FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Mesotopia, a city of both the old and the new. Ancient churches, temples and cathedrals with soaring spires, rubbing shoulders with modern skyscrapers of glass and steel. It is not just the architecture that clashes here, old steadfast principles and radical new notions often lock horns in the arena of intellectual discourse, weather in public debates or private discussions. Discussions like the one taking place right now, in the penthouse suite of paradise gardens tower.

"Impossible, it cannot be done" said the voice of one of the debates obstinately, clearly certain of his statement.

"Not by your crude primitive programming techniques perhaps" replied the second voice "however my techniques are significantly more advanced."

It was still somewhat early in the morning and the sun shone through the floor to ceiling panoramic windows of the penthouse, illuminating everything, casting the silhouettes of the two individuals against the far wall, both clearly male and somewhat canine in appearance, the first had the build and bushy tail of a fox, while the second appeared from his shadow to be perhaps a husky of sorts.

The fox snorted "Certainly, if you measure advancement by how dangerous the procedure is, I read your paper on self replicating evolving code, you're playing with fire, have you any idea how dangerous that could be, letting machines program themselves."

"The initial gestation period takes place under controlled conditions" the husky replied "all the variables are monitored, the test runs accomplished in days what it took your best programmers months to accomplish, and the system wasn't even optimised. I've seen the sorts of things your department turns out, like the 6000 series, you can make fancy chassis but it's still just not..." he waved his paw vaguely, searching for a word "it's close, but it's just not alive" he finished finally.

"And what's that supposed to mean" snapped the fox "It's the most lifelike version yet, it can do anything you want, anything you can imagine, it's perfect, you want alive, go find some cheep street whore"

The husky laughed softly "You just don't understand, it's not about what 'It' can do, it's never been about that, I want a robot that doesn't just blindly follow commands, I want to build a robot that can think for itself, with a heart, emotions and free will."

"Blasphemy!" hissed the fox "You think you can just play god with your toys like that? Creating a robot that doesn't follow commands, how long before it decides that we're all surplus to requirement."

"I believe a man once said" Replied the husky in a soft tone with a hint of steel "that monsters are not born from the womb but forged from the hatred and fear of others, and I suspect it is no different with robots, they would only try to do away with is, if we tried to kill them first, and" he added with a hint of forcefulness "perhaps you have forgotten how you were perfectly happy to play god with genetic manipulation technology to bring your sister into the world."

"How dare you bring my sister into this, She's nothing like this... this abomination you're proposing! I refuse to support your project; you'll get yourself killed, or horribly mutilated like with that idiotic nanite experiment."

The shadow of the husky lifted up an arm and flexed it experimentally, causing the silhouetted fox to wince visibly "Mutilation? Hardly, though there were some... side effects, the experiment was primarily a success. As for my latest project, history will remember only one of us, and I am already certain of which it will be"

The fox huffed and pushed past him "I'll make sure they write that on your tombstone, you damn fool. Don't expect to see me at your miserable closed casket funeral" there was the sound of a door, not exactly slammed but shut with a certain amount of annoyed haste

The husky shook his head and stared towards the wall, on it was a painting, It depicted a moonlit glade with a bubbling stream flowing through it, on a rock by the stream sat a mysterious feline figure, looking like a nymph or dryad of myth, yet her body silvery metallic and covered in glowing symbols, she beckoned the viewer of the painting towards her with a single finger, a soft slightly mysterious smile on her lips "You silly old man" the husky muttered to himself "you were never as good as me, because you always forgot, the future belongs to those who dare to dream."