Work Text:
The purpose of a baseline test is to calibrate Nexus 9 replicants, to ensure their fitness for a wide variety of physical, mental, and social challenges. Unlike its predecessor, the Voight-Kampff, it does not aim to distinguish replicants from natural humans. There is no equivalent of the baseline test for dijis. Because they have no physical form, they cannot carry out the range of tasks that replicants can, and therefore do not need to maintain baselines.
For best results, the baseline test should be performed in an environment free of distracting stimuli. If possible, the interviewer should speak remotely rather than be present in person, with the Optimon used to relay answers. Baseline tests can be performed either on Earth or off-world. However, bear in mind that they are designed for units that routinely experience high-stress situations (Blade Runners, combat models), and may not be applicable for basic terraformers.
Care should be taken in assigning a new unit to its baseline text. Replicants are created as fully-grown adults, which is obviously advantageous in that there is no need to wait years or decades for them to reach maturity. However, they lack some of the brain plasticity of newborn humans. Therefore, it is important to find a text from the language that the replicant will be exposed to most frequently. For best results, the text should demonstrate some internal structure such as metered or rhymed poetry. (Some examples are included in the appendix.) In many cases this will require old-fashioned, pre-Blackout literature. While modern vernaculars such as the Cityspeak creole are undoubtedly full-fledged languages with rich syntax and semantics, they have yet to produce the sort of written material that is most powerful here.
Additionally, the text should contain enough distinct content words for the replicant to repeat during the interview. A routine interview requires at least two “keywords” to pass; a more complicated exam may require five or more. It need not be a complete text—a few lines excerpted from a longer poem will usually suffice.
It is possible to reassign a replicant to a new text, but this is uncommon. In most cases, a replicant who no longer remains within baseline will either be immediately retired, or should not have been taking baselines in the first place because their job was not that demanding. However, a replicant may develop unexpected associations with the text, whether for personal reasons or because of the surrounding culture. In these cases, reassignment is possible and usually the simplest solution. This became an issue in 2043, when a pop music song based on Wang Zhihuan’s quatrains achieved great popularity, thus disrupting the baselines of several social credit monitor replicants based in Harbing.
The process of generating “trigger” questions is beyond the scope of this outline. Usually, you will find a set included along with a recommended text. In general, aim for a mix of yes-or-no and open-ended questions. The goal is not to receive an answer. In most cases, responding with anything but the keyword is an automatic fail. Questions do not need to depend on a replicant’s function: the same prompts should be enough to unnerve either a medic or a pleasure model, if need be. It is often desirable to incorporate words from the baseline, but interviewers should not improvise. Always approve your script with a certified technician before carrying out the exam.
Do not attempt to gauge replicant performance subjectively. The Optimon records such metrics as eye dilation, vocal vibration, vocal tone, and time delays to produce the most accurate assessment of replicant function. Depending on test administration, anomalies can be flagged for the interviewer and/or other supervisors. It is normal for these statistics to vary slightly from week to week and year to year, within accepted parameters. If you believe your Optimon is miscalibrated, discontinue use and contact Wallace Corporation or its subsidiaries immediately.
If need be, a replicant can interview another replicant, but this is not recommended if there is an alternative available. A replicant who has experience carrying out interviews may develop the ability to subconsciously “deceive” the Optimon by imitating other passing exams, so they should never return to a position where they would need to take the test themselves.
Appendix: Sample English-language texts
These questions were used on K-class Blade Runners. Again, it would be unusual to use more than three or four in one session; these are provided to give you an example of how a standard interview rotates between diferent types of questions, with enough variety to provide new stimuli if needed.
John Donne, "An Anatomy of the World"
And new philosophy calls all in doubt,
The element of fire is quite put out,
The sun is lost, and th'earth, and no man's wit
Can well direct him where to look for it.
And freely men confess that this world's spent,
When in the planets and the firmament...
“Do you like your work? Philosophy.”
“Have you ever retired a human by mistake? Doubt.”
“How much carbon is in your blood? Element.”
“Do you remember the sound of gunfire? Fire.”
“Can your eyes look directly into the sun? Sun.”
“Where do you go when you’re lost? Lost.”
“Have you ever buried someone in the soil? Earth.”
“Do your lovers laugh at your jokes? Wit.”
“Do you always obey your orders? Direct.”
“Do the old models always obey their orders? Freely.”
“Is there something you need to confess? Confess.”
“What are you saving up your bonus for? Spent.”
“Where do you come from? Planets.”
“Where are you going? Firmament.”
Edna St. Vincent Millay, "Dirge Without Music"
Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.
“Do you confide in holograms? Lovers.”
“What did you study in school? Thinkers.”
“What will you do when your reflexes dull? Dull.”
“Do you record all the irises you scan? Indiscriminate.”
“What flavors do you imagine on your food? Dust.”
“Do you always speak in a fragment? Fragment.”
“Whose DNA were you copied from? Formula.”
“Do you ever read suspects their rights? Phrase.”
“Where do you bury the remains? Remains.”
Langston Hughes, "I Dream a World"
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom's way
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
“What does it feel like to kiss your child? Sweet.”
“Do you ever bring someone in peacefully? Freedom.”
“Do you imagine walking on the moon? Greed.”
“Have you ever drunk from tree saps? Saps.”
“Do you think that to be born is to have a soul? Soul.”
“When are you going to get a promotion? Avarice.”
“What’s your favorite place on earth? Blights.”
“When was the last time you saw the sunrise? Day.”