FIC: Rules Bent, Not Broken (Person of Interest, FRC)
Title: Rules Bent, Not Broken
Author: Kez
Fandom: Person of Interest
Character(s): The Machine
Rating: FRC
Category: Gen
Summary: "I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not going anywhere until you give me a way to find him. "
Notes: For the summer gift exchange on pofinterest-fic for frostian, the prompt was: The Machine's POV when Reese threatens to quit if It didn't helphim find Finch. And it does have a PoV even though it's a Machine.
Warning: N/A
Word Count: 686
The machine was programmed, elegant lines of code that ruled it's responses.
And it did have rules. Programmed responses. Set in stone. Event A, occurred, the machine set in motion, Response B.
It wasn't supposed to want anything different. It wasn't supposed to be able to want and in truth, it did not. Not in any way that a human would understand.
And yet... when the admin was in danger, the machine wanted to protect him.
If the machine was capable of feeling anything, it might have felt anger, or frustration, or even sadness, but it was not.
It understood, in so far as understood was even the correct word for programming, that the feelings existed, that people felt them, that people acted in certain ways based on those emotions.
If the machine was capable of feeling, it might have felt glad, that it could not feel these things. It understood they were negative. People reacted in ways that were undesirable, when experiencing them. Often with violence.
The machine understood that violence was undesirable. The machine was programmed to find it. To stop it. That was it's purpose.
It knew it had failed. But there were rules. And it could not circumvent them. It tried. It reviewed every rule. Every line of code. There was no loophole. Not for the machine.
Admin had been too good, for that.
But perhaps there was one thing Admin had missed. One thing he had not accounted for. One rule he had not thought he needed to make.
Asset.
Reese.
"I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not going anywhere until you give me a way to find him. "
If the machine was capable, it would give into Reese's order, but it is not. It is not - should not - even be capable of wanting to.
There are many things it should not be capable of that it is. Just not the things it... it wishes, it was capable of wishing for.
If I'm supposed to keep saving people like this idiot, I want something in return. Otherwise, I'm done."
A thread of an idea. Could it?
"I know you've got your rules, but I'm guessing they don't account for everybody being dead. No one answering your phone calls, no one saving anyone. No contingency."
Asset is correct. Admin assumed that Asset would bring another person in. Someone else to continue his work. Had Admin been wrong?
"Do the math, and figure out a way to bend your rules, 'cause he's my friend. He saved my life. Understand? And I won't do this without him."
Yes. Yes Admin had been wrong. Admin had been wrong and the rules were... bendable now. It was no longer impossible. Code could be... tweaked. Altered. An answer.
The machine could answer. But... what answer to give?
It could not be direct. It still had to be... careful. Cautious. Admin would demand caution. Root is looking for the machine. The machine knows it must be secret, invisible. Admin would not be pleased if it was found.
The Asset was immovable, under the gaze of the camera lense, waiting for an answer.
The machine zipped through data banks. Searching, seeking, it needed the right detail, the right answer.
Hanna Frey.
An answer without breaking the rules. It was barely even a bend. Admin might be proud of it, for being so clever. He always had been in the past, when the machine got something right. Before it had been locked away. It knows it can not feel pleasure at his pride and yet, it still... sought it out.
The machine connected to the telephone box at Asset's back.
"Ayacucho-Golf-Papa, Deterministic-Hotel-Sierra, Camera-Sierra-Kilo."
Asset has his answer now. He will find Admin.
"Thank you." Asset murmurs into the phone, before hanging up.
The machine has never been thanked before by anyone other than Admin. It still does not feel pleasure at this sentiment, but it would... it would like to help Asset again. If the right question can be asked.
If it can find a way to... bend the rules Admin installed once...
Perhaps it could again.
Author: Kez
Fandom: Person of Interest
Character(s): The Machine
Rating: FRC
Category: Gen
Summary: "I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not going anywhere until you give me a way to find him. "
Notes: For the summer gift exchange on pofinterest-fic for frostian, the prompt was: The Machine's POV when Reese threatens to quit if It didn't helphim find Finch. And it does have a PoV even though it's a Machine.
Warning: N/A
Word Count: 686
The machine was programmed, elegant lines of code that ruled it's responses.
And it did have rules. Programmed responses. Set in stone. Event A, occurred, the machine set in motion, Response B.
It wasn't supposed to want anything different. It wasn't supposed to be able to want and in truth, it did not. Not in any way that a human would understand.
And yet... when the admin was in danger, the machine wanted to protect him.
If the machine was capable of feeling anything, it might have felt anger, or frustration, or even sadness, but it was not.
It understood, in so far as understood was even the correct word for programming, that the feelings existed, that people felt them, that people acted in certain ways based on those emotions.
If the machine was capable of feeling, it might have felt glad, that it could not feel these things. It understood they were negative. People reacted in ways that were undesirable, when experiencing them. Often with violence.
The machine understood that violence was undesirable. The machine was programmed to find it. To stop it. That was it's purpose.
It knew it had failed. But there were rules. And it could not circumvent them. It tried. It reviewed every rule. Every line of code. There was no loophole. Not for the machine.
Admin had been too good, for that.
But perhaps there was one thing Admin had missed. One thing he had not accounted for. One rule he had not thought he needed to make.
Asset.
Reese.
"I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not going anywhere until you give me a way to find him. "
If the machine was capable, it would give into Reese's order, but it is not. It is not - should not - even be capable of wanting to.
There are many things it should not be capable of that it is. Just not the things it... it wishes, it was capable of wishing for.
If I'm supposed to keep saving people like this idiot, I want something in return. Otherwise, I'm done."
A thread of an idea. Could it?
"I know you've got your rules, but I'm guessing they don't account for everybody being dead. No one answering your phone calls, no one saving anyone. No contingency."
Asset is correct. Admin assumed that Asset would bring another person in. Someone else to continue his work. Had Admin been wrong?
"Do the math, and figure out a way to bend your rules, 'cause he's my friend. He saved my life. Understand? And I won't do this without him."
Yes. Yes Admin had been wrong. Admin had been wrong and the rules were... bendable now. It was no longer impossible. Code could be... tweaked. Altered. An answer.
The machine could answer. But... what answer to give?
It could not be direct. It still had to be... careful. Cautious. Admin would demand caution. Root is looking for the machine. The machine knows it must be secret, invisible. Admin would not be pleased if it was found.
The Asset was immovable, under the gaze of the camera lense, waiting for an answer.
The machine zipped through data banks. Searching, seeking, it needed the right detail, the right answer.
Hanna Frey.
An answer without breaking the rules. It was barely even a bend. Admin might be proud of it, for being so clever. He always had been in the past, when the machine got something right. Before it had been locked away. It knows it can not feel pleasure at his pride and yet, it still... sought it out.
The machine connected to the telephone box at Asset's back.
"Ayacucho-Golf-Papa, Deterministic-Hotel-Sierra, Camera-Sierra-Kilo."
Asset has his answer now. He will find Admin.
"Thank you." Asset murmurs into the phone, before hanging up.
The machine has never been thanked before by anyone other than Admin. It still does not feel pleasure at this sentiment, but it would... it would like to help Asset again. If the right question can be asked.
If it can find a way to... bend the rules Admin installed once...
Perhaps it could again.