Arrival at the mall

This is exciting. Robots being made as free beings. I don't know what to do. I don't know where to go.

Triac! I can talk to Triac! He's good with new ideas! I don't want this on the net yet. Ms. Ambrose, wonderful to see you again! Must dash! Bye!

You know there's still time to chase him down, disassemble him, and hide the body.

Oh, hush, or I'm not going to let you alter social structures on a planetary scale with me any more.

Arrival at the mall

My explosive bolts are ready. Now I can fix Sam's ship enough to get our orbital certification.

I'd almost forgotten you work for Sam. I should get him something, to let him know I still think of him now and then.

And since we're already headed to the shop that sells explosives…

No.

Arrival at the mall

Niomi, would you mind if I wait here and you go in and pick up the bolts?

Why? Don't you want to come in?

Well, when a robot sees me for the first time, they shout “Doggy” and throw their arms open wide like this.

Now imagine that happening in a store where the robots are likely to be carrying explosives.

Right. I'll get the bolts, you wait here.

A slight difference among the robots

That looks like an old fellow.

No “Doggy!”?

You know you've gotten used to something when it's a lack of reaction that catches your attention.

A slight difference among the robots

Excuse me. Were you manufactured locally?

My body was built locally. My brain was imported.

I am 32 years on line. The local manufacture of neural nets began 25 years ago.

Thank you. One more question.

What does your name smell like?

Great. not only is it an undefined life form, it's completely insane.

A slight difference among the robots

Names do not have smell. Your question is invalid.

Thank you. Have a good day.

That was the expected response. The question is unusual enough for most robots to reject it as invalid. But the robots here aren't acting like most robots I've known. I need to find one with a locally built brain to ask.

Though hunting for brains like this, I really should be wearing a lab coat and assisted by a hunch backed zen buddhist named Igor.

В самой первой экранизации ассистент доктора Франкенштейна – Fritz, во второй (“Сын Франкенштейна”) – Ygor (играл Белла Лугоси) (Tambov)

A slight difference among the robots

DOGGY!

Hi. May I ask if you were built locally?

Yes. I'm eleven years on line, made with all local parts.

Thank you. Now could you tell me what your name smells like?

A talking dog… on a bench… wants to know what my name smells like.

Am I on candid camera?

Молодец, мгновенно разгадал ситуацию тестирования (Robot Spike)

A slight difference among the robots

No one is observing us. Can you answer the question?

It's a very odd question. Is this a test?

It is, isn't it? Like a Turing Test. Did I pass?

Well, on the plus side, you did figure out that I was testing you.

On the minus side, you still haven't answered my question.

Oh, right. I guess answering the question I was actually asked is kind of important.

A slight difference among the robots

What does my name smell like? I don't have a sense of smell, so the whole concept is abstract to me.

But names are an abstract concept as well, aren't they? I mean, you can't logically deduce a person's name by looking at them. Well, robots can't. I think humans can.

I hear them call out to each other when driving. I never realized so many people had the surname of “Jerk”.

A slight difference among the robots

Smell is a mayor sense in doggies. You probably have a basic scent associated with names. Kind of like asking a human to picture someone named Bob.

Since robots don't process scent like that, the only way to know what my name smells like is to ask you.

You are the first robot I've met who was able to look at that question from my point of view.

YEA! What do I win?