What if Keitaro were a humaniform robot that followed AsimovÆs three laws?
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
A few things to keep in mind.
ôthe Laws had been deliberately misrepresented because robots could unknowingly break any of them.ö
ôA robot may do nothing that, to its knowledge, will harm a human being; nor, through inaction, knowingly allow a human being to come to harm."
ôThe First Law forbids a robot from harming a human being, unless the robot is clever enough to rationalize that its actions are for the human's long-term good.ö
ôA robot may not harm a human being, unless he finds a way to prove that in the final analysis, the harm done would benefit humanity in general."
I think an argument can be made that Keitaro has done a fair job following these laws throughout the story of Love Hina.
Two major variations on this story occur to me. The first it that æR. Keitaro UrashimaÆ is fully aware of his status as a robot but has seen fit not to reveal this fact to anyone outside his immediate æfamilyÆ. The other option is that he is unaware of his robotic status.
Now this story would detail the events leading up to and following the revelation of his true nature to the residents of the Hinata Inn.
A possibility for Option One: Keitaro is aware heÆs a machine.
The reason he has never before revealed his true nature is because it wasnÆt necessary to exceed human performance to save the Inn residents from harm. This story presents Keitaro with a situation that can not be solved without revealing the fact that he is a machine.
For example
KeitaroÆs eyes snapped open and he sat up right as his ears picked up the sounds of extra heartbeats approaching the Inn. The young æRoninÆ frowned as he noted the elevated beats and silent approach. When someone began to pick the lock to the front door he tossed his covers aside and stealthily slipped from his room.
Before the intrusion he had once again been trying to determine how to resolve his current relationship conundrum. The residents of the Inn were all very charming, and he found himself enjoying their company. Yet heÆd begun to realize that their feelings for him were fast moving beyond friendly and hovering at the threshold of something far deeper.
Although he was most receptive to the idea of pursuing a relationship, he was unsure how they would react to discovering that he was a robot. His earlier equivocation had not gone over well, though he had been forgiven, and he had no desire to being such a deep and human relationship under such false assumptions.
Still such concerns were to be put aside for the moment as a much more immediate problem presented itself.
He switched vision modes, thermal showing his sleeping tenants as the walls faded before his sight. His vision also showed four adults moving with disturbing professionalism down the hallway, straight for Su-chanÆs room on the lower floor. Keitaro blinked and his view switched again as he crouched, watching the figures below him through the sonics. It became very obvious that they were well armed and not interested in kidnapping.
KeitaroÆs mind whirled, bringing up the various news reports and files heÆs been reading over the past month concerning the unrest in Molmol. Supposedly it was caused by a group of revolutionaries who wanted to remove the Monarchy. Yet there were hints that their funding and supplies were actually coming from a long time enemy nation. The fact that four professional hit people seemed in the process of killing Su, a child of the crown, Keitaro surmised that there might be some truth to this particular line of thought.
Keitaro reared back his fist, just as the would be assassins raised their silenced sub-machine guns, aiming them at SuÆs door while taking up breeching positions. Through his Sonics he saw the leaderÆs silent count down with his fingers. When he reached ætwoÆ R. Keitaro Urashima acted.
******
Motoko was feeling antsy, something about the night had not sat well with the sword maiden. Eventually the restlessness led her out of bed to clean her blade, hoping to find solace and sleep in a simple, repetitive task. The soft whisper of clothing and the feather light touch of footfalls killed that possibility.
The kendoist stood, suddenly very alert and silently padded to her door. Gently as possible she slide her door open with one hand, a naked blade in the other. Her eyes went wide as she spotted a few figures aiming weapons at SuÆs door down the hall. She whipped her blade around, trying to think of a distraction that would keep them from firing on her defenseless friend. She neednÆt have bothered.
Before anyone else acted, the ceiling caved in on them and a body crashed amongst them.
Motoko was moving, blade at the ready, her swift feet eating up the distance as the assassins turned to deal with this new threat. The new players was faster, much faster.
The male planted his hands on the ground and used a scissor kick to drop the guy near the door. The new player impossibly flipped themself up and over, legs knocking one gun askew as it fired, itÆs rounds striking the ceiling on the floor above. SuÆs savior landed on his feet, hands snatching the firing gun from the assailantÆs hands and snapping it into two as he sent him crashing atop the first assassin with a well placed kick.
Motoko almost stumbled when she realized it was Keitaro that was rapidly disarming and subduing these killers. She recovered quickly though, the thought of Su in danger shoving out all other concerns.
Keitaro used the pieces of the gun heÆd broken as impromptu blunt weapons, striking the third assailants gun arm and left knee. The assailantÆs weapon went spinning in one direction, while he crumpled to the ground. Keitaro spun around just in time to take a shotgun blast to the stomach. The force of it knocked him flat on his back, causing him to skid towards the racing swordÆs woman.
Something hot and wet splashed onto MotokoÆs cheeks as the world turned red; she leapt, clearing the likely dead body of their surprisingly heroic Ronin. The last killerÆs eyes went wide as he tried to adjust his aim, but proved to slow. MotokoÆs sword cut through his gun, while removing three fingers from his right hand in the same motion.
The man howled as he brought his maimed hand to his chest. He fumbled at a knife with his left as Motoko spun her blade up and around, intending to separate the Ronin killers head from his body.
A thrown butt of a gun slammed into the guyÆs crotch just as a familiar voice cried out. ôMotoko, donÆt, STOP!ö The assassins doubled over, the sword maidenÆs blade sailing over his head. She kept her balance and instead brought her knee up, smashing it into his nose. The man snapped up and over crashing onto his back. She quickly struck all of them with the flat of her blade, ensuring they were down before she allowed herself to turn.
Su-chan stood at her door, eyes wide as she stared at Keitaro. Behind him the other residents were already running up, pulling up short at the carnage. ôKeitaro! YouÆve been shot!!ö
The Ronin favored Su with a tight smile as he held a hand over his bleeding gut. ôItÆs okay; he just grazed me thatÆs all.ö
Motoko stared at Keitaro as if heÆd lost his mind. ôHe didnÆtÆ graze you! I saw him unload a blast right into you at point blank range!!ö Su-Chan was at his side before anyone else, prying his hand away. What she revealed brought the approaching Motoko up short.
There was a wound yes, with just skin, muscle and what looked like mechanical parts.
The Ronin favored them both with a tired grin ôI think we should tie these guys up, contact the Molmol embassy, and then weÆll need to talk aboutà.this.ö
*****
So how would the girls react in this situation to KeitaroÆs secret? I mean he did save Su, but heÆs also been deceiving them for quite some time, and the fact he was doing it knowingly only makes things worse.
IÆm putting this one up for adoption if anyone wants it, though I may write out a few more scenes later on just to show my own thoughts on the residents various reactions.
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
A few things to keep in mind.
ôthe Laws had been deliberately misrepresented because robots could unknowingly break any of them.ö
ôA robot may do nothing that, to its knowledge, will harm a human being; nor, through inaction, knowingly allow a human being to come to harm."
ôThe First Law forbids a robot from harming a human being, unless the robot is clever enough to rationalize that its actions are for the human's long-term good.ö
ôA robot may not harm a human being, unless he finds a way to prove that in the final analysis, the harm done would benefit humanity in general."
I think an argument can be made that Keitaro has done a fair job following these laws throughout the story of Love Hina.
Two major variations on this story occur to me. The first it that æR. Keitaro UrashimaÆ is fully aware of his status as a robot but has seen fit not to reveal this fact to anyone outside his immediate æfamilyÆ. The other option is that he is unaware of his robotic status.
Now this story would detail the events leading up to and following the revelation of his true nature to the residents of the Hinata Inn.
A possibility for Option One: Keitaro is aware heÆs a machine.
The reason he has never before revealed his true nature is because it wasnÆt necessary to exceed human performance to save the Inn residents from harm. This story presents Keitaro with a situation that can not be solved without revealing the fact that he is a machine.
For example
KeitaroÆs eyes snapped open and he sat up right as his ears picked up the sounds of extra heartbeats approaching the Inn. The young æRoninÆ frowned as he noted the elevated beats and silent approach. When someone began to pick the lock to the front door he tossed his covers aside and stealthily slipped from his room.
Before the intrusion he had once again been trying to determine how to resolve his current relationship conundrum. The residents of the Inn were all very charming, and he found himself enjoying their company. Yet heÆd begun to realize that their feelings for him were fast moving beyond friendly and hovering at the threshold of something far deeper.
Although he was most receptive to the idea of pursuing a relationship, he was unsure how they would react to discovering that he was a robot. His earlier equivocation had not gone over well, though he had been forgiven, and he had no desire to being such a deep and human relationship under such false assumptions.
Still such concerns were to be put aside for the moment as a much more immediate problem presented itself.
He switched vision modes, thermal showing his sleeping tenants as the walls faded before his sight. His vision also showed four adults moving with disturbing professionalism down the hallway, straight for Su-chanÆs room on the lower floor. Keitaro blinked and his view switched again as he crouched, watching the figures below him through the sonics. It became very obvious that they were well armed and not interested in kidnapping.
KeitaroÆs mind whirled, bringing up the various news reports and files heÆs been reading over the past month concerning the unrest in Molmol. Supposedly it was caused by a group of revolutionaries who wanted to remove the Monarchy. Yet there were hints that their funding and supplies were actually coming from a long time enemy nation. The fact that four professional hit people seemed in the process of killing Su, a child of the crown, Keitaro surmised that there might be some truth to this particular line of thought.
Keitaro reared back his fist, just as the would be assassins raised their silenced sub-machine guns, aiming them at SuÆs door while taking up breeching positions. Through his Sonics he saw the leaderÆs silent count down with his fingers. When he reached ætwoÆ R. Keitaro Urashima acted.
******
Motoko was feeling antsy, something about the night had not sat well with the sword maiden. Eventually the restlessness led her out of bed to clean her blade, hoping to find solace and sleep in a simple, repetitive task. The soft whisper of clothing and the feather light touch of footfalls killed that possibility.
The kendoist stood, suddenly very alert and silently padded to her door. Gently as possible she slide her door open with one hand, a naked blade in the other. Her eyes went wide as she spotted a few figures aiming weapons at SuÆs door down the hall. She whipped her blade around, trying to think of a distraction that would keep them from firing on her defenseless friend. She neednÆt have bothered.
Before anyone else acted, the ceiling caved in on them and a body crashed amongst them.
Motoko was moving, blade at the ready, her swift feet eating up the distance as the assassins turned to deal with this new threat. The new players was faster, much faster.
The male planted his hands on the ground and used a scissor kick to drop the guy near the door. The new player impossibly flipped themself up and over, legs knocking one gun askew as it fired, itÆs rounds striking the ceiling on the floor above. SuÆs savior landed on his feet, hands snatching the firing gun from the assailantÆs hands and snapping it into two as he sent him crashing atop the first assassin with a well placed kick.
Motoko almost stumbled when she realized it was Keitaro that was rapidly disarming and subduing these killers. She recovered quickly though, the thought of Su in danger shoving out all other concerns.
Keitaro used the pieces of the gun heÆd broken as impromptu blunt weapons, striking the third assailants gun arm and left knee. The assailantÆs weapon went spinning in one direction, while he crumpled to the ground. Keitaro spun around just in time to take a shotgun blast to the stomach. The force of it knocked him flat on his back, causing him to skid towards the racing swordÆs woman.
Something hot and wet splashed onto MotokoÆs cheeks as the world turned red; she leapt, clearing the likely dead body of their surprisingly heroic Ronin. The last killerÆs eyes went wide as he tried to adjust his aim, but proved to slow. MotokoÆs sword cut through his gun, while removing three fingers from his right hand in the same motion.
The man howled as he brought his maimed hand to his chest. He fumbled at a knife with his left as Motoko spun her blade up and around, intending to separate the Ronin killers head from his body.
A thrown butt of a gun slammed into the guyÆs crotch just as a familiar voice cried out. ôMotoko, donÆt, STOP!ö The assassins doubled over, the sword maidenÆs blade sailing over his head. She kept her balance and instead brought her knee up, smashing it into his nose. The man snapped up and over crashing onto his back. She quickly struck all of them with the flat of her blade, ensuring they were down before she allowed herself to turn.
Su-chan stood at her door, eyes wide as she stared at Keitaro. Behind him the other residents were already running up, pulling up short at the carnage. ôKeitaro! YouÆve been shot!!ö
The Ronin favored Su with a tight smile as he held a hand over his bleeding gut. ôItÆs okay; he just grazed me thatÆs all.ö
Motoko stared at Keitaro as if heÆd lost his mind. ôHe didnÆtÆ graze you! I saw him unload a blast right into you at point blank range!!ö Su-Chan was at his side before anyone else, prying his hand away. What she revealed brought the approaching Motoko up short.
There was a wound yes, with just skin, muscle and what looked like mechanical parts.
The Ronin favored them both with a tired grin ôI think we should tie these guys up, contact the Molmol embassy, and then weÆll need to talk aboutà.this.ö
*****
So how would the girls react in this situation to KeitaroÆs secret? I mean he did save Su, but heÆs also been deceiving them for quite some time, and the fact he was doing it knowingly only makes things worse.
IÆm putting this one up for adoption if anyone wants it, though I may write out a few more scenes later on just to show my own thoughts on the residents various reactions.
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