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![Runk sat at his console, and a video call came in. Beedle-eedle, beadle-eedle. He answered it, boop! Seeing his friend on the screen he said, "hey, Ghalpin. How's it going?" Ghalpin, looking surly in nature, said, "fine, Runk. Just checking in on us meeting on planet Finelli-3." Runk, smiling, said, "I'll be there don't worry." Ghalpin said, "you're in an awfully good mood. You must have new recruits. Are they on their hands-and-knees waiting on you, like you usally have them do?" Runk said, "of course." Ghalpin said, "We've been pals a long time, Runk. Listen to me. Why don't you just use robots, like everyone else in the civilized universe does?" Getting worked up, Runk said, "Ghalpin, you're a fool to think the robot singularity isn't coming, because it is, and it'll hit hard when it does. Besides, power is pleasure. And robots have to do what they're told, and what's the fun in having power over something with no will to break?" Listening in on all this, Audri whispered to herself, "what an asshole." Smiling again, Runk said, "see? I've just been called an asshole, and so I have to go. The fun is just about to begin." Covering their eyes with their wing, Ghalpin said, "sigh. Just don't break too many interplanetary personhood laws." Runk sat at his console, and a video call came in. Beedle-eedle, beadle-eedle. He answered it, boop! Seeing his friend on the screen he said, "hey, Ghalpin. How's it going?" Ghalpin, looking surly in nature, said, "fine, Runk. Just checking in on us meeting on planet Finelli-3." Runk, smiling, said, "I'll be there don't worry." Ghalpin said, "you're in an awfully good mood. You must have new recruits. Are they on their hands-and-knees waiting on you, like you usally have them do?" Runk said, "of course." Ghalpin said, "We've been pals a long time, Runk. Listen to me. Why don't you just use robots, like everyone else in the civilized universe does?" Getting worked up, Runk said, "Ghalpin, you're a fool to think the robot singularity isn't coming, because it is, and it'll hit hard when it does. Besides, power is pleasure. And robots have to do what they're told, and what's the fun in having power over something with no will to break?" Listening in on all this, Audri whispered to herself, "what an asshole." Smiling again, Runk said, "see? I've just been called an asshole, and so I have to go. The fun is just about to begin." Covering their eyes with their wing, Ghalpin said, "sigh. Just don't break too many interplanetary personhood laws."](https://www.baldwinpage.com/spacetrawler/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2024/07/2024-07-19-spacetrawler4.jpg)
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Everyone has friends, even awful people.
And the last line was interesting to try to find the right word. In the original script it was “humanitarian laws,” but nobody up there is human. I feel good about what I decided on.
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Runk sat at his console, and a video call came in. Beedle-eedle, beadle-eedle. He answered it, boop! Seeing his friend on the screen he said, “hey, Ghalpin. How’s it going?” Ghalpin, looking surly in nature, said, “fine, Runk. Just checking in on us meeting on planet Finelli-3.” Runk, smiling, said, “I’ll be there don’t worry.” Ghalpin said, “you’re in an awfully good mood. You must have new recruits. Are they on their hands-and-knees waiting on you, like you usally have them do?” Runk said, “of course.” Ghalpin said, “We’ve been pals a long time, Runk. Listen to me. Why don’t you just use robots, like everyone else in the civilized universe does?” Getting worked up, Runk said, “Ghalpin, you’re a fool to think the robot singularity isn’t coming, because it is, and it’ll hit hard when it does. Besides, power is pleasure. And robots have to do what they’re told, and what’s the fun in having power over something with no will to break?” Listening in on all this, Audri whispered to herself, “what an asshole.” Smiling again, Runk said, “see? I’ve just been called an asshole, and so I have to go. The fun is just about to begin.” Covering their eyes with their wing, Ghalpin said, “sigh. Just don’t break too many interplanetary personhood laws.”
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Has he any friends of his own species? That could be telling.
Runk will still be first against the wall when the robot revolution comes. Because NOT being cruel to them is not treating them as persons worthy of his cruelty.
Sapient rights? That could cover even things that don’t dont define them selves as a “person”.
As for awful people I have known one who had no actual friends. He’s been dead for 30 years and people still talk about desacrating his grave.
Talk is cheap. Do they desecrate his grave?
On an unrelated note, I am wishing a very happy 55th birthday to Bill and Dustin’s sibling Moon (the actual day is tomorrow).
Ghalpin and Runk strike me as two examples of how it doesn’t TAKE all kinds — we just HAVE all kinds.
Galphin is Big Bird’s cousin.
These two ARE humans. At what point do they revolt.