049. The man takes seriously the prediction of death. "Zero"
Title: Zero
Author: ginnekomiko
Word Count: 660
Universe the story takes place in: Persona Crisis a world full of robots
Character(s) Used: Zero- a toy, a girl, her grandfather
Rating: G
Summary/Prompt: 049. The man takes seriously the prediction of death. Or, the Bond that Transcends Frozen Time.
Zero
In the time before the sentience, he’d been a toy.
“Here my dear, Grandpa made you a present.”
His human had been a little one; a girl with red ribbons and tight golden curls.
“Wow! All the kids in school have Battle Bots! You made this one, Grandpa?”
The old man smiled.
“Yes. Just for you.”
The little girl looked over the shiny toy. His battle armor was red, his face was humanoid. He was her size exactly. He even had blaster guns! None of the other kids’ Battle Bots had blaster guns!
“Does he have a name, Grandpa?”
“Zero.”
“That’s not a very nice name!”
“He’s named because he has no default personality. You will make him into whatever kind of Bot you want. He will be linked to your will. Try it. Think of a command and he will obey.”
“Thank you, Grandpa!”
Back then, he was whoever she wanted him to be. He was her playmate, her champion, her constant companion. The two of them became quite famous in the Battle Bot tournaments.
He was happy when he fought. Feeding off of her strong will, hearing her praise him, his purpose was clear.
“You were great, Zero!”
She took him absolutely everywhere. He was with her at the doctor’s when they said that she was going to die.
She was only ten years old.
After that day, his creator became obsessed with her health. He was always trying new tricks to keep her alive just a little bit longer.
As her strength began to wane, so did her champion’s.
Despite her weakness, the last thing he remembered before the sentience was her will to live.
“…Grandpa?”
“Just go into the chamber quietly. It will make you healthy; I promise.”
She hesitated.
“I don’t want to go! It’s cold in there! It’s scary!”
The old man gripped her shoulders tightly.
She panicked.
“Zero! Zero! Help me! I don’t want to go!”
He felt a wave of power unlike anything he’d felt before.
He was who she wanted him to be. It was in his programming.
And right now, she wanted to live.
He knew what he had to do.
He raised his blaster to the old man.
The heat radiated from his arm. His aim was flawless.
Then, the sentience hit him like a tidal wave.
When he awoke, the old man was dead, slumped against his granddaughter’s chamber. Had he killed his creator with the vary blaster that was made for him?
Why was he having such thoughts?
No, his shot had missed and hit the wall. The scorch marks were apparent on the wall.
He glanced at the container, at the girl’s suspended shape.
He had been too late to save her.
She was frozen in time.
Yet, he could still hear her thoughts.
He glanced back at her.
It would have been easy to move forward and forgot his life before.
Yet without her, his weapon had no power.
And it wasn’t like she was a bad human. She always treated him with great care.
He aimed his blaster at the glass container.
And fired.
The glass shattered.
The water drained
And she began to cough.
“Zero… How long has it been?”
Years, judging from the state of the old man, yet she had not aged a day. The only sign that any time had passed was her long wavy hair. It was no longer tight and curled.
“Miss?” he said.
The sound of his own voice surprised him. He never had the ability to speak before.
She clung to him and cried for a long time. For her Grandpa, for herself, even for him.
“Zero, what will you do now?” she whispered after she had calmed down.
“I will stay with you,” he said.
“Because you want to?”
He thought for a moment.
“Yes.”
“I wonder, what happened to the world while I was asleep?”
He took her hand. “Let’s go look together.”
Author: ginnekomiko
Word Count: 660
Universe the story takes place in: Persona Crisis a world full of robots
Character(s) Used: Zero- a toy, a girl, her grandfather
Rating: G
Summary/Prompt: 049. The man takes seriously the prediction of death. Or, the Bond that Transcends Frozen Time.
Zero
In the time before the sentience, he’d been a toy.
“Here my dear, Grandpa made you a present.”
His human had been a little one; a girl with red ribbons and tight golden curls.
“Wow! All the kids in school have Battle Bots! You made this one, Grandpa?”
The old man smiled.
“Yes. Just for you.”
The little girl looked over the shiny toy. His battle armor was red, his face was humanoid. He was her size exactly. He even had blaster guns! None of the other kids’ Battle Bots had blaster guns!
“Does he have a name, Grandpa?”
“Zero.”
“That’s not a very nice name!”
“He’s named because he has no default personality. You will make him into whatever kind of Bot you want. He will be linked to your will. Try it. Think of a command and he will obey.”
“Thank you, Grandpa!”
Back then, he was whoever she wanted him to be. He was her playmate, her champion, her constant companion. The two of them became quite famous in the Battle Bot tournaments.
He was happy when he fought. Feeding off of her strong will, hearing her praise him, his purpose was clear.
“You were great, Zero!”
She took him absolutely everywhere. He was with her at the doctor’s when they said that she was going to die.
She was only ten years old.
After that day, his creator became obsessed with her health. He was always trying new tricks to keep her alive just a little bit longer.
As her strength began to wane, so did her champion’s.
Despite her weakness, the last thing he remembered before the sentience was her will to live.
“…Grandpa?”
“Just go into the chamber quietly. It will make you healthy; I promise.”
She hesitated.
“I don’t want to go! It’s cold in there! It’s scary!”
The old man gripped her shoulders tightly.
She panicked.
“Zero! Zero! Help me! I don’t want to go!”
He felt a wave of power unlike anything he’d felt before.
He was who she wanted him to be. It was in his programming.
And right now, she wanted to live.
He knew what he had to do.
He raised his blaster to the old man.
The heat radiated from his arm. His aim was flawless.
Then, the sentience hit him like a tidal wave.
When he awoke, the old man was dead, slumped against his granddaughter’s chamber. Had he killed his creator with the vary blaster that was made for him?
Why was he having such thoughts?
No, his shot had missed and hit the wall. The scorch marks were apparent on the wall.
He glanced at the container, at the girl’s suspended shape.
He had been too late to save her.
She was frozen in time.
Yet, he could still hear her thoughts.
He glanced back at her.
It would have been easy to move forward and forgot his life before.
Yet without her, his weapon had no power.
And it wasn’t like she was a bad human. She always treated him with great care.
He aimed his blaster at the glass container.
And fired.
The glass shattered.
The water drained
And she began to cough.
“Zero… How long has it been?”
Years, judging from the state of the old man, yet she had not aged a day. The only sign that any time had passed was her long wavy hair. It was no longer tight and curled.
“Miss?” he said.
The sound of his own voice surprised him. He never had the ability to speak before.
She clung to him and cried for a long time. For her Grandpa, for herself, even for him.
“Zero, what will you do now?” she whispered after she had calmed down.
“I will stay with you,” he said.
“Because you want to?”
He thought for a moment.
“Yes.”
“I wonder, what happened to the world while I was asleep?”
He took her hand. “Let’s go look together.”