driftfleet | ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ | rats are people too

Who: Dezel and you
Broadcast: Yes
Action: The Golden
When: Now

[video]

[A group of ship vermin are all sitting in a circle, waiting patiently for... something. A bowl full of scraps appears and seems to float in the air before it sits down in front of them. The rats make cute happy little noises as they dig into the food.

... And then, the greatest evil comes.

The roomba.

One of the tiny maintenance robots comes screaming around the corner at high speed. DIRT DETECTED. [...] PESTS DETECTED. It heads straight for the the poor rats. They all scatter save for one really fat one, who's too focused on the food to notice what's coming.

But what's this-- the droid is scooped up by someone invisible! Dezel's voice might be familiar to some; it's the "don't sleep in my room" guy.]

Leave. The animals. Alone.

[A thin wire appears. With a hard jerk, he shreds the cleaning droid into pieces. Imagine if that had been someone's neck.]

It's all right. You can come out now. [And then the rats come scurrying out of their little holes again. A couple of them crawl over Dezel's invisible shoes, then go back for the food.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's true.]

I rather doubt that additional programming had been added. It was simply following its directive, as any natural predator would.

Edited (icon....) 2016-05-21 20:10 (UTC)

Sora said he had. It was defective. You don't use a defective weapon in battle, do you? Why would you keep one around where you live?

[He shrugs invisibly.]

He can make a new one. A better one.

Would you keep a disabled pet or dispose of it and get a new one?

I see the point you're trying to make, but having a set of directives and the ability to move around doesn't mean it's alive.

The toaster isn't self-aware. Neither is the food dispenser or a chair.

Edited 2016-05-22 00:37 (UTC)

The maintenance droids on my ship are.

[~~Only because you made them that way, Vision.~~]

A toaster, chair, or food dispenser does not have the ability to move nor has directives. Though I suppose it is pointless to explain to one who reacts with violence instead of seeking a peaceful alternative.

Edited (clarity) 2016-05-22 00:58 (UTC)

What. [NO REALLY, EXPLAIN THIS TO HIM.] How can you even tell?

[Dezel is silent for a moment because-- well, he's on the nonhuman side of things, and he's been told that he doesn't exist. Or rather overheard it, whatever.]

No, explain it to me. Clearly. Because I don't enjoy killing, no matter what you people think.

[The Vision closes his eyes for a moment. When he speaks again, the hint of irritation from before is gone.]

There are two ways I can tell. Firstly, I possess an ability to sense and manipulate technology, especially information technology which is the type in their processing cores. Secondly-- [he fingers the yellow jewel in his forehead, which glows for a moment] --I am bonded to an artifact with power over consciousness and the mind.

[His voice softens even further.]

I would be more than happy to share the programming which redirects the maintenance droids' base reactions to shipboard intruders. I assure you it works perfectly well on the Windrose.

That makes more sense. [Now he's beginning to understand. Granted, he can't actually see anything on the feed, so he has no idea what kind of artifact Vision is referring to, nor that Vis isn't actually human. But saying it is enough. Dezel can usually pick out a liar.] It would probably help Sora if you did. They're his.

[He pauses.]

Do you believe in things you can't see?

[Bleep bloop, just a moment while he sends Sora a file.] Done.

As long as there is other evidence of its existence, yes. It would be folly to deny something as essential as heat, for example, which is invisible to the naked eye.

What about people?

[This is really ironic.]

One of my creators, JARVIS, had no physical form.

My kind-- the seraphim-- are invisible to most humans even though we've lived alongside them for thousands of years.

[He's trying really hard here.]

So if you say something has a soul and you believe it, you might not actually be wrong.

It is human nature to fear the unknown, especially if there is danger in it. Those who can rise above the fear with understanding are rare, but among the best humanity has to offer.

--I admit I'm more qualified to detect a mind than a soul, but I agree with the sentiment.

... That's true. Sometimes the ones who rise above are meant to lead.

[Either way...]

What's your name?

I am the Vision, Captain of the Windrose.

[The Vision is a damn weird name and also kind of haughty, but he doesn't sound human at all, and Dezel is inclined to believe him.]

Dezel, from the Golden.

[He pauses.]

Thanks for explaining. [He doesn't thank people or apologize very much, so this is a rarity.] Everyone assumes that other people can see their point of view. But people see different things depending on where they're standing... or if they're using their eyes at all.

Edited 2016-05-23 02:31 (UTC)

[He'd be correct in that assumption, which the Vision is used to people deciding instantly as soon as they see him - being unaware the other man doesn't.]

You're welcome, Dezel. In addition, I apologize for my strong language. I've had a surfeit of negative sentiment toward robots in general recently. It's been trying.

... Animals are kind of important to me. It's nothing personal.

[Most of the time he just doesn't care. Except when he cares a whole lot and surprises everyone involved, including himself.]

The most advanced machines I ever knew were made of cogs and levers. I've been here a while, but I didn't really understand that the human-like machines and the maintenance ones were the same.

I would say similar rather than the same. The maintenance bots have a lower level of intelligence and could not perform many complex tasks. Any human-like machines you're likely to encounter here has a very good chance of being a full member of their own society.

There are humans like that. Children who never grow up.

[They're still human, though. He gets it, finally.]

Yes. What's important is to help them reach their potential, even if it's at a different level than you may think.

[Good. That's all he really wants.]

I believe Sora needs my help to install the updated protocol. Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional concerns.

ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ | rats are people too

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