Automata Inspiration
Original inspiration for Thomas
This is one of the images that inspired the direction of the story. One machine in a crowd of machines, lost in a bit of sonder (the sense that other people have lives too).
Big Bang (Chapter 4)
The next day of work was mostly a blur. Calls came and went; customers were helped, problems were solved, and reports were filed. Thomas managed to help solve one rather complex issue revolving the diagnosis and repair of a man’s kidney. He later assisted a team of cybernetics developers in Cuernavaca with the installation of an upgrade to their communications relay.
Read MoreString (Chapter 3)
Thomas had not been programmed for combat. Weapons, defense, tactical assessments – to say nothing of causing or preventing injuries – though his frame and chassis were durable, they were not designed with fighting in mind. But being plugged into the network nearly all day long, and working in the service of human beings that consumed copious amounts of entertainment left its mark. True, he had been designed and programmed simply to assist humans, and he prided himself on finding his own way to adhere to that intention.
Read MoreEvolution (Chapter 2)
He had walked two blocks down Pike Street towards his home before it occurred to him that it was raining. Rain wouldn’t hurt him – his processors and memory core were well insulated, internally cooled and waterproof – but it would mean additional cleaning to prevent carbon buildup in his joints. Strangely, he found himself unable or unwilling to care.
Read MoreAutomata: The Prologue
There is an old saying that came to my attention, once upon a time: that Insanity is defined as repeating the same action again and again but expecting different results. Conceding to that definition, a machine would be by its nature the perfect example of sanity. At least, insofar as a machine exists in the strictest definition of the word.
Read MoreGenesis (Chapter 1)
Ding.
Ding.
Slowly, the lights inside the narrow room coated the habitation area with a growing amber glow until their gentle fluorescence filled it from floor to ceiling. At the opposite wall from the room’s solitary window, halfway across from the exit, a gentle hum emanated from one of the room’s few furnishings. A metal cylinder which nearly touched the ceiling provided the source of both the hum and the incessant pinging chime. A series of diodes blinked to life in ascending order and gradient shades from red to green, and as the final light blazed, a harmonic tone sounded, signaling the end to the chimes. The front of the cylinder rolled open with a soft hiss, and the lone occupant, having come to the end of its charging cycle, disengaged from the electrodes and slowly stepped into the room.
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