Connection [Part 3]

Part 1

Part 2

They sat together at the end of the cliff and watched the sun rise. They were the only colors he could feast his eyes, the rest had turned into dust and grey. The colorful sun rays fell into the passing clouds, the woods, the grey lake. They looked beautiful into the sky but when they touched the destruction they lost it’s power. He felt sad, like it was a personal loss. 

He sighed and looked at the robot sitting beside him. She was looking at the sun, with an expression of wonder played over her face. She plays it real well. It is impossible to program such complex emotions yet this girl..err..robot does better than a  real girl. Whoever was her creator had done his job very well. has he fed some person's memory into her? And this is just work in progress, he wondered, He would like to see a completed specimen. He looked at her closely. She had light eyes and when the dawn reflected in them, they shined like crystals. Her red hair were absorbing the excess of colors. She looked like a mermaid to him and for a moment he forgot she was a robot. 

Aeriel, he said. "The little mermaid, a twentieth century fairy tale by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen", she said. “Can I call you Aeriel?” he asked her. She nodded her consent.

“I can help you”, she said.

“In what?”, he asked surprised.

“You crave for human companionship”, she answered.

“Aha...Now where did you pick that”, he chuckled trying to hide his surprise.

She looked at him. “I can search’.

He looked at her intently for mockery but there was none, “How do you know?”

“Sixth sense.... Thats how it is defined in my database.... However, Will decided to keep me human by looping out of the process of how”, she looked at him, “Now, I just know”.

“Do you know how much you sound human. One day I might mistake you for a girl and kiss you... But.. sometimes, with your staring, you freak me out... Will? Was he your creator?” he asked. She nodded.

“You need a human companion” she repeated.

He sighed and looked away from her. It was impossible, he knew. If he threaded that path he would only get disappointment, just like when he had started his search after gaining consciousness, only to find tatters, blood and bones. “I am afraid” he answered.

“I can use my sensors”, she replied. He looked at her with hope and astonishment. She smiled.

“Is it possible, Aeriel?”, he asked.

“To search, possible. To find, I don’t know”, she replied.

“What is your reach?”, he asked. 

“Radius of three miles”, she answered to which he whistled appreciatively. “We can move everyday and we will cover more and more”, she added. He smiled at her optimism, no wonder Work-in-progress. 

“We risk losing water and food”, he pointed out.

“We will follow circular path around the woods so that we are always at a reachable distance from the lake. Besides I can get the water or food for you from the wood. I can speed up to 350 miles per hour” he gaped at her revelation. 

Hope lit in his heart but something was still pulling him down, "And after that, what?", he questioned, almost a whisper.

"After what?", she asked.

"When we complete and still don't find", he said disheartened, he feared he would cry, it was as if he knew, it was certain, he couldn't be that lucky, get to stay alive and have a companion. 

"Then you kiss me", she said. "What?", her answer shocked him out of his sadness.

"Nothing, we start again", she winked at him straight face, he smiled. 

...Contiinued here