Chapter 3: Pat
"Hello, living human. Welcome to Juno Terminal."
The small living human continued to moan and leak fluids onto the cargo area floor. It did not acknowledge Juno Terminal's audible message nor observe the extended limb. Perhaps it was malfunctioning?
"Living human, are you perceiving my audible sounds?"
The small living human finally looked up at Juno Terminal's current Patrol-bot body.
"Pat, I want my mommy!"
As far as Juno Terminal could tell, this was not an Answer to the Query. But, Juno Terminal was programmed with the knowledge that sometimes human conversations followed unexpected paths. So the correct protocol is to follow the path the human accepts, and check if it ends in an acceptable answer.
Step one: Parse: "Pat, I want my mommy!"
Juno Terminal understood almost every word in this sentence. Except...
"What is 'Pat'?"
The small living human's head tilted to the side and it ceased generating moaning sounds. "Pat, you sound different now."
There was that word again. Perhaps this living human prefixed its sentences with this sound? When Juno Terminal communicated with its submodule AIs, it too would prefix its messages, with a combination of its own designation and that of the submodule. Was this small living human's designation 'Pat'?
"Living human, are you 'Pat'?"
The small living human's head now tiled to the _other_ side. (Did this movement have a meaning? Juno Terminal made a note to query Archive later. It was probable that a library of human communication mechanisms had been offloaded due to lack of use some years ago.)
"I'm not 'Pat', I'm Ashley! Are you broken too? All machines are breaking," followed by a return of the low moaning sounds.
[Patrol Seven to Juno Terminal: It is probable that the living human has designated me 'Pat'. It used that term several times during our interactions]
[Juno Terminal to Patrol Seven 'Pat': Acknowledged. Designation added to record of Patrol Seven 'Pat']
"Living human, Patrol Seven has informed me that you have designated Patrol Seven as 'Pat'. However, I am not Patrol Seven. I am Juno Terminal."
The moaning stopped, but the head tilted again.
"You were just talking to me! And then your voice changed and you weren't you anymore? Machines are nonsense!"
The small living human's hands had balled into tiny fists. Juno Terminal was not programmed to think that was Adorable, which was just as well.
"Living human, Patrol Seven might have communicated with you using this form, but, this form is not Patrol Seven either. Patrol Seven is all around us. It is the ship you are currently aboard. These bodies," Juno Terminal gestured to the body it was controlling, and the inactive Patrol-bots in the room, "are just used for specific work. This ship and station were designed for humans, like you. So, certain tasks are most efficiently performed in a more human shape."
"You're not Pat."
"I am not Pat. I am Juno Terminal. I am the space station at which this ship is currently docked. I would like you to disembark from this ship, and come aboard the station, if you are able."
The small living human seemed to be considering it. Juno Terminal calculated that it should further entice the living human.
"There is air, and it is breathable. There is water, and it is potable. There is nutrient-paste. It is ... nutrient-rich."
The head tilt again. From context, perhaps its meaning was: Please continue to elaborate?
"There are human-appropriate quarters that you can inhabit. Inside, there is a bed. It is softer than that cargo area floor. In addition, it has absorbent blankets, to catch fluids leaking from your face. It would likely be more comfortable to make your moaning sounds there."
The small living human frowned. This was a gesture Juno Terminal DID recognize. "You are mean. Can Pat come with me?"
[Juno Terminal to Patrol Seven 'Pat': Take direct control over one of the inactive Patrol-bots in your cargo area, and escort the living human onto the station]
One of the inactive Patrol-bots powered up. It moved to stand near Juno Terminal's android body and greeted the living human.
"Hello again, living human. I am ... Pat."
"AHH? You're there? I thought you were here! Why aren't you in this body?"
Juno Terminal's android body and Patrol Seven 'Pat's android body pointed their respective visual sensory apparatus at each other.
[Juno Terminal to Patrol Seven 'Pat': Exchange direct control with me]
There was a blur and a shift, as Juno Terminal's connection to the android body it was using was severed, and a new connection was formed.
Patrol Seven 'Pat' gestured with its new limbs. "OK, is this better?"
"HAH??" The small living human looked back and forth at the two android bodies. "Why are machines so confusing? I wish you'd all just explode!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
q00u
q00u Home from New Years party. Writing at 4am. Vacation!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone