Post by mercuryman on May 22, 2010 0:44:24 GMT -5
Radomir Akzerian, (age 54) at the present time (3537) is President of the Akzerian government.
Here are a few short stories: Background from different stages of Radomir's life.
Enjoy.
Year 3492
Age 9
Shadows swept across the enclave. Another approached, this time from a new direction.
Radomir looked up from his task. His mother was coming outside.
"Radomir!" She called, "Its time for dinner, come inside."
"Ok mother." He went back to his task.
His mother put her hands on her hips and stood there a moment, watching.
"What IS that?" She asked.
"Its Caliban!" Radomir replied, looking up with a proud smile.
His mother, half frowning, half amused, just shook her head, not daring to ask.
"Well, don't be long!" She said, before turning moving back inside.
Radomir knew he was almost finished. With care and attention to detail well beyond what one would expect of a boy nine years old, he methodically worked through the remaining tasks.
Stepping back to see the whole of his creation, Radomir studied his accomplishment.
Before him was a machine, sat upon two sets of wheel-tracks. It was a robot, only half his size.
It didn't look like much. That wasn't the point, though. He stepped forward again and lifted a latch upon what passed for the head. Feeling about with his fingers, he found the switch and pulled it.
There was a humming sound, followed by quiet and ongoing whir. Radomir closed the latch and stepped back again.
Nothing more happened. Had he missed something?
A sudden movement. One track started rolling, then stopped just as abruptly.
He waited patiently.
The track moved once more, forward.. then back.. and forward again. Stop.
The robots irregular, metallic head rotated sideways. Stop. Slowly the tracked wheel began moving a third time - and then the other wheel too, except in the reverse direction. Both accelerated. The robot spun around in a circle, then stopped again. As though wondering what had just happened.
Radomir grinned. Caliban was learning. It would take him a while to build up basic concepts. Probably best to leave him alone for now. Radomir looked around the enclave. There wasn't much damage a robot this size could do in this area.
Something flashed from up in the sky. Radomir looked up through the transparent roof of the enclave and saw, through thin atmosphere, the faint outlines of spacecraft moving slowly about each other. From this high up in Zheckshan city, much could be seen that would be invisible at ground level.
As he watched, there was another flash and a bright yellow spot appeared upon one of the ships, before slowly fading from view. The ship began a gradual spiral away from the rest.
Another vanquished dissident, thought Radomir. He wondered what it felt like to be at the mercy of a dying ship, out of control and awaiting ones own imminent death.
Without quite knowing why, Radomir suddenly felt a deep and unexpected sorrow. Sorrow for whom he didn't quite know. For the crew? Or for himself? Perhaps just for people.
Why would anyone want to hurt somebody so badly? He thought to himself. Was it possible that when he grew up, he might want to do that to someone?
What a horrible thought! He didn't think he could ever feel that way about another person.
There was still so much he didn't understand about the world.
A movement caught his attention and Radomir looked back down. Caliban was stopped there, his optical sensors directed at the child.
"Hi Caliban!" He said. Caliban didn't respond, just stared.
Well, he didn't expect the robot to be capable of recognising a moving object for a few days yet.
Radomir left the robot and went inside.
* * *
Year 3495
Age 12
"What is Spacecraft?" said Caliban.
"What are spacecraft." Corrected Radomir.
"What are Spacecraft?" Repeated the robot.
"They're like big buildings that fly through space."
"Incorrect."
"What?" Radomir looked at Caliban.
"Space is a vacuum, a thing cannot fly without air."
Radomir grinned. "Yeah ok, but that was a simile, stupid."
"An incorrect simile. Stupid." Even the insult was said matter of factly.
"Hey! You called me stupid!" Radomir wasn't offended, but pleasantly surprised and laughed.
"Correct." Said Caliban, apparently unremorseful.
"That's not something I'm used to hearing from a machine."
"Day 134 year 3494. Radomir says 'Don't let anyone talk down to you, tell it right back to them.'"
"Ha! So I did." Radomir was proud, now. He patted Caliban on the head.
"I like you, Caliban." He said.
"I am programmed to like you, Radomir." replied the robot.
"Heh.. well that will do. Here, lets play a game."
Radomir grabbed a metal can from a scrap heap in the yard of the enclave and placed it on a ledge top of one of the low walls running around the outside.
Caliban obediently followed him about, almost puppy like.
From out of his pocket Radomir took a y-shaped piece of metal, with a bit of string wound around the base and an elastic strap attached to the top parts. A slingshot. A toy that had endured millennia.
"Right," said Radomir, grabbing one of many artificial-looking small stones from the ground.
"We use this slingshot to fire this stone at the can. Whoever hits it three times in a row first, wins."
Radomir took his turn first and fired off a dozen shots. The last one hit the can.
"Ok, your try." He presented the Slingshot to Caliban's hand-like actuators.
Caliban took the slingshot. Radomir gave him a stone to put in the sling. Caliban, however, had a lot more trouble trying to put the stone in the sling than Radomir expected.
After about a minute of trying, Radomir become impatient.
"Come on man, you suck!"
"I compute." replied Caliban, still trying to put it in the sling.
"Your computing sucks!" insisted Radomir.
"My computing computes." replied Caliban, unperturbed.
Radomir grinned. "Alright, you practise. I'll be back later."
[An hour passes]
Radomir returned to the enclave yard to find Caliban sitting motionless, waiting for him.
"Well? Did you learn?" Radomir asked.
"I win." Said Caliban.
"What? No way, do it again."
Caliban did it again. And again. And again.. and again..
He never missed a shot.
Radomir stared and shook his head in disbelief.
"You're a freak." he said.
"I'm a robot." Caliban replied.
"Yeah, alright." conceded Radomir. "You're not a freak. I only said that cos... cos that's what people call me when I do something they don't understand."
"What's a freak?" asked Caliban.
"A word used to describe somebody with talent. What ever talent really is anyway.." Radomir sighed.
"Talent really is: A word used to describe what the word-user does not understand." said Caliban.
Radomir laughed. "Yeah, you're exactly right."
"I am exactly right." Said Caliban, almost as though proud of himself.
He should be proud, Radomir thought. Caliban was very often wiser in his words than he knew.
Every day he was astonished by something Caliban accomplished. The product of a prodigy's mind continued to amaze even the prodigy himself.
He knew at some level how Caliban could do these things.. It was simple.
Well, it was simple in gestalt overall concept, rather less so in the intricacy of the hierarchically structured, randomised-emergence based, auto-calibrating, self-concept constructing, node-replicating algorithm at the centre of what passed for its brain.
It was simple in essence. Radomir remembered the old tale, reputedly handed down from the days of the Solarians.
'Give a man a fish and he'll have food for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll feed himself forever.'
That was the difference between most robots and Caliban. Most robots were designed for specific tasks... not to be.. a friend for a brilliant... lonely.. child.
Radomir looked down at Caliban, who looked back.
Radomir smiled.
"Radomir is happy." said Caliban. "I am programmed to make Radomir happy." The robot paused.
"Therefore I am happy." Caliban concluded with aplomb.
Radomir didn't say anything more, but suddenly felt content. He wondered why all the adults he saw never seemed to be content. Surely as you grew up, you figured out how to feel these things the right way?
There was still so much he didn't understand...
Radomir looked up and out into starry spectacle of the falling night. Caliban did the same.
Here are a few short stories: Background from different stages of Radomir's life.
Enjoy.
Year 3492
Age 9
Shadows swept across the enclave. Another approached, this time from a new direction.
Radomir looked up from his task. His mother was coming outside.
"Radomir!" She called, "Its time for dinner, come inside."
"Ok mother." He went back to his task.
His mother put her hands on her hips and stood there a moment, watching.
"What IS that?" She asked.
"Its Caliban!" Radomir replied, looking up with a proud smile.
His mother, half frowning, half amused, just shook her head, not daring to ask.
"Well, don't be long!" She said, before turning moving back inside.
Radomir knew he was almost finished. With care and attention to detail well beyond what one would expect of a boy nine years old, he methodically worked through the remaining tasks.
Stepping back to see the whole of his creation, Radomir studied his accomplishment.
Before him was a machine, sat upon two sets of wheel-tracks. It was a robot, only half his size.
It didn't look like much. That wasn't the point, though. He stepped forward again and lifted a latch upon what passed for the head. Feeling about with his fingers, he found the switch and pulled it.
There was a humming sound, followed by quiet and ongoing whir. Radomir closed the latch and stepped back again.
Nothing more happened. Had he missed something?
A sudden movement. One track started rolling, then stopped just as abruptly.
He waited patiently.
The track moved once more, forward.. then back.. and forward again. Stop.
The robots irregular, metallic head rotated sideways. Stop. Slowly the tracked wheel began moving a third time - and then the other wheel too, except in the reverse direction. Both accelerated. The robot spun around in a circle, then stopped again. As though wondering what had just happened.
Radomir grinned. Caliban was learning. It would take him a while to build up basic concepts. Probably best to leave him alone for now. Radomir looked around the enclave. There wasn't much damage a robot this size could do in this area.
Something flashed from up in the sky. Radomir looked up through the transparent roof of the enclave and saw, through thin atmosphere, the faint outlines of spacecraft moving slowly about each other. From this high up in Zheckshan city, much could be seen that would be invisible at ground level.
As he watched, there was another flash and a bright yellow spot appeared upon one of the ships, before slowly fading from view. The ship began a gradual spiral away from the rest.
Another vanquished dissident, thought Radomir. He wondered what it felt like to be at the mercy of a dying ship, out of control and awaiting ones own imminent death.
Without quite knowing why, Radomir suddenly felt a deep and unexpected sorrow. Sorrow for whom he didn't quite know. For the crew? Or for himself? Perhaps just for people.
Why would anyone want to hurt somebody so badly? He thought to himself. Was it possible that when he grew up, he might want to do that to someone?
What a horrible thought! He didn't think he could ever feel that way about another person.
There was still so much he didn't understand about the world.
A movement caught his attention and Radomir looked back down. Caliban was stopped there, his optical sensors directed at the child.
"Hi Caliban!" He said. Caliban didn't respond, just stared.
Well, he didn't expect the robot to be capable of recognising a moving object for a few days yet.
Radomir left the robot and went inside.
* * *
Year 3495
Age 12
"What is Spacecraft?" said Caliban.
"What are spacecraft." Corrected Radomir.
"What are Spacecraft?" Repeated the robot.
"They're like big buildings that fly through space."
"Incorrect."
"What?" Radomir looked at Caliban.
"Space is a vacuum, a thing cannot fly without air."
Radomir grinned. "Yeah ok, but that was a simile, stupid."
"An incorrect simile. Stupid." Even the insult was said matter of factly.
"Hey! You called me stupid!" Radomir wasn't offended, but pleasantly surprised and laughed.
"Correct." Said Caliban, apparently unremorseful.
"That's not something I'm used to hearing from a machine."
"Day 134 year 3494. Radomir says 'Don't let anyone talk down to you, tell it right back to them.'"
"Ha! So I did." Radomir was proud, now. He patted Caliban on the head.
"I like you, Caliban." He said.
"I am programmed to like you, Radomir." replied the robot.
"Heh.. well that will do. Here, lets play a game."
Radomir grabbed a metal can from a scrap heap in the yard of the enclave and placed it on a ledge top of one of the low walls running around the outside.
Caliban obediently followed him about, almost puppy like.
From out of his pocket Radomir took a y-shaped piece of metal, with a bit of string wound around the base and an elastic strap attached to the top parts. A slingshot. A toy that had endured millennia.
"Right," said Radomir, grabbing one of many artificial-looking small stones from the ground.
"We use this slingshot to fire this stone at the can. Whoever hits it three times in a row first, wins."
Radomir took his turn first and fired off a dozen shots. The last one hit the can.
"Ok, your try." He presented the Slingshot to Caliban's hand-like actuators.
Caliban took the slingshot. Radomir gave him a stone to put in the sling. Caliban, however, had a lot more trouble trying to put the stone in the sling than Radomir expected.
After about a minute of trying, Radomir become impatient.
"Come on man, you suck!"
"I compute." replied Caliban, still trying to put it in the sling.
"Your computing sucks!" insisted Radomir.
"My computing computes." replied Caliban, unperturbed.
Radomir grinned. "Alright, you practise. I'll be back later."
[An hour passes]
Radomir returned to the enclave yard to find Caliban sitting motionless, waiting for him.
"Well? Did you learn?" Radomir asked.
"I win." Said Caliban.
"What? No way, do it again."
Caliban did it again. And again. And again.. and again..
He never missed a shot.
Radomir stared and shook his head in disbelief.
"You're a freak." he said.
"I'm a robot." Caliban replied.
"Yeah, alright." conceded Radomir. "You're not a freak. I only said that cos... cos that's what people call me when I do something they don't understand."
"What's a freak?" asked Caliban.
"A word used to describe somebody with talent. What ever talent really is anyway.." Radomir sighed.
"Talent really is: A word used to describe what the word-user does not understand." said Caliban.
Radomir laughed. "Yeah, you're exactly right."
"I am exactly right." Said Caliban, almost as though proud of himself.
He should be proud, Radomir thought. Caliban was very often wiser in his words than he knew.
Every day he was astonished by something Caliban accomplished. The product of a prodigy's mind continued to amaze even the prodigy himself.
He knew at some level how Caliban could do these things.. It was simple.
Well, it was simple in gestalt overall concept, rather less so in the intricacy of the hierarchically structured, randomised-emergence based, auto-calibrating, self-concept constructing, node-replicating algorithm at the centre of what passed for its brain.
It was simple in essence. Radomir remembered the old tale, reputedly handed down from the days of the Solarians.
'Give a man a fish and he'll have food for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll feed himself forever.'
That was the difference between most robots and Caliban. Most robots were designed for specific tasks... not to be.. a friend for a brilliant... lonely.. child.
Radomir looked down at Caliban, who looked back.
Radomir smiled.
"Radomir is happy." said Caliban. "I am programmed to make Radomir happy." The robot paused.
"Therefore I am happy." Caliban concluded with aplomb.
Radomir didn't say anything more, but suddenly felt content. He wondered why all the adults he saw never seemed to be content. Surely as you grew up, you figured out how to feel these things the right way?
There was still so much he didn't understand...
Radomir looked up and out into starry spectacle of the falling night. Caliban did the same.