Theodore & The 7 Layers of Space, Book 1: Brick & Bird

Chapter 30: Connections

The definition of consciousness in and among the 7 Layers of Space is often a bit fuzzy. In a world where it's possible for sock puppets to live and work and stick figure birds to walk among us, there's room for quite a bit of wiggle.

When Professor Hero set out to create his Old Timey Automatons, he didn't consider the question of whether or not he was creating conscious life, he simply wanted useful companions who happened to admire him unconditionally. It's every parent's dream, really.

While much and more of what occurred to The Buddy Bot came down to a complex series of programs, one could argue the same about any functioning mind.

But where does the complex program end and consciousness begin? It's hard to say, but it's possible that it's somewhere between a stray wire and a selfless desire to help our friends.

***

The insect train stood still in the middle of an ancient earthen cavern, high above a bottomless pit. At some point during the final spider fight, the train had tilted itself onto a forty-five degree angle, sending everyone sliding to one corner of the interior.

Theodore settled his mind and moved his hands over a bank of control on the wall, the lights returned, and the train slowly began righting itself while the front window began self-repairing. But the control cord to the main console still sparked, disconnected, as he worked. While basic functions were still present, he couldn't interface with the steering mechanism, it might as well have been a piece of trash.

"You got good at this fast," Isobel noted.

"Thanks, I'm figuring it out. And you got good at swinging that wrench fast," Theodore responded. They both smiled through sweat and filth and moved towards Terrycloth Green and The Buddy Bot to check on them.

"I've got him!" Terrycloth Green yelled as Isobel shook him awake, swinging his little fists.

"You did, buddy," she said. "Easy now."

Theodore picked up the Buddy Bot and shook him gently, watching his little lights flicker back on one by one.

"So, we defeated the evil beasts of the underground, but..." Theodore held up the damaged console in his hand, "...the steering thingy is busted."

"You can't get it going without that? No magic hoo-doo workaround? Use your drawings brain? Summon more magic spiders?" Terrycloth Green said, flexing and stretching out his accumulated wounds.

"Nothing I can sense. I've got access to basic functions, but I need this bit to, I don't know, make it go."

"Waste of a perfectly valuable Grid Bit," Terrycloth Green noted, sitting back down, clearly in some pain.

"Right?" Isobel studied the broken machine, "Wellll, I think it needs a hard-wired connection for motion. It's like an umbilical cord of energy."

"Gross. Got anything in your formerly amazing chair you could maybe sacrifice for the cause?" Terrycloth asked.

Isobel shook her head at him, all warmth evaporating. Nonetheless she took a closer look at the disconnected controller and studied the break in the wire, squinting. "Hmmmmm. It doesn't look good. It's a clean break, and this is some wacky stuff. We need some kind of a proper semi-living conduit. I'm good, but this thing is half machine and half bug."

"Yeah, but, maybe you can also fix it?" Terrycloth Green asked, clearly annoying her.

"Some stuff is just broken, you know? Maybe we can pry her open and climb out?" Isobel suggested. They peered out the side window eyeing the infinite pit dubiously. "If only I had that Grid Bit..."