The Rusted One

[Deku]

There once was a world made completely of machinery. Nobody knows how the planet got there, or who created the machines. But the world consisted of machines that were intelligent enough to make more machines. Each robot would in its lifetime, create a machine to take its place, and to carry on its random access memory.

The rain poured down hard on the planet. A soothing noise was made as the droplets made impact upon the metallic surface of the shining planet. One machine sat out in the rain, and watched the sky in complete wonderment. Everyone knew this machine- for it was the only one that enjoyed the rain enough to sit outside in it.

This machine was rusted from head-to-toe, and was used as an example to other children why sitting in the rain was a bad idea. But this robot didn't care- it loved the rain. The rain-bot rolled by, collecting the water that ran along the silver surface. The rusted machine also enjoyed the sound of the rain-bot. Everything about the mysterious substance that fell from the sky fascinated it.

One machine watched from a window in a spherical shelter not far from the rusted robot. "Creator... Why does he sit out there in that horrible substance... Does he want to die?" A newly created robot asked its creator, who sat in a chair not far from the window. The elder robot looked towards the new invention. "That's, 'The Rusted One'. It was built defective- unable to create another machine." The newly finished machine stared out the window, eyes carefully taking in the scene, and running it through its processor. "That's... That's unfortunate... Do you suppose it wishes it could create?" The creator moved towards the window, and knelt down next to its creation. "Well, #T683... The Rusted One, although defective, claims we're the defective ones... And that it is the only machine that understands what it truly means to be activated."

The new creation watched for several hours as the rusted robot looked into the sky, allowing itself to be coated by the pouring rain. The rusted out bot simply stared ever-longingly into the space that stretched on for light-years. "I'm going to go communicate with it, creator." The older robot called back from the other room, "I wouldn't. It is not working... Defective. You'll only waste your battery-life." #T683 stared for another hour before finally deciding to leave the comfort of the shelter. The machine walked towards the rusty robot, and stopped in front of it.

"You know, it is raining out here... It isn't good for you."

There was only the sound of rain- the defective machine not moving a bit. And then it spoke, "I like the rain."

". . . Like?"

There was more silence, as the rain-bot maneuvered past them, collecting more of the water. It stopped and analyzed the two beings, "You shouldn't be out here, #T683. Leave this defective machine to its own destructive ways." With that, it kept on moving, collecting water as it went. #T683 sat down next to the old defective bot. Again, the defective robot spoke, "There is something more to this than creation... There is something more... Can't you feel it?"

The shiny robot was silent for a moment.

". . . Feel?" It finally asked, doing its best to analyze the context of the word.

The rusted robot closed its lenses, and felt a deep sadness within in its hardware.

". . . Nevermind."