5th slide

[freeslider]

So I guess there a lot of people here from Earth - or different versions of Earth - and it got me curious. See...and this might sound kind of wild, but, for the last year or so I've been traveling between parallel version of Earth. My friends and I call it sliding. There's hundreds or maybe even thousands of parallel worlds, but what if I've been to some of yours and didn't even know it. Of course, it might be kind of hard to tell, since we were kind of limited to Los Angeles and San Francisco, but it's worth a shot. I like hearing about it anyway.

If you're up for it, you could fill out this survey, or just tell me whatever you want, that's fine too

• Where on Earth are you from?
• What year was it?
• What is the government like?
• What is the economy like?
• What is the technology like?
• What is a recent or especially notable event in history?
• Is there anything else unique about your Earth that you can think of?

There's one last question, and it's a bit more...specific to me...but I have to ask. I guess it's the real reason for all this. But, well, sometimes my friends and I run into parallel versions of ourselves. Doubles. And if there's one of for every world, maybe you guys have one too.

• Have you even met someone named Quinn Mallory?

Comments

[freeslider]

[Pretty much her sentiment exactly]

...robots, huh?

[whistles_the_blues]

Robots.

They were already common there, but they were all bound to specific programming and couldn't think for themselves.

[He'll pause before adding in.]

Except for me.

[freeslider]

You're a robot?

[whistles_the_blues]

That's what I just said.

The first capable of independent thought in the world I came from.

[freeslider]

What were you designed for?

[whistles_the_blues]

Combat. I'm a military grade prototype.

[He was also designed to be some guys son, but that's not something he likes to talk about.]

[freeslider]

Why combat? It seems like, of all the things people would could, they wouldn't chose the first robot to give that ability be the one that can fight them.

[whistles_the_blues]

Military funding goes a long way. There were a few different agendas at work when it came to my creation. I don't think I'm exactly what the military had in mind when they went looking to have a new robot designed.

[freeslider]

Were they mad when they found out?

[whistles_the_blues]

They didn't seem to mind that much... Only because there were other complications when it was tested. They figured something simpler might use less power and be more effective.

[freeslider]

Making you think for yourself is simpler?

[whistles_the_blues]

No, after my initial test run they asked for simpler machines based on my design.

They thought the the whole "thinking for myself" bit used too much power and led to a malfunction in my power core.

[freeslider]

But what really did?

[whistles_the_blues]

It was faulty from the start. An imbalance.

[freeslider]

It couldn't have been too catastrophic. But maybe they saw what they wanted to see.

What happened to you after that?

[whistles_the_blues]

[He'll grunt a little at that. Finding out about the imbalance ended up turning his world upside down.]

I left the lab I was built in. Traveled for a few years.

[More like he ran away.] </>

[freeslider]

Travel can help. Where you looking for anything in particular?

[whistles_the_blues]

Nothing in particular. It was just something I wanted to do, so I did.

[freeslider]

That's usually the best reason to do anything. And it matters that you had the ability to want to do it at all.

[whistles_the_blues]

It's certainly an ability I wouldn't want to lose.

[freeslider]

I think that counts for most people.