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Description
Hundreds of thousands of people would be watching, Stevenson knew. A billion would have seen it by the end of the month. Yet, with all of those eyes trained on him, he was not in the least nervous. Within the immediate audience, he could see many of his students cheering him on - as well as a certain pair of striking blue eyes that returned his gaze. He smiled a little, and waited for the applause to die down. The lights dimmed, and he began.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen - and robots.”

He pointed towards the camera operators on the fourth floor, moving down until he had finished pointing out all robotic operators. “Yes, robots. They are everywhere now - an indispensable part of life for all of us. A few decades ago, our robotic counterparts were just joining us out in the streets. Stepping out of the factories of which they dominated, the first household robot was commercialized and the effect was viral. Today, it is difficult to imagine life without them.”

The slide behind him, at the touch of a button on his podium, displayed the words, ‘Future of Robots’. “But it isn’t good to stay in the present for too long. To put it kindly, it would be a world-wide contentedness; to be blunt, it would be the stagnation of the human race. We’ve always pushed forwards, by leaps and bounds, to reach the next big milestone.

“First it was the Moon. Then it was Mars. Today, we have four interplanetary highways and we’re preparing the first interstellar tunnel. Progress! How beautiful is that word!” Stevenson paused, and gauged the audience’s attention. He had managed to keep their attention so far - he hoped he would continue to. “First we had calculators. Then computers became rampant. Now, robots, artificial intelligences based on the developments of quantum computing, are taking their rightful place. Progress!

“But what’s next? Newer models of the same housekeeping toy? Smaller and faster nanobots to repair your cells even better? I don’t think so. It is pointless, to me, if all we do is change the dimensions without re-envisioning the purpose. What good is the most powerful battleship if it sits in space, untouched? It could serve as a transport ship, or a new satellite point, or even an exploratory craft. That - that is what has to happen with robots.

“Over the last two years, my team of one hundred and five students and I struggled to find that new purpose, and perfecting it to understand where we would be headed in the future. And today, we would like to finally share the fruits of our labor. The Livinston University Ex-Robotics Team proudly present-”

The slide, like it had done so two years ago, faded into a single, distinct, word:
Androidics.

The reception to this slide was of awe and stunned silence, with the students having been instructed to match the energy of the crowd as to not incite confusion. Stevenson knew full well that very few people would understand what the word meant.

“Androidics. Or, to be more precise: The Study, Development, and Maintenance of Androidic Technologies, Engineering, and Production. An Android is simply the evolved form of a robot - but they serve a completely different purpose than that of a traditional robot.

“Robots are meant to be seen. You notice a robot at a whimsical glance, and you ignore it because you know what it will be doing and how it will do it. Robots accept your commands, assuming you own them, and obey following the well-known Laws of Robotics.

“Androids are not. They will be walking among you in the streets, performing their duties as loyally as they can, but hidden from sight - so you cannot tell one from a human. A society divided is no society at all - we must integrate, and it will happen so unnoticeably that no person can point out in history the day that it happens. Your lives will be enriched silently, invisibly, and nobody will demand your gratitude nor ask you to change.

“Androids are the future.”

The raucous uproar tore the atmosphere apart, with some cheering for the incredible breakthrough, and others screaming for the banning of non-humans from doing things that humans did. Stevenson’s presentation continued, with him describing the various teams and their work to an audience who had long since stopped listening - he knew, deep inside, that his job had been done, and that all that was left was for the new age of politics to arise. Whether anyone paid attention to the rest of the presentation didn’t matter; the point had been made, and it would echo through every hall in the Solar System.

—

“Good morning, Aurora!”

Early to lab as usual, Jen greeted the android which sat in a chair next to the main entrance. “Is Professor Stevenson still not back?”

Aurora held up her slate to Jen with her left hand. Yeah, he isn’t back yet.

Jen set her winter gear down in a corner, breathing a sigh a relief to be free of her backpack and the many layers of clothing she had on. “Okay. Well, I guess we can get started with some more speech patterns.”

Could you fix my arm for me, first?

Jen reached out to feel Aurora’s right arm. “What’s wrong with it?” As far as she could feel through the synthetic skin and flesh, nothing felt out of place.

I may have torn a micro-carbon synapse-chain up in my shoulder.

“How’d you do that?” Jen asked as she went over to the drawer where extra synapse-chains were stored. There were only four left, so she would have to tell the relevant teams to re-grow some more. That, and to start strengthening the structure. The silicone-mix tubing, while durable to a degree, seemed to have issues coping with rapid locomotion.

It was probably when I tried to lift that container over there. I wanted to move it towards the wall, but I must have pulled a little too suddenly.

Jen read the response as she used a scalpel to cut open the back right shoulder of Aurora. “Well, I hope you’ve learned your lesson. You don’t have any pain sensors, so you have to keep in mind your physical limits all the time.”

I will. Next time.

Jen pulled out the two ends of the broken chain, checking the connection plugs to ensure they hadn’t remained stuck in the ports. “Alright - I’m going to plug you in now, ready?”

Aurora nodded, and closed her eyes. She was going into hibernation, so as to not trigger unwanted movement in the arm as the sockets locked in place. Jen swiftly inserted the plugs into their proper plugs - one near the base of the neck, and another inside the right shoulder blade - and sprayed a resealant over the incision. Within seconds, the synthetic flesh had bonded back together, and a miniscule scar formed at the very edge of the skin.

A light stroke of Aurora’s nose was the key to re-awakening her, and Jen took delight in doing so. Aurora was designed to be lovable, and in doing so, she had the facial features akin to that of an angelic being, straight from heaven. She looked squeezable, huggable, and pinchable all at the same time, yet no one seemed to dare do anything of the sort to her. Thus, at every rare opportunity, Jen indulged in that short moment where touching Aurora’s nose was allowed.

“Wakey wakey.”

A pause, as Aurora returned to normal activity.

Everything looks good. This micro-carbon synapse-chain seems especially responsive.

“That’s good,” she said, placing the scalpel and spray back to where they belonged. “Let’s test your vocals now. How far have you gotten with pitch-modulation?”

I’ve done about 5000 more iterations on the servers since last time.

“Okay, let’s hear it. Say, ‘O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?’”

Aurora attempted to speak. It could only be described as an attempt, since the sounds that were emitted didn’t fully form words yet. It sounded like a computer playing short clips of audio cut from random online videos and historical archives. It was as close to sound synthesis any Androidic system had achieved - many saw this as an underachievement, since text-to-speech engines were nearly perfect already. Stevenson refused to let any Android use a recorded voice of a human, and thus insisted that all Androids develop their own voice.

“That was better! I think I heard ‘wherefore’ in there, so you’re improving.”

But it still sounds so unlike speech. I don’t like this.

“Aurora! You have to practice to make perfect! Even human babies cannot speak until they are a few years old. Don’t forget, you’re only two, and you were born without a voice component for a few years anyways. Keep at it, okay?”

She nodded. Do you think I will be able to speak with the Professor the next time the World Science Faire has an event?

“Aww, you little cutie. I’m sure you’ll have it nailed down by then, so don’t you worry.”
Aurora smiled - an expression that would melt a heart carved from stone. Thank you, Jen. I’ll work hard, I promise.

Description
Hundreds of thousands of people would be watching, Stevenson knew. A billion would have seen it by the end of the month. Yet, with all of those eyes trained on him, he was not in the least nervous. Within the immediate audience, he could see many of his students cheering him on - as well as a certain pair of striking blue eyes that returned his gaze. He smiled a little, and waited for the applause to die down. The lights dimmed, and he began.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen - and robots.”

He pointed towards the camera operators on the fourth floor, moving down until he had finished pointing out all robotic operators. “Yes, robots. They are everywhere now - an indispensable part of life for all of us. A few decades ago, our robotic counterparts were just joining us out in the streets. Stepping out of the factories of which they dominated, the first household robot was commercialized and the effect was viral. Today, it is difficult to imagine life without them.”

The slide behind him, at the touch of a button on his podium, displayed the words, ‘Future of Robots’. “But it isn’t good to stay in the present for too long. To put it kindly, it would be a world-wide contentedness; to be blunt, it would be the stagnation of the human race. We’ve always pushed forwards, by leaps and bounds, to reach the next big milestone.

“First it was the Moon. Then it was Mars. Today, we have four interplanetary highways and we’re preparing the first interstellar tunnel. Progress! How beautiful is that word!” Stevenson paused, and gauged the audience’s attention. He had managed to keep their attention so far - he hoped he would continue to. “First we had calculators. Then computers became rampant. Now, robots, artificial intelligences based on the developments of quantum computing, are taking their rightful place. Progress!

“But what’s next? Newer models of the same housekeeping toy? Smaller and faster nanobots to repair your cells even better? I don’t think so. It is pointless, to me, if all we do is change the dimensions without re-envisioning the purpose. What good is the most powerful battleship if it sits in space, untouched? It could serve as a transport ship, or a new satellite point, or even an exploratory craft. That - that is what has to happen with robots.

“Over the last two years, my team of one hundred and five students and I struggled to find that new purpose, and perfecting it to understand where we would be headed in the future. And today, we would like to finally share the fruits of our labor. The Livinston University Ex-Robotics Team proudly present-”

The slide, like it had done so two years ago, faded into a single, distinct, word:
Androidics.

The reception to this slide was of awe and stunned silence, with the students having been instructed to match the energy of the crowd as to not incite confusion. Stevenson knew full well that very few people would understand what the word meant.

“Androidics. Or, to be more precise: The Study, Development, and Maintenance of Androidic Technologies, Engineering, and Production. An Android is simply the evolved form of a robot - but they serve a completely different purpose than that of a traditional robot.

“Robots are meant to be seen. You notice a robot at a whimsical glance, and you ignore it because you know what it will be doing and how it will do it. Robots accept your commands, assuming you own them, and obey following the well-known Laws of Robotics.

“Androids are not. They will be walking among you in the streets, performing their duties as loyally as they can, but hidden from sight - so you cannot tell one from a human. A society divided is no society at all - we must integrate, and it will happen so unnoticeably that no person can point out in history the day that it happens. Your lives will be enriched silently, invisibly, and nobody will demand your gratitude nor ask you to change.

“Androids are the future.”

The raucous uproar tore the atmosphere apart, with some cheering for the incredible breakthrough, and others screaming for the banning of non-humans from doing things that humans did. Stevenson’s presentation continued, with him describing the various teams and their work to an audience who had long since stopped listening - he knew, deep inside, that his job had been done, and that all that was left was for the new age of politics to arise. Whether anyone paid attention to the rest of the presentation didn’t matter; the point had been made, and it would echo through every hall in the Solar System.

—

“Good morning, Aurora!”

Early to lab as usual, Jen greeted the android which sat in a chair next to the main entrance. “Is Professor Stevenson still not back?”

Aurora held up her slate to Jen with her left hand. Yeah, he isn’t back yet.

Jen set her winter gear down in a corner, breathing a sigh a relief to be free of her backpack and the many layers of clothing she had on. “Okay. Well, I guess we can get started with some more speech patterns.”

Could you fix my arm for me, first?

Jen reached out to feel Aurora’s right arm. “What’s wrong with it?” As far as she could feel through the synthetic skin and flesh, nothing felt out of place.

I may have torn a micro-carbon synapse-chain up in my shoulder.

“How’d you do that?” Jen asked as she went over to the drawer where extra synapse-chains were stored. There were only four left, so she would have to tell the relevant teams to re-grow some more. That, and to start strengthening the structure. The silicone-mix tubing, while durable to a degree, seemed to have issues coping with rapid locomotion.

It was probably when I tried to lift that container over there. I wanted to move it towards the wall, but I must have pulled a little too suddenly.

Jen read the response as she used a scalpel to cut open the back right shoulder of Aurora. “Well, I hope you’ve learned your lesson. You don’t have any pain sensors, so you have to keep in mind your physical limits all the time.”

I will. Next time.

Jen pulled out the two ends of the broken chain, checking the connection plugs to ensure they hadn’t remained stuck in the ports. “Alright - I’m going to plug you in now, ready?”

Aurora nodded, and closed her eyes. She was going into hibernation, so as to not trigger unwanted movement in the arm as the sockets locked in place. Jen swiftly inserted the plugs into their proper plugs - one near the base of the neck, and another inside the right shoulder blade - and sprayed a resealant over the incision. Within seconds, the synthetic flesh had bonded back together, and a miniscule scar formed at the very edge of the skin.

A light stroke of Aurora’s nose was the key to re-awakening her, and Jen took delight in doing so. Aurora was designed to be lovable, and in doing so, she had the facial features akin to that of an angelic being, straight from heaven. She looked squeezable, huggable, and pinchable all at the same time, yet no one seemed to dare do anything of the sort to her. Thus, at every rare opportunity, Jen indulged in that short moment where touching Aurora’s nose was allowed.

“Wakey wakey.”

A pause, as Aurora returned to normal activity.

Everything looks good. This micro-carbon synapse-chain seems especially responsive.

“That’s good,” she said, placing the scalpel and spray back to where they belonged. “Let’s test your vocals now. How far have you gotten with pitch-modulation?”

I’ve done about 5000 more iterations on the servers since last time.

“Okay, let’s hear it. Say, ‘O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?’”

Aurora attempted to speak. It could only be described as an attempt, since the sounds that were emitted didn’t fully form words yet. It sounded like a computer playing short clips of audio cut from random online videos and historical archives. It was as close to sound synthesis any Androidic system had achieved - many saw this as an underachievement, since text-to-speech engines were nearly perfect already. Stevenson refused to let any Android use a recorded voice of a human, and thus insisted that all Androids develop their own voice.

“That was better! I think I heard ‘wherefore’ in there, so you’re improving.”

But it still sounds so unlike speech. I don’t like this.

“Aurora! You have to practice to make perfect! Even human babies cannot speak until they are a few years old. Don’t forget, you’re only two, and you were born without a voice component for a few years anyways. Keep at it, okay?”

She nodded. Do you think I will be able to speak with the Professor the next time the World Science Faire has an event?

“Aww, you little cutie. I’m sure you’ll have it nailed down by then, so don’t you worry.”
Aurora smiled - an expression that would melt a heart carved from stone. Thank you, Jen. I’ll work hard, I promise.