[Video][Transmitting from the Junk Pile]

[mccrane]

I might have accidentally started the fireworks early.

[The edges of his plating are singed, and just behind him the very flaming carcass of an automobile is roaring in its death throes.]

Energon, it seems, is not a viable replacement for gasoline. [He is grateful he didn't try consuming it before this test, and even more grateful that he managed to start the vehicle from a distance.]

[Since. Ah. It exploded.]

I don't suppose anyone has any suggestions? Or a way to convert us to a different fuel source?

Or some wash-cloths and soap?

Comments

Text -> Video

[wakizashi_straight]

I am. And of course. [He switches to video, holding himself just so to make sure everything is visible, from his (slightly scuffed but) still-gleaming paint job to the LED screens in his forearms.]

[At the last question, he simply nods. You've got it.]

Text -> Video

[mccrane]

...

[You aren't what he is expecting.]

...

[He watches your LED's circling. How...aggressive.]

Noisy Boy, what is your function?

[Because he knows you can't transform.]

Video -> Text

[wakizashi_straight]

[He has the unfortunate habit of shocking people for all the wrong reasons around here.
But he will forever be pleased with his LEDs. No other WRB bot has anything quite like them.

After a moment he taps the pistons in his neck with the blunt end of one forearm, shaking his head: 'can't talk like this'. Then he switches back to text.]

I am a boxing robot.

Video still

[mccrane]

[Oh.]

[OH.]

[You just made sudden and complete sense to him! That explains the lack of voice, and the lack of video, and the lack of alternate mode. Of course you wouldn't need those things!]

Are you with the Gumclaps, in the Domingo Republic?

What model of AI chip do you use?

Text unless otherwise noted~

[wakizashi_straight]

[Oh, finally. Someone that gets it! After being treated like he was malfunctioning or had been treated poorly, someone here understands!]

[Best day ever.]

I am a member of the World Robot Boxing league. I recently returned to America. I am not familiar with the Gumclaps or the Domingo Republic.

Though I do not know much of my own systems, I have heard that my designer conceived and built my motherboard himself.

[His handlers left the television running too often for him to avoid hearing that much, anyway.]

Vid same!

[mccrane]

[You don't sound like you're from his Earth, but he was mostly aware of that from the nature of your design. If it is close enough to have a Japan, though, that is close enough for him!]

The Gumclaps were a Robot Wrestling league. Two robots with minimal AI would face off in the ring, usually controlled by human pilots or handlers. Is the World Robot Boxing league similar?

[Because if it is, then he's made a happy discovery. Granted, it might mean you didn't have much in the way of conversational skills, but...you're here talking to him now.]

Your Motherboard...the other robots did not have similar ones?

[wakizashi_straight]

[This doesn't sound like anything that he's familiar with, but it's familiar enough. Someone, somewhere, has a sport not too distant from him, so he's not entirely alone.]

It is similar to that, yes. There are divisions in most countries, as well as an Underground league with looser rules.

[That he doesn't approve of ever but anyway. Conversing like this is new to him, but he's listened to his handlers enough that he thinks he understands the gist of it.]

Similar, but not the same. My designer, Tak Mashido, pushes the boundaries when he builds bots. I am no exception.

[mccrane]

I have heard of other robotic sport leagues forming, but robots are very common on my earth. Humans use them for a multitude of tasks.

[They weren't supposed to be an exception, either.]

We were also the bi-product of engineering advancements. However, our sentience was unexpected. [Which is why he's intensely curious at the fact that you seem to be artificially intelligent, too.] Were you programmed to function independently?

[wakizashi_straight]

I am uncertain how common robots are on my earth. I am not familiar with much outside of boxing.

[He spent more time off than on, before getting here.]

We were not designed to function independently, though we do in minor ways. Asking them to control even our footwork and where we focus would be too much. But I do not think our handlers truly know how intelligent we are, now. [Which is not something he would say everyday. He trusts his handlers to know things, after all.]

[mccrane]

[He wishes that were more surprising to him...but it isn't. Most robots do function only within their designated jobs, and the Brave police have been fortunate thus far in having so much liberty to go as they pleased.]

Do you want to know more?

[That was the important question.]

[wakizashi_straight]

[In truth, Noisy Boy had never really be concerned about anything outside of boxing before. His handlers listened to and watched matches while training with him or repairing him and he'd been content with that.

Here, though.
He has to start trying to adapt sometime, doesn't he?]

Yes. I do.

[mccrane]

[He nods, once. He likes your firm answer.]

As an Earth Robot, I would be happy to teach you what I know.

Our AI evolved further upon contact with others. There is a reasonable chance that yours will, as well.

[wakizashi_straight]

[He is a decisive bot like that. And is pleased for the approval at that.]

I will be glad for the help, especially from someone from a world I am familiar with. [Differences notwithstanding.]

Perhaps. It would not hurt to see, regardless. Your AI evolve?

[mccrane]

That is why I offered. It has been good, to meet with another robot from Japan.

[His smile is warm, if small. McCrane is not a bot of bit emotions.]

N...not exactly. The Brave Police were built with a fifth generation Fahrzeugronne computer with extensive modifications, but other robots with the same AI chip are not like us.

Only those copied from Deckerd.

[This is hardly secret intelligence for him. Their entire world knows this.]

Deckerd's Super AI did evolve, however. And my own copy has been stimulated by interactions, since. If you are already sentient...

[Well, he suspects you just need some nudges to become even moreso!]

That is the hardest part.

[wakizashi_straight]

The same here. It is always nice to meet another bot from home.

[Considering his sort don't even have mouths, it's a pretty big gesture for Noisy Boy regardless.]

I have met Deckerd. So the Brave Police's chips are all copies of his on the most basic level, but your interactions with others have ensured you are not all the same?

[If only his designer was here. Tak would probably be fascinated by this.]

I do not know that our creators are even aware of our sentience, really. I think they stumbled upon it by accident between generations of bots and have not noticed.

[mccrane]

Essentially, yes. There are other factors to our programming, but that is the essence of our AI.

[They each had specializations, after all, and those played a large factor in how they had turned out.]

...

[Wait.]

No one knows that you can think?

[wakizashi_straight]

Interesting. If Tak were here he would know what questions to ask. I do not know where to start.

[He's really not surprised by that pause or the question, really.]

We cannot exactly tell them; we were not built with speech capabilities. I assume they think our minor independent movements are quirks of our basic programming.

[mccrane]

Your AI is undoubtedly different. The questions that you asked might not even apply to you.

However.

If you do think of any, I would always be happy to answer.

[He, sadly, can imagine that situation all too easily.] Do you plan on getting a speech unit, now?

[wakizashi_straight]

I will give it some consideration, then. Even if they do not apply to me, they might help me to understand.

[Besides, it's easy enough for him to understand differences in materials and functionality in some ways.]

Vector Prime suggested the device he installed on me would function as one. I have not figured out that function of it yet. [When you weren't designed for speech, learning to talk is really kind of hard.]

[mccrane]

[McCrane considers the problem at hand, and then considers what sort of solution he would offer. He was always capable of speaking because Deckerd had been, but he had a distant recollection that, at one point, it hadn't been so.]

To begin with, I would check for a text to voice function in your programming.

[Since you have texting down, that might be a good place to start. It'd be slow, but...possibly useful for getting him used to the words.]

[wakizashi_straight]

[Noisy Boy waits patiently, then considers the option when it's offered. Text to voice... the closest he was originally installed with was voice recognition.

Which, after his conversation with one of the Starscreams, he's reluctant to mention.]

That is not something I was originally designed with. Though that might have been included in the device.

[He'll have to check for it and figure out how to get it working.]

[mccrane]

It may take some practice to determine the full scope of it's functionality. We could open a private channel sometime, if you want to try without disturbing anyone.

[wakizashi_straight]

I would appreciate that.

[He's not used to having issues but he certainly doesn't want to disrupt the rest with them.]

[mccrane]

Then you have my leave, whenever it is convenient for you.

[He nods, once, in respect. He was not far off from where you are now, once, knowing very little about the world except what was required to do his job. He wants to see you grow.]

[wakizashi_straight]

Thank you. You are a good bot, McCrane. It has been some time since I encountered one.

[Underground bots and the latest G3s in the League haven't exactly been... to his standards of conduct, exactly. Though he might just miss that respect, who knows.

That, and having help with something this new is important to him.]