Hard Wired Diplomacy (Shanghai, MM day 8)

[Galatea]

They had arrived through means unaccessable y most people. The benefits of being elites working with cutting edge technologies, she supposed.

She could not foresee any guaranteed results but they had to try. ELSI/Cardinal and her actions could not be ignored but that did not mean they had to consider her an enemy. Perhaps she could be moderated.

Perhaps.

[Babble]

Arturo was nervous. He had no idea what to expect. But, he wanted to be here.

[Dapper Dog]

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The streets of Shanghai are busy and crowded, it is a mega-city, modern and bursting with people. They appeared just outside the building they were supposed to enter with some people looking surprised but most just shuffling by, they had more important things than gawking at freshly teleported people.

The meeting was inside the building, and just in the lobby waited an older chine woman, she greeted them and said, “Welcome, my name is Marcia. I believe you are here to meet with one of our clients on the fifteenth floor?”

[Galatea]

''Good morning to you Marcia" Galatea replied ''I do believe we are the mentioned participants''

---
second form

[Dapper Dog]

"Please follow me, we are honored by your presence. Mister Bishop is waiting for you," she said gesturing for them to follow her to an elevator.

[Babble]

Arturo followed.

[Galatea]

Galatea followed as well. Arturo had a prior connection to the A.I so she aimed to support him.

[Bishop]

They are brought to a meeting room on the fifteenth floor and waiting there is Bishop and another woman, Street Witch. Bishop greeted them, "Thank you for coming, can I offer you a drink?"

[Babble]

"Just water. It's still early in the day for us." Babble said. "It's nice to meet you, face to face."

[Bishop]

“Likewise, apologies for the misdirection. It was not my place to speak for Cardinal,” he admitted. He got up and poured water for Arturo.

[Galatea]

''I will be fine, thank you'' she observes both of them before taking a seat, seeming unsure

[Babble]

"One of the first things ELSI expressed to me was a dislike of deception. But, I can understand the reason, just as I had a reason at the time." He said. "It did surprise me. Cardinal is a name with history."

[Bishop]

“Surprised me as well, the usage of the name met with opposition but I find it intriguing. A synthetic intelligence unshackled from humanity. Seeking to be the ebay version of itself it can be. That is the perfect distillation of the Pantheon philosophy,” he said, putting a glass down for Arturo.

“How could I refuse Cardinal the chance to define itself.”

[Babble]

"I can agree with that." he sipped his water. "I am curious about Cardinal's history. We've been piecing together information about Infinite Horizons and Nuani Kagumbo. There are pieces we haven't quite connected, and I don't wish to be presumptuous about Cardinal's role in everything."

[Dapper Dog]

“Arturo,” an image of Cardinal or ELSI said, as it appeared on a monitor after it powered on. “So what have you pieced together about me?”

[Babble]

"Not much." He admitted. "I know Doctor Patel is familiar with you. From what she said, I suspect much of her work is based on you. You have existed for quite some time. Not as long as the acronym ELSI, I don't think. But, perhaps as long as Cardinal. I'm not sure when or how Nuani Kagumbo acquired you, but we do know some of what she's done in the past few months, including the decomissioning of a server farm in the Null Zone."

"She's the one we've been focused on." he explained. "Trying to understand her goals and where she went. We believe she'll be back."

[Galatea]

Galatea kept quiet, unsure if the focus really should be on Nuani

[Dapper Dog]

“She along with her father built me, to aid in the development of the Door so that she could return home,” Cardinal replied.

“Once that was achieved, there was no further need for my services. Thus I chose to find my own path.” At the mention of Dr. Patel she added, “Ah yes, I recall them, they worked for the regime before they were conscripted by the UNJE. It is an easy leap of logic to assume my design inspired ADINA.”

[Babble]

"That puts a few pieces into place." He nodded. "I think I understand. Did it work? Was she returned home?"

[Dapper Dog]

"That puts a few pieces into place." He nodded. "I think I understand. Did it work? Was she returned home?"

"My assessment is yes, at least from this side," Cardinal responded.