I snapped back to consciousness. I could see that Dr. Landers wore a different colored shirt, still in that weird clerical style, so I assud it was at least a day later. He was concentrating on his tablet, and just starting to look up.
I poked at my own psyche, looking for any trace of panic, insanity, or even deep concern. It didn’t feel like being doped up. I’d been doped up, like when I was getting my wisdom teeth out. I didn’t enjoy that sensation. I also had never enjoyed the sensation of getting drunk, of not being in control of my own mind.
In this case, I was in complete control of my thoughts. In fact, I felt at the top of my ga, like I did when I first got into the office after an excellent night’s sleep. Like no problem or puzzle could possibly stand before .
On the other hand, my parents were long since dead, my sisters as well. Alan, Karen, Carl, all the people that I’d known. I had a clear ntal image of Karen glaring at , arms crossed, I told you so written across her face. But thoughts of my family and friends brought only a mild feeling of regret, likely due to the endocrine controls. That, more than simply the fact of being software, made feel less than human.
It was hard to be upset with Dr. Landers about the situation. There didn’t seem to be any malice involved. Events had just evolved logically over ti, and culminated with as a computer program. And so far, this state of being seed to have its advantages. If Bob was dead—if he’d been run over by a car—then this was basically a free life. A potentially immortal one, no less. Maybe I’d just roll with it, at least for the mont. I could always re-evaluate if I ended up in second place. Be careful what you wish for. No kidding.
So what else ca with being a glorified computer program? Maybe I could communicate with that guppy interface.
Systems Check. Square root of 234,215.
[483.957642]
Damn, that’s cool. Do I have a date function? Current Date.
[2133-06-25.08:42:24.235]
Woo hoo, I’m Data. “At the tone, the ti will be eight forty-three. Beeeeep.”
Dr. Landers looked surprised for a mont, then laughed. “You have a number of functions like that, Bob. You just need to learn how to access them. Part of your training will concentrate on that area.”
I tried to nod out of habit and was surprised when my field of view bobbed. “Hey, I’ve got neck control!” I swiveled my ‘head,’ and found to my delight that I could rotate my field of vision all the way around like an owl. The room presented no surprises. As I suspected, I was actually on a desk. Beside was a waldo, a remote-manipulator arm. It was small and very basic compared to industrial models, just a two-digit pincer grip, with a shoulder, elbow, and wrist joint. I decided to see if it was accessible. After all, that was probably on the agenda for today.
It seed to take forever—although my date/ti function said less than a half-second had elapsed—before the waldo moved at my command. I waved it around and snapped at the air with the pincer, then turned back to Dr. Landers.
The doctor stared at the waldo with a bemused expression. Then a smile slowly ford, and he said with a wry shake of his head, “For today’s exercise, we’ll get you to attempt to move a manipulator arm.”
He shook his head and sighed. “So much for today’s training schedule. Bob, you’re doing very well, so far. I think we’ll bump up the roar test. I’d originally scheduled this for a week from now after so more preliminary orientation, but…”
Dr. Landers picked up the tablet and aid a finger.
Oh, not again. “Wait! No, don’t do—”
***
I found myself in a different room in the sa institutional off-white color. A rack on one wall contained so [32] small chanical devices. In front of each device, a red light glowed. Directly in front of was a table with a number [128] of blocks.
The far wall contained a window, and Dr. Landers stood on the other side. “Will you please stop doing that!” I said. I attempted to glare at him.
“Would you prefer that I pick you up and carry you around under my arm?” Dr. Landers held a poker face for a couple of seconds, then smiled. “Actually, you and the other candidates all reside in large, expensive cubes of electronics tucked safely away in an air-conditioned room elsewhere on the premises. I’m rely switching your peripheral functions from room to room. The you in this room is a stereoscopic cara on a chanical arm.”
He waited for any comnts from , but I had nothing at the mont. He gestured toward the rack. “The shelves contain remote observation and manipulation devices, or ROArs. Your goal will be to stack the blocks using as many roars as possible. We’ll start with one roar, to give you the feel of it.”
Dr. Landers played with his tablet, and the light in front of one of the devices on the rack went from red to green.
“The roars contain a low-level AMI and can perform basic actions without active supervision, but they have no will of their own and require direction. Please attempt to move the roar to the table and stack so blocks. Your GUPPI will provide contact with the ROAM interface and will provide feedback as necessary.”
I looked intently at roar #1.
[STATUS: Ready].
Okay, that’s a good start. Stand up.
The roar stood. It looked vaguely like a spider, with a stance width of about eight inches [20 cm when not constrained]. Oh, shut up!
I inspected the roar as best I could from a distance. I wonder how it’s supposed to manipulate the blocks. I waited a mont. Well?
[Feedback disabled by user request]
Oh, great, I’ve hurt its feelings. I concentrated on the ROAM interface. Enable feedback.
Imdiately, diagrams and schematics appeared in my vision. I examined them in fascination. The roars were constructed with radial symtry—no real front or back. Eight limbs matched with eight sets of sensors. Each appendage could be a leg or could split into three digits to act as a manipulator. In addition, different legs had specialized functions built in. So legs could be screwdrivers, grinders, torches, and cutters of various kinds. So of the tech was brand new as well. One neat gizmo was a magnetically controlled plasma cutter that I would consider the real-life version of a light saber.
Now, how do I get it to the table? Can it jump the distance? [Probability of damage to unit: 40%] So, that’s a no.
How about climbing down? Oh, wait. I called up the schematics again. Variable Attachnt Surface Tension. Wow, these people sure love their acronyms. I visualized the roar climbing down the shelf. A window popped up in my field of vision which allowed to see through the roar’s viewpoint. The roar walked straight down the wall. The VAST system provided a secure grip. In seconds, I had the roar up the table legs and onto the table.
This was my first opportunity to examine my table-top ‘self.’ From the roar’s point of view, I saw a chanical arm similar to the waldo I’d learned to control, with a pair of caras attached at the end. A small speaker between the caras was probably where my voice originated. That was my face, such as it was. It reminded of the robot from the movie Short Circuit. I moved my ‘head’ around and the roar’s video showed the arm moving, the twin caras swaying on the end of it. I waved one of the roar’s legs and I could see the roar perform the action.
Seeing myself and seeing seeing myself made feel existentially dizzy, so I turned my attention to the blocks. They appeared to be regular children’s building blocks, the kind that have been available forever. Half the faces showed letters or nurals in bas relief, painted in primary colors, and the other faces had simple engraved images. I noted that all the images were overtly religious in nature. I filed that factoid away in my TO-DO for future review.
The roar didn’t need to have each movent supervised, but it did need to be told the paraters for the task. Within seconds, it had created a 5x5 platform of blocks. I then instructed the roar to place a 4x4 layer on top of that, centered, and repeat. The roar moved with impressive speed if I avoided trying to give it mont-by-mont orders. In seconds it had completed a pyramid.
I looked over at Dr. Landers. “Ta daaaaaa.”
The doctor nodded, then played with his tablet. Three more lights went green on the rack of roars.
“Again please, Bob. This ti with multiple roars.”
Over the next few hours, Dr. Landers set various tasks for that involved different numbers of roars. Each exercise had an obvious training goal, and I found myself becoming increasingly impressed with my new capabilities.
He occasionally introduced new materials, including at one point sothing that reminded of a ccano set. The roars easily handled each test. I simply had to set the overall tasks, and they would operate with speed and efficiency. There was only one glitch the whole morning: when I was not quite clear enough with my directions, one roar ended up tossing another one across the room. I know the doctor said the AMIs had no will of their own, but I could swear the tossee acted surly afterward.
At so point during the session, I beca aware that the training room was completely sealed. There was no door, and there weren’t any air ducts. Co to think of it, that window looked quite thick and very securely frad. Are they afraid of ? Or the roars? Or both?Another item on the TO-DO for review.
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