Emmie: (I need help…) (Heeelllllpp…) ! Emmie: Will you wait here while I get help to find your mom?? Child: … Emmie: I promise I’ll come back! I can’t find your mom if I stay here, right? And when I find her, I gotta know where to find you, right? Child: … *rustle* Emmie: You’ll stay here and wait? *rustle* Emmie: OK! Don’t move! *rustle* Emmie: I’ll be right back!
Emmie: Will you come with me to look for your mom? *rustle rustle* Emmie: But… ! Oh… Uh, my name is Emmie… …but I guess I’m still a stranger, huh? *rustle!* Emmie: (Dammit… how am I supposed to find his mom if I don’t know what she looks like??) (I barely know what he looks like!) -Emmie vision – only caught a view of the child from the back – (There are tons of people in the mall…) (The place is huuuuge…) (Whaddo I doooo…??)
*rustle – sound of the child shaking the leaves* Emmie: Shake once for yes, two for no. Shake once if that’s OK! *rustle* Emmie: Did you lose somebody? *rustle!* Emmie: Was it your mom? *RUSTLE!* Emmie: What does your mom look like?? Child: … *rustle RUSTLE rustle RUSTLE rustle rustle rustle rustle rustle* Emmie: *sweat* (Oh… crap.)
Emmie: I’m not talking to anybody… just me… Child: *sniffle sniffle* Emmie: And plants… I guess I like talking to plants… I saw a kid who looked really lost… Child: … Emmie: I hope he’s OK! … If I can help, just shake your leaves I promise I’ll do my best.
Child: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Emmie: Waaaaa… (He hid in the plants…) Uh… Are you OK? Kid: YOU’RE A STRANGER I’M NOT ALLOWED TO TALK TO STRANGERS!! Emmie: …! *has an idea* But, you could write to me… …and I can write back and you can read it? Child:… I DON’T KNOW HOW TO READ AND WRITE YET!! Emmie: (Boy, do I know that feeling…) (Oh… I don’t have anything to write with either…)
Emmie: Eh? That kid… Hey *approaches the child from the back* Hey, you OK? *tap tap – tapping the child on the shoulder* Child: UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Emmie: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Emmie: What if I were like one of those gladiators? (So badass! You can do anything if you look cool!) Or maybe the guys in therapy services? (Hmm~ Some of them don’t even do much more than wiggle and look cute) I could be a super fluffy sheep~!! *hearts* [An image of a sheep with Emmie’s face and hair] (Maiji (Author): What kind of a sheep is this *sweat*)
Emmie: (sigh) What am I good for? I’m just a super lame copy of a real human being. Man, sometimes I wish I’d never even been assembl— Wait, no!! I take it back! That’s too scary! I just wish I didn’t have to learn everything… I bet if I had a different form, people wouldn’t be so quick to think I’m so useless or care that I take so long to figure stuff out…
XIÀ: You have the capacity to learn almost anything. Emmie: … Boss… No one cares!! They want somebody who already knows what the hell they’re doing! Or they can just hire a real human! Not a dumbass version of one that takes a million times as long to figure out how to do the thing…! *PLOP* *deflate* XIÀ: …
Emmie: I’m a failure. Why was I ever assembled. Nobody will ever hire me (mumble mumble) XIÀ: *pat pat pat* That’s not true, Emmie. You were unsuccessful today, but that does not define you yourself as a failure. We will find an opportunity that is a good fit with your skills. Your abilities are exceptional and uncommon. Emmie: Like what? XIÀ: (hmmmmmmmm mmmmm mmmmm mmmmmm) Emmie: (Why are you humming)
Interviewer 1: I’m very sorry, but we’re looking for someone a bit more… …precise. Your style is a little too casual for us. Interviewer 2: But thank you for your time. Emmie: Oh, OK. Interviewer 3: What strategy would you use when dealing with difficult customers? Emmie: Always smile, don’t swear, and don’t punch them in the face! (Boss says I’m getting really good at it too!) Interviewer 4: “Kitchen activities ideally supervised”? Emmie: Uhhh I tend to freestyle… (Hahaha) (That’s how real chefs do it, right) (You can always sub stuff / 5 teaspoons sugar, 5 tablespoons salt / it’s all good) Interviewer 5: Whoever heard of a robot that needs its calculations double-checked?? Emmie: B-but it’s only for really really hard math (…like big numbers and multiplication and division and)
Such self-aware robots are by and large recognized as individuals and productive members of society. Some work at places like Kansa, an agency that provides staffing for a variety of temporary and longer-term jobs. These include standard business and domestic services, therapy and general companionship, not to mention the myriad needs of many other industries as well.
New North City, Year — Robots have advanced to a point where they are capable of self-awareness. The degree of self-awareness varies, as do size, form, complexity, purpose, specialization versus generalization, preprogramming versus autonomous learning. These are not unlike the differences that exist between organic life forms.
Emmie: Hi! Interviewer: Hello! Other interviewer: Are you M-E3? Emmie: Yep, that’s me. You can call me Emmie. Nice to meet you! —(Hahaha I’m a genius! Now they can’t see the design at all!!) *beam beam* *label sticking out the back, hair is a mess again from shirt changing so the brush was useless…* Interviewer: (Uh… is that T-shirt on inside out?) Other interviewer: (Maybe they’re still learning how to dress themselves?)
XIÀ: No scissors. OK? Emmie: OK. XIÀ: Excellent. Here, use this. Emmie: *brush brush* XIÀ: Very good! Remember to watch your language! Also, is that appropriate attire? Emmie: AAAAAAAAAAHHH F–CK SH–T *looking down at shirt that says “F EWE”* XIÀ: Oh dear. Your interviews are starting now.
XIÀ: That’s correct. You have 62 seconds to spare. Emmie: Yeah! XIÀ: —But… Weren’t you going to get a haircut? *poink – sound of a light tug on Emmie’s hair* Emmie: Huh?! Oh shit! I was! *spots some supplies on a nearby desk* Scissors!! XIÀ: *grabbing Emmie by the back of their shirt* Don’t do that! Those are for cutting paper! You don’t any have hair stylist training!! Emmie: Scissors…
