The Bot

The Bot
 
“Jackson we’ve had no reply,” said Smith.
“It doesn’t matter we will be there in a few hours now,” said Jackson.
“Why the hell make us come out all this way for one lousy prisoner?”
“It was an order from the senator,” replied Smith, he rescanned all the controls and continued “You know the one that just won a landslide victory back home on New Earth. “
“But for one lousy prisoner?” Said Jackson.
“There was some talk about the prisoner, that it wasn’t his fault, that he was provoked.”
“The Senator must have rocks in his head the size of the one we heading to, making us come out here for one lousy prisoner, provoked or not.”
“I agree, even though there’s been no bot activity in this area for decades, it still gives me the creeps coming out so far from New Earth.”
“Well the sooner we land and get this jerks supply’s dropped of the sooner we can fly back home.”
 

#

6 Years Earlier

  
“For the murder of Jim Tansley, you are sentenced to 20 years in solitary on the outer rim asteroids.”
Matt lowered his head; he knew his wife and daughter were just yards away from him.
 
I won’t let them see me break.
Two weeks later, he had been dropped of to the outer rim asteroid which was to be his home for the next 20 years.
 
His place or residence was a small, 4 by 4 mile patch of land, which was covered with a dome which recreated the atmosphere of his home planet.
 
I can leave my residence if I want but only if I have enough oxygen for the journey. The resupply ships come every six months and drop of all my needed supplies. So I have enough food and water…
 
Matt awoke from his reverie; he glanced at the wall calendar and marked another day on it.
 
Marking the calendar gives me something to do and some hope of seeing another human being. Just another three weeks and the next supply ship should be landing.
 
When they handed down this sentence I would never have believed that serving time in isolation would be such a problem. I been begging the supply ship crew for oxygen cylinders- Jackson and Smith- we know each other by our names now as it seems they are the ones with the unfortunate task of coming so far out to the outer rim.
 

#

Three weeks later on schedule the supply ship arrived.
 
I been begging the guys for oxygen tanks for years, maybe they will have brought one for me?
The supply ship landed within the artificial created dome.
 
“Hey guys, am I glad to see you guys.”
 
“Hi Matt, how you doing?” Asked Smith.
 
“About as well as can be expected for someone whose only company is the supply ship that comes every six months.”
 
“Well, we got all your essentials, such as food and water,” said Jackson.
 
“What about the Oxygen?” Hope gleamed in Matt’s face, “You know I want to go exploring this blasted rock of a prison, to pass the time. Especially the bot city, that is so close but feels so far.”
 
“We bought you some Oxygen, I paid for it out of my own salary,” said Jackson.
 
“Thank you
.”
“Don’t thank me, you asked us for it so many times by God!”
 
30 minutes later the two visitors were blasting off on their way back to New Earth.
 
Matt stood staring at the spaceship disappearing into the distance.
 
See you guys in another 6 months.
Then he looked at the two large oxygen cylinders the two men had left.
 
Great now I can go about exploring this blasted rock of a prison. I heard talk that the bots were once stationed here before the war started to go against them.
 
After a meal of the same gruel that he’d had for the past few years, he decided to sleep until morning and then explore bot city.
 
I’ve seen the bot city for years but never had the opportunity to go to it….Until now.
 
The next morning after a restful sleep, Matt headed out to explore the bot city, soon he had exited the safety and artificial atmosphere of the dome.
 
God these oxygen cylinders weigh a ton.
 
After a few hours of walking he felt physically drained.
 
I can feel the sweat pouring of my brow under the weight of this space suit. I got to keep going, nearly there…
 
Eventually Matt made it to bot city.
 
There was destruction everywhere.
 
The bots on the out rim planets never really stood a chance, outnumbered and unsupplied.
 
Then he heard it.
“Please mister…Please mister...Help me.”
 
He’d been walking past a destroyed and derelict house, and then he heard it again.
 
“Please mister…Please mister help me.”
 
He looked through the alcove and saw a bot.
 
She’s a female. What do I do?
 
In a split second Matt made his decision.
He walked over to the bot.
 
She seems intact apart from the heavy block of masonry trapping her underneath.
 
How the hell am I going to free the bot from the masonry?
 
Then he saw it, a long metal bar lying in the dirt a few meters away from him. He picked it up and wedged it under the masonry and pushed down on the bar.
 
His muscles strained and the colour drained from his face. 
 
The masonry started to move.
 
Just one more push!
 
And then the bot was free.
 
“I’m free! I’m free!” Screamed the bot with joy.
Then as the dust settled and the realization that here were two beings whose races had been at war with each other for centuries. They stared at each other long and hard. 
 
Matt felt like reaching for his gun and suddenly blasting the bot. A long silence stretched out…
 
Then the bot burst into a smile.
 
Matt also started laughing and then they embraced.

#

6 Months Later

The bot, Stella, is now my best friend and companion. After I freed her she believes she owes me a debt of gratitude and without anyone else for company the two of us have grown very close.
 
That morning Stella had made Matt’s breakfast like she did every morning. Stella also knew a large variety of both bot and human folklore and used to read to Matt during the late evenings as the sun was setting…
 
Stella is the best thing to happen to me in years on this blasted piece of rock so far from New Earth. Before that I missed my family every day and the pain was unbearable, but now…But now…I have Stella. My best friend and companion and the pain is a little more bearable.
 
He smiled to himself.
Who would have thought that a bot would save my sanity?
 
The supply ship was landing just near Matt’s and Stella’s makeshift house, which was made of piles of metal sheeting that was in plentiful supply as the place at one time had been a forward base.
 
“Stella hide in the back of the house and don’t come out.”
 
The supply ship landed.
 
“Boy have we got some good news for you!” Exclaimed Smith.
 
“What is it?”
 
“The senators had a change of heart. He’s recindered your sentence after an appeal by your family.”
 
“What?”
 
“Yes you are free to go. We are here to take you back.”
 
Suddenly the colour drained from Matt’s face.
 
But…But…I can’t go…I spent every minute of the last six months with Stella. I can’t just leave her...Can I..?. She’s my companion and best friend…Can’t just leave her…
My wife and children…I will be able to see them again.
 
In an instant Matt had made up his mind.
 
“Ok guys, I ‘m ready. There’s just something I need to get from my house and then I will be right back.”
 
“Well hurry, we burning fuel waiting like-” Smith never got to finish his sentence.
 
Stella walked out of the shadows of the makeshift house.
 
“You can’t leave me Matt.” Matt saw the gun in her hands.
 
My gun…
 
“I wasn’t planning on leaving you hun. I was just about to tell these people that I can’t go.”
 
“Really?” Both love and fear showed in Stellar’s face.
 
The next instant Stella exploded into a million pieces. Jackson had opened fire.
 
“Noooo!” screamed Matt. He ran up to the bot who was now a smoldering piece of metal.
 
He looked into Stella’s eyes and saw…Saw the same look that his wife used to give him.
 
Stellar was trying to say something. He put his ear nearer her mouth.
 
“I love…You…”

The End