Do-Anything Robot: High-end utility spiders are like this – albeit not all the way there – thanks to effectors, self-reshaping “smart tool” nanotechnology, and modular parts.
In The Future, We Still Have Roombas: There are probably something like 10,000 of these little guys – from literal space-Roombas to the more general purpose utility spider and cogsworth– running about (or fixed in place) performing various mundane tasks for every robot that we might recognize as something like
(Alternate words: range, relay, racing, and reinvent. In this case, repair was chosen because it was the only word which was submitted independently twice. With special thanks to Jennifer Linsky on G+, whose article post finally let me break a week-long creative block.) Spiders. Why did it have to be
"So. To recap. You designed a system of self-replicating robots in the shape of snakes..." "In our defense, the network disruption had lasted years and we couldn't run the idea past anyone." "...which you equipped with an artificially-intelligent recognition system for coercive actions
RIANTAR VENTURES TICKET-TRACKING: CASE 7918/314995 From: Facilities Manager, Dendra Residential Tower, Meridian Secundus Subject: Contemplative CultiVator™ garden maintenance system Version: 41.2.90.71340 Issue: Robot no longer functions, claiming enlightenment Priority: Normal We purchased one of your automatic gardening systems some years ago to take care of the
To clarify the ongoing rumors: It is NOT true that people who kick the floor-cleaning robots in ISA-administered starports tend to have their luggage accidentally rerouted to Geydagan Down, where it is pillaged by a bunch of black-hole cultists, torn apart, used to clean up after ritual sacrifices, and recycled
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(Okay, so I found one more…) Names to Run Away From Really Fast: In the Imperial context alone, Imperial Hand, Fifth Directorate, and any Imperial military officer, agent, or private contractor whose House name is “Sargas” are the chief contenders. In the Worlds as a whole, Operatives of the Conclave
So why is that a Trope-a-No-Longer-Day, I hear you cry? Well, because I’ve run out of pre-written ones, and the demands on my time these days are such that – especially if I want to keep prioritizing writing at all – I can’t take enough time out to go through
Creepy Cleanliness: To more than a few foreign visitors, yes. As William Gibson said in Disneyland With the Death Penalty, “Was it Laurie Anderson who said that VR would never look real until they learned how to put some dirt in it? Singapore’s airport, the Changi Airtropolis, seemed to
Real Money Trade: The problem is that it’s hard to define what qualifies as “real money” versus “game money” when the Mythic Stars MMO alone has an internal economy bigger than some respectably-sized planets. The logical consequences of this apply in full, including the follow-up to the city guards