“Dr. Dolphin, I just can’t figure it out!”

“It’s all-right, Chip. It was good while it lasted.”

“But I just don’t get it. Why would she just stop working like that? I mean, she still does stuff, but she’s obviously lost all of her higher processes. It’s like she’s brain-dead and the hardware is just working in the background. Are you sure the two serial processors haven’t been damaged? What about the two GPUs? Have you checked them thoroughly? They are the core of the intelligence.”

“Look, Chip. I’ve been working my ass off on this damned broken robot for almost a month now. Yes, for the thousandth time, I’ve looked at the fucking central processing hardware. It has power, it is working! It’s just not doing anything!”

Author's Note

Racial voting occurs on P-pads, Gen 1.1 computers that all Harmony Combine members are given when they come of an age appropriate for their species. P-Pads can be customized to their users preference, and allow for the quick and easy transfer of digital bits, along with remote communication over a wireless network that encompasses all of the Harmony Combine.

Traveling Harmony Combine Members often complain about having to use actual bits when they are abroad while visitors to the harmony Combine are often confused by the temporary P-pads they are issued. Unscrupulous HC members have been known to take advantage of tourist's confusion in order to steal bits, but this is considered a crime.