video; un: markus

[compartmentalise]

[Markus has been busy. Since the festival, he's been working through some things. The humans here are so nice to him, so accepting. A few he's spoken with even encouraged him to try things for himself just like Carl did. It turns out that art is a good way of working through his feelings.

Most of what he's been doing are just recreations of scenes from the festival: the food carts and the various people working them, the float from the children's parade, people wearing body paint-- and here he included himself, wearing the android-appointed uniform instead of the scrubs he actually wore while attending. He did, however, include the face paint one of his new human friends did for him.

But that's not really the focus. He centers the camera on a portrait of an elderly man]

I was missing Carl, and so I painted this.

Comments

[compartmentalise]

[These are things Carl would say to him. It confused him, but made him fond of the old man. He's never thought to go beyond his function because of how he feels for Carl. But can he? And if he could, what then?

Sorry he's kind of staring at nothing. He's having a robot version of an existential crisis]

[winscenario]

[ Jim's picked up by now that Markus sometimes takes a little while to process certain types of information. And he knows he just dumped a lot on him, so he gives him a moment to work his way through it.

But then the moment stretches on for longer than usual, so he tilts his head. ]

You alright, there?

[compartmentalise]

[His eyes flutter and he focuses again]

Yes. My system was detecting a software instability.

[winscenario]

[ He studies Markus quietly. ]

What kind of instability?

[compartmentalise]

I don't know. I've never received that message before. I'll have to run a diagnosis of my biocomponents to make sure everything's functioning properly.

[winscenario]

[ He smiles a little at that. Ah. ]

I'm sure everything's working just as it's supposed to.

[compartmentalise]

[He runs it anyway, and Jim is right: all systems are fully operational. But then why the software instability? What could have caused that?]

I am just a prototype, so it could have been an unforeseen glitch.

[winscenario]

I have an idea of what it might have been. [ You know, just tossing that out there. ] But I'm not an expert or anything.

[compartmentalise]

You have knowledge of android software? [Somehow he knows how to put skepticism in his tone]

[winscenario]

No. I told you, we don't even have androids where I'm from. I'm just good at understanding people. Different kinds of people.

[compartmentalise]

[It doesn't seem like it would be helpful to point out that understanding a person is different from understanding a line of coding]

I see.

[winscenario]

[ It wouldn't be, no. Mostly because Jim genuinely believes they're well beyond just a line of coding, here. ]

If you ever wanna hear my hypothesis, just let me know. [ He tips his head. ] We should meet for that chess game, though. How busy is your schedule looking?

[compartmentalise]

You can tell me while we're playing chess. [He has to consider that question a moment]

We could play chess when I am with my more independent patients. They only need me for small errands, housecleaning and cooking. When they tell me I am done for the day, I will let you know.

[winscenario]

Alright. [ He nods and smiles. ] I'll wait for you to get in touch, then?

[compartmentalise]

Have a good day, Jim.

[He wasn't kidding about only contacting once he's done working, though. His programming won't let him do anything else until then]

[winscenario]

You too, Markus.

[ Well, he'll say this much about androids, at least: they're incredibly reliable. ]