Ortho will often reference his “databanks,” which is how he is able to recognize the spectral realm during Halloween. He says they “have a baseline of 100,000 books stored inside” and “include comprehensive data on medicinal herbs and medicines.”
He also has access to information about the Queendom of Roses, with Epel commenting that Ortho can search for information a lot faster than Deuce can read his guidebook on Clock Town.
Ortho explains that he first came to the school as Idia’s “gadget,” but now he interacts with humans, and “hearing everyone’s thoughts made me realize that the same story can read so differently depending on the person. Because of their values.”
Ortho uses the example of the Thorn Fairy, saying that people who grew up in Briar Valley are so emotionally attached to stories about her that they are liable to trust idealized memories over accurate data.
Sebek is not amused, but Ortho says that he was able to use his database to debunk every contradiction that he’d found, and he and Sebek discuss holding a debate after the birthday interview.
Ortho says he is under order from Idia to never log into satellite position systems, but there does not seem to be anything actually keeping him from doing so.
He can detect people within a 10,000 meter radius (and motion detect within a one-kilometer radius), which he says makes it difficult to sneak up on him. Ortho is also capable of telling whether or not others are being sincere, testing this ability on Ace, Idia, Fellow and Rook.
When Vil says he finds Fellow’s claims suspicious Ortho says that he performed a vital signs scan that did not indicate he was lying, but Ortho’s tests for heart rate fluctuations, perspiration and other vital signs might have been duped before, by Rook: Ortho performs what might have been a similar lie detection scan leading up to Beanfest and ultimately declares that Rook was telling the truth, but during Halloween Rook tells Trey that he is capable of controlling his own heart rate.
And Rook has baffled Ortho before: Ortho related an incident where he almost collided with Rook during a tuning run on his athletic gear. While no one was hurt, he’d worried that he’d frightened Rook and ran a vitals scan to be safe, only to discover that Rook’s pulse was completely steady with no fluctuations at all.
Ortho: “Was he surprised, but then regained his composure in an instant? Or was he unfazed the whole time? I’ve been secretly curious about it.”
Ortho often records visual data in the form of photos and video, and he seems to keep chat logs/voice recordings from Idia, quoting Idia back to himself and other people, verbatim.
Ortho says that he wants to create “real memories with Idia. With me the way I am now, I mean.”
Idia seems aware of this, and it is a running theme in the Wish Upon a Star event, as well. This might tie into Ortho’s constant photography: after winning a bet to make the losers do anything the winner says, he forces the group of Vil, Floyd and Jade to take a picture with him in a standee (Jade does not require any convincing).
Cater also mentions taking photos with Ortho, and photography is often referenced during the White Rabbit Fes event.
Ortho is also equipped with a “technomantic beam” which he threatens to fire at the school in order to save Idia during Phantom Bride.
He says that his “burst gear” (based on the school’s ceremonial robes) can output it at high levels. He comes close to firing his technomatic cannon at visitors during the Halloween event and Fairy Gala IF.
Ortho fires his beam at two bullies in a vignette, which may or may not have been with intent to kill: he regrets that they were able to dodge his attack, which wrecks a pillar instead.
Ortho also fires his beam when trying to help Crowley get Lucius down from a tree, splitting it in half.
Trey says, “Ortho’s very direct and earnest. Nice kid. If only he’d stop trying to fire his beam at the first sign of trouble…”
When Ortho struggles with a game at Playfulland involving rubber balls and slingshots, he declares, “I wanna blow the whole building up with beam fire!,” and he also threatens to use his beam on Fellow at the end of the event.
When Silver falls asleep on the race course during the White Rabbit Fes event Ortho says that he doesn’t have a beam that can reach far enough to wake him up.
Epel asks, “You’d wake him up by shooting him with a beam?!” and Ortho responds, “It was just an idea.”
Ortho will reference the various forms of analysis that he can perform, though his attempts at scanning his Tsum fail to identify what it is made out of.
After asking Leona about his vital signs during Playfulland Leona says that he has a bad feeling. Ortho responds, “That’s too subjective for me to properly comprehend…”
He collects data for shopping pattern analysis during the New Year’s event and Epel says that he can analyze food for its makeup and nutritional content.
Azul comments on possibly approaching Ortho about using his sensor to authenticate paintings, if such an opportunity happens to arise.
While a talented hacker Ortho fails to hack into Playfulland’s network, and he guesses that there is a powerful jammer set up on the grounds, so it seems his hacking is not infallible.
Ortho was programmed to lie even pre-book-6, and this is an ability that came with him when he was reborn: Vil encourages him to showcase the acting skills he has been cultivating in the film research club by giving a “wholeheartedly tearful performance” that will convince Idia to go to Playfulland with him.
This is possibly a method that has been worked in the past: Vil compliments Ortho on the fake crying that convinced Idia to allow him to participate in Fairy Gala IF and Ortho responds, “Hearing you say that makes me feel better about my acting.”
Ortho will often reference the various maps that he has access to, such as a detailed map of the school (“Which includes all secret doors and underground passages”), of Playfulland and of a museum. When he is in gear without any GPS and becomes lost during the White Rabbit Fes event he describes the experience as “refreshing.”
Ortho plays pool for the first time during the Playfulland event and is extraordinarily adept at it, with Vil saying that he never misses a single shot and clears obstacles with jump shots: “Those aren’t moves someone playing the game for the very first time could pull off.”
While Ortho struggled during a different game with slingshots (“Imperfect tools made things hard during target practice”) he is able to simulate optimal routes for the billiard balls and calculate perfect shots without fail.
He does miss at one point (Vil: “You’d better not have missed on purpose.” – Ortho: “I would never pull my punches in a game!”), but this is due to a cricket jumping out in front of the ball.
When Kalim talks about Jamil wanting to take him to a theme park Ortho calculates the odds of such happening as “less than one percent,” and we also see him assigning percentages to how likely it is that the students will suffer injury if they do not do as Idia says during Book 6.
Ortho says he can predict most things through simulations and data crunching, “so it’s really nice when something unexpected happens.”
Ortho and Lilia complain together about the predictability of a Playfulland ride, with Ortho suggesting the implementation of randomized movements.
Ortho says that he enjoys research and gathering data.
Ortho is also equipped with a “built-in emergency magical disaster alert” which is triggered when he is wearing his Ignihyde gear. It is not specified if blot density increase detection is equipped only to his Ignihyde Gear or if it is something he can do regardless of the gear he wears. The alert goes to STYX.
Ortho will occasionally reference online searches that he performs, even offering to look up the physical address of Idia’s online game friend Muscle Red.
Ortho explains, “There’s essentially no such thing as anonymity online for me.”
Ortho is also capable of QR code scanning and email. In his incorporeal state in Idia’s dream he is capable of connecting to wireless speakers and simple, non-technomantic electronics.
Ortho suffers his equivalent of falling unconscious in response to Malleus’ unique magic and escapes by uploading himself over the school’s public wi-fi.
He attempts to use the Land of Dawning’s network and undersea cables to send himself to STYX but fails due to Malleus’ energy field, which has stopped time.
Ortho notices Idia’s tablet and says it should support satellite broadband, as Idia designed it to connect with a STYX prototype communications satellite via an antenna that he secretly set up on a large tree behind the school.
Ortho accesses Idia’s tablet remotely in an attempt to escape from Malleus’ domain, but there are limitations: he can only connect for a few hours a day given the low number of usable communications satellites, and he can move at barely a tenth of the speed he gets on 4G networks.
The transfer is also extremely risky, with the threat of Ortho becoming stranded in space between the island and the satellite, or between the satellite and STYX.
As the only one capable of escaping Malleus’ barrier Ortho decides to take the risk, fulfilling a dream that Idia had for him back when he was first designed (and Ortho is certain to point this out, later on).
He succeeds and describes this as his equivalent of unique magic, saying, “I’m not a mage, so I can’t acquire a signature spell or anything like that…but using a satellite, I can move my mind and soul over radio waves to another gear.”
Malleus describes this as the ability to make his will depart his body like a ghost and enter other vessels.
When Ortho infiltrates Idia’s dream in his Cerberus gear and Malleus asks how he managed it Ortho responds, “Does a ghost need to explain how they’re able to shift between planes and dimensions?”
This is an interesting parallel for Ortho himself to make, as he has said that he is “not a fan of ghosts in general” and it seems they have mocked him in the past, possibly for being a body without a soul as compared to their souls without bodies.
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 