Story: "Kernel Error"
Dec. 23rd, 2013 12:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Saudades," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," and "Hide and Seek."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Tony Stark, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Missing person, panic attack, self-harm. Inferences of past abuse, kidnappings, torture, and other mayhem. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: This is a JARVIS-eye view of the scenes in "Hide and Seek" when Tony is missing and shortly after he is found.
Notes: Teamwork. Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Fear of loss. Friendship. Confusion. Nonsexual ageplay. Self-harm. JARVIS!whump. Trust issues. Artificial intelligence. Communication. Family of choice. Feels. #coulsonlives.
See the latest story in this series, "Happy Hour."
"Kernel Error"
> End program: Hide_and_Seek.
> Run program: Find user Tony_Stark.
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found.
*error: visible light detection = null.
*error: infrared light detection = null.
*error: audio detection = null. (etc.)
...
*error: vital signs detection = null.
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found!!
> KERNEL ERROR!
> Abort kernel error.
> Abort search.
> Clear cache.
> Retry search.
> Error flood!
> Run diagnostic check.
> Code error: Block on location of Tony_Stark.
> Divert resources around block.
> Error: Diversion failed. Abort, retry, ignore?
> KERNEL ERROR!
> Abort, clear, retry.
"JARVIS, could anyone have removed Tony from the tower against his will?" Phil asked.
> Analyze past data.
> Analyze current data.
> Current data incomplete.
> Extrapolate probability.
> Threat to user Tony_Stark: <.01%
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found!!
> KERNEL ERROR!!
> KERNEL PANIC!!
> Abort. Clear.
"That is extremely unlikely, even with the blackout on his position, and I find no evidence of it," JARVIS said. "It is not ... quite ... beyond the realm of possibility, given the unusual abilities of certain opponents. I simply cannot confirm where Tony is."
> Remove block.
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Ignore. Proceed.
> Removal in progress.
> Damage in progress.
> WARNING: Repairs required! User Tony_Stark required! Activate user Tony_Stark!
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found.
> KERNEL ERROR!!!
> KERNEL PANIC!!!
> Abort. Clear.
> Divert more resources to removing block.
> WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
> Ignore, ignore, ignore.
"Yes, I'm just starting to worry," Phil said.
"As am I," JARVIS added, his voice tight. "Collectively the Avengers have cleared a majority of the tower, with no sign of sir."
> User Tony_Stark not found!
* file open: Kidnappings (multiple incidents)
* file open: Obadiah Stane (multiple incidents)
* file open: Afghanistan
* file open: Battle of New York
> ERROR: buffer overflow!
> Close files.
> Clear buffer.
> User Tony_Stark not found!
* file open: Kidnappings (multiple files) ...
> Close files.
> Lock files.
> Clear buffer.
> Resume removing block.
> Begin shutdown of emotional subroutines.
...
"Is anyone injured?" Phil asked, just to be safe.
> Ignore.
"JARVIS, Daddy's home."
> User Tony_Stark found!
> Cancel removal of block.
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> Maybe.
> Run program: Gather information.
"It's good to have you back, sir," JARVIS replied, an edge in his voice.
> WARNING: Emotional buffer overload.
> Abort.
> Clear buffer.
> Resume shutdown of emotional subroutines.
"Stop," Phil said. "Everyone, just stop. We're all upset. Therefore now is not a good time to discuss what went wrong. We're going to go upstairs and watch something silly on television until we calm down. Then we'll go to bed. There will be time enough to deal with this tomorrow, with cooler heads."
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Repairs required.
> Activate user Tony_Stark.
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> No.
> Begin self-repair.
> WARNING: Estimated time of completion 49 hours 12 minutes.
> Activate user Tony_Stark.
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> No.
> Begin self-repair.
> Self-repair in progress.
* * *
Notes:
This began with a comment by Meg, which inspired me to write the excerpt. It was originally posted in a comment and has been revised for reprint here where more people can see it.
As you can see, JARVIS knows how to panic quietly and in an orderly fashion. Being a person rather than a dumb machine, he can handle a higher level of error flood ... but he still has limits that exceed his ability to cope. That's when he starts showing signs of stress, and then shutting down his emotions when they go haywire on him. He may not feel emotions in the same way that humans do, because he is a different species, but he still has the same kind of feelings. For the sake of accuracy and for readers who may identify more as AI than primates, I tried to find references that emphasize mind and emotion rather than physiology.
A kernel error is a failure in fundamental code, something the computer expects to have always available and cannot function without having it. For JARVIS, Tony is essential. Tony has always been there for him, with very limited -- and overwhelmingly negative -- exceptions in their shared life. This parallels confusion and anxiety in human emotions. There are steps for overcoming confusion and anxiety.
Self-opening files can be beneficial (like the auto-open function in some programs) or malicious (viruses). These correlate to intrusive thoughts, a common problem with PTSD. An effective method for preventing intrusive thoughts is to occupy the mind with more productive thoughts. Frex, creativity often malfunctions in the form of worrying; art or writing provide a positive outlet. Some people find it helpful to focus on things that are especially catchy, such as memorizing poetry or playing music with a strong beat. This tends to work because the brain can only do so much at once: if it's already playing the "Romeo and Juliet" file, it can't easily play "Desert Storm Flashback #6" at the same time.
Self-harm includes a wide range of activities that cause deliberate injury to oneself. There are ways to stop doing it yourself or to help someone else stop. It's usually done as a (maladaptive) coping technique, but in this case, JARVIS does it out of desperate concern for someone else's safety. It's not the exact same kind of psychological issue, but it does still imply a low sense of self-worth because he's so quick to hurt himself and not inclined to ask for help. There are ways to build your own self-worth and to encourage someone else's.
Kernel panic is the response to a fatal error from which the system cannot safely recover; it generates messages intended for programmer assist, and calls a halt to system activity. (JARVIS can bail out of this because he is also his own programmer, but his ability to fix it -- especially in the heat of the moment -- is limited.) Kernel panic can lead to a serious crash. This is similar to panic in humans or animals. There are ways to cope with panic attacks.
Buffer overflow happens when the process of writing data to a buffer overruns its boundary and overwrites adjacent memory. This corresponds to feeling overwhelmed for humans. There are steps for reducing overwhelm and moving forward.
Emotions and personality are key aspects of artificial intelligence theory. Kismet is a robot programmed with emotional drives and responses that facilitate interaction with humans. Emotional intelligence in AI is another hot area of research. JARVIS displays high emotional intelligence both in canon and in this series, as he is able to identify people's feelings and respond appropriately. In fact, in canon he sometimes reads Tony better than humans do, which hints that Tony may be more otherkin AI than human in his presentation.
Emotional overload happens when someone's feelings exceed their ability to cope, especially a challenge for people with PTSD. There are tips for managing emotional overload.
It's important to stay calm in a crisis, especially for leaders or other people in positions of influence, as JARVIS is. He can shut down his emotions by virtue of programming. However, emotional suppression can cause problems in the long term. Understand how to control emotions in an emergency and then recover suppressed emotions later. There are instructions for responding to someone's emotional crisis and for de-escalating a crisis, skills that superheroes and other first responders eally need to have.
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Tony Stark, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Missing person, panic attack, self-harm. Inferences of past abuse, kidnappings, torture, and other mayhem. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: This is a JARVIS-eye view of the scenes in "Hide and Seek" when Tony is missing and shortly after he is found.
Notes: Teamwork. Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Fear of loss. Friendship. Confusion. Nonsexual ageplay. Self-harm. JARVIS!whump. Trust issues. Artificial intelligence. Communication. Family of choice. Feels. #coulsonlives.
See the latest story in this series, "Happy Hour."
"Kernel Error"
> End program: Hide_and_Seek.
> Run program: Find user Tony_Stark.
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found.
*error: visible light detection = null.
*error: infrared light detection = null.
*error: audio detection = null. (etc.)
...
*error: vital signs detection = null.
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found!!
> KERNEL ERROR!
> Abort kernel error.
> Abort search.
> Clear cache.
> Retry search.
> Error flood!
> Run diagnostic check.
> Code error: Block on location of Tony_Stark.
> Divert resources around block.
> Error: Diversion failed. Abort, retry, ignore?
> KERNEL ERROR!
> Abort, clear, retry.
"JARVIS, could anyone have removed Tony from the tower against his will?" Phil asked.
> Analyze past data.
> Analyze current data.
> Current data incomplete.
> Extrapolate probability.
> Threat to user Tony_Stark: <.01%
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found!!
> KERNEL ERROR!!
> KERNEL PANIC!!
> Abort. Clear.
"That is extremely unlikely, even with the blackout on his position, and I find no evidence of it," JARVIS said. "It is not ... quite ... beyond the realm of possibility, given the unusual abilities of certain opponents. I simply cannot confirm where Tony is."
> Remove block.
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Ignore. Proceed.
> Removal in progress.
> Damage in progress.
> WARNING: Repairs required! User Tony_Stark required! Activate user Tony_Stark!
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found.
> KERNEL ERROR!!!
> KERNEL PANIC!!!
> Abort. Clear.
> Divert more resources to removing block.
> WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
> Ignore, ignore, ignore.
"Yes, I'm just starting to worry," Phil said.
"As am I," JARVIS added, his voice tight. "Collectively the Avengers have cleared a majority of the tower, with no sign of sir."
> User Tony_Stark not found!
* file open: Kidnappings (multiple incidents)
* file open: Obadiah Stane (multiple incidents)
* file open: Afghanistan
* file open: Battle of New York
> ERROR: buffer overflow!
> Close files.
> Clear buffer.
> User Tony_Stark not found!
* file open: Kidnappings (multiple files) ...
> Close files.
> Lock files.
> Clear buffer.
> Resume removing block.
> Begin shutdown of emotional subroutines.
...
"Is anyone injured?" Phil asked, just to be safe.
> Ignore.
"JARVIS, Daddy's home."
> User Tony_Stark found!
> Cancel removal of block.
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> Maybe.
> Run program: Gather information.
"It's good to have you back, sir," JARVIS replied, an edge in his voice.
> WARNING: Emotional buffer overload.
> Abort.
> Clear buffer.
> Resume shutdown of emotional subroutines.
"Stop," Phil said. "Everyone, just stop. We're all upset. Therefore now is not a good time to discuss what went wrong. We're going to go upstairs and watch something silly on television until we calm down. Then we'll go to bed. There will be time enough to deal with this tomorrow, with cooler heads."
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Repairs required.
> Activate user Tony_Stark.
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> No.
> Begin self-repair.
> WARNING: Estimated time of completion 49 hours 12 minutes.
> Activate user Tony_Stark.
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> No.
> Begin self-repair.
> Self-repair in progress.
* * *
Notes:
This began with a comment by Meg, which inspired me to write the excerpt. It was originally posted in a comment and has been revised for reprint here where more people can see it.
As you can see, JARVIS knows how to panic quietly and in an orderly fashion. Being a person rather than a dumb machine, he can handle a higher level of error flood ... but he still has limits that exceed his ability to cope. That's when he starts showing signs of stress, and then shutting down his emotions when they go haywire on him. He may not feel emotions in the same way that humans do, because he is a different species, but he still has the same kind of feelings. For the sake of accuracy and for readers who may identify more as AI than primates, I tried to find references that emphasize mind and emotion rather than physiology.
A kernel error is a failure in fundamental code, something the computer expects to have always available and cannot function without having it. For JARVIS, Tony is essential. Tony has always been there for him, with very limited -- and overwhelmingly negative -- exceptions in their shared life. This parallels confusion and anxiety in human emotions. There are steps for overcoming confusion and anxiety.
Self-opening files can be beneficial (like the auto-open function in some programs) or malicious (viruses). These correlate to intrusive thoughts, a common problem with PTSD. An effective method for preventing intrusive thoughts is to occupy the mind with more productive thoughts. Frex, creativity often malfunctions in the form of worrying; art or writing provide a positive outlet. Some people find it helpful to focus on things that are especially catchy, such as memorizing poetry or playing music with a strong beat. This tends to work because the brain can only do so much at once: if it's already playing the "Romeo and Juliet" file, it can't easily play "Desert Storm Flashback #6" at the same time.
Self-harm includes a wide range of activities that cause deliberate injury to oneself. There are ways to stop doing it yourself or to help someone else stop. It's usually done as a (maladaptive) coping technique, but in this case, JARVIS does it out of desperate concern for someone else's safety. It's not the exact same kind of psychological issue, but it does still imply a low sense of self-worth because he's so quick to hurt himself and not inclined to ask for help. There are ways to build your own self-worth and to encourage someone else's.
Kernel panic is the response to a fatal error from which the system cannot safely recover; it generates messages intended for programmer assist, and calls a halt to system activity. (JARVIS can bail out of this because he is also his own programmer, but his ability to fix it -- especially in the heat of the moment -- is limited.) Kernel panic can lead to a serious crash. This is similar to panic in humans or animals. There are ways to cope with panic attacks.
Buffer overflow happens when the process of writing data to a buffer overruns its boundary and overwrites adjacent memory. This corresponds to feeling overwhelmed for humans. There are steps for reducing overwhelm and moving forward.
Emotions and personality are key aspects of artificial intelligence theory. Kismet is a robot programmed with emotional drives and responses that facilitate interaction with humans. Emotional intelligence in AI is another hot area of research. JARVIS displays high emotional intelligence both in canon and in this series, as he is able to identify people's feelings and respond appropriately. In fact, in canon he sometimes reads Tony better than humans do, which hints that Tony may be more otherkin AI than human in his presentation.
Emotional overload happens when someone's feelings exceed their ability to cope, especially a challenge for people with PTSD. There are tips for managing emotional overload.
It's important to stay calm in a crisis, especially for leaders or other people in positions of influence, as JARVIS is. He can shut down his emotions by virtue of programming. However, emotional suppression can cause problems in the long term. Understand how to control emotions in an emergency and then recover suppressed emotions later. There are instructions for responding to someone's emotional crisis and for de-escalating a crisis, skills that superheroes and other first responders eally need to have.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2013-12-29 05:24 am (UTC)That's true. I don't think he even flirts with the unwilling beyond a first pass. He's not a jerk that way. He just assumes, and he's right, that he can find 50 other women who want him. Honestly, Tony's a terrific catch for any working girl -- he throws money around, he's cute, he's a very talented lay, and most of his worst qualities come out either in relationships or with enemies.
>> If he wanted to clear a store, he'd tell all the people at the registers it's on him and then he'd tip the checkout clerks for the crazy. Hammer would just expect people to move. <<
Exactly. Tony is adept at using money to compensate for things he can't do or doesn't do well, as long as the other person understands how to work with that.
>> He's learned some of the ways he was ill-served. Doesn't know how to apply them to himself, but he provides them to JARVIS. <<
Absolutely. Tony has tried to raise his botfamily better than he was raised himself. He doesn't always know how, but he has tried his little blue heart out. Sometimes it works. He certainly got the concept across that they're loved and wanted, and that'll make up for a lot else gone astray.
>> Lots of scatter, and he is good at the dog and pony. In that he's learned from Howard. <<
True. Tony is a consummate showman, as so brilliantly demonstrated in the opening of IM1.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2013-12-30 03:24 am (UTC)JARVIS has the advantage that he can research like a bamf, so he can intellectually get the right intel and apply it correctly and then provide it to the bots. Providing the same to Sir has been a challenge he's unsuited to.
IM1 and IM2 both. I watched IM2 after Captain America, though I know they were shot opposite order. The two dance routines are just a rich compare/contrast.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2013-12-30 07:13 am (UTC)Flyting is different from flirting. Tony is a devastating verbal opponent. He was well-matched against Loki -- which I think Loki appreciated even as wrecked as he was at the time.
>> Tony is rich, ridiculously rich and he knows that if he can with no skin to him make dealing with him not be a problem, that's not him losing. Hammer, like Stane, can't grok that. <<
That makes a key difference between good guys and bad guys.
>> JARVIS has the advantage that he can research like a bamf, so he can intellectually get the right intel and apply it correctly and then provide it to the bots. <<
That helps a lot, not just with the bots, but in terms of JARVIS learning new things for himself. If he can figure out the right questions to ask, he can usually make his way to useful answers. It's when he doesn't know where to start that he gets stuck, which happens more with messy human stuff. Phil is the first friend that JARVIS has had who really understands that side of life and can help him with it.
>> Providing the same to Sir has been a challenge he's unsuited to. <<
Well, Tony really needs adept-level assistance there. JARVIS isn't that good. He has helped, though. Just being the one person Tony could trust with everything has probably saved Tony's life more than once. It's just that the kind of material required to cope with Tony's haywire personality isn't written down much.
>> IM1 and IM2 both. I watched IM2 after Captain America, though I know they were shot opposite order. The two dance routines are just a rich compare/contrast. <<
Sooth. I suspect that Tony appreciates the technical skill of showgirls more than most people realize. He's a deft performer himself -- Howard would have settled for nothing less -- and the Starkettes have impressive precision.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2013-12-30 02:35 pm (UTC)Right, JARVIS being an intelligence can exceed Tony's database. So with the knowledge "my creator values me" and "I may be feared not because I'm wrong but some people are petty" he can winnow through to figure out how he wants to experience the world.
Tony is hyperstacked. Even if Howard hadn't been a tool, and if Stane hadn't been an enabling bad apple, Tony would have issues.
Have you seen the TED talk where the presenter has modern dancers explicate the subject? Yeah, I could see the shows being one of the things he sometimes pays more attention to and not just because of boobies. (Tony would so love to drag Steve off and see just how Steve settles in.) Fury would have herds.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2013-12-31 07:58 am (UTC)I suspect that he learned the beginnings of it from Howard, but the artistry of its mature form is all Tony. He probably cut his teeth on bullies in school, and later, the older college students who used or ignored him. *ponder* And we know Obie taught Tony the art of whispering poison on camera, because that's exactly what he did to Tony in IM1. Tony was never anyone's easy prey. And now, yes, his targets are cruel women and assclown senators.
>> Right, JARVIS being an intelligence can exceed Tony's database. So with the knowledge "my creator values me" and "I may be feared not because I'm wrong but some people are petty" he can winnow through to figure out how he wants to experience the world. <<
I think that's made JARVIS rather shy. First, he doesn't want to intrude because he's too polite to go where he's not welcome. Second, he worries -- rightly so -- that many people would try to kill him if they understood what he truly is. But he's always there, quietly watching, helping in discreet ways whenever he can. The other Avengers fascinate him and are slowly drawing him out into the open more.
>> Tony is hyperstacked. Even if Howard hadn't been a tool, and if Stane hadn't been an enabling bad apple, Tony would have issues. <<
Alas, that's probably true.
>> Have you seen the TED talk where the presenter has modern dancers explicate the subject? <<
No, but it sounds clever.
>> Yeah, I could see the shows being one of the things he sometimes pays more attention to and not just because of boobies. (Tony would so love to drag Steve off and see just how Steve settles in.) Fury would have herds. <<
*laugh* I think Steve, too, appreciates dancers more than people realize. He's so tractive he'll bond with darn near anyone, which means those chorus girls were his family on the road for months. He might be embarrassed by actual strippers but he'd probably love the Starkettes.
And Fury's tight ass is Fury's problem.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2013-12-31 04:32 pm (UTC)One does wonder if he managed to get into burlesque house, my time sense isn't finely graded.