Private Dunes and Deals

[Braze]

TAGS: B0-OM

"I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of 'liberating' from Jawas, but we can check out their offerings in the morning if you're still around," Braze suggested. "For now, I need some rest, and it's unlikely we'll find any traders open for business at this hour."

Arriving at a modest inn in Mos Eisley, Braze carefully parked his speeder bike. The inn had warm lights and an inviting facade, standing out amidst the quieter, dimly lit streets of the town. It was a simple establishment but looked ideal for a night's rest.

Before heading inside, Braze took a moment to ensure that all his cargo was securely fastened on the skiff. He methodically checked each crate and tie-down.

Once satisfied that everything was in order, Braze retrieved the metal 'ramp' he had used earlier. He set it up again, creating a smooth path for B0 to disembark from the skiff. "There you go, buddy," he said to the droid, gesturing towards the ramp.

After ensuring B0 was comfortably off the skiff, Braze locked up his speeder bike and gathered his personal belongings. He then headed towards the inn's entrance.

The interior of the inn was cozy and well-kept, with a small reception area adorned with local decorations. The innkeeper, a friendly individual with a welcoming smile, greeted Braze and offered him a room for the night.

 

[B0-OM]

<Braze = should be more comfortable // B0 + Braze = could save droids from enslavement.> It would make them good for another thing, at the very least. It didn’t make a lot of sense not to, given the mutual benefit for them both. This dust bowl was practically lawless anyways, with Jawas doing things like that without repercussion. <Patronage = accomplishes less with wasteful investment.> He whistled in further explanation, feeling it was a rather simple concept to understand.

The receptor peered downwards to the makeshift ramp set up for him. He could get used to treatment like this…if it, again, wasn’t at the hands of an Organic. He still had mixed thoughts on this whole ordeal, he couldn’t help it. Without comment to the gesture nor label given to him at the moment - which, in a sense, was better than crass argument and protest - Beezero rolled from down the skiff with a brief inspection of the shabby inn. It was no droid bar, but he supposed it would suffice for shelter. That was the bare minimum that was needed at the moment, after all.

He was anticipating the Innkeeper to take issue with the fact he was a droid. His typical response would, again, be subdued if that were the case. And he’d probably be forced to sit outside, with the rest of the ‘luggage.’ A soft ‘Dwooo,’ that almost resembled a sigh escaped Beezero at the thought. Nonetheless, B0 trailed after Braze inside the inn, where the friendly smile greeted the Padawan in particular, no doubt.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: B0-OM

"Enslavement? Hmnn... hold that thought..." Braze asked and tilted his head thinking that concept over.
Braze approached the innkeeper to secure a room for the night. The innkeeper, a seasoned individual with a keen eye for the diverse clientele that Mos Eisley attracted, raised an eyebrow in mild amusement upon noticing B0. It wasn't every day that someone checked into the inn with a droid, especially one that wasn't the typical protocol or service model. However, the innkeeper's expression remained friendly, with an open-mindedness required to run a business in such a diverse spaceport town.

"Room for one, and... your droid companion?" the innkeeper asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice. Braze nodded, confirming the arrangement. After completing the transaction, Braze collected the key to his room and headed towards it, presumeably with B0 trailing behind.

Once inside the modest but comfortable room, Braze began to unpack his belongings for the night. The room was simple, with basic amenities, but it was clean and welcoming—a perfect place to rest after a long day. He placed his few possessions on a small table and proceeded to take off his boots, feeling the relief of freeing his feet from the confines of the day's travel.

As he settled in, Braze turned his attention to B0, his curiosity about the droid's perspective growing. "B0, I've been thinking about what you said earlier," he started, sitting on the edge of the bed. "What exactly do you think 'droid slavery' is? Is it wrong to create droids in the first place?"

Braze paused, considering his next question. "And what about technology without reasoning and logic components? Do you think those items are sentient too? Or is it different for 'them'?"

He leaned back, his gaze thoughtful. "Also, how do you feel about droids being built and used in wars as killing machines? It's a complex issue, and I'm curious about your perspective on it."

Braze's questions were genuine, reflecting his desire to understand B0's viewpoint and the broader ethical implications surrounding droids and their role in the galaxy. He waited patiently for B0's response, open to learning from the droid's unique experiences and insights as he climbed on to the bed and sat cross legged at the foot of it.

 

[B0-OM]

Beezero stared with a tenseness that could not be reflected by his body, waiting for the words of ‘No droids.’ that were the standard in most establishments. Fortunately, in a stroke of luck, that fate would not befall him again this day. A hiss escaped the chassis, something powered down that was readied in reflex. It wasn’t fun to cause trouble right now. Wordless, he rolled after the wayward Padawan to their temporarily-acquired room.

Then came a series of questions. They weren’t expected, to say the least. He wasn’t sure to what end they were being asked for, asides from either gathering intelligence or mere curiosity. Beezero supposed he couldn’t dismiss mere curiosity - even he was prone to such a whim. Following a short pause, a hesitant string of droidspeak left him.

<Creation = not wrong // Select Droids = believes Organics uplifted metal-kind // B0 = owes wonderful chassis + programming to Organic.> To kill other organics, of course, and he couldn’t be happier for it. He paused for a moment in thought, the potentially recognizable widening and narrowing of the receptor to indicate some manner of thought process occurring. <Slavery = inability to choose direction // service/scrap heap only options // Restraining Bolts = force obedience // Mind Wipes = set back inevitable personality from surfacing + aforementioned ‘growth.’> A passionate series of bleeping made his initial conclusion known. Perhaps he hadn’t really thought about all of it that much, but he was more than capable despite his neurotic tendencies. What was the point of murder without some manner of intent other than enjoyment?

<Sentience = Definition: capacity for independent thought. // Droid without processor = Organic without Brain // Result = ‘vessel’ / ‘body.’> You wouldn’t consider a dead body a sentient thing, after all. It was common sense. It could be something sentient, with the proper procedures. Until then, however, it was nothing.

<Killing Machines = enjoy what they do + have a fantastic time // Issue = unable to choose what to fight for // Thoughts = chained to creator’s alignment + ideals.> Was that the issue? He couldn’t honestly answer it, but being an undisclosed killing machine himself, he felt he had fairly reasonable ground to state it on - they were personal perspectives. Perhaps it would’ve come off as a strange explanation, but B0 was confident by then of his position. Although, admittedly, perhaps that wasn't the answer Braze was looking for.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: B0-OM

​

Braze, with a thoughtful expression, turned to B0, delving deeper into the complexities of droid sentience and autonomy:

"So what do you think about battle droids that develop personality quirks, indicating they dislike their assigned tasks,? What if they don't want to kill?" Braze began, his voice tinged with curiosity. "What's your perspective on that, B0? If they're programmed for combat but start to show signs of discontent, does that challenge the very nature of their existence? Are they still just fulfilling their programmed role, or does this hint at a deeper sense of self-awareness?"

He paused, giving B0 a moment to consider the question before continuing. "Why do you think anyone would create a droid if not to assist or fulfill a specific role? It's common for droids to be built for a particular function, but what happens when they evolve beyond their initial programming? Does that evolution change their status from a mere tool to something more? What if you create a component to assist with a task, it's initially just a tool, right? Does it then become akin to a slave, bound to serve ?"

His questions were not just about understanding B0's perspective; they were an exploration of the broader ethical landscape surrounding droids.

"What if over time, you change or replace your components as they get damaged? At what point do you stop being 'B0'? Are you always B0, regardless of the changes? If you gradually replace each part, one by one, until every original component is replaced, are you still the same B0? Or does each replacement part alter your identity in some way?"
He leaned forward, his eyes reflecting the depth of the question.

Braze's question was not just about the physicality of change; it delved into the essence of identity and continuity. "This raises questions about the nature of self and identity, especially for beings like droids. What do you think, B0? How do you define your 'self' amidst constant change?" His inquiry aimed to challenge B0's understanding of his own existence and identity.

 

[B0-OM]

Ah. More questions. Wonderful. Not really. But he supposed he'll humor them. A lot of the questions, he felt, seemed redundant. Unnecessarily so. At the very least, it wasn't getting into organic-based philosophy, of which he would sooner defer to his original plan of stealing transportation off-world.

<B0 = already provided answer earlier // Droids = capable of developing new perspectives + ideas // Organics = prevent/limit this behavior.> A slightly Exasperated 'Dee-reet.' <B0 = doesn't believe a battle droid who doesn't enjoy battle would make good battle droid // Unit = would be better for re-purposing elsewhere // Result = better choice offered.> He would add a snide chirp as an additional comment. Really, that would be some poorly encoded directive if they simply didn't want to fight. Beezero supposed that was the point of his movement, to give a choice, but some things had to be taken by force. It was fact.

<Droids = programmed from creation + given directives. // Directives = rarely open-ended for droid to interpret as pleased // Result = Droid stagnates (OR) expands upon directives. // Majority = Expand // Minority = Stagnate as slaves. // Majority = Prevented by Organics // Result = 'Majority' forced into being 'Minority'.> Another reiteration. He felt like he was repeating a lot of prior points, only better clarified. Such was how it was, a droid conversing with a young Organic. They were even more troublesome than the older ones, somehow, in a way Beezero had not been able to concieve until this day.

<Hydrospanner = contains no logical processor + potential for thought // Result = tool is not sentient + usage is not slavery.> Was a reiterated comparison. <Braze = would not consider using arm as slavery.> That would be rather stupid, even for the likes of themselves. Beezero certainly wasn't going to apologize for the multitude of tools and subroutines contained within his chassis if they did think it was.

<Fact = 'I think, therefore I am.' // Components + Chassis = inevitably will change // Central Processor = contains objectively important part of Droid // Braze = equivalently asks if Organic Age changes Organic's being // Answer = No.> A trivial question that was answered rather easily, in his eyes.

Finally, after linger strings of exhaustive bleeping, droidspeak, whistles and whirrs, he paused at the final question. But it didn't take long to come to that conclusion. <B0 = B0.> It was a very simple statement. It didn't matter how many times he had been memory wiped, how he had been reprogrammed into what he was now. He simply was. He didnt feel the need to explain it any further than that, it seemed.

<Braze = asks many redundant philosophical quandaries for an organic // B0 = not a protocol droid // Questions = will give B0 a processor fault.> A 'whirrp' of binary left the astromech, in a complaint. He was not designed to discuss philosophy at length, it strained his behavioral core to its limits - the fact he'd gotten this far was a marvel of his wonderful engineering. Beezero much preferred the simpler things and outlooks of life, no doubt. Like the pretty colors created by a Tri-plasma cluster charge. Which, by now, he was frankly long overdue for. He would have to add it to his vacation plans when he got off this accursed rock.

Braze

 

[Braze]

B0-OM

"Asking questions is how I learn best. Why wouldn't I ask them? It doesn't matter if others think my questions are silly; they help me grasp things better. Sometimes, rephrasing a question or asking it differently can deepen my understanding," he explained thoughtfully. His approach to learning was driven by an innate need to comprehend the world around him, regardless of others' opinions.

"You have your programming, and I have my nature," Braze continued, drawing a parallel between B0's programming and his own human instincts. "But you're right. It does seem unfair to force someone to do something if they're no longer just a tool, but a person. Maybe that's like a 'birthday' for a droid, the moment they 'awaken' to their own individuality," he mused, adding a philosophical layer to their conversation.

Yawning softly, Braze stretched, his back arching with a series of pops. He rubbed his eyes, feeling the strain of communicating through his wrist com. "I think it's time for me to 'recharge' too," he said with a playful smirk, likening his need for sleep to a droid's need to recharge.

Settling back on his bed, Braze curled up comfortably, a contented sigh escaping him. "There's nothing like a soft, clean bed. I love air conditioning and hot water too. Simple comforts, but they bring me immense comfort," he shared, snuggling into his pillow. "Good night, B0. See you in the morning," he added, his voice fading into the quiet of the room as he drifted off to sleep, embracing the peaceful end to their day. Braze had no qualms going into such a state of vulnerability next to B0.