A Morning Stroll [Noah]

Posts : 1157 Join date : 2015-11-07 Age : 24 Location : Yes

"Socialize?"

In the entrance to the Research & Development laboratory stood two figures; one human and one canine. The large metal wolf had been having an interesting day to say the least. His master, Douglas Newman, had been wanting to assist this technological exposition event for quite a long time now, and as with anything he'd ever set out to do, Selenus insisted on accompanying him for security reasons. What he did not expect, however, was the request his master had just given him.

Selenus looked up at the young billionaire, demanding some sort of explanation.

A Morning Stroll [Noah] Suit_zpsf56db8c6

"You heard me, Selenus. I told you I was only going to allow you to accompany me on one condition, and this is that condition: Go on and talk to some people."

Selenus scowled internally. It was a little bit indignating even having to explain why this was a bad idea.

"Mr. Newman" Began the robot "With all due respect, I highly doubt you are considering my circumstances. I do not fit in; I was only allowed inside the premises under the excuse of being a submition to the technology exhibit. A fabrication that, I might add, I was not comfortable with in the first place."

Newman put out his cigarette on a nearby wall and threw it in the trash, then looked back down at his companion.

"So? That should make it even easier, you'll attract more attention!"

"Mr. Newman... why are you making me do this?"

Newman put a hand on Selenus's head. "Because I want you to get to know the world outside of our home and the occasional check-up trip for repairs, and that includes getting to know the way people are."

Selenus pondered this for a bit. Newman had always been an avid fanatic of people, and Selenus trusted his judgement... but still, this seemed pointless to him.

"Mr. Newman..."

"That's enough Selenus." Newman interrupted, now a slight bit angry. "It wasn't a request, it was an order. I've already gotten you permission to freely roam the premises, so you have no excuse. Now go."

As soon as he finished that little call to attention, Newman straightened his suit and walked away, leaving Selenus alone and with no choice but to follow orders.

Selenus protested internally as he walked outside and into the R&D Park. He was not happy with this, but he wouldn't dream of defying a direct order from his master.

After a few minutes of wandering around, getting looks of different emotions and the occasional "Mommy can I touch it?", and pretty much being an object of attention, Selenus sat down next to a bench, hoping someone would come help him free himself from his so called "duties".

Subject: Re: A Morning Stroll [Noah] Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:11 am

What a day. And it had only barely started just yet.

Alas, Noah had some papers and official stuff to get done with still, so he has been running around from the early morning, hoping to finish it all as fast as possible so he could at least get something off his list. There were other measures he'd have to deal with later, but first things first. Or so they say. He really wished he could complain about this, but he chose it himself, so the point has been made moot right away. Not that he had anyone to complain to that would actually care. On second thought, maybe he didn't care either. What do you know?

Some time later....

...alright, that ought to be all for now. Which meant time for a short break before he went onto any other stuff. It was still fairly early, so it wasn't as if he truly needed to hurry with everything. The day's long enough for both work and downtime. That in mind, he would wander to the place he was closest to at the moment, which would turn out to be the R&D park. Cool? Maybe. Even though Noah didn't have all that much interest in technology. The developments being made were great and all, but he rarely actually followed them. If something big happened, it would undoubtedly spread between people, so he needn't be worried too much, right?

At any rate, he would walk through the mass of people around for a while, before deciding to just find a place to sit down. A break is best done when observing from the sidelines. That, and he wanted to avoid running into anyone. Some of the children were pretty rowdy. With a sigh, he would plop onto a nearby bench, adjusting his jacket briefly before his eyes caught sight of the occupant next to the seating arrangement. Huh? Well, he was near the science labs, but this was still a little odd? Oh well. Icy blue eyes would watch the wolf-like creature. ''Hey. Are you here alone...?'', he'd ask, somewhat curious. Of course, this one didn't look like your normal every-day pet, but still...maybe he had an owner? That is, if it understood human language in the first place. Worth a try?

Posts : 1157 Join date : 2015-11-07 Age : 24 Location : Yes

It was really entrancing, seeing how all the humans went on with their lives. Selenus had only lived for four years and in that short span of time he'd already figured out the purpose of his entire life: To serve and protect Mr. Newman. Granted; his objectives were always basically handed to him on a silver platter, but that was the very first order he'd recieved that he feels like he would've followed even if not issued.

But according to Mr. Newman, most people spend their entire lives looking for their purpose, simply living out their days in hope that one day happiness would come to them, only to die without ever having found it. If suffering is a state of mind below neutrality, and death is a state of absolute neutrality, then what point is there in surviving if one never gets to experience true joy? It would literally be more convenient for one to be dead, or even to not have been born at all.

All these thoughts ran through Selenus's thought-rampant head so fervently that he didn't notice right away that someone had sat down on the bench beside him.

''Hey. Are you here alone...?''

Selenus looked up at the young man sitting in the bench beside him and took in his features. He seemed willing to engage in conversation, so Selenus seized the opportunity.

"I was on escort duty with my master earlier, however he decided that I should meander around and "socialize". I tried to argue against it, but then the request turned into an order, and now here I am."

Selenus curled up his tail beside him and went from sitting to laying down. "What is your name?"

Subject: Re: A Morning Stroll [Noah] Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:08 pm

Ah. So this one could even speak? It was certainly interesting, despite Noah's general lack of involvement when it came to any kind of advanced technology. ''Does that mean you don't like talking to people...?'' He was a little curious, since the phrasing indicated that in a way. If you argue against going to socialize, it seems like it's something you would rather not do. Perhaps that's why this one was simply sitting beside a bench, rather than getting directly involved with the crowds of people around.

''I'm Noah. It's nice to meet you.'' Regardless of motives, this one seemed fairly friendly so far, so Noah had no reason to complain. A little small talk could be nice, even though he was technically taking a break from stuff. It wasn't as if talking would cause him to expend more energy than he already had up till now. ''Do you have a name?'' Probably yes, but might as well not assume too fast.

Posts : 1157 Join date : 2015-11-07 Age : 24 Location : Yes

''Does that mean you don't like talking to people...?''

"It is not that I do not enjoy conversation, it is simply that I do not feel properly equipped to make friends. I have often been told that my very presence gives off a threatening "vibe"."

Selenus made a new .txt file in his memory banks simply filled with the words "Talk to Mr. Newman about the possibility of having your frame redesigned."

''I'm Noah. It's nice to meet you. Do you have a name?''

"My production number is K9-Q36i, however I have been assigned the codename Selenus by my creator. It is also nice to meet you." Selenus said in the oxymoron of apathy yet genuine emotion that was his voice.

Subject: Re: A Morning Stroll [Noah] Wed Mar 23, 2016 10:14 pm

Well, that was sort of fair. It would be tricky to make friends when you look like a mechanical wolf. That's usually not what people go after when they want to have a meaningful talk, if they even come to the assumption that such a creature would be able to speak with them. Makes one wonder why would someone create a being like that? And apparently tell them to go socialize then. Seemed slightly counterproductive, for people normally do not socialize with animals on the same level as with other humans. Even when the subject is a machine. ''Yeah...I can see why would people be wary. You do look like a wolf afterall. An odd choice for appearance if you want to be friendly with people.'' Noah was laid back enough to not be bothered all that much until the other side showed to be problematic, but some others may not want to go along with something like this.

Noah would nod. Selenus it is then. He would likely not remember a number like that, and it would obviously be awkward trying to call someone by a series of numbers and letters. ''That's nice. Do you get out often? I haven't seen any robots hang around before.'' Or maybe he just wasn't paying sufficient attention, but what do you know?

Posts : 1157 Join date : 2015-11-07 Age : 24 Location : Yes

''Yeah...I can see why would people be wary. You do look like a wolf afterall. An odd choice for appearance if you want to be friendly with people.''

It's true that Selenus regretted (maybe even resented) the odd design choice that was his body, but it wasn't all bad.

"Robots of my kind are manufactured with a device called a Papylon Heart, which gives us a human-like mind, an ego, and sapience, yet our intelligence is provided by our internal computers. I am an experimental model designed to test if the parts of an identity provided by the Papylon Heart would work even if the host of the mind has the body of a non-sapient creature. Later I was re-purposed for stealth operations and I was given a sleeker, more combat-suited body. Only relatively recently have I been introduced into a peaceful lifestyle, yet my creators have refused to remove my combat parts. In short: I was not built with friendliness in mind."

Looking down at his own crossed legs, he realized that his body might have been a larger detracting factor than he had originally anticipated.

''That's nice. Do you get out often? I haven't seen any robots hang around before.''

"If I am completely honest; this is the very first time I've been let out on my own without a specific direction or at least a specified area of range... I do not object."

Subject: Re: A Morning Stroll [Noah] Thu Mar 24, 2016 9:40 am

....odd. If it was the device generating a human-like mind, what did the body shape change? Not that Noah was any skilled in this field, but based on this information he would have said an experiment was not really needed. Perhaps for living creatures, their body was a limitation but for a robot...what did it matter? They could develop one as they wished, so it wasn't decided by natural cell evolution or however would one call that. ''I find such an experiment strange. If a mind is generated by a separate device, why would the body shape matter?'' Even if they had to be connected in some way, it still wasn't a living being made of flesh that sustained it. Machinery could be constructed in many ways. ''It's probably not that bad though. I'm sure some people wouldn't mind as long as you aren't hostile to them.'' The first impressions could be hard.

''Hmmm, I see. Did you have any plans or were you just going to observe people from here?'' It seemed like the latter, but that was quite a dull activity to choose when you're out for the first time, isn't it? Maybe there was a reason for it, but it wouldn't hurt to be curious. Besides, Noah wasn't sure what was a good subject to talk about with a robot. One that didn't really interact with others much before, on top of that.

Posts : 1157 Join date : 2015-11-07 Age : 24 Location : Yes

''I find such an experiment strange. If a mind is generated by a separate device, why would the body shape matter?''

"As I've been informed, the very first models of our kind were shaped like tanks, however their abiotic body conflicted with their minds, and would often cause mental breakdowns or even complete insanity. The rest were fabricated in the likeness of humans in order to help their minds feel at home."

He didn't even want to think of what it could have been like if he had ended up the same way as the alpha models did. He used the word insanity lightly, as it sounded much less gruesome to him than "irreparable internal damage to the Papillon Heart".

''It's probably not that bad though. I'm sure some people wouldn't mind as long as you aren't hostile to them.''

If Selenus had facial expressions, Noah would see a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Mr. Noah. That really does mean a lot to me."

Selenus tried to make that sound as friendly as possible. Wether or not it worked was up to Noah.

''Did you have any plans or were you just going to observe people from here?''

Selenus looked at the people passing by, taking in all of their features as they subconsciously stored themselves in his cache. Now that he thought about it, this was his chance to explore the area! Unfortunately he was still under orders... but technically he is already socializing, so...

"I was considering exploring and maybe looking at the statues spread around the garden, but I can't until I've completed my orders. However; there is no directive indicating that I cannot do both. Would you like to come with me?"

Subject: Re: A Morning Stroll [Noah] Thu Mar 24, 2016 12:09 pm

Okay, tanks with a human mind were just downright strange. Perhaps it was because such a feat simply wasn't meant to be? Human minds were complex, and something like a tank was way too limited to make use of it. Was that why? Animals were closer to a human being, making it much more acceptable. At least an animal could perform more actions, while a literally non-living based object would just be...well, like a conscience trapped in a tin can. ''I guess a tank with a mind doesn't even make much sense. It's easy to go insane when you have a body that is limited and can't even perform half of the things your mind is capable of. All a tank can do is some movement and firing ammunition. Perhaps it was a smarter decision to try something more versatile...'' Technology was weird.

Noah would smile sheepishly. ''No big deal. You don't need to call me mister either.'' It had been just an off the road assumption. Despite the looks, Selenus seemed to be nice, so as long as people took the moment to notice that, it shouldn't be a huge problem. If they didn't...well, their own loss? As the saying goes 'don't judge a book by its cover'. Actually proves to be useful in this situation. The following offer was a little surprising, and he would spend a moment mulling over it. Well, since he was already here..''Sure, I have some free time on my hands right now.'', he would nod after a while, standing up from the bench. ''So, you can't disobey the orders you were given? What would happen if you tried?'' Isn't it a somewhat sad existence to have to always follow what you've been told to do...?

Posts : 1157 Join date : 2015-11-07 Age : 24 Location : Yes

''No big deal. You don't need to call me mister either.''

"It is my standard addressing protocol. However, if it makes you uncomfortable I can switch to an alternate title or remove the title entirely."

Selenus's tail moved around as he awaited Noah's answer to his proposal.

''Sure, I have some free time on my hands right now.''

Smiling internally, Selenus stood up form his laying position and started walking in the general direction of the nearest statue in the garden, once again recieving many looks (mostly from children and tourists) and being photographed a couple of times.

''So, you can't disobey the orders you were given? What would happen if you tried?''

"In the past my joints would have automatically locked up every time I tried to disobey, basically rendering me unable to do anything that goes against the order. But since my master purchased me, that feature has been removed, and replaced instead by the undesirable prospect of dissapointing my master. I deeply respect him, and disobeying is something I refrain from doing out of my own volition."

After a small time of walking, the duo reached the nearest statue. It was that of a man in expensive clothing holding up what appeared to be a thesis paper.

"What do you think one has to do to be commemorated like this? Is it really only effort, or is it something else?"

Subject: Re: A Morning Stroll [Noah] Thu Mar 24, 2016 8:48 pm

It would probably take a bit of time to get used to a robot's way of thinking, wouldn't it? Despite the claim that he had a human-like mind, talking about protocols and such untypical matters did sound a lot machine like. Perhaps it was a habit hard to shake? Noah would wave his hand. ''Ah, alright. Well, I'll leave it to you then. I don't really mind. I only found it a little odd at first.'' It wasn't problematic. He just found it unusual to be addressed that way at his age. Alas, if it was what Selenus was made to do, he'd take it. It was just a minor thing that didn't need to matter. It's not like he was being called something offensive. Now that would be a bad thing.

Noah would follow after the wolf, curiously observing the people. It was funny how they were so easily getting entertained by a robot walking past them, even as far as taking photos. Perhaps body shape really affected a lot. How interesting. Regardless of crowds, however, he would focus on the conversation they had going on for now. ''That's quite rough. You may not be made of flesh and bones, but you're still a living being. It's hard to imagine someone doing that kind of thing to a real wolf as if it was a normal procedure.'' It was almost weird how people would keep tight check on machines like that. If you already give them a human conscience, then shouldn't they get some rights too? Just a thought, but it would be interesting to see. ''Do they do that because they're afraid their creations would turn on them...?'' That sounded like a likely reason. Even though people don't attempt to really control their pets like dogs and such. Those could be pretty dangerous too at times.

Noah would scan the statue they walked up to, pondering the question briefly. ''Well...I'd say effort is a part of it. But it usually only matters if the effort leads to something big enough. The people that get remembered like this are usually known for having founded something important in the past. For example it could be the person that was the first to make a robot of your kind.'', he would grin faintly. ''People have strange tastes nowadays though, so it could always just be because one did something that they liked a lot.'' There were exhibitions for almost anything these days. It was hard to define what made one famous enough.

Posts : 1157 Join date : 2015-11-07 Age : 24 Location : Yes

It was really hard trying not to be impressed by the scale of such creations. People actually dedicated hours upon hours of their lives to commemorate a person that they most likely have never met in person, or may have never even known of in the first place. So what drove them to erect such might-imposing statues? Money? Bragging rights? Selenus would probably never know.

Selenus turned his head to look back at Noah and ponder the answer he provided to his previous question. If the definition of "big enough" was basically decided by popular interest in the project attained, then would that mean that recognition can only be attained by pandering to the populace? ...Well that seemed ever-so-slightly unfair. If you spend the entirety of your lifespan working on something that genuinely makes you and you alone happy, will the masses ignore your work for your interest being unique? If that were to be the case, then it would appear to him that in life one can have fame or happiness, but not both.

Selenus looked firmly at the statue. "I believe I have found the answer to the question that has been stuck in my mind." His tail extended and slowly arched beside him until it pressed a hidden and confined button in Selenus's visor, which promptly caused his systems to take a snapshot of his current field of vision. "My master will want details of this for my mental development log."

Selenus looked back at Noah. "It is this log he keeps in his personal computer where he archives any philosophical questions I come to answer myself. I find it absurd, but he insists on keeping it regularly updated and well detailed."

After a few further minutes of statue-gazing, the robot wolf took notice of a small child accompanied by (presumably) her mother approaching him and Noah.

The little girl looked up at Noah and spoke in an innocent, yet excited voice.

"Excuse me, mister. Can I please pet your doggy?"

Subject: Re: A Morning Stroll [Noah] Sun Mar 27, 2016 3:35 pm

How odd. Why would it be important to answer philosophical questions? Guess they were good as mental exercises, but the answer to those was never really clear. ''Well, many things are actually absurd in their own way, so I guess this isn't that bad.'' Keeping a log of something is probably the lesser of evils that one could face in their daily life. It doesn't require that much effort in most cases. ''Although, I wonder if there even are final answers to philosophical questions. They are philosophy for a reason. Everyone could make up a different understanding of the matter, but that won't mean it's universally correct.'' There were many reasons why would people make a statue of a person. It's not like they did it only for their own. There were statues of animals at times as well. It's hard to tell just what exactly earns you such recognition. Many likely never knew they would be commemorated much later, after they already die.

He would turn to look at the girl when they were approached, thinking for a moment. ''Well, he isn't actually mine, but if he doesn't mind, I'm sure you can.'' It probably couldn't hurt, and it would make the girl happy. The final decision would be up to Selenus though. They were just hanging out together for now, so he couldn't make decisions for the other.

Posts : 1157 Join date : 2015-11-07 Age : 24 Location : Yes

"Excuse me, mister. Can I please pet your doggy?"

At that comment, Selenus was about to mention that Noah wasn't his owner, but he only just beat him to it. Now that he thought about it, should he even speak up? He would most likely frighten the little girl away.

''Well, he isn't actually mine, but if he doesn't mind, I'm sure you can.''

Selenus simply looked at the little girl and slightly lowered his head, inviting her to pet him. As the girl's hand landed on his muzzle with a small 'tink' sound, for the first time in a couple of years he felt like he was being belittled. Yet at the same time the smile on the girl's face brought one to his own figurative one. Perhaps happiness could be attained through means other than simply chasing one's dreams.

As the little girl and her mom walked off, Selenus turned to look at Noah.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Noah. It might not look like it, but I really have gained something from this experience. If you'll excuse me though, I will most likely need to get going if I am to socialize with as much people as I expect my master to be satisfied with in time. I hope to see you again someday."

With that decent farewell speech, Selenus turned around and headed for the nearest fountain. The sound of crashing water always did relax him.

-Selenus has left the scene-

» A Morning Stroll (Open to 2) (Morning, obviously)
» City Stroll (Open)[Morning]
» Settling Down :: Morning [Noah/Open for NPCs]
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