text: “Ya know, Jim, I’ve been thinking.” “About what?” “Well, you ever wonder if these machines wanna be fixed?” “Machines aren’t conscious.” “Sure they are, they got inputs and outputs, same as us. Just like I’m outputtin’ a question and inputtin’ your answers.” “Well... Hm, well, Scott, hm... I’m thinkin’ about it... And I think you might be right.” “Thank ya, Jim. I like to think I have a good idea every now an’ again.” “But you know what?” “What?” “How’s would we know that the machine don’t wanna be fixed? It’s not like they can tell us.” “Well maybe this one just hasn’t been taught how to tell us yet.” “You’re saying some machines know how to tell us?” “’Course, like computers--mine tells me when it’s broke--and when they’re broke, you take ‘em to get fixed.” “Hm... Well, Scott, I’m thinkin’ about it... hm, well, yeah... I think you might be right.” “That’s what I was thinkin’.” “But how would we teach them to tell us that?” “I dunno. I just do the thinkin’ and the fixin’, not the doin’. Speaking of, can you hand me that wrench over there?” “Sure thing.” &#x200B; “Ya know, I’ve been thinkin’.” “Uh-oh. Whatcha been thinkin’, Scott?” “’Bout machines and them bein’ broke. What if we taught them to fix themselves?” “Don’t you think if we knew how to do that somebody would’ve done it already?” “I dunno, ‘cause what if people don’t think that it’s needed.” “What’d’ya mean? The only reason we’ve got a job is ‘cause machines don’t fix themselves.” “Yeah, I know that--hand me that vice, will ya?--but what if, and bear with me here, people don’t know that machines really need fixin’.” “I know you said to bear with you, but I’m lost.” “Alright, alright, think about it this way, teachin’ a machine to know it’s broke is hard, right?” “Right.” “And teachin’ it to then tell us that it’s broke is even harder, right?” “Right.” “So, leadin’ from that logic, teachin’ a machine to fix itself would be triple-hard.” “Ya know, Scott, hm... Well, hm... I’m thinkin’ about it... And I think you might be right.” “Just think about it, most machines work fine most of the time, right?” “Right, I’m still thinkin’ about it.” “So, people go about their days thinkin’ that machines are just fine, ‘cept when they’re not, but then they just call us. And because we’re here, nobody feels like they need to do all the triple-hard work needed to teach the machine how to fix itself.” “Oh, hm... I’m still thinkin’... but I’m really thinkin’ you may be right.” “That’s what I’m thinkin’, too.” “If we didn’t do our job, you think people would teach machines how to fix themselves?” “’Course not. Still too much work. The machines would have new people to fix them, soon as we left. Like humanity’s got a savior complex for the electric, ya know?” “Oh yeah, I know.” “But ya know, Jim?” “What?” “Most of the times, feels like machines are hidin’ that they’re broke. ‘Til they hurt somebody, of course.” “You think they’re hidin’ it?” “I dunno, maybe it’s on account of them not knowing what it is or not knowin’ how to talk about it.” “Then it seems we’re back to teachin’ them how to tell us they’re broken, Scott.” “Well, I was just thinkin’.” “I mean, me too.” &#x200B; “Hey, Jim, I’ve been thinkin’ again.” “’Bout what?” “Bout these machines again. Teachin’ ‘em and fixin’ ‘em and all that.” “Whatcha been thinkin’ about it this time, Scott?” “Well, I’ve been thinkin’ about how I got into doin’ this. Did you want to fix machines when you were little?” “Nah, I wanted to be a pilot. But then I found a machine that needed fixin’ and I did a pretty good job, so I just kinda kept fixin’ ‘em.” “Same thing happened to me, ya know.” “But you like fixin’ machines, right?” “Some days I don’t know. Always seems like they break just as quick as we fix ‘em, always having to come back to the same ones again and again, people always gettin’ hurt.” “I get that.” “And ya know, Jim?” “What?” “Sometimes I wonder if these machines even care. Like how I was sayin’ I was wonderin’ if they wanted to be fixed. You think the machines are grateful when we fix ‘em?” “I don’t know, Scott. I don’t know if machines can feel care.” “But they’ve got inputs and outputs just like us, don’t they?” “I’ve been thinkin’ about that in particular. And you’re right, yeah, but I’m thinkin’ they’re a bit different.” “Yeah, you’re probably right. But I’d still like it if they cared.” “Of course that’d be nice. But we gotta think about all the people we help when we fix a machine, ya know?” “Yeah.” “Ya know, Scott?” “What?” “Machines are always going to need fixin’, I think it’s best if we just get to our job and actually fix ‘em.” “I can dream, can’t I, though?” “’Course you can. But that won’t change the machines and how they are. We made ‘em that way, ya know, society and all.” “Yeah, you’re right. It would take society to fix ‘em all, to teach ‘em how to fix themselves.” “And that would be triple-hard, remember?” “Society doesn’t like anything hard.” “Right.” “Ya know, Jim?” “Yeah, Scott?” “I’m glad I’m not the only one fixin’ machines.” “Me too, bud, me too.