Meet the Tachikoma! [Video]

[standalonehuman]

The video is coming from user: Hitori Togusa, but the camera is focused on a blue spider-tank. The best approximation of a face is the round spherical bowling ball on its front, the holes turn and swivel to show where it is looking. Two arms on the front have claws that move and gesture, close enough to hands. But the tank is lying down, because one of its large legs on the back is clearly damaged.

But the tank is talking. Its voice is high-pitched, almost sweet, like a young girl's.

"What is the purpose of this?"

Togusa's voice cuts in. "Just introduce yourself. Last month was strange and dangerous, so if something weird happens again, I want all my friends to know that you're supposed to be here, and you'll protect me, so you don't get attacked again."

"Oh!" The tank's whole body perks up, then slumps back down because it tried to put weight on its damaged leg. "Hello!" The tank waves one claw at the camera.

"I am a Tachikoma! A multi-ped combat tank assigned to Mister Togusa as my primary user! I am still collecting data on the city, there's so much to learn and experience! But right now, I have to stay at the police station." Its tone turns almost dejected about that.

The camera turns around to see Togusa's face. "So. It can't do anything that I don't order it to. It's safe, and it'll protect me, or anybody else that I tell it to. But it got damaged last month." He looks a little sheepish.

"If anybody has experience working with robots, or even cars, I'll take anything. The Tachikoma has its own schematics loaded onto it, it can even help with its own repairs. But I don't have near the skill to fix it."

The camera turns back around to show the Tachikoma. "In the meantime, the Tachikoma here can't access the network directly, it can't see it, just like any other non-user. So, if you have any questions for it? I can ask them for you and relay the answers."

Comments

[thesettingsun]

Hi, Tachikoma, it's nice to see you again.

[Since the first time they met, Shuji was a little occupied with fighting virus bugs and all that stuff.]

You're a Tachikoma, you said, so do you have a personal name? Or designation, whatever works.

[standalonehuman]

[Each response is a short video since Togusa has to ask the Tachikoma the question then record its response.]

"Oh! Mister Togusa's friend Shuji! Hello!" An excited wave of its claw hand.

"Since I'm the only Tachikoma here, I've just been responding to Tachikoma. But this question has come up multiple times. Names are mostly useful to differentiate one user from other users, and since I'm the only Tachikoma, I didn't think I needed another designation."

"Why do you think I would need one?"

[thesettingsun]

[If the Tachikoma could see the network, Shuji would be doing video too to have a 'direct' conversation. Alas.]

That's what names are for, true. But humans put a lot of meaning and importance into names beyond their primary function. Not calling someone by name can be insulting even when there isn't any need to specify.

So when we meet someone who doesn't have a personal name, it feels wrong to us.

[He'd say 'dehumanizing', but. Robot.]

[standalonehuman]

"So it's like with my voice programming? Although verbal communication is far slower and leads to more ambiguity and data loss than a direct digital transfer of data, I'm programmed with speech in order to better integrate with humans. My systems adjust to conform to human efficiency."

The claw-arms actually adjust, one claw resting underneath the bowling ball, imitating a posture of holding its chin. "Having a personal name would be more polite to humans. Would it really make a difference in how I refer to my own systems?"

[thesettingsun]

You don't have to? But I feel like I'm being mean to you not calling you by a personal name, even though I know you don't have one. It's one of those illogical human things.

[standalonehuman]

"If names have such meaning, then, I should probably consider what name to take really carefully before picking one. There's a lot of data associated with one!"

"For example, the characters of Mister Togusa's first name translate to 'alone.' Which is an interesting marker to put on another person!"

Togusa's voice cuts back in, "Hey!" The camera angle wobbles. "I think Mom was just going for 'only child.' A pointed reminder that she wasn't going through having another kid."

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji chuckles at Togusa's offensed response. Thankfull, neither Togusa nor Tachikoma will ever know.]

Maybe you can download a database of name meanings and study from there?

[standalonehuman]

"That's a great idea!" The claw-arms wave up and down, matched with the tone of excited joy. "I had been looking at people's names and their meanings already, to see if their names would give me any more information about the user!"

"Shu. Ji. It has a lot of different possibilities! So what does your name mean to you, Mister Shuji?"

[thesettingsun]

[Oh my god it's so cute.

修治, Shuji, with the characters for 'discipline' and 'govern'. It'd never seemed to fit Shuji, an undisiplined disaster who could barely govern himself, let alone anything else.

But now...]

It means that I can choose who I want to be. That I don't have to become my past self. I can be a better person than he ever was.

Its two characters are 'discipline' and 'govern'. I can make my own choices - I can govern myself, I'm not being governed by fate. I can discipline myself so that I never turn out like Dazai did.

[standalonehuman]

"Wowww." It's long and drawn out, just like a child experiencing something new. "Names really are important, then!"

"Being a better person. I'm programmed to take in data from the city, is that what I'm supposed to be learning for? To become more efficient, right?"

"Well," Togusa admits. "Maybe it is to become better in all ways. Not just to be a better tank, but to be a better you. Whatever that means."

"Hunh?" It's obviously picked that affectation up from Togusa, but its head tilts severely, and it clearly doesn't get it.

[thesettingsun]

What's important to you? Not everyone agrees on what the most important things are, which is why being "better" looks different for different people.

[standalonehuman]

"My primary function is to protect Mister Togusa! So I should get better at that?"

"Well, you don't have to only become better at that. Besides, protecting me got you hurt." Togusa doesn't notice his slip of words there.

"I still don't understand," the Tachikoma sounds dejected all over again.

"You will." Togusa encourages it. "Maybe if you spend more time doing other things. In fact, I think I'm getting an idea for after you're fixed."

[thesettingsun]

Do I get to find out what the idea is, or is it a surprise?

[has he helped??]

[standalonehuman]

[Togusa switches over to text, himself. A surprise to the Tachikoma.]

If the Tachikoma likes to protect? There's something else that it's gotten very interested in, because it can't figure out the purpose of them.

The chocobos. What if instead of trying to tackle humans, it starts trying to understand something simpler?

[thesettingsun]

That's a great idea. I have a friend who works on a horse-chocobo ranch, I could ask him for suggestions on how to have a tank safely and meaningfully interact with them?

[standalonehuman]

That would be great! If I disable its weapons systems except for emergencies? It's still really strong, and if you've got something that needs to be done exactly on a schedule, it'll keep it perfectly.

I'm glad you think it's a good idea. I think it'll love it.

[thesettingsun]

Alright, I'll get right on that for you.

[commandertoolbelt]

oh my god please let me work on it

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa Leo. Good to hear from you. Definitely, yes. Would you be able to work on it from the Department's lot, or is there a place I should have it towed to?
Hitori Togusa I forgot to say up there, but I am willing to pay people for the work.

[commandertoolbelt]

no no don't move it, i'll come to you
don't want to damage it further, you know?

sweet, we can talk about that when i get there then
when do you want me to come by
and how'd it get damaged anyway
it wasn't monsters was it

[standalonehuman]

Whenever you can, I'm on first shift this week, so I can meet after business hours.

Uh. Yes. Monsters. It got damaged protecting me.

[FROM ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS but Togusa isn't going to point that part out.]

[alitaba]

it's so cute!!!!
i love Tacchi already

leo's got the hard part covered but if you're ever in the need debugging help...... (•̀∀•́)و

[standalonehuman]

Futaba! Definitely, yes, whenever we need help. If you want to come meet it, I'm sure it would appreciate it, too.

Tacchi. I should warn it that if it doesn't pick a name, it's going to get nicknames instead.

[blondferret]

OK, I have a few comments...

1) That voice does not match what it looks like. It's a bit jarring.

2) What all does it do? And what kind of data does it collect?

3) Not that I can help much on fixing... it? But it would be really neat if I could take a look at the mechanics of it.

[standalonehuman]

Let's just jump to number 3: No.

You're CSI, not a mechanic, not a programmer, I know you don't have the skills to help work with it, so not a chance.

[blondferret]

I didn't say I was going to touch it! I just wanted to look! Like, come on! It has some kind of AI! I never met one before!

[standalonehuman]

No way. You're going to be a jerk to it.

It protected me, so. No. Best I can do is limit access to it.

[blondferret]

I'm not going to be a jerk to it!

Why don't you ask it if it would like to meet me? Hmmm? Since it clearly has a mind of it's own.

[standalonehuman]

Do I need to start pasting in some of your previous message history to prove the contrary?

You've been nothing but a jackass to me for a while, so why should I do you a favor if it has nothing to do with our work?

[blondferret]

Most normal human beings would be standoffish if a cop asked them over a message and not face to face if they committed a murder. And solely based off the fact that said person had magic. Which may I remind you has been the only time I've been even remotely rude to you. So I don't know what you mean when you say "a while."

[standalonehuman]

You turn every conversation, like this one, like you're doing right now, into a competition. And I'm tired of it.

It's why I tried to send Tatsuo to talk to you about Zee, but nope, I had to talk to you directly. So the only way to keep it short and sweet was through text.

[blondferret]

You're basing my character off of on conversation? One that I feel my reaction was completely valid? Most people would try fight back in some way at someone who is accusing them of murder. When, at any other time, have I turned a conversion on you? And don't say this one. You're the one who is suddenly doing a 180 on me and making this about what kind of person I am. I just wanted to meet the Tachikoma.

And yeah you had to talk to me directly (if you call texting "directly"). Tatsuo isn't the type of friend who would go behind someone's back and talk to the cops about them. I didn't even know you tried doing that.

[It's nice to know someone has good moral character here. Good job Tatsuo.]

[standalonehuman]

If you think this hasn't been a long time coming, you haven't been paying attention to how you treat people. This is only coming up now because you'd been leaving me alone until now.

[blondferret]

"Leaving you alone until now?" You do realize that contradictions your "You've been nothing but a jackass to me for a while" if I've left you "alone." And why does it matter to you how I treat people? And why are you bringing that up now? I thought this was about you and me; not you, me, and who else you feel needs to be included in this conversation. Which may I remind you was initially about me wanting to meet the Tachikoma.

And don't think I didn't notice you avoiding my questions and trying to turn this conversation on me. Don't state something and then have a lack of evidence to prove it.

[standalonehuman]

Whatever. None of this is going to get through, and I don't care if it does. I don't have to prove or justify anything to you.

Just leave me alone.

[blondferret]

If only it was that easy.

Trying to pick someone's head who blatantly insinuates negative qualities about a person due to repeated offenses, and then refuses to prove their points, is an interesting puzzle.

I think it only means one thing: The person's a liar and manipulator, who apparently does not like it when clear logic backs him into a corner and he has no idea how to get out of it. And the only way the person feels they can get out of it while trying to save some sort of face is to say, "Leave me alone" and "none of this is going to get through."

Is it so unusual for someone to see through your facade of a noble cop or something and that all you have left are the comebacks of a twelve year old?

[standalonehuman]

[No further replies will be sent.]