Work Text:
Sucy watched Constanze work away at the box in her lap, ‘calibrating’ as she called it. The two had been mostly silent during this process, Sucy hugging her knees, Constanze focused on the thing sitting on her knees, Sucy wishing she were hugging Constanze instead, Constanze wishing she could finish sooner. The moment of truth arrived painfully slowly, and as she closed the box and raised her wand, she willed the robot into existence. The mechanisms inside the box shifted and unfolded into a standing being with thin, flat arms and stubby legs. Constanze smiled as the Robot hopped out of her lap and began to dance. She had given it free will, although it was highly susceptible to suggestion. Constanze stood and posed and the Robot mimicked her every movement perfectly, almost as if it knew her thoughts.
Sucy tilted her head and snickered teasingly. “He’s a baby.”
Constanze crossed her arms, giving Sucy a proud smile, eyes glistening. Her hard work had paid off. He worked. ‘He’s my baby,’ she thought, before bending down to make eye contact.
“Bewitched Bot Operative, Optimized for Guns and Electrical Impliments. B. B. O. O. G. E. I. Boogey. That is your name, little one.” Constanze smiled. He danced around and she watched him go, eyes still glistening. Sucy couldn’t help but smile softly.
“He’s cute,” She mused, moving to the edge of her bed. “Just like his mother.”
Constanze blinked, a blush creeping onto her face as she scooped up the small robot in her arms and stood, meeting Sucy’s loving stare. She shuffled her feet nervously and looked down at the robot in her arms and watched as he reached over to Sucy. Sucy stood and bent over the small mechanism, watching it reach for her like a child reaches for its mother. In that moment, a tiny smile made its way onto Constanze’s face. “You know… he might get that from you.”
Sucy looked mostly unfazed by this. “But does he pick mushrooms like me?”
Constanze moved to hand the robot over only to have him cling to Sucy’s arm like a monkey before she shrugged. “Probably? He’s susceptible to suggestion and can perform basic tasks. When he wants to, of course.”
“You gave your robot free will?” Sucy shook her head. “That’s how the end of the world starts.”
“He still follows the three rules of robotics.”
“Which are?”
“1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.” Constanze moved to stab herself with her wand in the arm only to have the robot jump in the way at the last second and knock the tool out of her hands.
“2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.” Constanze moved to the side. “Boogey. Dance.” The robot leaped down and started to dance as he was before. “Boogey, kick me.” Boogey stopped and did not move.
“And finally, 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.” Boogey crawled up Constanze’s arm and held onto her head.
Sucy tilted her head. “You must be proud,” She snickered.
“Of course,” Constanze agreed.
“I’m proud of you.” Sucy smiled, planting a kiss on Constanze’s cheek, causing her to turn beet red before Sucy added “You and your son.”
Constanze cleared her throat. “He’s our son now.”