Simpler

Date/Timing: 20 February 2010
Setting: Hermann's room; Oxford, England, United Kingdom
.
Warm, soft weight settles on Hermann's crown and gentle arms drape around his neck.
""What're you working on?"" says Edan.
Hermann smacks him with a wing—
Edan squawks; his chin and arms retreat.
—grumps, "My research and it's not going well."
Edan perches on the edge of the desk. "You finally settled on a project?"
"For better or worse." Sighs. "It's PAIGE."
"Ooo! The agent! That's so cool!"
"If she'd /work." Stabs in the next line of code. "I've been at this for /six /weeks and she /still can't handle even the /simplest task I give her. I'm /so behind schedule."
"Maybe she needs something even /simpler to do then. Build her confidence a bit."
"She's /software, not a /child."
"But she's supposed to /learn a bit like a kid, yea?"
Hermann concedes with a grunt and more keystrokes.
"So, she already does basic calendar stuff? Birthdays, appointments, and such like?"
Hermann blinks at his screen.
Edan swings his feet, smugging.
"I need a moment."
"I'll put the kettle on." He hops off the desk, ruffles Hermann's hair—
Hermann squawks, flicks a wing.
—dodges, and bounces over to the hotplate.
Hermann types.
Edan hums ("Love You More").
The kettle bubbles.
Hermann takes a deep breath, sets the compiler running.
Edan shuffles back with a mug of steeping tea in each hand, offers one.
"Thanks."
The laptop /chirps.
"Here goes nothing."
"Fingers crossed."
Hermann opens PAIGE.
PAIGE: Hello! How may I help you, sir?
hermann_g: Hello, Paige.
hermann_g: Please ingest
"'Ingest'?"
"It's accurate."
"It's also creepy."
Hermann sniffs.
hermann_g: Please ingest file "Contacts", column "Birthday".
PAIGE: Yes, sir.
PAIGE: Data acquired.
hermann_g: Thank you, Paige.
PAIGE: What shall I do next, sir?
hermann_g: Please tell me whose birthday is nearest in the future.
PAIGE: Bastien Gottlieb's birthday is 1 April, 40 days from today.
"She did it! She got the right answer!" Waves hands in victory. "Good job, you two!"
Hermann ducks his head.
hermann_g: Thank you, Paige. 
PAIGE: What shall I do next, sir?
hermann_g: Good job.
PAIGE: Unrecognized phrase:Good job.
PAIGE: Please define, sir.
"She knows to ask questions?"
"One of her subroutines prompts her to ask for definitions of words or phrases she hasn't encountered before."
"Sweet."
hermann_g: "Good job." means you have completed a task in a way that exceeds expectations.
PAIGE: I see.
"That means she's added the phrase to her dictionary."
"That's brilliant."
PAIGE: What shall I do next, sir?
hermann_g: Please place a reminder of Bastien Gottlieb's birthday on my personal calendar.
PAIGE: Reminder created.
hermann_g: Thank you, Paige.
Hermann checks the calendar on his mobile, finds the note right where it should be, shows Edan the screen.
"Lookit her go!"
"You were right. She just needed a simpler task to start with."
"Glad to help." Edan glances at the laptop.
PAIGE: What shall I do next, sir?
"Is there a reason she waits for you to thank her?"
"'Thank you, Paige' tells her to close out a request and prepare to take the next. 'Please' at the beginning of a line tells her it contains a request."
"Efficient /and polite." Grins over his mug. "Like dad, like daughter."
Hermann rolls his eyes.
hermann_g: Nothing further, Paige.
hermann_g: Please shut yourself down.
PAIGE: Shutting down.
The window winks closed.
"She works!" cheers Edan.
"She's /started working." Hermann runs a hand through his hair, shuffles his wings. "There's a lot more to do."
"And all /sorts of time to do it." Edan edges closer, his foot coming to rest against Hermann's calf.
"All sorts of time /if I'm not distracted."
"You can spare a half-hour to celebrate, can't you?"
Hermann leans back, smirks. "I suppose I can."
Edan beams.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Hermann is a programmer
Category:Edan
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Oxford (setting)
Category:PAIGE
Category:PAIGE (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Bastien (mention)