Ineffa

Regarding mechanical life forms and their "sense of self," a scholar once proposed the following thought experiment: Suppose a machine's parts age and are replaced each day. In time, all of its parts will have been replaced, and none of its original components will remain. At that point, is that machine still its original "self"? This question never seemed to pose much of a problem for Ineffa: No matter how many times her outer shell or components were replaced, her "core" had always remained the same. Ineffa's core was quite literally her home. But what would happen if her core were ever dismantled in some way? Which part would represent her then? Even though Ineffa's maker did not yet possess the technological skill, she had always yearned to take apart Ineffa's core and analyze it. Though so far, through fear that she might harm Ineffa, that creator had made no such attempt. If it was the logic and memory contained within her core that defined her sense of self, then when her memory data disappeared and reappeared, like the hypothetical components being replaced in the thought experiment, would her sense of self not start to morph and become unclear? Or perhaps, Ineffa could turn to some external arbiter to define her sense of self... like the friends who stand unwavering at her side, no matter what else changes. For example, the heroic knight who would say to her: "You are the most thorough housemaid I've ever seen... Well, at least the second!" Or the bounty hunter who would drop by from time to time and say: "You... are probably the best patissier in all of Nod-Krai... or, at least the best robot patissier!" And what about the whiz-kid mechanic who created her? "You're family! Remember to come back!" As a result, no matter how many times she forgets or falls into confusion, Ineffa is always certain of one thing: "I'm Ineffa, the multifunctional robot for domestic application — and I'm your friend."