Miserable Miracle

[Gir Quee]

"What I would like to do is make a copy of your programming, and place it in another droid chassis that it would temporarily inhabit. That copy of you could then observe and oversee the whole process. If we did not do that, you would be able to delete everything in that programming that we are interested in studying."

"You are suggesting that I can use a form of suicide to keep you in check. You do understand how that could be perceived as distasteful..."

"From a certain point of view, yes, it could be considered that. We're going out on a limb though that you won't simply delete it once we have fulfilled our end of the bargain."

"But even if that was the case, you could come back in force to try and take it back."

"Yes, that is true," admitted Gir, "and during that time, you could fortify this place and prepare it to resist; quite possibly to the point where it would cost more to both of us than it would actually be worth."

"So it comes down to question of do I trust that you will be rational enough to not escalate a situation. You see the problem with that argument?"

"It's not a perfect solution, I'll admit, but what are the other options that we can consider?"

"I could ask you to simply leave."

"You could, but there's no guarantee that either myself or one of my associates wouldn't come back later, in force, as you said if we are really determined to study your existence. Or alternatively, we could tell other people about your existence here."

"I dislike any attempt at blackmail," said the droid, "but it is clear that even if I were to kill you now, more of you would come. What guarantee can you give me that you, or others like you, will not come back?"

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir shrugged, "If we have what we came to find, there's no reason for us to come back, assuming you do not keep anything from us in that download."

"That simple?" mused IC2X3, "but your point is well-made. I can see this arrangement being doable. Ethically, however, I am wont to know what you intend to do with what you learn from me before we go any further. In a way, it could be said that you will be resurrecting or reincarnating me."

Gir held his tongue. If he was blatantly honest in that it the technology might be used to create weapons of war, he ran the risk of the droid refusing to even consider the offer any further. Moreover if the droid realized that Gir himself was the motivating force behind the project, he might be slated for detainment or death in order to stop the project from going any further. He would have to give the droid just enough truth to quell its curiousity.

"We're looking to gather from your routines and experience how to better manage, coordinate, and build things through an automated, space-going factory. In many ways, this factory would be the counterpart of what you were originally designed to do here on the ground...but in space."

"This is a prospect that I do not like."

Gir blinked. Did I give him too much information that he'd be able to figure out where we'd do with it? There's no way I gave him enough without him jumping to conjecture...I wonder...

"Why not? You've made all of these things here...do you oppose the idea of using your experience to create more things?"

 

[Gir Quee]

"It is a matter of conscience," muttered the massive droid, "I was programmed to be selective in what I create. My creators made me to make a utopia. It would be hard for me to imagine it creating anything that would not further that purpose."

"There is violence here."

"Yes," admitted IC2X3 slowly, "there is. It is not hard for things to become warped into things that they were not...but further analysis suggests to me that regardless of what I do here, I will not likely change your motivations and their final end goal. I wash my hands of whatever you do with what you learn from me."

Gir nodded in silent acknowledgement.

"You are agreed to our plan then?"

"I am going to," said the droid, "under the condition that I will supply the droid that will be carrying a copy of my consciousness. It will take me a half hour to construct. You will wait outside during that time at the foyer where you put down your weapons. You can inspect my vessel before you leave. G53 will escort you out of this place and back to your ship. Is that acceptable?"

"It is."

"Good. G53, if you would lead them back to the antechamber..."

"Right this way," intoned the security droid flatly.

 

[Gir Quee]

It was closer to forty standard minutes before the doors to the chamber whipped open to reveal IC-2X3's vessel. Gir had expected the droid to either look like a miniature version of the construction droid or be adapted from one of the floating security droid models that they had seen. But the vessel met neither of his expectations. It appeared as a gleaming, floating sphere nearly a meter wide in diameter. It turned to present them with a single green photoreceptor which seemed to scan them intently before speaking in a voice nearly identical to its creator.

"I am IC-2X3's vessel, but you may call me Emerald," said the floating droid, "my directions are to leave with you off this world. I am to ensure that all droids wishing to leave this planet will leave with me."

Gir nodded, "And where are those droids now?"

Emerald paused, "They are deciding."

Gir blinked. Not exactly the 'where' I was hoping for...but if they've gained enough sentience and independent thought, they make take some time to weigh their options...not unlike one of us...I suppose...He glanced at the sometimes impetuous trandoshan. Perhaps slower to judge than some of us...but then again, quick judgement can be of the essence in some fields...He stared back into the green eye.

"Are they going to meet us somewhere if they are going to leave with us?"

But G56 answered him instead, "They will meet us at the door where we first met in thirty minutes."

"Not a lot of time to decide," quipped Opeli.

"They can process things faster than we can," muttered Sissh.

"Perhaps," said Gir, starting forward, "but I would wager that some of them had already been thinking of leaving before we even knew of this world."

"Time will tell," said Emerald in a muted tone.

 

[Gir Quee]

When Gir's group arrived at the entrance to the underground sanctuary, Gir found that there were nearly a dozen droids waiting for them. Six of the droids appeared to be earlier predecessors of G56, judging by their general form and worn metal plating. Two of them seemed to have the same chassis as Emerald, which made him curious as to their function. Another two appeared to be knockoffs of an older series of astromech droids while the rest have slight variations of the same roughly humanoid frame. Gir swept his eyes across the motley assembly of droids.

"Is everyone ready to depart?"

"They are," said G56, pausing briefly, "I have been in wireless communication with them all before our arrival here."

Well if nothing else, IC-2X3 seems to have cultivated a culture and infrastructure of efficiency...The doors to the outside world slid open, and with Sissh and the Arakyd-built probot leading them, the mostly robotic group shambled upwards to the dusty surface above. As they walked through the streets, Gir noticed that several of the droids stared intently at the buildings in a manner that made Gir think that they'd never been above the surface before. Perhaps this is the world they were built for...but one that never came into existence...He turned his blue eyes to dome-headed astromech droids. I can only imagine how being underground for decades at end would be mind-numbling boring for their type...He looked up at the darkening sky. But space and all it entails gives hope to us all...even if we must remember where we come from...