RTW: What's in Your Post-Apocalyptic Carry-On?

Road Trip Wednesday... on a Tuesday???  Yep, we're bending rules on the blog, today.  Good thing, too, because my writer-hermit brain needed a jumpstart this morning.  Last week's question at YA Highway asked:

If you time-traveled to a post-apocalyptic future, what would you bring?

 Everyone fortunate enough to know me knows that I am a notorious over-packer.  For some reason, I feel the need to prepare for various catastrophic events every time my family and I travel.  Everyone knows the one time you don't bring the winter parka is the time you will need it.  Never mind that it's July and going to be eighty degrees the whole trip, just bring it anyway.

But traveling to a post-apocalyptic future might actually be a simple thing for me.  The worst has already happened, so there isn't really much to be prepared for. 

I would definitely need to bring some fresh produce since I'm guessing there won't be much available post-apocalypse;  some fresh fruit and veggies ought to perk up the ashen gray scene. 

I would also have to bring a few books, because who knows how many would survive the apocalypse?

I think a jar of peanut butter would also be in order.  Maybe an extra jar to barter with; I would think peanut butter would be a pretty hot commodity in a world of canned sardines and stale crackers. 

Also, some batteries.  Doesn't it always seem like the people that survive apocalyptic catastrophes are in serious need of batteries? 

And the most important thing inside my duffel would have to be seeds.  I would bring copious amounts of seeds.  Watermelon, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots; you name it, I'll grow it.  Now let's just hope I can find some sort of fresh, non-zombie-virus-infested water source...

What would your bag include?

RTW: Robot-like Humans or Human-like Robots?

We're going Sci-fi on the blog today.  This week's topic over at the YA Highway's Road Trip Wednesday is:

In our Bookmobile selection this month, Debra Driza's MILA 2.0, the main character discovers she's an android trained to obey orders. We want to know: What other human-like robots (or robot-like humans?) have you enjoyed in books, TV, or movies?

Robots in real life are boring.  They are pretty much only useful for things like building cars or sucking up your wayward popcorn kernels under your couch while you're at work.  Robots in fiction and movies, however, are badass.  They almost always have super-human strength because, well, why not?  They are almost always better looking than us lowly humans.  (Hello "Fembots", "Gigolo Joe", "Marcus Wright", and basically every other cinematic android ever created)  They are often created with some form of humanistic qualities, which later turns into quite a conundrum when they inevitably develop feelings and attempt to ascertain what constitutes humanity.  Also, for some unknown reason, robots are almost always subservient to humans, when they possess the obvious ability to outnumber, outwit, and out-muscle us in every way.  It sure does make for a good story, though...

 

The very first character I thought of when I read this question was Rachael from the movie "Blade Runner".  It's an old-school gem by Ridley Scott that explores the parameters of what makes us human and therefor different from a robot.  When the differences become blurred and almost impossible to distinguish, the philosophical pondering really starts.  Rachael is a character that drives the debate of what makes a human, well, human.  To me, she exemplifies the human-like robot concept.

 

Another character that jumped out at me was Bender, from the tv show "Futurama".  I am not a devout follower of the show, but from the few episodes I have seen, Bender seems quite human in nature.  On the show, he is described as, "an alcoholic, whore-mongering, chain-smoking gambler".  Those seem like very human qualities to me.  Plus, he makes me laugh.


Anyone else have a robot-like human or human-like robot from books, movies, or tv to share?