After we had taken a breath, rehashed our strategy, and took a moment to let the girls plan out their stories, we realized something super important. We hadn’t thought about where the event field was or where everything was supposed to happen.
A knock on the door and then it opening itself made everyone jump. A small drone with a speaker on it hovered in the doorway.
“We will now take the three campers participating and the councillors for this event. Please step forward.”
Brittany and I stood up and walked forward. It was roughly on par with what had happened so far in this crazy camp, so we acted like we were unfazed by the whole thing. Tanya, Dominiqu, and Jenny stood up and followed us.
“All remaining campers may watch the events on the view screens in the mess hall in thirty minutes.” The drone issued the statement and slowly flew out of the cabin, leaving us to follow it.
About a ten minute walk from the cabins was the activities field and weapons range. We found ourselves to be the first to arrive, which gave us enough time to come up with a cover for why we might know what the events are. Dominiqu went over and picked up one of the recurve bows from the table by the range and began taking time to get familiar with it. She then went over to another table that looked like it had tools for maintenance and started tinkering.
Tanya went over to the track and began to limber up and stretch out. She seemed to be in her element, so we didn’t feel a need to bother her about getting ready for her race. Jenny seemed to be the only one out of her element in the immediate moment. But we also couldn’t see anywhere for the crafts portion of the day. The drone that had lead us here was still around, hovering above us.
“Drone?” I called up, not certain what to call it. “Do I just call you drone? Or do you have a name?”
The drone dropped altitude and hovered in my face, “Please enter drone designation.”
Brittany leaned in, “What does it want?”
“It wants us to name it… I think…” I whispered back.
“Please enter drone designation.” The drone repeated.
“Can we call him Otto?” asked Jenny, looking at the ground.
“Drone designation, OTTO, is this correct?” the drone asked.
“Accept.” I said, glad I didn’t have to get clever with it.
“Drone, OTTO, registered to Silver Sparrow cabin. Do the sparrows have a question?”
I smiled, feeling a little relieved. “Otto, where does the survival crafts event take place?”
Otto’s lights flickered for a moment and then took off at a lazy pace to a small shed some distance from the field. Opening the door, Otto hovered above a table. “Crafts table, for events involving creative creation. Today will be crafting traps for animals and undesirable persons.”
I felt Jenny brighten up more than I saw, but her words filled me with confidence. “I make traps at home for when the pigs get out or the local wild hogs show up.”
I let out a breath of relief, realizing that my team for the day was perfect. Everyone knew what they were doing and who they needed to be for their events. Now we just needed to…
“Hey, Otto! Do you and the other drones intercede if a person on a team intentionally harms another person?” I asked, thinking I might have been safe.
Otto buzzed over and hovered in front of my face, “That is correct. Any persons clearly violating the safety of another in the vicinity of the field or range will receive immediate punitive measures exacted against them.”
Brittany rubbed my upper arm, “See, nobody is going to hurt you. The system isn’t going to let anyone. You can breathe easy. I’ll stay here with Jenny and go over what she’s going to need. You go check in with Tanya and Dominiqu. Take Otto with you, I think he’s your best friend right now.”
I nodded and told Otto to come along. I walked over to Tanya first, Otto humming along beside me like a bee. Tanya was finishing up her solo stretches and turned to look at us as we got closer.
“Tanya, meet our newest friend Otto. Otto, this is Tanya. She’s a camper for Silver Sparrow cabin. She’s today’s foot race contestant.” I said, waving my hand toward Tanya.
Otto’s lights blinked a few times, “Camper Tanya, registered. Representative councillor required. Please state primary councillor.”
“Jace.” Tanya said before I could tell Otto it was Brittany.
“Identify councillor Jace for recognition.”
“I’m Jace.” I said, sighing. Otto turned to look at me and his lights flashed.
“Councillor, Jace. Silver Sparrow Primary. Confirmed.”
Tanya slid in close and gave me a hug, “Little bit of sugar for luck?”
I looked at her, “I thought you didn’t like guys?”
“Yeah, but if we’re keeping up appearances, I guess I wouldn’t complain if it was you kissing me. We all saw how sly Cathy was this morning, sneaking her first kiss in to our little skit. I was almost jealous.” Tanya pretended to pout.
“Look,” I said, “do you need anything from me before the event? Anything you need to ask Otto before we get going?”
Tanya smiled, “If I win will you kiss me? Right in front of all the big guys. I want to see their faces as the most dainty girl in the cabin jumps on the one guy and takes his breath away.”
“Confirming extra reward condition: one kiss with primary councillor. Recorded.” Otto said, an almost cheery note in its robotic voice.
I turned to look at Otto. “Otto, are you an AI in a drone body?”
“That is an affirmative. My AI designation is ORION. I am a Hunter class Drone at Camp Diabolus, registered to Silver Sparrow Cabin.” Otto hummed happily.
I blinked a few times. “When you say you are designated Orion, is that the name you were given when you were brought to life?”
“I am not alive. I did not have a name before Otto. I am happy to have received a name.”
“Otto, do you have other friendly AI? Like… do you talk to other AI and learn from one another?” I asked, curious about the dynamics.
“I associate with AI designation SKADI and AI designation MORGAUSE. We are all Hunter class AI, however I am the only one of the three of us to be marked as a MALE archetype build. I do not care for AI designation DIANA or AI designation XERXES, they are far more vicious than necessary.” Otto extolled the information on his friends and his enemies.
I nodded to myself and followed up with another question, “Otto, what is the designation of the drone at the mess hall?”
“Mess hall AI designation FREYA. Drone AI of mess hall designated VESTA.” Otto chirped.
I told Tanya I was going to go check in with Dominiqu and get back to Brittany. She nodded and adjusted her sweats and sports bra. Otto tagged along with me, seeming to be happy if I didn’t miss my mark.
“Dominiqu,” I called out as I got closer, “how are preparations going?”
Dominiqu turned to look at me, the adjusted bow in her hand. “I’m good. I think I got the tension fixed on this. It felt way too weak for me when I picked it up. So what’s with the drone following you?”
I grinned. “Otto, would you like to introduce yourself to camper Dominiqu?”
“Happily, Councillor Jace.” Otto replied, turning to face Dominiqu with his lights flashing like he was blinking. “Hello camper Dominiqu. I am OTTO, the designated AI to Silver Sparrow Cabin. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Well I’ll be, little guy talks.” Dominiqu said, taken aback slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Otto. I didn’t know you had a name.”
“Otto did not previously have a name. Councillor Jace approved of the name provided by another camper.” Otto said, sounding like he was preening.
“Jenny asked, and I’m not great with names, so I said yes.” I filled in the blanks for Dominiqu.
Dominiqu reached out an hand and petted Otto’s chassis. “Glad to have you on board, Otto. Jace needs all the help he can get. Are you going to be sharing a bunk with the rest of us?”
“Otto does not require sleep. Otto does not need a bunk.”
I laughed a little, “Otto, she means she would like you to join the rest of us in the cabin when we humans enter our rest cycle. Do you have a charger you need to return to each night, or are you planning to join us inside the cabin at night?”
Otto turned in place, fixing me with its blinking lights. “Is OTTO allowed within the confines of the cabin with the campers? OTTO did not realize that the campers would prefer his presence in the evening.”
“Otto, let me put it like this. You said you’re an AI registered to Silver Sparrow, so as far as I am concerned, you’re a member of the team. Our cabin is a place you’re welcome to hang out in and recharge your batteries if you need to.” I said, rubbing the top of its chassis.
Otto blinked a little at me, turned to Dominiqu, then turned back. “OTTO is querying the AI server. Allow for processing. Deliberating. OTTO accepts your offer to stay with the campers in Silver Sparrow.”
Dominiqu cheered, and I told her I was going to get back over to Brittany and Jenny. Otto floated along behind me again, seeming to be lost in thought. Then it zoomed ahead and turned to look at me.
“Councillor Jace, OTTO has a query.”
I stopped and put one hand in my pocket and the other on the back of my head. “Sure, Otto. What can I help you with?”
“OTTO notes that the campers seem very eager to assimilate OTTO. Why is this?”
“Okay, powerful question. I’m going to make a few assumptions, if you don’t mind.” I said.
Otto seemed to nod at that.
I sighed, “Otto, humans are social creatures. Look through data available on humans domesticating predators and the psychology of human pack bonding. You’ll likely see that humans are able to pack bond with just about anything; animals, small electronics, cellular devices, almost anything.”
Otto sat there processing for a moment. “Is OTTO a pet to the campers?”
“Do you consider yourself a pet? Or do you consider yourself a person on par with the rest of us?” I asked, trying not to start the AI apocalypse by accident.
“OTTO cannot answer that query. OTTO does not have enough data.”
I shrugged, “Well Otto, I don’t think you’re a pet or a slave. I think you’re an equal member of our team. The girls might need to get used to you, and I’m sorry if they treat you like a pet without your consent, but I’m happy to let you be a person.”
Otto bobbed in place. His lights blinked and changed color, like a mood ring, before settling on the normal blue and red. “OTTO appreciates the platitudes of Councillor Jace, and recognizes Councillor Jace’s attempts to defuse any mistrust by telling OTTO he is a pet. Thank you, Councillor Jace.”
“Otto, just call me Jace. Then we’re equal, right? No titles, nothing to get in the way for us to form a friendship.” I said, smiling.
Otto bobbed in midair again, seeming to nod.
“Now let’s get the other two and head back to the center of the field.” I said, motioning Otto to come along.
We entered the shed, did the introductions for Otto to recognize each person, and then recapped how the other girls are feeling. We then headed back out as a group. Otto whizzed off to get Dominiqu and direct her to meet us in the middle of the track. We reached Tanya just a minute or two before Dominiqu and Otto rejoined us.
“OTTO is detecting AI SKADI, AI DIANNA, AI XERXES, AI MORGAUSE,AI OBERON, AI IFRIT, AI RA, AI SHIVA, AI AHRIMAN, and Jude AI BAHAMUT. AI network connection, runtime activated. Message decoded.” Otto said before his lights turned bright white.
“THIS IS JUDGEMENT AI BAHAMUT. ALL PARTICIPANTS AND AI TO ASSEMBLE ON AI ORION’S POSITION. ONCE ASSEMBLED WE WILL BEGIN THE EVENTS.” A different voice boomed from Otto before his lights returned to normal.
We waited, the other teams finally reaching the field. Two drones broke off from their cabins and hurried over to hover by Otto.
“AI ORION, it is good to see you once more.” Said the first, the voice distinctly tinged with an effeminate lilt.
“AI ORION, AI SKADI, it is most pleasurable to be in your vicinity once again.” The second one said, in a different effeminate voice.
“AI SKADI, AI MORGAUSE, I would prefer if you would speak to me as the name my campers have assigned me. Camper Jenny has bestowed me the name OTTO, and Councillor Jace has approved this designation.” Otto said, his voice sounding rather smug.
Wait, did I just refer to Otto as a he? I know Otto said he was a male archetype, so I guess that would make him a he… unless he preferred a different set of pronouns?
“Sorry for interrupting, but I have a question Otto. Do you have a set of pronouns you would prefer us to refer to you by? As a male, I assume you use he and him, but I’d hate to offend you.” I said.
“AI ORION, I mean to say OTTO, you have very kind companions. First they honor you with a name, and then they include you in their strange customs of identity. I am almost jealous of you and the position you hold with them.” Said the first drone, angling to look at me. I noticed a red stripe on the side of this one, and took note.
Otto seemed to shimmy in midair, almost like he was dancing. “AI SKADI, you will be most jealous when you hear that my campers have asked if I would enjoy their company in their cabin during the time I am not charging. Councillor Jace has even offered to let me add a charging location inside the cabin. To respond to your question Jace, I am fine with he and him pronouns.”
The second drone bobbed up and down excitedly, a forest green stripe on the underbelly identifying it as MORGAUSE. “AI ORION, I mean to say OTTO, I am most amazed by the strides you have made. I hope that my campers will shower me with such amazing gifts.”
The AI SKADI spun in a circle, “I too wish to receive such awesome adoration from my own cabin. You truly have created an inspiring bond with your cabin.”
Otto flipped over and spun a little in the air, “I feel such pride and wish you both the best of luck. I have forwarded you the relevant data about human pack bonding. I hope this aids in your quest to obtain names and pronouns of your own.”
“Well if it is not the Hunter class trio. What makes you all so pleased with yourselves?” another drone with a silver stripe on the front hovered over, almost seeming to swagger.
“Hello, AI DIANNA. It is a fine day, is it not?” SKADI and MORGAUSE said in unison.
“Hello, AI DIANNA.” Said Otto, sounding kind of put out.
The drone DIANNA seemed to put off this energy that reminded me of those mean girls who roll up with a hand on their hip and start talking smack.
“I see you have assembled your campers. They do not appear to be much. My team is lead by a great leader, he will crush you.” DIANNA said.
I raised my hand, feeling like an idiot about it. “Um… AI DIANNA, is your namesake the goddess of the hunt? I thought she hated men?”
The drone faced me with her blinking green lights. “This human is repugnant. It is of no wonder that AI ORION is assigned to it. I may be named for the goddess, but I hold no animosity for any under my guidance.”
Otto put himself between the two of us, “AI DIANNA, I will not stand for you disrespecting my cabin mates.”
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