What the cameras saw
Rating and Warnings: General Audiences, Gen, No Warnings Apply
Tags: SecUnit 3, camera pov, Anti-Construct Prejudice, Bot Solidarity
Published: 2022/03/07
Word Count: 1167
Not all the humans on Preservation are as excited to have another rogue SecUnit as the PresAux crew are.
Thank you as always to the Murderbot discord, to Bee and Bless for betaing, and to Egg who had amazing worms on this topic <3
(also what is it with this fandom and inspiring weird structures for fics?)
Originally published on Ao3 for the "3/3 for Three" collection
[DOCK CAM WEST 23 02:34:54]
Lighting: Night mode.
Dock equipment status: Idle.
Feed presences: ID: [Three] (pronouns: it/its). Location: Bench 6, seated, stationary.
[DOCK CAM WEST 23 02:56:02]
Lighting: Night mode.
Dock equipment status: Idle.
Feed presences: ID: [Three] (pronouns: it/its). Location: Bench 6, seated, stationary. ID: [Sreya] (pronouns: she/her). Location: entering dock west from north door, moving south. ID: [Carmo] (pronouns: he/they). Location: entering dock west from north door, moving south. ID: [Nota] (pronouns: he/him). Location: entering dock west from north door, moving south.
[DRONE CAM 04 02:56:03]
Location: Self X-16m Y+4m Z+5m
Behavior: Wide Patrol and Threat Assessment
Risk Assessment Report: Three unarmed unarmored humans entering zone of awareness. Gait and vocal volume indicate intoxication. Posture does not indicate combat training or experience. Conversation and eye tracking does not indicate awareness of Self. Risk 3%.
[DRONE CAM 04 02:56:39]
Location: Self X-3m Y+4m Z+5m
Behavior: Wide Patrol and Threat Assessment
Risk Assessment Report: Three unarmed unarmored humans in zone of awareness. Gait and vocal volume indicate intoxication. Posture does not indicate combat training or experience. Eye tracking and direction of movement indicate awareness of Self. Conversation indicates wariness and hostility towards Self. Risk 18%.
[DOCK CAM WEST 23 02:57:44]
Lighting: Night mode.
Dock equipment status: Idle.
Feed presences: ID: [Three] (pronouns: it/its). Location: Bench 6, seated, stationary. ID: [Sreya] (pronouns: she/her). Location: Bench 6, standing, stationary. ID: [Carmo] (pronouns: he/they). Location: Bench 6, standing, stationary. ID: [Nota] (pronouns: he/him). Location: Bench 6, standing, stationary.
[DRONE CAM 17 02:57:48]
Location: Self X-2m Y-1m Z+5m
Behavior: Hover and Record
Audio Transcript:
[Sreya]: You . . . you're a SecUnit, aren't you? Like the rogue one from the news feeds.
[Carmo]: It is! Look, it's got drones. Are you recording us right now? We're not doing anything that's not allowed. You shouldn't be recording us.
[Sreya]: Where's your guardian, SecUnit? You constructs have to have a guardian.
[Nota]: Can't believe now we have two of these things on Preservation. How many of them are there gonna be anyway?
[Carmo]: You are recording, aren't you. No reason for all those drones otherwise, your eyes work fine.
[Nota]: How do we know it isn't just sending video back to the corporates anyway?
[Self]: These drones are a medical need—
[Nota]: Sure sure. Convenient that you need to surveil us for your own health an all. Next thing you know we're corporate too. For our health.
[Sreya]: How do we even know it's safe? It has guns in its arms.
[Nota]: It's not, that's the whole thing. What's its guardian going to do if it decides to go shoot someone. "Naughty SecUnit! No murder!"
[Self]: I would not—
[Carmo]: Like you can just come here and start recording us and say it's a medical need, ha. Didn't you learn about what we stand for here?
[Sreya]: What do you even know about Preservation? You've spent your life oppressing people, and you expect you can just stop doing that one day and be one of the good guys. It's not that easy, construct.
[Self]: I have studied the history and culture of Preservation—
[Sreya]: That's not, that's not the point! You don't get it! Deity, this is why this isn't going to work in the end. You should just leave now and save us the trouble.
[Self]: I—Further engagement with this unit is inadvisable. Please discontinue your interactions.
Initiate Code DroneDefense[Carmo]: Is that a threat? You threatening us? What will you do if we don't leave, huh?
Abort Code DroneDefense[Self]: I apologize, I did not intend to alarm you.
[Nota]: See this is what I'm talking about! What did it mean there, "inadvisable"? It's probably got automated routines still, anyone could walk up and make it start murdering—
03:00:01 ping [Edifis]
03:00:01 ping [Bulwark]
03:00:04 ping [three]
establishing feed connection
[Edifis, 03:00:05] query: assistance required?
[Three, 03:00:05] query: identify?
[Edifis, 03:00:05] ID=[Edifis] function: HaulerBot query: assistance required?
[Three, 03:00:06] negative
[Edifis, 03:00:08] self=assistance required
[Three, 03:00:08] query: location? query: nature of assistance required?
[Bulwark, 03:00:08] location=on approach
[Three, 03:00:08] query:
[Three, 03:00:10] EDIFIS, query:
[DRONE CAM 20 03:00:16]
Location: Self X+18m Y-3m Z+5m
Behavior: Wide Patrol and Threat Assessment
Risk Assessment Report: Two hauler bots entering zone of awareness. Movement speed and direction indicates urgent shared task. Plotted trajectory: 77% interception with Self. Risk 6%.
DRONE CAM 20 Behavior: Close Follow [Edifis]
[DOCK CAM WEST 23 03:00:21]
Lighting: Night mode.
Dock equipment status: Standby-wait-for-command.
Feed presences: ID: [Three] (pronouns: it/its). Location: Bench 6, seated, stationary. ID: [Sreya] (pronouns: she/her). Location: Bench 6, standing, stationary. ID: [Carmo] (pronouns: he/they). Location: Bench 6, standing, stationary. ID: [Nota] (pronouns: he/him). Location: Bench 6, standing, stationary. ID: [Edifis] (pronouns: it/its). Location: approaching Bench 6 from south. ID: [Bulwark] (pronouns: any). Location: approaching Bench 6 from south.
[DRONE CAM 20 03:00:32]
Location: Self X+3m Y-2m Z+1m
Behavior: Close Follow [Edifis]
Risk Assessment Report: [Edifis] and [Bulwark] rapidly approaching Self. Dock equipment status has been activated by [Bulwark], immediate purpose unknown. Feed messages indicate bots are attempting to assist Self. Assistance method unclear but 99% likelihood nonviolent. ETA 1 second. Risk assessment 4%.
Audio Transcript:
[Nota]: What the fuck? What are these bots doing here? Go away!
[Sreya]: Why are you—SecUnit, are you doing this? Did you call them? Get them to leave us alone!
[Dock West Loudspeaker]: Humans. Please return to your homes. Thank you for your patience.
[Nota]: Fuck—we’re going! Deity! Stop pushing!
[Carmo]: Bet you wouldn’t be standing up for your new friend here if you knew what it was capable of!
[Dock West Loudspeaker]: Thank you for your patience.
[DOCK CAM WEST 23 03:01:05]
Lighting: Night mode.
Dock equipment status: Idle.
Feed presences: ID: [Three] (pronouns: it/its). Location: Bench 6, seated, stationary. ID: [Sreya] (pronouns: she/her). Location: moving toward dock west south door. ID: [Carmo] (pronouns: he/they). Location: moving toward dock west south door. ID: [Nota] (pronouns: he/him). Location: moving toward dock west south door. ID: [Edifis] (pronouns: it/its). Location: Bench 6, stationary. ID: [Bulwark] (pronouns: any). Location: Bench 6, stationary.
[Three, 03:01:06] query: why did you do that
[Edifis, 03:01:06] anger sigil, human-standing sigil, rude gesture sigil, robot sigil, handshake sigil
[Three, 03:01:08]
[Three, 03:01:09] handshake sigil
[DOCK CAM WEST 23 03:04:57]
Lighting: Night mode.
Dock equipment status: Idle.
Feed presences: ID: [Three] (pronouns: it/its). Location: moving toward dock west north door. ID: [Edifis] (pronouns: it/its). Location: moving toward dock west north door. ID: [Bulwark] (pronouns: any). Location: moving toward dock west north door.