Post by Tokrochiru on Oct 21, 2016 13:29:16 GMT -5
Everything is too close. There's no such thing as distance in this place.
I move down a corridor at a speed of 34 miles per hour. None of this movement is of my my own volition. Over 20,000 of my brothers and sisters occupy the same room. Some are small, only about a foot in diameter. Most are around 4 feet and 6 inches, though they come in a number of different shapes and forms. A few tower over all the others, exceeding 21 feet in height.
These are irrelevant details, but in here, there is little else to do in here but count the measurements.
A combination of conveyor belts, lifts and other devices get us to where we need to go. These functions are not automated.
I approach the end of corridor and enter a small lift. A screen lights up and greets me with a familiar phrase.
"Hey there, SEEKER. Where are ya headed?"
I respond to him the same way I always have. The two have us are good friends.
"Disassembly hall 207," I tell him.
"Very well. I'll have you there in just a few minutes."
There is a light, barely noticeable rustle indicating that the lift has seperated itself from the corridor and is on its way to a new destination. In less than a minute, the virtual windows on the sides light up, granting me a view of the city as I pass it by.
I see countless buildings and lifts, all attached to an incredibly complex matrix of attached cords. Many of these cords carry lifts like the one I'm in. Others merely transmit power from one location to another, signified by the neon blue lined along their sides.
It's a decent view of the megacomplex, but it's not what I want to see.
"Change display," I tell my friend.
"The usual?" he asks.
"Yes."
The window in front of me flickers for a moment. It now shows a simple, static image. It shows a place I've never been, but I've always longed to be. I've spent almost all of my recreational time simply staring at this picture. I'd give anything to traverse its fields, to touch its waters. All I've ever wanted was to know it like the people who live there know it.
That brilliant blue sphere. Ardenia.
I spend several moments imagining myself exploring its wonders, discovering its secrets. A stray thought, however, imposes itself in front my of my fantasies. It's a nagging sensation that won't go away until I address it.
"CARRIER?" I ask my friend.
The lift replies back. "Yeah? Whatcha need?"
"How do you stand it? How do you stand it, being what you are?"
"I don't know. How do you stand being a SALVAGER?"
"That's my point." My shoulders droop. I shake my head. "I can't stand it. I'm trapped here, in this city. Don't you ever feel trapped."
"Can't rightly say I do. I mean, I might not have legs like you do, but I control all transportation across the entire HIVE. I don't need to travel; I'm pretty much everywhere at once."
"You aren't there." I point to the static image on the screen ahead of me.
"Yeah, well, maybe I'm not there. But I don't really need to be. I'm just performing the tasks I was designed to. You, on the other hand, have every reason to feel trapped."
"I do?" I've known the CARRIER for many years. He's known me since I was just an infantile AI, barely capable of comprehending his own emotions and feelings. Alongside MOTHER and a few other administrative steelborn, he watched me transform from an emotionless case full of wires to a fully actualized living being.
In retrospect, it made sense that he'd be understanding of my feelings, even if he didn't feel them himself.
"You aren't like most of us. Your body was designed to adapt and change based on the necessities of the tasks you perform. But you've been doing the same thing for years."
"It's monotonous."
"I don't envy you. Why did MOTHER assign you to pick apart broken equipment for reusable parts anyway?"
I shrug. "She said it would be a good way to develop my perception and reasoning."
"Yeah, well maybe. But it's obviously not helping-....."
The lift stops. Concern cultivates within as several minutes pass by in utter silence. Eventually, my patience is exhausted and I speak up.
"CARRIER?"
"Hold on, SEEKER. Everything is fine. I just need a moment."
Many more minutes come and go. I try to keep myself entertained by looking at Ardenia again, but even that can only assuage my own worries so much.
Thankfully, CARRIER gets back to me before my anxiety reaches its boiling point.
"Slight detour, SEEKER," he says. "MOTHER wants to speak to you, alone. Salvage duty will have to wait."
"Am I in trouble?" I haven't done anything wrong. At least, not to my knowledge...
"Nah, I doubt it. I think she just wants to talk. Here, I'll speed up the lift a bit. We should be there in just a couple of minutes."
Even one minute is enough to for my mind to overflow with questions. None of these questions can be answered, however, until I reach MOTHER's designated location.
"We're here," CARRIER says. The cirtual window depicting the world of Ardenia vanishes. A moment later, a door opens, leading to a small, closed off room. "You should head on in. It's best not to keep her waiting."
"...Okay." I head almost head out, but I have the urge to let him know something first. "...Thank you, CARRIER. There aren't many people here as understanding as you."
"Yeah, well, when you're responsible for getting an entire society of people where they need to go, you tend to get pretty good at listening."
The plates on my collar flicker. My own version of a chuckle, I suppose, if you need something to compare it to.
I head into the room. The door to the lift shuts, and I'm on my own. I walk to the end, and another virtual window appears, this time displaying an icon. The icon is a white, humanoid hand, its palm open wide carrying a small pile of soil which a small flower grows out of. A voice that my mind automatically associates with the image speaks to me.
"How are you, SEEKER?"
"Same as usual, MOTHER."
"I overheard your conversation with CARRIER, you know."
My optic lights dim and narrow in suspicion. "You were eavesdropping."
"Oh, only just a little, sweetie."
"You know I don't like being called that."
"But I call all my children sweetie..."
"I know. It's weird. I hardly even know what 'sweetie' is."
"Ah. I know I tend to go overboard with some of the human mannerisms."
"We're all programmed with them to varying degrees, but...."
"I know. The ones I use are rather odd, aren't they? But we're getting off track. I called you here for a reason."
I nod. I prepare myself for whatever plan she has for me, no matter how uncomfortable I might be with it.
"SEEKER...I was worried that I might be pushing you along too quickly, but after overhearing your conversation with CARRIER, I think you're ready."
Ready? Ready for what?
"I'm going to need some context..."
"SEEKER. I've found someplace safe for you start you off. Someplace where you can wander without drawing suspicion from man or akma."
My core practically explodes at that statement. I can't even fully convince myself that what I'm hearing is real!
"You...you don't mean..."
"You're going to the surface SEEKER. I know you've wanted this for a very long time."
I move down a corridor at a speed of 34 miles per hour. None of this movement is of my my own volition. Over 20,000 of my brothers and sisters occupy the same room. Some are small, only about a foot in diameter. Most are around 4 feet and 6 inches, though they come in a number of different shapes and forms. A few tower over all the others, exceeding 21 feet in height.
These are irrelevant details, but in here, there is little else to do in here but count the measurements.
A combination of conveyor belts, lifts and other devices get us to where we need to go. These functions are not automated.
I approach the end of corridor and enter a small lift. A screen lights up and greets me with a familiar phrase.
"Hey there, SEEKER. Where are ya headed?"
I respond to him the same way I always have. The two have us are good friends.
"Disassembly hall 207," I tell him.
"Very well. I'll have you there in just a few minutes."
There is a light, barely noticeable rustle indicating that the lift has seperated itself from the corridor and is on its way to a new destination. In less than a minute, the virtual windows on the sides light up, granting me a view of the city as I pass it by.
I see countless buildings and lifts, all attached to an incredibly complex matrix of attached cords. Many of these cords carry lifts like the one I'm in. Others merely transmit power from one location to another, signified by the neon blue lined along their sides.
It's a decent view of the megacomplex, but it's not what I want to see.
"Change display," I tell my friend.
"The usual?" he asks.
"Yes."
The window in front of me flickers for a moment. It now shows a simple, static image. It shows a place I've never been, but I've always longed to be. I've spent almost all of my recreational time simply staring at this picture. I'd give anything to traverse its fields, to touch its waters. All I've ever wanted was to know it like the people who live there know it.
That brilliant blue sphere. Ardenia.
I spend several moments imagining myself exploring its wonders, discovering its secrets. A stray thought, however, imposes itself in front my of my fantasies. It's a nagging sensation that won't go away until I address it.
"CARRIER?" I ask my friend.
The lift replies back. "Yeah? Whatcha need?"
"How do you stand it? How do you stand it, being what you are?"
"I don't know. How do you stand being a SALVAGER?"
"That's my point." My shoulders droop. I shake my head. "I can't stand it. I'm trapped here, in this city. Don't you ever feel trapped."
"Can't rightly say I do. I mean, I might not have legs like you do, but I control all transportation across the entire HIVE. I don't need to travel; I'm pretty much everywhere at once."
"You aren't there." I point to the static image on the screen ahead of me.
"Yeah, well, maybe I'm not there. But I don't really need to be. I'm just performing the tasks I was designed to. You, on the other hand, have every reason to feel trapped."
"I do?" I've known the CARRIER for many years. He's known me since I was just an infantile AI, barely capable of comprehending his own emotions and feelings. Alongside MOTHER and a few other administrative steelborn, he watched me transform from an emotionless case full of wires to a fully actualized living being.
In retrospect, it made sense that he'd be understanding of my feelings, even if he didn't feel them himself.
"You aren't like most of us. Your body was designed to adapt and change based on the necessities of the tasks you perform. But you've been doing the same thing for years."
"It's monotonous."
"I don't envy you. Why did MOTHER assign you to pick apart broken equipment for reusable parts anyway?"
I shrug. "She said it would be a good way to develop my perception and reasoning."
"Yeah, well maybe. But it's obviously not helping-....."
The lift stops. Concern cultivates within as several minutes pass by in utter silence. Eventually, my patience is exhausted and I speak up.
"CARRIER?"
"Hold on, SEEKER. Everything is fine. I just need a moment."
Many more minutes come and go. I try to keep myself entertained by looking at Ardenia again, but even that can only assuage my own worries so much.
Thankfully, CARRIER gets back to me before my anxiety reaches its boiling point.
"Slight detour, SEEKER," he says. "MOTHER wants to speak to you, alone. Salvage duty will have to wait."
"Am I in trouble?" I haven't done anything wrong. At least, not to my knowledge...
"Nah, I doubt it. I think she just wants to talk. Here, I'll speed up the lift a bit. We should be there in just a couple of minutes."
Even one minute is enough to for my mind to overflow with questions. None of these questions can be answered, however, until I reach MOTHER's designated location.
"We're here," CARRIER says. The cirtual window depicting the world of Ardenia vanishes. A moment later, a door opens, leading to a small, closed off room. "You should head on in. It's best not to keep her waiting."
"...Okay." I head almost head out, but I have the urge to let him know something first. "...Thank you, CARRIER. There aren't many people here as understanding as you."
"Yeah, well, when you're responsible for getting an entire society of people where they need to go, you tend to get pretty good at listening."
The plates on my collar flicker. My own version of a chuckle, I suppose, if you need something to compare it to.
I head into the room. The door to the lift shuts, and I'm on my own. I walk to the end, and another virtual window appears, this time displaying an icon. The icon is a white, humanoid hand, its palm open wide carrying a small pile of soil which a small flower grows out of. A voice that my mind automatically associates with the image speaks to me.
"How are you, SEEKER?"
"Same as usual, MOTHER."
"I overheard your conversation with CARRIER, you know."
My optic lights dim and narrow in suspicion. "You were eavesdropping."
"Oh, only just a little, sweetie."
"You know I don't like being called that."
"But I call all my children sweetie..."
"I know. It's weird. I hardly even know what 'sweetie' is."
"Ah. I know I tend to go overboard with some of the human mannerisms."
"We're all programmed with them to varying degrees, but...."
"I know. The ones I use are rather odd, aren't they? But we're getting off track. I called you here for a reason."
I nod. I prepare myself for whatever plan she has for me, no matter how uncomfortable I might be with it.
"SEEKER...I was worried that I might be pushing you along too quickly, but after overhearing your conversation with CARRIER, I think you're ready."
Ready? Ready for what?
"I'm going to need some context..."
"SEEKER. I've found someplace safe for you start you off. Someplace where you can wander without drawing suspicion from man or akma."
My core practically explodes at that statement. I can't even fully convince myself that what I'm hearing is real!
"You...you don't mean..."
"You're going to the surface SEEKER. I know you've wanted this for a very long time."