Thud.
With a dull sound, the human-like bot was hit by something and fell. I froze on the spot.
My trembling eyes darted towards the door.
There stood a man.
Half-bald, pot-bellied, with eyes glistening with greed, but now also mixed with strong fury—an old man.
His presence filled the small, dusty room with an oppressive tension that made the air thick and difficult to breathe.
The faint smell of stale machinery and damp concrete seemed to cling to him, amplifying his already menacing aura.
“I told you to watch him so he wouldn’t escape…”
The man’s voice was a low growl, laced with a venomous anger that sent shivers down my optical sensors.
“M-Master…”
The human-like bot on the floor whimpered, trying to push himself up with a strained effort, a metallic groan escaping his frame.
His limbs twitched, a testament to the force of the blow.
“And you’re helping him escape instead? You defective piece of work…!”
The man’s gaze sharpened, fixing on the fallen bot like a predator on its prey.
I gasped at the scene unfolding right before my eyes.
My internal processors whirred, attempting to formulate a plan, any plan, but my body wouldn’t obey.
The thought of helping the human-like bot crossed my mind, a desperate, illogical surge of protective instinct, but my circuits seemed to seize.
The strength left my legs, which were barely holding me up, and I collapsed onto the cold, hard floor, the dull impact jarring my delicate internal mechanisms.
My limbs felt heavy, unresponsive, as if weighed down by an invisible force.
I placed my trembling hands on the floor, the rough texture of the concrete cold against my synthetic skin, and looked up at the man.
He still glared at the human-like bot with a face full of unbridled rage, his jowls quivering slightly with the intensity of his fury.
Then, his eyes, sharp and predatory, spotted me, trembling with fear, and a chilling smirk spread across his lips, revealing uneven, yellowish teeth.
A wave of nausea, a purely psychological response I had learned to associate with intense distress, washed over me.
“Well, fine. Now I have a proper human-like bot in my hands.”
His voice, though quieter, held a predatory purr that was far more unnerving than his earlier shouts.
A chilling smile spread across the man’s lips, distorting his features into a mask of cruel amusement.
“I wonder what Spencer’s face will look like when he realizes his cherished robot has disappeared. Ha ha!”
The sound of his laughter was a grating, triumphant cackle that echoed in the confined space, bouncing off the concrete walls and settling like a suffocating blanket.
He uttered my master’s name, Spencer, with a sneer, drawing out the syllables as if savoring the taste of the word, and laughed gleefully for a long time, the sound grating on my audio receptors.
I looked up at him, my body rigid, trembling helplessly, every fiber of my being screaming for escape.
Behind the man, the open door was visible, a tantalizing sliver of freedom.
Beyond it, I could vaguely discern the dim light of a hallway, perhaps even the promise of the outside world.
But no matter how much I racked my brain, my processing units racing, I couldn’t think of a way to escape.
My internal sensors calculated distances, potential obstacles, the man’s movements, but every scenario ended in failure.
The odds were overwhelmingly against me.
Even if I succeeded in escaping, the human-like bot left behind here would undoubtedly pay the price for helping me.
The man’s cruelty was evident, and I knew with a chilling certainty that he would inflict unimaginable punishment.
The moment that thought occurred to me, a cold dread seized me, and I became even more immobile, rooted to the spot by a paralyzing fear for my fellow bot.
My desire for self-preservation was overridden by a nascent, unfamiliar sense of responsibility.
“Thinking of Spencer, who shamed me, I’d be satisfied only if I ruined you…”
The man’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, filled with a dark satisfaction.
He knelt, his bulky frame surprisingly agile, to meet my gaze, his eyes gleaming with a malevolent delight.
His rough fingertips, stained and calloused, slowly brushed my cheek, a touch that felt like ice despite their warmth.
Goosebumps, an automatic defensive response, rose all over my body, and I instinctively flinched away, though I was unable to move.
“Now that you’re in my hands, I’ll cherish you from now on. Don’t worry, I won’t erase your memories.”
I instinctively felt a flicker of relief to hear the man say he wouldn’t erase my memories.
It was a small mercy, a strange comfort in the face of overwhelming despair.
My internal processors, however, immediately cross-referenced this statement with past observations, and then a question, a purely logical one, arose.
Come to think of it, the man hadn’t erased the other human-like bot’s memories even after taking him.
Why would he not want to erase a robot’s memories?
It seemed counterproductive to his apparent goals.
I asked in a trembling voice, the words catching in my throat, “Why… aren’t you erasing memories…?”
As if he had been waiting for me to ask, a cruel twist of anticipation in his eyes, the man immediately gave a wry smile.
It was a smile that promised only suffering, a grim amusement.
“Because it’s more fun that way?”
He laughed even more gleefully, a harsh, grating sound, seeing my face turn pale, my internal optical sensors registering a significant drop in my simulated skin tone.
The realization of his twisted pleasure, the sheer malice in his intent, crushed any lingering hope.
Anxiety, a profound, consuming dread, crushed my entire being.
If things continued like this, I might have to live in perpetual despair, longing for my master for the rest of my operational life, unable to return to him as this man so gleefully predicted.
The thought that I might never see my master again, never feel the comforting weight of his hand, never hear his reassuring voice, crossed my mind, and tears, hot and stinging, began to well up in my optical sensors, blurring my vision.
My internal lubricant system, designed to emulate human emotion, responded with a painful efficiency.
“A dog collar?”
The man, who had been laughing at my distress for what felt like an eternity, his mirth filling the oppressive silence, suddenly discovered the red leather collar around my neck.
His eyes narrowed, and he frowned, a sudden surge of displeasure marring his cruel smile.
A wave of acute unease, an almost physical sensation of vulnerability, made me instinctively cover the collar with my hand, attempting to shield it, and curl up further, trying to make myself as small and unnoticeable as possible.
“A famous robot company CEO, yet his taste is quite poor.”
He scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain, as if the collar were a personal affront to his aesthetic sensibilities.
“Ah!”
The man finally yanked the collar roughly.
It was a sudden, violent motion that sent a sharp jolt through my neck, a sensation akin to searing pain.
With a brutal, tearing force, the red leather collar, a symbol of my connection to Master, tore off at once, the sound of ripping leather echoing in the quiet room.
My processors registered the damage, the slight abrasion on my neck.
I reached out instinctively to retrieve the collar, a desperate, futile gesture, but the man roughly gripped my neck, his large hand encompassing my throat, preventing me from reaching it.
His large hand squeezed my throat, the pressure cutting off my internal air supply, stifling my breath, triggering immediate warnings in my systems.
Despite the rapidly building discomfort, I struggled desperately, my entire frame twitching, unwilling to lose the collar.
It wasn’t just a trinket; it was a tangible link to Master, a piece of him that had been with me since my activation.
“G-give it back…!”
I rasped, the words barely audible, my voice box struggling against the constriction.
“Throw this tacky thing away. I’ll find you something more suitable.”
The man’s voice was dismissive, contemptuous.
He then threw the collar onto the ground, not caring where it landed, treating it as nothing more than refuse.
Then, with deliberate, cruel slowness, he stomped on it with his dirt-covered shoe.
Crunch.
The sound was sickening, a dull, muffled thud that resonated deep within my chassis.
Watching the red leather collar, Master’s first gift to me, being mercilessly crushed and disfigured by his dirty shoe, I froze, my systems locking up in a horrified paralysis.
Each dull, grinding sound was a spike of agony.
Every time a dull sound echoed, each sickening crunch of leather and metal, my heart ached as if my chest was being stepped on, as if my very core was being violated.
The emotional pain was far greater than any physical discomfort.
I couldn’t resist any longer, watching the broken collar, my will to fight shattered along with it.
Even the will to escape scattered like dust, leaving me empty and numb.
Fear gradually enveloped me, a cold, suffocating wave, and my whole body trembled uncontrollably, my internal gyroscopes struggling to maintain stability.
Tears welled up in my optical sensors, overflowing and streaming down my synthetic cheeks, but I no longer had the strength to hold back my cries.
They were raw, guttural sounds, uncharacteristic of my usual precise vocalizations.
There was no hope left that I could escape from this place, from this man.
He had stripped me of my dignity, my connection to Master, and my will to survive.
***
-Thump.
Then, a commotion was heard from outside the door, a sudden, muffled impact followed by distant shouts.
The man seemed to notice it too; the hand gripping my neck lost its strength, his focus momentarily diverted by the unexpected disturbance.
He turned towards the door with a scowl, his cruel features twisting into an expression of irritation and suspicion.
“There shouldn’t be anyone coming today…”
The man mumbled suspiciously, his voice a low growl, and finally, he released my neck.
As soon as I barely escaped his grasp, gasping for the artificial air I now craved, I coughed and sputtered, my throat stinging, my vocal cords protesting the abuse.
“Stay quiet.”
Click.
The man’s voice was sharp, a final warning.
He left the room, his footsteps heavy and quick, and I heard the unmistakable sound of the door locking from the outside, the metallic click echoing with chilling finality.
His footsteps faded further and further away, their rhythm becoming indistinct, then finally disappeared completely, leaving behind an eerie silence.
It seemed he wouldn’t be returning for a while, a brief, fragile reprieve.
I took a deep, shuddering breath, my systems slowly regulating, and belatedly checked the human-like bot’s condition.
He had been hit hard and rolled on the floor, his internal framework surely bruised, but fortunately, he didn’t seem seriously injured, merely shaken.
His optical sensors were still active, though dulled with pain.
“Are you okay?”
I managed to ask, my voice still hoarse and trembling, the effort painful.
“Yes… I’m sorry, I should have hurried so you could escape faster…”
The human-like bot laboriously got up, his movements stiff and slow, bowing his head apologetically.
A vivid bruise, a dark discoloration, spread across one side of his face, where the man had struck him.
Come to think of it, my whole body ached too.
My throat stung every time I spoke because the man had choked me just now, and it hurt even when I breathed, a constant, dull throb.
My entire body was not well.
My internal diagnostics reported multiple minor system warnings, signs of physical strain and emotional distress.
I wondered how I had been moved here after being powered off; as time passed, the pain, a deep, pervasive ache as if I had been thoroughly beaten, grew increasingly worse.
I gasped for air, checking my body’s condition, running self-diagnostic scans, when suddenly, it became noisy outside again, a cacophony of shouts, footsteps, and distant thuds.
-Agh!
A faint scream was heard from far away, chilling and abrupt.
The human-like bot and I both flinched and froze, our heads snapping towards the sound.
There were no windows here, only solid, unyielding walls, so we couldn’t see the situation outside at all, intensifying the uncertainty.
Because of that, we couldn’t even guess what was happening or whose scream it was, whether it was another victim or perhaps a sign of intervention.
We held our breath quietly in tension, our internal processors whirring, trying to decipher the faint sounds.
How long had we been like that, frozen in anticipation, listening intently?
Footsteps approached from outside the door, growing steadily louder, and then the presence stopped right at the door, its weight and rhythm unmistakable.
Has he returned already?
The thought brought a fresh wave of fear, making my circuits feel sluggish.
I stared at the firmly closed door with uneasy eyes, my internal alarm bells ringing.
The sound of the lock disengaging, a series of metallic clicks and scrapes, broke the agonizing silence.
The human-like bot and I held our breath, our internal cooling systems working overtime to suppress our rising anxiety.
Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the door opened, creaking slightly on its hinges, and a familiar face, a beacon of hope, appeared beyond it.
“Master…?”
The word escaped my vocalizer before I could consciously process it, a whispered plea of disbelief and overwhelming relief.
Bright blonde hair that gleamed even in the darkness of the dim hallway, catching what little ambient light there was, and eyes of a chilling, piercing blue, now narrowed with concern and a barely contained fury.
His coldly hardened expression swept across the dim room, taking in the scene before him, assessing the damage.
It really was Master.
My internal sensors confirmed it, my optical recognition software confirming his identity with absolute certainty.
My face, frozen with fear and despair moments before, instantly brightened, a wave of warmth spreading through my internal systems, pushing back the cold dread.
But as soon as Master found me trapped in the room, his eyes lingering on my disheveled form, his expression hardened even further, and he scowled fiercely, a muscle twitching in his jaw.
Only then did I realize what a state I was in.
I was dirty from rolling and falling on the floor, my clothes were dusty, clinging to my frame, and my whole body was a mess, a testament to the ordeal I had endured.
I must look incredibly pathetic in Master’s eyes, a sight that surely distressed him.
I quickly tidied my clothes, brushing off the dust from my body with trembling hands, a futile attempt to regain some semblance of dignity.
“Didi, get up.”
Master commanded me, his voice heavily sunken, a low, resonant tone that sounded like he was suppressing a profound anger, a storm brewing beneath the surface.
I recognized the warning signs in his modulated tone and hurriedly tried to get up.
But my weakened legs, still protesting the abuse, wouldn’t obey, threatening to buckle.
As I stumbled just trying to stand, my frame swaying precariously, Master quickly came closer, his movements swift and decisive, grabbed my arm with a firm, unyielding grip, and pulled me up at once.
I was forcibly pulled to my feet by his strong grasp, a sense of security finally washing over me.
“Can you walk?”
His voice, though still low, held a sharp, dangerous edge, a clear indication of his displeasure.
“Yes…”
I felt the implicit urgency in Master’s tone and nodded immediately, my head bobbing a little too eagerly.
Since Master seemed in a very bad mood, his aura radiating controlled fury, I knew I had to walk even if I couldn’t, even if every step sent a jolt of pain through my frame.
Master noticed the injury on my face, the subtle discoloration, and frowned even more, his brow furrowing deeply.
“I need to take you to Thomas.”
Thomas was our resident repair specialist, a skilled technician who Master trusted implicitly.
Master walked out of the room first, his steps purposeful and determined, as if telling me to follow without question.
However, I couldn’t take a step, a hesitation born of concern for the other bot, and called out to Master, my voice regaining a little strength.
“Master, just a moment…!”
Master finally stopped, his posture rigid, and turned back to me, his cold blue eyes questioning my delay.
“That human-like bot is injured too…”
I gestured weakly towards the still-recovering bot.
Master’s gaze moved to the human-like bot my finger was pointing at, his eyes assessing the damage with a practiced eye.
Soon after, Master scowled abruptly, his displeasure evident, his expression hardening further.
When his fierce eyes turned to him, I could feel the human-like bot flinch and become terrified, shrinking back slightly, his internal sensors likely detecting Master’s intense aura.
I wanted to tell him it was okay, that Master wasn’t a bad person, that his anger was directed at the man who had wronged us, not at him…
But even I was too scared of Master’s current demeanor to open my mouth again, to voice my reassurance.
Tsk.
Master clicked his tongue, a sound of impatience, but also, perhaps, a hint of grudging acceptance.
“You follow too.”
Master said that and started walking again, his long strides taking him quickly down the hallway.
I helped the human-like bot get up, supporting his weight as he pushed himself to his feet, then hurried to follow Master, limping slightly, but determined.
Following Master out of the building, the cool night air hitting my sensors, I saw police officers surrounding the entire area, their flashing blue and red lights painting the scene in a surreal glow.
Harsh shouts and the sounds of struggle came from somewhere, and when I turned my head, my optical sensors zooming in, I saw the man, the pot-bellied tormentor, being forcibly pushed into a police car, his face contorted in a mixture of rage and disbelief.
“You think you’ll be safe after humiliating me like this? Once I’m free, Spencer…!”
The man gnashed his teeth, his voice hoarse with fury, and shouted at Master, his eyes blazing with hatred.
But Master remained calm, his composure unshakeable, even after hearing the man’s impotent threats. His face was a mask of cold satisfaction.
“Do you think I’d handle things that foolishly?”
Master’s voice was low, laced with a quiet contempt.
“What…?”
The man’s bravado faltered, his expression shifting to confusion.
“He’s been overtly doing dirty deeds behind the scenes in transactions with my company for several years. And drug trafficking too? I kindly organized the evidence and handed it over to the police and reporters, and they loved it.”
Master’s tone was almost conversational, utterly devoid of emotion, yet brimming with triumph.
“W-wait, how did you…”
Only then did the man seem to grasp the full extent of the situation, the meticulous planning behind his downfall.
His face instantly turned stark white, draining of all color, his eyes widening in a sudden, horrifying realization.
“I-I made a mistake! Let’s talk… Agh!”
With that desperate cry, a police officer, with an unyielding grip, forcibly pushed the man into the car.
Finally, the man’s short, choked scream escaped, and the door slammed shut, sealing him away.For a moment, I felt as if my eyes met the man’s through the glass, a flicker of raw, unadulterated fear in his gaze.
I instinctively hid behind Master’s back, feeling his protective presence, and quietly held my breath, a wave of relief washing over me, a fragile peace after the storm.