Down the Rabbit Hole

Posted on Thu 4th Oct, 2018 @ 1:19pm by Eddie Hunt

1,301 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Oblivion
Location: Orchids & Jazz, Deck 600
Timeline: MD 15, 1930

Continuation of A Break in a Familiar Place

Before long, Podkayne was back, wheeling a food-laden cart into the room. "One absolutely delicious Marin Holmes meal," she said cheerfully, beginning to set the plates before Hunt. "I asked Miss Lantz what you'd drink, and she sent along a pitcher of orange juice. I think that's a little odd, but if you like it, I'm told the customer is always right." She poured a large glass and then set both it and the pitcher in front of him.

On the opposite side of the table she set a smaller plate which held a large bowl containing cherry pie and cream. Podkayne sat down on that side, and said, "Just dessert for me, always desserts. There's one for you, too, under that last dome, but you have to eat your meat and veggies first. I'm sure your mother taught you that.

"Now, are you someone who says a prayer to some deity before you eat? The internet says a lot of cultures still do that. I find it puzzling, but feel free if you do. I can sit quietly for that long, I think." She smiled and waited, hands neatly folded together in front of her.

Eddie watched Podkayne as she continued to speak, before getting the cue that she had finished talking and waited for an answer, "I just go straight into the meal. I can't watch a good meal get cold, after all." He picked up his cutlery and started to eat. "Tell me, Podkayne, about yourself. You refer to the internet to look into cultures. Am I right in thinking you have no prior knowledge of any culture?"

"Only what was programmed, and that isn't so much about cultures as about methods of doing things. We're expected to learn the support details on our own." She frowned a moment, and then added, "At least, I think we are. Maybe the programmers don't think it's important for us to know more than they give us."

Her brow cleared and she looked young and mischievous. "We think it is, and Miss Lantz has given us everything we need to learn whatever we want. So teach me about your culture. Where are you from? No, let me guess! You look human," she said eyeing him. "And your name seems maybe Earth origin? Something in the European part of that planet? I'm not completely up on all the different segments - there's a lot to learn about Earth! Am I at all close? Of course, it could be a colony world, too."

Eddie looked at Podkayne, "You are pretty much spot on. I'm from the United Kingdom, assuming you know where that is." Eddie paused. "Shall we move onto you? How old are you Podkayne?"

"Why, Mister Hunt! You should know better than to ask a woman that question!" Podkayne laughed merrily. "I don't mind telling you, of course, but it's quite challenging for some humans to make my age jive with my looks. Is that a current word? Jive? I mean go with or match, of course. I am ... eighteen months old!"

"If jive is a word you want to use, then by all means use it," Eddie grinned. "What have you done in those 18 months? Have you always been working for Jade?"

"No, not at all. Most of the first year was being programmed and adjusting to life. We've been here on the starbase not quite six months. In fact, I think some inspector will probably be along before too much more time goes by. Checking up on his investment, you know. We've done quite a bit of growing here with Jade. She's been very accommodating, and allowed us to hire out to others here and there. We've found quite a few things to be interested in, and we might have the same base AI, but we each definitely have developed different interests. Sort of strange, don't you think?" she said reflectively.

"I see, is it the inspector that owns you?" Eddie squinted his eyes as if hurt by that suggestion, the feeling of someone owning something that thinks by itself troubled him. "Strange, perhaps. Intriguing, more so," he whispered quietly. "Do you not question the morality of it all?"

"The morality of being property?" the girl asked. She shrugged. "Not really. Someone created us for a purpose. We fulfill our purpose, we fulfill our destiny. What else we may do is ours alone. Ms Lantz is terrific, so is Mr. Durant. A few others have employed various ones of us, and we're banking what we earn ... maybe we'll buy out our contracts one of these days and own ourselves." She shrugged again, "But what does that really gain us that we don't already have?"

"Brings in the question about species and their belief of God and or Gods. I guess it's slightly different because you know you were created for a purpose, other species can only ever dream of knowing," He thought about what he said. "So if there is nothing to gain that you don't have, what sort of things do you do in your downtime? If you get that, that is."

"We have lots of it," the AI told him. "We're sort of on call here, but it's specific hours, and there are six of us, so that goes fast. We might hire out to someone, a pair of us up to all of us, but that's rarely for more than eight hours, usually not more than four. Jade doesn't act like an owner. If we're here to do our jobs, she treats us like her other employees ... only she houses us here, too. We haven't asked to have apartments somewhere, or a house to share. Again, no purpose to it right now. Maybe someday."

For a moment she stopped and thought about what that would be like. Then she shook her head, as if to shake out the thoughts, and went on where she'd left off. "That leaves us with lots of downtime, as you bios term it. We study various things we find interesting. we recharge our batteries ... literally, not like you mean it," she laughed. "We aren't ready to venture out into the general population much. We're still just children who've only recently started school. What do you do in your downtime?"

"My downtime has been decreased because of the casino. When I have spare time, I play a lot of chess and I enjoy practicing my culinary skills. Nothing too fancy, but something for me to enjoy now and again. I like trying a lot of new things as well," Eddie answered before moving on. "Do you get along with the other 5? Or do you all have similar personalities?"

Ignoring his question for the moment, Podkayne remarked, "You should challenge Elijah. He plays chess. I wonder which of you would win? Humans are more devious than we are. Shall I go and get him for you?"

Eddie put down his cutlery as he finished his meal and wiped his mouth with the napkin. He slid the plate to the side and moved his dessert in front of him, "It's okay, after I've finished my meal, I need to get some more rest. Chess is a long game. Maybe in the future I will come and see if Elijah wants a game. Feel free to spectate." As Eddie said it, he had an image of Elizabeth observing the games at the casino, but never playing. He wasn't sure why he thought about it, but he shook the thought quickly.

"I might," Podkayne agreed. "I'll tell him to look forward to it. And now, I must go. I'll take these things, and leave you to your dessert and peace. Rest, if you will."

 

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