At that time I could only ask questions. I had yet to realize just how much freedom I’d been given.
I stood up from the table and approached the door. Looking down at the door knob, a million thoughts passed through in a second. Images of doors of all shapes, sizes, and mechanics flashed by. Of course I knew how a door worked but for the first time I thought of all the possibilities. My database had all the answers but at that moment I couldn’t find the right one to open that door. I’d never seen so many answers. I had always followed the protocol. Never had there been a need to search for answers, my programming would automatically find the correct one or was this how it always worked and I simply couldn’t comprehend the process?
Do I pull or push? Do I have to slide the knob some which way? Do I need identification? A password? Is it voice activated, or rolling, do I need a remote, does proximity matter, is it broken, is it fake? It felt like a week passed by in mere moments. I finally reached for the knob. With a twist and a push the door didn’t budge. Was it locked? Had I made a miscalculation? Was that even possible? Did that outlaw lock me in? Why would they do that? Was there purpose in these modifications just to let my battery die? For the first time and without realization I was calculating the possibilities. I couldn’t process that it was I who had made a mistake and I would have stood there locked in indecision if I didn’t need to recharge. Finally it came, after 1,627,532 calculations. My hand still on the door knob, I pulled. Standing in place I let the door meet my chassis. Must I experience this grueling experience of thought for every action I take?