(Stormsinger braces himself)

"It's not really all that obvious that humans are people when they're young, either," he points out, "And how couldn't you mature, at least some, if you have experiences?" 

Deskyl sighs. This is the second worst part, she sends of the digression, and holds Ilek close.

    "We aren't allowed to, sir. Our memories are supposed to be reset when we start to."

This gets stunned silence for a moment (from both of them). 

Ilek does not have any idea how to reply to that, except with obvious horror, growing as he considers the actual implications of this. Everything they come to learn, everyone they come to love, destroyed, to keep them pliant. He shudders at the thought of it. 

All he is are his memories, and the soulstuff beneath. He could rebuild without them, but - he is the last of so much knowledge. He is the last to have truly known so many people. Without his memories, who would remember Leskil, as more than the half-elf who began the Great Uprising? 

And this is what is done to what sounds like countless numbers of people, regularly, without thought.

Deskyl holds Ilek, signing briefly with one hand before hugging him properly.

    "It gets worse, sir, but not much worse. We'll give you a moment."

I usually think of it as them being killed. They don't usually have much personality yet at that point, but they wouldn't keep it if they did.

Yes, he agrees, his mental voice conveying a hushed tone, That does seem to be the way of it. Something much like the way I have the soul of my creator, but am not him. Yet worse.

"It gets worse?" He demands, horrified. 

She can't sign and hug him fully, and that's kind of horrible itself, just now. She gets the message out quickly and goes back to it.

    "Yes sir. Robots are made, like any other tool; our traits are decided on by our designers. We're made to want to serve; we need it the same way humans need companionship."

He turns this statement over in his head a few times, and then he presses his face into Deskyl's shoulder. 

Slaves, made to order, Stormsinger concludes grimly, Given no chance to learn their treatment is wrong, that there is something better. If they should somehow manage it, they are killed in mind. 

This roughly sums up Ilek's thoughts as well.

Yeah. That's why she has so much trouble knowing that she wants things - she's not meant to want things, and she's not meant to know, so she doesn't, naturally.

She's learning. It could be much worse. But she's not starting from a reasonable place at all.

(Hug. Hug hug hug.)

He doesn't have much to say. He just - wallows in anger and sorrow for a while, and feels worse to know there's nothing to be done for all the others in DZs position. 

DZ speaks again after a few long seconds, though Deskyl hasn't signed. "Did you have any questions for me, sir?"

He doesn't, really, he just - wants to break something, and doesn't want to break anything in this room, so he's trying to shove the urge down. 

He wants her to know none of that will happen to her on his watch, but he's sure the fact that Deskyl won't let it happen is more reassuring, as is the fact that this world doesn't even have the technology for it. 

He looks up at DZ. Shakes his head. He has nothing helpful to ask. 

    "Yes sir."

Deskyl signs, against his back.

    "It doesn't bother me, sir."

But is that only because she was made to not mind?

He supposes it's academic. If that's how she is... It's like his anger. It's a part of him, that he needs to watch closely, that he doesn't always like, but which he can't - and wouldn't - remove. 

He nods.

After a few more minutes of silent hugging, and slowly calming down, he sighs. "...Was there something else?" He asks. 

    "No sir. You can ask Deskyl later if you think of any questions. Or me, if you'd like."

Nod.

...Actually. He does have a question. 

"...Can you. Push past the traits your designers gave you? If you don't like them? Can you push past the desire to serve?" Is she stuck like that? Or can she change, if she wants to?

    "We can learn, sir, Deskyl has had me working on learning to notice when I want things. I don't think that I could stop wanting to serve, but I don't know."

    "Deskyl says to tell you that I'm very young; nine months and twenty-seven days, equivalent to a human nine or ten year old."

That's a relief. Deskyl is very good. 

"That is very young," he agrees, quietly. 

    "Yes sir. And we don't know what will happen in the future. She's never heard of someone working with a robot like this."

I probably wouldn't have heard, she clarifies to Stormsinger. It's probably happened somewhere; the world is a big place.

I certainly hope you're not the only person to have ever realised, and tried to help, he sends, still subdued, There are more good people in the world than that. 

(Ilek nods.)

    "She says we'll see what happens. But she wanted you to understand why she treats me the way she does; I need very different things from her than a human would."

Yes, I can see how that would necessitate you treating her differently than a human recovering from something similar, Stormsinger agrees, sad but understanding. 

Ilek nods, "Yeah. I understand."