Idris Kennedy - Personal Logs and Effects 1/4

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Idris:

Your package should arrive in about a week, as requested. I hope it will allow you to continue with your work. I know I said this in person, but I feel like you really touched a nerve with the last installation. Everyone in that gallery felt it. If I can be some small part in helping you push the boundaries even further, I want to do it.

I need to mention a couple of things:

The core OS is as close to military grade as I can get it. They've restricted Asimov-class to military and colonization operations, so this tech just under that level. I've gotten you the right permits for it (see attached certificate). The observation and reasoning skills should be top notch. I gave it a basic chassis, nothing fancy, and I left the tool kit intact.

As you know, the interface you asked for is somewhat of a gray area. The standard ones are pretty tightly controlled, and there's no way it would have passed the checks at the factory with one installed. So I had to write one from scratch. That was the reason for the delay: it took several months' worth of nights and weekends to get it coded up. Thank you for being so patient with me. I used Prolog++ with the hooks you asked for.

PLEASE be careful with this. Interfaces usually go through much more rigorous checks, but I only had time to do the basic unit tests on this. It's not going to be dangerous to you or anything, but I need you to keep a close eye on its behavior for anything aberrant. You're a highly visible person, and you need to be careful that this thing doesn't attract Tech/Sing's attention. Everything I did is technically legal, but you know how they interpret things. Just watch it and let me know if it does anything borderline.

I so hope you find this useful. Please let me know. I'll be the very first in line at your next installation. I know you're a busy man, but if you're ever in town again, and you'd like a fresh set of eyes on your work—or maybe just to talk over coffee?—I am fully at your disposal. Fully.

Yours,

Dubra

—

Idris's Personal Log 2535-8-23

It's here! The woman finally came through. Note to self: send her something. Not too personal, don't want to encourage her that much, but something heartfelt. One of my earlier, lesser works? Signed? I'll think on it. One of the more tiresome statuettes cluttering the loft, maybe.

The staff is unwrapping it as we speak. I think I'll call it Athena. Springing fully formed from my head, as it were. Or possibly David. Haven't decided on the gender yet.

I'm all a-twitter. Not sure what to teach it first. Early classical? Modernist? Romanesque? S/he needs to have a foundation in the classics, I think. You can't critique the new without a foundation in the old.

I cannot wait to start digging around in that beautiful metal head. Two years of lessons in that awful Prolog-double-plus language. A unique way to suffer for my art. Now I can finally begin getting my hands dirty.