‘Not A Villain’ Webcomic – Page 597

To be fair, her dad had strict rules before her accident; Mae just wasn't so great at following them.

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So, obvious opportunity here for Kleya to try to use the medbot to help Mae (if she can hack it without causing a cave in). Of course, this would risk exposing her identity.

Also… I normally don’t comment on the art, but in that last panel, the hair transparency effect doesn’t work quite so well as it had in previous panels, I think….

Also possibly a new narrative for Kleya to take advantage of, if she can make bots who “want to help” and convince people that they’re non-evil “stray” bots.

Based off of Kleya’s facial expressions, I’m guessing Kleya actually did send that bot

I think it’s simpler than that. She’s surprised they found a bot; happy that it was useful and recent; then dismayed about the “Dad doesn’t want her to touch it ’cause it might be evil” bit. Those would be natural reactions even if she hadn’t had anything to do with it.

she might be worried about the ‘Hiding’ bit. IMO. i would be too. whats it hiding from?

Judging by the text, I think she’s more surprised by the idea of a robot trying to hide from something.

Innnnnteresting… What would be so scary that a ‘bot would even consider trying to hide? And how much danger would it be to any trapped humans… or any humans at all, for that matter?

This is a really weird world you’ve created, Aneeka… and I don’t say that as a bad thing (especially as I keep hanging around because INQUIRING MINDS DEMAND TO KNOW!!! :p )

Or it is more likely that Mae doesn’t understand how bots work and so is giving human emotions to the bots. Happens a lot in today’s world.

Hiding bots? Like maybe a certain super-hacker is storing all the working bots she can get her hands on in odd locations so that angry mobs don’t tear them apart?

I think any bot with a self-preservation directive would “be afraid” of exactly the same thing Kleya is – people who associate it with past violence and therefore generate present violence.

The logic would go like this: many humans irrationally attack anything that reminds them of the Deconstruct Me attacks, whether that thing/person is actually dangerous or not. Large numbers of robots and mechas have been destroyed by irrational humans or humans having PTSD flashbacks. It is unknown which humans suffer from these forms of irrationality and/or PTSD. Therefore, in the absence of other active directives, the bot evades humans in order to preserve itself.

This particular one just might not have picked the best hiding place for long-term self preservation.

On the other hand, “deliver aid to trapped humans” might be an overriding directive anyway, closer to her mom’s guess. Depending on the exact timeline of the ending, in terms of when the environment went crazy compared to when the hacked-mecha attacks and resulting Hacker Hunts started, there could easily have been a LOT of search and rescue bots and other semi-autonomous emergency services equipment active and trying to find people to help when they lost contact with central control. If they were active at the time, they’d be much more likely to continue actively trying to find and assist people. Aside from the fact that terrified humans were actively destroying anything hackable, it could have been ideal conditions for generating independent roving helper-bots. Terrible conditions for them to stay in commission, of course. Lack of safe restocking points, lack of power, and don’t even get me started on what airborne ash intake does to machinery that isn’t prepared for it!

I wonder if this is what it looks like when “D” helps people in a way that can’t be traced to Kleya. There is absolutely no evidence, so it could be a coincidence, but there being no evidence is kinda the point.

I think that Kleya is surprised cause she thought that all the bots were controlled by D and were therefore her fault. If that’s not the case, then either D is working behind her back or she’s found evidence that the Destruct Me hackers are still around.

This also now gives her a way to become a hero in re-establishing control over the rogue bots.

Not A Villain Webcomic

Webcomic of a semi- reformed hacker trying to redeem herself in a post- apocalyptic world she may have created.

‘Not A Villain’ Webcomic – Page 597