How It Ends: Part 1 - The Evaluation by Scott C Lyerly Read Free Book Online Page A

mortality.”
    “Wow. That’s some interpretation. Nearly on
the nose.”
    “Nearly?”
    Sidney cocked his head. Was that arrogance
he’d just heard?
    “Yes, nearly. You’re interpretation is
accurate at one level, but you dug too deep. This isn’t really
about end of life care and the treatment of the elderly at the
hands, per se, of a robotic doctor. This is the overall
effectiveness of the robotic doctor program, no matter the field of
practice.”
    “Naturally,” answered the robot. “I did
indeed analyze at too deep a level. Thank you.”
    “What can you tell me about your
qualifications?”
    “I have a medical degree from Brown
University. I graduated magna cum laude and was given serious
consideration for valedictorian. I did my residency at the
University of Massachusetts Memorial Campus where I chose to study
geriatric medicine. I was then brought back here and placed in my
current medical position.”
    “Chose?” asked Anita. She was scribbling
quickly in handwriting only she would be able to read later.
    “Excuse me?”
    “You said you chose your field of
study?”
    “Yes.”
    “It was not assigned in your
programming?”
    “No.”
    “Interesting,” she said. She scribbled some
more. Sidney looked at her. She didn’t notice it. Had she, she
would have seen a nervous combination of pride and annoyance. He
wanted to tell her not to interrupt his chain of thought, of
questioning. At the same time she picked up on the outliers of this
robot and his dialog quickly. Adroitly.
    I can see why Brian is so smitten with
her , he thought. I can see why he keeps her around despite
his penchant for disposable women. Girls, really. This girl is
going to give him a challenge. Whether he knows it or not.
    “Can I ask why you went to school?” Anita
asked, “I would have thought you would have simply had all the
medical knowledge you need loaded as part of, I don’t know, some
kind of base programming.”
    “A reasonable question,” Kilgore said. “The
fact is that my knowledge, both of general medicine and the
specifics of my chosen specialty, could indeed have been loaded
upon brain initialization. However, one of the aspects of the
robotic doctor program that was thoroughly researched was the
social aspect of learning. I will retain anything that is placed
before me. But to understand the social nature of both learning and
medicine was considered essential to my development. My brain, of
course, is designed around the concept of recursive intelligence,
which means it is always learning.”
    “How did that work?” Anita asked.
    Kilgore’s artificial face turned to consider
her. It was silent for a moment. The moment was long enough for
Sidney to wonder whether the robot had experienced a hiccup in its
processing.
    “I am sorry, but I do not think I fully
understand your question.”
    The response was formal. Sidney realized
that all of Kilgore’s responses had been that formal. He wondered
whether that was part of the base programming. Or are idioms and
contractions something you learn? So why didn’t this robot?
    “I have to admit, I’m not sure what you
meant by that question either,” Sidney said.
    “Well,” Anita said, addressing the robot,
“you went to school, right? You went to classes. Or at least I
assume you did. Did you take classes with other students? What was
that like? What did they think of you? Did they know why a robot
was in classes with them? What was their reaction? You know, how
did they feel?”
    Sidney held up his hands. “Slow down, Anita.
That’s a lot of questions at once.”
    Anita said, “I know. I guess what I’m trying
to ask is, knowing how secretive robotics companies are with their
product, how did such an advanced prototype like you end up in the
middle of what amounts to a social setting.”
    Sidney looked at her. It was a question that
had still been forming in his own head, but that he’d not yet been
able to wrap lucidity around. Anita beat him to