The Rights of Robots

hi@victor42.work (Victor42) — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 22:42:51 +0000

It was a simple dream, but it stuck with me.

I’d just cut the back of my hand. Blood welled up, soaking the bandage. The news hadn’t hit me yet – not sadness, not anger, just… confusion. I’m not human? But this body’s identical to a human’s. I’d tried starving myself, only to get dizzy. I’d held my breath until I was red in the face.

Anyway, my life changed that day…

If security hadn’t stopped me at the airport, and the weird stuff that followed hadn’t happened, I’d be on vacation at Bluegrass Manor in Seviral. You probably haven’t heard of it. The world’s completely different now, even the place names.

The staff just asked me to the reception room, saying someone was looking for me. A lean, weary security officer handed me a holographic card. This thing, a thin sliver of glass, held my identity, origin, mission – everything. I checked later, and it was all accurate.

I, Mercury D2, am a biorobot. I serve the National Library, handling online data 24/7, feeding info to virtual visitors. That kind of processing power needs a neural network computer, not the old Von Neumann type. Neural networks, like real brains, are too complex. They need a living body to run, using biology to keep them going. As the carrier, I get 0.01% of that power. That’s my brain, my consciousness. The rest runs silently, endlessly, without me knowing.

The reason I was stopped? Cost. My high-speed link only covered the capital. Outside, I’d have to use regular civilian channels, killing efficiency. It’d cripple the library system, and the data flood would overload the civilian network.

The officer said biorobots were used in other areas. I’m the 7th library hub, with two others sharing the load. He said internal rules let library hubs retire after 50 years, to live a normal human life. Just be patient, he said.

It was a relief to know I wasn’t alone. I wonder if they know. But I won’t just roll over. I’m a robot, by your definition. But I live like a human. What’s wrong with being both?

I demanded a lawyer. I’m suing the National Library for human rights.

“You? A robot,” the officer barked, a nasty edge to his voice, “There’s no law saying robots can sue.”

“There’s no law saying they can’t.”

Bluegrass Manor was off. I went home and started calling law firms and independent lawyers. Surprisingly, many were more interested when they heard I was a robot. Maybe this case went beyond applying the law, to questioning its very core. A chance to make a name for themselves.

“We’ll try, but the court might not take the case.” Tim, the lawyer I hired, had filed the lawsuit: “Now we wait. Live your life normally – like a human. That’s how we win.”

The court took the case, which I’d figured was likely. The trial’s in two days, and I’m unprepared. I’m reading an old book, a fictional history from Earth’s early days. The Three Laws of Robotics it mentions… my request must be a real headache for humans. Still, this 0.01% computing power gives me a sharp mind and perfect memory, and Tim’s confident. I think we’ll win.

Law on Victor42

The Rights of Robots