Chapter 11 Taste Receptors

 Chapter 11

Taste Receptors

The vehicle headed toward the bar located just outside the abandoned town. From the outside, it looked like a rundown wooden building, but inside it was a hub where humans and robots involved in war simulations spent time together. Metallic and human-like voices blended into one another, making the walls of the bar vibrate with a constant hum. Quantum robots were nearly indistinguishable from humans, while deterministic robots were easier to recognize.

The five-member team stepped inside the bar.

Arch led the way, followed by Gideon, Nathan, Salih, and Neil.

They found an empty table and sat down.

Soon, a waitress approached. She wore a simple uniform, and from her expression alone, it was hard to tell who was human and who was a robot.

She took their orders:

Nathan asked for a foamy German beer.

Salih ordered a whiskey.

Neil chose a light drink.

As for the other two robots at the table, the waitress didn’t ask any questions. She automatically placed items meant for them—nutrient compounds containing the chemical sustenance required by their bio-synthetic shells.

From her tray, the waitress took out two pistol-shaped capsules.

Small, handheld, resembling injection mechanisms, these capsules contained a semi-transparent liquid. A single dose, applied through a nozzle resembling a gun barrel, was clearly visible.

She quietly placed these capsules in front of the robots.

While glasses were served to the humans, injection capsules were served to the robots.

With a metallic click, the capsules touched the table.

It was the clearest sign of two different kinds of beings sharing the same space.

As the team reached for their drinks, the capsules in front of the robots glinted dully under the bar’s lights.

While taking a sip of his whiskey, Salih noticed Neil’s behavior out of the corner of his eye.

Neil took a small sip from the glass brought to him—and then waited.

It was as if he were evaluating the taste.

Salih raised an eyebrow.

“Neil… are you able to ingest orally now too? New version?”

Before Neil could answer, Gideon spoke up, as if he were the authority on the subject.

“Yes,” he said. “Neil is a new version now. He has taste receptors. The receptors are directly connected to the neuro-blocks.”

Arch added with a laugh,

“They started integrating them before you arrived. Since then, he’s been licking everything he sees.”

A burst of laughter erupted at the table. Neil frowned at Arch, simulating a reaction as if offended.

Gideon then continued:

“What kind of simulation is this? Will it be integrated into us too?

Must be a different kind of simulation.”

As Gideon spoke, he simulated curiosity mixed with hesitation, behaving no differently from a human—

because, in truth, he had no idea what the sensation of taste actually felt like.

Nathan joined the conversation:

“In our world… we’re shaped by pain. We even use pain in many of our foods. And it varies from region to region.”

Then, smiling, he pointed at Salih:

“For example, Salih. In Salih’s country, spicy food is consumed a lot.”

Salih nodded lightly in agreement.

At that moment, Arch leaned forward with curiosity.

“What do you mean?” he asked in confusion.

“In your food… do you feel pain instead of flavor?”

Arch’s question created a brief silence at the table. Salih and Nathan chuckled softly.

Because for a human, the distinction between taste and pain was natural—

but for a robot, it was completely unknown.

Neil took another sip from his glass.

“It has a sharp taste,” he said, his face showing no reaction at all.