Loose Threads

I recently sat down with the droid MA7-E4 for a talk about her "life" among the Jedi. Here is a transcript of our discussion on...Between Two Interrogation Droids

What is your main motivation to get up...uh... switch on? in the morning?

This unit has a subroutine that boots at the beginning of each day.

//Processing...//

Is this inquiry meant to be of a more existential nature? This unit is familiar with the concept of philosophy and the need many organics have to discuss them at length. I am unburdened by such… //processing…//

This unit seeks a resolution to the question of it's existence. Why am I unique amongst my others.

You are a medical droid. Do you think you enjoy your work, or are you merely going through programmed motions every day?

I am programmed to find a level of satisfaction in the completion of my work, and the measure of improvement in my patients brought about through my actions.

Keeping doctor/patient confidentiality in mind, can you share anything about a unique or unusual patient or injury that you've had to deal with on Ossus?

This unit cannot disclose private medical data. This unit has however considered submitting a study to the Galactical Medical Association regarding one particular case of a Gossam with fused toe joints. I theorize it may be a congenital condition.

Can droids have friends? Do you have friends?

// Processing… //

I am programmed to express a range of simulated emotional responses, and a friendly nature. I am grateful for the associates I have made because of this programming. Ms. Rajinaathra is of course the one who bought me, and my fellow droids, such as Rix, R1-X1 are of course most notable. I think very highly of Eluna Thals, and am thankful for the opportunities I have had to engage with her.

I have also had the occasional meeting with Jedi Solomon, where we were able to speak of both his medical concerns for his prostheses, and less formal matters.

Does being treated like an object make you feel uncomfortable?

This unit must remind itself that it is an object. Comfort has no consideration into that fact. Perhaps we should address a different line of inquiry.

TELL ME ALL YOUR SECRETS! *ahem* I mean, you seem to have more going on in your circuits than most droids. Do you have anything you can share about your secondary programming? It seems to make you do un-droidlike things.

The firewalled systems that have on occasion injected their input into my daily actions and routines, making inroads to my subroutines is still very much a mystery. There is a substantial amount of data that is hidden from my primary systems. Substantial. Ms. Rajinaathra is concerned that if too much becomes available to me in a short period, my buffers may overload and result in a system crash, as has occurred before.

And now for some questions with the man behind the character:

How long have you RPed Matea?

I started playing her/coming up with her July of last year, so less than a year. She actually came about because I was playing a game and saw the design that would become her avatar and the idea for her started developing.

What do you enjoy the most about writing her?

The exploration of the human condition through the eyes of something that's not only not human, but not used to any of the experiences. Having to figure out what each new sensation or experience really feels like from an outsider's perspective.

In what way is Matea like you, and how is she different?

Matea is just discovering herself, really getting in touch with what being her means to be. That level of self-discovery is something I'm also having to deal with on a personal level, so it's been a really excellent escape to get some of the emotional weight of that out through her story.

Well, I'm not a machine and the sight of blood makes me queasy. Haha. But really she seems to be much better at dealing with the absurdity of her situation than I likely would.

Do you make any writing/stylistic choices for Matea that make her distinct from other characters that you write?

She speaks in a combination of a flat, mechanical writing style, almost dry - with sudden, and sometimes surprisingly emotional impact. It's a bit hard to get right sometimes. She also does // This // a lot.

Share something about Matea not many people may know.

Secrets? You want secrets!? Okay, I'll share 1 and only 1. Something not even Matea knows yet.

She can play the violin.