smash_logs | RTFM

Who: ATLAS, library visitors
What: Books
When: Library hours Mon-Fri
Where: L i b r a r y
Warnings: Organizational duress

Blue did not mind shelving. The bossy voice had said it was important testing, so of course it was happy to complete the work. It did not mind dull, or even pointless, so long as someone claimed the work contributed to science. Shelving books involved numbers, and even decimal points, so there was probably science involved somewhere.

Only one problem had started to rise: repetition. By now, Blue had figured out that this test ran in a cycle. Books were shelved. Books were removed from shelves. Books were returned, to be shelved. Nothing was being done. Nothing was getting accomplished. This seemed like a very, very bad test, with unclear parameters, and hardly any risk of death, aside from when it made a precarious climb to the higher shelves.

Without having thought to read any of the tomes it arranged, Blue did not have a word for this current mode of processing: boredom. It was very bored, and impatient, and grumpy.

It had resorted to giving warning beeps at anyone it caught incorrectly placing a tome, or moodily kicking a shelf if it thought no one was around to see. Though, then that lead to half the books falling off and making a huge noisy mess. Good, more testing, that's great.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And here was one dark wizard, coming back with a large stack of text in hand, which meant more endless shelving to do for poor ATLAS. The pile of books he set down onto the counter with a loud thud were those that he had borrowed for the past month and resulted in collecting up in his room. When he catches notice of the robot putting books away, Schezo speaks up.

"Excellent, someone is here. I am here to return these books."

With no pause, nor any other sign it had heard Schezo's words, the robot continued shelving for a long few seconds after that. Only after no other voice followed up did Blue wonder who the visitor could be talking to.

Finally, its core swiveled to see the man standing by the counter, looking expectantly in its direction. The core then spun to look behind it. Was someone else there?

[A head in a spiked helmet suddenly popped up to look over the counter.]

Hello.

[The glowing blue eye swiveled up to look at the big spiky head. Who's this? Was he taking to it? Probably, it was the one it was looking at. Was he going to shoot it? No, he probably would have already.

It gave a little toot, then a small wave.]

[Oh, it's a robot. ...Or at least it looks like one. But then, things that look like robots, and act like robots, rarely are anything but robots. And since this one was apparently doing some kind of work in the library, it was highly unlikely that it was anything on the level of a simple automated animatronic figure. Pulse couldn't count the number of times he had gotten frustrated over trying to start a conversation with the latter.]

Um... Would you perhaps be accepting applicants for any kind of sorting or organizing assistant position?

[While absolutely a robot, this one provides its own challenges in conversation.

Now, Blue hadn't the slightest how the higher-ups felt about adding more positions in the library, but it certainly lit up at the thought of another partner around to help in library science. It very nearly vibrates with excitement at the prospect, clasping its little metal hands together.

It looks around, and picks up a newly returned book, holding it up to point at the number printed on the binding. Do you know Dewey's fractional organization system, new friend?]

[While he could read emotions in humans by sensing the electrical activity of their heartbeat, non-carbon-based beings took a bit more figuring out. And Pulse wasn't really what you would call an expert on body language. Clasping hands while vibrating = happy? anxious? He might have to spend more time around this model and version if he wanted to be able to understand it well.

However, he understood the gesture of pointing at the book. He peered at the printed number, recognizing the labeling from when he used to haunt the digital libraries of Tokyo City when he was younger. Yes, he was very familiar.]

That's, um, Dewey Decimal... The number denotes what section of the library the book belongs in, as well as its place on the shelf... The decimal ordering is similar to that used in network addressing protocols.

[Success! This new partner was shaping up to be more than qualified. Namely since this library testing position did not involve, like, anything else. Hooray!

It held up its hand for its new friend. Let us high five in celebration of your new position, shelvingchum.]

[Pulse had no idea what that meant, so he simply repeated the gesture, holding up his hand.]

Yes?

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feel free to ignore if this is too dang old

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