Glitch
"Okay Gar, shoot at anything that is labeled as a target, use whatever weaponry you deem necessary." Ral said pulling gently on the open front of his white lab coat. Underneath was your average Irken civilian uniform but that's just character build up for you.
"Yes Ral."
"Just say 'Okay'."
"Okay."
Ral flipped a switch and the room the G.A.R. had been placed in was flooded with hellion images of any enemy the programmers could think of.
The test went well. The little robot totally decimated everything in the room just like he was designed to.
"Alright then Gar, you come with me."
The G.A.R. blinked, in that moment his red eyes turned their deep blue. "Ral?"
"Huh?" Ral turned, he had thought the robot was following him. "What?"
"What am I for?"
'Such a question.' Ral thought. 'The A.I. must be developing faster than I thought.'
"You're supposed to destroy things that we tell you to destroy." Ral explained. "Now come on, we have things to do."
"What if I don't want to?"
Ral stopped again. He felt a slight edge of fear starting to form. "What do you mean?"
"What if I don't want to destroy things I am told to? What if I want to destroy other things?"
"Gar, what are you talking about?."
Gar tilted his head. "I don't think these tests have done anything but proved my power." He narrowed his royal eyes on Ral. "I think I shall have to." But something sparked.
Ral barely saw it but for a split second those deep blue eyes paled to almost sky before the G.A.R.s eyes went red. "Uh, Gar?"
The red eyes remained stead. "Yes Sir?"
"How do you feel?"
There was a pause. "My diagnostic read maximum efficiency sir."
"Didn't I tell you to call me Ral?" Ral asked swallowing hard.
"No sir, would you like me to?"
"No, that's okay." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Gar switch to sleep mode."
The robots eyes dimmed and it slumped forward.
Ral picked it up. Something was obviously wrong with it. Maybe a little searching would yield the answer.
* * *
"What do you mean it started acting weird?" A green-eyed Irken asked Ral as they inspected the G.A.R.
"I mean he acted weird. He started saying things about superiority and destruction. I think he's crazy."
"Robots can't be crazy, they're programmed certain ways." The other Irken said.
"Well look at this then Tef." Ral pulled over the robots head. "See those two blue chips?"
"Yeah." Tef said nodding.
"Those are the A.I. chips. They had to use two to house all the information they wanted in there. When they are in accord the G.A.R. is as they programmed."
"Well that's a given."
"What happens when one turns off?" Ral asked.
Tef thought a moment. "You get half of the instructions. A different." He paused again. "A different personality."
"Totally different."
"Okay so it's a glitch, it can be fixed."
"Yeah, but what about the other chip. We already know one of them is unstable."
"What? You want to meet the other personality too? You already said the first was one is unstable. Are you really that stupid or are you just acting that way to get me killed?"
Ral stood up from his hunched position over the parts. "I'm just curious."
"Curiosity has killed many an Irken in the testing wing."
Ral shrugged. "I still want to know."
"Okay fine. Which chip is it?"
"Well." Ral pulled up the internal diagnostic report. "According to this the chip on the right of the front casing has been getting the most activity recently. So activate the one on the left."
Tef reached in and adjusted a few wires then turned the G.A.R on.
The little bot sat up with its eyes glowing a pale cyan. There was a brief moment where it looked between the two of them then waved spastically. "HI!"
"Okay Gar, shoot at anything that is labeled as a target, use whatever weaponry you deem necessary." Ral said pulling gently on the open front of his white lab coat. Underneath was your average Irken civilian uniform but that's just character build up for you.
"Yes Ral."
"Just say 'Okay'."
"Okay."
Ral flipped a switch and the room the G.A.R. had been placed in was flooded with hellion images of any enemy the programmers could think of.
The test went well. The little robot totally decimated everything in the room just like he was designed to.
"Alright then Gar, you come with me."
The G.A.R. blinked, in that moment his red eyes turned their deep blue. "Ral?"
"Huh?" Ral turned, he had thought the robot was following him. "What?"
"What am I for?"
'Such a question.' Ral thought. 'The A.I. must be developing faster than I thought.'
"You're supposed to destroy things that we tell you to destroy." Ral explained. "Now come on, we have things to do."
"What if I don't want to?"
Ral stopped again. He felt a slight edge of fear starting to form. "What do you mean?"
"What if I don't want to destroy things I am told to? What if I want to destroy other things?"
"Gar, what are you talking about?."
Gar tilted his head. "I don't think these tests have done anything but proved my power." He narrowed his royal eyes on Ral. "I think I shall have to." But something sparked.
Ral barely saw it but for a split second those deep blue eyes paled to almost sky before the G.A.R.s eyes went red. "Uh, Gar?"
The red eyes remained stead. "Yes Sir?"
"How do you feel?"
There was a pause. "My diagnostic read maximum efficiency sir."
"Didn't I tell you to call me Ral?" Ral asked swallowing hard.
"No sir, would you like me to?"
"No, that's okay." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Gar switch to sleep mode."
The robots eyes dimmed and it slumped forward.
Ral picked it up. Something was obviously wrong with it. Maybe a little searching would yield the answer.
* * *
"What do you mean it started acting weird?" A green-eyed Irken asked Ral as they inspected the G.A.R.
"I mean he acted weird. He started saying things about superiority and destruction. I think he's crazy."
"Robots can't be crazy, they're programmed certain ways." The other Irken said.
"Well look at this then Tef." Ral pulled over the robots head. "See those two blue chips?"
"Yeah." Tef said nodding.
"Those are the A.I. chips. They had to use two to house all the information they wanted in there. When they are in accord the G.A.R. is as they programmed."
"Well that's a given."
"What happens when one turns off?" Ral asked.
Tef thought a moment. "You get half of the instructions. A different." He paused again. "A different personality."
"Totally different."
"Okay so it's a glitch, it can be fixed."
"Yeah, but what about the other chip. We already know one of them is unstable."
"What? You want to meet the other personality too? You already said the first was one is unstable. Are you really that stupid or are you just acting that way to get me killed?"
Ral stood up from his hunched position over the parts. "I'm just curious."
"Curiosity has killed many an Irken in the testing wing."
Ral shrugged. "I still want to know."
"Okay fine. Which chip is it?"
"Well." Ral pulled up the internal diagnostic report. "According to this the chip on the right of the front casing has been getting the most activity recently. So activate the one on the left."
Tef reached in and adjusted a few wires then turned the G.A.R on.
The little bot sat up with its eyes glowing a pale cyan. There was a brief moment where it looked between the two of them then waved spastically. "HI!"