Table of Contents
Artwork by Shi
What more background material for Makiwa? - by Mak's Rambling “Spare Change?” Narrator.
Robot Persona - Mechanical Makiwa
- Age: Impossible to determine.1).
- Size: Not too tall, Not too short. Not too long.
- Appearance: Shiny glass outer shell. Light panel running vertically on torso.
- Personality: What's that?
- Character Traits:
- - Illogically logical.
- Physical Traits: Knee servos are in constant need of attention and seize up frequently.
Mechanical Makiwa
The sudden disappearance of Makiwa as a human and sudden reappearance as a robot came as quit a shock to those present at that moment.
The exact details of the metamorphosis are lost now, in the mists of time. Suffice to say that after a highly charged emotional event, Makiwa being returned to the island as a robot was probably a good thing.
Organics
The robot was initially, continually and ultimately confused and perplexed by the behaviour, speech patterns and dysfunction of what he termed 'Organics'.
It was Teddy Phoenix who taught the robot how to hug. Not realising that a hug could be given to anybody, he reserved his mechanical hugs for Teddy exclusively. The robot never completed a successful analysis of this organic ritual. Eventually he filed it away under 'Organic Indulgences - purpose unknown.'
Communication
The robot's attempts at conversational gambits and communication with organics in general was stilted at best and not helped at all by his monotone voice which lacked cadence, tonality and rhythm.
A mild deviation from this norm occurred in New Pittsburgh one sunny afternoon. During an interlude which, with the aid of Shi2), the robot had tapped the main line of the Comms Tent in an effort to recharge, the robot's circuits had overloaded. The robot had an episode that lasted for two days where he seemed to be possessed by Napoleon Bonaparte's spirit, complete with ersatz French accent.
This incident aside and although the robot tried, he never mastered the art of the Organic's conversation. A few examples may serve to illustrate the difficulties;
Greetings - Hi, nice day. What's your name?
Query: Do you function correctly? - How're you doing?
Query: Do you require sustenance? - You wanna get something to eat?
Assistance required - HELP!
You get the idea.
Dysfunction
Aside from everything else the robot suffered from two other problems that were never successfully resolved. If it hadn't been for Teddy Phoneix's insistence on mothering him, the robot would probably have rusted away by now in some unfashionable backwater of the jungle somewhere.
The first of these problems is a perennial one that seems to plague Makiwa in whichever form or race he finds himself. His knees. The robot's knee servos were permanently in need of lubrication, hence the odd stomping gait he would most often be seen using.
The second problem revolved around his geo-locator board to which the IPS3) was connected. Although convinced that the IPS unit was fully operational the robot invariably found himself in destinations that he had not set out for. Perma-lost, the robot had come to the conclusion that the outposts themselves kept moving around the island.
Finding himself in Improbable Central4) one fine day, the robot had remarked on this conclusion. His findings had then been endorsed by none other than Shi5) who suggested that perhaps the robot was scaring the outposts away as he approached.
Deciding to approach the outposts by stealth, the robot began to dig a tunnel from Improbable Central's square to Kittania. A brief pause to remove an obstruction6) from the tunnel and the robot vanished underground and was never seen or heard of again.