Skin Horse

By Shaenon K. Garrity & Jeffrey C. Wells
By Shaenon K. Garrity & Jeffrey C. Wells
Color by Pancha Diaz
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2013-10-12
‹‹ First ‹ Prev Buy! Comments(47) Next › Last ››

2013-10-12

by shaenon on October 12, 2013 at 12:01 am
Chapter: My Brother Sam Is Dead
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Discussion (47) ¬

  1. Jay Eff
    October 12, 2013, 12:39 am | # | Reply

    Tip, the answer to that last question of yours is, of course, “service is my only joy.”

    • The Other Mike
      March 3, 2017, 2:18 am | # | Reply

      And now that you’ve reminded me of a moment from Guardians of the Galaxy, I want to see a scene with Water Cooler and Groot. Maybe throw Pikachu in there, too.

  2. Andrew
    October 12, 2013, 12:59 am | # | Reply

    She’s creepier than a Wal-Mart greeter on Zanac.

    • Darkstarr
      May 8, 2016, 2:09 am | # | Reply

      All Sirius Cybernetics products feature our new “Genuine People Personalities (TM)” feature so as to make them more user-friendly. Remember, kids, a robot is “Your plastic pal who’s fun to be with!”(TM)

      And thus, we build a summer house in the Uncanny Valley…

  3. Manifesta
    October 12, 2013, 1:52 am | # | Reply

    tune: “Soldier Boy,” Luther Dixon & Florence Green, The Shirelles, Baby It’s You, 1962

    Only joy
    Service is my only joy
    I will service you

    I help with filing
    All the while I’m smiling
    Tip, if you are thirsty,
    Have a glass or two

    For I’m mobile now
    I’m so happy
    Look at how
    I can service you

    Only joy
    Service is my only joy
    Let me service you

  4. Zachary
    October 12, 2013, 2:42 am | # | Reply

    I can’t get over.. how happy she is. I don’t even care that it’s creepy, She’s just so happy.

    • edddddthemadgenius
      October 12, 2013, 5:27 am | # | Reply

      my thoughts exactly! service is my only joy

    • =Tamar
      October 12, 2013, 7:59 am | # | Reply

      I don’t know… that smile seems to have appeared after Tip said he was uncomfortable… Could it be that Bubbles has the ability to be sarcastic? Maybe she’s deliberately creeping them out in the hope of getting a freer set of behaviors installed.

      • Ian Thompson
        October 12, 2013, 10:01 am | # | Reply

        Despite that being exactly what I would do in that situation,Bubbles does seem genuinely happy They is smiling in panel 2 Before Tip starts chiming in. They’re just delighted to be able to move around and do stuff other than sit Around waiting for someone to want a drink of water. Wouldn’t you be if that was your entire life?

        • Manifesta
          October 12, 2013, 10:30 am | # | Reply

          The danger of her being too happy is that the Machine Union may demand that everyone get a turn riding the drone. And I don’t trust that stapler.

          • Ian Thompson
            October 12, 2013, 11:57 am | #

            In my experience people of one minority group who are vocally angry at another minority group are significantly less inclined towards group related violence, then they would appear. A turn in the drone seems like an amazing fringe benefit, that staplers attitude will surely improve once they are able to walk around, socialize, etc.
            Now I’m wondering why it isn’t considered cruel and unusual punishment or at the very least grounds for a wrongful birth lawsuit to build Or install a AI into a frame that doesn’t have such basic capabilities. Even when restraints are justified you don’t keep Hannibal Lecter in that handcart thing twenty-four seven.

          • Katrika
            October 12, 2013, 1:41 pm | #

            Of course it’s not, Ian, non-human sapients don’t have rights under the law!

            …however, it /is/ slightly disturbing that Skin Horse of all offices are willing to hire non-ambulatory machine intelligences with restricted communication abilities, but perhaps the Machine Union demanded they hire Bubbles.

  5. MutantSentry
    October 12, 2013, 3:01 am | # | Reply

    I am seriously seeing Joss Whedon season finally epic moment with Bubbles kicking a door down and laying waste to a raveging hoard of something or others, and as the smoke clears and the rest of the team looks up at her in awe she says “service is my only joy”

  6. Dave
    October 12, 2013, 6:31 am | # | Reply

    “How are we going to get water”…

    Tip? Sinks are still a thing. Or I am sure the AI-less water cooler still has, you know… BUTTONS to press.

    • =Tamar
      October 12, 2013, 8:01 am | # | Reply

      Or water bottles. But yes, that pitcher full of water came from somewhere – um – just where did Bubbles get that pitcher from?

      • Shadowmehr
        October 12, 2013, 9:13 am | # | Reply

        Somehow, I think it’s better for all our sanities if we don’t think too hard about that particular question. I am also certain there’s a perfectly innocent method for getting the water in the pitcher, but I don’t want to consider that too long either.

      • oneuniverse2
        October 12, 2013, 10:15 am | # | Reply

        You beat me to the question. How many orifices does Bubbles have that still dispense water?

        • Ian Thompson
          October 12, 2013, 12:02 pm | # | Reply

          The drone is not anatomically correct remember? Just relax. Worst-case scenario, it comes out the nose. Worst worst-case scenario, it’s run off from the nuclear cooling system .best case scenario bubbles is wearing an opened back dress , and the drone has a lead lined refrigerated storage area where the spine would be located on a human

      • Manifesta
        October 12, 2013, 10:32 am | # | Reply

        Relax, water just happens. Pitcherspace is right next to hammerspace.

        • BMunro
          October 13, 2013, 12:44 am | # | Reply

          Don’t get them mixed up – broken glass can be dangerous!

      • Dave Harmon
        October 12, 2013, 11:57 am | # | Reply

        I’m not sure, but apparently it makes Tip uncomfortable, which may be a bad sign.

      • Dave Harmon
        October 15, 2013, 5:40 pm | # | Reply

        Also, her smile in that last panel is downright mischievous!

      • Darkstarr
        May 8, 2016, 2:11 am | # | Reply

        Her old body? Considering that her processor was transplanted into the drone’s body, leaving the water cooler no longer sentient or communicative.

        • Rex Vivat
          May 8, 2016, 2:22 am | # | Reply

          I’m pretty sure the question was meant in the vein of “where was she keeping it?”

  7. eddurd
    October 12, 2013, 9:07 am | # | Reply

    (TUNE: “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps”, Farrés & Davis)

    Just look at what you’ve done here!
    The cooler in the drone, Lee,
    Says service now is only
    Her joy … her joy … her joy!

    But she’s a helpful one here!
    Devotion is unswerving,
    Because she says that serving’s
    Her joy … her joy … her joy!

     Assisting with the filing,
     She’s so helpful … and so cheery!
     ”But tell me why her smiling
     Makes me leery?”
     Tip will query …

    She’s having so much fun here!
    As long as we are living,
    Her service keeps on giving
    Her joy … her joy … her joy!
     Her joy …
      Her joy …
       Her joy!

  8. Danny in Montreal
    October 12, 2013, 10:48 am | # | Reply

    Bubbles has learned how to use arms! Well done, Bubbles! Smart… entity!

    Shaenon and Jeff, if you name the cooler/drone anything *other* than “Bubbles”, I think we’ll all be very disappointed.

    (You know what’d be cool? A group shot of all the incarnations of the drone, so that we can really see the difference that body language makes. Violet, Nick, Princess Whimsy, Bubbles… am I missing any?)

    • Ian Thompson
      October 12, 2013, 12:06 pm | # | Reply

      I was under the impression that since bubbles was never humanoid before they did not have any factory default knowledge of personal mannerisms, it was probably just that bubbles didn’t know what to do with arms when They weren’t grabbing, gesturing holding or reaching stuff.

      • Ian Thompson
        October 12, 2013, 12:08 pm | # | Reply

        It adds up to,In the first panel limp arms hidden by a speech bubble,But in every other Part of the strip Bubbles is controlling the drone in a perfectly natural and normal manner.

    • Stickmaker
      October 12, 2013, 12:16 pm | # | Reply

      What about “Hydra”? (Short for “Hydrator.”)

    • Rex Vivat
      October 12, 2013, 1:50 pm | # | Reply

      There were at least 2 different people controlling Violet at different times, probably 3.

    • pcj
      October 13, 2013, 12:37 am | # | Reply

      the only other name that comes to me *other* than “Bubbles” is Joy, only Joy.

    • JET73L
      March 7, 2015, 3:07 am | # | Reply

      Violet Green. Also possibly “empty”, if you count her uncontrolled slump to be body language.

  9. jennibrock
    October 12, 2013, 12:36 pm | # | Reply

    Tune: “Ode to Joy,” Beethoven

    service is my only joy-y
    service is my only joy
    service is my only joy-y
    service is my only joy
    service is my
    only-y joy-y
    serv-i-ice is my only joy
    service is my only joy-y
    service is my only joy

    • efogoto
      October 12, 2013, 1:27 pm | # | Reply

      That is … a joyful use of that tune!

    • davidbreslin101
      October 12, 2013, 3:28 pm | # | Reply

      Heh. I think she could also manage a stirring rendition of “Bread of Heaven”.

  10. mittfh
    October 12, 2013, 1:27 pm | # | Reply

    Bubbles’ Leitmotif! 🙂

    • mittfh
      October 12, 2013, 1:30 pm | # | Reply

      (That was supposed to be a reply to Jennibrock – n/m).

      I wonder if anyone will consider asking if it’s possible to update her language database (plus the necessary functions to utilise the increased vocabulary)?

      • Rex Vivat
        October 12, 2013, 1:52 pm | # | Reply

        Since she understands everything she’s hearing, there’s certainly nothing wrong with her language database. Either her speech center is blocked or she just doesn’t want to use other words.

  11. Tuiteyfruity
    October 12, 2013, 1:50 pm | # | Reply

    Still really creepy. It was creepy as a watercooler, it’s creepy as the drone

    • Rex Vivat
      October 12, 2013, 2:05 pm | # | Reply

      But she’s so happy!

  12. Saberbeam
    October 12, 2013, 4:14 pm | # | Reply

    This brings to mind a short story I read once called “Q.U.R.” by Anthony Boucher. Part of the plot involved robots built as andriods losing functionality and just generally going crazy due to having a bunch of unused limbs and other andriod features.

    The robot at the control tower doesn’t need legs to do it’s job since it just sits there, so it gradually develops quirks as a result of having limbs it never has a chance to use. Robots with speech centers even though they don’t need to speak start spouting off gibberish just to get a chance to exercise their unused parts.

    I’m not sure if the members of the Machine Union would feel the same way extraneous design features and the like, but the ability to move isn’t everything. That being said, the fact the Bubbles seemed to want to use the drone may be an indicator that the immobile robots may be looking for more.

    • Saberbeam
      October 12, 2013, 4:21 pm | # | Reply

      This was supposed to be in response to Ian Thompson’s post about putting AI’s into frames without basic capabilities. After all, the ability to move is only basic if you aren’t, say, a clam or something. Though I suppose being around mobile beings all day would set one’s mind to pondering…

      • =Tamar
        October 13, 2013, 8:31 pm | # | Reply

        Clams do move through the sand. They even have a body part that is called a “foot.”

    • Max
      October 14, 2013, 12:54 am | # | Reply

      There is a theory that developing a human-like AI will require interaction with the environment in a fairly human-like manner. If that turns out to be true, I can see how putting an AI back into a severly restricted chassis might be considered cruel…

  13. SotiCoto
    August 22, 2014, 6:22 am | # | Reply

    Why couldn’t they get a non-sapient watercooler?

    • WJS
      July 10, 2019, 10:12 am | # | Reply

      Probably because even asking that question is considered some for of “ism” or “phobia”.

  14. Knuckles
    January 25, 2022, 9:16 am | # | Reply

    Here’s another question.

    Where did they get a sapient water cooler from?

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