How to Date an Android

Chapter 11, revised

They did look as pretty as the other girl android models. All of them looked genuinely beautiful. The animations were also good showing each model move in walking simulation of supposedly how they really walked. Then that was followed by how they really ran. In some ways it looked like how you might see real people walk, and it wasn't built to be a robotic walk at all.

Interestingly enough the oldest android type was the type matching Edna and Emma the nurse androids I'd seen as far as I could tell. It seems like the hospital types were some kind of strip models with bare functionality and programming but which had been put through a hospital training simulator for many hours.

So even though on the graph it didn't seem to be a good model, I'd actually seen them in the hospital before any upgrades had been used and they were still pretty good. And could still be a companion even at a lower tiered model. Those weren't visible as androids under scrutiny from real people I think unless they talked too much.

But in theory, they could be taught to blend in more. It would just take more time.

"And the second one from the left?" I asked.

"An older model but with a very well developed A.I. for it's time. As you can see the military warbot girl doesn't have as good of a S.M.A.R.T. system AI as the others like this second from the left model you just asked about, but can still learn and adapt but will take much longer to do. The Carilan despite being an older model is the second most advanced S.M.A.R.T. system in the world, only having been surpassed by the Liga, our most advanced model," she said.

"All of these are very good, advanced androids," the emphasized.

"Why didn't they develop the Asca model better? For its time it could have had a better A.I. than the Carilan. It looks like some of its traits could have been very much better than the others if they'd tried harder?" I noted.

She also nodded, seeing what I was looking at. "For all intents and purposes the Asca model was very good and is still good. Some consider it like the underdog because its stats don't really show all of its strengths. 'If they had only developed the AI better'. Do you know how many times I've heard that? It's actually a typical response. Basically they were developed for the war and at the time there was the fear in budgeting, that we would be throwing money away by developing ruggedness second to AI while putting a super expensive A.I. on something that is going to be shot at anyway. Also there was a belief that they'd be destroyed fairly quickly through the war and so bare minimum features for running programs for search and destroy, population containment and anti-rioting protocols, police, bodyguard, security, prison guard, war tactics simulation engines, advanced sniper dexterity and targeting, and close combat, and unarmed combat programs. Instead of expensive AI, they put the money into making it sturdier also."

A warbot...hmm, that was tempting, I thought to myself. Normally I wouldn't consider a warbot. But the recent riots had changed things.

Actually all of the models were interesting. Because of customization I could mess with all of them and switch things up. But I had to be aware of one factor; cost. It was the next graph she showed me. I coughed on the water I was sipping when this part of the screen came up. By the look of things Barbara couldn't entirely hide that this part had her worried too about how I'd react.

Android Type

Carinol

Carilan

Asca

Liga*

Cost Differences

$$

$$$$$$

$$$$

$$$$$$$$

I was too tired to think about the options right now. My head hurt, and I was tired partly from seeing that it was going to be something I would need to do a lot of homework on. There wasn't any perfect fit and easily recognizable scenario here.

And if I chose badly I would screw up my whole future.

I wish I'd thought about what to do before I saw the costs.

But would it be safer to get two lower end androids instead of one best model with what I can buy for my money?

Normally someone here would be deciding, hey let's get the very very best! But looking at the money table I'd considered a back door route others failed to see. And that was... I'd get by on more with 2 lower end models rather than 1 super expensive model.

Plus I had to put them to work, to pay for themselves also.

I hoped Barbara had another solution or option too. The finances end was starting to worry me.