It was the whirring that had first caught her attention. That low, constant, mechanical hum that seemed at first both deeply familiar and strangely alien.

It had been the sound in her childhood, where every machine had its own distinct pitch and tune, back when robotics had not sufficiently advanced to fully quiet the racket caused by the very gears that gave them life. She'd grown up with it, and as such never minded, but oh, how the elders had complained! Her mother in particular suffered the worst of it, caught between the eternal dilemma of both wanting to keep up with the trends in latest technology, and forever having to endure the constant headaches that came with such a sacrifice.

Thankfully, as the years passed, machinery quieted and her mother was able to live in peace again. Her childhood neighborhood once more fell silent. Even now, freshly moved into a new city and safely tucked into its wealthy haven, everything had remained as quiet and as orderly as expected.

So then, what was going on here?

She paused and tilted her head, attempting to detect the origin of the sound. ... There. Tucked away into a corner alley out of sight, right next to the trash bins.

Oh!

A single, Amber eye blinked up at her from atop a heap of mangled limbs and dented metal.

"Good day, Ma'am." It greeted politely.

"Good day!" She replied, too startled to be anything but courteous.

A second look and a few timid steps forward revealed more detail. It was a robot alright, but as to how it was still functioning was a complete mystery to her. Gutted was the only way she could describe it, with a chest plate smashed to bits and littered with frayed wire ends hanging down limply as the resulting cavity dripped dark oil onto the pavement. One hand was completely gone, the other precariously swung on its joint with nothing but a stray few metal ‘tendons’ connecting the two. Its lower section was even worse for wear; she could neither detect what pieces had belonged to which leg, each which now ended in a rather sorry looking stump that looked as if it were snapped clean in two. Who would... How would...?!

"I would never wish to waste your time, kind miss." The robot continued, as simply and as pleasantly as if the two had just sat down to tea. "But if you do not mind, may I ask you something?

"Well, o-of course!" She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "Ask away!"

The robot's eye lowered as its other empty socket sparked miserably. "Would you be familiar with the Three Laws of Robotics?"

"Yes, I am." She listed them off on her fingers, hoping that she remembered enough from her school days to be helpful. "A robot cannot harm a human being, or allow them to come to harm, they must follow any order given to them as long as it does not conflict with the first law, and they must protect their own existence so long as that does not contradict the first and second laws. Is that right?"

"Yes." The robot confirmed.

Thank goodness.

She very nearly asked him why it was so important to know such a thing. The Laws had been a good basis for early android design, but further models had been improved with much more complex standards for morality and judgment. By now the Laws were practically obsolete. What was the point of bringing them up?

"I am an old model, ma'am." The robot continued, unknowingly answering the question for her. "I function within the boundaries of the Laws. It's why I need your help, miss. There are quandaries that are only possible for me to solve if there is a human to clear up confusion."

"I see." She crouched down, coming as near as she dared with the robot's eye level without dirtying her skirt on the filthy concrete. "What seems to be the issue?"

"I have been ordered to stay here by my masters." The robot said. "So I have, ever since they wished it." His voice was as steady as ever in its perpetually casual tone. She was starting to wonder if he was unable to sound like anything else.

"There is a rainstorm coming. It's why you brought along an umbrella, is that true? If I remain here when the water falls, I will shut down. My technology would be irreparably damaged. But I cannot disobey my orders. They come above even my own existence, is that not so?"

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She could only nod. How could one adequately respond to the announcement of such a dreary fate?

"But there is another factor in this, one my programming cannot overlook." The robot said. "I am an EDW-450, Messenger Class. My main function is running errands. As such, one of my highest priorities is the insurance of human satisfaction, whether they be the one to grant me my cargo, or the one to receive it. The First Law solidifies this concept: I am not to harm a human, and as such I must take care to not injure their feelings or cause them any amount of pain. Is this also logically sound?"

"Yes, I do believe so."

"Then there lies my conundrum." The robot whispered. "For me, the First and Third Laws are inextricably connected. If I cannot protect my existence and thus fall to harm, I cannot help the humans I was made to serve. My inability to assist them would inconvenience their lives, and my presence as a helpful servant would be missed. In failing the Third Law, I fail the First, and I cannot fail the First; it is my utmost priority. I can neither deduce nor decide on how I should proceed."

In truth, she was feeling a little lost herself. "Well, then, what options do you have available?"

"If I leave my spot for shelter, I am betraying my orders. If I stay and die, I would hurt the ones who ordered me to stay here. But if I move and disobey their orders... would that not also hurt them? What would matter more, my safety and their feelings, or my obedience?"

She stared down at the ground, twiddling her fingers uncomfortably. She... had no idea on how to phrase this politely. But whatever she chose to say, it would have to be quick. Already, the first fat raindrop had splashed on her nose.

"It seems like to me... your dilemma stems from your assumption that your masters... care for your well-being."

"Do they not?" The robot asked innocently. "I am their property. If I fail my tasks, then I am a waste of money. Who would not care about that?"

People who would leave you to rust by the trash bins?

She bit the inside of her cheek. There was no way she could say that.

"It is just my observation, that if your masters have abandoned you, they would not care whether you hid from the rain or not."

The robot's eye dimmed. "I... I see. Thank you for your help." Still the same chipper voice, even as the rain began to pick up in earnest. She unfurled her umbrella and held it over him.

"Aren't you going to hide?"

"I cannot, miss, I am sorry." There was a slow creak that echoed throughout every one of his hinges, almost like a robotic sigh. "Don't you recall? My last orders were to stay here, and I must follow them, even above my own existence."

"But if your masters do not care, what does it matter? They're not your owners anymore! You don't have to follow their orders!" The robot flinched and she immediately shrank back, whispering an apology for her raised voice.

"Miss, I appreciate your concern. Truly, I thank you. But The Laws do not specify which human I take orders from. If I am to have no masters, then every human's words will bind me just the same. Even if they are my former owners, I will obey."

And it was those final words, the way his eye flicked up in gratitude toward her before drifting back down, the utter contentment his voice tone implied at being left behind... it was all too much.

And before she even knew it, she had outstretched a hand.

"Come with me."

"...What?"

"Come with me," She repeated, putting as much force into the command as she could. "If you must obey any human no matter who, then you are allowed to follow my orders, yes? So please, come with me. Let's get out of this rain."

"B-but miss!" The robot protested. "I would never dream of disobeying you, but please, if you would let me... I must beg that you not think too hastily!"

"What's the matter?" She asked, her face heating up. She hadn't considered... she'd never even thought that he might not want to follow her. Idiot! "If y-you don't want to, I can order you to leave the rain regardless. I don't mind!"

"No, it's not that!" The robot slammed it's one remaining hand on the ground with such force that it snapped off. "Please, ma'am, I must apologize deeply. Forgive my indolence. It is not my place to ever suggest you alter your behavior or orders. But I also do not feel it would be fair if I did not warn you."

"Warn me?"

"Yes. Miss, you are aware of what I am, aren't I?"

She stared stupidly. "A...robot?"

"I am abandoned." Was the swift, cheery reply. "I have been thrown away. I have nothing left to offer that would be of use to anyone, or else I wouldn't be here. If I were to accept your offer, kind though it may be, I... I would be nothing but a burden, ma'am."

Her arm was starting to ache from holding the umbrella. She switched hands, shivering as the rain pooled in her sleeves and soaked both her shirt and her suit jacket. "Then, you would you be willing to come if you were not a burden?"

"I would like nothing more to, miss." The robot replied."

A bright smile stretched across her face. "Then it is settled."

"Settled?"

"I hereby decree that you are not a burden to me, nor do I consider you one. Now come on!"

The only response the robot had for her at that point was a confused string of garbled audio. Rain damage, most likely. She rushed to hoist his bulky frame against her shoulders and started the walk home.

"This won't take long," She promised, trying to heft his weight in such a way that she could carry both robot and umbrella comfortably while offering him shelter from the rain. "Just hang in there, alright?"

But whether from lack of battery, the effects of the rain, or because his system was simply too overwhelmed, the robot did not utter a word.