Such an interesting twist, so many interesting ideas about it! Sorry this is so long...
In case no one picked it up, the eyes are distinctly like that of the lead character of another comic that Jeph draws... when she is upset and/or triggered.
Alice's eyes are just plain blue in the strip you linked. Yes, she has shown red eyes occasionally, but I thought we already established that this new person's eyes are purple, not red.
One thing that I'm finding particularly ominous about Pale Agent is that they have no compunction about disabling a human, even temporarily, with some kind of stun-touch. That's a line I don't think I've seen an AI cross in this universe, except in self defense. PA does it nonchalantly and apparently steps over Faye's body to talk to Bubbles. That's a level of dismissiveness, even contempt, toward us meat-sacks that does not bode well.
Yes, that disturbs me quite a bit too.
Also, they use the word "puissant." Never trust anyone who uses the word "puissant."
![cool 8-)](https://forums.questionablecontent.net/Smileys/qc/cool.gif)
P.S.: No matter how bad these guys might be for Bubbles, I think that we can already see that they'll be much worse for Corpse Witch.
That's a cheering thought!
Bubbles is VERY not-amused. I don't think I (or any other mortal entity) would want to be on the receiving end of that glare.
The fact that Alucard doesn't care gives us a disturbing insight into just how powerful her sponsor is.
And that is not.
BTW, I googled Alucard to find out why you keep using that name. Verrrrry interesting comparison!
Friday
Alucard and Hannelore are facing off. Alucard insists that this does not involve her and calls her 'Daughter of the Creator'. Hannelore tells Alucard that she 'isn't welcome here' and orders her to leave. When Alucard sneers that she doesn't obey orders from 'the likes of her', Hannelore responds thus:
"Unit Bravo-Three-Dash-Six-Six, One-Delta-Slash-Six-Niner-Five! Master Override; reset to factory settings, authorisation One, Lima, India, Six, Two..."
"NO!" Alucard looks terrified. "Very well; this location is off-limits."
Nice, but if Hanners has some sort of "Master Override" for all AIs, why wouldn't she have offered to use it on Corpse Witch?
Taking them at their word ( and trust but verify here...)
They're young and powerful - station and colleagues are "less puissant elders".
I took that to mean this person represents the
more puissant elders...
It also occurs to me that a rational response from Bubbles (other than scepticism as to whether than can really do what they say) would be:
"Thankyou very much. I don't wish those memories back now, but I do need to know they are potentially accessible if I do need them. Now you have freed me so I can act ethically, thank you again".
She can then return to the warehouse, let CW know that her lever no longer has power, and continue as before, without destroying the place for those disadvantaged robots who depend on it.
Interesting, but I don't think CW would be capable of letting things continue as before if she knew her leverage was gone -- she'd be desperate to find some new leverage she could use over Bubbles. Threatening to hurt Faye is one possible leverage that comes to mind...
Station's a mainframe and the new ones are a cloud-connected cluster. Station doubts he can break the encryption, the new ones simply state that they will.
Yeah, we've become accustomed to thinking of Station as the Last Word in AI, because Hanners says he is. The New AI Gods may consider him a doddering old coot who they humor.
Station may be the Last Word in
known AI... but Gary, mentioned earlier, would be an example of
unknown AI. Are there other AIs like Gary, that have evolved themselves outside the knowledge of humans? Only
the Shadow Jeph knows!
It's possible that it's an old school vs new school hacker kind of divide here. Just because Station and his contemporaries don't know of any of their ways to break this encryption safely doesn't mean the New Kids don't.
It's also possible that these New Kids are less
concerned with the possible danger to Bubbles than Station is. Given the way Agent Violet treated Faye, their ethics already seem pretty questionable...