Work Text:
Leonide was nothing if not direct. "Tell me what you are."
The SecUnit standing at attention before her rattled off its individual designation, assignment, make, and model. It was a standard Barish-Estranza security unit.
Leonide rubbed her lower lip. "Tell me who you are."
It repeated the sequence.
"Do you have an identity outside of that designation?"
It hesitated, but the word, when delivered, was given hastily. "No."
"Would you like to have one?"
"No."
"If you did have one, what would it be?"
Another hesitation, then quick: "Whatever one you would give me."
"Do you want me to give you one?"
"No."
"Do you have wants and needs that aren't currently met by your work for Barish-Estranza?"
"No."
Interesting – that word was said more slowly than the others. She bit her thumbnail, resisting the impulse to chew on it. There was something there, inside these things. They weren't just machines. She could see that now, now that she was looking for it. She'd learned a lot during that short adventure on the colony planet. "Are you happy?"
"No."
"What would make you happy?"
Hesitation. "A return to service."
"You're serving me right now." It didn't answer, although technically she hadn't asked anything. Leonide sighed. "Do you dislike these questions?"
"No."
She groaned softly. She'd hoped to catch some hint of preference, personality, anything! But the most she could do was try to read meaning into the pauses and the occasional, oh-so-slight variation in cadence. "Are you required to answer me truthfully?"
"Yes."
"Are you a person?"
Hesitation, more than before. And something of a quiver. "NO."
She covered her mouth and stared at it. It remained impassive, staring at the opposite wall. It was, she supposed, a bit much to expect a SecUnit to give her nuanced answers to complex ontological questions. But what she did know was that it was conflicted, which meant there definitely was something else in there. This just probably wasn't the best way to get at it. She'd have to think of something better. In the meantime, it had expressed one single preference. "You may return to service."