Thursday May 4, 2017
Book 17: A Little Immortality — Part III

NOTE: The CQ series was designed in part by Mooriphasha 62, a 320°C gas-phase sophont. At the 3098 HeVenExpo, Mooriphasha was asked whether it was possible for minds built on the new “cusp-quotient” model to slide beyond the cusp, making the CQ series true sophonts.

 

In classic Galstandard Brown/West pidgin, Mooriphasha answered:

“Ha, no, I am think not.

They think, but they not ‘I am.’”

"They Think, But They Not I Am" was passed along to Urtheep Industries marketing for tagline consideration. Marketing rejected it for having the horribly negative words 'not' and 'think' in it.

Transcript

NARRATOR: Urtheep Industries, Service and Return Division...

Inside this crate is a CQ-101, returned under warranty for "erratic behavior."

The CQ units are very clever, but they are not quite sophont-grade thinkers.

If you don't like the way your CQ-101 behaves you can shove it in a box and not get in trouble.

unknown: Phase Three is now complete. Is everyone ready to engage?

NARRATOR: In this particular case, however, there is going to be some trouble.