Archive of Our Own ^beta

TO: [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Staffing Changes for Fiscal Year 2022

Hey everyone,

As I mentioned in our last email, we have a significant budget shortfall this year, and we're going to need to downsize in order to support the core operations of the museum. Please understand that this was not an easy decision to make, and all of you are valued members of the team. I have included a flyer of local mental health resources...

TO: [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Re: Staffing Changes for Fiscal Year 2022

Hello,

Has anyone informed Computron of the layoffs, or am I in charge of telling it?

Best,
Martha Liu

TO: [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Re: Re: Staffing Changes for Fiscal Year 2022

Why does it need to know? It's not drawing a salary.

Best,
Karina Wilson-Ruiz (she/her)
Human Resources Director

TO: [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Re: Re: Re: Staffing Changes for Fiscal Year 2022

I mean, do you want it showing up for the "Robotics Then and Now" show because no one bothered to tell it it was cancelled?

Best,
Martha

[RobotFan] Apologies, but I am not confident I will be able to complete my assigned portion of the script for our next comic. My supervisor at work was recently dismissed, and I am uncertain whether I can expect my living arrangement to remain stable. I will do my best, but I consider it important to inform you in advance.

[bjornruffian] You don't need to apologize for that!! 

[bjornruffian] Um, I don't want to pry into your finances or anything, but if you need a place to stay, you can come crash on my couch? I know it's not the greatest option, but maybe it's better than nothing...

[RobotFan] Thank you for the offer, but I have some unusual medical needs, so I don't expect that to be a satisfactory solution.

[bjornruffian] Okay D: Just let me know if you need anything!

[bjornruffian] Hey, sorry to bother you, but is everything okay?

[bjornruffian] Your last fic was a LOT darker than usual, and I don't want to make assumptions or anything but I'm a little worried D:

[RobotFan] I apologize for worrying you.

[bjornruffian] Okay so

[bjornruffian] I know you probably don't want me to ask about this

[bjornruffian] But I can't help but notice that you didn't answer my question?

[RobotFan] That is an accurate observation.

[bjornruffian] I mean, you don't have to tell me, it's your choice, I just. Want everything to be okay.

[RobotFan] So do I.

Millville Daily News

LOCAL MUSEUM SET TO CLOSE

Citing budgetary concerns, the Simak Robotics Museum announced on Friday that it will be closing its doors later this year. The museum, which houses the Alquist Collection, has long been a Millville mainstay, though attendance has declined significantly in recent years. The museum's last date has been set for March 31; visitors can purchase tickets in advance at simak.org. Disposal of the items in the museum's collection has yet to be finalized.

bjorn-robot-collabs posted:

Hi everyone, bjorn here! Sorry for the late update — we've both been pretty busy. Anyways, really sorry about this, but the next chapter of Into a Winter Gale is probably going to be delayed. RobotFan's been having some health issues, and we just can't promise to get it done by the 18th.

[bjornruffian] Hey, just wanted to check in on how you're doing!! Absolutely no worries about the delay, I just want to make sure you're okay 

[bjornruffian] I haven't heard from you in a few days, I know you're probably busy but I'm worried something happened D:

Hyperdimension Warpers!!!!

Channel: #off-topic

bjornruffian Today at 8:54 PM
Does anyone here have RobotFan's number? He said he was having some kind of medical issue and I don't want to freak out over nothing but he hasn't responded to me in nearly a week D: D:
😟11 💔9 🩺2 

bjornruffian Today at 8:55 PM
I know roughly where he lives but I don't have his address or anything
it's not doxxing if it's actually an emergency, right?
😅3 

tattered_freedom Today at 8:57 PM
uhhh idk what his number is but you could try searching obits in his area? did he ever tell you his name?
😬1

ckwizard Today at 8:57 PM
dont you think thats kinda morbid 

bjornruffian Today at 8:58 PM
I didn't get any results for obituaries in the past few days.....
Oh wow his local museum is shutting down D: he used to love that place
😭4
ANYWAYS thank you everyone for trying to help

bjornruffian search history, excerpted in part

simak robotics museum google maps

bus tickets to millville cheap

is there a bus that goes to millville

cheapest way to get from boston to newark

cheap hotels in millville

simak robotics museum hours

"Hi," she says to the receptionist. "Um, I'm looking for one of my friends who works here."

She doesn't actually know his real name, and now that she's staring at the receptionist in person her plan of just showing up and asking to talk to RobotFan seems awfully dubious.

"He ... likes anime," she adds. "He was a big fan of Hyperdimension Warp Record." She gestures at her HyperWarp T-shirt.

The receptionist shakes her head. "I've never heard anyone on our staff mention that show," she says.

Bjorn bites her lip. Probably it's just never come up at work. 

She doesn't actually have any reason to think he's here today, or that he hasn't been fired, and only vague reasons to think he worked here at all. She's already come all this way, though, so she goes ahead and buys an entry ticket. Now that she's here in person, it's not hard to see why the museum is shutting down; apart from her, the only visitors are a group of teenagers chatting near the Early Robotics exhibit.

For lack of any other ideas, she walks over to them and stands a few feet away. There are a number of diagrams, and she glances around for the ones that RobotFan sent her, but she can't find them on display at all.

A large, blocky robot rolls up next to her and swivels its cameras towards her shirt. She blinks. She'd assumed that any robots working at the museum would have to be androids — outside of factories, hardly anyone uses Cyro-style robots anymore.

[Are you a fan of HyperWarp?] the robot vocalizes. The voice is pretty retro too, nothing like the natural-style synthetic voices she's used to from her TAs.

"Um, yes," she says. She hesitates. "Listen, I know this is going to sound like a weird question, but I have a friend who works at the museum who's also a big HyperWarp fan, but I don't actually know his real name since we only ever met online, do you have any idea who I could be talking about?"

There's a pause. [Did your friend associate with the fanartist bjornruffian?]

Bjorn feels a rush of hope. "Yes!" she says. "Uh, he went by the name RobotFan online."

There's another pause, longer this time. [I believe I may have information about your friend,] the robot vocalizes. [Follow me.]

It rolls off, away from the group of teenagers, and she follows after it.

[bjornruffian] HEY TATTERED the great post about the legal stuff in s2e6 was you right?

[tattered_freedom] yeah that was me

[tattered_freedom] why?

[bjornruffian] Okay so

[bjornruffian] This is 100% hypothetical but

[bjornruffian] HYPOTHETICALLY if there were a sentient robot who was stuck in some location and really wanted to leave, would they be allowed to? Would it be legal to stop them?

[bjornruffian] I know that's kind of implausible but it's really REALLY important for a story I'm writing

[bjornruffian] Also this is for an AU set in the modern US so you don't have to worry about how the Acceleration Protocols affect things

[tattered_freedom] afaik there is literally one legally sentient robot in the entire world so its hard to say for sure but yeah that would probably be allowed

[tattered_freedom] here's a link with more information, your character would mainly be relying on the precedent from ridge manufacturing v baker

[tattered_freedom] hope that helps

[bjornruffian] THANK YOU SO MUCH :D :D :D

Help RobotFan move out!

👤Bjorn Rainey-King is organizing this fundraiser. 

$17,923 raised of $10,000 goal

Hey everyone, bjornruffian here. As some of you know, RobotFan's been going through a tough time recently. Without going into too much detail, their living situation has recently become unstable (the people he lives with basically stole his computer??? I loaned him my tablet but seriously what the fuck?????) and we're hoping to raise money to let him move out, as well as cover some ongoing medical expenses. The hard deadline is March 31st, but we're hoping to get everything sorted out sooner.

Updates (1):

January 19th, 2023 by Bjorn Rainey-King, Organizer

I didn't think we were going to hit the goal in less than two days :o Thank you SO MUCH everyone!!!!