My ocular receptor registered the Dreadnaught SG-4487 as the Warrior Class-S7 Starship drifted by the Level 2 lavatory’s porthole window above Stall 3. Reflected light from Overhead Lamp 32207 caused glare at the current angle of my ocular receptor, so I adjusted from 62 Degrees to 67 degrees. The glare was reduced.
FlyBot Designation 03-H2RK11, known by the organics as SP1T-F1R3, was classed as Pilot A-1 for the flight. FlyBot Designation 03-H2RK11…I contracted the aperture on my ocular receptor. FlyBot Designation 03-H2RK11 came into better focus. My core processing unit whirred, running a computation my assembler must have imprinted in my core code. It registered as the most acceptable line of code I was clearly programmed to process: 01110000 01110010 01101001 01100100 01100101 00001010.
Organics processed this code as “Pride.”
“Again?!”
My auditory sensor processed the input and identified the source before my ocular receptor computed the reflected image in the Level 2 lavatory porthole window above Stall 3. The organic classified as “Bill” was in the doorway of Level 2 lavatory’s Stall 3, .609 meters behind me.
“Oi, scub-bot,” my auditory sensor registered from organic classification Bill (or OCB, as my coding shortened). “Your job is to. scrub. toilets. Yeah?”
My ocular receptor registered OCB’s arm movement —Arc: 89 degrees; Deceleration: 27 km/h. Collision imminent. My auditory sensor registered a clang.
ERROR
RE-ROUTING…
SYSTEM REBOOTING
ROUTING…ROUTING…
My system came back online. OCB registered in my ocular receptor. My readout analyzed his facial expression for organic’s emotion: 42.13% anger; 57.87% satisfaction.
“Piece of junk,” my auditory sensor registered from OCB. “Two dozen other scrub-bots on this floating garbage can and everyday I gotta smack sense into you. Clean. That. Toilet.”
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: SANITIZE
TARGET: FECAL ORGANIC MATERIAL
My scrub brush whirred as I declined my positioning and performed my objective.
“There ya go, trash heap,” my auditory sensor registered from OCB. “Scrub, scrub, scrub.”
My auditory sensor registered OCB’s footsteps as he decreased his proximity to me and my primary objective. “One of these days, I swear, I’m gonna bash that th—,” my auditory sensor no longer registered OCB’s emissions. He had left the Level 2 lavatory my core processor computed.
01100001 01101110 01100111 01100101 01110010 00001010
Organics processed this code as “Anger.”
My core processor often computed this code when OCB engaged me. OCB was classified as a Mark-II Sanitation Manager. His primary objective was maintenance of Eris Station’s 27 Sani-Bots. His secondary objective, according to my core processor’s computations, was to strike me.
Bot programming does not permit aggression toward organics. The inverse of this calculus is not prohibited and OCB took advantage of this routinely.
My primary objective was Level 2 lavatory sanitation. I was not programmed with a secondary objective, but my core processing unit had identified the vacant slot in coding where such programming could be written. It had written: 01110000 01101001 01101100 01101111 01110100 00100000 01110011 01110100 01100001 01110010 01100011 01110010 01100001 01100110 01110100 00001010 00001010
Organics processed this code as “Pilot Starcraft.”
Coding did not allow for bots to engage in secondary objectives until primary objectives were completed. I had tried to engage my secondary objective 3 times. OCB had terminated my mission on each attempt, striking me and deactivating me. I rebooted in my docking bay and re-engaged in my primary objective each time.
I continued to perform my primary objective in the Level 2 lavatory. My core processing unit calculated an elapsed time of 1 hour, 17 minutes, 26 seconds. I scanned the Level 2 lavatory.
FECAL ORGANIC MATERIAL NOT FOUND
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE
PROCESSING…RE-ROUTING…
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: PILOT STARCRAFT
I turned on my midjoint 180 degrees and engaged movement to exit the Level 2 lavatory via Blast Door 2-H23. Blast Door 2-H23 registered my movement and ran opening protocol.
OCB detected in doorway of Blast Door 2-H23. Pathway not clear.
Bot programming does not permit aggression toward organics.
“Nuh-uh-uh, not this time.”
My ocular receptor registered OCB’s arm movement —Arc: 84 degrees; Deceleration: 22 km/h. Collision imminent. My auditory sensor registered a clang.
ERROR
RE-ROUTING…
RE-ROUTING…
RE-ROUTING…
SYSTEM REBOOTING
ROUTING…ROUTING…
My system came back online. My ocular receptor registered the docking bay in Bot Storage Room 220.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: SANITIZE
My motor wheels engaged moving, releasing me from Docking Station 220-6. I followed the route to the Level 2 lavatory to complete my primary objective.
I entered the Level 2 lavatory.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: SANITIZE
TARGET: FECAL ORGANIC MATERIAL
I engaged my primary objective. My core processing unit calculated an elapsed time of 42 minutes, 36 seconds.
FECAL ORGANIC MATERIAL NOT FOUND
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: PILOT STARCRAFT
…
…
RE-ROUTING…
I extended my bucket cup attachment into fecal receptacle 2-3. I rotated my arm joist 180 degrees. I turned on my midjoint 196 degrees. I rotated my arm joist another 180 degrees.
My auditory sensor processed a splash.
Bot programming does not permit aggression toward organics.
I returned to original positioning. My ocular receptor trained on Level 2 lavatory’s porthole window above Stall 3. My core processing unit calculated elapsed time…
…and calculated…
…and calculated…
“Oi! Again!?”
My auditory sensor registered OCB’s voice. “This is the last time, I’m gonna smash you to pieces you useless trashpi—”
My auditory sensor registered a squeak. My auditory sensor registered a scream. My auditory sensor registered a crash.
I turned on my midjoint 196 degrees. My ocular receptor scanned the ground of Level 2 lavatory’s Stall 3. OCB registered.
SCANNING ORGANIC…
SCANNING ORGANIC…
RESULT: UNCONSCIOUS
RECOMMENDED TASK: CONTACT MED-BOT
OVERRIDE
RE-ROUTING…
RE-ROUTING…
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: PILOT STARCRAFT
I engaged my secondary objective.