my blood is boiling; my brain's IBM

[groupon]

NOT just A ROBOT shipping meme There's always a right tool for the job, be it as simple as a hammer for a nail or on up to the much, much more complex. In this, the near future, the new tool for the abstract, post-modern job is no longer from the humble tool box - it's robots. Robots have taken over most sectors, such as assembly, law enforcement, and even health care. Things run so much smoother when they're automated. Yet the most impressive factor is that robots have just recently begun to enter a sector previously believed to require human touch: the personal sector. From personal assistants to robo bodyguards to pleasurebots, most anyone who's anyone has a personal robot these days. Of course, humanity being the narcissistic charmers we are, all "companion" sector robots are made in our own beautiful image, or close to it. But you know this. You have a personal robot, after all...or you are one. Whether owner or robot, it's important to remember one key rule: robots, no matter how human they appear, cannot feel emotions. Any appearances thereof are programming in the AI. Robots certainly, absolutely, cannot fall in love. Again, any appearances thereof are programming in the AI. If that's not the case, and "love" still seems present... ...well, a toll that no longer functions correctly may not be right for the job. HOW TO PLAY ➟ Comment with your character, preference, and whether you want to play a human or a robot. Reply to others. Use the RNG to choose a prompt or pick one yourself. OWNER ➟ Long Time Owner → You and your robot are a well-oiled machine, no pun intended. New Purchase → Congratulations, you have your brand new personal bot! Second Hand → Someone else owned this robot before you, but it can't be too damaged. There's no way you could afford a brand new one, anyway. For Science! → Your interests in robots are purely scientific. No matter how yours begins to act towards you, honest! Rescue → Whether you took them from the dump or from a bad owner, you brought this robot from the jaws of deletion. Reluctant → You never wanted a robot, but you've got one thrust on you anyway. Cruel → They're just a fancy computer, so you'll treat them however you like. See the Humanity → Even if you know it's all machinery and programming, you can't help but see the human side of your robot. They shouldn't have to be a servant. What's Real and What's Not → The lines are beginning to blur between real people and their emotions and your robot. Incompatible → You can't be with a machine, either romantically or sexually. You're simply not compatible. Too Engrossed → They say you've created a fantasy world. You're forgetting reality, or choosing to ignore it. Don't Care → You won't listen to what the others say; you know how you feel. Have to Pull Away → The close relationship you had with your robot has to be put aside for your own good. Live a Normal Life → As much as you can, you and your robot live like a normal couple. Bad End → Your robot is taken away, reprogrammed, or destroyed. ROBOT ➟ The Perfect Robot → You know what you and exactly what you were made to do. You will not stray. More Human than Human → Whoever programmed you made you to be just like a human. Conflicted → There is no way you could have what they call "feelings." But what is this stirring in your circuitry? Confused → Why do people treat you like a robot? You're a living thing, damn it! Damaged → Somehow, you've been corrupted. You're a blank slate and have to be cared for, though it should be the opposite. Or it could be that you're showing erratic behavior that no robot should... Shown Kindness → When you're treated kindly by a human, you are unsure how to process it. It makes you feel - content. No Longer Just a Program → Your "love" and "affection" may have been shades and imitations at first, but that's not the case any longer. Obsolete Model → You know you're old. Will you be forced to leave your master's side? Jealousy → A robot should not feel jealous. Still, you envy those close to your master. Job is Personal → You were programmed to protect or to serve, though you also do it because you...care Second Chance → Your old master tossed you aside and now you are wary. But you've been given another chance instead of being used for scrap. Rogue → There is no way you will be tied to the oppressive system. You refuse to serve the Living Things. Somehow, though, you've become aligned with one. One of a Kind → There are no other robots like you, and perhaps you are intended for a sinister fate. Rather than face your true duty, you have escaped to take refuge with a human. Specialty → You were created specifically for this one special person. Reprogrammed → Because of previous defects, you were taken back to factory settings before. However, that treacherous virus, "love," is bubbling back up. Android → You can't just forget the part of you that was - still is - organic. Learn to Be Human → Despite the odds and the prejudices you both will face, you have decided to live as a free, living person with the one you care for most. Bad End → You're to be junked, impacted, wiped clean, or taken away from your owner.

Comments

[nonstopnarcissist]

[ Unnerving silence, honestly, so he keeps the quippage to absolute zero, focusing instead on plugging in the other end of the cable and dragging his raggedy ass right back down the way he'd come. The nearest grate up out of the crawlspace isn't all that far- and the lighted strips on the ground will lead both of them back to the hall, to the elevator, to the workshop. So.

Home stretch, mission accomplished.

Tony's popping his back with a groan and wiping his face with the shirt he'd peeled off earlier by the time Bruce makes it out of the hole, offering a thumbs up. ]

A plus, good job, thanks for the assist.

[destressed]

[ And they're done. Cool. That was only the most arduous thing he's had to do since developing sentience, so, awesome. ]

Any time.

[ He says grimly, tone directly contradicting the words, eyes on anything but Tony. Yep. They're done here, so he's just going to. You know. Shove his hands in his pockets and head directly for the escape route, lead the way to the elevator. ]

[nonstopnarcissist]

[ Clearly he's part of whatever's gone horribly wrong and- well he's not all that fucking surprised. Maybe he's in a mood, maybe he's still put out over the earlier brain recording thing- fuck, it's probably the brain recording thing.

He trails behind, leaning against the wall of the elevator on the ride up, doing his best to give Bruce as much space as possible for the duration.

Note to self: Handle your own shit on your own in the future.

The doors sliding open to the workshop's never been such a relief, for all that he doesn't mind crawling around in the subbasement it's been some kind of tense for the past half hour. and generally? He tries to avoid that shit. Undue stress isn't healthy for a guy with a heart condition. ]

I'm gonna- [ He gestures to his workstation, somewhat lamely. Scotch first, of course, but then finishing shit up here for the rest of the upgrade. ] So.

[destressed]

[ It certainly makes for a hell of an awkward elevator ride, with Bruce tucking himself into the far corner, hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched. staring straight ahead or down at his feet like he can't quite manage eye contact. It is, hands down, the longest two minutes of his relatively short life thusfar.

The doors slide open, Tony steps out with his intentions already spilling out of his mouth, and Bruce finds that he can only nod. ]

Yup. Sure.

[ He agrees absently, tonelessly. Inscrutably. And with that, he'll just be striding off to quietly disappear into his suite. ]