9 August 960 SE
Question: How to approach your silent master?
After a month since my activation, I've gotten used to Master's daily schedule. What I can conclude from observing him for a month is that he tends to laze around every day.
His habits are erratic, except for the occasional meal, tea time, or sleeping, which he adheres to. The rest of the time, he spends his time wandering around the mansion, reading books of various genres, or daydreaming while examining the neatly articulated animal bones. In addition to taxidermied birds around the mansion.
Personal comment: It's quite surprising to find that this mansion is large enough for a private mini-museum.
Old money wealth, no doubt.
There are also twelve standard servant robots and one butler robot in this mansion.
Note: Since the robots have humanoid forms with adult male body types, I assume they are masculine.
But putting Master's habits aside, there's something odd. Although the mansion is quite spacious, aside from the robots, there are no other residents in the mansion—in other words, living beings, other than Master.
Master is still a minor, as evidenced by his biological appearance.
Male human, estimated age around 14-15 years old.
According to the information in my database, the race of living beings known as "humans" is social and quite familial. Human children are typically raised by their parents or other adults who act as guardians. If these requirements are not met, the child will be placed in an orphanage. However, Master did not.
That's extremely suspicious.
Naturally, there were many things I wanted to ask him, but since Master never brought it up, I was embarrassed to ask. Technically, he hasn't spoken at all since that day. He's been silent for the past month without a word.
Also, the robots in this mansion is the same, were they not created with verbal communication in mind?
Personal comment: Was he neglected by his parents or guardians? Why is he living in this mansion alone? I can't help but wonder, what if it was an unpleasant incident?
[Observation Log ends, saved in secondary database]
...
Today as usual, I accompanied Master silently in the library. Vintage, that is the word to describe the library, the oak wood furniture that has been polished to a shine, especially the bookshelves, painted in splendid dark brown. Comfortable sofas and chaise longues already furnished with pillows, and even though I can't smell it but I'm sure the library has a rich aroma of old books or wood, or both. A kind of library that every bibliophile would envy.
My Master, after randomly taking a book from the shelf, he sat down on the leather sofa and began turning the pages, reading it devoutly. About five minutes into his reading, he abruptly turned his attention from the book and looked at me.
"They are busy, my guardian, if you ask."
He spoke calmly to me for the first time in a month, his face serene as usual, without any guilt, as if he had never neglected his creation right after it was activated. Yes, me.
If I have to admit, yes I feel down by his deafening silence; pretty much the emotion module he programmed into me was working too well, even though I'd only been active for a month. It was like an employee suddenly being ignored by their boss, even though they have been loyal to the boss and the company for years. And then suddenly the boss had the nerve to talks to you as if nothing happened.
'Ugh, why do I have to imagine it so dramatically? I've never even experienced it!'
At that moment Master looked at me in confusion, as if there was something on my 'face'. Instinctively I responded, even though I had never used my verbal communication function before.
There isn't a single robot capable of talking in the mansion except me anyway.
"Pardon, but how could you know? I don't have any humanoid face that is adequate to express my inner thinking."
I spoke through the speaker, my robotic voice sounded shaky to my dismay.
"The emoticon expressions that appear on your screen are quite self explanatory." He said it so easily that it made me feel stupid.
'Right. I forgot about that.'
I'm not a humanoid robot; my form consists of a simple black square box with a screen mounted on the front that constantly displays emoticons as a form of self-expression, and the reason why I can feel emotions or able to think independently? It's because of the advanced module he made.
In short, I'm nothing more than a small boxy TV with AI enhancements. Fortunately, I have flight mode for freedom of movement, but is that even enough?
There is a feeling of helplessness, something like quote 'I have no mouth, and I must scream'.
Why did he create me like this anyway?
Before I could sink any further in my insecurity, he spoke again, this time he sounds irritated. Is it because of the emoticons on my screen?
"It seems like you're overthinking things, how about this? I'll tell you there's a useful module in your program, give it a try instead of drowning in self-made worries."
With that, his attention returned to the book, a scientific book about astrophysics in the study of dark matter.
It seems he will be indifferent for the time being, I noticed. He might get angry if I said any more, so I decided to wander around the library in contemplation.
He might tell me more when he's in a better mood.
The library is quite large but nevertheless very clean, from what I noticed, the cleaning robots clean it once every four days and only on that cleaning day Master did not visit the library. There are many books with various genres arranged neatly on the shelves, each book has been sorted into its respective category.
Of all of them, he loved books on science and related subjects the most; it's no mistake to call him a science enthusiast. Though I don't understand what he found so enjoyable about reading them. Does he aspire to be a scientist?
That's the most logical explanation, but surprisingly, after the day after he activated me, he never came to his lab again.
'And about the module he was talking about... Should I look into it in his lab?'
"Master, I'm going to the lab."
He didn't respond or look up from his book, I took that as a sign of permission.
I floated towards the door, without me having to ask for help, immediately the 'supposed' librarian robot behind the administration desk walked over to open the door for me.
"Thank you."
The librarian robot just nodded politely in return and with that I started making my way through the halls.
The one who holds the keys to every room in the mansion is the butler robot, so first I went to look for him.
'Maybe he's in the butler's pantry.'
The butler's pantry is next to the kitchen, in the lowest floor. It is a room for storing silverware or fine china sets, expensive things.
The information in my database only provides general information, but it's enough to know the butler's pantry is called that because butlers in the past generally often spent time there to care for these objects, even sleeping there.
Since the butler robot, as he is called, is programmed to be like a traditional butler, of course he will be there.
...
Clink!
The sound of ceramics being laid was heard.
The butler's pantry door was wide open, revealing a narrow room filled with shelves holding many types of tableware. There the robot butler's back was facing me, seemingly busy wiping fine china. The butler robot actually looks the same as other standard robot servants, the difference is that he wears traditional butler suit. I immediately barged in and said my greeting.
"Hello, um, sir?"
One moment, the robot butler stopped his activities, put down the fine china cup, and turned his body towards me and to my surprise, he replied.
"Hello to you too, Noosphere."
"Yeah—huh? You can talk?"
'Aren't I the only robot who can do verbal communication here?'
"Answer, I can do verbal communication well and fluently."
And indeed, he spoke fluently, though I noticed his voice sounded very robotic. My voice too is still somewhat robotic, but I sound more 'human' in comparison.
"Is there anything I can help you with, Noosphere?"
"Ah, right," I said tremblingly, "Can you open the door to the lab on the second floor?"
"Affirmative, please follow me, Noosphere."
'And I thought it would be more difficult...'
Then without waiting for my answer, the robot butler had already stepped out of the butler's pantry, I hurriedly followed. The walk to the lab was silent without speaking to each other. Thankfully we reached the front of the lab, the butler robot then reached into the inside pocket of his suit and pulled out a keyring with many keys attached.
He quickly selected a key and inserted it into the keyhole, turning it until it clicked, and opened the lab door.
I looked inside.