The Roof, Wednesday night

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Frohike and Langley were whining, then crying, then whining. Scully put them down on the roof, gave them pacifiers and bottles, put in her ear-plugs, and started to write a paper on her laptop that she intended to turn in with them. [Cue X-Files theme.]

"...while my feelings about parenthood are mixed, my feelings about android caretaking are not. Having two subjects made it possible to compare the behaviors between the two models, and determine that their individual programming parameters are separate and complex. Subject F responds better to being given a blanket than Subject L, and Subject L is more likely to imitate behaviors initiated by his co-android...."

"One might question the efficacy of a program designed to drive the caretaker to extreme coping measures, such as alcohol and making dates to initiate sex at some later time (see conversation of 11/12/10 with Wayne, Bruce), however, it can be stated that no amount of so-called 'bonding' takes place when there is the expectation of returning the robotic child substitutes...."

"What do you think, guys? Footnotes or endnotes?"

[ooc: open and very OCD, but that's just Scully.]

Comments

[eyebrowgoesup]

Spock was on the roof attempting to meditate and not freeze to death.

Stupid Earth weather.

When he accepted that the temperature was going to make meditation a non-starter, he opted instead to greet Scully and find out what she was toting around with her. "Good evening. Are those robots?" he inquired politely.

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Scully looked up as he approached, and took out her ear-plugs. Then jiggled the carrier so the robots would quiet down. "They are. Very sophisticated--well, for this century-- androids. Professor Skywalker designed them." She smiled slightly from inside her woolly anorak. "Unfortunately, they're in their staggered whine mode at the moment, and they either have to reach the end of the cycle, or deafen me inside a room. So I chose the roof. Would you like to examine one?"

Scully wasn't going to win any Mom of the Year awards, no.

[eyebrowgoesup]

"What is the purpose of such devices?" Spock inquired as he leaned over to study them. "I would think if one was going to design an artificial infant, one would do away with the...'whining,' as you say."

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"The alleged purpose is to demonstrate to us the risks inherent in indulging the impulses that were rampant last week without proper preparation," Scully said obliquely. Spock would get that without further directness. "I believe the true purpose is to traumatize us from ever having children. Thus, the whining. Since I refuse to believe my real child... would ever be quite as annoying as Frohike and Langley," she said, with only a slight hitch at the memory.

[eyebrowgoesup]

"I see. And for which class was this assignment given?" So he could avoid it.

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"Ethics, with Professor Skywalker." Scully put a blanket over Frohike's head, then drew it off, and it gurgled with electronic joy. "I wouldn't have two, except my partner decided she'd take the fail for the week, instead of deal with this project. My roommate shares one as well, so it's been...."

Really, really loud. And tiring.

"...an interesting week."

[eyebrowgoesup]

How charming of her partner. "That sounds...unfortunate," he said. "I would offer to attempt to turn them off, but that would constitute cheating."

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"I asked Claudia to make a sound-dampening field, but she pointed out that earplugs are a much easier, cheaper solution," Scully said, looking resigned and by now, amused. "80% of the time they respond to the standard caretaking tasks and stop making noise. The other 20% of the time, I have ear-pillows to sleep on." She yawned. "And... you have a point about the cheating. That really wouldn't net me much. I've written a paper of observations, though."