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Rain beat down over the awning, leaving MT to hide just outside the store. Everyone knew that a robot’s worst fear was water, even though most were made full water-proof, there was always a risk when machinery met water.
They gazed out over the street, watching civilians hurry along with umbrellas, although most were in cars to avoid the driving rain. They closed their eyes, leaning against the storefront and listening to the rain.
“Hey ‘bot! Where’s your owner, I don’t like you’se coming and spying on my store, you hear?”
“Loud and clear, sir.” Their voice came out as a metallic rumble, with a vaguely melodic sound. It was vain, but MT couldn’t get enough of it.
“Hey you, come deal with this ‘bot, it ain’t got a human minding it.”
MT narrowed their eyes against the misty rain and made out the shape of an officer. He seemed young, and he was soaked to the bone.
“Don’t you have an umbrella?” Said MT snarkily as they stepped towards the officer.
“Uh—I—you should come with me, he’s right, robots aren’t allowed to loiter without a supervising owner. Where is your owner anyway?”
“Off doing something, I don’t know.” They furrowed their brows as the officer dragged them out into the rain and around the corner. A sense of panic began to flare in their chest as they realized the officer really was taking them somewhere. Still, the officer seemed too young, and unsure. They’d be able to ditch him given the right moment.
“Well—I’ll just take you to the station and they’ll check you out there.”
MT shrugged, glancing around for a place to escape. There were too many people here, they’d have to go somewhere isolated, where they could knock out the officer and run away.
“What station are you taking me to? I can send the information to my owner.”
“There’s no need.” Said the officer, moving faster, “We’ll get there and notify him ourselves.” MT narrowed their eyes again as they rushed down the streets, which became narrower and narrower. MT began plotting their escape, but they noticed a few lone cars or pedestrians wandering around or heading into their homes.
They began to pick up the pace, and peered at the officer’s shirt. His name tag said “Jesse Cosay”, but with a start, MT realized he had no badge—in fact, it had been ripped off.
He’s not taking me to the station at all! MT’s mind whirred with thoughts as they planned what to do. Maybe he’s posing as an officer so he can sell me?
They looked around at their surroundings and realized that they couldn’t see a single other person. In front of the pair was the ELF line, and MT realized that the officer—no, this strange boy, was heading straight for the space beneath the freight trains, a dark, shadowy corner.
They could feel the metallic thump thump of their heart beating faster as he kept dragging MT. “Where are we going? This can’t be the station, it’s a dead end. You aren’t really an officer are you. That’s a punishable offense, you know.”
“No!” Panic rose in the boy’s voice, and he stepped back. “You figured it out, didn’t you?” He then muttered to himself “Oh I’m such and idiot.”
“Well, what are you going to do about it?” Confidence returned to MT when they saw the fear and panic in the boy’s eyes. They began searching for a good place to escape, trying to guess how fast the boy would run.
Suddenly the boy slammed into them, shoving them to the ground while pulling something out of his pocket. It was some sort of device that MT had seen used on robot’s when they were malfunctioning or the owner just didn’t want them anymore. It would shut them down permanently , completely frying their system. MT’s eyes went wide with shock as the boy turned it on, ready to slam it down onto MT’s chest.
They shut their eyes, their entire body stiff with fear. Seconds went by, which felt like minutes, as they braced themself for the impact.
“I can’t do it.” The sound of defeat and the clatter of the instrument on the gravel ground pulled MT from their state. They blinked a few times as he slid onto the ground, looking sad and defeated.
“You do know I’m not sentient right?”
“Yeah but, oh you just seem so real!” He exclaimed, shoving his face into his hands.
“Why were you even trying to shut me off anyway?”
“So you wouldn’t tell the officers where I was.” He rested his head on his knees, curling his whole body together.
MT snorted, “You’re on the run?” He nodded shyly, playing with the gravel. “Well I’m just as much wary of them as you are. Do you know what they do to robots with no owners? Well, just what you were too much of a wimp to do.”
The boy’s eyes widened in shock, “You don’t have an owner?”
MT shook her head, “What’s with the uniform though?”
The boy looked down, “Oh yeah, the thing that got me into this mess. I was an officer, I’m just not anymore. I was looking for a change of clothes when that store owner saw me. I thought it’d be easier if I just pretended I was still an officer.”
“Well you were doing a pretty bad job of it. What was even your plan once you got me out of sight? Also, does that mean your name is Jesse?”
“Yes, my name is Jesse.” He shoved his face in his knees again.
“So, you don’t tell anyone I was here, and I don’t tell anyone you were here either?”
“I don’t think there’s anyone we can tell, unless we have a death wish.”
“Right, right.” MT laid on their back, letting the rain drip over their body.
“Aren’t you going to get out of the rain?” Jesse patted the gravel beside him that was underneath the train line.
“Oh, yeah I guess.” MT scooted beside Jesse, hoping that he wouldn’t think much of it.
“What’s your name? Or… Do you have one?”
“Yes I have one,” they lied, “but you can call me MT.”
“Is that part of a model number? Does it stand for something?” Jesse pulled his head up, eyes shining with curiosity.
MT responded by flicking his forehead with their finger. “Ow!”
“I’ll see you around Jesse.” They said, pulling themselves off the gravel. “If you need a favor, let me know—if you’re willing to return it that is.”
“But wait, it’s still raining!” He called.
“So what?” MT didn’t look back as they disappeared into the fog, feeling Jesse’s heat fall far into the distance as they chose their next hiding place.