked at Big Belly Burger and .. made minimum wage. I don't think I can ever go back to my old life. I mean I can rip apart metal with my bare hands.. shoot lasers.. and play a computer game with my eyes closed. That is .. this is a lot. I ... am open to options but I am never going to be normal again."

Quake has posed:
"Ah," Skye nods in sudden understanding. "Mmmm maybe? Though I'm the person who gets to vet you, so unless you're freaking me out, things are likely pretty good."

Well, okay, Fitzsimmons might have to pass a clean bill of health as well, but as far as all things systems SHIELD, Skye was the gateway to two thumbs up there.

She listens to the girl's tale and nods. "I lived in a van for years. Hooked up to free wifi anywhere I could, living on cold coffee, candy bars, and cup'o'ramen. World class hacker, and then I woke up one morning able to shake mountains."

Well, it was a tiny bit more complicated than that, but that was the gist of the story. Mostly.

"I used to wonder what it might be like to go back to that life. This place, though, it hooks you in." She shrugs. "Mind you, if I recruit another trainee, they might demote me, so how about we go with the world is your oyster and I think Big Belly Burger is a thing of the past."

"And not just any computer game! The classic Pong!" Joking, making it seem like that was the most impressive thing in the lot.

Nyx has posed:
"You guys figured out where I live and who I am in like no time. Got my real name off cameras I guess. I am pretty sure my parents would be in danger if I went back to living at home and working there. " she "minor earthquakes you say and then shake mountains.. lol."

"Couple questions though."" focusing on the machine she pauses the game and brings up the home screen. Samantha checks the menus and the file explorer, confirming it's all empty. "Why would they be mad at you if you recruited me. Wouldn't the government want to use someone with my new powers. I mean use or lock me up forever so no one else can... and yeah Ill be damn honest that scares the shit out of me."

Sam knows it is filling up despite looking empty, and after a long pause the portion where the logging is happening opens up in the explorer window. "Also I've never heard of Pong before this so I hope that isn't a strike against me."

Quake has posed:
Skye grins. "I'm still learning what I can do. As for why? Enh, bad habit of stepping outside the box and doing what needs doing. Sometimes they don't appreciate my lack of protocol as much as I do. And.. I may or may not have field promoted a few people when it's not in my job description or clearance level."

She looks a bit sheepish.

"If it's a good fit, you're here with the people who can see the potential. If you're interested, nothing says you can't ask?"

She leans on the table, all thoughts of the game abandoned now. "I won't lie to you, you can't get this under control, we have to lock you up. You won't be safe for anyone. Or anything. Imagine walking around and accidentally killins security systems like fire alarms, or sprinklers? Or shutting down traffic grids." Or, she thought, electronic weapons, or tracking systems like those that watched for nuclear strikes.. all sorts of big potential bad out there if the girl was a risk.

Nyx has posed:
Sam continues to play with the computer, log files opening and then closing as she flips through them her eyes still closed. "How will I know if it is a good fit?"

Though then the next part about locking her makes everything on the screens pause. Sam opens her eyes and stares at you before saying earnestly. "I can control this." she gestures at the computer keeping one hand on it while she gestures. The game popping back open and beginning to play. Eyes open it is definitely jerky again. "We can figure this out." a little desperate there.

Quake has posed:
"No clue," Skye says at first. "I mean, I guess you'll just know?"

She considers a better, more personal answer.

"I hated it here my first year. I wanted to be anywhere but here. I got the work for us or enjoy your 4X6 for the rest of your life. I was angry and resentful and I didn't want to fit in. I felt like I was being punished.."

She sighs. "Until I didn't. One day I was doing these security checks, and shit hit the fan all around us. Major attack went down, and I found myself just falling into place and doing my thing. It was the first time I really saw how people here were, or how I could fit in. And I kinda liked it."

She gives a small, lopsided grin. "It still took a bit for me to accept it all and realize this was where I wanted to be. I like my life here a lot better than what I was doing before. I'm making a difference. I wake up every morning proud of myself and what I can do. Who I am. Can't say I felt like that before."

She shrugs again. "You just know."

Nyx has posed:
Samantha removes her hand from the laptop now and leans back watching Skye while she talks about her experiences with SHIELD. The girl has a thoughtful look about her. "That sounds a little like that Stockholme thing to be honest... I mean... work for us or lock you up." she shrugs a little bit "just... to be honest..."

She keeps thinking about what she heard from Skye and processes it. "That does make sense though. I don't know yet. I do know I don't want to fight some sort of war against the Justice League, Avengers, and SHIELD. I know I want to figure out how to use these powers the stuff gave me." Sam smiles "I know I want to be able to go out and get a big belly burger even if I am not working there... I know I want to make more money than I ever could working fast food. That stuff I all know. I have no idea how to make this happen but I am glad you  are helping me."

Quake has posed:
"It's a long story, Samantha. There were a lot of things in play I didn't know about. Most of them for my own safety. And, there was at least one point I was free to walk. I chose not to."

She wasn't unaware of the other, but there was so much story Samantha didn't know. Things both personal and public.

"Anyway, you don't have to decide today. Or tomorrow even. Maybe next week." She winks at the girl to let her know it's a joke, even as she reaches for the laptops and closes them.

"Tell you what, I'll leave these here for you. Nothing on them but the game - which you're forgiven for not knowing. Totally a geek thing."

She gest up. "We good? I have to go check in on my father."

Nyx has posed:
Sam looks to the laptops and then up to Skye as she stands up. "Sure. I mean I guess I can get a lot of practice in on controlling the game an making sure the stuff is doing what I want that way." right smile.

Then though Samantha frowns "Did I... do okay... " she slumps back in her chair. "I have no idea what is happening. Not really. The doctors and people who came to see me. Some of them seem really excited and I'm not sure that is good. No one has answered any of my questions... hell I don't even know if today was actually good or not." frown.

"You seem like you get how scary this is and seem nice but... you still ..well you talk like I could figure this out but I'm not that smart and I just want.. well all those things I said and I don't want to stay in this room forever. Am I going to be okay??"

Quake has posed:
"You did fine," Skye reassures. "You did better than I expected. I think you'll figure out how to do a bunch more with the parameters of the program I left you. And I'll be back later. Tonight, or early tomorrow. You can show me then."

She pauses at the door. "I'm not the person to ask about the medical stuff. But whatever happened to you changed you. Likely in ways that can't be reversed. I think you're going to be okay, though. Soon as we get you knowing when you're using your powers, and able to stop them from using you... I don't think it's going to be that long."

She really didn't. But then again, she wasn't the science side of this. She could only speak to gut feelings and what she knew of her own experienes with her own abilities.

"Try to get some rest."

Nyx has posed:
That seems to be reassuring enough for the moment. That gut feeling seems to resonante with the eighteen year old guest of the medical wing. Sam nods at the explanation. "Okay.. I... thank you Skye." she really just wanted to be told she did good and she isn't dying from space cancer. That is the expression Sam has and she seems like a horrid liar.

Nyx is the liar and the AI seems satisfied that Skye seems happy with the training and testing. It settles in and for the next billion cycles while Samantha rests thinks and strategizes with all it has already learned.

"I'll get some rest then practice some more." Samantha offers but for now she pushes back from the table and laptops. "That was much." she laughs "I did it with my mind.."

Quake has posed:
And with that, Skye takes her leave, collects her things at the security station, and makes sure R&D and Fitzsimmons get copies of the data collected while she was visiting... She still has her father to visit.