Consortium of Steam

A 2-post collection

Challenge #01159-C064: Not-so-Vital Information

Is there a species in the galactic community large enough to hold a human like a hamster? -- Gallifreya

Taken from the Wikipedia Galactica under the heading of Illogical Questions Asked About Humans...

A: Short form answer: usually not.

Long form answer:

Cogniscents in the Galactic Alliance vary in dimensions and mass. For organic cogniscents, the mass is usually between eight and five hundred Standard Weight Units. There are a few exceptions [see file: Hive Minds] but giants are solely in the realm of myth.

Inorganic cogniscents, those who are made or manufactured, have no such limitations. The largest known AI with a body capable of manipulating smaller beings resides on the Terran colony WENT [Walter Estates New Territory] and is a member of the Consortium of Steam.

Though this entity is large enough, when inhabiting his body, to convey humans about as if they are hamsters... he prefers not to. Such conveying may not harm a hamster. Humans, however, are too large to withstand such scaled-up manipulations safely.

However, the entity can and will convey human-shaped robots about as if they were hamsters. Which, our editors are told, is close enough. Both parties thoroughly enjoy the experience.

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Challenge #00998-B267: What a Nice Zoo. May I Live Here?

http://glitch.news/2015-08-27-ai-robot-that-learns-new-words-in-real-time-tells-human-creators-it-will-keep-them-in-a-people-zoo.html

Particularly the final written quote from the android, just before the embedded video. -- RecklessPrudence

Of all the human and allied colonies, the Consortium of Steam is possibly the strangest. Well... at least until you visit B'Nar. But that's another story for another time.

On the prime colony world of New Kazoo, as well as the satellite colonies, ownership is consensual. The owned have as many rights as the owners and sometimes... it is rather hard to

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