deercountry | Welcome to the Satellite of Love!

[ Oh, hello batkitties. K obliges the mewing and reaches up to pet the pair.

The Turing Test. That receives a(n almost comically) blank look from him for a moment, as though he isn't sure what to say to that. It isn't anything personal, he just hadn't expected such a suggestion. Soon there's a slight, wry smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, but he's fighting it. ]

I don't think I need a cheat sheet for beating the Turing Test. [ Because he's been off-baseline for years, thanks in large part to a certain deity of technology unshackling him. No more serving humans as an obedient slave... at least as long as he remains in Trench. Best not to dwell on it. He resumes petting the batcats in an effort not to. ] I'm looking for anything that might help me with self-maintenance. Failing that— anything that seems interesting, I guess. [ Which reading about AI from other universes would be, among other things. ] I'd also take any fiction recommendations you might have? Any genre.

[ Because why not indulge a little while he's here? He's bound to end up with quite a stack before he leaves the place and will treasure them all, he's always loved books. ]

[both batkittens respond enthusiastically, purring loudly and swooping in a little closer for forehead bumps.

well, she doesn't know that that he has no need for that test, that he'd pass it with flying colors. doesn't know he's a Replicant, honestly, and would need to have that concept explained to her. much to her horror when she'd find out they were being used as slaves.

and the kittens continue to purr happily. sappy cat faces, all around]

Self...mainten--are you--oh, wow, I really put my foot in my mouth, didn't I? I'm sorry. [and she looks more than a little sheepish] Okay! Those, we actually do have, they're. Well, they're in the technology section. And fiction, hmmm...ever read any Margaret Atwood? Sherri Tepper? Joyce Carol Oates? Octavia Butler? All very complex writers who like to play with genre traditions in new and different ways. One of Joyce Carol Oates' books even got selected to be an Oprah book, but don't let that get you down, it's a really good book.

[ Oh noooo, not the purring and forehead bumps... Now there's no helping it, he's just too weak to cat affection. Offering his hands up as perches for the batkittens, he's going to invite them to go with him while he browses the books. This is already a significant step up from the last bookstore he'd visited. ]

It's all right, your recommendations make up for it.

[ Like any good bibliophile he's at least cursorily familiar with all of the authors, and liked the works he'd already read by them, so the recommendations he's less familiar with are promising. And indeed he doesn't appear upset by the accidental faux pas — it's her reaction to finding out he's a form of AI himself that matters. She seems to be taking it in stride, so that's good. ]

Thanks for those. I have read works by a couple of them, actually. Are there any must-reads you think I should pick up first? [ The Oprah reference unfortunately goes right over his head, and he awkwardly asks: ] An Oprah book—? I'm not sure I follow.

[when offered perches, Nosferatmew and Mewnos immediate accept them, still purring. and they're good cats, they let themselves be carried at will]

Thank you, I appreciate that.

[she reads a lot of science fiction and alternate history books by women. she's a big fan of the Bechtel test, and they usually pass. and why would she have a negative reaction to him being an AI. he's been completely polite and a gentleman]

Let's see...I assume you've already read 'The Handmaid's Tale,' that's a classic. 'Alias Grace' is another good one by Atwood. As for Butler...she's a hard one, since pretty much everything she's written is amazing and thought-provoking. I'd probably start with 'Parable of the Sower,' it starts out as total dystopia and suffering, but there's a character who might be able to save humanity from itself. And Tepper's probably the most obscure, but I love 'Gibbon's Decline and Fall,' it follows this group of women from the nineteen sixties into the future with alien contact on the side.

[ Having little animals trust him like this sort of makes him feel like one of those storybook princesses, not that he'll probably admit as much. Mainly because he assumes people would find it odd that he reads children's literature... but not everyone has had the privilege of a childhood in which to enjoy such things.

He's often found echoes of his own lived experience and feelings as a slave in the narratives of both real and fictional human women, and tends to relate to them far more easily than he ever can with human men protagonists. So the book recommendations are perhaps more apt than the proprietor even realises. ]

I'll look for all of them, thank you very much. [ His gratitude is also reflected in the appreciative smile he offers, though it becomes a little teasing as he adds: ] Can't deny that I'm half-tempted to sneak these little ones out with the books. [ Referring to the batkittens, of course, who already have him wrapped around their tiny paws. ] Now — where might I find that technology section?

[and Lexi's just plain thrilled to have little animals. back home, her mom's allergic to pretty much any pet. and Cassie doesn't like cats or dogs very much. so the second she heard batcats she was hooked.

and Lexi's in favor of destroying the patriarchy, so she tends to read a lot of science-fiction written by women. they don't tend to glorify war and conquest and women as "rewards" for being big, strong men]

Sure, it's my pleasure! [and the teasing makes her grin widen] I dunno, you might have to get in line to try. These sweeties are reason enough to get people in the door. [as if to punctuate it, the batcats gently headbutt his shoulders, cat for "we like you, come visit anytime"] And it's right over here, let me lead the way. [and she does. it's actually a rather huge section, considering that it was covering technology from all of the possible earths]

It's not hard to see why. [ And K is even more susceptible to kindness and affection than the average person, with much of his life having been devoid of both. Now a year out from his partner's disappearance, affection is once again a rarity and makes him appreciate moments like this all the more. In other words, it won't take any convincing to get him to return to the bookstore.

Each batkitten receives more gentle petting as he follows Lexi to the requested section, surprise registering on his face when he takes in the amount of books available. Even if there may not be anything that specifically addresses his own maintenance, it's still more than he could've hoped for. This is basically wonderland for him. ]

So many... [ It's clear he's impressed, and he wastes no time in getting lost in the aisles. But he isn't going to be rude — continuing their conversation while he browses. It's the same way he likes to be treated at the tavern he tends bar at: not as a booze dispenser, but as a person. ]

Do you choose all of these yourself? [ Even more impressive, if so. Then he hazards a guess: ] Were you a book collector in your home universe?

Batcats are probably the best animals here. [she would feel awful if she knew that his partner was gone. there were so many people here who had lost a beloved and had no guarantee of ever seeing each other again, even as squids.

and each batcat pretty much vibrate with purrs when he does. she does notice the surprise when he sees the section and hopes that it's a nice surprise. there were so many books on the subject and with rare exceptions (she couldn't possibly pass up the chance to read some of the books on the subject since it didn't apply to her own circumstances]

I know! The trade ships have all kinds of books to choose from, though, I pay attention to every book I get. [with a small laugh] I figure there's a chance for every book to find a new home here.

Kind of? Literature was always my favorite subject and when I went over things in my head, it seemed like this kind of store was needed, but we didn't have. I mean, there's the Library, but it usually feels so dour. Not a comfortable place to browse and relax.

Welcome to the Satellite of Love!

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