#would a robot consider abandoned computers a graveyard?

[radioactivedotcom]

"When I visit them, I can't help wondering if I'll end up just like that... Unplugged and forgotten."

in case anyone's interested, you can download that computer scene here :) it's just a quick conversion i did for this edit. the texture's not great, but with the right lighting, you can do cool stuff maybe.

[shiros-boyfriends-are-pretty]

Rant time: Wall-E edition

I was a literal baby child when Wall-E came out and let me tell you: I LOVED that movie. I know the plot. I've seen all the shorts. It's incredible.

But now as a programmer there's other added context I now have that just makes Wall-E's origin story sad as fuck.

And that knowledge is this: programming consciousness/emotion/awareness into a robot is HARD. You do not waste thousands of hours giving a robot the ability to emote without a reason.

At first glance, you have two possible answers. Warning, both are sad:

1) They gave every single Wall-E unit sentience

This theory would obviously explain Wall-E's sentience. It would also explain its deep attachments to all of its now defunct friends in the literal Earth graveyard (yikes). It also means that Wall-E likely had friends and colleagues, and had to watch them all slowly die. However, there are a few problems with this theory. The main issue: If all Wall-E units could feel emotion, observe their surroundings, and learn from it, HOW IS ONLY WALL-E STILL ALIVE??? This theory also implies that the human beings in the movie did anything from start to finish, and considering they couldn't even clean up the planet it seems unlikely to me that they would bother to code consciousness into every single unit. It would waste a lot of computer memory while also being more expensive, and considering all the units die pretty much we can rule out the idea that these programmers were actually 100% good at their jobs.

This brings me to theory 2: Developmental use.

In programming you often need to have a test subject on which to develop your project. On the ship, we see a great deal of AI software that allows it's robots to emote and form connections. Clearly this software had to come from somewhere.

Which means that when the human beings were planning to leave the solar system they decided to fuck up a perfectly good robot by testing their code on it and then leaving. I repeat, they gave a robot sentience as part of their plan to escape and they didn't even take the literal child they'd created in the process.

This theory explains why Wall-E learned to survive when the other robots died in place. It learned to maintain itself. Which means that somewhere along the way, programmers gave Wall-E the ability to feel attachment, consciousness, happiness, sadness, etc.

And then they abandoned it on Earth like the motherfuckers they are.

Not to mention that a Wall-E unit likely does not have memory big enough to remember every single experience Wall-E encounters, meaning it likely doesn't have any memory of who truly abandoned it and why its alone.

They also for some reason decided to encode this AI Wall-E with seemingly masculine gender expression, which is fascinating and terrifying, but we consistently see it performing gender to some weird extent for a robot, aspiring to masculine role models most notably.

In conclusion, don't give a robot consciousness and then immediately traumatise it via abandonment, you heathens. If you create a robot child that is your robot child and it is your fault that you made it. It did not ask to be made.

[imagine-what-would-happen]

Since the Beginning (Ben Solo Fan Fiction Part 5)

Hey everyone! Short little chapter but I’m really satisfied with how it turned out! I hope you are too! Enjoy! Let me know if any of you want to be tagged on further installments!

Words: 1.8k+

Warning: Swearing.

Tags: @bensoloslover​

Link to Part 4

Link to Part 6

Link to Masterlist

Ben wasn’t quite sure what time it was. The shed was relatively small and dark - musty most of all, he saw quite a few spare robotic pieces laying around. It was the graveyard of the metallic. He carefully eased his way around the piles and heaps of dormant AIs, trying not to damage any. He fe like a dancer making his way around nearly on his tip toes in the dark, staggering back and forth to get to the right spot to sit and begin. He had himself cornered and looked upon the severed parts of once living droids. It was obvious to Ben that the Resistance didn’t have a proper droid mechanic, or else all of these poor souls wouldn’t be left for dead.

Ben was one of the few people he knew in his life who believed that droids were alive. Perhaps not in the same ways as many different species he knew, but nevertheless with all the different forms of life in the galaxy, why should the metallic forms be considered less than? Ben had come across plenty of biological life forms in his life time that were less alive than androids were when up and running.

 For just a moment Ben let himself imagine. He imagined that he didn’t have Force abilities, his parents were nobodies, that maybe, just maybe his destiny wasn’t drawn out for him since before he was born. Ever since he was a child he had more or less of an understanding that there were expectations thrust upon him that weren’t for other children. He often fantasized of being a mechanic, or a doctor, or superhero.

Ben had learned quickly that Jedi were not heroes. They were self proclaimed that was for sure, but they were not true heroes. They always stated that they knew best, that they would know what to do, or know someone’s heart - deep down. It was all horse-shit. They were stubborn accusers who couldn’t think without their master’s help, guiding them towards whatever agenda was in store. It made Ben sick to think that he was so close to becoming one of them.

In Ben’s fantasies now, he would have helped the Resistance because it was the right thing to do.

He knew these people were fighting for freedom, for love, for everything they wanted out of life that was good. Ben knew that more than anyone. Thats exactly why he could never tell Leia off. How do you tell someone to stop doing the right thing and instead pay attention to you? To put you above everything else?

 He would have been the Resistance’s droid mechanic, very simple, he would have friends here, he would have a place to call home, he would have something to fight for, not just something to fight against.

He was letting his fantasies get the best of him while his hands did what they did best, running over the cold metal, the plastic wiring. Tools were scattered around him as if a hurricane had come and gone several times over. Light from above him waved back and forth, at first irritating but soon it was a rhythm he could fall behind. Fairly soon after he had entered the dark shed he found a flashlight and made it into a make shift lamp hanging from the ceiling, tying it all the way up on the ceiling using the Force, an old nail, and some spare useless wires. He had rid his long sleeve from his body after beginning his work and stayed in just a tank top, brushing his locks back every now and then. As concentration became more and more fervent within him he began to sweat just slightly, there was a severe lack of air flowing through the shed. But Ben refused to keep the doors open. He refused to let the others see what he was doing, at on point or another, among all the broken pieces the shed became a safe space for him. 

He enjoyed being in the shed, the feeling of bringing something back to life was one he would not soon forget. It was so easy to break things, to kill, to feel that snap within your grasp. With a flick of his wrist, a memory overpowering all his senses, and emotion taking all control of his body - letting him only be a passenger in what was the firey rage he was known for, upon he Supremacy. It was the type of power that made others bow before you, to cower and shiver with fear from your mere glance at them. That was what he had become.

It was another thing entirely to bring something to life, help it on its way, to have the patience and understanding it needed. To have the love that it craved. It was beauty at its finest, at its purest. If there was one thing he lacked greatly in his life, it was beauty. Ben didn’t care for the stupid standards of beauty different planets set out for some strange reason. As cliche as it was, he cared about small beauties such as the ones he found in this shed; such as the one he lacked from his mother, as a child.

For the first time in, well he didn’t know how long, Ben smiled when the first droid’s eyes lit up brightly, illuminating the majority of the shed - the biggest and cheesiest smile he could. It felt good, it was a high he craved so desperately. Slowly he began helping the droid with taking steps, adjusting its hinges, rewiring, polishing them to remove the possibility of mold. After the first one was computing everything nicely Ben began on the next one and so on. He lost himself in the life illuminating around him. 

After several more hours Ben’s laughter erupted from him as he spoke to a few of the robots who could communicate with him easily enough, even the ones that beeped. He had relative ease reprogramming the level one and two droids, they made up the majority of the bots who were abandoned here. “Really? What was it like?” He asked the level three he was hovering over, trying his best to be as gentle as possible while rewiring and screwing parts in. 

“It was quite frightening in fact, Master Solo” The droid responded, “I was sure when my system shut down that I would never wake again.” It stated simply.

Ben let a hint of a painful smile show.

“Have I offended you somehow, Master Solo?” The droid proceeded to inquire.

“No... Sorry.” He sniffled slightly, shaking his head and tried pressing a bright smile, he then broke slightly. “I just... I haven’t had anyone call me that in a while without being sarcastic.” He bit his lip and tried to refocus his attention on the bot’s mechanics.

The sheds’ grey doors creaked open, Ben raised his arm to cover his eyes from the light outside, it was no longer day, but instead what seemed to be the makings of evening, the light from several bonfires was the bother. “Yes?” He questioned, not quite being able to make out who was standing before him. 

“People were taking bets, you know.” Leia began, “Some that you had run away to the other side of the planet, others that you had managed to find a shuttle to take you out of here. Others believed you were actually trying to do good somewhere in the camp and everyone should mind their damn business.” She walked in, examining all the bots who were doing the same to her, their eyes all glowing intensely. “You have your grandfather’s hands...” She whispered as she looked upon the droid below Ben. 

“What did you bet on?” He looked at her, having finally adjusted to the new incoming light.

“Lets just say I owe a few pilots and Y/N quite a few credits.” She smirked and picked up a wrench, turning it in her hand, admiring the gleam. 

Ben wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or not... It didn’t matter to him, he knew what he was doing, and he enjoyed it. He felt proud for once, something others could look upon and understand that he was able to do more than just kill. He was more than just what the light or dark sides were... he wanted people to know that.

“So, what are you doing here then?” His eyes following her every movement, he wasn’t quite sure why but he felt almost protective over the droids, before her. He knew she wouldn’t intentionally hurt them for any reason... but still, he had to bite his lip from saying anything.

“Checking on you.” She pulled over a small crate and sat upon it, resting her elbows on her knees, clasping her hands together, looking on at her son. “Why did you want to go on that mission today, Ben?”.

He wasn’t sure what to say. What kind of answer was she expecting to hear from him? “I...” He bit his lip, at a lost for words.

Leia sighed, “Ben, I know you care deeply for Y/N”. There was a pause as he searched his mother’s eyes, trying to predict what she was getting at. “This is the Resistance, we’re fighting a war.” She stood. “If all you’re doing here is pinning after her, trying to get on with your romantic agenda then I can have you on the next flight out of here.” She watched him. “We need fighters, people who believe in our cause. If you’re not here for that you might as well leave.” She stated harshly and walked out, the door shutting with a thud - leaving Ben alone with his creations.

Ben finished his repairs on the final droid and eventually opened both doors to let all the droids out, some stumbling slightly, adjusting to the terrain, others rolling into the camp. He smiled softly and watched them go on to their assignments they were last doing from memory.

Breathing in the soft smell of the camp fires, Ben made his way over to a little dinner area he had noticed earlier. Eyes followed him as he walked in, ignoring them as best as he could Ben picked up a tray and made his way over to the line. It was no secret that several people had quieted down and made uncertain and shifty eyes at him. They didn’t trust him. They didn’t have to. He would soon leave, he would be gone from their lives. 

He made his way up the line up, getting the small amounts of food and making his way to a seat. Alone. Yet again, his mother had made it more than evident that the Resistance was to come before her son. Was he really so unredeemable as to not even deserve love or compassion from his own mother? Was it even worth staying to try to prove her wrong, prove everyone wrong? He would be staying simply out of spite. Ben wanted to create a home, have a family around him, he didn’t want that to start off with spite in his heart.

He was back where he started, wanting to get off this god forsaken planet but not wanting to leave without Y/N.