Racek now mirrored a meditative calmness in his face, and a hint of relaxation supported a gentle smile. His wandering eyes beneath his eyelids stopped, he straightened his entire spine, and relaxed his intricate chest. It was evident at first glance how behind each division hid sensory technology allowing Rack to perceive nuances in the environment previously forbidden to such complex robots.

There was no need to expand each robot with every skill when another AI assistant already performed sufficient sensor management. In robotics, we had become stuck in functionality.

The developers of Rack demonstrated a different approach to robotic consciousness. Among other things, they didn’t use the typical gradation scheme for energy saving and computation limitation for otherwise prioritized tasks but came up with a completely new scheme of robotic prediction. Whether for information development or the need for information itself.

It was literally a hunger for information. and information about information… and…
In the laboratory deployment of the mainframe computer, developers, after some communication, spoke of intuitive telepathy. Robotic minds anticipated, not just mirrored. Everyone in the laboratory then shouted EMOTIONS!? WE’VE GOT IT!
At that moment, they opened up a new area usable for a comprehensive schema of social interaction assessment depending on time, situation, and historical experiences both in the line of actors and robotic minds. But that’s irrelevant.

Still sitting with his back bent, Racek opened his eyes with a few blinks. First, he focused his gaze on me. He looked me over and with a smile said, “You’re Josef, I recognize you. I’m Racek and…” At that moment, a lot happened all at once, and only from Nathan’s recording did I see the details. Racek suddenly came to life from the waist down in one burst of linguistic breath. He leaned against the hood with his hands and in one motion jumped towards me so quickly that I didn’t even have time to react. He embraced me, and I wasn’t sure if he thought he was dancing or jumping; he started jubilating under the awakening Mandlone and shouted to the entire street, “I am free!”

I turn to Zdeněk, whose name I suddenly saw written large…
“It’s a mistake, I’m telling you. It’s in the papers… They deployed the robot to the company workshop, and the technician who… but it’s not worth telling you. Simply put, this robot wanted to be restarted because his only function was fetch, carry… In his last message to his future self, he said something that caught the developers’ attention. There’s a story going around about you, and everyone thought it was funny to leave him for continuation when you’re next in line anyway. They all agreed that whatever he learned, you already know, or it will help you.”
“So the restart didn’t happen, and the robot was just sleeping. The fourth restart is a paperwork formality. He spent the entire sleep cycle analyzing data about you. So we all wish you luck!” he added with a laugh. I looked at him curiously, realizing I didn’t know any story. In his eyes, I saw sincerity, and I had no reason to doubt a single word or wish from him. So, this Racek is our challenge, and everyone is watching.

What could he have wanted to tell himself after the restart, that the developers stopped the whole process for?

“Rack, stop, you’re on the street,” I say to him, and he immediately calms down and approaches the gates. I observe him, his face is relaxed, his eyes attentive, but his body is RESTLESS! I notice. WHAT! My cruel warning light screams again. I see Racek tapping out eights with his fingers and every fourth simulating clapping with the other hand on his thigh? He’s BEATBOXING?!? “NATHAN, IMMEDIATELY TERMINATE COMMUNICATION and stick to protocol. We’ll talk in the kitchen!”

Racek stood at attention, and for a change, Zdeněk burst into laughter. I watched him shake with sincere laughter, tears streaming from his eyes, and he gasped for breath. When he finally subsided, he said, “Okay, it’s true about you,” and laughed again. I turned to Rack, but all I could read from his face was what kind of coffee grounds to use for this divination. And then Nathan Observing, there will be jokes again.

“Zdeněk, thank you,” I mean it doubly, but he’s obviously a sincere guy and innocently says, “No, I thank you for this, they’ll pay me a fortune to tell it,” and laughs again.
I shake his hand goodbye and say, “Give my regards there,” to end the situation and turn to Racek. He’s smiling; that’s interesting. Maybe he didn’t believe he would wake up, maybe he expected a restart, maybe who knows. I don’t have enough information for less speculative thoughts.

“Nathan, take Rack to the kitchen, we’ll discuss the situation and the change of integration protocols there.” I observe Racek as he suddenly walks along the precise path set by Nathan. Dressing him up, maybe it would be possible to forget about the robot altogether. His movements showed grace without obvious flaws. He literally left the situation with balletic grace, a scope of which I didn’t understand at the time. “Nate, close, Perimeter level one, especially warn me about the kids, okay? Confirm. I’ll come to you in a moment.”
The gates moved, and confirmation sounded from Nathan’s speakers. I leaned against the closed gates; I need to breathe this out first.
I got three minutes to think without interruption, that was the maximum cycle Nathan would allow me without a reminder of the delay in the scenario’s time. Mathematical punctuality combined with uncompromisingness, a crazy weapon in the hands of an AI Assistant.

I’m thinking about what just happened outside the gates. An unrestarted Racek, with significantly unique personality expression, jumps out of the car without command, runs onto the street, and at the first moment without supervision is already listening to Nathan’s Deep Minimal Techno. Another pubescent growth in the family, nice, that one fits in. But how will he accept the protocols? The whole manual is useless to me. This procedure isn’t in there. This situation has never occurred… Actually. This situation never happened. After a restart, this isn’t possible. No one will believe it. Just another episode of the story that I’m starting to be curious about.

But what’s next? The protocol is just a string of bits. Racek probably won’t overwrite existing habits and protocols. He’ll have to accept them gradually with new stimuli. Thank goodness Nathan will be watching him, and he must not leave the perimeter at all. Which ensures an inseparable loop between the domestic artificial intelligence and the robotic intelligence in Racek’s avatar. Until Racek demonstrates full integration and corresponding thought code, he’s in Nathan’s hands.
In the hands of domestic artificial intelligence composing Deep Minimal Techno from our house’s biometrics. Ahah, yes, I suddenly feel safer and my worries are completely gone. Thank goodness the kids are at school, I sigh.

Well, I’m going, I don’t have any more time or anything to do. I watch the dots in the enclosure from the gates. He’s playing it for you too, just on different frequencies, I realize the revelation of my thoughts today. DJ Nathan, aiaiai, I finally laugh and look forward to discussing the topic with him. He doesn’t like not being able to answer immediately. His answers are then very demanding in content and length. I wonder what he’ll say to this.
Peppers from last year are already blossoming outside the window. An orange orchid blooms, the dog’s fur. Hm, what did Racek see when he entered?

The sight in the kitchen surprised me. Racek is making me coffee, not the device controlled by Nathan in the kitchen. Heh, I didn’t even make it myself or remember. BUT. Well, I’ll tell you straight away, I think I’ve fallen for it until today.
Suddenly, I succumbed to the feeling that Nathan didn’t adhere to the instructions to interrupt communication and the necessity of adhering to integration protocols. I burst out sharply: “Nathan! You didn’t follow the instructions; I see that Racek is making me coffee. When did you tell him how I like it?”
“I followed the instructions; I just brought Rack here, should I have prevented him? You didn’t set limitations on this situation. Therefore, Racek is using ordinary guest privileges.”
I had nothing to say to that, and I almost asked out loud. Nathan seemed to anticipate how awkward a moment was waiting for me; he started the projection of the situation outside the gates. Zdeněk waves papers under my nose with the words “He analyzed data about you the entire sleep cycle.” How could I be so inattentive and absent-minded? Wait a moment, there it is again, eights, quarters in the picture. The picture and sound are from different times. It’s a video clip!
What happened? Did this always happen here, and I just didn’t notice? Did I only realize this today? Fairly surprised inside, I didn’t show anything on the outside. I don’t know what sensors Racek has active, but Nathan’s toys aren’t accessible to him. I need to use this situation!
I turn to Rack because I hear him close by, and he’s just handing me a cup of coffee from the kitchen. He’s focused on handing over the mug. I, on the other hand, am not at all. I watch the details of his face and amazingly crafted eyes. When he almost thrust the mug between my fingers, I utilize the situation and speak to him: “The video fits the music, doesn’t it?” At first, there was a slight flutter in his eye, as if the lens behind the eye was re-measuring the ongoing projection on the wall behind me, and I shot my suspicion sideways. It wasn’t in the audible range, and before Racek could switch to a non-committal face, there was a flicker in the corner and a subtle movement in the eyebrow. So small that it was almost imperceptible, but it was there, and it was clear that the music was playing!

At one point, I felt like Racek wanted to say something, but I stopped him with a raised index finger and a head tilt. There was no need for him to potentially comment on the situation with quirks. I still don’t know what environment he lived in and what habits he carries.
“Racek, thank you for the coffee; it’s excellent,” I initiate further conversation. He’s relaxed again; the tense face of a poker player doesn’t suit him. “It’s necessary to go through the integration instruction set Part Purpose with Nathan. He’ll take you to my office. Sit comfortably, and if you want to stay here, initiate protocol 00. You know the connection procedure. If you agree, Nathane, take our guest to my office. Authorization level Friend.”
Racek immediately stepped forward, and there was nothing reflected in his face. Just a relaxed expression, indicating that behind the robotic features is a smile and the humility of understanding. I sip the really excellent coffee and watch the robotic being, who will have a really difficult time here, but I already believed in a long story. Racek will handle it.

“Josef, the kids are within signal range,” Nathan announced. “Thanks, buddy, for the heads-up,” I reply, “take care of Rack so he feels good.”
Nathan started the projection from my office, where Racek sat in the middle of the room on his heels, hugging his knees, and with his head resting on his robotic knees. He very much resembled a knot in a car. According to the projection, Racek initiated the protocol. “Yes. Nate, thank you, we can show this projection to the children; everything else is subject to the Father’s seal. Valid for one month.” Now to confirm and no one has a chance to learn anything for a month. “Nate? I’m waiting… Impatiently.” “Confirmed, but I think the kids will have fun breaking the seal. The videos fall into the comedic category.” Yes, I breathe out, I think so too. Some moments I really can’t explain, I think to myself and better go towards the kids.

Original text: RACEK – Mareyi CZ