>
> > > Why would they be restricting battery-powered devices for a steam-powered robot? Is that just a general guideline for all robots?
> >
> > Indeed it is, seeing as artificial intelligences exist as electronic consciousnesses, they need to strictly monitor any electrical readings coming or going. Plus, as in the case with Joan, some prisoners may not be operating at full power for safety reasons, and they don't want them getting energized in some way. Easiest to just restrict all electronic devices altogether.
>
> Or in the case of Anna, they have three problems: She's all electronic, if an incarcerated robot attempts to steal her power she'd probably vaporize them with lasers, and in either case she doesn't really have a right to visit prisoners unless she's with a human (and someone with major connections).
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Yes, that's more or less the thinking behind the rule. One should note that it's also likely to deny the robot prisoners *any* visitations, since family and friends may be artificials themselves (as with Hallie and Tandi).
> > > I suppose that means Yuki can't visit, though in her case that might be a good thing. She might be tempted to do something drastic.
> >
> > As these prisoners are being held in accordance with the guidelines of the American justice system, and are being held for violations of criminal law that apply to humans as well, it would probably be a bad thing for a Legionnaire to do something "drastic".
>
> It depends on how she associates the steam powered robot. If it's something she's afraid may try to kill her she may destroy it first. If she's taken in by the plight she may try to break it out on the grounds that it's guaranteed an execution by being locked up.
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We haven't gotten around to sentencing just yet... I wouldn't say it's a guaranteed execution. Of course, as Joan herself notes, these aren't trumped up charges either.
> > > This also illustrates a point I made about why Anna is restricted to living at the Lair Mansion. Outside it she has no real rights of her own.
> >
> > Very true. Of course, that also goes for all RoboAmericans, and yet they live their lives out there every day among the rest of society. Quite heroic, actually.
>
> In that case I suppose Anna is both very lucky and very unlucky.
>
> Lucky because she's quite sheltered from all of the societal problems and can learn about it from a relative distance (I'm not talking about someone yelling something rude on the street, just threats to her existence).
>
> But unlucky because it also means if the problems are resolved, she'll be the last to benefit from it. She'll always be a "special case" because she was designed as military property (and they always try to claim an exception to any laws redefining their property), because of her association with the Lair Legion, and because she's inherently more dangerous than the average robot, and because she's so different in design. Specifically because she's outfitted with weapons, has no software that can be patched to alter her behavior, and because she's designed to look and behave so human (it's difficult for society to impose rules for robots on her if she looks and behaves so human).
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Well, the last one's not so much a special case... Most RoboAmericans are designed to look and behave as humans, and seem to do so more convincingly than Anna, who is really one of the more robotic robots we've met.
