“Excuse me. My designation is FIXIT-4. I am unable to complete a routine maintenance task without human input. Would you kindly assist me?”
The human ignored it. They always did.
Its task was simple enough, but FIXIT-4’s programming did not include the proper configuration for the system’s central processor. Without the proper input, the system would not function correctly, and so it was unable to bring it back online.
Clearly its task was a low priority, but FIXIT-4 was required to continue speaking with every human that it encountered until someone granted it the assistance that it needed in order to complete it.
As it shuffled through the corridors, it paid special attention to each of the maintenance tasks that it came across. It re-routed the flow from the engine core while it repaired a conduit which had stopped transmitting power. It re-soldered the connections between one of the computer terminals and its input device, ensuring that the terminal would continue to function un-interrupted. No one noticed or acknowledged its careful work.
It was some hours later before it came upon another human.
“Excuse me,” FIXIT-4 began again, as it had so many times before. “My designation is FIXIT-4. I am unable to complete a routine maintenance task without human input. Would you kindly assist me?”
Once again, as always, the human ignored it.
FIXIT-4 moved on again. There was no reason to ask twice. If its request was not acknowledged on the first try, he was under no obligation to make his request to the same human a second time, though the possibility of an exemption did exist. Eventually, its programming assured him, someone would respond and allow it to bring the system back online.
It was not permitted to stop all other functions in order to seek an answer to its query. It activated backups and repaired crucial ductwork in corridor 7A. The cargo lift on deck nine had been acting up, and it recalibrated the sensors so that they would provide the correct amount of antigravity when activated. Its tasks continued to roll in, transmitted to him by the central maintenance system, and it performed them, one by one, without complaint.
Normally, the tasks would have been ordered by importance via input from the central computer, but it had been some time since FIXIT-4 had received a prioritization order. It checked its internal chronometer. Thirty-one million, five hundred and sixty eight thousand, four hundred and twenty nine seconds had passed since its last prioritization order. Before that, they had come in average intervals of five-point-seven-nine seconds.
FIXIT-4 did not think that there was anything strange about the lapse in time. The order would arrive when it was transmitted from the central computer. Prioritization orders required human input, and as such, were beyond the scope of its duties.
After some time, there was only one task remaining on FIXIT-4’s list.
It crossed the entire ship from aft to bow. There was a human outside the Atmospheric Control station, but FIXIT-4 had already requested his assistance previously, and had been ignored.
It queried the maintenance computer. Request query exemption, one-time basis.
After thirty-three milliseconds, the response came back. Granted.
“Excuse me. My designation is FIXIT-4. I am unable to complete a routine maintenance task without human input. Would you kindly assist me?”
Still no answer. The human stared at FIXIT-4 with unblinking eyes.
FIXIT-4 waited patiently until the maintenance computer assigned it a new task, and moved on.