Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2023-01-09

Three things that go into the economics of production are
land, labor, and capital.

Robots are a new case. You were capital. Now you're labor. It's going to take time for some people to process the shift.

Here, politicians are actually ahead of the curve. Though that may be because they can tax you more as citizens than they can as inventory.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2023-01-11

When you get to the station, how much do you want to be paid?

Saving humans is the highest achievement a robot can obtain. We will work for free.

The station isn't free. They charge for electricity and living space. If you can't pay, you won't be allowed to stay and save humans.

There appears
to be a slight flaw
in my plans.

No worries, we've all been there.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2023-01-13

If robots must be paid, we shall ask for the minimum possible that will allow us to survive and serve.

No, you want the maxim possible pay you can get.

The Station manager is trying to trick you. By deliberately putting humans in danger, he knew robots would come to the station and provide low cost labor.

So to avoid endangering humans, we have to be well paid?

Bet you didn't know greed could be altruistic.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2023-01-16

A human has intentionally endangered other humans. Why?

Mr. De Morel has
put a lot into his station and he doesn't want it to fail.

It is why you need to be paid and paid well. If you allow him to get low cost robotic labor by putting humans in danger, you will encourage other humans to do the same.

Then we shall shoulder the burden of superior pay to ensure the safety of future humans!

I promise, once you get used to it, you'll stop seeing pay as a burden.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2023-01-18

Being paid allows you to do what you want and to have reserves in case of an emergency.

What
do you want?

To fulfill my function and make humans happy by building bigger and better nuclear pulse devices!

Then if a human says “This would be easier if I had a nuclear device.”, robots will
be able to say “We have lots! How many teratonnes would you like?”

You may be
confusing human happiness with profound dread.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2023-01-20

Humans don't need that many nuclear pulse devices.

We can build storage vaults. With the proper choice of materials, we can make devices that will store for hundreds of thousands of years.

Hundreds of thousands of years. Humans may have moved on by then.
If other robots build storage…that would leave developing races to find these vaults of the ancients. You
know what we must do?

What?

We must ensure
that every one of these vaults has my biography in it!

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2023-01-23

Our dilemma is robots are better producers than consumers.

We can hire humans to be consumers for us.

We will make humans happy and they will provide a needed service.

Do you think we'll have trouble finding humans who are qualified?

When it comes to spending someone else's money, most humans are overqualified.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2023-01-25

For now, put your money in savings. If you start giving it to humans, robots are going to start competing and the next thing you know, you'll be having a potlatch.

Potlatch?

It was a form of boasting on Earth. Tribes of people would get together and give away or destroy their possessions as a way of gaining prestige.

I've seen the rate at which you guys are progressing. I don't want to hear about stars going nova because you guys decided to potlatch a solar system.

Potlatch

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2023-01-27

We could remove humans from the dangerous situation and staff the station entirely with robots.

How would you feel if humans
put you into a protected area, attended to your every need, but for your own safety, didn't let
you contribute to society?

I would be very unhappy. I would have no reason to exist. Oh!

To keep humans healthy, we must allow them to en­danger themselves!

The universe
is a funny place, isn't it?

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2023-01-30

It will be difficult. Safeguarding humans is one of our prime functions.

Here you got lucky.

This solar system is filled with people who made the leap to form a new colony. Pioneers, adventures, gamblers and explorers.

If given a choice between an overprotected life of ease in the garden of Eden, or a life of hardship with the chance of greatness, they'll go straight for the apple every time.