Humans in Disguise (Reboot)

@Luke1066  
“I keep backups of all the plans and spells behind everything in this tower, but not everything could be feasibly duplicated, like the machine for restoring human form. Also, I had implements for both English and Metric implements, just to be prepared.”
 
He turns to face Steve “Let’s try five or so more tests, maybe ten in total. Try varying your tests a bit more too, like making broader requests or asking for fake or incorrect titles; we want to be sure we’ll know how she handles those kind of jobs.”

@CobaltTheMadMage  
I make the O.K sign with my fingers and look to her. “He talks kinda like Ma. AISRA, would you kindly find for me anything related to the magic in different types of wood?” Goin’ for a broad one…

@CobaltTheMadMage  
“By English you mean Imperial, yes? Once you’re done with that, AISRA, would you please retrieve the 50% blend of iron dust and copper i left up there? There’s more than one container, and only one should be the blend.”
 
Those definitely weren’t up there before… sleight of hoof, perhaps?

@Steve61594
 
@Luke1066  
AISRA proceeds to retrieve several books in succession- ‘How to Build Wood Golems’, ‘100 Magical Flora and Fauna’, ‘The Arcanist’s Guide to Woodcarving’, ‘The Book of Druidic Secrets’…
 
“Star, she works by parsing text within a marked area she won’t-”
 
Before he can finish that sentence, he sees Aisra has already placed one of the jars beside the growing pile of books.

@CobaltTheMadMage  
I whistle. “You were saying? I think she understands perfectly what she’s after. I’ve already got an idea what she’ll do when I ask for my favorite book…AISRA, could you bring me a book on ‘The Everfree Shed’?”

@CobaltTheMadMage  
“You were saying, Cobalt?”
 
She shakes the vial, pulling out her lens again.
 
“Yep, definitely 50/50. Well done, AISRA.”

@Steve61594
 
@Luke1066  
“I… that… this is above and beyond her programming…”
 
AISRA parses the entire shelf, but when she reappears on her pedestal she can only shake her head ‘no’. She couldn’t find the book he asked for.

@CobaltTheMadMage  
“Aw, that’s alright. Could you find ‘Magic’s Invulnerabilies’?” This one was a real book. While she gets on that, I look to Cobalt. “Sometimes they go beyond what you think they can. Wasn’t she given a lifelike intelligence when…that thing happened? I bet that might have something to do with it.”

Pencil: Sits down on a crate while the wizards do their work

@CobaltTheMadMage
 
@Steve61594  
“Oh, most definitely. Speaking of that anomaly… It appears to have created a node. Curious.”

@Steve61594
 
@Pencil Shavings
 
@Luke1066  
AISRA parses once again, but still returns with nothing. Either Cobalt didn’t own the book, or it wasn’t on the shelves marked with her tags. In any case, she seemed a bit upset that she couldn’t find what was asked of her.
 
“Hmm… probably.” Cobalt replies. “That phenomenon introduces variables I was not prepared for- but if I understand what Star said correctly, I will be able to study its source?” You could practically hear the gears turning in Cobalt’s head now.

@CobaltTheMadMage  
I rub her little head. “Hey, it’s alright. Is asking for stuff the only way to cheer you up, or is there something better?”

@CobaltTheMadMage  
“Yeah- but unless you’re already insane, which i doubt, i don’t reccomend going too deep into the rabbit hole, know what i’m saying?”

@Steve61594  
“There there, it’s not your fault.” Cobalt joins in on the pettings. “The book really wasn’t there; you’re doing great, keep it up.”
 
That seems to reassure her a bit, though she doesn’t seem to have an answer to Steve’s question.
 
 
@Luke1066  
“Well… they don’t call me ’Cobalt the Mad Mage for nothing.” Cobalt says with an unsettling grin before his face quickly reverts to normal “But yeah, I would very much like to not blow my house up again. Is there perhaps a way to cap it off somewhat? To contain it safely to maybe allow for a slow and gradual drain of energy from it?”

@CobaltTheMadMage  
“I think that’s what set it off in the first pl- OW!” She pulls a shard of glass out of the inside of her hoof. “Either that, or an improperly contained one… i have some research to do myself, looks like. Uh… got a healing potion or something?”

@CobaltTheMadMage  
Ah well. For the moment, chin scratches. “If it’ll help, could you find me a book called ‘The Runic Alphabet’?” I look to Cobalt. “Just asking out of curiosity, why doesn’t a mage have a book on magical invulnerabilities?”

@Pencil Shavings
 
@Luke1066
 
@Steve61594  
“I should still have something in that little red chest by the wall, assuming the vials survived the blast.”
 
Cobalt points out to Star before turning to Steve.
 
“I might have that somewhere, this is just one of many bookshelves I have in this tower. It might help if we expanded her search range a bit… Pencil, do you wanna help us out with something?”

@CobaltTheMadMage  
Open chest, get healing potion.

@CobaltTheMadMage  
“I could do that, just tell me aroundabout how you made her search capacity? What magic did thee use?”

@Luke1066  
the little vial of bittersweet green fluid heals up her cut immediately
 
 
@Steve61594
 
@Pencil Shavings  
“She uses…” Cobalt begins as he momentarily lifts AISRA’s pedestal and removes a handful of small brass cylinders from the underside “- these markers, as points of reference for her parsing ability. Basically put these in the corners of a bookshelf, like that one-” he points to the ones in position at their current shelf “-and she’ll be able to see everything on them. I could give her normal sight later, but for now this should suffice her original purpose.” He hands a few markers to Steve “You and Pencil can go put these around whatever bookshelves you find around the tower to expand her search range for improved testing results.”

@CobaltTheMadMage  
(>Healing potion)  
(>Green)
 
Boop the AISRA “Boop.”

@CobaltTheMadMage  
(Notice: The user "Pencil Shavings" has not been active in some time.)
 
Off I go, placing markers. After taking them from Cobalt, of course. I come back. “They are placed as though they’re corners, right?”

@Luke1066  
She flinches and scrunches, then shakes her head. Being randomly booped is a confusing sensation when you’re technically blind.
 
 
@Steve61594  
“Correct. Four per shelf, arranged in a vertical rectangle.”

@CobaltTheMadMage  
More giggles.
 
The sober pon goes back to her own lab.

@CobaltTheMadMage  
“Cool beans.”