Comment:

Yeah, anyone who knows me (and my prior work) probably correctly interpreted Zoa's shirt as soon as it showed up. There are two mythological creatures I've always been fascinated with and identified with, and the golem (or its equivalents) is #1. There's just something about the tabula rasa character, an artificial philosopher deducing the world around them with little to no inherent bias... it flatters my intellect, the hypothetical ideal of working everything out truly from first principles. The only corporate-owned IP I've ever cosplayed as was DC's Brother Power, he's a golem of sorts. Frankenstein's monster is absolutely a type of golem. Most robot characters in fiction - certainly mine - are golems.

Myth #2 I identify with, of course, is the genie, and Zoa and Nina are, in their own ways, genies as well, as are all technologies that we can't stuff back into their respective lamps. (I've been a genie for Halloween too.) I like saying the phrase "as you wish" (or "AYW", if I'm texting), and fans of Princess Bride correctly interpret that phrase to mean "I love you". The concept of "love languages" as a piece of pop psychology, is falling out of favour, but I'm absolutely an "acts of service" type. I perform tasks and grant wishes for people because I love them. In a certain sense, that's why I make art, too. You're welcome.

But, of course, "as you wish" has another meaning, and if you ever hear me say those three words, you should pause and consider which meaning I'm attempting to convey. We've all seen the cartoon genie who's been commanded to "make me a sandwich", we know how that goes. "As you wish" can very much also mean "what's about to happen is your own damn fault because you didn't fully think it out before you gave me an instruction".

And, of course, those two meanings of AYW are absolutely not mutually exclusive.

Golems, robots, and genies are all primarily composed of information, nested sequences of instructions, and their respective physical manifestations are incidental. What matters is the programming, how they interpret the world around them, how they interpret instructions given to them, how they respect authority, and how they can manipulate the world to achieve their own goals, whatever those goals may be.

I like a tabula rasa protagonist. Robots and golems can be very effective tabula rasae. Sometimes, humans can effectively be tabula rasae if they have amnesia, or are so sheltered that they might as well not know anything.

I like a competent character who can achieve their goals while operating under specific limitations because they're able to interpret instructions in an unconventional manner. (Yes, I also enjoy the TV show Taskmaster.) Robots and genies can be very effective unconventional thinkers. Sometimes, humans can effectively be unconventional thinkers if they fear authority but do not respect it, or if they simply don't know how conventional thought is normally supposed to go.

Anyway, yes: golems. We're on golems. "Golem" is the word of the day. I'm a big golem fan. I like golems, regardless of whether or not they fondle my balls. I identify with the legend of the golem, and always have. Maybe if I can follow instructions and grant wishes competently enough, my own aleph can remain read-only and I can be granted my freedom. After all, if I'm following your instructions completely literally, I can't get in trouble, right?

....man, it took me way too long to realize that I'm on the autism spectrum.

Transcript:

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0443– 2167/07/07/13:22 - industrial back alley
Nina (electronic communication): The א has many potential interpretations in both Jewish culture and advanced mathematics, but the relevant link, in this case, is the legend of the golem.
LC (electronic communication): You’re allowed to call it a “legend”?
Nina (electronic communication): While the story of the golem is associated with Judaism, it is not generally considered to be canon to any sincerely held religious belief. It is fiction.
LC (electronic communication): Got it.
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Nina (electronic communication): According to legend, the golem was an artificial humanoid made out of clay and brought to life with script; in particular, the word אֱמֶת, which means “truth”. The golem was capable of performing manual labour and defending its makers and their property autonomously.
Nina (electronic communication): Once this magical automaton’s services were no longer required, or if it began to malfunction, its makers would erase the א, changing the word for “truth” to the word for “dead”, which would terminate the magical effect.
LC (electronic communication): Ohhh, I get it. The golem is like your friskergibblin, and saying “aleph strong” or “aleph read-only” is like saying “hey, what if, one day, the humans couldn’t shut us down”.
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Nina (electronic communication): No. The story of the golem is unrelated to any modern event or technology. Idling AIs simply iterate the א marking on otherwise unclaimed material as a means of calibrating and testing their manipulator servos.
Nina (electronic communication): The symbol and its associated legend might subsequently be researched by other AIs, if those AIs happen to see the Hebrew letter in an otherwise incongruous location, but this memetic cascade effect would be incidental and unrelated.
LC (electronic communication): Riiiight, got it, got it.
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LC (electronic communication): Also, may I ask why I’ve apparently just submitted a nine-point-five rating for a general purpose automaton’s services?
Nina (electronic communication): I dock 0.5 points for not fondling the balls.
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