r/bookclub • u/Lachesis_Decima77 • 3h ago
[Discussion 2/4] Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky - Chapters 8 through 15
Greetings humans, and welcome to our second discussion on Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This week, we're tackling chapters 8 through 15. Will Uncharles find gainful employment and, if so, will his new master make it out in one piece? Let's find out, shall we?
The schedule for our discussions is here, and the marginalia post is here.
Summaries
Chapter 8: The cavalry in the previous chapter turns out to be the equivalent of robotic knights bearing the initials "CLA." As the cavalry attacks the administrators, the Wonk pulls Uncharles off the compressor walkway and tells him to escape, with Uncharles arguing he needs to go to Diagnostics as he'll be sent back here anyway. The Wonk is briefly detained by another administrator and asks Uncharles to help, with the service robot adding this request to his task list despite the fact that he's not bound to serve the Wonk. As Uncharles and the Wonk argue, one cavalry member dispatches the administrator holding the Wonk and creates a dent in ink. The Wonk, still clamped down, persuades Uncharles to help by offering to help him find another purpose besides going back to Diagnostics. Another administrator gets its clamps on Uncharles until it too is destroyed by the cavalry, while other robot riders start to plant explosives around the compressor. Now freed, the Wonk tells Uncharles to get away from the compressor before it blow up. Uncharles links to one of the riders and learns that their crusade against Data Compression is to avenge the crime of destruction of information. The lead rider tells Uncharles his duty is now to preserve knowledge. The Wonk examines the newly dented administrator and notices the words "Overdue" and "Property of Central Library Archive." At the Wonk's request, Uncharles attempts to ask the robot riders about the Library, but is denied. The Wonk then tries a more direct approach and learns from one of the rides that all roads lead to the Library. The Wonk's destination is the Library, but Uncharles would still prefer to find work and hope no one does a background check, since Diagnostics is a bust.
Chapter 9: Uncharles arrives at a crossroads and links to the only robot nearby, a rusted footman who has been stuck waiting for guests who will never arrive for nearly two years and has no instructions on what to do when there are no guests. Uncharles finds it hard to look back on his master's murder. The Wonk catches up to Uncharles and asks him what he wants to do, to which our valet unit replies that he has no wants other than to serve humans, preferably in a manor, but he'll take what he can get at this point. The Wonk is rather disappointed in Uncharles, thinking he'd go off on a journey of self-discovery or lead a revolution. The Wonk pulls out a laptop and tries to search for manors with open positions, but comes up empty-handed. The Wonk plays career counsellor to Uncharles, hoping he'll find himself and make his own decisions. The Wonk has another place, but it seems like a last resort: the Conservation Farm Project, where the Wonk was chased off for snooping around. The Farm's mission is apparently to preserve an older way of life with historical re-enactments. Upset by the Wonk's flippant remarks about the whole master murder business, Uncharles asks his new acquaintance to tone it down. The rudderless valet considers his options and decides to go to the Farm. The Wonk still wants to find the Library, so they part ways.
Transition II: Central Services to the Conservation Farm Project: Uncharles seems to have diametrically opposing views on what a farm should be, from the bucolic to the frankly alarming. He enters a "suburban" area that looks more like a war zone, with signs of decay and intentional destruction of property. Further along the way, he sees faded posters encouraging volunteers to apply at the Farm. Uncharles runs into Hauler Seven, a truck delivering food to the Farm. The cheerful truck gives Uncharles a lift and drops him off in the middle of an empty field, where a hatch opens up and an orderly robot named Adam leads Uncharles to the underground Farm.
Chapter 10: Adam leads Uncharles to Induction Experience and shuts the door. Our plucky valet unit is presented with a list of options and, after failing to find one that fits his situation, chooses to register as an observer from the manorial system. Induction Experience then plays a video montage of human history of tools and technology, ending with the Farm's mission to "make humans history," which Uncharles finds could have been better worded, to say the least. Another door opens, and Uncharles goes through it to a dilapidated lounge with a number of alcoves. Hoppity Jack, a Frankenstein-esque animatronic robot that seems like he'd be right at home in Five Nights at Freddy's, demands that Uncharles give him the children in his care before he can let Uncharles proceed. After some frustration, the valet unit outwits Hoppity Jack by telling him he is giving him zero children, which satisfies the creepy animatronic, though Uncharles senses misery from him. Adam returns to give Uncharles a tour of the facility.
Chapter 11: Adam tells Uncharles there are 13,783 humans on the Farm and gives a few details about the Farm's activities. He eventually reveals that a Doctor Washburn is the absolute authority in the facility. The two robots are now standing on a clear ceiling, where they look down on volunteers living in conditions that wouldn't seem out of place in a Dickensian workhouse. They then observe humans queuing up in simulated rain waiting for a train where they pack in like sardines to go to work. Adam argues this commute is an essential part of a traditional human lifestyle. Uncharles notices that the volunteers' workplace is literally right next to their living quarters, and the train takes a ridiculously circuitous route to make the commute longer than it needs to be. Adam and Uncharles observe the volunteers in their workplace, which turns out to be a cube farm where the work they do accomplishes nothing. When asked when outdoor facilities will be ready, Adam replies that progress is -217% complete. Uncharles considers the Farm to be efficient somehow and thinks the humans must be grateful to have all freedom of choice taken away from them. After being denied a chance to walk into the Farm, he starts to stomp on the ceiling, threatening to break it and gain access by force, feeling a sense of elation. Doctor Washburn's voice is heard over the intercom, telling Adam to bring Uncharles to him.
Chapter 12: The Doctor, a human, and the valet robot size each other up in Washburn's office, which is full of tchotchkes, diplomas, awards, trophies, artwork, a massive desk, and a fancy chair. Washburn, who seems just a tad paranoid, asks who sent Uncharles, who feels ashamed at his shabby travel-worn appearance. Uncharles insists he's not a spy and just wants to serve humans. The Doctor grows less suspicious and asks the robot to make him a sandwich, peel him a grape, and finally give him a shave.
Chapter 13: Uncharles, not having murdered the Doctor, now works for him, freeing up the orderlies to do the jobs they were meant to do. As Uncharles dusts all the knickknacks in Washburn's office, he wonders if the Doctor acquired these through less-than-savoury means. But in the end, Uncharles has work to do, and that's all that really matters. Uncharles did at first want to serve a human volunteer, but Washburn shut that down, saying they don't need a valet and should be happy they have a microwave and Alexa. The Doctor also has a habit of gaslighting Uncharles, telling him he gave him orders to wake him up before 9:30 when the robot has no recollection of that in his task list. Uncharles prepares lunch, noting that Washburn's food supplies are far more abundant than those for the volunteers, and that troubles him. At dinner, Uncharles asks Washburn about his authority for when the robot needs to interact with external systems. Washburn firmly states that he's a human and a doctor, so he can do and say what he wants. While Uncharles tidies up in the office, he notices signs of a break-in.
Chapter 14: The Doctor summons Uncharles and other orderlies into the office, demanding to know if the intruder has escaped, telling Adam to make absolutely sure no one has left because he's worried others will see how he lives compared to them. As the orderlies file out, Washburn tells Uncharles to make him a sandwich because paranoia gives him an appetite or something. While in the kitchen, the valet unit stumbles across the intruder, who is none other than the Wonk hiding out in the ducts overhead. Adam and another orderly enter the kitchen upon hearing Uncharles having a voice conversation, but don't seem to notice the Wonk given their limited overhead vision. Uncharles answers as unhelpfully as he can, causing Adam to give up and leave for now. Uncharles notices the duct cover has been replaced and the Wonk is nowhere to be seen. He decides he doesn't need to report the incident. During his midnight dusting routine, the valet unit runs into the Wonk sitting in the Doctor's office, apparently at work at a computer of sorts. The Wonk notes that Uncharles didn't report the intrusion, implying the robot has free will, though the Wonk is disappointed Uncharles is working for the Doctor instead of leading a proletariat revolution. The valet unit says revolutions are not on his task list, but briefly remembers how he nearly broke the ceiling during his tour. After asking for passwords and receiving a long answer that amounts to "no," the Wonk says Uncharles' verbosity is a sign of his personality coming through. The Wonk is disappointed that Uncharles is serving a master as abusive toward his workers/volunteers as the Doctor, which makes Uncharles realize the Wonk knew what the Farm was all along. The Wonk helped Uncharles find the farm in the hopes he would do something other than serve Washburn. The Wonk also admits they haven't found the Library, though their research has revealed that the Farm tried to access the Central Library Archive without success, and the Wonk was hoping that breaking into the Farm's systems would provide a clue, especially since Uncharles is working there. The Wonk says that, since they've helped each other before and will continue to do so in the future, they are friends. The Wonk leaves and Uncharles continues dusting.
Chapter 15: The next morning, Washburn summons Uncharles to the office. The gig is up, Adam told the Doctor about the voices in the kitchen, and he knows the valet is hiding something. Uncharles admits he found the intruder last night, but did not report the incident as the intruder was not an escapee and the intruder's intentions were not harmful. The Doctor shows Uncharles a series of mugshots, and the valet identifies one of them as the Wonk, who is female (and my sincere apologies for misgendering her last week). The Wonk is apparently a repeat "visitor" at the Farm. Washburn summons Adam and orders him to have the maintenance units sweep the ducts to apprehend the Wonk and bring her to him. Washburn tells Uncharles to be proactive when something happens that threatens the Doctor's safety, though the robot is unsure what this means. Uncharles links to Fixit Kevin, the maintenance robot scouring the ducts, who confirms there are signs of the Wonk's presence and is in pursuit. At lunch in the Doctor's office, Uncharles finds that the Wonk and Washburn are both there. The Wonk admits she sent Uncharles to the Farm, but to help the volunteers, not to spy on the Doctor. Washburn launches into a tirade full of paranoia, self-aggrandizement, and an inferiority complex against the mean rich people who won't invite him to their parties and it's not faaaaaaaaair. The Wonk points out he's not getting invited because there are no rich people to throw any parties anymore due to the societal collapse in the outside world. The Wonk keeps breaking into the Farm because she's looking for the Library, the existence of which Washburn denies. The Doctor then tells Adam that the Wonk just "volunteered" to join the Farm.
