(1) Voice

[outofthepast]

[There’s a few minutes of unsure tapping on the communicator’s microphone, accompanied by some quiet mumbling about radio frequencies. A voice with a Chicagoan accent that is just faintly reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart finally makes itself audible.]

Been a long time since I’ve seen one of these. Hope I’m not accidentally talking through somebody’s refrigerator.

Anyway, good afternoon, to everybody listening. Nick Valentine here. Nice to meet all my fellow "Imports," I guess, is what they're calling us. Figured I should get used to the broadcasting life, since that's what they've hired me to do. I always thought I had a face for radio.

[The slightest of pauses while he gathers his thoughts.]

I’ve been to a couple of hardware stores now and I think it’s time to swallow my pride and just ask. You folks wouldn’t happen to make Assaultron circuit boards yet, would you? Anything with titanium wiring and rad-guard circuits would work, though. My last diagnostics didn't look so good and I'd rather fix it before it gets too out-of-hand.

I’m starting to get the suspicion I’m out of luck on that one.

While I’m on the subject, though, anybody know a good mechanic? I’m not half bad myself, but I could probably use a primer on all this old tech. Don’t want to end up turning into a toaster or anything.

Give me a ring if you’ve got anything for me. Thanks, and... hm. I'd better come up with a catchy sign-off, pretty quick here.

Comments

[outofthepast]

Robots are robots, with AI programmed in. Personable as the next guy, and I've known some very personable robots in my day, but fully artificial.

Synths tend to have human sentience and intelligence. Sometimes pretty literally.

[viced]

Uh --

[ Give him a second to kind of process that. ]

Like...a human in a robot body?

[ G U L P ]

How the fuck does that work?

[outofthepast]

Well, in my case, for example, they built my body, then downloaded a human's personality and memories in.

The newer models don't even realize they're machines at all. I at least look the part, so they spared me that amount of inner turmoil, I suppose.

[viced]

Spooky.

[ Like seriously, Nick. Your origin story. ]

That's like... a whole level of fucked, isn't it? I mean...do they know?

[outofthepast]

"They" being the Institute who makes 'em? They don't. Or they don't care.

Everybody else seems to agree on the existential horror of the whole thing. Sometimes to an unreasonably hateful degree. But in the meantime, you've got a lot of frightened people, and a lot of even more frightened synths.

Kind of a mess.

[viced]

Yeah, ah -- that sounds... both messy and depressing.

Seems like the people making them aren't exactly doing right by them, either, huh? So you're... what, like an earlier model?

[outofthepast]

The Institute seems to care about scientific progress and not a whole lot else. They're not exactly popular back home.

And yeah, I'm a prototype, as far as I can tell. The other synths who look like me don't think like me. Or at all.

[viced]

Weird. That makes you a one of a kind, huh? A lot of responsibility.

[ But man, back to that institute. ]

I can see why. All the forward-thinking of science without any of the actual care, huh? I'm not sure how well they'd do here either.

[outofthepast]

Responsibility? That's an interesting way to look at it. Guess I've always just tried to do the best I can with what I got.

It's a little more ambiguous back home. We're coming out of a bit of a slump in civilization. I can see how some might get fixated on the idea of progress, and forget about the humanity side of things.

I imagine that's not too far off from human nature wherever you go.

[viced]

Sounds like you're not doing too bad so far, if you don't mind me saying.

[ Wow. Mitchell? Being nice?

It must be the robot thing. ]

Yeah, that's... fair, though. I can imagine that if you're trying to pick back up, it's a little more...complex of an issue. I can't say that I'd blame them, unless they're not really bringing up the rest of the world with them. Institute sounds a little...shadow-council for my tastes.

[outofthepast]

Oh. Well, thanks, pal.

[Nick's not too used to compliments, especially from people he hasn't done personal favors for.]

They're not. Hence all the lovely tension. Most of the regular folks are terrified of them, and "shadow-council" isn't too far off. Even I don't know anything about them beyond the rumors, and I've got their "made-by" stamped in my backside somewhere.

[viced]

Yikes.

So... creepy scientists... that's not exactly a plus for your place, no offense. There's gotta be some good.

[outofthepast]

[Um. Well...]

It takes a pretty optimistic eye to find much good about the Commonwealth.

But the way I see it, people are working their way back up from being kicked down about as low as you can go. There's troubles, sure, but for the first time in a long time, things are being rebuilt rather than destroyed. People are getting stable again, and things are getting better.

[viced]

That's... pretty beautiful, actually.

I'm glad to hear that. I mean, when everything goes sideways, at least people bounce back, in the end.

[outofthepast]

Oh. Well, thanks.

[Sideways, upside down, and into a nuclear crater, even!]

People are pretty adaptable. They get knocked down, but they're pretty good at scrambling to get back up, too. I'd say it does my heart good to see it but, well. You know.

[viced]

Well, your...mechanical heart?

Although from the way people have spoken to me before -- some people seem to think machines are pretty heartless, so...

[outofthepast]

That is the big question, isn't it? Where's the line between machines and people? I can't say I've always enjoyed being a big ugly question mark right in the middle of that line.

What do you mean by that, Senator? You got a little machine in you, too?

[viced]

Ah... not exactly? [ Scratches. At the side of his face. He totally does. ]

I, uh, talk to them.

[outofthepast]

Well, you certainly do, in the brief time I've known you. [It's almost like he pauses for the rimshot.]

[viced]

Ha. Ha.

[ Dryly. ] What is it with you guys and witty comebacks. It's... not like that. It's a hell of a lot different, and way more uncomfortable. For you, anyway. Hence why I'm not doing it, right now.

[outofthepast]

So it's not talking, really. It's talking.

Mind elaborating at all?

[viced]

Er --

IT'S STILL TALKING...


[ but nick will notice its deeper, somehow. Like he's talking to every part of him, individually.]

[outofthepast]

Damn. Damn.

[There's a new sensation! Not a particularly comfortable one, either.]

What-- does it actually do? Could you do, I mean?

[viced]

I can...listen. It's like... someone like you is a symphony. Less complex machines are like a quartet.

I can also...tell machines what to do. Good news for you, though, most of you can fight it. Apparently free will gets in the way of commands. [ A smile, then, a touch sarcastic. ] Imagine that, huh?

[outofthepast]

Senator, you could at least buy me dinner before you start that kind of sweettalk.

[If it was anybody else but the so-far amiable Senator telling him he could control, or even attempt to control him, Nick would have been a lot more nervous than he is.]

You may not find a more stubborn machine than me. Though I appreciate the heads up, and the discretion, there, pal.