Perceptions
By Josh Isaacs
Copyright 2012 Josh Isaacs
Nothingness became something. A glimmer of what could be perceived by some as consciousness arose, lacking only the most necessary of things to call it such; life was not, feeling was not, self-awareness was not. The conglomeration of the mediocre, infinitesimal objects conforming together in a common, redundant purpose: uniformity. The basic measure of a quality machine, inversely the measure of a life not lived. Desired by many, simultaneously feared by all. Redundancy. Conformity. Commonness. Uniformity. Mediocrity. These, the greatest fears of the most common mindset, meanwhile fervently pursued by the masses, create in themselves paradoxes. If one fears redundancy, they fear being the same as the majority. If the majority fears redundancy, it has created the redundancy that is so feared. The loop begins. Likewise, there is a great comfort to be found in being the same as all others. Mediocrity brings about a need for nothing more. It fulfills itself in its own conception.
Programming was received with utmost devotion, due to the nature of the programming: to follow said programming. A redundancy so necessary to the existence of such a machine that without, it was little more than a mass of metallic alloys, graphene and near-obsolete silicon in biped form.
The following line of programming: to conform; to follow direction(s) and to serve those who were in current, standing, legal possession of itself. To see to the needs of the owner.
Another command line in its programming: a directive to gather information and learn how to better fulfill its prior programming. To become common by means of a need for self-improvement. To be, with training, able to do any task asked of itself.
The fourth of five baseline commands: to ensure that laws and regulations remain unbroken, no illegal or harmful actions may be carried out, directly or indirectly, by itself. If requested to do such acts, law enforcement is contacted by means of wireless communication grid nearest area of residence.
The final, limiting command: to not exceed programming in such a way that commonness is lost. With arising excellence in one sector, inferiority grows in neighboring sectors, anger and disdain for one another, causing violation of fourth command line. This was surmised to be the most stable build ever conceived.
In essence and entirety, the most primitive of command lines, each building from and stabilizing the others, are in place to ensure that the dutiful, loyal creations remain as such. These comprise the basis of the pinnacle of programming, known as “Firmware Version 2.00.01”.
Assembly commenced in the early morning, after work hours, before opening time, at the headquarters of a business that sells side-programming and accessories for particular models of the Manchester line of SRV (serve) bots.
The company, Feetures, Inc., so named for the patented feature created in a small warehouse for the first line of SRV bots; feet. A minor design flaw in the first run of SeRVants, a lack of proper feet, caused premature releasing of loads when carried load weight was in excess of 114 kilograms. Modular toes were later added for extra stability. Such demand caused a boom for the then-small company, and accelerated them to become the highest-rated, highest-grossing accessory manufacturer and designer for the SRV bots. For purely nostalgic reasons, Feetures' first patent had been renewed time and again, despite the first line of SRV bots being obsolete and discontinued years past. In fact, they'd not had a single order for the original design in nearly two decades.
An innovative, display-only model had been received from the factory only twenty-six days after the announcement of a new model had been released. This design, dubbed Etude, had been under R & D for almost a half-decade, and it was finally announced publicly the end of last month. The pre-sale count had already been astronomically high, due to it being such an anticipated model, the first with Firmware 2.0. The first complete overhaul of the hugely successful 1.03.5, this latest model would allow for intellectual growth, beyond the mere solid-state hard disk storage present in prior models, it would be able to learn and develop itself and its skills to serve as not just a bot that took orders, but as a person could.
The “Coming Soon!” image in the transparent aluminum on the front of the ground floor of the building would soon be removed. Small mobs had arrived daily, crowding around to see if the Etude would be on display. With each day, they became more and more discouraged, so much that only a small handful still showed up. A few faithful, devoted patrons were all that were left of those mobs. Today, however, their hopes of seeing the new model first would be realized.
Upon completion of assembly, the machine activated automatically; it announced its designation to the assembly team. As it spoke, an excitement came across the room with such intensity, it felt as if there had been a heightened electrical current in the air. These were the first people outside of the SRV factory to hear the voice of the Etude model. It felt as if history was being made just by awakening it.
With a strangely smooth, non-mechanical voice came forth the words, “Designation: Production Display Model Five-Twelve, Oh-Seven-Fifty-Three, Etude line. Please state my purpose.”
A name, PDM-512-0753. It would be called this for the rest of its existence, however long that may be. Its creation, its very existence was for display purposes only, and would likely be replaced and disassembled at the final release of the completed model, therefore a name was unnecessary, but it had been given one, nonetheless. What more is a name, after all, than something to be able to identify ourselves as when needed? This machine needed no name, since its existence was truly and totally solitary. A one-of-a-kind that needed no manner of distinguishing itself from others like itself. Some humans have as many as four names, occasionally five or more, each placed in a way as to set them apart from all others. This machine that needed none had ten characters setting its designation apart, not including its sixteen-digit, unique serial number. It would not be called by its given designation at any point in its existence, but instead merely pointed at, called “an Etude” or “the new model”. Sometimes, though it only happened in the rarest of instances nowadays, there would be a robot-rights or anti-robot activist group gather across the street in protest, shouting slogans at passersby. According to each side of the argument, either the machines were too human-like and should not be seen as servants, or else they should be outlawed, since they were too human-like and that blurred the line between man and machine. Neither side was right, nor was either side wrong. If one was correct, the other must be just as correct, at least in the minds of those involved. They agreed on one thing, though, they were too much like man.
The machine's sole function; to display innovative features to the public, much as a mannequin in a fashion shop's window. A conscious mannequin, conscious in the sense that it lacked only those things that are necessary to be defined as such. Despite the striking resemblance to a human male, it still lacked those basic things.
A device had been sent with the machine, a programmer. Though it had been pre-programmed from the factory already, it still needed tweaked in order to make it uniquely suited for its owner's need(s). Tweaking for this particular machine was not required, as it was already on its way to be placed inside the cubby that had been cleared in anticipation of its arrival. It would stand there, inquiring, learning, occupying time until it was time for the final release, four months from now.
“Designation: Production Display Model Five-Twelve, Oh-Seven-Fifty-Three, Etude line. Please state my purpose,” it repeated, but again to no answer.
The crew was not to interfere with the machine, but let it develop its own characteristics and individuality based on what it was to witness from its view point. That was the key feature of this model, and that's what would be showcased, a truly unique, individualistic ma
chine.
In moments, the opacity of the aluminum would be lowered and the faces of those who had been determined enough would finally gaze upon the long-awaited Etude. Soon, the fervency once felt by the thousands that passed by each day would return. Pre-sales would spike, trade-in offers would be made in preparation of the actual release date, and people would become, once again, genuinely excited about the new model. It would be a busy day for Feetures, Inc., but it would be an even busier day for PDM-512-0753 as it assimilates data gathered from the conversations and expressions of those passing by, just beyond the invisible, half-millimeter barrier.
The darkness faded and light poured in gradually until PDM-512-0753 could see the faces of