"Say, while you're here, you wanna help me finish this thing?" Hotaru asked, pointing to the object on the workbench.
"Your arm?" you asked.
"Yes."
"Sure, alright. Not sure what I could do though," you point out.
"Don't worry. I just need an extra hand to help me, tihi," Hotaru said, comedically waving her arm stump.
You took a seat next to the tomboyish robot, your bodies often making contact, and not just through the arm you were helping to tinker with.
"So, uh, do you tinker with other machines or just yourself?" you asked, trying to make conversation as you worked.
"Hmm, no. I like working on drones and stuff. I also help the station crew with repairs sometimes. But my body's the most accessible thing I have and the thing I notice the most stuff I can improve. So yeah, I mostly work on myself. It's just more convenient when I need somethin' to do."
"I see. So...sorry if this sounds weird. Since you're a machine too, when you work on other machines and yourself, is like when a human fixes, let's say, a car, or is it more like when a human conducts surgery on another human?"
"Well, I don't know what a 'car' is," Hotaru says. The future has no cars? you think. You can't decide if that's a good or bad thing. "But if it's a machine, then it's more like when the human works on it. Like, I'm not flesh and blood. If I shut down or a part of me gets destroyed, I can always get repaired. So it's no biggie. But working on a human, woof. I can't imagine the stress from that. And I like figuring out how machines work. The way things fit together, it's really satisfying in a way I can't describe."
"Hm. Interesting," you say.
"Okay, done!" Hotaru says. She picks up her arm and places it in its rightful place, some mechanical clicks signal it being reconnected. Hotaru lets go with her left hand and waves around her right arm, testing out its movement. "Now to test it. Stand over there."
You do as she says and stand near the wall she pointed to. "Uhh, what are you testing exactly?" you nervously asked. It just occurred to you that you had no idea what 'upgrades' Hotaru was making to her arm.
Hotaru answers:
"Your arm?" you asked.
"Yes."
"Sure, alright. Not sure what I could do though," you point out.
"Don't worry. I just need an extra hand to help me, tihi," Hotaru said, comedically waving her arm stump.
You took a seat next to the tomboyish robot, your bodies often making contact, and not just through the arm you were helping to tinker with.
"So, uh, do you tinker with other machines or just yourself?" you asked, trying to make conversation as you worked.
"Hmm, no. I like working on drones and stuff. I also help the station crew with repairs sometimes. But my body's the most accessible thing I have and the thing I notice the most stuff I can improve. So yeah, I mostly work on myself. It's just more convenient when I need somethin' to do."
"I see. So...sorry if this sounds weird. Since you're a machine too, when you work on other machines and yourself, is like when a human fixes, let's say, a car, or is it more like when a human conducts surgery on another human?"
"Well, I don't know what a 'car' is," Hotaru says. The future has no cars? you think. You can't decide if that's a good or bad thing. "But if it's a machine, then it's more like when the human works on it. Like, I'm not flesh and blood. If I shut down or a part of me gets destroyed, I can always get repaired. So it's no biggie. But working on a human, woof. I can't imagine the stress from that. And I like figuring out how machines work. The way things fit together, it's really satisfying in a way I can't describe."
"Hm. Interesting," you say.
"Okay, done!" Hotaru says. She picks up her arm and places it in its rightful place, some mechanical clicks signal it being reconnected. Hotaru lets go with her left hand and waves around her right arm, testing out its movement. "Now to test it. Stand over there."
You do as she says and stand near the wall she pointed to. "Uhh, what are you testing exactly?" you nervously asked. It just occurred to you that you had no idea what 'upgrades' Hotaru was making to her arm.
Hotaru answers:
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March 23
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