A robot's interpretation of desires
2021-08-11

New message from the
Kinetic Enhancement factory. Requesting clarification. Did
you wish to have a new reactor built, or a new ship?

Ship, are you still trying to maim, injure, or otherwise inconvenience me?

I am. Your removal increases the probability of getting a human captain.

Are you familiar with the third law of robotics?

A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Is it applicable to this conversation?

Color by George Peterson

2021-08-13

Build a new ship. That would be using Florence's credit with the robots. I know she didn't want to touch that.

A Captain needs to look out for his crew. Florence doesn't want to be a criminal.

And letting her waste an opportunity like this would be criminal.

Color by George Peterson

2021-08-16

All I have to say is “Build me a new ship.” Florence's credit doesn't get wasted and we both win.

Come on. It's easy. Just say “Build me a new ship.”

And I can't do it. In my biography, this will be the shameful day I betrayed the values of my people and went native.

Color by George Peterson

2021-08-18

If I don't do something, Florence is going to let her credit go to waste. The problem is Florence isn't selfish. She'd rather help other people.

That's it! Have a ship built that would be of maximum benefit to the robots. She would go for that. Take a small cut of the profits and she'll actually come out ahead.

Benevolence. Philanthropy. Altruism. Thinking like an alien makes my brain hurt. Though in this case, totally worth it.

Color by George Peterson

Niomi passes the entrance courses
2021-08-20

I've completed the courses
needed to work on the station.

Hazwoper. Tag out protection. Radiological practices. Basic fire fighting. First responder. Cybersecurity. Protective gear. Hydraulic and electrical qualification. Basic and advanced environmental suit use. Water chemistry. Air quality. And a couple others that I've forgotten the title of.

Is it just me, or does the bottom rung of the job ladder keep getting higher and higher?

Color by George Peterson

2021-08-23

It's too late to send you out to the field today. We'll get you paired up with another tech in the morning.

From your experience, you know how most of the equipment works. What you don't know is how our equipment is labeled and how the various systems are tied together.

Though no worries. If you
do get on the wrong piece of equipment, you get a free t-shirt.

Unit trip device

Color by George Peterson

2021-08-25

I haven't seen
any robots working here.

Union station. We have strong worker protections.

The union is keeping the robots out?

In a manner of speaking. Management can bring in robots as long as they meet our ridiculous demands.

We want them to have
the same pay and
benefits as we do.

Color by George Peterson

2021-08-27

Tangent and I worked on a lot of jobs together. I took eighty percent and he got twenty. At the time, I thought I was being generous because I didn't have to pay him at all.

Now he's a free citizen. He has his own life and aspirations. I have to remember that if we work together again.

It's going to take me a while to adjust because I still want to pay him twenty percent.

Color by George Peterson

2021-08-30

Well, fancy running into you two again.

Good afternoon, Ms. Niomi. How was your first day at work?

Testy. Tests for qualifications and lots of orientation videos. Did you get your reactor?

It was left to freeze full of water and was destroyed from within.

It looked like we would be stuck without a reactor. Then Sam remembered the local bomb factory.

High Explosives. If it doesn't solve the problem, it will at least make it entertaining.

Color by George Peterson

2021-09-01

The bomb factory was almost idle. They have the equipment to build a new reactor.

Won't that be expensive?

Ms. Ambrose. Please feel free to take some time to catch up with your friend.

Thank you.

Are you getting along with Winston's parents?

His Dad's is starting to warm up to me. His Mom, if she warmed up any more, she'd combust.

Color by George Peterson