Robot Boy

Imagine, if you will, a world not unlike our own. Imagine a world of trinkets and toys, of circuits and gears. Imagine a world populated solely by robots.

About two stars away from the one you call your sun, there is such a world, orbiting a small orange star. This planet is a bustling metropolis, with millions of robots in all shapes and sizes, rushing to and fro, going about their daily business at inhuman speed. Trains rush to all corners of this globe, whisking their occupants from one tower to the next. For a city that covers a planet, it is a busy place indeed. This is Robot World.

But on any give day, if one of these machines were to gaze skyward, and look beyond the shining city lights, they would see a dozen and one moons spinning in the sky. One moon, called Supellex, is a mining facility. Another, called Flamma, is a factory. Sero is a garden moon; Fervens is a steel mill, and so on and so on. But on the smallest of Robot World’s moons, nearly forgotten and orbiting at a distance so far as to make it barely perceptible, is Perdo.

It was a long time ago that the tiny moon of Perdo was where all of Robot World’s garbage was left. But times had changed, and no more waste was made. Soon, the need for a landfill was no more, and Perdo was left alone. But don’t write it off just yet. There was a small boy, a Robot Boy, who agreed to stay behind on this small satellite, and find what materials he could to recycle. But the years had passed, and his task wore on with little progress. For in this cold world, Robot Boy had begun to rust, and he moved a slower pace. Fortunately, his toils were not of pressing importance to the other robots, so they bothered him little, if ever. And so Robot Boy was slowly forgotten, and he tried not to care.

Being alone, on this tiny moon, Robot Boy tinkered with the metal objects he found. He created small gadgets and devices, some which worked, some that didn’t. But it mattered not. There was no one to impress, and no one to disappoint but himself. He even created a small ship, that he thought could carry him back to the main world, but he had no power supply to fuel it. The only power supply he knew was glowing inside of his tiny chest, and he needed that to survive.

And so, when Robot Boy felt alone, he found his eyes drifting skyward, looking at Robot World with all of its bright lights, wondering what it would be like to go there someday. Wondering if there were other robots quite like him.

On a day like any other, Robot Boy searched through the scraps of metal for something to complete his latest device. And as his tiny metal fingers reached for a scrap, the ground began to shake, and Robot Boy became frightened. His eyes darted around, and he looked skyward at a small metal craft descending on a nearby clearing. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had a visitor, so he hid behind a pile of debris, shyly observing the craft touch down merely a stone’s throw away.

The ship came to rest on its four legs, as the main rocket cooled and cut out. Robot Boy couldn’t help but be impressed about its design. Nothing he had constructed came close. He watched as the door swung open, and in the bright glow of the cockpit lights, he saw a small, delicate robot emerge from the cabin. Robot Boy had never seen anything like this robot. While he was crude and clunky, this girl, this Robot Girl was a thing of aesthetic wonderment. She was not covered in metal, but of some smooth, white plastic. She had no seems or bolts. Just hinges. And as Robot Boy watched his visitor exit her ship, he saw a blue glow surround her. Surely, this was the most beautiful thing that Robot Boy had ever seen.

As Robot Girl surveyed the landscape of the tiny moon, Robot Boy quickly ducked his head out of sight. But his quick movement sent some metal tumbling to the ground, and Robot Girl was soon alerted to his presence. She slowly made her way over to the source of the sound, where Robot Boy slowly peeked up from the trash that surrounded him. Robot Girl looked at him questioningly, to which Robot Boy stuck out his tiny hand. Robot Girl looked at his little rusted fingers, then cautiously greeted him with a handshake.

Robot Girl led Robot Boy back to her ship, where she explained that the purpose of her visit was to see if this moon had any value as a future mining site. She explained that she worked for one of the major mining companies back on Robot World, and they already owned four of the other moons. Robot Boy had difficulty paying attention to Robot Girl, as he gazed with wonderment at all the fancy computer screens and arrays in the ship. Robot Girl caught his attention, and pointed out that if this moon was turned into a mining site, he could go to the Robot World. Robot Boy’s eyes went wide as he pondered the change in status quo.

Robot Boy continued to wonder about his future as he sat on a trash heap near Robot Girl’s ship. The ship had extended a drilling mechanism that bored it’s way into the moon’s surface. Robot Girl was checking her digital displays, as she tossed a wayward glance at Robot Boy in the distance. She slowly climbed the trash heap and sat next to him. Robot Boy explained that he had never been to Robot World before. He had been built on Flamma, the factory moon, and was sent to Perdo with a small team to manage the garbage. Little by little, the team grew smaller, until it was just he. Recycling had eliminated the need for a garbage dump, he explained. Robot Girl felt a twinge of sympathy for Robot Boy, who asked her of the Robot World. And so she talked of the bustling city streets, and the towering skyscrapers, and the bullet trains, along with robot museums and art galleries.

Robot Boy was impressed, especially with the art galleries. He told Robot Girl that he creates things himself. And so Robot Boy led her to see some of his trinkets and creations. Among them, Robot Boy showed her a small metal dog he had created. Not a living one, of course, but it had the look of one. He showed her a model of spaceship, and a small metal building. Robot Girl inquired as to how he knew what a building looked like, to which he produced a small, grainy hologram of Robot World’s capital city. Robot Boy explained that it was broken when it arrived, but he managed to fix it. Robot Boy stated that sometimes, robots throw things away when only a piece of them are broken. Robot Girl nodded in agreement, recalling that she had probably done likewise. But Robot Boy grabbed her hand and led her excitedly toward a tarp that covered an even bigger contraption. Robot Boy pulled off the cover to reveal a full-sized space ship, one only slightly smaller that Robot Girl’s. Robot Girl was aghast, as she inspected it. It was a clunky and rusted thing, but all the pieces were there. She asked if it could fly, to which Robot Boy said “no.” Without a power source, it couldn’t. Robot Girl began to speak, but stopped herself.

And so time passed on this tiny world, with Robot Girl conducting her studies, and Robot Boy collecting his things and dreaming of a life very different than the one he had grown used to. But in the latter half of the days, Robot Boy and Girl would talk of their lives, of what had come before, and of what they wanted to come after. And for the first time in his short life, Robot Boy found himself with a friend. He would enjoy the time he spent with Robot Girl, and from what he could gather, she enjoyed their time just as much. On one special day, Robot Boy constructed a flower out of tin, and gave it to Robot Girl as a gift. She said that she would cherish it. And on those nights, Robot Boy and Robot Girl would stare into the sky, not at Robot World, but at worlds beyond. And they would dream of better lives than either of them would ever know.

The drill withdrew from the moon’s surface, and Robot Girl examined her readings. When Robot Boy asked if the moon was going to be usable as a mining site, Robot Girl said that she wouldn’t know until the results were run back on the main world. Robot Boy nodded silently. Robot Girl packed her things, and boarded her ship, while Robot Boy assisted her. Once all her things were stowed and packed, she stopped and reached out a hand to Robot Boy. As Robot Boy shook it, he felt something small and warm slip into his hand. Robot Girl kissed him on the cheek, and boarded her ship. The last thing she said was “find me.” And so Robot Boy looked down at his hand as her ship blasted off. It was a power cell.

Day turned to night, and Robot Boy retreated to his den. He looked at the power cell, glowing with its blue energy. And he threw his gaze to the skies, looking at the other moons that spiraled toward the main Robot World like a series of stones in a silent summer pond. He looked at Robot World, and all of its tiny, city lights. And he wondered which one belonged to Robot Girl. In that moment, Robot Boy felt for the first time what it was like to miss someone.

Time passed, and Robot Boy began to slowly unpack, unsure that he would ever hear word from Robot Girl again. He gathered bits of tin, and reconstructed the flower that he had given her a lifetime ago. He twirled the metal flower in his tiny robot hands and looked at the stars. He then took out the hologram of Robot World’s capital city, and looked at it with longing. Robot Boy furrowed his metal brow, and marched over to his ship. He pulled the tarp off, and quickly located the dead power cell within it. Robot Boy raced back to his den and snatched up the new power cell, then flew back to his ship to insert it. The ship rattled and hummed with life. Tiny fluorescent bulbs blinked on, and the roar of the engine threw debris in all directions. Robot Boy jumped on board, and the ship sputtered into the sky. At the last second, all systems shut down. Robot Boy slammed his tiny fist on the dashboard, and the rocket flared to life once again. Robot Boy was thrust to the rear of the cockpit, as his ship blasted off toward Robot World.

Ships and hover cars whizzed through Robot World’s capital city. Robot dads and robot moms raced through the streets, rushing to work, rushing to lunch, rushing anywhere but wherever they currently were. One robot man looked to the sky as a clunky ship poured a plum of black smoke into the air. Cars and other ships swerved around this new arrival, as it dipped and bobbed toward the planet’s surface. Robot Boy swerved his tiny ship to avoid the vast array of traffic, his eyes wide with fear bordering on excitement. To avoid a massive cargo ship, Robot Boy jerked the wheel to the left, and careened into a side alley. The rocket slowly cut out as the craft landed on its four legs. Once it landed, one of the legs bent, and Robot Boy struggled to exit his tilted craft. Robot Boy exited the alley in wonderment, looking at the bustling metropolis before him. Never had he seen so many robots, and all their impressive machines. It was truly overwhelming.

Robot Boy held out his hand to stop a passer-by for directions, but one after another, robot men and women shoved him aside, muttering the occasional “excuse me,” and “watch where you’re going.” Robot Boy looked dejected, until his eyes rested upon an interface booth. He quickly tried to cross the street, and was spun around by the hover cars going this way and that. He sprinted to his destination, and then let out a sigh of relief as he got to the other side of the road. Unfortunately, a hover bike knocked him down just as he had arrived on the sidewalk.

Robot Boy pulled himself to his feet, and entered the interface booth. He looked inquisitively at the blank screen, then saw a few dangling wires below it. He twisted them back into place, and watched the screen light up. When it asked for money, Robot Boy tugged at the wires some more, and accessed the database. Robot Boy watched names and numbers flicker on the screen. He typed in “Robot Girl” and his heart sank as 5 million matches came up. Robot Boy exited the booth with his head hanging low. A massive mining truck beeped into its docking bay a few stories up, which caught Robot Boy’s attention. He circled around the building to see that it was the headquarters of one of the major mining companies on Robot World. Seconds later, Robot Boy entered the main lobby, and was awestruck by the massive paintings that lined the walls. Robot Boy made his way to the front desk, but the robot girl working the counter was too busy checking in robots in to notice him. Robot Boy became frustrated, so he walked past her toward the lifts. Suddenly, the receptionist was shouting at Robot Boy, and a very large, angry looking robot grabbed Robot Boy and threw him into the street.

Struggling to regain his senses, Robot Boy heard the voice of Robot Girl. He looked up in surprise to see Robot Girl exiting the building with a much larger robot man. They were discussing the moon of Perdo, and that mining it would cost more money than it would gain. Robot Boy called out to them, but they boarded a hover car and zipped off into the sky. Robot Boy began waving his arms frantically, which grabbed the attention of a passing taxi. Robot Boy jumped into the cab, and he zipped off after her. Robot Boy pursued the car as they landed at a restaurant high above the city. As Robot Boy exited the cab, the driver asked for money, to which Robot Boy explained that he’d procure some inside. Robot Boy approached the front of the restaurant, and was promptly turned away at the door. Robot Boy insisted, but as he was arguing with the staff, he saw Robot Girl laughing with the robot she was with. The wind went out of Robot Boy’s sails and he walked away. Robot Boy shuffled back into his cab and asked to be taken back to the street. As the cab dropped him back at the front of the mining headquarters, Robot Boy explained that he had no money. The cabby kicked Robot Boy to curb, shouting that he should have known that Robot Boy was a loser. Robot Boy sat silently on the curb as the sun set in the sky. There was no more hope in his tiny robot heart.

Suddenly, Robot Girl spoke his name, and Robot Boy looked up the girl he once knew. Robot Boy stood and embraced Robot Girl, who hugged him back. Robot Boy told her his story, including how he had seen her at the restaurant. Robot Girl explained that the robot man was her boss, and that they had decided not to mine Robot Boy’s home. Robot Girl took Robot Boy’s hand, and the pair walked off into the night.

Robot Girl entered her apartment, turning on all the appliances, which amazed Robot Boy. She had display screens and brightly colored decorations everywhere. Robot Girl spoke a mile a minute, telling Robot Boy about everything that had happened since she got back to the main world. She told him of the core tests, and the increased traffic, and all the new construction in the city. She told him of her friends, and all the adventures they had had in the past few nights. Robot Boy tried to keep up, but she was talking faster than he remembered she spoke, and she was rushing from one end of the room to the other, turning things on, and shutting things off. Eventually, she settled down, and asked about Robot Boy. Robot Boy thought for a few seconds, and finally said that he had just wanted to see her again. Robot Girl was calmed by his words, and the two robots went into sleep mode for the night.

Robot Boy slowly awoke, looking out the window at the moons hanging in the sky. A massive cargo ship flew through the air, blocking Robot Boy’s view of the sky. Robot Boy asked Robot Girl if she remembered looking at the stars, but Robot Girl dismissed the thought quickly as she began messaging her best friend. We can’t see the stars from Robot World, she explained. The city lights were too bright. Robot Boy sighed and looked around the room. It warmed his heart to see the flower he had given Robot Girl on the shelf. Robot Girl asked Robot Boy if he wanted to join her and her friend as they ran errands around the city. Robot Boy shyly nodded his head.

The day moved at break-neck speed, as Robot Boy was whisked from building to another with Robot Girl and her friend. At first, Robot Boy had been amazed at the city, but it soon hurt his senses, and overwhelmed him. Everything moved too quickly, and nothing was savored. There were no peaceful moments here, only the rush to get from one place to another. Robot Boy saw this in Robot Girl as well. She seemed to be operating at a faster speed, and Robot Boy came to realize that whomever he had met back on Perdo was not the robot he was currently with on Robot World. And so Robot Boy grew silent, and as Robot Girl asked where Robot Boy would like to go next, Robot Boy replied “home.”

Robot Girl dropped off her friend, and she and Robot Boy retired to her room. The sun sat low in the sky, but the city never stopped humming with movement. Robot Boy looked at the sky though the window, unable to see more than a few specs of light. Robot Girl said that it wasn’t the same as it was on Perdo. Robot Boy sighed as he agreed. He went on to say that he never expected life to move so quickly on Robot World. Robot Boy confessed that it was too much for him. Robot Girl nodded. Robot Boy said that he had missed Robot Girl after she had left, and that he would probably continue to miss her in the future. Robot Girl was silent. Robot Boy said that he was grateful for every moment that he had shared with her. And so he left.

Robot Boy found his ship and flew into the night sky. He noticed that the ride back to his home was faster, and he wondered why. Robot Boy eventually found the small, cold moon of Perdo, and landed his craft in a small clearing. As the ship touched down, the fourth leg bent even further than it had before, and broke off. The ship collapsed, and Robot Boy was tossed about in the cabin. Robot Boy lifted the latch to check on the power cell, and saw that the surface had been cracked. The blue glow that it gave off was quickly fading to nothing. Robot Boy watched it die completely, and then emerged from the ship. He looked around at the piles of garbage and debris, and felt a shiver run through him. This was home; it always had been. But for some reason, it felt colder than it ever had in the past. Robot Boy wandered back to his den, and found the tin flower he had made a short time ago. He then cast his eyes skyward, and looked at Robot World. And he wondered if there were any other robots quite like him. No, he thought. Not quite. He dropped the flower to the ground and walked off.

“And in these long, terrible moments, he knows that a place of torment does not have to be a lake of fire. …Nor must the damned always shriek and moan. Sometimes, they suffer in silence.”

—Dennis O’Neil

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