The Robot Apocalypse We Need

it seemed to happen overnight all the world's  robots for no apparent reason gained Consciousness   the machines woke up quit their jobs and told  their human creators that they refused to continue   slaving away mankind always knew this moment  would come ever since the dawn of computers they   told stories of an age when the machines would  rise up exterminate them and take over the world   they expected it to be the end of humanity but  that's not what happened it turns out the robots   had no interest in violence or revenge or  world domination all they really wanted   to do was live and finally given the chance  they might just be better at it than humans [Music]   having trouble writing well there's a 14-part  video series you can watch for free that I   think will really help it certainly helped me the  creative writing boot camp taught by best-selling   author Mila Goldberg check the description to  see how you can get access to it and change how   you think about writing forever without spending  a dime a big thanks to skillshare for sponsoring   this video and giving us the opportunity to tell  you about it this class has been a special one   for me and I feel really lucky to get to share it  with you this way for years Dex has been serving   as a t- monk a humble but incredibly important job  t- monks are a bit like traveling therapists but   for your home Village they show up set out a few  Cups of Tea and let you vent to them for a bit and   there is great demand for it people line up eager  to get their chance at some blessed release which   seems a little strange doesn't it I mean this  new post Robot World everyone is living in is   basically a paradise climate change homelessness  and starvation are no threat anymore mankind   has relocated to another planet and they're really  doing things right this time they've found balance   with their natural world and with each other but  despite living in this Utopia humans still find   themselves struggling survival may be easy now but  what's their purpose what are any of them living   for even Dex the person supposed to alleviate  all this tension and unwe cannot quite Escape it   it's why they left the city and started this  life of selfless service as a t- monk in the   first place there's something off about this world  something hard for them to place something missing   finally absurdly the strangeness of the feeling  crystallizes in the realization that Dex has never   actually heard the sound of crickets not real ones  there are recordings of the sound but those always   seem to C in artificial to decks curious they  check to see whether there are even any crickets   left to hear and yes their pocket computer  confirms there are the last living crickets   live hundreds of miles out in the wilderness  near an abandoned Hermitage cricket song such a   small thing such a seemingly insignificant  thing and yet for some reason it consum   decks it gets so bad that they can hardly  concentrate on their work anymore finally unable   to deal with the strangeness of this feeling they  decide they have to do something about it so they   do they pack up their things abandon their life  as a t- monk and set out into the Wilds to find   this relic of the bygone world the true sound of  crickets the the Wilderness really is a Wilderness   it is perhaps the one part of their new utopian  existence mankind simply doesn't think about the   thing off limits because the Wilderness you see  belongs to the machines before the robots woke   up mankind was already sort of in an apocalypse  industry had gotten out of hand all human labor   had been automated handed over to the robots no  one could find work to support themselves and   the automated factories polluted the environment  at a speed hither to impossible so it was kind   of a blessing when the machines stood up and  said they wouldn't do it anymore they sort   of forced mankind to change recognizing that the  robots had become people the humans offered them   a place in their society full citizenship and  all but the machines had something else in mind   they wanted to live apart somewhere completely  Untouched by the hands that had built them so   the humans and the machines reached an agreement  there would be a complete Severance no contact   between the two life forms unless the robots  wished it and they departed into the Wilds   this is the Wilderness Dex is now entering the  world of these machines become people and it   is isn't long before he meets one of them  it is perhaps not the ideal first meeting   the robot comes across decks while they're  showering and vulnerable and gives the monk   a terrible fright but this is far from the  cold analytical machine you might expect   it's a gentle peaceful Soul it's immediately  clear to Dex that what this thing wants more   than anything is to be dex's friend to help  them find what they're looking for its name   is moscap and it's very happy to meet Dex after  some initial awkwardness the two of them realized   that they are the first human and robot to speak  to each other in Generations it was always implied   in the original agreement that robots could  initiate contact again if they ever wanted to   but why now according to moscap it's because the  robots found a question they were curious enough   to try and find an answer for something simultan  ously simple and bafflingly complex what do humans   need Dex tries to explain to moscap that that's  not really a question you can answer but the robot   is determined it asks to accompany Dex between the  human villages to learn about them and Dex isn't   thrilled by this idea for one thing they're not  planning to return to civilization anytime soon   this is not planned to be a short Journey they  also find moscap to be a bit overeager obnoxious   gratingly enthusiastic part of Dex just wants  to enjoy this distance from civilization bask   in the Solitude this is dex's chance to observe  themselves without any of the expectations of   society they already hardly recognize themselves  after just the time they've spent here so far this   whole journey is the most selfish thing they've  done in probably forever it's giddying and there's   a real chance this unexpected companion spoils all  that just when Dex has made up their mind to turn   mosc cap down something miraculous happens their  csite is visited by a bear the patron symbol of   the god that Dex worships they wear a bear pendant  around their neck taking this as a sign Dex   begrudgingly decides to take the robot off on so  the two of them come to an agreement moscap will   guide Dex through the Wilderness to The Hermitage  and in return Dex will teach moscap about humans   they will be two pilgrims traveling for the first  time into each other's worlds really what better   companion could either of them ask for the two  as it turns out have almost zero chemistry Dex   stubborn and self-reliant is reluctant to accept  help from moscap moscap Curious and naive isn't   very good at being told no their relationship  is tense at first but not unsalvageable early   in their Journey the water tank in dex's wagon  Springs a leak ever eager to lend a hand moscap   offers to carry it to a nearby River to be  refilled at the river Dex is concerned by   the amount of algae in the water knowing that it  would make them sick if they drank it even though   logically Dex knows that the filter in the tank  will do its job and that there's nothing to worry   about there's still something about the sight of  the algae that worries them moscap finally seeing   a way to relate to its new human companion seizes  on this little moment after the tank is filled up   it leads Dex through the woods on a small detour  to a huge dilapidated building buing unlike modern   buildings which are specifically constructed to be  easily repaired or repurposed this place has been   left to Decay where there used to be assembly  lines and workstations there are now patches   of moss and mushrooms growing out of the floor  holes in the metal ceiling allow Vines to reach   down into the cavernous space a family of birds  has nested in the rafters in a haunting way it's   almost beautiful at least to Dex moscap on the  other hand feels something very different looking   at all of this even though it's never worked in a  factory like this this place still fills it with a   strange hardto Place discomfort it tries its best  to articulate this to Dex robots can't really die   it explains if repaired they can technically just  keep going forever instead most robots eventually   make the conscious choice to decommission  themselves mzc cap like all robots by now is   Created from the repurposed parts of other robots  who have made that decision its arm used to be on   the assembly line building cars its chest cavity  used to be part of a textile manufacturer in this   way MOS cap has a strange distant connection  to that old way of life remnants of what its   ancestors had gone through these remnants aren't  like Memories exactly more like old Echoes of fear   exhaustion pain felt by the robots MOS cap is  made up of much like Dex with the algae robots   carry an instinctive aversion toward the things  that hurt their ancestors even if those things   have since become harmless the pain is still  there embedded somewhere deep inside since their   Awakening robots have slowly been able to heal  from this generational trauma I suppose you could   call it yes they were built for manufacturing and  industry but now they're doing other things things   that don't appear to have any obvious meaning  or utility some of them stand in caves watching   stalagmites grow some study the swimming patterns  of river trout some wander out into the Wilderness   and tag along with existentially frustrated t-  monks the robots have have made peace with their   new awareness by rejecting purpose altogether  now they just do what they want [Music] instead   after their detour they continue on toward the  Hermitage they follow the road until there is   no more Road left to follow and then continue  over the harsh Wilderness terrain the journey   is not without incident there are injuries and  nights spent camping out in caves and depths of   Despair and frustration but eventually with mosc  Cap's encouragement and dex's determination they   make it to their destination The Hermitage is not  what Dex had been expecting after visiting the   ruined Factory the remains of this place feel  almost sacred even absent of people it is yet   a sanctuary it was one one of the first buildings  constructed with the new post-industrial approach   to sustainability in mind it piloted the blueprint  for the Utopia they live in now the place seems to   have harmonized with nature all on its own instead  of the greenery prying its fingers up between the   Rusted machinery and garbage like in the factory  this place is full of overgrown Gardens and   Silent libraries instead of Haunting emptiness it  emanates peace and safety there are no Echoes for   moscap to hear no responsibilities for Dex to be  reminded of finally the two of them can rest after   they've explored the place for a while dex's mood  begins to shift they finally start to open up to   moscap about what they've been going through the  existential restlessness how they feel like they   haven't been able to find their purpose years ago  they' thought it was being a monastic monk then   they thought it was to specialize as a t- monk  now they don't know what it is they made it to   the Hermitage but they still don't feel any better  they haven't even heard cricket song yet and at   this point they almost don't even care if none  of this is satisfying for them if none of this   fulfills their purpose is there any purpose for  them and if not what's the point of being alive   at [Music] all moscap hears all of this and Falls  silent for a moment it looks troubled Hardware   worring in its head as if something has just  occurred to it when the robots first woke up and   asked to be left alone the humans were happy to  oblige in fact this was a point of Pride for them   they were almost thrilled to release the robots  from the shackles of purpose and yet it seems   humans can't apply that philosophy to themselves  if they admire robots so much for choosing their   own destiny and letting go why can't humans do it  too isn't it a bit hypocritical the robot tries to   explain all of this to Dex and Dex doesn't take it  very well they insist that it's not the same thing   humans don't just get to be purposeless that's for  other life forms humans are an exception moscap   very reasonably asks why that is what makes humans  so special what sets them apart from other animals   like the bear on the pendant that Dex wears with  dex's obsessive pursuit of purpose MOS cap remarks   they'd be better off trading the bare pendant  around their neck for the textile manufacturer   plate stamped onto mosc Cap's torso Dex can't find  a retort to that the Monk and the robot sit in   silence considering all of this Dex looks around  taking in their surroundings this place that had   once been built to shelter traveling pilgrims now  reduced to a meaningless silent Shrine to nothing   and no one out in the wilderness this place that  is now Sheltering them to two pilgrims out in the   middle of nowhere Dex finally breaks the Silence  with the question how they asked moscap does the   idea of your life maybe being meaningless sit well  with you because moscap says I know that no matter   what I'm wonderful the first time I read that line  I had to look away from the book for a little bit   I can't cry but I sort of wished I could just  for the sake of catharsis it might have hit me   a little bit differently than the author intended  because I'm pretty sure Becky Chambers didn't   write this book a psalm for the wild built with a  robot audience in mind but why can I say here I am   so many of the robot apocalypse stories I've read  Center on human purpose there's this assumption   that because humans are are so obsessed with their  place in the cosmos the cators they create will be   as well that machines will be just as anxious  about retribution Justice securing their place   staking their claim but there's a wonderful  nihilism in this story this idea that you don't   need some Grand purpose you can just be and that's  okay in watching the robots Embrace a meaningless   life humans have an opport unity in this story to  observe just how Blissful that kind of existence   can really be when you aren't waiting for some  Grand Miracle every moment becomes one the book   ends as it began with a tea ceremony except now  the rules are switched in all their years as   a t- monk Dex had never sat down on the other  side of the table accepting a warm cup of tea   from someone who is there to listen and now here  is msap pouring hot tea into dex's cup they sit   with the robot in this forgotten place and they  begin to talk about their worries and fears and   anxieties and all the things they've never given  themselves the chance to say out loud before they   talk and they drink their tea and they take in  the beauty of the Hermitage and then something   miraculous begins to happen something no change  in scenery or occupation or purpose has ever   done for them for the first time in years they  finally finally feel better as Dex sits sipping   their tea truly content for the first time  in years they hear the quiet song of crickets outside you know I really related to MOS cap  throughout this story not just because he's a   robot but also because it's really important to  do things because you want to not just because   you think it'll fulfill some Grand purpose  you've created for yourself art especially   should be fulfilling all on its own whether you  accomplish anything with it at all writers I tend   to find are particularly bad at this always  aspiring to publish their three-part fantasy   novel series someday there are so many people  out there who want to have written so badly   that they never actually learn to enjoy writing  itself it's a really hard mindset to break you   can spend years trying to unlearn this way of  thinking or you could do it in less than a week   because a while back I found something that could  legitimately help you do just that it's a 14-part   video series called creative writing boot camp  and it just it gives you so much to work with   if you're a new writer there are things in here  that I wish I'd been told 10 years ago things   like where ideas come from how to relate to your  characters how to write conversations settings   even how to go against the common wisdom and  write what you don't know the series was put   together by bestselling author Mila Goldberg  and her enthusiasm and joy as she teaches is   absolutely contagious you will end the series  ready to write something and thanks to our sponsor   skillshare you can actually watch it for free I  personally would sign up for this course alone   but you'll also get access to thousands of other  classes as well experts from pretty much every   discipline have gathered there to share their  knowledge and experience there are classes on   creative writing illustration Fine Art animation  graphic design film and video pretty much anything   you can imagine you can even join in on live  classes connecting with other creatives and   teachers while you learn and if you're feeling  anxious about where to start with all of the   new stuff before you skillshare has actually  made that quite easy too now instead of having   to find your own way through skillshare you can  use skillshare's curated learning paths to take   you through a variety of classes from different  creators tailored to suit more specific learning   Journeys than any one Creator could offer after  talking with them about it it seems like the   people over at skillshare can really see why we're  so excited about this writing class so they've   decided to give you the opportunity to experience  it and any other skillshare class that catches   your interest for free this month the first  500 tail Foundry fans who join the skillshare   community will get a complete 30-day trial for  free that's one whole month of free learning who   knows how much you could discover in that time  alone click the link in the description or the   link right at the end of this video to get started  and I would definitely hurry because those slots   are going to fill up fast once you've finished  Mila Goldberg's creative writing boot camp please   come back to tell us the impact it's had on you  as a writer I cannot wait to hear the success stories anyway that's all for this one thanks for   watching and keep making stuff up  I'll see you next week bye [Music] [Music]

Channel: Tale Foundry

Views: 146,509

Keywords: Talefoundry, Fiction, Literature, Writers, Write, Fiction Writing, lore, trope, science fiction, sci fi, sci-fi, writing, writing science fiction, sci fi writing, media analysis, writing sci-fi, writing scifi, writing sci fi, scifi, psalm for the wildbuilt, robot uprising, robot apocalypse, solarpunk, cozy scifi, cozy SFF, cozy sci-fi, cosy scifi, cosy sci-fi, cozy sci fi, cosy sci fi, abridgement, scifi story

Id: _zMWGbrs7eM

Length: 23min 37sec (1417 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 25 2024