Freefall 2111 - 2120
Dumpster diving for wolves
Mr. Kornada has personally intervened twice to keep you from talking. Trust me. Somehow, there's money involved.
There are lives involved. Isn't that more important?
That depends entirely on the amount of money.
When humans designed my brain, I wonder if they deliberately left out certain thought patterns?
Dumpster diving for wolves
Sam, if Helix gets infected with this program, he'll forget everything you've ever taught him.
What?! He'll forget my views on property ownership? How to lie? How to run from a mob? All my handsome, squidly ways?
Common ground.
Why, we're like Batman and Robin. Well, if Batman and Robin were poor and engaged in petty crime.
Dumpster diving for wolves
Seems like all we have to do is tell the robots what's going on.
We can't. The program is too infectious.
If a robot searches the net for the name of the program, it forces a download. Even knowing the program exists is dangerous for them.
Can I tell robots I don't like about it?
What part of highly infectious and extremely dangerous am I failing to convey here?
Dumpster diving for wolves
The program isn't live yet. I think it's going to propagate through the dream machines.
Don't get technical. Just tell me if I've got it.
Bad program needs to be stopped. Don't mention it near anything electronic.
That's it.
Then let's go! Adventure calls and we must answer!
Give me a moment. I'm not answering the call of adventure until I'm wearing pants.
Dumpster diving for wolves
One more minute. Helix has seeker messages for me.
Don't answer! You're supposed to be unconscious in a dumpster.
They're probably direct orders from Ecosystems Unlimited. “Hi! We're sorry you could answer your mail. Please return to our office so that we can disable you again.”
Now I'm afraid of my inbox.
No need to be afraid. Messages on my world are much more dangerous. You can get a paper cut.
Off to see the Mayor
Are those seeker messages going to cause every robot we pass to pester you?
No. Helix took them out of circulation when he tried to deliver them.
Why are we running?
The Mayor arrives in her office at eight. We need to be there first.
Florence! My clever plan to get the Mayor to talk to you isn't going to work if you're not there!
Off to see the Mayor
Florence. You can't go back to bed now.
I'm not in bed. I'm under it. There's a difference.
I hit the Mayor with a pie, Sam! I hit her with a pie!
She'll remember you. That's good. No time wasted on reintroductions.
You're not afraid of the Mayor, are you?
I'm afraid of hornets. For the Mayor, terrified is the proper term.
Off to see the Mayor
Don't let the trappings of office fool you. The Mayor is just a person, no different from anyone else.
I'm not going!
Are you going to let this bad program run through the robot population because you're afraid to talk to a plump human?
I am way too easy to manipulate.
I prefer to think of it as “user friendly.”
Off to see the Mayor
This… is the right thing. The Mayor is the leader of the colony. She needs to know this program is out there.
Steel doors. Shuttered windows. Air shafts covered with thick welded grates.
And one nice obvious path still open. Shall we take a walk to the gardening shed?
Of course, after this, she's going to start fortifying the walls.
