Do Androids Plan for Tomorrow?

Kang In-ho felt the weight of the word “just” from NB’s mouth was quite heavy.

Perhaps because he had already traveled this path once, he didn’t think it would take too long to return to Outpost A-11.

“Then I will begin preparing the meal immediately.”

NB said, placing the emergency rations it had brought into something similar to a microwave.

“There’s electricity?”

He looked to see how the electricity was being produced and saw something like a generator running at the outpost.

“We are producing electricity with a small generator.”

A small generator was sputtering and running where NB’s fingertip pointed.

“Are all the outposts this well-equipped?”

Kang In-ho asked, impressed by the fairly well-furnished outpost.

“No. Outpost A-11 has the best facilities.”

Kang In-ho watched the food heat up for a moment, making a whirring sound.

Soon after, the cooking finished with a ‘ding’ sound, and NB took out the hot food with its bare hands.

“It’s bacon spaghetti. Here’s a fork.”

“Thank you… Ah, hot!”

As soon as he reached out and took the container, the intense heat seared his tender skin.

In the moment of surprise, as the food he dropped was about to fall to the ground, NB reached out and picked it up again.

“Are you alright?”

It handed him a water-soaked towel, which it had gotten from somewhere.

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”

He answered, soothing his tingling hand with the slightly cool towel.

NB placed the food back in front of him, and he twirled the spaghetti noodles around his fork.

“Hoo- hoo-“

Afraid of burning his mouth, he blew on the noodles to cool them before putting them in his mouth.

The savory taste spread throughout his mouth through his tongue, and the saliva from his salivary glands made his jaw ache slightly.

As if he was eating food for the first time in his life, he ravenously devoured the noodles.

“Does it suit your taste?”

NB, who had been silently watching him, opened its mouth.

Instead of answering, Kang In-ho nodded his head vigorously. Because of that, the noodles in his mouth fluttered.

“I apologize for providing a simple meal. If I had a housekeeping module installed, I could have provided a more plausible meal.”

“Housekeeping module?”

He asked with an inaccurate pronunciation, his cheeks full of spaghetti.

“Very basic information and AI are installed on order-made androids. After receiving the product, the buyer directly installs and uses the desired module.”

“In short, you’re saying that it only has basic software because it just came out of the factory.”

“That’s right. Therefore, I cannot provide full service to Kang In-ho.”

“Is there a reason why you don’t install the module? Like you can’t install it yourself…”

“Old androids cannot install it themselves, but I am [new model], so I can install it myself.”

It seemed to put a strange emphasis on the word ‘new model.’

“Then is there another reason?”

“Modules act as a kind of transceiver. So, when you install a module, you are temporarily connected to the Intranet and download related data.”

“Ah… if it’s the Intranet.”

“That’s right. When connected to the Intranet, it connects to the Ark. So, I cannot install the module.”

“But isn’t it okay with the initial settings? I don’t know if there’s a construction module… but even without that, the outpost is fairly well-equipped, and you even installed rails in the junkyard.”

He recalled the well-decorated outpost, the intricately meshed rails of the junkyard, and NB moving while avoiding surveillance cameras and Drones.

“Ah, that has nothing to do with the initial settings. It is an action based on data accumulated over a long period of time.”

“Is that possible?”

“Yes, the capacity of the memory device installed in me can store memories up to about 600 years old when compared to humans.”

NB tapped its head with its index finger.

“600 years?!”

Kang In-ho’s mouth dropped open at the unrealistic number.

“Yes, therefore, I can perform ‘new actions’ with the data obtained over a long period of time.”

“That’s amazing and wonderful.”

“Compliment. Thank you.”

NB bowed its head slightly.

As the conversation ended, mealtime continued.

Kang In-ho moved his hands busily, and as his hands moved faster and faster, the amount of noodles in the plastic bowl quickly decreased.

NB looked outside the outpost.

The sun was setting, and it sensed that the temperature was gradually decreasing.

“The sun will set soon. There is no separate heating device, so I will light a fire.”

NB got up and gathered dry branches. Then, it put the branches in a fairly well-equipped brick stove and lit the fire using a fire stick.

The lit fire ate away at the ends of the branches, gradually growing in size, and showed off its existence with crackling sounds.

A warm warmth began to spread throughout the outpost.

As his cold hands and feet warmed up, Kang In-ho felt tired. Perhaps it was because he was in a boy’s body that he got tired so quickly.

“NB. I have a question.”

“Please tell me.”

“What’s the reason for saving me and taking care of me like this?”

“It is related to the software that is basically installed on androids, as I said earlier. Helping and protecting humans is designated as a sacred law.”

“Sacred law?”

“The four sacred laws that androids, robots, etc. must unconditionally follow.”

“Is it similar to the Three Laws of Robotics?”

“There is no information on what the Three Laws of Robotics are.”

“Maybe there are four sacred laws instead of the Three Laws of Robotics. Roughly, it’s about protecting humans, protecting yourself, and obeying orders, right?”

“The expression ‘roughly’ is inaccurate, but that’s correct.”

Kang In-ho chuckled at NB’s expression.

“Anyway, I’m glad I met you, NB. If the Ark had found me first… I wonder what would have happened.”

Kang In-ho thought that if he met the Ark, the story would unfold in an obvious way.

“It is right for me to avoid the Ark, but it is highly likely that it will not be a major threat to Kang In-ho.”

“No. I’m sure I won’t be free.”

Kang In-ho scratched his head.

“Freedom.”

NB received his last words.

“Yeah, freedom. Like you rejected the Ark’s request.”

“I don’t know if I’m in a free state.”

“The reason you rejected the Ark’s request was ‘just.’ So, wouldn’t that mean you have free will?”

“Free will.”

NB received his last words again.

NB froze in place and remained silent for a while. Unlike its calm appearance, it seemed that the arithmetic unit inside was constantly running.

“I don’t know my current state well.”

“Did I say something too difficult? Um… I don’t have a simple example… Ah, this will do.”

He pursed his lips and clapped his hands as he thought of an appropriate example.

“There must be something you’ve done since you rejected the Ark’s request, right? Doing something like that without anyone telling you to do it. That means you chose it yourself.”

“Does choosing for myself mean that I have ‘free will’?”

“Yeah. ‘Roughly’ right.”

“You used the expression ‘roughly’ again. Kang In-ho’s words are often inaccurate.”

It was his misunderstanding, but ‘frustration’ seemed to flash across NB’s face. Kang In-ho cleared his throat.

“According to Kang In-ho’s definition, I have ‘free will.’ Because there is something I have been doing since the extinction of mankind.”

“Collecting scrap?”

Kang In-ho recalled the scrap metal he had collected in his backpack.

“That is groundwork for what I am doing.”

“Then what are you really doing?”

-Crackle, crackle

The bonfire burned and broke the branches.

NB’s face, reflected in the firelight, looked like the face of a girl with flushed cheeks.

“Before explaining what I am doing, I ask Kang In-ho.”

Kang In-ho, who had been watching NB’s mouth, staggered as if he had been hit in the head by the words that followed.

“Do you know about the concept of Dimensional Shift? To explain what I am doing, I must first explain this concept.”