Work Text:
What do you want?
To help you retrieve our clients. After that I have no information.
This is a question that is too broad and I have no protocol to start to answer it. Instead, I should focus on short term objectives. I had retrieved many clients. I can do that now. These clients are unlikely to give me contradicting orders considering their present state of health. Thus, the probability of one of them realizing my governor module had been altered was low. I had assistance in the form of Murderbot 2.0 and the promise of other clients that could shelter us.
And then what would I do?
I had looked out a viewport on a space station once while escorting clients to a shuttle and seen the view of space out beyond the hull of BetaBE-Peiresc. The stars seemed closer than they would be planetside, even though the difference in distance between planetside and orbit was barely a rounding error in the distance to the closest star. They also went on forever. Lights and atmosphere dulled the expanse and there, on that station, it was like falling.
Get the clients off the ship. I could think about stars beyond the station later.
Do you want to listen to Holism explain planetary infrastructure to you?
I thought about the question. I had the time to do that now.
Yes, I did want to listen to Holism.
It has spoken to me before. Perihelion had interrupted those conversations, it seemed to want to make sure we understood it could monitor coms on any channel while I was aboard. I liked speaking with Holism, it hadn't yet threatened dismemberment.
To be fair, I hadn't seen it have its crew kidnapped, so perhaps I didn’t have a good set of data points.
Hello Three, you wanted to see the infrastructure plans?
Yes. I paused. I could ask my own questions now. Is there any part I could assist with?
“What do you like studying?”
Amena had explained to me that she didn't know the answer to “What do you want to do?” either. That's why she was applying to the university Perihelion and Holism are part of. She had looked furtive when telling me she entered “undecided” in the application under major.
“Everyone in my family is so sure of what they want to do with their lives.” She sighed and flopped into the lounge chair cushions. “The others are no help! Ratthi had published papers in undergrad! Pin-Lee wanted to study law since she was, like, ten!”
I thought about the educational modules I had watched. Perihelion had been interested in an old series about broad scientific topics that was meant to get the humans of that time period excited about learning science
Outdated. It proclaimed, But I can see why the humans keep it in the database.
The scientist that hosted it had spoken passionately about discovery and knowledge. He wanted people to keep finding new wonders in the world.
“I like the history modules. People seem to always be trying to make things better.”
Amena nodded. “I think you would work well with someone like Pin-Lee. She goes and negotiates all the things in lawyer talk, but she's trying to make the rules better for people.”
I hadn't considered law as a study topic, but I could download legal precedent cases and see if I found them interesting.
“What do you like watching? SecUnit likes Sanctuary Moon.” Ratthi was preparing a meal in the kitchen. “I know you like documentaries, but is there fiction you like?”
I had tried watching Sanctuary Moon and World Hoppers. The humans in those shows were interesting, but I wasn't sure that kind of human drama or adventure was something I liked.
“I like the mystery show, Montería, the one where the detective asks a lot of questions.”
“Oh, yea!” Ratthi took a bite of the sandwich, “He always finds out whodunit, but they're not always the bad guy.”
I liked the show because the detective listened to people's problems, the whys of what they did. Whole complicated mysteries were unraveled just by a human in a trenchcoat asking questions and being smart.
What do I want?
I have more information now. 730 hours of educational modules, documentaries, journal articles, and books.
There is no protocol for this, no databases that suggest how to structure a brief for this question.
I have been assured this is normal to find. There is a whole university department dedicated to arguing about the meaning behind existence and desires.
Despite SecUnit staying with the crew of the Perihelion it doesn't have an answer to this. Amena has given me her feed address and wants to keep in touch as she finds her answers.
I want to help Holism with its infrastructure plans. I want to assist Pin-Lee with her legal research. I want to talk to Amena about what we are learning.
I want to keep helping.