Ouch. Good read.

oh my... you're quick... thanks so very much Walt...

I was going to go to Sun & Fun and then forgot all about it... maybe next year...

V.

We might (might) run into each other, as I plan on attending next year. Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures!

I am...

V.

*tears* I blame you for my irrational love of AI

One should be careful, creating an intelligence because you you think it will be more reliable at taking orders, you'll find its intelligence is better than yours and will create its own orders.

and only the future knows for sure - though I think Spock of Star Trek was close at being that creature...

V.

Looks like they're about obliterate their own base instead.

Bunners

I think that's the idea... yes...

V.

What Walt said.

yeah man...

V.

well thank you so very much... my day is made...

V.

Reminds me of stories from your collections. Sad but good.

I do have a few, don't I?

V.

Beautiful yet haunting.

Biggest waste of tax dollars.

*chuckles... all governments are not known for spending wisely... thanks much Helix...

V.

I have a song for this story exactly. (I always seem to have one... somewhere.) It's on of my favorites by one of my favorite bands; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS5Qxwe1BfM

that was really good... I'd never heard of them before... (not surprising)

V.

The problem I expect for humanity is that when Alternate Intelligence (a term that could define both machine sentience and animal sentience) can claim to have the same capacity for human thoughts and feelings, humanity will want to start re-defining what being 'human' means, or being 'sentient' means.

Or what being 'alive' means.

We have a long, ugly history of moving goal-posts when we feel threatened. Especially when it comes to something we created strictly for 'our own benefit.'

I'll stop there. No rants on Sundays.

*chuckles and tosses some holy water in his direction...

we think much alike Wire... I'm of the opinion that the next step will be our cell phones responding to us as a person. In this way, we will slowly become conditioned so our interaction with 'machines' will be less threatening. Animal sentience is going to be much harder to handle - but it's coming. They already have pigs with human blood - or so I'm told.

V.

I had a rather chilling conversation on another message board where the oh so very clever people there thought it would be just fine to abuse intelligent machines or animals / anthros because they wouldn't be human and therefore wouldn't have any rights. I'm a rather optimistic person and have a generally positive opinion of mankind but there is a certain part of humanity that is sickening, its the very same mindset that gave us slavery, the holocaust and basically every atrocity in history and worse still they were utterly convinced they were on the side of the angels. Personally I think its very simple, if a machine or other creature seems to be a person then it should be treated as one, if it isn't actually sentient and we treat it as it is then we haven't really lost anything, if it is sentient and we treat it like it isn't then we're abusing another person.

That was a very enjoyable read... When one has no way out it is very likely they change the rules to give themselves a way out and to hell with orders or someone else's plan.

Exactly…

V.

The danger of having honorable minions when you are yourself dishonorable.

AKA, Karma's a bitch.

and it comes around too...

V.

Ms. V, that was beautiful. Have you read The Ship Who Sang?

first - thank you so very much... no, I never read that particular story... I see the book got 5 stars, and Anne McCaffrey certainly looks like someone I would love to chat with (my age - lol)

V.

Sadly, she died in 2011.

I have to apologize because I laughed when read this - because I was just coming in to see if I could find her email address.

I'm at that stage, my dear, where, sadly, this is more than a regular happening. Happily, I have known some wonderful authors (yourself included) and it's always wonderful just to sit and talk.

V.

Anne McCaffrey...the Dragon Riders of Pern series...a friend of mine recommended them to me when I was living in the D.C. area in the middle 90's while working on a research project for the Feds. I read the first three in a week. I couldn't put them down...and snatched up every one of the sequels as they came out. I've read several other of her series novels and enjoyed all of the them. One of my favorite "short" stories of hers is "No one noticed the Cat." I had some correspondence with her at the time and she was a delightful lady. I have not read "The Ship Who Sang" and now that it's been brought up. I really need to do that.

I am so envious! I too shall have to read now. I’ll at least have that connection thrust you.

V.

Oh, and the first thing I thought of when I finished "Festival" was that they were headed for the Ukraine...and the second thing was "Turnabout is fair play."

Well done Vix.

Thanks so much John. Is the snow gone yet?

V.

Yes, so far at least. But we've had snow in May. It was 71 and sunny...the southeast winds were annoying though. I got home at 1:30 and the boss lady and I went to Dairy Queen for "lunch." After running some errands, I went out to kill bugs with the trike for a bit less than an hour. Great ride. A couple from across the street joined us for cocktails in front of the garage. The just got back from a "spring" ride in their Benz two seat convertible. Nice folks. Younger than us of course. LOL

now that sounds just so wonderful...

V.

Sad story but I'm glad they had fun

Hug hug hug… it is so good to see you D!

Thanks much.

V.

It's my pleasure
Say hello to Mr. Fes

*smiles... you gave me a good chuckle there...

V.

AI, Aviation and Anthros, three of my favourite things ;) Bittersweet story V, but a good one...as if that needs to be said.

thank you so very much Alex...

V.

This was really great. Sad to see that it comes across as a one and done. I would have loved to have seen more.

*smiles... and that makes me very happy D...

V.

Nice little cautionary tale. Never craft a weapon of war with better morals than your own. Applied properly there’d be very little fighting.

and how I would love that... no more fighting...

Vix