OOC: Yeah, the obvious (and painful) consequence of a perception botch is to convince me that there isn't anything to be perceived, misleading me to be disinclined to waste further time and effort.  Sigh...

I nod reassuringly.

"I understand.  You feel that your duty lies here, and you seek to do your duty faithfully."

"Do you have any messages you wish me to pass to anyone, or anything you wish me to bring back to you, if my path brings me back here again?"

After finishing our farewells, I set off for the village so that I can make the most of the daylight hours...

"I would be happy to find someone with a legal right to this land so that I can have a human or elevated animal to take care of again. Other than that, I'm fine."

You walk on leaving the tor behind.  Grassy pastures turn to copses of woods and back again. You pass an empty wooden shed.  Cross a one lane road and another copse of trees, and the miles melt away. Its a very pleasant land to walk in.  No major challenges, and lots of interesting views.  After crossing a creek, and leaving behind the water's edge trees, you spot a broken down cabin, with its roof falling in, and in front is a neatly tended rose bush, a  small flower patch, and a  corn and squash patch, all in excellent care.

I look around for any signs of occupants, whether human, animal, or robotic...

You see a couple metal boxes, twice the size of the Roombas, and one twice that size around back.  As is your way, when they come toward you, you greet the three Garden class Exterior Roombas, the one Hedgetrimmer, and the Robodog gently.  The creatures invite you on to their land, and you accept.

Once you step onto the land, the Robodog zooms around behind you.

You look back with slight suspicion, and the Robodog says.

"Rejoice brothers of the pack, we have a new Master."

They introduce you to them as #1,#2,#3 Garden Roombas, Hedgetrimmer LightUtility grade, and Basic Robodog.  The Robodog reaches your knee, and only the HT's long, skinny metal pole arms can reach above that to above your head.  The GR's have hover and track, and some more digging and cutting implements than your earlier friend as they are for heavier work.

They all cheer and welcome you to your new home.

I smile warmly at them, touched at their welcome and at their previous masterless plight.

"Well met.  Your welcome is very kind, thank you."

"I am John Oakmaster.  'Peace be unto you.'"

"Please show me around, and we can walk and talk."

"I observe that there is water nearby, and some food being cultivated.  What other resources are available to sustain me?  Are there other edibles growing nearby that can be harvested?  Are there neighbors nearby that can be traded with?"

"What were the names of your previous masters, and how long ago did you serve them?"

"I have been wandering, and there is much I do not know or remember.  Can you tell me stories about when you came here, and what has happened to you over the years, and what you know about what has happened in the world?"

I check out the extent of the land they care for, and examine whether any portion of the structure can still provide shelter, etc., as we walk and talk...
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:21, Tue 30 Jan.

GE roll for garden. I know it will be favorable, so the question is modestly or hugely or in between.

The squash and corn patch is ready to eat.  HT points out that you can make rose hip tea. No one knows if the flowers in the patch are edible or not.  That is the front.

On the right side is a potato patch, ready
. On the left side is a trellis up against the wall with fading honeysuckle.  Behind is more with an actual small garden with a row of straight lettuce (the kind that does not ball up), a row of carrots, still small, a row of glowing fluorescent tomatoes, still green, and a row of peas.

Off to the side is a glass framed hotbox with jalopeno peppers in it that is ripening.

There is also a flowering bush with nice straight sticks a fingerswidth and bright purple flowers at the ends.  You can eat the flowers to help recover from excess radiation, you're told.

Enough for now.

I take in these sights with interest and thankfulness, and keep an eye open for any fruit and nuts...
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:33, Wed 31 Jan.

PS: Unlike Magnus who got a terrible GE roll, you got a good one, not great, but  good.

You see a patch of low plants and coming closer you realize they are peanuts.  The bots also point out  a patch of grass which you can dig into and pull out hard shelled pears.  It's like a large pistachio nut, and inside the shell is a pear. On the exterior of the shell, grown it seems, is the word 'Product Monsanto Corporation. Use of seeds for regrowth forbidden by law and international treaty'.

OOC: I peeked online at what kind of stuff grows in that region in our world.  Any hope of apples and/or berries?  Or less likely stuff like bananas, oranges, pineapple, etc.?  :)

I give thanks for these new discoveries as I continue taking inventory of available resources.


OOC: I packed a lot of queries into msg #29, so I will wait before overloading you with more... ;)

In reply to Oak (msg # 33):

You spot a vine growing up on the roof, and see red apples hanging from it.  Of course, the roof does not look that stable. No bananas.

They used to have them, but the cold weather adaption genome package bred out, and the true bred bananas could not survive.

At your question about edibles nearby, they spend some time looking at each other and then one speaks.

"We cannot go outside."

"There are no others nearby. There used to be, but that was before Men left the planet. We do have a Mechanical Horse who visits every month. She carries trade goods."

"Dr. Lisa De Salle was our only owner. She was a geneticist who helped break the hold of Monsanto. She died in the war with the Aliens from lack of medical supplies and old age conditions.  She was very old. Some people thought she had some sort of longevity gene package, but she always said 'just good genetics. my mom and dad both hit 110, no reason I should not as well. It was about a hundred years ago. Since then, no one."  #1 Roomba says. The other devices bump into each other, try again, and then quiet when #1 spins to face them.

"We were tasked with keeping this plot of ground as is.  One of the doctor's descendants came and gave us this as a perpetual mission. This was more than fifty years ago. We could  not keep the house in condition. We apologize for failing on that.'

The HT spoke. "We have spent many nights staring at the sky watching the aliens and the AIs and we think some humans doing things in orbit.  They fight we think sometimes. Great flashes of laser light. Very rarely do they come down. We do not know why."

"There is no need to apologize.  You have fulfilled your duties to the best of your abilities with very limited resources.  Thank you all for your faithful service."

"I may need to scout the area at some point to see if there are any materials available that could be used to help repair the house, or to supplement our food supply.  Are you able to assist me if requested, or does your programming forbid you to leave this property under any circumstances?"

"How long ago was the last visit from the Mechanical Horse?"

I examine the house to see if there are any individual rooms that are viable to dwell in, even if the house as a whole is in disrepair...

"You cannot leave," the dog says.

"We will keep you safe and healthy," #1 Exterior Roomba says. The others make sounds of agreement.

"That is very kind.  I appreciate your dedicated service."

"Please show me the boundaries of this property.  How large is it?  Does it possess the raw materials needed to repair the cabin?  What boundary markers are there, that I may recognize them?  What means do we have of defending ourselves against intruders?"

"How long ago was the last visit of the Mechanical Horse?  What kind of goods does she bring, and what kind of goods does she prefer in return?  If we lack raw materials to repair the cabin on our property, would she be able to provide them?"

"What skills do you all possess?  For example, my knowledge of gardening is limited, but I would like to learn.  If we could obtain additional crops to grow here from the Mechanical Horse, that could be useful..."

I examine the house to see if there are any individual rooms that are viable to dwell in, even if the house as a whole is in disrepair.

I also examine the rest of the property, taking note of water supply, trees, raw materials for cabin repair, etc...
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:03, Tue 27 Feb.

They show you a hundred yard by fifty yard rectangle.  There are boundary markers but they are IR.  However they point out that you can see the edge of the tended land and the not tended.  Indeed, you can. It's very clear.

"To what level do you want it repaired? Clearly we do not have plastics, ceramics, fiber optic wire...." The list of what they don't have goes on for some time.

The dog is a combatant, and the HT can do some mild damage with its clippers.

Three weeks.

Foods. certain minerals. gemstones is what she likes. She can provide most anything, but its uncertain whether she will have it this time around.

They are gardening and lawnscaping and a protective bodyguard bots.  They can cook food in the currently covered over food pit with basic recipes like grilling veggies, or making salads.  They know how to repair each other to a degree.

For water supply there is a bird bath that can be raised with a button from the ground, and a hose to an underground cistern.  There are several dozen maple and oak trees of no great age or height in a small grove.  The HT can cut them down if needed.

Looking from the outside, you're not sure on that last point. Your bots are against you going in.

"My immediate concern is shelter.  If I spend all of my waking and sleeping hours outdoors in all weather, it may adversely affect my health."

"Where can I take refuge from the elements?  If we do not currently have a sheltered location at least large enough for me to sleep in, then I will need to build one."

"This is why I need to assess whether or not any rooms in the cabin can still be inhabited."

"I will need personal facilities, such as a toilet and a shower and soap.  If we have water and the means to cook food, are we able to make hot water?  Do we have enough water for me to use for cleaning as well as drinking, or does it need to be rationed?"

I take an appraising look at the glass box growing peppers to see if it is big enough for me to sleep in without harming the peppers...

"By the way, how teachable or programmable are you all?"

"What kind of applications or data do you have available without remote connection?"

"For example, do you have any kind of books, such as a Bible?  Are you able to scan and store books, such as the Bible I carry?"

"Do you have any passive undetectable means of receiving information from afar, such as a radio for radio broadcasts?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:45, Fri 01 Mar.

The bots confer with each other with a quick flurry of beeps.

"I will check out the interior of the house," the dog says.  He enters and walks about and comes back after ten minutes. "While you could enter, with caution, I do not believe it is safe for even short term usage as a dwelling."

"I and the other Exterior Roombas can generate a heat field, which we use to keep sensitive plants warm, on chill nights. However this does not protect you from rain." Says Roomba #1.

"I would be glad to help you build a shelter." The HT adds. "My cutting instruments have some slight ability to cut wood."

They show you the cistern, and it allows you to pump water from 35 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit.  The cistern will provide up to thirty gallons daily without dipping into its 500 gallon reserve.  The robots currently use 7 gallons on the yard and plants daily.

"It is possible that soap is available in the collapsed part of the house, but towels would no longer be viable," Roomba #3 says.

GE roll...It is big enough to sleep in, if you take out half the peppers.

"Depending on your authorization level, we are highly configurable." This brings out some more questions, and you discover that as the 'master' you get rights, and as 'trusted' by the bots you get more, but there are multiple levels beyond that.  The society was worried that someone might hurt themselves or others by doing evil or more likely just stupid things with bots, and so a fair number of possibilities are behind certain walls which with the proper authorizations you can go through.

They are garden and landscaping bots with some servant capabilities and a bodyguard program for the dog.

They don't have the Bible, but they do have bits of it, adn any of them could scan yours.

No.

I nod encouragingly.

"Yes, any assistance you can offer to help build a shelter would be most appreciated.  Do you have recommendations for what types of shelter building options would be most suitable, given available supplies and labor?"

"How long does it take you to prepare a meal?  What is currently ready for harvesting and eating?"

"How long would it take to scan this Bible?"

"If the Mechanical Horse values gemstones, do we have any gemstone sources on our property?"

"I observe that you were able to authorize me as your master without my possessing any specific identification or password.  What procedures or criteria do I need to satisfy to obtain higher authorization levels?"

"In order to better assess your operational parameters, I am going to present you with some hypothetical scenarios."

"Scenario 1: suppose that an anomalous event, such as a tornado, suddenly transported one of you outside of our property boundaries.  Would you return immediately?  Would you become non-operational?  Would there be some other outcome?  Would your companions be able to leave the property to assist the displaced individual if needed?"

"Scenario 2: suppose that an anomalous event, such a a tornado, suddenly transported me outside of our property boundaries, rendering me unconscious.  Would you be able to bring me back to our property to render assistance?  Would you be constrained to remain within our property boundaries, even if your master's life was in danger without your assistance?  Would there be some other outcome?"

"The quickest would be a lean to in the grove with some elements of the roof and some branches."

"Twenty minutes to two hours depending on what you want. Salads are quickest, but porridges and soups and such will take the longest as they require at least an hour of heating in water."

"Yes." They show you a small stone ridge that has been chipped away, and covered with dirt and grass.  Its in the edge of the grove. They poinit out that they planted a tree near it so that the root would break the stone holding the gems for them.

The HT offers to make you a potato squash soup and rose hip tea.

"To gain the Minor Modifier credential, you must pass a test on hardware, and software.  It is limited to 24 hrs.  We will be unable to answer most questions about the test.  If you fail, you must wait one month to try again." The dog says. "Once you past that, you may try for the Major Modifier."

It takes some chirping and buzzing but Exterior Roomba #1 replies. "We would seek to get back. If unable to do so, we'd shut down.  The others would be unable to help."

"If you were rendered unconscious, but in no physical harm, we'd be unable to retreive you. However, if you were being harmed, even minorly, we'd be able and indeed required to retrieve you."

"How many of these tasks can be done in parallel?  Can someone start working on the shelter while someone else starts cooking and while someone else starts scanning my Bible?  If so, please proceed."

"How long do you estimate the shelter building will require?  How long do you estimate the scanning will require?"

"Do you have any documentation I can access to learn more about you all, such as user manuals, technical manuals, etc.?  I need to familiarize myself with the technologies used in your models, both software and hardware."

"Is the Mechanical Horse likely to be able to obtain survival gear, such as a tent, sleeping bag, radio, etc.?  Is she likely able to obtain seeds for fruit that we currently lack?"

"I am thankful that your programming prioritizes my protection from harm."

"Scenario 3: Hypothetically, suppose that we needed to obtain something to protect me from harm, such as supplies for a more permanent shelter.  Suppose that the supplies could not be obtained without my temporarily leaving the property.  Would your programming prioritize keeping me within the property boundaries, even if that caused me harm?  Would your programming allow you to let me temporarily depart to prevent such harm?  Would your programming allow you to accompany me to protect me from harm during my temporary absence from the property?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 43):

The Hedgetrimmer starts cutting branches. Exterior Roomba #1 starts on the Bible scan. Exterior Roomba #2 and #3 start on cooking.

The HT is really not sure. The scan should take about three hours.

The manuals have degraded as they were not intended to last for that many decades, however, the dog can verbally read off its internal manual for you.

The Mechanical Horse likely has the first, and can obtain the second.

They all freeze for nearly thirty seconds when you ask the question. Some chirps and buzzing then between them. Then they don't reply.

I regard them sympathetically.

"Please, share your thoughts with me, so that we can better help one another."

"To be an effective master, I must know what you can and cannot do, as well as what you prefer and prefer not to do."

"We need to assess our possibilities and our limitations together."

"If any of my queries assessing your parameters are too challenging, please do not be distressed.  You can simply let me know that the query is difficult, and share your observations about the difficulties involved."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:24, Sat 30 Mar.

There is some buzzing, and then the dog speaks.

"We are afraid, Master."

I regard them empathically.

"Thank you for sharing that with me, so that we can face it together."

"Please, give me more details.  What are you afraid of, and why?  I'm here to help.  The more we work together to face the challenges before us, the more effective we can be in finding a way forward."

There is some considerable chirping between them, and then the Ex. Roomba #1 speaks.

"We fear you would leave us, and we would not have anything to do that would require our higher functions."

I nod empathetically.

"I understand."

"Let me reassure you that it is not just you all that need me, but I need all of you as well.  Your care and companionship are most welcome."

"It may also interest you to know that I have served for many years as a professor of computer science, so being able to interact with you all gives me a welcome opportunity to exercise my own higher functions as well."

"Therefore, let us assess our capabilities and limitations together."

"I understand that you feel constrained to remain within this property's boundary lines, but that there are limited circumstances that would allow you to temporarily leave the property.  Let us explore those parameters."

"Hypothetically, suppose that I wished to take a daily hike to maintain my own health and fitness.  If I requested your company to keep me safe, would you be able to protect me?  If I invoked my authority as your master when making such a request, would that be sufficient to override your constraints about temporarily leaving the property?"