How do I write from a non-person point of view?
I am writing a novel with an ensemble cast. Each chapter is told from a different person's point of view. Some of the chapters are about a non-sentient machine that communicates with the human characters. It's not a sentient android like R2D2 from Star Wars or the killer machine from the Terminator movies or Data from Star Trek. It's no more self-aware than a very sophisticated machine, but many of its actions and communications drive the plot and decisions of the other characters.
This character will never become sentient during the story. It will never have feelings the way your laptop never has feelings.
How would I write from its point of view?
Edit to Add:
- This character only seems intelligent and sentient.
- It does not comprehend human motives.
- It considers human requests baffling even when it understands the requests.
- It seems extremely intelligent in that it has access to extraordinary amounts of knowledge and can even put that knowledge together in unpredictable ways.
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1 answer
Write it as data inputs and responses.
INPUT: USER 1 enters room
RESPOND Y/N? Y
OUTPUT_$content: {greeting}; {Salutation: 'Good'} {TOD: 1415, 'afteroon'};
INPUT: USER 1 response {"Good afternoon yourself. Did you finish compiling that report?"}
SEARCH_DB6b.46: report {SMITH, CHARLES: activities prior 72 hours};
LOCATED
COMPLETE Y/N? N
ET COMPLETION: 4.7 hours
OUTPUT_$content: {apology}; {report SMITH, CHARLES} {STATUS};
and so on.
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