Sam takes the watch
[!0.987]2019-12-16

I've tried dating before. It almost always ends with the decision to be friends. Usually after the first date.

I'm too wolf-like. Little things add up. Scent. Movement. My mouth opens when I chew. Soup. Whew, boy. When I eat soup in public, it ends up on social media.

I'm glad my designers didn't put me in the uncanny valley. Still, I wouldn't mind being a bit closer to it.

Color by George Peterson

Uncanny valley - the hypothesis that a non-human too similar to a human causes fear and disgust in people

Sam takes the watch
[!0.987]2019-12-18

With you, I'm comfortable.

Whether it's curled up next to you, playing chew tug or discussing cooper pair formation in superconductive bilayer graphene, I feel like I can be myself.

Beekay likes to join in on the first two. For the third, I don't think your dog is going to develop an appreciation for anything beyond classical physics.

Color by George Peterson

Alpha-ish again! (robot_spike)

Sam takes the watch
[!0.987]2019-12-20

I'm going to bed. I'll talk with you again tomorrow.

Of course, you're unconscious. You won't remember anything I'm saying.

But when you do wake up, you'll know I was here by the nose prints on the glass.

Color by George Peterson

Sam takes the watch
[!0.987]2019-12-23

Quick clean up before bed. Glad I had myself reflorasted. I should smell like a pine forest instead of a wet dog.

Neither Winston or I have ever been in a forest. I don't know what one smells like. I only know what the designer thinks one smells like.

I'm sure he did his best. However, asking a human to recreate the smell of a pine forest is like asking a blind man to forge a Rembrandt.

Color by George Peterson

Freefall 3007

Sam takes the watch
[!0.987]2019-12-25

No gifts. No sparkly lights. No decorations. Just bibles and talking about the life of Christ and how to be better people. Poor robots. They have no idea of what Christmas is all about.

All welcome

Color by George Peterson

Niomi takes the watch
[!0.987]2019-12-27

Good morning, Ship. I'm ready to take over the watch. Anything to report?

All systems are normal. Nothing to report.

How has Sam been?

Sam has been standing the watch most satisfactorily.

It is almost a shame to wake him.

Color by George Peterson

Niomi takes the watch
[!0.987]2019-12-30

Sleeping on the watch? Well, we have a special wake up procedure for that. Ship, dim the bridge lights.

Ship, perform
an alarm test.

I heard alarms. What's our situation?

That did not work out how I anticipated.

Z

SNKZT Z ZZ

Color by George Peterson

Niomi takes the watch
[!0.987]2020-01-01

I didn't mean to wake you up. I meant to wake up that slacker! Sam was sleeping on watch!

Oh. I never told Sam he couldn't sleep on watch. Did you?

No! I mean, he's supposed to know… Darn it!

We need telepathic aliens. Then I can be properly mad at them for doing things I didn't tell them not to do.

In theory, telepathy works both ways. You should be very glad Sam is not telepathic.

Color by George Peterson

Niomi takes the watch
[!0.987]2020-01-03

If Sam's sleeping through alarms, we need to make them louder.

Not necessarily. Different people respond to different things.

Z

For instance, this looks profitable.

Color by George Peterson

Niomi takes the watch
[!0.987]2020-01-06

You're supposed to stay awake on watch!

Wow! You're in a bad mood when I wake up.

A cup of coffee will help. I'll go make you one.

What? Flo, cover for me! Sam, don't you touch my coffee!

Sam sleeping on watch. Niomi chasing Sam. I'm standing watch in my pajamas. I had hoped shipboard discipline wouldn't collapse until well past our second day.

Color by George Peterson