8.16 - Suggestible | Stuck Station

8.16 - Suggestible

Jan 19 2012 Published by under Chapter Eight

Daniel was rash even by human standards. And Rachel-7 said and did whatever she wanted.

Their actions had rubbed off on him.

I must be more suggestible than I thought, Trak thought. A war machine influenced by unintentional peer pressure. Interesting.

His diagnostic subroutine offered a solution: At the next available opportunity, terminate the  impulsive creatures with extreme prejudice.

Most of his subroutines, especially the ones involved in tactical analysis, found it hard to accept that Trak wouldn’t and couldn’t kill anymore. His creator's voice wasn't the only thing that offered Trak terrible advice.

I like my friends, Trak thought.  I'd rather be highly suggestible than alone. 

The diagnostic subroutine said it understood and respected his choice. It was better at lying than Trak.

“Is this facility alive?” Trak asked.

“Omnium is an artificial material that has no organic qualities," Tour Guide said. "Since it makes up 98 percent of the facility, I can safely say the facility is not alive. The other two percent is decoration … and also not alive. Of course, a number of Ayes inhabit the structure. For example, yours truly.”

Another positive answer. Good, I haven't started a fight with someone bigger than me.

Still, Trak knew firing his weapons had been a big risk.

He resolved from this point on to analyze his prospective actions three times more than usual, bringing the total number of times to to 30,429.

“Is this facility some sort of test?” he asked, after one second and 30,429 analyses.

"No."

So, Stuck Station wasn’t a test or sacred or alive.

That covers the big three. As long as the Tour Guide's not lying. 

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