text + ad

[a_shadow]

I.

I'm not asking for anyone's help making this decision, but I've got a big one that dropped in my lap, and I'm thinking about the whole process now. You know—dealing with the whole 'this is going to affect me for the rest of my life' thing.

It's not fun.

I think I know what I'm going to do, but pulling the trigger, so to speak...it sucks.

II.

[ Several minutes later, a for sale ad is sent out from Tex's network address: ]

For sale: 2 android-style robots. These are empty shells without any sort of intelligence included. 1 suit of Freelancer armor. Cobalt blue. Sniper rifle not included. Prices on these items are negotiable. Please make a reasonable offer.

Comments

text

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

smooth move
especially that just before this we had someone preaching about robot rights

text

[a_shadow]

If I have it around it's just going to be a reminder of what I can't have.

And I don't see why I shouldn't sell them when there's no intelligence programmed in. Maybe there's someone like me who's stuck in a human body and doesn't want to be.

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

and what it is that you can't have?

you sure about that? the lines of what has consciousness and what not are so blurry nowadays

[a_shadow]

I need to choose. Human body, or robot body? I'm choosing human. That's what's going on.

And yeah, I'm sure there's nothing in it that's conscious. I'm the one who makes it become conscious, and I'm not going to be using it anymore. And the other one belonged to an AI who isn't around anymore.

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

[Okay, here's a revelation that J hadn't even dreamed of considering:]

what

youre robot?

[a_shadow]

No.

I use a robot. I'm an AI.

I guess this hasn't come up before.

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

no

it hasnt.

[a pause.]

so youre robot??

[a_shadow]

Sure. I'm a robot.