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Anime Jason 
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Subj: No, but Bender's is shiny and metal.
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 11:52:27 am EDT (Viewed 387 times)
Reply Subj: It's not that shiny.
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 08:51:09 am EDT



> > 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).
>
> 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).

The irony of this is that if Anna was still with the military she would have a license to visit prisoners without question (of course then she'd be always accompanied by a human with a special I.D.). I suppose with the right charade a Lair Legion member and Anna could sneak in, but it's risky.

Though it makes me wonder, now that Hatman knows about the required paperwork, I wonder if he might file copies for everything? The Lair Legion comm cards, Hallie, Anna, Tandi, Yuki, anything else he can think of.


> > 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.
>
> 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.

Yuki would be thinking a little farther ahead - a continuingly dangerous battle-bot who seems to intend harm by her own words isn't going to get a fair trial from scared, fragile human beings on a jury. All the prosecutor has to do is keep them scared. That sounds as good as guaranteed to Yuki.


> > 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).
>
> 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.

Anna's advantages are also a disadvantage. Instead of being programmed to behave a certain way, she learns. Since she was originally placed at a secret military base, she behaves in a somewhat military manner. At least for now - she's slowly absorbing the ways of civilian life as she lives among those at the Lair Mansion. The longer she lives among humans the more she learns like them and behaves like them - eventually she may be indistinguishable.

I didn't jump to that part because it's more fun starting with a blank slate that behaves in an almost alien manner having to learn how to deal with people. At the moment she has adopted a few human childlike behaviors as she learns - things like shyness, easily being roped into things emotionally, the tendency to follow the lead of "adults", etc.

Anyway, the point was that Anna has a bad combination working against her. She's dangerous like Joan Henry, but fits in among humans as easily as the tame and not so dangerous Tandi. Humans have to ask questions about Anna like: Will she become angry and rampage through downtown Paradopolis, nearly unstoppable? And because she has no software, does that mean her behavior is unpredictable? Do we really want something so potentially dangerous and unpredictable able to walk the streets by herself with no safegard?

Humans in general don't want to have to deal with things like, "well, she might get angry and rampage through the streets but there's very little chance". That's like trying to get people to accept nuclear powered trucks rumbling down their neighborhood streets. People want to be reassured that there's almost no chance of danger.

Tandi would be easily allowed, because even if she goes rogue the amount of destruction she would cause is limited and she can be stopped fairly easily. That's why she's out on the loose and Joan Henry is locked up. It's also why Anna was kept secret by the military - who wants to know that the military is creating these dangerous androids? Or that they may think about making more someday?

It's a long, complicated case...