Twelfth Assignment

[always_on_duty]

What's a "cyborg"? More than one person has called me that, but I don't know what it means. It's not some kind of insult, is it?

Comments

[appleblossoming]

Oh, no, it's not like that. It means a person that's a robot...or, well, I think they're a little different, but I'm not quite sure how.

[always_on_duty]

But I'm not a robot!

[appleblossoming]

Well, I think a cyborg isn't...quite a robot? Like, only parts of them are robot parts. But I've never met a cyborg, so I don't really know...

[always_on_duty]

But I don't have those, either! They're just attached to me, they're not part of me! [He doesn't realize that she has no reason to know what he's talking about.] People are crazy.

[appleblossoming]

Huh? Wait, so...do you have robot parts or don't you?

[always_on_duty]

...Well, kind of. But they're not part of me! You wouldn't say that someone with a peg leg is part wood, would you?

[appleblossoming]

Well, aren't they? Kind of? It's still their leg...

[always_on_duty]

I don't think so. It's not a real leg, it's just a tool that does the same thing.

[appleblossoming]

But they use it the same way as a real leg, right? I guess it depends on the person...

[always_on_duty]

Either way, I am not part robot. [He is very adamant on this point.] So those people that called me a cyborg are wrong.

...At least I know what the word means now.

[appleblossoming]

...there's nothing wrong with being a robot, you know. [She sounds almost offended.]

[always_on_duty]

Sure there is! Robots don't have free will, or emotions, or inalienable rights! They're just tools to make people's lives easier.

[appleblossoming]

That's not true! [Well now she's not offended- she's just angry.] They do too have feelings! Just because they're not human doesn't mean you can go around saying mean things about them. I bet you've never even met one. So you can just...just be quiet!

[always_on_duty]

I've met quite a few robots in my time, and none of them were even aware that they existed, let alone have feelings. You read too much science fiction.

[appleblossoming]

I do not! I'll have you know that I've known lots of robots. Th-they took care of me, and they were all very nice people. You don't know what you're talking about.

[always_on_duty]

That's not possible! Computers don't have the capability to pass themselves off as people, we're just too complex.