Melissa: Are you sure about this??
The gang were walking behind the robot named Hershel. Hershel had asked them to follow him, and they had gladly agreed. Well, not all of them. It was just Max. Hershel wanted to show them something and decided to do it.
Max started following him, completely trusting the android. But the same couldn't be said for the other four. Since they weren't aware of Artificial Intellignece or Robots, and electricity in general, they were pretty doubtful, expecting a betrayal.
Max: Relax...he is a robot!! He will do what we command him to. It's not an actual person...
Max smiled at them, reassuring them.
Max: Although that sounds evil, and I should probably start treating him as a loving being rather than a machine.....and living being, he is not!! Yeah, this is quite a dilemma...
Max talked to himself mostly, and others couldn't care less. It was only Chuck who was curios about all this.
Chuck: Umm...Max..?? What is a "machine"?
Chuck had a brilliant question that Max wanted to answer. He opened his mouth, but couldn't answer. He was still thinking on how to explain machines, on caveman terms (and they weren't cavemen)
Hershel: Allow me to explain, young Master Westwood...
Chuck: You can call me Chuck...
Hershel: I see. I will correct that in my future conversations.....Chuck. But as for your question...I can explain it..
Max nodded, understanding that he would be best suited to explaining it. They were currently climbing metal stairs, and since it was hollow inside, a clinging sound echoed through the plain metal walls all around them. As they were ascending to the next floor, Hershel continued his explanation.
Hershel: How do you all, light a fire??
Melissa: You mean...like firewood? We just rub two pieces of wood, and enough friction causes the light to become fire...
Chuck: My village just used stones.
Hershel: That does sound like most of the process. But what if I say that there are objects that humans can create, that light up fire without doing all the work..?
Lin: Something like a Blessing...or magic??
Hershel: Something...like science...
Hershel looked at them, climbing the stairs behind him, and it almost looked like he was smiling, despite not having any facial expressions.
Max: I don't think that's gonna be useful to explain to a bunch of magic users. You should try a different analogy then a simply lighter buddy...
Hershel: I see....How about an oven..?
Max: And you think that will help HOW??!
Max almost snapped at him for trying to explain something complicated. But finally Max found a way to tell them.
Max: Just imagine machines as objects that can do magic, but it was created by humans using stuff that already exists and placed in such a way that it does specific said stuff...an oven heats food, a washing machine washes our clothes for us, a phone helps us talk to someone on the other side of the world. There are...or were...several machines for different purposes in the world!!
Max had a good answer for the question, but he didn't know if he made the point and got it across the room. They all stared blankly at Max, and Max sighed.
Chuck: I think I kinda get it. So .....Hershel is also a machine made by a human whose purpose is to talk and move like us...?? Is that why you trust him?? Because they can only follow the certain rules they already have??
Max: Finally!!!! Someone gets it!!
Max was relieved that someone finally understood his statements. He was relieved and glad. Lin also slowly nodded.
Lin: I think I understand stuff, based on what Chuck said...so that Hernkel guy can be trusted because he can't betray us??
Hershel: It's Hershel.
Lin: I don't care..
Melissa: And you said it doesn't have emotions....what did you mean??
Max: Umm...it's tough to explain that...
Max also didn't know a lot about Artificial Intelligence, so he couldn't think of a way to explain it without hurting Hershel. Although he didn't know if Hershel had feelings in the first place. But he was equally terrified about A.I. taking over the planet.
We are here...Masters Max, Chuck, Melissa, Albert and Len.
Lin: Umm...it's Lin!!
Hershel: I don't care...
Hershel looked back at Lin, and even in his unmovable face was a smirk. Lin got pissed off and Chuck and Max were laughing it out.
Max: That was a great one Hershel!!!!
Chuck: Ha ha ha!! I'm liking this machine a lot!!!
Albert just stood there, still untrusting. Melissa was also smiling and when Lin glared at her, she just turned away and looked at the walls, whistling..
Max: But like....where are we..??
Max finally stopped laughing and got up. He then asked the funny robot on what he meant by we are here.
The room was a semi hemisphere. There were what seemed like monitors. Huge ones, and three of them. One in the middle and two on each sides.
There was a huge keyboard and a lot of buttons on the table like structure below it. Some of the wires were visible too.
Hershel: Welcome to the Command Centre of this particular Dome. Here we can control the flying systems and go in the air!!
Max's eyes widened and brightened.
Max: You mean to tell me....that this ship...can even become a flying spaceship???!?!?!??!?!