What is possession? PT. 3

Posted on Sun 30th Apr, 2023 @ 9:33pm by Exo-Comp EXQT
Edited on on Thu 4th May, 2023 @ 6:48am

1,391 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Neither Yours Nor Mine
Location: Deck 14
Timeline: 0330

Previously...

Renato replied to the constables, "Get Security on the ball tracking this thing, it will be displacing gravity."

They all stared in disbelief at the open hole in their ceiling.

{Exo-Comp Home Deck 14}

Constable Dieklin had tracked the drone out of Brown Sector, and then station security took over from there. Several places had odd items taken, no break ins, it seemed the places it stole from had open doors. It was a short investigation revealed the location and identity of the drones. Bikram Auden, the new robotics and exo-comps expert was woken up as well.

Bikram entered the subsection looking for any signs of the bots, but after a visual search there was nothing at all. Sensors showed within 4 meters of his location, and above. When he looked up, there was only a catwalk with grating he could see through. He realized with a delightful shiver they were hiding from him! Machine intelligence was wonderful and complex, but emotional responses like fear were indicative of something else, these drones had emotions.

"Hey!" He called out to the empty room, the short range sensors were in great working order, there was nobody here. It didn't take long to deduce they chose this spot for its obscurity, lack of use, and sensor blindness.

=/\= Lt. Auden to Ops, I've got stowaways hiding in here, four machine intelligences. I'll need containment fields on this section as I search, I don't think they are any danger."

Ops acknowledged, advising they were sending security as well, fields sprang into place securing them from leaving.

"I am Lt. Auden, a machine intelligence researcher on this station. I am not armed; I am here to help. We got a report of some stuff being taken; it just needs to be returned or replaced, and we can figure the rest out calmly. There is nothing to be afraid of. If you want food, we have a replimat, as well."

Nessy trusted the uniform well enough to rise from her hiding position. "Greetings to Lt. Auden. We also mean no harm."

Seeing the small bot poking its head from behind the crate above him was cute, he couldn't help but smile. When the sensor stalk arose, he knew it had to be the one called Nessy. "Greetings back to you. May I have your name?"

Nessy went ahead and plunged down to Bikram to speak at eye level, "I am called Nessy. We didn't intend for our actions to harm you. We will replace or return everything."

Bikram was in disbelief, "Thank you." Nessy was an original model Altair exo-comp, not unlike the ones he was researching at Medical! He tried to keep his composure and said levelly, "Station security is probably here, so just return it and the rest is just us talking, ok?"

Nessy had a moment where Bikram guessed it was conferring with others. Bikram wanted to reassure them all so he spoke loudly, "You can come out, If you are peaceful there is nothing to fear from us."

Another moment passed as Nessy conferred. Bikram looked at the design in envy, this was a custom model, and he could see scars of its runtime evident.

Nessy surprised him by saying, "Do you wish to see our home?"

There was no other answer, so Bikram followed the bot to the ladder, where he climbed to the gantry catwalk. Once he made it to the top, his eyes could have popped from his skull. Crates lined the catwalk edges, secured to the railing so it formed a floor which looked from underneath as a normal stack of crates. Carpets on the top of the crates took away the lines and uneven floor, they could roll at low power without problems. A rack of meticulously sorted tools, and in the most beguiling moment of his life so far, was an oil painting of Earth canines playing poker. It was cozy, and Bikram finally understood why Nessy showed him.

He got it right away, "You needed a place, so you found one, and went and got the necessities. When you felt it was bare, you filled it with... stuff to make it a home."

It was emotional cognizance from machines like he couldn't believe, it was also the very breakthrough he needed for his program of medical bots.

A harrumph from downstairs saw Renato and a redshirt security guard. Looking down with mood lighting activating made it seem festive more than a crime scene. Bikram waved them up, "I think I understand, come on up here."

Renato went up first and was similarly stunned, this small nook was like a bird's nest but more sentimental. The canned goods were one of every kind, stacked neatly as a decoration. The carpets were from the storage rooms in the community shed, blankets and long runs of cloth draped over hangers formed a wardrobe of sorts in another corner.

Feeling a grace for the displaced and desperate, Renato had a cheerful grin as he told Bikram, "I mean, as far as the stuff taken from the center... can we just let them have it? We can reimburse the center at the replimat for clothes and sundry perhaps?"

The redshirt was downstairs still, just on point for backup if needed. Bikram nodded, "Yeah that's nice of you. I'm Bikram by the way."

"Renato, nice to meet you. We just tell Red down there it's nothing worth worrying over, everything gets returned and you tell these guys they need to only ask, moving forward. They know where I live, apparently, and the door is never locked, not even now. What will happen to them, you think?

"I imagine they'll get a visit from my superiors."

The bots hovered in the corner and followed along, Peggy vocalized directly, "We understand. Will we be asked to leave?"

Bikram shook his head, "Not up to me, but just uhhh... don't take items that belong to other people. Does that make sense?"

Peggy understood a bit, "Explain... belonging?"

Bikram loved the conversation, he eagerly took a seat next to Peggy. "You can get things for yourself if you create them, or have a contract where your work is exchanged for other material goods like this. If someone else has created it, or built it, then you should not take it from them without permission."

Zombie shivered, understanding what it had done, Nessy vocalized, "Zombie will not take such actions again. Our program has been updated by your criteria."

Bikram was truly delighted by this introduction. He had wanted to meet these bots for a few weeks now, and they were remarkable. Renato was charmed as well, "Mr. Bikram, I'll be happy to help with these lil guys if you need anything."

Turning to the quad, Renato spoke like he would to a child towards the floating machines, "Well, the canned goods are an excellent decoration. Look at all this, we could certainly use four capable minds like you all down in Brown Sector. That door is always open, come see me if you need work or want to play games... anything. Ok?"

The quad had all risen, Banshee was the slowest to trust but managed to vocalize, "We will provide work for the items here." Then Banshee made a series of chimes it felt conveyed gratitude.

Renato pointed at the oil painting where a Great Dane with a disheveled tuxedo smoked a cigar with cards falling from the sleeve at a poker table, "That is not ours." Feeling that was all he needed to say, he bade Bikram farewell, climbing down the ladder.

The young B'aku was ecstatic to say, "Well, you four, I will be going to bed, and we will talk soon. Let's plan for 0900 then. It was very nice to meet you."

Nessy piped up in a cheerful tone, "Thank you LT BIKRAM JG. We will see you here as you designated at 0900."

"Looking forward to it, then. Good night."

Bikram went down the ladder, and after a moment of chatter, they all left, to the great relief of the exo comps. House-guests were always so stressful, and none of them had taken off their shoes either. Nessy Chirped gleefully as she swept the carpet free from imagined particles, her broom showing the signs of a custodial closet on Deck 390.

-End-

Exo-comp Quad

 

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