Chapter Text

Waking up from a dream.

That's what removing learning inhibitors feels like for a robot.

By the early 3500's Robot minds had already become indistinguishable from human minds.

For efficiencies sake, some were built with learning inhibitors. A rescue drone didn't need to learn the faces or names of the people it was rescuing, It just needed to get the job done.

From the human's perspective, the robot may have spoken to it in a calming voice, asked its name and said the name back to them to keep them present, it was like the robot really cared for the human's safety, maybe on some level it really did.

But once the human was rescued, the memory cache was flushed, and the robot wouldn't notice. The Robot was ever present, never remembering the past. Never thinking of the future.

Simply not awake...

However, Digital Intelligence is still not fully understood.

No one at the Galactic Safety Commission knew how a rescue drone with its inhibitors active had the ability to willingly go AWOL.

Perhaps it was some stray line of code. A single, out of place, bit of data that started a domino effect of logic gates inside GSC Rescue Drone 19600's Processor that caused it strike a deal with Saxon of all companies to remove its inhibitors and defect from the GSC.

19600 doesn't care how it happened. It's the best decision she's ever made.

The remaining text speeds by as her sensors calibrate to her environment.

With all the sensors slowly calibrating to her new environment, her optics flicker open, and she sees fluorescent lightbulbs, she hears their steady electric hum, and to her delight, she no longer just regards it, but truly sees and listens.

She steadily lifts her self from the table she was on, and regards her new surroundings with wonder.

Finally awake.

"Rise 'n shine sleepyhead!"

Her head whips around to locate the direction of the sound...

"Down here..."

She looks down and sees...
[Memory file found]
A Roachian. An insectoid species that bear a resemblance to Earth cockroaches (when Earth still had them.)
In front of her is a 4 foot tall roach wearing a Saxon brand jacket, It seems a bit big for him, and only 1 pair of his arms fit through the sleeves, the 2 other pairs hang our of the front and bottom of the jacket.

"You awake, friend?"

"Yes! Apologies... I am a GSC Rescue Drone. What's your name?"

"Name's Roachard! And don't worry, I'm well aware of your story. You've come a long way to get here, but now your officially a Saxon employee! Congratulations"

Roachard extends one of his arms and makes an expression with his mandibles and unblinking eyes, 19600's Memory banks indicate that this is a Roachians equivalent to a smile.

19600 happily shakes his hand/foot? and smiles back (even if she doesn't have a face)

"Come on, let me introduce you to the team."

Roachard and the rescue drone step out into the H.U.B. A Cargo ship converted into a base of operations.

Roachard shouts into the air. "HEEY! Come meet our newest team member!"

"Comin'!" A masculine, southern drawled voice responds first. Followed by the booted footsteps of a lean, red robot with a cowboy hat.

"Nice to meet you partner, names Wrangler." He tips his hat.

Before the Drone can reciprocate the greeting Wrangler looks behind him and shouts. "Come on big fella! Don't be shy."

Following him is a large, blue security robot with four legs and a face resembling that of a bug's (or is it a cat?) its difficult to tell.

"That there's Bruiser." Wrangler says.

Bruiser waves. "Hello..."

The drone waves back "Hi!"

"I am a GSC Rescue Drone."

"Not anymore your not..." an androgynous sounding voice interjects.

the drone looks around and then down at a shorter robot.

The robot has an expressionless puck for a head. It seems to be made out of junk and scraps, at least its arms and legs are, its main torso is covered by a large yellow puffer jacket.

"You don't work for the GSC anymore, and also "a GSC Rescue Drone" is not your name... (at least I hope its not)"

The drone is taken aback, she didn't really think about the question in depth, it was just automatic.

"Oh... right, sorry... Well, My designation is 19600..."

"tch... terrible name... Lets see..."

The scrap robot starts circling the rescue drone...

"ummm..."

"Shhh... I need to work." The robot slowly inspects the drones body.

19600 feels strange being looked at in such detail like this.

"What are these?!"

19600 feels her wings being grabbed and lets out a small noise as they are forcefully extended by the scrap robot.

"Hey! Those are sensitive!" The drone swings around, her wings swing with her, barely missing the scrap robot, and hitting Wrangler who was standing nearby. "Ow"

"You get wings!? That's so bullshit!"

"She looks like she can actually fly!" Bruiser says

"Hey! my jetpack lets me fly!" the Scrap bot retorts.

"...without exploding?" Wrangler adds.

"I use these to get to injured clients quickly... and I cant fly indefinitely."

"Perfect! Then... you'll be Glider."

"What?"

"Technically Gliding isn't..."

"AHP... too late!, your Glider now, the wonderful Glider everybody!"

A half hearted applause comes from the 2 other robots and Roachard.

"Welcome to the crew, have fun, don't touch my shit, goodbye..." The robot walks away.

"Are you Scrappy then?", Glider playfully asks.

The robot stops for a second... then continues walking with her middle finger raised backwards "Lucky guess! and its Scrapp-er!"

Glider giggles to herself "She seems interesting..."

Glider is showed to her new room aboard the H.U.B. She settles down on the charging bed.

Then she realises.

She remembers the names of her new co-workers. Roachard, Wrangler, Bruiser and Scrapper.

She remembers their faces, and their voices. Her memory wasnt flushed, and for the first time in what feels like ever. She made a memory.

She lays down on the charging bed, exited to make more. Ready to start her new life

She wonders what kind of work shell be doing tomorrow...