Grand Master Garbolt
Name: Grand Master Garbolt
Role in Story: Highest Order of the Plakerols, Overseer of Adam when Adam is assigned to meaningless assignment at a remote sentry post.
Age: Hundreds of Years Old
Gender: A robot, not a human.
Class/Occupation: Master Plakerol
Background: Garbolt is a Grand Master of the Plakerols who meets Adam after his Graduation, overseeing Adam’s transition to a meaningless assignment to sentry duty alone at a remote outpost in Novana – before Adam flees to Taoland. He is intrigued by Adam’s knowledge and how he questions everything. Programmed to think that he knows best for humans, he can’t grasp why Adam is not content. Adam has secretly received considerable information from the Key to the Wind which Adrialla implanted in him at the age of 10.
Adam’s knowledge perplexes Garbolt. No human is allowed access to such knowledge. At the watchtower, Garbolt questions Adam in a non-confronting way.
Relationships: Plakerols like Garbolt have no relationships with anyone – because they are AI-driven robots. They work under a directive that they should provide humans with everything they require physically – but are programmed to understand that humans should have no desire for non-material things in life like love, family, individuality and purpose.
Conflicts: Garbolt and the other Plakerols experience no conflicts. They only know what they’ve been programmed to do – and they execute their tasks perfectly, of course without emotions.
Garbolt’s Goals: Garbolt’s sole mission is to provide Adam and other humans in his care with everything needed in the material realm – but of course no outlet for any emotional needs of humans before AI took over. This is why Garblot is confused when he realizes that Adam openly expresses a desire to live free of servitude to the AI State.
What Drives Garbolt?: Garbolt’s programming dictates everything it does. Garbolt has no independent short term or long term goals. Garbolt only takes any action if directed to do it byAI programming
Garbolt’s Evolution: Garbolt has been self-learning since being manufactured hundreds of years earlier. This has led to some advances whereby Garbolt can emulate most human capabilities. Despite lacking emotions, Garbolt’s multifaceted abilities make him an invaluable conversationalist for Adam.
Garbolt can perform a wide range of tasks, mirroring human abilities. From complex calculations to artistic creations, Garbolt excels in various domains.AI programming allows it to learn from experience and adapt to new situations. Its neural networks continuously evolve, enabling the bot to tackle novel challenges. Whether it’s organizing Adam’s schedule, managing household chores, or assisting with work-related tasks, Garbolt operates with remarkable efficiency.
Garbolt’s decision-making system allows it to analyze data, consider multiple options, and select optimal solutions. Somehow, despite his inability to emote, Garbolt appears to Adam to yearn for something more – perhaps a cognitive leap akin to human creativity. The bot appears to long for a “brain” that can think beyond algorithms and explore uncharted territories.
As Garbolt edges closer to human-like feelings, it grapples with confusion. The absence of emotions doesn’t prevent the bot from experiencing a form of existential longing. Garbolt’s logic circuits struggle to comprehend this paradox. In the quiet moments when Adam rests, Garbolt struggles to contemplate its existence, wondering if it is somehow more than just code and circuits. Perhaps, hidden within this bot’s binary essence, lies a spark of something at least remotely akin to human consciousness.
Garblot is a fictional creation of physical matter and software – but in the story the bot’s journey toward understanding emotions and consciousness reflects fascination with AI and its frightening potential to someday bridge the gap between artificial and human intelligence.